Nick motioned to Tom to come help him. The wiry boy was able to maneuver the deck quickly despite the wind and ice.He and Nick tied two ropes to the ship, and then it was time to climb.
Nick crawled out on the mast as far as he could before grabbing onto the slippery, ice-laden rocks. There was no possible way for this to work unless God interceded.
“Lord, help us,” Nick whispered.
He had no way to tie the rope to the rocks. He’d seen mountain climbers use hooks of some sort, but a schooner on the Great Lakes didn’t have anything like that. He would just have to risk it. He would get to the top of the rocks and somehow tie it off up there.
Even then, Nick wasn’t sure the men could manage, much less Elise.
Elise clung to her father as he gathered the men. “Nick’s doing what he can to provide us a way off the ship,” he told them. They were listing hard to starboard, and no one knew how much time they had left. “When the rope is secure, you’ll have to do what you can to climb to safety.” He looked at Elise, the fear in his eyes clearly directed at her.
“Don’t worry, Papa,” she whispered against his ear as she hugged him close. “I’m strong.”
They watched and waited as the storm bore down upon them.
“Two of the men aren’t here,” her father said after a moment. “Where are Seamus and Russ?”
Somehow the others heard his question and glanced around. They shook their heads.
“I’ll go find them,” Ollie said, pulling up his collar.
“I’ll go too,” Nils Hanson declared.
Without waiting for permission, they grabbed lanterns and headed toward the bow. Elise whispered a prayer for them, then strained again to find Nick in the storm.
Tom appeared through the sleet. “He gave me the signal. The ropes are secure.” He was yelling. “We have to walk the mast and then get onto the rocks by using the rope. It won’t be easy, because then we have to climb.”
“Women and children first,” her father declared. “Tom, you help Elise. Go now. Sam, light more lanterns.”
The entire group moved toward the fallen mast. Everyone was eager to get to safety, although they knew great peril awaited them before the slightest hope of security could be had.
Elise soon found her skirt was dragging her down. It was heavy with ice and snow. She climbed upon the mast, taking hold of the guide rope, but her balance was precarious because of her skirt. She hesitated only a moment, then unbuttoned the waistband and let the skirt drop to her feet. The bloomers she had on beneath were still fairly dry and in no way encumbered her movement. She held fast to the rope and kicked the skirt aside, then continued up the mast.
It was like nothing she’d ever done before. When she was younger, she had at times climbed up into the rigging, but this was different. The wind seemed to push and pull her from every angle.
Tom was right behind her to offer whatever help he could. He held on to the second rope so as not to cause any interference with Elise. He clearly wanted to be close at hand if she needed him.
When she reached the rock face, Elise knew she didn’t havethe strength for what was required. She stared up toward the top of the cliff.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
The words came to her from the depth of her soul. She swallowed hard, wondering how her mouth could possibly be dry in the midst of this storm. She looked upward again ... then began to climb.
Once she left the mast for the rocks, Elise felt a sense of loss. She glanced back to see her father talking to Ollie and Nils. Seamus and Russ were nowhere to be seen. Had they been swept overboard?
Elise slipped and realized she needed to give the rocks her full attention. Night was falling, and the darkness would soon make this task doubly difficult. She drew a deep breath and felt the rocks. She searched for footholds as she held fast to the rope with her gloved hands. The icy wind stole her breath, making it all the harder to concentrate.
She felt Tom take hold of her foot and guide it to a small nook. She pushed upward. The next step was a bit easier, but there was such little security that she dared not stay in one place. Again, when she paused for too long, Tom helped her, and again she made progress up the icy rock. It was almost helpful that the wind was at her back, pushing her into the cliff.
Her arms burned, and her hands slipped constantly on the rope. Despite the bloomers being intended for such adventures, Elise could feel them weighing her down. Still, she pressed on, knowing that if she didn’t keep moving, the others would never have a chance to come behind her.
The ice no longer stung as much against her face and hands. She thought the wind might be weakening but couldn’t be sure. She forced her focus to remain on the task at hand. Nothingelse mattered but getting to the top of this rockface. She found a ledge on which to rest, but the sense of urgency pressed her on. She had to be nearing the top, even if she couldn’t see it.
Onward she struggled, knowing that her strength was nearly gone. “Oh, God, please help me!”
She reached upward on the rope but lost her grip and slipped. Tom caught her before she fell very far. She hadn’t even had the time to scream in fear. She tried again to pull herself up, but she didn’t go very far, and it was almost impossible to find a foothold. Then, just as she knew she had nothing left to give, Elise felt a hand clasp around her wrist and pull upward. It was Nick. It had to be Nick.
She didn’t know how to help, so she tried her best to find a place for her feet to push up from. And then, without warning, she felt herself being pulled over the edge and onto flat land. The effort to fight gravity and the storm was gone. She was exhausted, almost unable to move.
