Convictions (17 page)

“Help me,” he blubbered.

“What are you doing here?” Nate demanded, as he sized up the situation.

“Looking for supplies,” Red Bull whimpered.

“As if there’d be anything in here,” said Jennie.

“Up to no good, I’ve no doubt,” agreed Nate. He surveyed the situation some more. “I don’t think there’s anything we can do. We’ll never be able to move that desk ourselves.”

“He doesn’t deserve to live anyway.” Jennie was surprised by her own wrath.

“That’s true.” Nate glared at the trapped man.

Red Bull’s eyes widened, his face a mask of horror. He started snivelling and begging.

Nate rubbed his fingers on his forehead as if it would help him to think. “I don’t think we can just leave him here,” he said.

“Why not? He won’t last long,” said Jennie. She couldn’t keep the contempt out of her voice. She had never hated someone so much.

“I don’t know how we can get him out.”

“I can push with my good arm,” Red Bull pleaded. “Please, help me.”

Jennie shrunk back behind Nate. Even if they wanted to, there was nothing strong enough to use as leverage.

“I have to try,” Nate said, with sudden conviction.

He tied the jolly boat to the leg of a table. With his bare hands he ripped and clawed at a small section of shelving that hung awkwardly above Red Bull’s head. He used an oar to pry behind it. He worked at it for quite some time, then was able to yank it off the wall. It fell and landed on the desk, just missing Red Bull’s head.

Nate handed the oar back to Jennie and stepped back into the craft. “See if you can keep the boat steady while I push,” he said.

Woodenly she obeyed, though her whole being balked. She grabbed the edge of the desk and clung to it to keep the boat as close as she could.

Nate wedged the shelving under the desk and against the wall beside Red Bull. “Now push,” he yelled at Red Bull. His weight bore down on the shelving and the desk moved a hair. Red Bull sagged after his first effort.

“Again,” Nate hollered. “Harder!”

“Ahhh!” Red Bull strained as Nate used all his force to push on the shelf.

The desk suddenly shifted, and Red Bull slipped down into the ocean. Nate held out a piece of board for Red Bull to latch onto. He came up spluttering and almost pulled Nate into the water. Nate struggled to right himself and snatched Red Bull by the collar. Finally, Nate managed to get Red Bull into the boat. Jennie scurried to move buckets and rope to make room for him.

Red Bull grunted and groaned and rubbed his legs.

“Your legs will be fine; they’re just numb,” Nate told him curtly. “You don’t know how lucky you are to come out of that with only a few cuts and scrapes.”

Jennie made sure she didn’t look at Red Bull as Nate rowed toward the group of women waiting for them. How was she ever going to endure the horrible man? He would always be there to plague her.

Jennie and Nate made their way to the stranded women as quickly as they could. Every time Red Bull opened his mouth to complain, Nate told him to shut it. Jennie was grateful she didn’t have to listen to him, and she vowed to stay as far away from him as possible.

At last they reached the lashed-together group of makeshift rafts. Once they secured themselves to the others and transferred Red Bull, Jennie scanned the nine or so women quickly. She waved at Fanny toward the back. Fanny gave her a little salute and a grin. Iris was on her knees in the middle of a raft, praying and caterwauling. Jennie didn’t know any of the others well. But none of her bunkmates were there. No babies or children at all. Grief for the terrible loss enveloped her.

Looking around, Jennie saw the superb job Nate had done stringing the odd floating pieces together. He had sorted little stockpiles of supplies they might need. Bits of sails and other items were laid out to dry. Thank goodness Nate had taken charge the way he had.

Everything with the injured seemed to be under control too. One woman tended another who was lying flat on her back. Some had strips of sail bandaging heads and legs or arms. Jennie felt for her medicine pouch. It was still secure if she needed it. Maybe she should look at Sarah’s gash.

“I’m fine, pet,” said Sarah, when Jennie offered. She pressed the back of a plump hand to her forehead.

“At least let me clean it.”

Sarah gave in. “Thank you,” she said, patting Jennie’s arm when she’d finished.

“You should be healed in no time.” Alice beamed.

Jennie made the rounds of the other injured women and administered salve where needed. A needle and sutures would have come in handy too, but she had none. As she neared Red Bull, she turned away. Someone else could tend to him. He would have no sympathy from her.

She joined Sarah and Alice, sitting in the middle of their raft. With all the bobbing rafts tied tightly, they were somewhat sta
bilized, as long as care was taken to evenly distribute their weight.

Suddenly Alice shouted, “What’s that?”

Jennie stared at white flecks on the horizon, shielding her eyes with her hands.

Nate grabbed the battered spyglass. He stared for several moments. Jennie watched, as the white specks grew slightly bigger. Nate whistled loudly to the other men who were still searching out on the open water.

“Ship Ahoy! Ship Ahoy!” he yelled, ripping off his shirt and waving wildly.

Jennie joined everyone shrieking and waving their arms at the sailing ship coming in their direction.

“We’re saved,” Jennie shouted, as tears streamed down her face.

“That ship sure is taking its time getting here,” said Alice, after what seemed a very long wait.

“Aye, there’s no wind. It appears totally becalmed,” said Sarah.

With the rescue ship almost dead in the water until there was wind, their relief would be delayed.

In the meantime the two crewmen arrived with Hildy and one of the Marys. Nate helped the exhausted women onto the floating platform. When Meadows made the jolly boat secure and stepped onto the raft, Jennie was actually glad to see him. As a ranking member of the crew, he’d been brusque with his orders but always fair and not unkind to her. Farther afield, Nate had gathered one other survivor and headed back toward them. Edwards was with him and had helped him row.

