Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 3.djvu/222

212 boat came slowly toward him, and as he rose to breathe, she was alongside, and two of the sailors reached over and lifted him in. But this was scarcely done, before one of them cried out "We have just saved him now!" and looking into the water, all were horrified to see the body of a man-eating shark, overlapping the boat in length, and already turned on its side to seize the prey. Of this peril Holden himself had not thought, as the boat's officer had also overlooked it; though both probably knew that those seas were full of these carnivores of the waters.

The rescuing crew now bent to the oars and laid away to the ship, which was a three masted merchantman, and came along broadside. The manropes hanging over were scarcely reached before Holden laid hold of them and, without help or invitation, scrambled to the deck. He was at once surrounded by the sailors, to whom he was a subject for instant solicitude. Some brought him clothes out of their chests, into which he was speedily installed, while one came with a spoonful of boiled rice, his lank appearance indicating at once long want, if not starvation. The first officer began to question him, and every time he made an answer carried this back to report to the captain, who was pacing the after deck.

This was done with so much ceremony and deliberation that Holden, who was all anxiety to secure the rescue of his mate, Knute, and to redeem his promise to his master, Parabaway, became very impatient. But when a little breeze now began to blow, and the order came from the captain to brace up the yards, he could no longer control himself. It seemed incredible that a man should be left, or that no attention should be paid to his representations about the natives. Setting aside red tape