CHANGES ON THE "SUMMER SHELTER"
When Captain Burke communicated to Mr. Portman and Mr. Burdette the news
that nine of their passengers had offered to ship as a crew, the
sailing-master and the first mate shook their heads. They did not
believe that the vessel could be worked by parsons.
"But there isn't anybody else!" exclaimed Burke. "We've got to get
away, and they're all able-bodied, and they have more sense than most
landsmen we can ship. And besides, here are five experienced seamen on
board, and I say, let's try the parsons."
"All right," said Mr. Burdette. "If you're willing to risk it, I am."
Mr. Portman also said he was willing, and the engineer and his
assistant, who were getting very nervous, agreed to the plan as soon as
they heard of it.
Captain Burke shook himself, pulled his cap to the front of his head,
arranged his coat properly and buttoned it up, and began to give orders.
"Now, then," said he, "all passengers going ashore, please step lively!"
And while this lively stepping was going on, and during the leave-taking
and rapid writing of notes to be sent to the homes of the clerical crew,
he ordered Mr. Burdette to secure a pilot, attend to the clearance
business, and make everything ready to cast off and get out of the
harbor as soon as possible.
When the five reverend gentlemen who had decided not to accompany the
_Summer Shelter_ in her further voyaging had departed for the hotel,
portmanteaus in hand, and amply furnished by Mrs. Cliff with funds for
their return to their homes, the volunteer crew, most of them without
coats or waistcoats, and all in a high picnic spirit, set to work with
enthusiasm, doing more things than they knew how to do, and embarrassing
Mr. Burdette a good deal by their over-willingness to make themselves
useful. But this untrained alacrity was soon toned down, and early in
the afternoon, the hawsers of the _Summer Shelter_ were cast off, and
she steamed out of the eastern passage of the harbor.
There were remarks made in the town after the departure of the yacht;
but when the passengers who had been left behind, all clergymen of high
repute, had related the facts of the case, and had made it understood
that the yacht, whose filibustering purpose had been suspected by its
former crew, was now manned by nine members of the Synod recently
convened in Brooklyn, and under the personal direction of Mrs. Cliff, an
elderly and charitable resident of Plainton, Maine, all distrust was
dropped, and was succeeded in some instances by the hope that the yacht
might not be wrecked before it reached Jamaica.
The pilot left the _Summer Shelter_; three of the clergymen shovelled
coal; four of them served as deck hands; and two others ran around as
assistant cooks and stewards; Mr. Portman and Mr. Burdette lent their
hands to things which were not at all in their line of duty; Mrs. Cliff
and Willy pared the vegetables, and cooked without ever thinking of
stopping to fan themselves; while Captain Burke flew around like
half-a-dozen men, with a good word for everybody, and a hand to help
wherever needed. It was truly a jolly voyage from Nassau to Kingston.
The new crew was divided into messes, and Mrs. Cliff insisted that they
should come to the table in the saloon, no matter how they looked or
what they had been doing: on her vessel a coal-heaver off duty was as
good as a Captain,--while the clergymen good-humoredly endeavored to
preserve the relative lowliness of their positions, each actuated by a
zealous desire to show what a good deck hand or steward he could make
when circumstances demanded it.
Working hard, laughing much, eating most heartily, and sleeping well,
the busy and hilarious little party on board the _Summer Shelter_
steamed into the harbor of Kingston, after a much shorter voyage than is
generally made from Nassau to that port.
"If I could get a crew of jolly parsons," cried Captain Burke, "and
could give them a month's training on board this yacht, I'd rather have
them than any crew that could be got together from Cape Horn to the
North Pole!"
"And by the time you had made able seamen of them," said Mr. Burdette,
who was of a conventional turn of mind, "they'd all go back to their
pulpits and preach!"
"And preach better!" said Mr. Litchfield, who was standing by. "Yes,
sir, I believe they would all preach better!"
