Читать книгу Great Northern? - Arthur Ransome - Страница 11

IT WAS A restless night in the Sea Bear. Steps on deck woke sleepers in their bunks. They turned over and went to sleep again only to be waked once more by the whirr of an alarm clock, instantly suppressed. Dick lay thinking of the small lochs that were shown on the chart and wondering how long the scrubbing of the ship would take and whether he would be able to go ashore for his last chance of seeing Divers before going home. People were moving in the cabin. There was the noise of somebody slipping on the way up the companion ladder. “Jibbooms and bobstays! I wish shins were made of iron!” It must have been Nancy who slipped. There were snatches of quick eager talk up on deck. “Look! Look! That’s the place.” “Don’t shout.” “All right. But they’re sleeping like logs.” Then there was the gentle bump of the dinghy being brought alongside, the squeak of rowlocks. Silence … then, “What’s he doing? Stamping to keep warm?” “Finding the best place to beach her.” “Why’s he shifting that stone?” “Making marks, so that we can see where to bring her in when the tide’s up.” “He’s off again.” Silence for a long time. Bump. Captain Flint’s voice outside: “Nice bit of hard. Mac knew what he was doing. Ten foot rise and fall … Low water about one … If we put our backs into it we’ll have the barnacles off and the anti-fouling on with time to spare.” There were more noises in the cabin. Dick rolled out of his bunk, to find that almost everybody else had the same idea. Titty, Dorothea, Peggy and Susan were all going up to see what was happening. Dick hurried after them, but hardly had time to get halfway up the companion ladder before there was a roar of “Go to bed, you idiots! You’ve only a few more hours for sleep and a hard day ahead.” The fog had gone, high clouds were driving across, and the sky was full of light.

“We couldn’t have done better even if we’d been able to see,” said Titty.

“Anchored right in the middle,” said Dorothea.

“We really had better go to sleep again,” said Susan.

“He’s been ashore and looked at the place where she’s going to be put on legs,” said Peggy.

“Put on legs …” Dick wanted to see how that was done, and perhaps all the crew would be needed for it, but they might not be needed all day and if the Ship’s Naturalist could be spared … Dick scrambled back into his bunk and was asleep again. He did not hear John, Nancy and Captain Flint come down into the cabin. There was quiet for an hour or two. Then more noises. Heavy bumps in the fo’c’sle. Bumps on deck. Someone was reaching into his bunk to get at something high up under the deck. The winch was clanking. There was the sudden roar of a newly started Primus stove. Dick, half asleep, heard Roger say, “Shut up!” and somebody else say, “Engine!” and Roger bounce out of his bunk with “Coming. Coming! Don’t let him start it till I get there.” Dick dozed again. It seemed only a moment later when he awoke and knew that he was the only one below decks. Bright sunshine was sweeping round the cabin. The engine was throbbing. Dick rubbed his eyes, grabbed his spectacles, scrambled out of his bunk and up the ladder to find all the rest of the crew on deck and the Sea Bear moving very slowly across the smooth water of a sunlit cove where yesterday she had lain blindfold in the mist.

The north side of the cove, towards which they were moving, was steep and rocky. A lump of rising ground, covered with heather, hid the valley that was shown on the chart. At the mouth of the cove, Dick saw the seagulls circling about the cliff that had thrown back the sound of the engine when they passed close under it in the fog. The top of the cliff sloped up to a little hill, behind which a high ridge hid the buildings they had seen from the offing. Looking astern, he saw a line of rocks, rising into a promontory that divided the cove from another to the south of it. At the head of the cove a stream was coming down over a waterfall. The Sea Bear was moving towards a little bay with rocks on either side. She was in perfect shelter, though small white clouds, high overhead, were racing seaward, and outside, beyond the cliff, were white-topped hurrying waves.

“Just ticking over,” Captain Flint was saying. “No need to ram her ashore,”

“Aye, aye, Sir,” said Roger.

“Chug … chug … chug …”

A lot of work had been done since, in the early morning, the mist had blown away. A great coil of rope was on the after deck, close by the cockpit, with the kedge anchor aboard again and ready for letting go from aft instead of from the bows. More coils of rope were on the foredeck, and the end of one of them went down into the dinghy which, with an anchor in it, was made fast to the starboard shrouds instead of towing astern. Susan was at the tiller. That must mean that John and Nancy and Captain Flint were going to be needed for something else, and needed at once.

