Chapter 27 Chapter Twelve Three Terrible Days

A red sun erupted over a "disheveled" - that's the exact word - foggy horizon, suggesting that the weather conditions hadn't changed much.On the contrary, the westerly wind that is blowing seems to have a noticeable cooling trend. In addition, these clouds immediately spread to the zenith, and it looks like it will be rainy throughout the day.If the rain did not bring a gust of wind, it might weaken it.This weather was exactly what Will Miz was worried about. In any case, sailing round and round until evening, it may be surmised that the Spirit could not make much progress in the direction of the Antilles.Therefore, it is inevitable to be late, and it is impossible to estimate how late it will be.It should be chagrin that the wind blew in the east for a short time, not more than twenty-four hours.

As a result, the trade winds hampered the Spirit by the time it sailed away from Barbados under the command of Harry Markle.If there hadn't been such a situation, the Spirit would have sailed a hundred miles into the vast Atlantic waters.But now, the Spirit had to head against the wind to get back on its way to the Antilles. When Louis Clodijon saw Will Miz again at six o'clock in the morning, he asked: "Is there anything new?..." "No, Mr. Louis..." "Do you expect the wind to change? . . . " "I'm not sure...if the wind doesn't cool, we can sail with this sail..."

"Will this delay our trip?..." "Delay a little... But it's okay... We'll get there anyway... I'm sure I'll see the ship..." "Are you confident?..." "Confidence is great!" "Would you like to take a break? . . . " "No rest... I'm not tired... After a while, if I want to sleep, it's an hour or two. I don't need to sleep very long." Will Miz said that because he didn't want to upset the passengers.In fact, his seaman's sharpness did not frighten him.As long as you carefully observe his demeanor and expression below, you will find that he feels that there is something "wrong" with the sea, the huge waves are empty, and the churning is stronger than the wind blowing.

Maybe the weather in the west is worse.In June and July this weather does not last twenty-four or forty-eight hours.But during the spring breeze period, this kind of weather might last for a week? . . . Is this not the time when the Antilles were horribly wrought by cyclones? ... Even if the strong wind does not turn into a storm, how can these young students withstand the exhaustion of sailing the boat day and night? ... About seven o'clock, Mr. Pattenson came to the deck, walked up to Will Miz, shook Will Miz's hand and asked: "The land is still invisible?..." "Still invisible, Mr. Pattenson."

"Is the land always in this direction?..." Mr. Pattenson asked again, pointing to the west. "Always there." That reassurance was what Mr. Pattenson wanted.Was his over-excited imagination still giving him a vague feeling that there would be a huge delay? . . . If the ship cannot reach Barbados, or any other island in the Antilles, if the ship is thrown back into the sea, if the storm breaks, without a captain, without a crew, what will become of the ship? ...would the poor man be swept to the ends of the earth...on the uninhabited shores of Africa...for months, or even years, without anyone knowing? ... Mrs. Pattenson, after a good weeping, was convinced that she was a widow ... Yes!It was not in Horace and Virgil that he found the words to ease his pain, as these piercing hypotheses came to his mind! …he didn’t even think about trying to translate Tony Leno’s famous Latin quotes anymore.

The onset of morning did not bring any change in wind direction.At twelve noon, Will Meads decided to head for the other coast.However, due to the relatively large waves, the Smart could not turn against the wind, so it had to turn with the wind. When the sail was set, Will Miz lay paralyzed on the quarterdeck by the compass.Louis Clodiillon was at the helm and steered the ship. After an hour's sleep, Will Miz was awakened by noise from the foredeck.Roger Hinsdale and Axel Wickburn were on watch on the foredeck. "The ship... the ship..." Axel Wickburn, a Danish student, pointed to the east and shouted again and again.

Will Miz ran for the starboard davits at the sound. There was indeed a steamer on the broadside, traveling the same route as the Ingenuity.It was a steamboat, and now only black smoke was visible from its funnels.The speed of the steamboat was very fast, and after a while, the hull appeared on the horizon.The two chimneys were belching black smoke, presumably the hearth was burning brightly. As the steamer approached, the excitement of the young passengers can be imagined.They may be about to emerge from a dire straitjacket of persistent headwinds. All the small telescopes were aimed at the steamer, not missing any movement of it.