When the anchor was dropped, not quite so promptly as it would have been
done if the clerical crew had had any previous practice in this
operation, Mr. Burke was about to give orders to lower a boat,--for he
was anxious to get on shore as soon as possible,--when he perceived a
large boat rowed by six men and with a man in the stern, rapidly
approaching the yacht. If they were port officials, he thought, they
were extremely prompt, but he soon saw that the man in the stern, who
stood up and waved a handkerchief, was his old friend Shirley.
"He must have been watching for us," said Captain Burke to Mrs. Cliff,
"and he put out from one of the wharves as soon as we hove in sight.
Shirley is a good fellow! You can trust to him to look out for his
friends!"
In a very short time the six powerful negro oarsmen had Shirley's boat
alongside, and in a few seconds after that, he stood upon the deck of
the _Summer Shelter_. Burke was about to spring forward to greet his old
comrade, but he stepped back to give way to Mrs. Cliff, who seized the
hand of Shirley and bade him a most hearty welcome, although, had she
met him by herself elsewhere, she would not have recognized him in the
neat travelling suit which he now wore.
Shirley was delighted to meet Burke and Mrs. Cliff, he expressed
pleasure in making the acquaintance of Miss Croup, who, standing by Mrs.
Cliff's side, was quickly introduced, and he looked with astonishment at
the body of queer-looking men who were gathered on the deck, and who
appeared to be the crew of the yacht. But he wasted no time in friendly
greetings nor in asking questions, but quickly informed Burke that they
were all too late, and that the _Dunkery Beacon_ had sailed two days
before.
"And weren't you here to board her?" cried Burke.
"No," said Shirley; "our steamer didn't arrive until last night!"
Burke and Mrs. Cliff looked at each other in dismay. Tears began to come
into Willy Croup's eyes, as they nearly always did when anything unusual
suddenly happened, and all the members of the Synod, together with Mr.
Portman and Mr. Burdette, and even the two engineers, who had come up
from below, pressed close around Shirley, eager to hear what next should
be said.
Everybody on board had been informed during the trip from Nassau of the
errand of the yacht, for Mrs. Cliff thought she would be treating those
generous and kind-hearted clergymen very badly if she did not let them
know the nature of the good work in which they were engaged. And so it
had happened that everybody who had sailed from Nassau on the yacht had
hoped,--more than that, had even expected,--for the _Dunkery Beacon_ was
known to be a very slow steamer,--to find her in the harbor of Kingston
taking on goods or perhaps coaling, and now all knew that even Shirley
had been too late.
"This is dreadful!" exclaimed Mrs. Cliff, who was almost on the point of
imitating Willy in the matter of tears. "And they haven't any idea, of
course, of the dangers which await them."
"I don't see how they could know," said Shirley, "for of course if they
had known, they wouldn't have sailed!"
"Did you hear anything about her?" asked Burke. "Was she all right when
she arrived?"
"I have no doubt of that!" was the answer. "I made inquiries last night
about the people who would most likely be consignees here, and this
morning I went to a house on Harbor Street,--Beaver & Hughes. This
house, in a way, is the Jamaica agent of the owners. I got there before
the office was open, but I didn't find out much. She delivered some
cargo to them and had sailed on time!"
"By George!" cried Burke, "Captain Horn was right! They could hardly get
a chance to safely interfere with her until she had sailed from
Kingston, and now I bet they are waiting for her outside the Caribbees!"
"That's just what I thought," said Shirley; "but of course I didn't say
anything to these people, and I soon found out they didn't know much
except so far as their own business was concerned. It's pretty certain
from what I have heard that she didn't find any letters here that would
make her change her course or do anything out of the way,--but I did
find something! While I was talking with one of the heads of the house,
the mail from New York, which had come over in my steamer too late to be
delivered the night before, was brought in, and one of the letters was a
cable message from London to New York to be forwarded by mail to
Jamaica, and it was directed to 'Captain Hagar, of the _Dunkery Beacon_,
care of Beaver & Hughes.' As I had been asking about the steamer, Beaver
or Hughes, whichever it was, mentioned the message. I told him on the
spot that I thought it was his duty to open it, for I was very sure it
was on important business. He considered for a while, saying that
perhaps the proper thing was to send it on after Captain Hagar by mail;
but when he had thought about it a little he said perhaps he had better
open it, and he did. The words were just these:--
"'On no account leave Kingston Harbor until further orders.--Blackburn.'
