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AlldaytheNancyBellwastoweddownthebroadriver,theglorioussceneryalongitsbanksarousingtheconstantenthusiasmofourtravelers.
LateintheafternoontheypassedthegraywallsofFortKnoxontheright,andtheprettylittletownofBucksportontheleft.
TheycouldjustseethegreathotelatFortPointthroughthegatheringdusk,andsoonafterwardsweretossingonthewild,windsweptwatersofPenobscotBay.
Astheyclearedtheland,soastosightCastineLightovertheportquarter,thetugcastloosefromthemandsailwasmadeontheschooner.
ThelastthingMarkElmersawasheleftthedeck,drivenbelowbythebittercold,wasthegleamofthelightonOwl’sHead,outsidewhichCaptainDrewsaidtheyshouldfindtheseaprettyrough.
Therestofthefamilyhadgonebelowsometimebefore,andMarkfoundthathismotherwasalreadyveryseasick.
Hefeltratheruncomfortablehimself,anddidnotcaremuchforthesupper,ofwhichhisfatherandRutheatsoheartily.
Hesaidhethoughthewouldgotobed,beforesupperwashalfover,anddidso,althoughitwasonlysixo’clock.PoorMark!
Itwasaweekbeforeheagainsatattableorwentondeck.
DuringthisweektheNancyBellsailedalongthecoastsofMaine,NewHampshire,Massachusetts,NewYork,NewJersey,Delaware,Maryland,Virginia,andNorthCarolina.
ShewentinsideofMartha’sVineyard,throughVineyardSound,incompanywithagreatfleetofcoasters;butwhentheypassedGayHead,andturnedtothewestwardintoLongIslandSound,theNancywasheadedtowardsthelonelylight-houseonMontaukPoint,theextremeendofLongIsland.
FromherehercoursewasfortheCapeMaylightshipontheNewJerseycoast,andforsometimeshewasoutofsightofland.
Sotheysailed,dayafterday,eversouthward,andtowardsthewarmthwhichwastomakeMr.Elmerwellagain.
AlthoughMarkwasveryillallthistime,Ruthwasasbrightandwellasthoughshewereonland.
Thiswasverymortifyingtoherbrother;but“CaptainLi,”whowentintoseehimeveryday,comfortedhimbytellinghimofoldsailorshehadknownwhowerealwayssea-sickforthefirstfewdaysofeveryvoyagetheyundertook.
TheschoonerwasoffCapeHatterasbeforeMarkfeltabletoleavehisberth.
Atlast,oneeveningwhentheseawasveryquiet,“CaptainLi”said,“Come,Mark,IwantyoutoturnoutandgoondecktoseethelastofHatterasLight.
YouknowCapeHatterasisoneoftheworstcapesalongourentireAtlanticcoast,andisprobablytheonemostdreadedbysailors.
WhencominghomefromtheWestIndies,theysinganoldsongwhichbegins:
“‘NowiftheBermudasletyoupass,
ThenlookforCapeHatteras.’”
Slowlydressing,withthecaptain’said,Mark,feelingveryweak,butfreefromthehorriblesicknessfromwhichhehadsufferedsolong,managedtogetoutondeck.
Hewasastonishedatthechangethatoneweek’ssailingsouthwardhadmadeinthegeneralappearanceofthings.
Whenhewaslastondeck,itandtheriggingwerecoveredwithsnowandice.
Nownotaparticleofeitherwastobeseen,andtheairwasmildandpleasant.
Anewmoonhunglowinthewesternsky,andoverthesmoothseatheschoonerwasripplingalongmerrily,undereverystitchofcanvasthatshecouldspread.
Markreceivedawarmwelcomefromhisfather,mother,andRuth,whowereallondeck,buthadnotexpectedtoseehimtherethatevening.
“Quick,Mark!Look!Hatterasis‘mostgone,”saidRuth,pointing,asshespoke,toalittletwinkleoflightsofarasternthatitseemedtorestontheverywaters.