Will Meads was most worried about sailing as he headed west.But he also observed that if the steamer continued without changing her course, it was impossible for the steamer to cut off the channel of the Spirit and pass within four nautical miles of the Spirit.In order to pass the Spirit, he decided to bring the steamer closer to the Spirit so that his signal could be detected by the other party.The two topsails and the jib were rounded, the jib rigging and the jib were loosened, and the Spirit came up against the wind from several quarters. In half an hour the steamer was within three miles of the Spirit.Based on estimates of its shape and size, the ship was probably a French or British mainline ocean liner.If she tacked without changing her speed, it would be impossible for the two ships to communicate.

Tony Raynor hoisted the blue and white pilotage flag atop the foremast top, and the Union Jack unfurled over the mizzen top, by order from Will Meads. A quarter of an hour passed.The Ingenuity, now caught by the wind at her stern, could not get too close to the steamer, so she sailed on the water three miles north of the steamer.Since the other party did not respond to their signal, Louis Clodijon and Roger Hinsdal took the two carbines on the shelf in the cabin and fired several shots into the air, the wind blowing just in the direction of the firing, Must have heard the gunshots? ... There is no doubt that Harry Markle, John Carpenter and the rest understand what happened.The Ingenuity changed speed, and no longer sailed against the wind as before.Then, several shots were fired from the boat.

A ship appears, and the Ghost tries to make contact with it... The gang thought they were finished, and tried their best to escape through the hold.The violent gunshots spread to the hatch and returned, echoing on the bulkhead.Angry shouts were accompanied by violent gunshots.A shot from Will Miz knocked out the first head that popped out. Unfortunately, the odds are not for the young passengers on the Spirit.Their signal was never seen, their gunfire was not heard, and half an hour later the steamer, five or six nautical miles away, disappeared over the horizon. Will Meads continued to race southwest against the wind.