Overhead high, grey clouds began to drift into sight on the wings of a breeze. Jennie warily looked at the sky. A chill swept over her.
Please don’t let it rain. Please let the ship get here first. Please let the wind pick up – but not too much. Please don’t let us capsize.

When the rescue ship at last came into full view, Jennie could see it was narrower than the
Emily Anne
and had massive square rigging with a black hull and a white stripe.

“It’s a Blackwell Frigate – a clipper ship,” Meadows identified the three-masted vessel.

Jennie didn’t care what kind of ship it was; only that it hadn’t been a mirage, and they would soon be on it.

Alice stood up and watched it approach. “It’s coming faster now.”

The wind had increased, but by no means did it warrant the ship’s need for such a fast approach. Jennie watched as it bore down on them.

“Isn’t that too fast?” asked Alice.

“Right you are, luv,” said Sarah in alarm.

Jennie clasped her hands over her chest, watching with disbelief as the ship maintained its speed.

“Gawd almighty!” Meadows gawked at the ship’s approach. “It’s not stopping! Everyone hang on to something.”

“Get down, hang on!” Nate yelled. “The wake is going to hit us!”

Everyone dropped flat onto the rafts, shrieking and grabbing the edges and each other. Sarah pulled Jennie down and protected Alice.

Jennie was amazed when the frigate suddenly tacked to the side and made a wide berth around them. The name on its side was obscured, and there was nothing else to identify it. Women began screaming and waving when they realized they might not be saved after all. Jennie heard herself moan.

“Bloody hell!” Meadows cursed some
more and stared after the ship in astonishment.

“Here come the waves!” he yelled. “Stay down.”

The water undulated wildly toward them. Jennie grabbed a tied rope with one hand and drew in her friends with the other. Wave after wave crashed over them, spinning them out of control.

When the sea finally calmed, Jennie raised her head. Sarah and Alice were still with her. She rose slowly to survey the damage. Everyone was drenched and shaken, but the joined rafts were still intact. Many of the things they’d collected had been washed away. Curses and sobs filled the air.

“Did we lose anyone?” Meadows shouted.

Several names were reeled off. The din continued as everyone checked to see who was missing.

“Is anyone unaccounted for?” Nate echoed.

Jennie searched for Fanny and Hildy, breathing a sigh of relief when she spotted them. Too bad she also saw Red Bull.

“Why didn’t the ship stop for us?” asked Alice through sobs.

A grim look was etched on Nate’s face. “Might have been an opium smuggler.”

“What difference does that make?” asked Alice, hiccupping back her tears.

“There’s a war on. China is trying to stop the British from trading opium illegally,” Nate said. “They wouldn’t want to be caught nor burdened with the likes of us.”

“They could have at least dropped us off somewhere,” Alice persisted.

Nate shook his head. “We wouldn’t want to be caught up in their battles anyway.”

“How could you tell what kind of ship it was?” asked Jennie.

Meadows interjected, “Did you see the flag?”

“It was black with a white skull and crossbones,” said Alice.

Sarah asked, “Aren’t they sometimes used when a ship has been quarantined because of disease or death?”

“Or else a smuggler or pirate ship,” Meadows added. “Usually something not lawful or healthy.”

A shiver raced across Jennie’s shoulders. She looked at Nate. His nod was slight.

“That’s a really bad thing isn’t it?” Alice’s eyes snapped open wider.

“Yes, it’s all bad, my pet,” said Sarah, holding her close. She looked over Alice’s head at Jennie with fear in her eyes.

Questions poured from the women around them who had heard the discussion. Are we in even more danger? Will someone be following them? Will there be cannons? Will they kill us?

Jennie started to tremble.

“If someone was chasing them, they’d more than likely be here by now,” said Meadows.

Jennie wasn’t sure whether to believe him or not. How could he know for sure?

“He’s right,” Nate assured them.

Still, Jennie wasn’t convinced. She gazed at the northern horizon. The sky was clear. For now.

“Maybe it was better it didn’t stop then,” said Alice, using her hand to wipe the tears off her face.

Nate didn’t say a word.

“Now what’s going to happen to us?” whispered Jennie.

“We’re going to make it,” Nate told her, staring into her eyes, as if willing her to believe him. She sensed that if she did, it would help him believe too. She wanted to trust his words, but she couldn’t see how they could be saved. She broke eye contact. All around them, disappointed people moaned and whimpered.

“Let’s see what else we might be able to salvage from the ship,” Nate said.

Meadows agreed. “We might also check the island of rocks more closely.”

Jennie sank down and clasped her arms around her knees. What were the chances that another ship would come their way, and stop for them? She shifted to a more comfortable position. The platform rocked with the rise and fall of rougher waves and a stiffer breeze. The slate clouds hung lower, threatening rain. She rested her chin on her knees and closed her eyes.

Chapter Fifteen

The men continued
searching, stopping to poke at objects,
but there wasn’t much of significance except for floating bits of wood. Jennie figured if they had found water or food, they would have announced such a find.

Another horrible thought came to her. What if they found food, but there wasn’t enough to go around? How would they decide who got some and who didn’t? Who would decide? She took deep breaths and willed her panic down.

That was when Jennie noticed that Red Bull had miraculously recovered and had paddled away on a small raft that had either come untied from the agitation of the waves, or
been
untied during the distraction of the ship’s passing. He was quite far from the others, poking around the same portion of the captain’s cabin he’d been rescued from, though it had now drifted and the opening had turned toward them.

Jennie averted her head, but kept watching out of the corner of her eye. Red Bull spent a long time searching, glancing furtively around at the whereabouts of the men on the jolly boat and the women on the raft. When he figured they were not looking his way, he slid something into his pocket. He was quick to
take up his makeshift paddle again to hide his movements.