THE BONITA.
Harry and Walter remained motionless and speechless on the rail staring
at Jim for several moments after this startling announcement had been
made, and there was a decided look of fear on the faces of all three.
The mere suggestion of pirates was enough to send the cold chills down
their spinal columns, while the mystery connected with the abandonment
of an apparently sound craft caused them to feel very uncomfortable in
mind.
Walter glanced apprehensively over his shoulder as if expecting to see
some terrible sight seaward, and the slightest ominous sound would have
sent the visitors into the Sally as the only place of refuge.
It was fully five minutes before Harry succeeded in gaining the mastery
over his fears, and then he said, with an evident attempt to make his
voice sound firm as he leaped from the rail:
"Say, boys, we're making fools of ourselves by getting frightened at an
empty ship! Suppose the pirates _have_ been on board; there are none
here now, and I don't see any reason why we shouldn't go below."
"I'm with you," Jim replied; but by taking up his position at Harry's
side he showed very plainly that it was not his intention to lead the
exploring party.
"I'll go, too, rather than stay on deck alone; but, according to my way
of thinking, we'd better start for the Isle of Shoals instead of staying
on a vessel like this." And once more Walter looked over the rail at the
Sally, which was taking in water quite rapidly now that the bailing-dish
was idle.
Harry and Jim had started toward the cabin before Walter ceased
speaking, therefore he had no choice save to follow them, and with an
undefined feeling of awe the three went down the stairs into a
comfortably but not expensively furnished saloon, from each side of
which led the eight state-rooms.
To judge by the general appearance of affairs one would have said that
the officers had but just gone on deck. On the long, stationary table
were sewing materials and a woman's work-basket; in one of the chairs an
open book, and on a locker was the log-slate with the reckoning
partially worked out.
The only suspicious object to be seen was a sword, which had been
withdrawn from its scabbard and thrown on the cabin floor. The blade was
covered with spots which might have been blood-stains or nothing but
rust, and the visitors gathered around the sinister-looking weapon
without offering to touch it.
"The sword doesn't prove that pirates have been here," Harry said, after
a long silence. "There couldn't have been much of a fight or we should
see more signs of it. Perhaps somebody is in one of the state-rooms."
"It won't take long to find out." And Jim boldly opened the nearest
door, a goodly portion of his courage having returned since the search
thus far had failed to reveal any very horrible sight.
In rapid succession the searchers went from one room to another,
stopping at each only long enough to make sure no person was concealed
therein, and to take a general but hasty survey of its contents.
Every tiny apartment showed signs of recent occupancy. A sea-chest,
clothes hanging on the walls, and such belongings as a sailor would deem
necessary for a long voyage, could be seen. In one state-room was a set
of gold studs and sleeve-buttons and a new quadrant. In another, which
Jim confidently asserted was the captain's, a watch hung at the head of
the berth, while a small writing-desk was littered with papers.
"All hands have gone somewhere, that's certain," Jim said when the
search was concluded; "an' before we go ashore it won't do any harm to
have dinner. If the pantry has been left like the cabin, we stand a good
chance of finding plenty of grub."
"I'm hungry enough to eat almost anything," Harry replied with a laugh.
"So if you know where the food is kept we'll have lunch before beginning
the long pull home."
Jim was thoroughly well acquainted with the general arrangement of
vessels of this size, and without hesitation he led the way to the
pantry, where was found a large assortment of delicacies for the cabin
table.
In this room were many boxes and packages which had not been broken, and
as each bore the mark "Brig Bonita," the name of the craft was known as
well as if the boys had seen the gilt letters under the stern.
Just at this time, however, the visitors gave but little heed to
anything connected with the abandoned craft save the provisions, and
these they sampled generously, beginning with nuts and ending with jam;
each one eating until it was an absolute impossibility to swallow
another mouthful.
During the varied but hearty meal they failed to notice that the brig
had heeled over slightly, or that there was considerable more motion
than when they first came aboard. The feast drove all thoughts of the
general condition of affairs from their minds until it was finished, and
then Jim said:
"Now, what's to be done? It seems a pity to leave this craft and all
these things; but I don't s'pose we could tow her in to the Shoals."
