Part 14

"Why I advises this," replied the old man: "I thinks it's best, under all the 'cumstances o' the case, for a boat to be sent a little forrard takin soundins, while I takes the helm and pilots the ship 'cordingly."

"Let it be done, then," said Master Porphyry; "and as I have the greatest confidence in your skill and experience, and as I wish to show in some appropriate manner how much I regard the fidelity and courage you have evinced in my service, from this time I intrust the entire management of the ship to you, allowing you to choose your own officers from among those of your shipmates whom you think most fitted for the duties you will require from them."

At this announcement a cheer of loud congratulation proceeded from the delighted crew, among whom Hearty, by the inoffensiveness of his conduct, his general kindness, and approved courage, had become remarkably popular; but the old seaman appeared as if he did not know what to make of so unexpected a piece of intelligence. His honest, weather-beaten countenance assumed a variety of different expressions, and his confusion for some time prevented his utterance. However, at last, making an effort, he stammered, and as well as the state of his feelings would allow,--

"Thank 'ee, sir. But though I desarves nuffin o' the sort, and ar'n't hardly got gumption enough for the sitivation, I'll do all as I can as long as there's a timber afloat in this here craft, or as long as ever I can be of any sarvice to the owners."

Two men then went in a boat in advance of the ship, taking soundings as they rowed along, the result of which they continued to cry out to Hearty, who with firm hand and steady eye stood at the helm, skilfully piloting the ship through the midst of the rocks. Notwithstanding the caution that was used, she was aground more than once; but immediately she touched, she was backed off the rock by the skilful seamanship of the anxious sailors; and in this way she floated slowly along, threading the intricacies of this dangerous navigation, till she passed from amidst the breakers into the open sea. It was an arduous task, and one full of peril to the Albatross and her gallant crew; and it was not without considerable anxiety that Oriel Porphyry and his companions watched the vessel's progress from the deck. They spoke not to each other, but looked to the huge masses of granite that rose around them--and listened to the cry of the men in the boat with an interest that had swallowed up every other consideration. But when the ship was seen safely clearing her way through the deep waters, leaving the foaming breakers far in her rear, each looked upon his neighbour as if congratulating him on his escape; and Hearty, when he gave the helm into the hands of Boggle, received the sincere thanks of all whom by his skill he had saved from destruction.

"Zabra, you seem ill! What ails you?" exclaimed Oriel Porphyry, noticing for the first time that the eyes of his young associate looked dim and unsteady, and that he appeared as if unable, from weakness, to keep his footing on the deck.

"Nothing, Oriel, nothing!" replied Zabra, faintly, as he caught hold of the arm of his patron.

"Nay," cried the merchant's son, in tones of affectionate solicitude--"you are wounded. I see the blood trickling through your vest. How strange I should not have observed it before, and how wrong of you not to have mentioned it. Doctor Tourniquet!" cried he to the surgeon, who was discussing with the professor the philosophy of cause and effect, "here is one who requires your immediate attention. I hope there is nothing of much consequence, but whatever it may be, let it receive all your skill."

Doctor Tourniquet hurried to his patient; but not without evincing much concern in his good-natured countenance, when he noticed by whom he was wanted.

"Not now, doctor, not now!" cried Zabra, hastily, and in evident confusion, as Tourniquet was proceeding to examine the state of the wound.

"But, my dear young friend," observed the surgeon, kindly, "unless you let me take off part of your dress it is impossible that I can discover the injury you have received, don't you see."

"Here! I will remove his tunic," said Oriel, eagerly coming forward to assist the doctor.

"Oh no, no, no!" hastily exclaimed Zabra, retreating in alarm from the proffered assistance. "I shall be better presently--that is--I am not much hurt. It is nothing. It will get well without assistance."

"You must have your wound dressed, Zabra!" said Oriel Porphyry, surprised that his young friend should exhibit such a disinclination to intrust himself to the surgeon's treatment. "I dare say it will give you but little pain, and will soon be over."

"I can say nothing on the subject till I have seen the wound, don't you see," remarked the surgeon, in a slight degree offended at the extraordinary want of confidence in his surgical skill evinced by his patient.

"I am very faint," cried Zabra, looking bewildered around him, as he leaned for support upon Master Porphyry--"very faint. I think I had better descend to my berth, where the doctor can attend me."

"Very well," replied Oriel: "only you must let me assist you."

"Oh no, no!" exclaimed his young associate, eagerly. "Not now, Oriel. The doctor's arm will be all the assistance I shall require. You can come to me afterwards."

"You are a strange creature," observed the merchant's son. "But let it be as you wish."

Doctor Tourniquet assisted his patient into a small cabin, into which he had scarcely entered, before Zabra would have sunk on the floor in a swoon, had not the surgeon observed his faintness, and prevented him from falling. He then laid him gently on his back. The doctor never before had had such an opportunity for noticing the rich and peculiar beauty of the countenance before him. He gazed for several minutes in undisguised admiration on the faultless features of his youthful patient, with the full conviction that he had rarely, if ever, met with any human face so attractive in its expression. The long black curls which Zabra had allowed to grow till they nearly reached his shoulder hung in shining clusters around his face and forehead; and the faint bronze in his complexion appeared to heighten the grace in which the features were modelled. Desirous of saving so much attraction to the world, if it were endangered, he sought to examine the injury the youth had received. It was a gun-shot wound in the shoulder. Doctor Tourniquet was carefully unfastening and removing the upper part of his patient's dress, for the purpose of getting at the wound, when he suddenly started back, looking as if in the highest degree bewildered and amazed--his ruddy countenance acquired an additional glow--and surprise seemed to have had the power of taking away his breath; and after some minutes' silent wondering, with eyes staring, and mouth opening wide, he recovered sufficiently to be able to ejaculate a long drawn "whew!"

END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.

LONDON: Printed by A. SPOTTISWOODE, New-Street-Square.

Transcriber's Note

A table of Contents has been added.

Text in italics has been placed between _underscores_ and text in small capitals has been changed to all capitals.

Some punctuation errors have been corrected silently. Inconsistent use of quotation marks in some parts of the book has not been changed.

The following corrections have been made, on page

xii "imagin on" changed to "imagination" and "cean" to "ocean" (Cannot imagination make the sea dry land, and the earth ocean?) 29 "bouyant" changed to "buoyant" (elegant, and buoyant) 33 "pole" changed to "poll" (indignantly thrusting his woolly poll in the middle) 74 "disrepect" changed to "disrespect" (and my person with disrespect) 81 "reprepresented" changed to "represented" (for they represented, or were connected) 99 "Abatross" changed to "Albatross" (and the Albatross was rushing through the waves) 193 "un" changed to "sun" (with its own sun, moon and stars) 268 "ound" changed to "found" (he found it fitted up in the most) 287 "gettin" changed to "getting" (for the purpose of getting at the wound) 288 "Spotiswoode" changed to "Spottiswoode". (Printed by A. Spottiswoode).

Otherwise the original was preserved, including archaic and inconsistent spelling and hyphenation.