“Doing fine, Susan,” said Captain Flint. “We’re on the marks now. One white stone above another … Keep them so.”

“Dick,” said Dorothea, “it’s too cold to be on deck in pyjamas.”

“I’m warm enough,” said Dick. “I’ll change afterwards.”

“It’s a lovely bit of beach,” said Nancy. “We saw it as soon as the fog went, and Captain Flint went ashore and put the marks.”

“But where are her legs?” said Dick. “Look over the side,” said Nancy. “Didn’t you hear us putting the bolts through?”

Dick looked over, and saw that heavy posts had been swung alongside, one to starboard and one to port, their forward ends pivoting on huge bolts close to the shrouds.

“Isn’t it a gorgeous place?” said Titty. “Better than any harbour.”

“It’s just the place for a story,” said Dorothea, looking at the blue hills far inland, and the steep cliff that sheltered the cove from the north winds.

“Better than any harbour,” said Titty again. “It’s the sort of place where something’s simply bound to happen.”

“I hope to goodness not,” said Captain Flint, hurrying past after making sure that all was ready on the foredeck. “She’s a big ship and we can’t afford to let anything happen at all.”

“Not that kind of thing,” said Titty, but he did not hear her. Already he was at the stern, looking to and fro as if to judge his distance.

“Let go the kedge,” he said.

There was a splash and, as the Sea Bear moved slowly on, he paid out rope.

“John,” he called, and John was there in a moment. “Watch the kedge rope. See it runs out clear but be ready to check it and haul in fast if we have to go astern. We don’t want it fouling the propeller.”

“Aye, aye, Sir,” said John.

“I’ll take the tiller to put her aground,” said Captain Flint. “You’re doing all right, Susan. Stand by to take charge again. Nancy,” he called. “Ready with that bow warp?”

“All clear to go,” sang out Nancy.

“Chug … chug … chug …”

Slowly, slowly the Sea Bear was moving on towards the shore.

“Stop!”

“Stopped,” said Roger, pulling the gear lever half way back. The chug, chug of the engine suddenly quickened, now that it was no longer turning the propeller.

Slowly and more slowly the Sea Bear moved into the little bay. There were rocks close ahead to port and starboard. On the starboard side they were already beginning to hide the mouth of the creek and the open sea beyond it. Another twenty yards and she would be ramming her bowsprit into more rocks above a narrow strip of curving beach.

“Any minute now,” said Captain Flint quietly.

Nobody breathed.

“Scrrrunch.”

The next second Captain Flint had left the tiller, was in the dinghy and rowing for the shore, Nancy paying out the warp as he rowed.

“Scrunch.”

“He’s got there,” exclaimed Titty.

They saw him step out of the dinghy, jerk it a foot or two up the beach, take out the anchor, stagger up the shore with it and bed it among the rocks.

“Haul in on the bow warp and make fast,” he shouted, and Nancy had it taut in a moment.

“Stem warp, John! Haul in and belay!”

“Aye, aye, Sir.”

“Port warp, Nancy.”

He was coming off again in the dinghy. Nancy passed down the end of a rope, and he took it ashore and made it fast round a rock.

“Starboard warp!”

In a very few minutes the Sea Bear was moored stem and stern, with ropes ashore on either side.

“Scrunch. Scrunch.”

“She’s afloat again,” called Roger. “Shall I give her another push with the engine?”

“Finished with engines.”

Roger disappeared below. The throbbing of the engine came to an end and Roger bobbed up again on deck, wiping his hands on a greasy rag and looking extremely pleased.

HOW LEGS WORK

Captain Flint, very hot and out of breath, came aboard.

“Scrunch” … A very gentle scrunch this time.

“She’s tickling the ground,” said Titty.

“That’s all right,” he panted. “Tide’s got another inch or two to rise. And now we’ll put our feet down. Starboard side first. We’ve plenty of time to get them both down before she settles.”

Nothing could have been simpler. The after end of the long timber that had been slung along the starboard side was lowered. Nancy pulled on a rope in the bows while John paid out a rope from the stern until the timber was standing straight up and down. Captain Flint had a good look, and both ropes were made fast. The upper end of the post was lashed to the shroud. The same thing was done to the leg on the other side, and there was the Sea Bear ready to take the ground with her keel and with a leg on each side of her to hold her up as soon as the tide should leave her.

