Jack couldn't stop yawning. "Maybe we should stop and rest," he suggested. Tom cast another worried glance at the dark and cloudy sky. "We ought to get farther inland in case it floods," he said doubtfully, surveying the thick, moist jungle around them.
Jack snorted. "A little water never hurt us, Tom, and a little more won't make a difference! Still, there's a little cave in the side of that hill up ahead so we won't get rained on."
They climbed the gradual incline of the hill up to a small cave. "I can take first watch," Jack said, stifling a yawn. Tom shook his head. "No, captain, you're too tired. I can do it. I'm fine." But Jack remained firm despite the argument and ended up taking the watch. They both were asleep within minutes.
The Surprise's bow was lodged firmly in the reef that she had been pitched upon when a brief squall had caught her. Actually, reflected ship's surgeon Stephen Maturin, it's a good thing the storm did catch us since it drove us away from the enemy ship.
However, they were badly beat up from both the storm and the attack, so the crew was hard at work refitting the Surprise. Stephen peered over the railing when he heard himself being hailed by Mr. Lamb, the ship's carpenter, who was in a rowboat. "Yes?" he called back.
The carpenter rowed closer and yelled, "We're going t'start cuttin' into the reef, sir! It's the only way to get 'er free!"
Stephen sighed sadly. He hated seeing any form of plants or animals destroyed, especially the beautiful coral reefs, but it had to be done. "Very well, Mr. Lamb. Any sign of the captain or Mr. Pullings?" he asked hopefully.
"No sir, afraid not. We'll keep looking, though!" Mr. Lamb answered and rowed back to the stern, which was in an awful state.
As he rowed off, Stephen slumped against the rail. This was disastrous-no captain or First Officer with a damaged vessel and an unknown enemy ship still out there somewhere. The crew was looking to fourteen-year-old Lieutenant Will Blakeney and Stephen as temporary captains, but they didn't have the nautical wisdom or experience of Jack Aubrey, more so in Steven's case. Will was the obvious choice, being a mature, cool-headed officer, even if he was a bit young, and Stephen had been chosen out of respect, but they relied heavily on one another.
Stephen lowered himself over the bow and waded on top of the reef through knee-deep water to where Blakeney was giving orders to a midshipman. "Cut here-no, here, Mr. Johnson-until you can see the prow. Be careful, though."
The young officer looked up at Stephen and gave a surprised smile. "Hello, Mr. Maturin. Any news?" "No sign of the captain or Mr. Pullings, I'm afraid," Stephen said heavily.
Mr. Johnson stopped hacking at the reef and turned to Stephen. "Sir, Mr. Lamb said the Captain's hammock was untouched. There's a fair chance he may 'ave just been swept off, sir."
Full of renewed hope, Stephen replied, "Good. When we get off the reef, we can land and try to find him and Mr. Pullings."
Blakeney pulled out a small book of ocean currents and nodded to a swirl on the map, seeing as he couldn't point with his other hand because he didn't have one. "This is the closest one near where we were anchored. We can follow it and land-"his eyes tracked the line "-here."
Stephen took the book from him and perched his spectacles on the end of his nose. Suddenly, he went rigid, staring at the name of the island Blakeney had indicated.
"What is it, sir?" Mr. Johnson asked anxiously. "We better hope the captain and Mr. Pullings aren't on that island," Stephen said quietly. "It's a major French Naval port." He handed the book to Blakeney and climbed up the now, leaving a stunned silence behind him.