“I am awake, and there is a huge beast shoving his snout right against me.”
Harry now sat up, and there, sure enough, he saw by the dim light the large head of an animal at the entrance of the hut. At the same instant cries and shouts burst forth from the inmates of the other huts, and the camp, till then so quiet, was in a complete uproar. Willy, awoke by the noise, jumped up. “Why, it is a huge seal,” he exclaimed. Fortunately he had brought his club into the hut, and telling Peter to stand aside, he dealt the animal a heavy blow on the nose. The poor seal, not expecting such a reception, began to back out, when another blow laid it lifeless. The midshipmen, on going outside their hut, saw the whole ground covered by huge black forms moving in all directions, while the seamen, armed with clubs or whatever they could pick up, were running about, striking right and left at the astonished creatures. The seals apparently had landed at one of their usual places of resort, not at all expecting to find it occupied by human beings. In their fright several charged right into the middle of the camp, and two of the huts were in a moment levelled to the ground. They paid dearly for their mistake, for the seamen, some frightened and others angry at being roused from their slumbers, killed ten or twelve of them before they made their escape. Some were seen moving at a rapid rate inland, bellowing loudly, while others crawled quickly down into the water. Harry, fearing that the ladies would be alarmed, hastened to their tent to assure them that there was no danger.
Once more, the seals having taken their departure, order and quiet was restored to the camp. In case they might return, a watch, however, was placed, that due notice might be given of the approach of the intruders. Sailors have happily a knack of going to sleep at times when other men would be kept awake, and in a few minutes all hands, with the exception of the watch, were again wrapped in slumber. Harry had hoped to get a good night’s rest, to be enabled the better to go through the duties of the next day. He had been asleep some time, when he was once more aroused by hearing Paul Lizard’s voice.
“It’s coming on to blow very hard, sir; and from the way the sea is breaking into the bay, I am afraid the boats, if we don’t look after them, will be knocked to pieces.”
“Call Mr Bollard, and we will see about it,” said Harry, springing to his feet.
It was indeed blowing a regular hurricane, and it did credit to the builders of the huts that they should have withstood its force. The waves, crested with foam, came rolling in from across the harbour, breaking with great violence against the rocks. The seamen, aroused from their sleep, hurried out of their huts, encountering as they did so thick showers of spray, which, driven by the wind, broke over them. The first thing to be done was to haul up the cutter, which, dashed about by the foaming seas, ran the risk at any moment of being knocked to pieces on the rocks. So violently, however, did the waves break on the shore, that the seamen could not without much difficulty get hold of her.
“Now, my lads,” cried Bollard, “we will make a dash at the boat. A strong pull, and a pull altogether, and we will have her in safety.”
Inspired by his and Harry’s example, the men succeeded in getting hold of the boat, and as the next sea lifted her, they hauled her up on a level part of the rock. The launch meantime was tossing about at her anchor; the foam-topped seas now breaking on board her, now lifting her up as if they would send her bodily on shore. The sailors watched her anxiously; for should no vessel appear to take them off the island, she would afford them the only means of escaping. The hurricane was apparently not yet at its height. The wind howled and whistled louder and louder through the woods, the sea, breaking in white masses along the shore, every instant roared more fiercely; first one hut, and then another was overthrown, and their materials scattered over the ground; but the men were too anxious watching the boat to care about the matter. Another and another foaming sea came rolling onwards. It was evident that they would either swamp the boat or drive her from her anchor.
“The cable has parted,” cried several voices. The boat rose to the top of a sea, and then came hurrying on towards the shore. All felt that there was but little hope of saving her. Notwithstanding this, they ran to the point towards which she was driving. Before they could reach it, she was thrown with tremendous violence against the rocks, rebounding a short distance, to be driven back again with greater force than before. The crashing of her planks and timbers could be heard as she was driven again and again against the pointed rocks. Those who endeavoured to reach her ran a great risk of being crushed or swept off by the receding sea. Harry, fearing for their lives, ordered them to desist, having a faint hope that she might be thrown high up on the rocks before her total destruction had been accomplished. He hoped in vain, for she continued beating with increasing violence against the rocks, till every timber and plank on one side were stove in, and in a few minutes, being driven again and again on the rocks, scarcely two of her planks remained hanging together, the fragments strewing the beach in all directions. With a heavy heart at the serious accident that had occurred, Harry returned to his hut, which, having been built more strongly than the rest, had hitherto escaped destruction. The ladies’ tent had also withstood the gale; but how long it would continue to do so it was difficult to say. The seamen, in no way disconcerted by the disaster, were laughing and cutting jokes with each other as they endeavoured to rebuild their huts in the dark; but scarcely had they tried to fix the boughs in a proper position than another gust would again scatter the whole structure far and wide. The sea, too, was making its way higher and higher up the beach, sending deluges of spray over the spot where the huts had stood, and reaching occasionally up to the tent. As may be supposed, no one in the camp got more sleep that night.