Blackburn is the head owner."
"What did you say then," asked Mrs. Cliff, very earnestly, "and what did
he say?"
"I didn't say anything about her being a treasure ship," replied
Shirley. "If it was not known in Jamaica that she was carrying that
gold, I wasn't going to tell it; for there are as many black-hearted
scoundrels here as in any other part of the world! But I told the Beaver
& Hughes people that I also had a message for Captain Hagar, and that a
friend of mine was coming to Kingston in a yacht, and that if he arrived
soon I hadn't a doubt that we could overhaul the _Dunkery Beacon_, and
give the Captain my message and the one from London besides, and that
we'd try to do it, for it was very important. But they didn't know me,
and they said they would wait until my friend's yacht should arrive, and
then they would see about sending the message to Captain Hagar. Now,
I've done enough talking, and we must do something!"
"What do you think we ought to do?" asked Burke.
"Well, I say," answered Shirley, "if you have any passengers to put
ashore here, put them ashore, and then let's go after the _Dunkery
Beacon_ and deliver the message. A stern chase is a long chase, but if
I'm to judge by the way this yacht caught up to the _Antonina_ and
passed her, I believe there's a good chance of overhauling the _Dunkery
Beacon_ before the pirates get hold of her. Then all she's got to do is
to steam back to Kingston."
"But suppose the pirates come before she gets back," said Mrs. Cliff.
"Well, they won't fool with her if she is in company," replied Shirley.
"Now, and what do you say?" he asked, addressing Burke, but glancing
around at the others. "I don't know how this ship's company is made up,
or how long a stop you are thinking of making here, or anything about
it! But you're the owner, Mrs. Cliff, and if you lend Burke and me your
yacht, I reckon he'll be ready enough to steam after the _Dunkery
Beacon_ and deliver the messages. It's a thing which Captain Horn has
set his heart upon, and it's a thing which ought to be done if it can be
done, and this yacht, I believe, is the vessel that can do it!"
During this speech Mr. Burke, generally so eager to speak and to act,
had stood silent and troubled. He agreed with Shirley that the thing to
do was to go after the _Dunkery Beacon_ at the best speed the yacht
could make. He did not believe that Mrs. Cliff would object to his
sailing away with her yacht on this most important errand,--but he
remembered that he had no crew. These parsons must be put off at
Kingston, and although he had had no doubt whatever that he could get a
crew in this port, he had expected to have a week, and perhaps more, in
which to do it. To collect in an hour or two a crew which he could trust
with the knowledge which would most likely come to them in some way or
other that the steamer they were chasing carried untold wealth, was
hardly to be thought of.
"As far as I am concerned," cried Mrs. Cliff, "my yacht may go after
that steamer just as soon as she can be started away!"
"And what do you say, Burke?" exclaimed Shirley.
Burke did not answer. He was trying to decide whether or not he and
Shirley, with Burdette and Portman, and the two engineers could work the
yacht. But before he had even a chance to speak, Mr. Hodgson stepped
forward and exclaimed:--
"I'll stick to the yacht until she has accomplished her business! I'd
just as soon make my vacation a week longer as not. I can cut it off
somewhere else. If you are thinking about your crew, Captain, I want to
say that so far as I am concerned, I am one volunteer!"
"And I am another!" said Mr. Litchfield. "Now that I know how absolutely
essential it is that the _Dunkery Beacon_ should be overtaken, I would
not for a moment even consider the surrender of my position upon this
vessel, which I assure you, madam, I consider as an honor!"
