The sight of Bart, with his open knife, thus bounding on board the
Antelope, astonished the other boys, who began to think that Bart, like
the others, had also lost his senses; but they did as he said--Tom and
Phil holding the boat to the side of the Antelope, and watching, while
Bruce and Arthur followed Bart.
Bart first rushed to Pat.
“We’re not going to stand this. You’re ruining us all. If you don’t go
aboard the boat, we’ll throw you overboard, and you’ll be glad to do it
then. Bruce and Arthur, catch hold, and pitch Pat overboard if he don’t
go to the boat.”
Speaking these words with breathless rapidity, Bart cut the rope with
which Pat had bound himself, giving long slashes up and down. Bruce
and Arthur seized him at the same moment, and as soon as the rope was
severed, dragged him to where the boat was, ordering him on board,
and threatening to throw him into the water if he refused. Pat was
powerless. A few words of remonstrance were offered, but he was sternly
silenced. He was thus overpowered, and so, yielding to necessity, he got
on board the boat. There he seated himself in the stern, and, bowing
his head, began a long, low, wailing Irish “keen,” which is a species of
lamentation in the presence of death.
This scene appeared to produce some effect upon Wade. It roused him
from his lethargy. It seemed as though this man was a mere machine; and
though in ordinary circumstances he was able of going through certain
routine duties, in any extraordinary case he was utterly helpless, and
his dull and inert nature became hopelessly imbecile. But now an idea
of his situation seemed at last to have penetrated to his brain, and
accordingly, rising to his feet, he went to the boat. Then he slowly and
solemnly passed over the Antelope’s side, and took his seat near Pat.
He looked at the others with a dull stare, and then turning to Pat, he
remarked, in a low, confidential tone, “My name’s Wade, an my ole
‘oman’s name’s Gipson; an you’ll not find many o’ that name in this
country. No, sir.”
After which he heaved a sigh, and relapsed into himself. As to Pat,
he took no notice of this confidence imparted to him, but went on with
his Irish lamentation.
“Ow--O-o-o-o-ow--to only think--this bit ov a boat sure--an in the
wide an impty say--an me a bindin meself to the only safety; for
the ship-wracked sayman must always bind himsilf to a mast. And,
O-o-o-b-o-o-o-w, but it was a bitter, crool thing, so it was, to tear
a poor boy from his solitary rifuge--an dhrive him here into a bit ov a
boat--to sail over the impty say--an from the last rifuge--where safety
was, an O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ow! but it’s the croolty ov it that braks me
heart!”
The summary treatment with which the boys had disposed of Pat, was
not to be applied to Solomon, or to Captain Corbet. They tried to coax
these, and persuade them.
Solomon, however, was obdurate.