“You’d better get dressed,” said Dorothea to Dick, and he bolted below. Any minute now he would know whether he would be free to go ashore.

“That’s all we can do for now,” said Captain Flint presently. “Well done, everybody. What about breakfast?”

“Porridge’ll be cold,” said Susan.

“Who cares?” said Nancy.

“There’ll be hot coffee anyway,” said Peggy. “I got the Primus going again while you were fixing the legs.”

They had hardly begun their porridge when they felt the ship meet the bottom once more and they knew that the tide which had lifted them after they first touched had begun to drop. There was a general stampede up the companion and up the fo’c’sle ladders.

“She’s sitting very pretty,” said Captain Flint.

“What about her legs?” said John.

“They’ll be doing their share in a minute.”

“This one’s on the bottom anyhow,” said Roger. “I can see a fish nosing round it.”

“Her waterline’s showing,” said Nancy a minute or two later.

“Another couple of hours and we’ll be at work.”

“Do let’s get breakfast finished,” said Susan.

They went down again and Dick, still thinking of those lochs marked on the chart not so very far away, put his question.

“Will you want all of us for the scrubbing?” he said.

“All hands,” said Nancy.

“Don’t you think it,” said Captain Flint. “Not enough brushes and scrapers for one thing. No. The four toughest are the ones I want. John and Nancy with Susan and Peggy to lend a hand. And we’ll ask the others to keep out of the way. Better let them have a run ashore.”

“We’ll explore,” said Titty joyfully.

“Of course if you really don’t want us,” said Dorothea, who also was thinking of adventure on land.

“Good,” said Roger.

Dick, thinking of Divers, was too pleased to say anything at all.

“Stow your grub away,” said Peggy, “and then Susan and I’ll make sandwiches so that the land party can clear out.”

“The land party!” Titty and Dorothea and Roger looked at each other with eyes full of plans. Dick was running over in his mind the things that, as Ship’s Naturalist, he must not forget to take.

“May we take the little chart?” asked Titty.

“It doesn’t give names to anything,” said John.

“All the better,” said Titty. “We’ll put in names ourselves … Scrubbers’ Bay for a start.”

“And Gull Cliff,” said Dorothea.

“I don’t suppose Mac’ll mind,” said Captain Flint.

The Sea Bear was settling firmly on her keel and legs. People talked a little less loudly than usual. Throughout the cruise they had known her alive under their feet, swaying along with a reaching wind, punching into head seas, alive always, even when moored in harbour for the night. Now, suddenly, she was dead. Nobody said anything about it, but each one of them kept glancing at the faces of the others to see if they felt it too.

“I wonder what she’s like underneath,” said Nancy suddenly.

“We’ll soon know,” said John.

“Most of these old pilot cutters are the same,” said Captain Flint. “Deepest at the heel.”

“Won’t she settle on a slant with her nose down?” said John, who had been thinking it out.

“She would on flat ground,” said Captain Flint. “But this beach has a slope to it. She’s very nearly level, and she must be pretty well solid on her legs by now.”

“I’ve had enough to eat,” said Nancy. “I’m going up to have a look.”

Captain Flint followed her, stuffing tobacco into his pipe. John made a large mouthful of the last of a slice of bread and marmalade, gulped the last of his coffee, and was gone. Titty and Dorothea hurried after john. Dick had already finished his breakfast and was getting out the things he needed and putting them in a row on the settee below his bunk. Camera. Telescope. Pencil. Notebook. Nothing was to be forgotten. Roger stood up, glanced at the companion ladder and then back at the table. He sat down again and passed his empty mug to Susan. He was the engineer and his job for the moment was done. He helped himself to another slice of bread. Susan laughed.

“Still hungry?” she said.

“Why not?” said Roger. “I am, if you want to know.”

“Better eat now,” said Susan, “and then you won’t have to carry so much grub when you go ashore.”

Roger looked at her with some suspicion. Was Susan laughing or not? “We’ll all be hungry again if we go a long way,” he said.

“We won’t starve you,” said Peggy.

Dick was sure he had forgotten nothing. He put the small things in his pocket, put the camera in his knapsack, to make sure of keeping it dry, and, with his knapsack ready on his back, went up on deck.

“Look over the side,” said Dorothea. “The tide’s gone down a lot already.”