Mr. Shirley stared in amazement at the speaker. What sort of a seaman
was this? His face and hands were dirty, but he had been shovelling
coal; but such speech Shirley had never heard from mariners' lips. The
rest of the crew seemed very odd, and now he noticed for the first time
that although many of them were in their shirt sleeves, nearly all wore
black trousers. He could not understand it.
"Mr. Litchfield, sir," said a large, heavy man with a nose burned very
red, a travelling cap upon his head, and wearing a stiffly starched
shirt which had once been white, no collar, and a waistcoat cut very
straight in front, now opened, but intended to be buttoned up very
high, "I believe Mr. Litchfield has voiced the sentiments of us all. As
he was speaking, I looked from one brother to another, and I think I am
right."
"You are right!" cried every one of the sturdy fellows who had so
recently stepped from Synod to yacht.
"I knew it!" exultingly exclaimed the speaker. "I felt it in my heart of
hearts! Madam, and Captain, knowing what we do we are not the men to
desert you when it is found necessary to continue the voyage for a
little!"
"And what would happen to us if we did leave the yacht?" said another.
"We might simply have to remain at Kingston until you returned. Oh no,
we wouldn't think of it!"
"Burke," said Shirley, in a low tone, "who are these people?"
"Can't tell you now," said Burke, his eyes glistening, "you might tumble
overboard backwards if I did! Gentlemen," he cried, turning to his crew,
"you're a royal lot! And if any of you ever ask me to stand by you, I'll
do it while there's breath in my body! And now, madam," said he, his
doubt and perplexity gone and his face animated by the necessity of
immediate action, "I can't now say anything about your kindness in
lending us your yacht, but if you and Miss Croup want to go ashore, here
is a boat alongside."
"Go ashore!" screamed Mrs. Cliff. "What are you talking about? If
anybody stays on this yacht, I do! I wouldn't think of such a thing as
going ashore!"
"Nor I!" cried Willy. "What's got into your head, Mr. Burke,--do you
intend to go without eating?"
"Ladies," cried Burke, "you are truly trumps, and that's all I've got to
say! And we'll get out of this harbor just as fast as we can!"
"Look here," cried Shirley, running after Burke to the captain's room;
"I've got to go ashore again and get that cable message! We must have
authority to turn that steamer back if we overhaul her, and I've got to
have somebody to go with me. But before we do anything you must take
time to tell me who these queer-looking customers are that you've got on
board."
Burke shut the door of his room, and in as few words as possible he
explained how some of the members of the recent Synod happened to be
acting as crew of the yacht. Shirley was a quiet and rather a sedate
man, but when he heard this tale, he dropped into a chair, leaned back,
stretched out his legs, and laughed until his voice failed him.
"Oh, it's all funny enough," said Burke, almost as merry as his friend,
"but they're good ones, I can tell you that! You couldn't get together a
better set of landsmen, and I tell you what I'll do. If you want anybody
to go with you to certify that you are all right, I'll send a couple of
parsons!"
"Just what I want!" cried Shirley.
Burke quickly stepped out on deck, and calling the mate, "Mr. Burdette,"
he said, "I want you to detail the Reverend Charles Attlebury and
Reverend Mr. Gillingham to go ashore with Mr. Shirley. Tell them to put
on their parson's toggery, long coats, high hats, and white cravats, and
let each man take with him the address of his church on a card. They are
to certify to Mr. Shirley. Tell them to step round lively--we have no
time to lose!"
Soon after the boat with Shirley and the clergymen had pulled away from
the yacht, two of the clerical crew came to Mrs. Cliff, and told her
that they were very sorry indeed to say, that having consulted the
sailing-master, and having been told by him that it was not at all
probable that the yacht would be able to return to Kingston in a week,
they had been forced to the conclusion that they would not be able to
offer her their services during the voyage she was about to make.
