Free The Boats of the Glen Carrig by William Hope Hodgson

beneath the chin when the monster snatched at it. For awhile, his
attentions produced no effect; but presently, having bathed the lad's
face with water from the sea, and rubbed rum into his chest over the
heart, the youth began to show signs of life, and soon opened his eyes,
whereupon the bo'sun gave him a stiff jorum of the rum, after which he
asked him how he seemed in himself. To this Job replied in a weak voice
that he was dizzy and his head and neck ached badly, on hearing which,
the bo'sun bade him keep lying until he had come more to himself. And so
we left him in quietness under a little shade of canvas and reeds; for
the air was warm and the sand dry, and he was not like to come to any
harm there.
    At a little distance, under the directing of the bo'sun, we made to
prepare dinner, for we were now very hungry, it seeming a great while
since we had broken our fast. To this end, the bo'sun sent two of the men
across the island to gather some of the dry seaweed; for we intended to
cook some of the salt meat, this being the first cooked meal since ending
the meat which we had boiled before leaving the ship in the creek.
    In the meanwhile, and until the return of the men with the fuel, the
bo'sun kept us busied in various ways. Two he sent to cut a bundle of the
reeds, and another couple to bring the meat and the iron boiler, the
latter being one that we had taken from the old brig.
    Presently, the men returned with the dried seaweed, and very curious
stuff it seemed, some of it being in chunks near as thick as a man's
body; but exceeding brittle by reason of its dryness. And so in a little,
we had a very good fire going, which we fed with the seaweed and pieces
of the reeds, though we found the latter to be but indifferent fuel,
having too much sap, and being troublesome to break into convenient size.
    Now when the fire had grown red and hot, the bo'sun half filled the
boiler with sea water, in which he placed the meat; and the pan, having a
stout lid, he did not scruple to place it in the very heart of the fire,
so that soon we had the contents boiling merrily.
    Having gotten the dinner under way, the bo'sun set about preparing our
camp for the night, which we did by making a rough framework with the
reeds, over which we spread the boat's sails and the cover, pegging the
canvas down with tough splinters of the reed. When this was completed, we
set-to and carried there all our stores, after which the bo'sun took us
over to the other side of the island to gather fuel for the night, which
we did, each man bearing a great double armful.
    Now by the time that we had brought over, each of us, two loads of the
fuel, we found the meat to be cooked, and so, without more to-do, set
ourselves down and made a very good meal off it and some biscuits, after
which we had each of us a sound tot of the rum. Having made an end of
eating and drinking, the bo'sun went over to where Job lay, to inquire
how he felt, and found him lying very quiet, though his breathing had a
heavy touch about it. However, we could conceive of nothing by which he
might be bettered, and so left him, being more hopeful that Nature would
bring him to health than any skill of which we were possessed.
    By this time it was late afternoon, so that the bo'sun declared we might
please ourselves until sunset, deeming that we had earned a very good
right to rest; but that from sunset till the dawn we should, he told us,
have each of us to take turn and turn about to watch; for though we were
no longer upon the water, none might say whether we were out of danger or
not, as witness the happening of the morning; though, certainly, he
apprehended no danger from the devil-fish so long as we kept well away
from the water's edge.
    And so from now until dark most of the men slept; but the bo'sun spent
much of that time in overhauling the boat, to see how it might chance to
have suffered during the storm, and also whether the struggles of the
devil-fish had strained it in any way.