The thought flashed into my mind that only a miracle could save us.
“Only God could help us.” I had spoken my thoughts aloud.
Gertie was staring at me.
“What can we do?” she said in a whisper.
“We can pray to God,” I said.
I suppose faith grows strong when we are in desperate situations from which there appears to be no escape except through Divine help. I knew mine was the faith of desperation. I believed because I had to the alternative was too awful to contemplate. And I think Gertie felt the same.
We stood very still, closed our eyes and put the palms of our hands together.
“Please, God,” we whispered, ‘help us to get back to the ship. “
We opened our eyes. What had we expected? To see the dock and the launching place materialize before our eyes?
Everything was exactly the same. Nothing had changed . except ourselves. We had faith. The panic had left us. We would find our way back somehow. God would show us the way.
Gertie had taken my hand.
“Let’s go along there. I am sure we came past that place.”
I noticed the big white building which stood a little apart from the others.
I said: “We’ll ask in there. That’s it. Someone will be able to speak English. They’ll help us.”
Gertie nodded and we hurried towards the building.
And then . the miracle happened. A man came out of the building and there was something familiar about him. I saw that it was Dr. Emmerson.
I was exultant. God had answered our prayer.
“Dr. Emmerson,” I called.
He stopped. He stared and then he hurried towards us.
“Carmel! What are you doing here? The ship sails at four.”
“Dr. Emmerson!” I panted.
“We’re lost. A man brought us here and left us. He said it was the dock.”
Dr. Emmerson looked puzzled for a second or so. Then he hesitated no longer. He hustled us away from the building One of the donkey-driven carriages was approaching. He hailed it and said something to the driver. He could speak the language and there was a moment of excited talk. Then we got into the carriage and drove off at great speed.
We somewhat incoherently told Dr. Emmerson what had happened.
“I can’t think why you two young girls were allowed out on your own!”
“We weren’t,” said Gertie.
“We lost the boys,” I explained.
Dr. Emmerson looked shocked.
“I only hope we can make it,” he said.
“Time’s running short.”
“The last launch goes at…” I said.
“Yes, I know.” He looked at his watch and was clearly worried.
I was silently giving prayers of thanks all the time while Dr. Emmerson was urging the driver to go faster. I could see by his gestures that the man was getting the utmost speed out of the poor donkeys.
The joy of seeing the dock was great, but dismay followed. The last launch had left a few minutes before we had arrived and was on its way out to the Lady of the Seas.
We got out of the carriage. Dr. Emmerson gave the driver money and we stood for a few seconds, staring at the departing launch which seemed to be rapidly reducing the distance between itself and the ship.
Dr. Emmerson looked very dismayed.
There were a few rowing-boats on the water. He shouted to one of them.
He was pointing to the Lady of the Seas and to us. I guessed what he was saying. They came to a hasty agreement and the next moment we were all climbing into a rowing-boat.
It was slow progress. We saw that the launch had reached the ship and the passengers were already on board. The launch was, in fact, being drawn to the deck from which it usually hung. The ship was preparing to sail.
There were some men standing on the landing-stage which was in the process of being dismantled. Dr. Emmerson shouted to them. It was not easy to get their attention, but at last he did.
He shouted: “Two little girls. Passengers. The Captain’s niece.”
He had their attention. We were tremendously relieved. We were going to be all right but we had known we would be when our prayers were answered.
There was some time to wait. Several people had come out on to the deck and were leaning over the rail, looking at us.
Dr. Emmerson was clearly greatly relieved. He was confident that he would get us back on board now. He must have been wondering what he would do with two girls on his hands.
He said: They can’t set up the landing-stage again. I expect they’ll let down a rope-ladder. “
“A rope-ladder!” I cried, looking at Gertie.
“That’ll be fun,” she said, with more apprehension than conviction.
She was right to be concerned. It was no easy matter.
We were bobbing about in our little boat, which seemed very tiny and frail beside the Lady of the Seas.
The people from the deck watched while the ladder was being lowered.
“You’ll have to be careful,” said Dr. Emmerson.
“This can be a tricky business. They’ll be waiting up there to catch you, and I’ll help from here below … but there’s a little distance when you’ll be on your own. Understand?”
“Yes,” I said.
He caught the end of the ladder as it descended.
“You first, Carmel,” he said.
“Ready? Go carefully. On no account lose your grip on the rope. Hang on to it at all cost. And don’t look down at the sea. Keep your eyes straight ahead. Ready?”
I was off. He was holding me until I got beyond his reach. Then for a short time I was alone, clinging to the ladder as Dr. Emmerson had advised. I took one cautious step after another. Then I felt hands from above. Two strong sailors had hauled me on to the deck.
Then it was Gertie’s turn.
We stood beside each other. We were safe. We had seen our miracle and felt exalted. I knew Gertie felt as I did.
We looked down at Dr. Emmerson who was smiling very happily. The look of anxiety had completely disappeared from his face.
“Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Emmerson,” we shouted.
“Goodbye,” he replied.
“And don’t do it again!”
People were surrounding us, among them Jimmy and Timothy.
“Idiots!” said Jimmy.
“What did you think you were doing?”
Mrs. Forman was hugging us, half laughing, half crying.
“We were so worried,” she said.
“But, thank God you are safe.”
“Yes,” I said.
“Let us thank God.”
There was a great deal of fuss about the adventure. Uncle Toby had heard nothing of it until we were safe on board. It was the law of the ship that he was not to be disturbed at such times except with emergencies, and our failure to return on board in time would not be considered a disaster in nautical terms.
He was very disturbed when he learned what had happened, and I realized even more what potential dangers we might have faced.
He sent for me to go to his cabin an hour or so after sailing.
“Never, never let a thing like that happen again!” he said sternly.
“We wouldn’t have let it happen then if we could have helped it,” I told him.
“You could have helped it. You should have stayed with the boys.”
“We didn’t mean to leave them. They just disappeared.”
“You shall never go ashore again unless you are with a reliable person.”
He had never been angry with me before, and I could not stop my tears.
I had been so elated to be safe, and to have incurred his anger made me more unhappy than anything else could.
He relented at once and took me into his arms.
He said: “It’s only because you mean so much to me. When I think what could have happened …”
We were silent for a while, clinging to each other.