“Come, marm,” said Mr Bollard to Mrs Clagget. “You were the first in the boat, and you should be the first out, and do just cling on to my back, and I will soon place you on dry ground.”
“Oh, you will let me into the water, I know you will,” answered Mrs Clagget.
“No, no, marm, don’t be afraid,” said Bollard, seizing her hands, and lifting her up on his shoulders as he would have carried his hammock. “You must set the rest of the ladies an example.”
Mrs Clagget’s tongue did not cease; but the boatswain, regardless of what she said, ran with her over the rocks, and putting her down, quickly returned to the boat. Harry in the meantime having landed May, the boatswain next took up Emily, and bore her to the shore, while Willy and Peter scrambled over the rocks, each with a child on his shoulders. One after the other, the whole of the passengers were thus landed.
The midshipmen were then about to jump into the boat. “No, Dicey, do you and Patch remain on shore, and take care of the women,” said Harry. “If we are lost, there will be no one to send for help to the settlement. You understand me? I can trust to your judgment. Good-bye.” Saying this, Harry ordered the crew to shove off, and once more pulled away to the ship.
Harry had frequently cast an anxious glance towards her. She appeared already to have got nearer the reef; and his fear was, knowing the depth of the water on the outside and her already leaky condition, that, should she strike, she might go down before the rest of the people could be landed.
The boat had got to the outer end of the reef, when so heavy a squall met her that the crew, though exerting all their strength, in vain attempted to pull against it. The ship felt its force; nearer and nearer she drew to the reef, pitching her bows into the seas as they rolled along nearly the whole length of the broad estuary. At last she rose to a heavier sea than ordinary. The cable parted, and the hapless “Crusader” drove stern-on to the rocks. She struck heavily, the falling sea driving her broadside on to them. To rescue any of those on board from the outside of the reef was now an operation of too much danger to be attempted, and Harry, by the boatswain’s advice, steered back, hoping to establish a communication with the ship across the reef.
Emily and May Dicey stood on the beach, watching with fearful apprehension the ship as she lay with her broadside against the reef, the sea wildly breaking over her. “Oh! they will be lost, they will be lost,” cried May.
Emily clasped her hands. “Willy, can nothing be done for them?” she exclaimed.
“I hope so,” said Willy. “If man can help them, Harry Shafto and Bollard will do it.”