Boon Island - Kenneth Roberts [135]
I looked around for someone to help the captain. Only Neal, Langman and White had come from the tent. The
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others must be helpless, sick, probably, from too much meat, too much smoke, the unaccustomed warmth.
The four of us joined the captain. When the man in the dory's bow tossed us the rope, we fumbled for it, caught it and clumsily took it high up onto solid rock, above the seaweed.
The dory, held bow and stern, jerked at the ropes like a fractious horse.
The newcomers picked their way over the seaweed and stood looking at us as we laboriously made the rope fast around a boulder. I never saw such incredulity as was written on their faces.
Captain Dean, testing the hitch, looked up at the foremost of those sturdy heaven-sent figures.
''You probably don't remember me," he said. "We'd pretty near lost hope" His voice broke.
All four men stared at us, their brows wrinkled, their mouths half open.
The man Captain Dean had addressed seemed both horrified and puzzled.
"Nason said I'd find John Dean here," he said. "I'd like to"
"I'm John Dean," the captain said. "You're Furber."
He turned to another. "You're Captain Long. III"
He sat down suddenly on a boulder, clasped his hands around his middle and rocked himself back and forth.
Long and Furber jumped forward and hoisted him to his feet. Long patted his back. Furber held his upper arm with both hands.
"We caught the outgoing tide as soon as we heard," Furber said. "Nason said to hurry, so we hurried. You'll be all right, John!" He hesitated and asked uncertainly, "You're John Dean of Twickenham?"
"Jasper's brother," Captain Dean said. "I'll be all right
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when I get away from these damned breakers! Can't seem to hear a thing! Where's Nason?"
"He's in Portsmouth," Furber said. "He ran into a southeast squall and piled up on Kittery Point. Too much of a hurry to get back, I guess. He lost his sloop, but he got word to Colonel Pepperrell, and Colonel Pepperrell got word to us. We sail Pepperrell's ships, John."
"We got gruel aboard the pink, John," Captain Long said. "You'll feel different when you get some gruel into you."
He spoke to the two silent sailors, who were examining us as if we were dangerous animals in cages. "Put the captain in the dory."
"You're William Long," Captain Dean said in a shaking voice. "And Jethro Furber! I never thought I'd see the day!"
"Now, John," Captain Long said. "We'll have you out of here in a jiffy." He took Captain Dean's arm and steered him toward the dory.
"Take the others first," Captain Dean said. "They're in the tent. Had our first fire last nightbreathed a lot of smoke. Tent smells pretty bad. Things weren't easy. I had to stop trying to drive 'em."
"You can't drive 'em if you're human," Captain Furber said.
Captain Dean's voice was suddenly shrill. "Hurry up and help those others. We can't tend this rope all day."
Captain Long, Captain Furber and the two seamen scuttled off toward the tent as rapidly as anyone could move across those snowy, icy rocks.
Captain Dean rubbed his face with both hands, and examined them as if surprised. "I'd know Furber anywhere.
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Name of Jethro. Only Jethro I ever saw. Used to keep running into himAntigua, Halifax. Where was I? Oh yes, he sailed under John Frost. John married Mary Pepperrell. Pepperrells marry all over. Is John Frost here with Furber? Or is it Long? I met John's wife once."
I saw his mind was wandering. When I went to help him, he half turned, put out his hands gropingly and fell heavily.
Neal tried to lift him up.
"Let him alone," I said. "Let him rest. He's been through a lot. A rest won't hurt him."
Long, Furber and their two sailors came cautiously to us, each one carrying a man on his back.
"The captain had a fall," I told Captain Long. "The fire smoked last nighttarred ropeno wood. I think he's a little tired."
"I wouldn't wonder," Captain Long said. "Now look: I'm in command