CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
HOW TO MANAGE A BOAT.
The time was short before we were to start on our long journey, butUncle Dick was determined to make the best of it, and he steadily wenton with what he called my education, as well as fitting me out withproper necessaries for my voyage.
These last were very few and simple.
"For you see, Nat," he said, smiling, "we must not encumber ourselveswith anything unnecessary. You must bid good-bye to collars and cuffs,and be content with flannels, one to wear and one for your knapsack; andthis you will have to wash and dry whenever you get a chance. We'lltake some socks, but after a time we shall have to be content withnothing but good boots. We must not have an ounce of luggage that wecan do without."
It was a delicious time of adventure to me as I went about with UncleDick buying the necessaries for our trip, and very proud I felt of myflannels and stout drill breeches and Norfolk jackets, with belt to holdcartridges, and a strong sheathed knife.
Every day I had a long practice with my gun with what uncle said weresatisfactory results; and matters had been going on like this for abouta fortnight when my uncle said one day:
"Now, Nat, we must have a bit more education, my boy. We shall veryoften be left to our own resources, and travel from island to island ina boat, which we shall have to manage; so come along and let me see if Icannot make a sailor of you before we start."
In order to do this he took me down to Gravesend, where, in spite of itsbeing a rough day, he engaged a sailing-boat.
"Bit too rough for that, mister, isn't it?" said a rough-looking sailorwho stood by with his hands in his pockets.
"It is rough, my man," said my uncle quietly. "Jump in, Nat."
I felt afraid, but I would not show it, and jumped into the boat, whichwas pushed off, and my uncle at once proceeded to hoist the lug-sail.
"That's right, Nat," he said encouragingly. "I saw that you felt a bitnervous, for your cheeks were white; but that is the way: bravely meet aterror and it shrinks to half its size. I can remember feeling as timidas could be on entering an open boat and pulling off in a choppy sea;but now I know the danger, and how to meet it, I feel as calm andcomfortable as you will after a trip or two. Now then, lay hold of thatrope and give a pull when I cry `haul', and we'll soon have a littlesail upon her."
I did as he bade me, and, pulling at the rope, the sail was hoisted partof the way with the effect that it ballooned out in an instant, and theboat went sidewise.
"Mind, uncle," I shouted; "the boat's going over;" and I clung to theother side.
"No, it isn't, Nat," he said coolly. "We could heel over twice as muchas that without danger. I'll show you. Take another pull here."
"No, no, uncle," I cried, "I'm satisfied; I believe you."
"Take hold of the rope and haul," he shouted; and I obeyed him, with theboat heeling over so terribly that I felt sure that the water would rushover the side.
He laughed as he made fast the rope, and bade me go to the rudder, for Ihad taken tight hold of the side of the boat.
There was something so quick and decided about Uncle Dick's way ofordering anyone that I never thought of disobeying him, and I crept tothe rudder, while he took his place beside me as the boat danced up anddown upon what I, who had never seen the open sea, thought frightfulwaves.
"Now, Nat," he said, "you see this rope I have here."
"Yes, uncle."
"This is the sheet, as it is called, of the sail, and it runs throughthat block to make it easier for me to give or take as I want. Now, myboy, here is your first lesson in managing a sailing-boat whether thewind is rough, or as gentle as a breath. Never fasten your sheet, buthold it loose in your hand."
"Why, uncle?" I said, as it seemed to me that it would have saved allthe trouble of holding it if it had been tied to the side.
"That's why," he said, as just then the wind increased, so that I clungonce more to the side, for the sail was blown so hard that the boatwould have gone over enough for the water to rush in if Uncle Dick hadnot let the rope run swiftly through his hands, making the sail quiteloose, and the boat became upright once more.
"I brought you out on a roughish day, Nat," he continued, "so as to giveyou a good lesson. Look here, Nat,--if an unskilful rider mounted aspirited horse he would most likely be thrown; and if a person who doesnot know how to manage a sailing-boat goes out in one on a windy day,the chances are that the boat is capsized, fills, and goes to thebottom. Now, if I had not had hold of the sheet then, and eased off thesail--let it go, as a sailor would call it,--we should have beencapsized, and then--"
"What then, uncle?" I said, feeling very nervous indeed.
"We should have gone to the bottom, my boy, and been drowned, for Idon't think I could have swum ashore from here in my clothes and takenyou as well."
"Then--then, hadn't we much better go ashore at once, uncle?" I said,looking at him nervously.
"Yes, Nat, I'll take you ashore at once if you feel afraid; but beforedoing so I will tell you that I brought you out here to give you asevere lesson in what boat-sailing with me is likely to be; and I tellyou besides, Nat, that I know well how to manage a boat. You have hadenough of it, I see, and we will go back."
He made a motion to take the tiller out of my hands, for I was steeringas he told me to steer, but I pushed his hand back.
"I thought you were frightened, Nat," he said; and then there was apause, for I wanted to speak, but the words would not come. At last,though, they did.
"I am frightened, uncle, very much frightened; and this going up anddown makes me feel sick."
"All right, then, Nat, we'll go back," he said kindly; but he waswatching me all the while.
"No," I gasped, "we won't, and--and," I cried, setting my teeth fast, "Iwon't be sick."
"But it is dangerous, Nat, my boy," he said; "and we are going straightaway into rougher water. Let us go back."
"No," I said, "you brought me out to try me, uncle, and I won't be acoward, not if I die."