Dick looked over. A broad strip of the dark green underwater body of the Sea Bear was showing along her sides.

“The sooner we all get ashore the better,” said Nancy. “Come on, John. Cargo of paint, brushes, scrapers. Much easier now than when she’s high and dry.”

“Scrapers?” said Dorothea.

“For the barnacles,” said Nancy. “She’s fairly covered with them. And slimy with weed.”

“What about putting the folding boat over?” said John.

“We shan’t need it,” said Captain Flint. “We’ll only have it to stow again.”

“Let’s have it all the same,” said Nancy, looking at the queer shape of the folding boat, stowed almost flat, and lashed alongside the skylight. “We’ve never used it once. And today’s the last chance.”

“Get the scrubbing done and you shall play about in the folder this evening, once the Sea Bear’s afloat again.”

“Right,” said Nancy. “That’s a promise.”

Everything had gone well and everybody knew it. They had only to look at Captain Flint, sitting on the cabin skylight smoking his pipe, to know that he was no longer the worried skipper of the night and the early morning. He was not even bothering to give advice as John and Nancy brought up mops and long-handled scrapers, and two great tins of Mariner Brand, Best Quality, Gold Medal Anti-fouling Paint out of the stores in the fo’c’sle, and lowered them down to Titty and Dorothea, who were already in the dinghy, hoping to be the first ashore.

Peggy put her head out of the forehatch. “Susan wants to know if we’d better get grub ready now for the scrubbers as well as for the others.”

“Much better. Horrible job climbing aboard again for it.”

Ferrying began, and long before it was finished the tide had dropped enough to make it difficult to reach the dinghy even with the rope ladder.

“Isn’t Captain Flint coming?” asked Titty.

“The captain’s always last to leave the ship,” said Dorothea.

“But the Sea Bear isn’t a wreck,” said Titty.

“He wants to be last anyway,” said Dorothea.

Nancy went back once more to fetch him, and there was a cheerful moment when Roger said, “He’s going to fall in,” as Captain Flint climbed heavily down to the dinghy by way of the bobstay. He did not come straight ashore but sat in the stern of the dinghy while Nancy rowed him round the ship.

“He’s got his long boots on,” said Roger.

“He’ll want them,” said John. “He’ll be able to get going long before we can.”

It was quite like a camp on the beach, what with all the stuff that had been brought ashore, and the whole crew of the Sea Bear waiting by it, watching the tide fall lower and lower round their ship. The sun poured down into the little bay. There was a blue sky overhead. Little clouds flying across it were like scattered flecks of cotton wool. “A grand drying day,” said Captain Flint.

“Her starboard side’ll be dry first,” said John, glancing towards the sun.

“That’s the one we’ll begin on,” said Nancy. “Gosh! what waste of time it is going into harbours. This is ten times better.”

“Hadn’t the explorers better get going?” said Dorothea.

“Let’s just wait to see her really standing out of the water,” said Titty.

“You needn’t go at all if you don’t want to,” said Nancy.

“But we do,” said Titty, and Dick looked at her gratefully.

“You won’t find anything inland half so exciting as this,” said Nancy.

“I bet we do,” said Roger.

“Unknown country,” said Titty.

“It’ll be real exploring,” said Dorothea.

“Instead of just paddling and scrubbing,” said Roger.

“Well, get along with you,” said Nancy.

But the explorers lingered, as the legs of their ship stood higher and higher out of the water, and Captain Flint in his long sea boots waded out with a stiff scrubbing brush and began work on the Sea Bear’s stem. They waited, with Dick growing more and more anxious, till John and Nancy waded out to join the skipper, able at last to stand in the shallow water under the Sea Bear’s bows.

“Do let’s start,” said Dick.

“What time have we got to be back?” asked Dorothea, and Susan repeated the question. “What time had they better be back?”

“Oh, sevenish,” called Captain Flint. “We’ll give them a hoot with the fog horn as soon as she floats.”

“Come on,” said Dorothea.

“Don’t get into trouble with natives,” said Susan.

“There aren’t any,” said Titty. “It’s beautifully uninhabited.”

“There are houses the other side of that ridge,” said Nancy.

“But not this side,” said Titty. “Anyhow not on the chart.”

“So long, you scrubbers,” called Roger, and the land party turned their backs on the Sea Bear and climbed up from the shore, explorers in a strange land.