Even though Harry and Walter knew nothing about seamanship, they
understood how ridiculous it would be to make any attempt at towing a
three-hundred-ton brig with a crazy little boat like the Sally, and
their merriment was so great when Jim made this remark that he thought
it necessary to defend himself by saying:
"I've seen folks tow bigger vessels than this; an' I was only thinkin'
how fine it would be to take her in, for since there's nobody aboard
we'd own everything."
"Well, so long as it can't be done we'd better go back," Walter said as
he suddenly remembered his neglect of duty and the very grave reason why
he should be at the hotel before his mother returned.
Neither Harry nor Jim believed there was any necessity for making a
hurried departure, and fully half an hour more elapsed before they were
ready to go on deck. Even then they would have delayed still further had
not a violent motion of the vessel caused Jim to cry, as he sprang
toward the companion-way:
"The wind has freshened, and if we want to get back to-night it's time
we were off!"
Then, as he gained the deck, fear and surprise took the place of his
suddenly aroused anxiety. The wind had sprung up and must have done so a
long while before, for now there was no sign of land in either
direction, unless, indeed, a dark smudge far down to windward might be
the island which had been so close aboard a few hours previous, and the
Bonita was working on a zigzag course seaward. Owing to the fact that
the head-sheets were flowing, each time she fell off sufficiently to get
the wind abaft the beam she would fill her topsails and gather way, then
come to, stop, and again fall off; making, as a sailor would say,
"boards and half-boards."
Harry and Walter were so thoroughly amazed and alarmed by this sudden
disappearance of the land, as it were, that they gave no heed to
anything around them, but stood by the port rail amidships, searching in
vain with their eyes for the island.
Jim's knowledge of seamanship was decidedly limited; but he understood
fully why the Isle of Shoals was no longer in sight, and his one thought
was how they could leave the vessel, which was literally running away
with them. Springing to the main chains where the Sally had been made
fast, a single glance was sufficient to show of what little service she
would be to them just then. Leaking as she did, and towed now and then
at a rapid rate, the little craft was filled with water, nothing save a
very small portion of the bow upheld by the painter being visible.
Hardly knowing what he did, the young fisherman ran fore and aft in a
distracted way until Harry, aroused from his stupefaction by Jim's
apparently aimless movements, asked in a sharp tone of nervous
irritation:
"What are you doing? Are we to stay here without trying to get back?"
"I wish you would tell me what we can do;" and Jim stopped short as he
plunged his hands deeply in his pockets, looking Harry squarely in the
face. "The Isle of Shoals must be a dozen miles away by this time; the
Sally is swamped, an' there's nothin' in the shape of a boat on board."
"But we _can't_ stay here and be carried out to sea!" Walter cried in a
shrill tone of fear.
"If you think it's possible to swim back we won't stay; but I don't know
of any other way to get there!"
For an instant Walter acted as if he intended to make the attempt; and
then, as Harry seized his arm to prevent him from leaping overboard, the
poor boy gave way to the most passionate grief, he began to realize the
full consequences of his disobedience, and could he have been
transported to the land just at that moment, Bessie would have opened
her eyes wide in surprise at the great display of brotherly affection.
It seemed as if Walter's tears served to restore to Jim at least a
portion of his senses, for he immediately assumed a business-like tone
as he said:
"Now see here, fellers, we're in a scrape of course; but it won't do any
good to give up like this, 'cause if we try to help ourselves things may
turn out all right."
"If we can't get back in the Sally I don't see how we're going to help
ourselves very much," and Harry made every effort to appear brave that
Walter might be cheered.
"Some vessel will surely heave in sight before long, an' we can signal
to her. The first thing is to find a flag an' set it half-mast,
union-down. Any craft would try to find out what the matter was after
seein' a thing like that, an' jes' as likely as not we'll be picked up
before dark. Then we must get some of this canvas off of her so she
can't sail so fast, an' when that's done matters won't be so very bad,
for we can keep goin' straight ahead till we come out somewhere."
Jim spoke in such a matter-of-fact tone that the courage of his
companions was revived at once. They had not thought of the possibility
that a vessel might be sighted; but now it seemed very probable, and the
two boys set about the proposed task with hopeful hearts.
The wind continued to freshen, and in her limping way the Bonita worked
slowly but surely seaward with a wide expanse of ocean before her, while
the force on board was hardly sufficient to keep the helm steady in
heavy weather.