All afternoon the Spirit sailed in zigzags.Not much to go.The appearance of the sky is not reassuring.The clouds thickened as the sun set, the sea breeze cooled and the waves got bigger and the waves started to come up the foredeck.Had it not been for the sudden lull in the sea, Will Miz would have been unable to steer without reducing the number of sails.So while hiding his fear, he felt more and more uneasy.Louis Clodiillon and Roger Hinsdale looked very serious, and felt that something was going on inside him.Will Miz turned his head away as they looked at him questioningly. The night that was falling was in danger of turning sour.It is imperative to retract the jib and mizzensails.With these impromptu crews, it is difficult to reef in broad daylight, and it is even more difficult to rein in black lights and blind fire.Therefore, sailing must not only be unnoticed by people, but also resist the attack of strong winds and strong winds. What would happen if the Spirit was blown to the east by the wind? ...Where did the storm that blew for days bring it? ...Except for the fact that the Spirit was forced to sail away downwind to the warehouse hills due to bad weather in the dangerous North Muda Islands, which is more dangerous to the northeast, is there no piece of land in this sea area? ...Will the Spirit run aground on the rocks off the coast of Africa and die? ... It must be kept going, as long as the ship can keep sailing in the nearby waters, whether it is tacking or even running at a low speed against the wind.Once the storm is over, the trade winds will return, and the Spirit will surely make back the days-delayed voyage. Will Miz explains it this way.When the sails roar like cannons, first the foretopsail is retracted, and then the maintopsail is retracted.Magnu Anders, Tony Reynolds, Louis Clodiron, and Axel Wickburn climbed up to the mastyard according to Vill Miz's instructions, and took care not to let go of the mast beam until the sail was pulled Once at hand, fasten the rigging. After they went up and down, they were ready to pull the slings together and raise the yard to the top of the mast. Albertus Lewin, Huber Perkins held the wheel, and Will Miz showed them what to do. The lanyard work began.After everyone's joint efforts, the two reefing straps have been fastened to the foremast topsail. After being tied and tightened from the bottom, the foremast topsail is set at the side facing the wind. The main topsail was similarly disposed of.As for the gaff sail, it is not necessary to hoist it over the top of the stern boom, but only to tie the lower half to the boom. As for the foremast gaffsail, even if rigged, if the wind dies at dawn, it will be all right as soon as it is reefed. Now, the Spirit is sailing on the ocean by relying on this sail. Sometimes when it rolls seriously, it will be covered by layers of waves rising up from the front deck to the back deck.Standing in the cockpit, Will Meads held the tiller and, assisted by one or the other of the young students, hustled to straighten the boat. This speed can be maintained all night.Will Meads didn't even think it was necessary to turn the boat around before sunrise.With fewer sails, Will Meads took a meandering course to the northeast, which he continued until daylight. By the time dawn reappeared, the young students would have rested hours after their four-hour rotation if Will Miz hadn't left the deck. As soon as the wind chords cleared on the horizon, Will Meads looked far away.The source of danger may be there.He had no reason to be satisfied with this view of the sky.As long as the sea breeze does not cool down during the night and remains blustery, there is nothing to suggest that the sea breeze will subside anytime soon.In addition, the possibility of heavy rain and strong winds should also be expected, and some precautionary measures to be taken in the future should be considered.In order to better withstand the storm, it may be necessary to let the steamer run against the wind.Instead of sailing on the right course, the Smart will take more wrong roads than it can drive back to the Antilles. Soon there was a strong wind, which rattled the mast, and threatened to tear it to pieces.Mr. Pattenson couldn't get out of the cabin door, and the rest of them, in raincoats and hats, stayed on deck at Will Miz's orders.In the case that the Spirit was dragged to the vast sea because of escaping the storm, they would definitely encounter this kind of pouring rain at sea. In the morning, with great difficulty, Will Miz sailed some distance south-west.According to his estimation, the ship is currently in the waters around the central part of the Barbados Islands in the latitude of the Antilles. He hopes to keep his current topsail, mizzensail and jib, which will turn to the northwest in the afternoon when the sea wind blows harder. Sometimes the Spirit's heel was so severe that the top of the main-mast skimmed the crest of the waves, and the waves rose in rows and covered most of the deck. Harry Markle, staying in the cabin with his mates, must be thinking that things are not going well on deck, that the ship is battling the storm, that Will Miz will lose the rudder... when he is in danger of sinking, I'm afraid You have to come and ask them for help, right? ... They were totally wrong, even if the Spirit sank with its sails on, and lost both people and ships, they were unwilling to fall into the hands of these gangsters! ... Will Miz didn't let up on the dire situation, and the young passengers, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to the danger they faced.When it became imperative to reduce the number of sails, they tactfully obeyed the orders they received. The main topsail was lowered and tied, and the mizzensail was lowered and tied.The Spirit now had her foremast topsail furled.This move is more beneficial to ships equipped with double mast installations. Weir Meads ordered a jib to be hung on the bow and a storm jib to be hung on the mizzenmast at the stern.This sail is particularly strong and can withstand strong hurricanes. The sky is wide and the sea is wide, and the silence is still there! . . . there is a steamship racing in sight on the sea! ... Is it possible to approach a ship and launch a dinghy? ... Will Miz quickly understood that the struggle with the sea breeze had to be given up.It is impossible to keep tacking, and it is also impossible to keep sailing at low speed against the wind.As the sailors said, the Spirit was sailing along, and therefore could not have run aground on a shore where she could not get aground.The whole Atlantic lay before it, and in a short time it was a thousand miles from the West Indies. When the rudder is turned to the leeward direction, the ship will spin, and the vibration is particularly severe. After being hit by the surging waves, it happens to be sailing with the wind, and it is very likely to deviate from the channel, either rushing to this shore or that shore. This speed is the most dangerous