THE DEATH SHIP THE DEATH SHIP A STRANGE STORY; AN ACCOUNT OF A CRUISE IN "THE FLYING DUTCHMAN," COLLECTED FROM THE PAPERS OF THE LATE MR. GEOFFREY FENTON, OF POPLAR, MASTER MARINER. BY W. CLARK RUSSELL, AUTHOR OF "THE WRECK OF THE GROSVENOR," "THE GOLDEN HOPE," "A SEA QUEEN," ETC., ETC. IN THREE VOLUMES VOL. III LONDON HURST AND BLACKETT, LIMITED 13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET 1888 _All Rights Reserved_ PRINTED BY TILLOTSON AND SON, MAWDSLEY STREET BOLTON CONTENTS OF THE THIRD VOLUME. CHAPTER PAGE I.--WE TELL OUR LOVE AGAIN 1 II.--WE SIGHT A SAIL 10 III.--THE DEATH SHIP IS BOARDED BY A PIRATE 28 IV.--MY LIFE IS AGAIN ATTEMPTED 56 V.--A TEMPEST BURSTS UPON US 79 VI.--WE SPRING A LEAK 112 VII.--IMOGENE FEARS FOR ME 131 VIII.--LAND 155 IX.--WE BRING UP IN A BAY 174 X.--THE WEATHER HELPS MY SCHEME 203 XI.--MY POOR DARLING 222 XII.--I AM ALONE 244 THE DEATH SHIP. CHAPTER I. WE TELL OUR LOVE AGAIN. I had passed from the deck, where I slept, to the cabin in too great a hurry to notice the weather. Now, reaching the poop, I stood a moment or two to look around, being in my way as concerned about the direction of the wind as Vanderdecken himself. It still blew fresh, but the heavens lay open among the clouds that had thickened their bulk into great drooping shining bosoms, as though indeed the crystalline blue under which they sailed in solemn procession mirrored the swelling brows of mighty snow-covered mountains. The sea ran in a very dark shade of azure, and offered a most glorious surface of colours with the heave of its violet hills bearing silver and pearly streakings of sunshine and foam upon their buoyant floating slopes, and the jewelled and living masses of froth which flashed from their heights and stormed into their valleys as they raced before the wind which chased them with noisy whistlings and notes as of bugles. The Death Ship was close-hauled--when was the day to come when I should find her with her yards squared?--but on the larboard tack, so that they must have put the ship about since midnight; and the sun standing almost over the mizzen topsail yard-arm showed me that we were doing some westing, for which I could have fallen on my knees and thanked God.