Halfanhourlaterthecaptainsaid,“Nowlet’sgobelow,whereitiswarmer;andifyoucaretohearit,IwillspinyouayarnofHatterasLight.”
“Yes,indeed,”saidRuthandMarktogether.
“Byallmeans;astoryisjustthething,”saidMr.andMrs.Elmer,alsotogether,atwhichtheyalllaughed,hookedlittlefingers,andwished.
Whentheyhadmadethemselvescomfortableinthecabin,Markbeingallowedtooccupytheloungeonaccountofhisrecentillness,thecaptainbeganasfollows:
“TenyearsagothiswinterImademyfirstvoyageofanylength,thoughbeforethatIhadmadesomeshortrunsonalittlecoasterbetweenNewYorkanddown-Eastports.
Gettingtiredofthis,andwantingtoseesomethingmoreoftheworld,IshippedinNewYork,earlyinDecember,onboardtheveryprettiestcraftIeverseteyeson,foravoyagetotheWestIndies.
Shewasthehundred-tonschooner-yachtMirage,andherownerhaddeterminedtotryandmakeherpayhimsomethingduringthewinterbyrunningherasafruiter.
Shecarriedacrewoffivemen,besidesthecaptain,mate,andsteward—allyoungandableseamen.
Iwastheyoungestandleastexperienced,butwaslargeformyage,andpassedmusterwiththerest.
“WehadapleasantrundowntoHavana,passingMoroCastleanddroppinganchorontheseventhdayoutfromNewYork,butfoundsometroublethereingettingacargoforthehomevoyage.
Thedelayworriedourskipperconsiderably,forhehadcalculatedonbeinghomewithhiswifeandbabyatChristmas;butweofthecrewenjoyedthecity,andIforonegotleavetogoashorewheneverIcould,andmadethemostofmyopportunitytoseethesights.
“Wehadlaidthereabouttendays,whenonemorning,astheoldmancameuptheaftercompanion-wayfromthecabin,abiggrayratrushedoutondeckaheadofhim,scamperedtotheside,andplumpedoverboard.
Weallsawitinthewater,swimmingforthequay,whichwasbutashortdistancefromus,and,quickasathought,theskipperhadjumpedbackintothecabinforhispistol,andbeforethebeasthadgotmorethanhalf-wayhehadfiredseveralshotsatit.
Thebulletsstruckallaroundtherat,butdidn’thitit,andwesawhimdisappearthroughacrevicebetweenthestonesofthequay.
“Ourcaptainwasaverysuperstitiousman,andthisincidenttroubledhim,forIheardhimsaytothematethatheneverknewanyshiptohavegoodluckwhenoncetheratsbegantoleaveher.
“Soonafterthiswetookinourcargoofpineapplesandbananasandstartedforhome.
Ourfirstthreedays’runwasasprettyaseverwasmade,andwiththeGulfStreamtohelpus,itseemedasthoughwemightmakeNewYorkintimeforChristmas,afterall.
Thentherecameachange—firstagalethatdroveustothewestward,andthenlighthead-winds,ornowindsatall;andsoweknockedroundforthreedaysmore,andonthedaybeforeChristmaswehadn’troundedHatteras,letalonemadeSandyHook,aswehadhopedtodo.
“Itwasacurioussortofaday,mildandhazy,withthesunshowingroundandyellowasanorange.
Theskipperwasuneasy,andkeptsquintingattheweather,firstononesideandthentheother.
Weheardhimsaytothematethatsomethingwascoming,forthemercurywasfallingfasterthanhehadeverseenit.
Thingsstoodsountilsunset,whenthehazesettleddownthickerthanever.
Iwasatthewheel,whentheskippercameondeckandorderedallcanvastobestrippedfromherexceptthedouble-reefedmain-sailandacornerofthejib.
HesungouttometokeepasharplookoutforHatterasLight,andthenwentbelowagain.
“WhenIcaughtsightofthelight,aboutanhourlater,andreportedit,itwasn’tanybrighterthanitlookedwhenyoucameondeck,awhileago,Mark,andwewereheadingdirectlyforit.
