The Quest of the 'Golden Hope': A Seventeenth Century Story of Adventure

the

e berth, and, leaning against a stout rib, resumed my vigil, till the

was lying over to the breeze, though, owing to being still within a landlocked expanse of water, she scarce lifted as she cut through the waves. I co

then gradually settled down in the other direction, till, unable to keep my feet, I found myself f

ith one of the coils of cable. For a moment I imagined that the vessel had capsized, till, fi

ssion, had "gone about", the direction of the wind and the narrowness of the c

l I was unable to relight it; so in the almost pitch darkness I remained, my eyes fix

I lay almost at full length on the rough floor, my shoeless feet we

ant of a good meal and the close, unwholesome atmosphere of the hold, cause

p bite. With a shriek I withdrew my hand, and immediately a loathsome, active creatu

ly stowed cargo, bumping my crown more than once against the low deck beams. I was on the point of hammer

t that came through the ill-fitting hatch was suffic

ings; but what did trouble me was the appearance of a regular swarm of rodents--not of the brown varie

me creatures. To my great joy I espied a stout crowbar, left, no doubt, by the men who had stowed the cargo. With this I killed several of the brutes, though not before I w

ce, although I could hear them scuffling and squealing as the

swarmed everywhere--on the deck beams, over the cargo, and even on my person--so that I could scarce c

dley of sounds, came from the fore part of the hold.

d ceased to list, and when the cla

I couldn't get anot

e?" asked a voice which I re

er. "If the wind doesn't change we'll have to wait till then. That'll gi

s, I had heard enough to fill my cup of misery to the brim: unless the wind changed sufficiently to enable her to stem the ti

long as the brig remained within the limits of Poole Harbour, Captain Jer

tense, for the sun was now as high in the heavens as it could possibly be, and its ra

e kind of man to allow his crew to remain idle, for I could hear water being poured on the deck to clean away th

hing hither and thither, and the creaking of blocks and tackle. Then, with the measured tramp of feet as the capstan rev

ng and tossing, signs that I hailed with delight, in spite o

e bar, and was curtsying to th

n began pounding on the hatch

ped off. A flash of dazzling sunshine temporarily blinded me, and before I could realize my su

e's a bless