He turned his head away for a few minutes, and seemed to be looking atthe distant shore, and all the while the little boat rushed through thewater at a tremendous rate, the sail bellying out and the gunwale downdangerously near the waves as we seemed to cut our way along.
The feeling of sickness that had troubled me before now seemed to gooff, as if my determination had had something to do with it; and inspite of the sensation of dread I could not help liking my position, andthe way in which we mastered the waves, as it were, going head on to onethat seemed as if it would leap into the boat, but only for us to riseup its slope and then plunge down to meet another, while the danger Ihad feared minute after minute floated away astern.
When my uncle turned his head he said quietly:
"Nat, my boy, it was dangerous work to come out here with me; but, myboy, it is far more dangerous work to go out on that long voyage with meamongst savages, perhaps; to sail on unknown seas, and to meet perilsthat we can not prepare to encounter. Do you not think, my boy, youhave chosen badly? Come, Nat, speak out. I will not call you a coward,for it would only be natural for you to refuse to go. Come, speak to mefrankly. What do you say?"
"Was it dangerous to come out to-day, uncle, in this little boat?"
"Decidedly, my boy. You heard what that old boatman said."
"Yes, uncle. Then why did you come?"
He stared at me for a moment or two, and then said quietly to me,leaning forward so that he could look straight into my eyes.
"To give you a lesson, my boy."
"But you knew you could manage the boat, uncle?"
"Yes, my boy. I have had a good deal of experience in boat-sailing onthe great American rivers, and on the sea."
"And you would not mind coming out at a time like this, uncle?"
"No, my boy, certainly not. I have been out years ago with the Yarmouthboatmen in very rough seas indeed."
There was a pause for a time, and then he said
again, "Well, Nat, willyou give up?"
"No, uncle," I said excitedly, "I don't feel half so frightened. Icouldn't help it then."
"You'd have been a strange boy, Nat, if you had helped it," he saidlaughing; "and I am very glad we came. Now, let me tell you that we arein a very small boat in water quite rough enough to be very dangerous;but knowing what I do, possessing, as I do, the knowledge which ispower, Nat, there is not the least danger whatever, and you may restperfectly assured that we will get back quite safe."
"Then I've been terribly cowardly, and afraid for nothing, uncle," Isaid, as I felt horribly ashamed.
"Yes, my boy, but that is generally the case," he said smiling. "Youwere afraid because you were ignorant. Once you know well what you areabout, you feel ashamed of your old cowardice."
"But it's very shocking to be like that, uncle," I said.
"Not at all, my boy. It is the result of ignorance. The more ignorantand uncultivated people are, the greater cowards they seem. They aresuperstitious, and believe in ghosts and goblins and imps and fairies;and as for savages in far-off regions, they are sometimes the greatestcowards under the sun."
"I feel very much ashamed of myself, uncle," I said, and the tears stoodin my eyes.
He looked at me very kindly as I spoke.
"I wish I was not so ignorant."
"For my part, Nat," he said, "I feel very proud of you, my boy; and letme tell you that you have no cause to be ashamed at all. Now take holdof the sheet here, and give and take as I tell you. Don't be afraid tolet it slip through your hands fast if there is a heavy squall. I'llsteer. The sea is heavier out in this long reach. Tell me when you'dlike to put back."
"I don't want to go back, uncle," I said; "let's go on."
He nodded, and away we dashed, scudding along and riding over the waves,while he showed me how he steered, and why he did this and that; how, bya little pressure on the tiller, he could check our speed, and even turnthe little vessel so that we were facing where the wind blew from, andnow the sail flapped angrily; but we made no progress at all, only weretossed about on the waves.
I told him that I thought we could only go along with the wind straightbehind us, but he showed me how we could sail with the wind on eitherside, and sometimes with it almost facing us, by what he called tacking,which I found meant that, if the wind came from straight before us, sayat a certain point in front, we could get there at last by zigzaggingthrough the water, now half a mile to the left, now half a mile to theright, a common way of progressing which brought us nearer and nearerevery time.
"The sea is rougher than I thought," he said, "for I suppose we may callit sea out here, Nat, this being the estuary of the Thames, so I thinkI'll make that do for to-day."
"Don't go back for me, uncle," I said, as a wave broke over the bow ofthe boat, splashing us from top to toe.
"I am going back for both our sakes, Nat, for we shall soon be wetthrough. It is a day for india-rubber coats; but this has been aglorious sail, and a splendid lesson for you, Nat."
"Yes, uncle," I said, "and I feel hardly frightened a bit now."
"No, my boy, it has given you far more confidence than you had before.It is live and learn, Nat; you believe more in me and I believe more inyou."
He gave me one of his nods as he said this, and then took the rope frommy hand.
"Now, Nat, steer us home, my boy; I'll tell you what to do. By and byyou and I will have a native boat, perhaps, with a matting sail, tomanage, sailing about near the equator."
"But is it rough out there, uncle, amongst the islands?" I said.
"Very, at times, my boy; but with a light, well-built boat like this Ishould not be afraid to go anywhere. See how like a duck she is inshape, and how easily she rides over the waves. I should like to haveone exactly the same build but twice as large, and with the fore partand poop decked over or covered in with canvas; and I don't know butwhat it would be wise to take out such a boat."
Then he went on giving me explanations about the sail, and which was alug-sail, what was meant by fore-and-aft rig, and a dozen other things,showing me the while too how to steer.
The result was that, drenched with spray, but all in a glow withexcitement, we got safely back, and for my part feeling that I had had alesson indeed, and ready to put out any time with my uncle in farrougher seas.