Whentheskippercameupandlookedatithetoldmeto‘keepherso’whilehetookasquintatthechart.
“Hehadn’tmorethangonebelowagainwhentherecamesuchagustofwindandrain,withthunderandlightningcloseafter,astohidethelightandkeepmebusyforafewminutesholdingtheschooneruptoit.
“Thesquallpassedassuddenlyasitcame,andtherewasthelight,rightovertheendoftheflying-jib-boom,burningassteadyasever,butlookingmightyblue,somehow.
Ithoughtitwastheeffectofthemist,andtriedtokeepherheadedforit.
AsIwasgettingterriblypuzzledandfussedupbywhatIthoughtwasthestrangeactionofthecompass,andbythewaythelittlespitefulgustsofwindseemedtocomefromeveryquarteratonce,theskippercameondeck.
Beforehehadclearedthecompanion-wayheasked,
“‘HowdoesHatterasLightbear?’
“‘Deadahead,sir,’saidI.
“Ashesteppedondeckheturnedtolookatit,andIsawhimstartasthoughhesawsomethingawful.
Helookedforhalfaminute,andtheninahalf-chokedsortofvoicehegaspedout,‘TheDeath-Light!’
“Atthesamemomentthelight,thatIhadtooktobeHatteras,rolledslowly,likeaballoffire,alongthejib-top-sailstaytothetop-masthead,andthenIknewitwasaSt.Elmo’sfire,athingI’dheardofbutneverseenbefore.
“Aswealllookedatit,afraidalmosttosayaword,therecameasoundlikeamoanoverthesea,andinanotherminuteacyclone,suchasIhopenevertoseeagain,laidus,firstonourbeamends,andthendroveusatafearfulratedirectlytowardsthecoast.
“Wedrovethiswayforanhourormore,unabletodoathingtohelpourselves,andthenshestruckonHatterassands.
Hermastswentasshestruck,andastheyfellahugesea,rushingoverthepoorcraft,sweptoverboardthecaptainandtwomen.
Itwassometimebeforeweknewtheyweregone,forwecouldseenothingnorhearanythingbutthehowlofthetempest.
“Atlastwegotridofthefloatingwreckofsparsbyclearingthetangledriggingwithourknives,and,thusrelieved,theschoonerwasdrivenagoodbitfartheroverthesands.
Finallyshestrucksolid,andbegantobreakup.
Oneofherboatswasstoveandworthless,andintryingtoclearawaytheother,ametalliclife-boat,anothermanwassweptoverboardandlost.
“Themateandtwoofthecrewbesidesmyselffinallygotawayfromthewreckinthisboat,andweredrivenintothebeach,onwhichwewereatlastflungmoredeadthanalive.
“Thenextmorningwemadeourwaytothelight-house,wherewewerekindlycaredfor,butwhereourChristmasdinnerwasaprettysadaffair.
“Thecaptain’sbodywaswasheduponthebeach,andaweekfromthatdaywetookitandthenewsofhisdeathtogethertohiswifeinNewYork.
“SincethenIhavealwaysfelteasierwhenIhaveleftHatterasLightwellastern,aswehaveforthistime,atanyrate.
Well,there’seightbells,andImustbeondeck,sogood-nighttoyouall,andpleasantdreams.”
“Isthereanysuchthingasa‘death-light’thatwarnspeopleofcomingdisaster?”askedRuthofherfather,whenthecaptainhadleftthem.
“No,mydear,”heanswered,“thereisnot.
TheSt.Elmo’slight,orSt.Elmo’sfire,isfrequentlyseenintropicalseas,thoughrarelyasfarnorthasCapeHatteras;andasitisgenerallyaccompaniedbycyclonesorhurricanes,sailorshavecometoregarditasanomenofevil.
Itisnotalwaysfollowedbyevilconsequences,however,andtobelievethatitforetellsdeathisasidleandfoolishassuperstitionsofallkindsalwaysare.”
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