Chapter 14

_Court_--"Brother John Bates, is not that the morning which
breaks yonder?"
_Bates_.--"I think it be; but we have no great cause to desire
the approach of day."
_Will_.--"We see yonder the beginning of the day; but I think
we shall never see the end of it----"
_Henry V._

The ship did not lose her steerage-way. As soon as past the point of
the island, a gentle southerly breeze was felt; and, acting on the
spars and hull, it enabled me, by putting the helm a little up, to
keep her head off shore, and thus increase her distance from the
bay. The set of the tide did more for her than the wind, it is true;
but the two, acting in unison, carried her away from the coast at a
rate that nearly equalled two knots in the hour. This was slow moving,
certainly, for a vessel in such a strait; but it would require fifteen
or twenty minutes for the canoes to return from the creek, and make
the circuit of the island by the other channel. By that time we should
be near half a mile at sea.

Smudge, beyond a question, understood that he was in a dilemma, though
totally ignorant of some of the leading difficulties of his case. It
was plain to me he could not comprehend why the ship took the
direction of the offing, for he had no conception of the power of the
rudder. Our tiller worked below, and it is possible this circumstance
mystified him, more small vessels in that day managing their helms
without the aid of the wheel, than with it. At length the movement of
the vessel became too palpable to admit of further delay; and this
savage approached me, with a drawn knife, and a manner that proved
natural affection had not been the motive of his previous
moderation. After flourishing his weapon fiercely before my eyes, and
pressing it most significantly, once or twice, against my breast, he
made signs for me to cause the ship to turn round and re-enter the
port. I thought my last moment had come, but naturally enough pointed
to the spars, giving my master to understand that the vessel was not
in her usual trim. I believe I was understood as to this part of my
excuses, it being too apparent that our masts and yards were not in
their usual places, for the fact to be overlooked even by a
savage. Smudge, however, saw that several of the sails were bent, and
he pointed to those, growling out his threats, should I refuse to set
them. The spanker, in particular, being near him, he took hold of it,
shook it, and ordered me to loosen it forthwith.

It is scarcely necessary to say, I obeyed this order with secret
joy. Casting loose the brails, I put the out-hauler in the hands of a
dozen of the savages, and set the example of pulling. In a minute we
had this sail spread, with the