Bing Gananda 25

15 Shipwreck

Martin stood on the deck, watching the shore. He had sent two more of the sailors in with the Jolly Boat to find out what had happened. He was getting worried. He had already lost almost half the crew since they had come to this place.
Perhaps the old cook was right. What if this island was cursed? Questions came to his mind. Why was it not on the charts? Surely somebody should have found it before now. It was not all that remote. Everything seemed just a bit out of place.
A cloud passed over the moon. The sky had been clear, but as Martin looked up now, he could see clouds gathering rapidly. The wind was shifting too. The brig began to swing around on her anchor.
Within a quarter hour the wind was blowing dead onshore. And it was beginning to pick up strength. With the change, swells were beginning to enter the cove.
Martin had been watching the men at the fire on shore though his glass. There should have been four, besides the ones he had sent. He only saw two others.
But by now the Mary Anne was straining at her anchor. The wind was approaching gale force. Martin could see the men on the beach, struggling to launch their boat into the waves breaking on the sand. It was too much for them, and they gave up, dragging the boat up the beach.
Now Martin turned his attention to the ship. She could never beat her way out of the cove against this wind, even if she wasn't short handed. This storm had come up too quickly. It was unnatural.
Then the rain hit. It came horizontally, drive by a wind which had built to hurricane force. There was nothing but wind, rain, and the now pitching deck.
There was a brief lull, and Martin got a glimpse of the shore. It was way too close. The brig was dragging anchor. If the storm did not let up, they would surely go aground. But then the rain closed in again, and he could see nothing.
By now, what was left of the crew were on the pitching deck. They were trying to get a second anchor over the side. But they couldn't hold on to it as the ship lurched. A man screamed as it fell back on him crushing his chest. Matin rushed to help. But it was too late.
The brig struck stern first, then was lifted by the next wave only to hit again harder. The rudder was smashed as the waves pounded her. Now the bow began to swing around and the waves caught her amidships. She was slammed again and again, driving her farther up on the beach. There was the sound of splintering wood as she rolled onto her side and the waves crashed over her.
Martin lost his grip and was washed into the surf, fighting for his life.


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