speed, when the ship cannot go ahead of the waves, and when the stern is threatened by the impact of waves.The tiller was extremely awkward at this time, and the helmsman had to tie himself to prevent being swept away from the boat by the waves. Will Miz forced the young passengers to take shelter in the poop over their objections.If he needs their help, he calls them. The partitions of this cabin creaked.The partitions are connected to the benches, which are soaked by the seawater washed up on the deck from time to time, and the water soaks into the inside.The passengers had to eat biscuits and canned food.The first day of the 25th of September was the most dreadful day they had had so far! What a terrible, what a dark, what a tumultuous night!The hurricane broke out and was extremely violent.Resisting a 24-hour hurricane, can the Spirit withstand it? ... The Spirit finally tilted, and if it was necessary to straighten it, if the mast had to be cut, would the crew be able to do it then? ... Will the ship be dragged into the deep sea? ... Will Miz was single-handed at the helm.His perseverance tamed his fatigue.He steered the "Spirit" and fought tenaciously against the dangerous swaying of the "Spirit" against the waves. Towards midnight a wave came to the stern gunnel five or six feet high, fell heavily on the quarterdeck, nearly piercing the quarterdeck, and then surged swiftly over the forward deck, carrying away the boat hanging from the stern. Then, as I was passing, I met something smashed and everything: all the chicken coops, two buckets of fresh water tied at the foot of the mast, and another boat tied to the davits was taken down and swept away from the ship. There was only one boat left, and the passengers tried to escape in this boat at one point.The skiff was of little use to them, for the rough sea swallowed it up and down. Hearing the crack that shook the ship to the masthead, Louis Clody and several other students immediately evacuated the poop. At this moment, Will Miz's voice sounded in the howling wind: "Go back...you go back!..." "Is there no hope of rescue? . . . " said Roger Hinsdale. "There is...with the help of God there is salvation." Will Miz said, "Only God can save us..." Then there was a terrible crack.Something white passed between the masts like a huge bird caught in a hurricane.The foremast topsail had just been torn from the yard by the gale, and now only the rim rope remained. The Ingenuity sailed, so to speak, without sail, and with its steering wheel out of order, she became a plaything of the wind and the waves, and was propelled eastward at a galloping speed. Dawn came again.How far is the Spirit from the Antilles now? ... Calculated from the time it was forced to sail with the wind, the distance is estimated to be no less than several hundred nautical miles? ...Even if the strong wind turns to the east again, and the spare sail can be set up, how many days will it take to make it back to the hundreds of nautical miles? ... The storm seemed to have abated now.The airflow immediately changed, and it immediately became a very common airflow in tropical seas. Will Meads was first shocked by the weather conditions.The large dark clouds that had blocked the sea level since the day before have dissipated, and the East China Sea level has become suddenly clear and bright in the past few hours. Louis Crody and his classmates reappear on the deck of the ship.The storm seemed to be passing.The waves were indeed enormous, and a day was barely long enough to calm the turbulent waves that set off the thousand-layered whitecap. "Yes... yes... it's almost over!" Will Miz repeated. Will Miz raised his arms to the sky, making a gesture full of confidence and hope, and the young passengers immediately followed suit and raised their arms to the sky. Now we must turn back to the west without hesitation.Land must be found on the way back, no matter how far away it may be. Moreover, the range had increased from the moment the Spirit could not zigzag and had to dodge the storm. When it was close to noon, the wind weakened sharply, and the ship could untie the reefing belt and sail with the middle and lower sails. The wind continued to weaken, and the wind turned to the south, and the Spirit could proceed smoothly as long as the rigging was let go. It is more appropriate to change the foremast topsail now, and then hang the maintopsail, foretopsail, mizzensail and jib in turn after changing it. The hard work of setting the sails went on until five o'clock in the evening.It took a lot of effort to take out the new sail from the back cabin and hang the mast again. At this time, someone shouted loudly in the hold, and then heard the sound of hitting the bulkhead.Harry Markle and his cohorts trying to escape by opening a hole in the bulkhead one last time? ... The young students raised their weapons upon hearing the sound, ready to use them against the first villain at any time. Almost at the same moment Louis Clodiillon exclaimed: "The boat is on fire! . . . " Sure enough, a puff of smoke from the cabin began to spread to the deck. No doubt some fellow among the prisoners, drunk with brandy and gin, accidentally set fire to a cargo box in the hold.The violent explosion after the burning of the oil drum in the cargo hold was already clearly audible. Is it possible to extinguish this fire? ...just break the bulkhead and fill the bilge with seawater and the fire might be extinguished...this really freed Harry Markle and his group...letting the Spirit be hijacked again...the gangsters even in Kill the passengers and throw them into the roaring sea before trying to put out the fire. Amidst the shouts that continued to rise, the relatively thick spiral decorations in the bilge were swimming on the surface of the deck, and the asphalt-sealed deck cracks began to crack. At the same time, the sound of explosions from other objects was earth-shattering, especially on the foredeck.All the wine barrels are stored there.About half of the prisoners died of suffocation in the barely airtight hold. "Vale...Vale!..." Louis Clodiron, John Howard, Tony Reynolds, and Albertus Lewin stretched out their hands to Vail, calling out in unison. It's not like they're pleading for Harry Markle and his cohorts in front of him, are they? ... no!At the critical juncture of everyone's life and death, we must not be soft-hearted, and we must not be humane at all! ... In the face of a fire that cannot be extinguished, there is no room for a moment of slack, and the fire will soon engulf the entire ship! ... The Spirit must be abandoned, let the Spirit and its crew die in the sea together! The second skiff and the galley on the quarterdeck had been lost during the storm, and only the sampan on the starboard side remained. Will Miz is not in such an irritable mood now, looking at the sea surface...Looking at the Spirit that has been surrounded by a curtain of fire...Looking at the terrified young students, he yelled decisively: "Get on board!"