Important affairs at home would make it impossible for them to prolong
their most delightful vacation, and as they had been informed that the
_Antonina_ would return to New York in a few days, it would be advisable
for them to leave the yacht and take passage to New York in her. They
felt, however, that this apparent desertion would be of less importance
than it would have been if it had occurred in the port of Nassau,
because now the crew would have the assistance of Mr. Shirley, who was
certainly worth more than both of them together.
When Burke heard this, he said to Mrs. Cliff that he was not sure but
what the parsons were quite correct, and although everybody was sorry to
lose two members of the party, it could not be helped, and all who had
letters to send to New York went to work to scribble them as fast as
they could. Mrs. Cliff also wrote a note to Captain Horn, informing him
of the state of affairs, and of their reasons for not waiting for him,
and this the departing clergymen undertook to leave with Beaver &
Hughes, where Captain Horn would be sure to call.
When Shirley reached the counting-house of Beaver & Hughes, he found
that it was a great advantage to be backed up by a pair of reverend
clergymen, who had come to Kingston in a handsome yacht. The message for
Captain Hagar was delivered without hesitation, and the best wishes were
expressed that they might be able to overtake the _Dunkery Beacon_.
"Her course will be south of Tobago Island," said Mr. Beaver, "and then
if your yacht is the vessel you say it is, I should say you ought to
overtake her before she gets very far down the coast. I don't know that
Captain Hagar will turn back when he gets this message, having gone so
far, but, of course, if it is important, I am glad there is a vessel
here to take it to him."
"What sort of a looking vessel is the _Dunkery Beacon_?" asked Shirley.
"She is about two thousand tons," said the other, "has two masts which
do not rake much, and her funnel is painted black and white, the stripes
running up and down. There are three steamers on the line, and all their
funnels are painted that way."
"We'll be apt to know her when we see her," said Shirley, and with a
hurried leave, he and his companions hastened back to the wharves.
But on the way a thought struck Shirley, and he determined to take time
to go to the post-office. There might be something for him, and he had
not thought of it before. There he found a telegraphic message addressed
to him and sent from Vera Cruz to New York, and thence forwarded by
mail. It was from Captain Horn, and was as long as an ordinary business
note, and informed Shirley that the Captain expected to be in Jamaica
not long after this message reached Kingston. There was no regular
steamer which would reach there in good time, but he had chartered a
steamer, the _Monterey_, which was then being made ready for sea as
rapidly as possible, and would probably clear for Kingston in a few
days. It urged Shirley not to fail to keep the _Dunkery Beacon_ in port
until he arrived.
Shirley stood speechless for some minutes after he had read this
message. This telegram had come with him on the _Antonina_ from New
York! What a fool he had been not to think sooner of the
post-office--but what difference would it have made? What could he have
done that he had not done? If the Captain sailed in a few days from the
time he sent the message, he would be here very soon, for the distance
between Kingston and Vera Cruz was less than that from New York. The
Captain must have counted on Shirley reaching Jamaica very much sooner
than he really did arrive. Puzzled, annoyed, and disgusted with himself,
Shirley explained the message to his companions, and they all hastened
back to the yacht. There a brief but very hurried consultation was held,
in which nearly everybody joined. The question to be decided was,
should they wait for Captain Horn?
A great deal was said in a very short time, and in the midst of the
confused opinions, Mrs. Cliff spoke out, loudly and clearly. "It is my
opinion," said she, "that we should not stop. If fitting out a steamer
is like fitting out anything else in this world that I know of, it is
almost certain to take more time than people expect it to take. If
Captain Horn telegraphed to us this minute, I believe he would tell us
to go after that ship with the gold on board, just as fast as we can,
and tell them to turn back."
This speech was received with favor by all who heard it, and without a
word in answer to Mrs. Cliff, Captain Burke told Mr. Burdette that they
would clear for a cruise and get away just as soon as they could do it.
When the yacht had been made ready to start, the two clergymen descended
into the boat, which was waiting alongside, and the _Summer Shelter_
steamed out of the harbor of Kingston, and headed away for Tobago
Island.