THE FATE OF THE SEA QUEEN.
The wind “went down with the sun,” speaking after the manner of the
weather-wise, and once more the air was warm and balmy. Even had it
continued cold the castaways would have had no thought of retiring
to the tent that night. The stranded schooner, the mystery attending
Captain Irwin’s appearance, and the hope of speedily being able to
leave the key, all served to plunge them in such a state of excitement
that there was no desire for sleep.
Jake and Ben kept the fire burning merrily, for there was no necessity
now to husband the fuel, and Gertie held the cat in her arms as all
speculated upon the singular chain of circumstances which had brought
Captain Irwin to that lonely key at the very time when he was most
needed.
In this way, alternately conversing and listening for any hail which
might come from the wreck, the night passed, and when morning dawned
there was nothing to prevent those on the schooner from landing. The
sea was like a mirror for smoothness, with not a ripple on its glassy
surface, and the long swell rolled up on the beach with the faintest of
murmurs as if weary with the turmoil of the previous twenty-four hours.
That Captain Irwin and his companion had felt perfectly secure
regarding the condition of affairs was shown by their being yet asleep
as Jake and Ben went down to the very edge of the shore when the
first light of day gave them a view of the deck. The hulk was keeled
over slightly, the receding waves having left her considerably nearer
the land, but otherwise she rested as securely as if on a submarine
railway, and her position would probably remain unchanged until another
storm transformed the lazy undulations into leaping, angry waves.
“They seem to be takin’ things pretty cool for shipwrecked men,” Jake
said after he and his companion had gazed at the hulk several moments
in silence. “It appears as if we were the ones who borrowed the most
trouble. I reckon it’s time for Captain Jack to tell us how he came
aboard of that craft, an’ here goes for wakin’ him. Schooner ahoy!
Aho-o-o-y!”
“Halloo on shore!” Captain Irwin replied as he leaped to his feet, the
calm of the morning permitting the words to ring out distinctly.
“Have you made up your mind to stay there all day, or will you come
ashore an’ have breakfast?”
“I reckon we’ll land as soon as we can get a rope stretched. Wade into
the water as far as you can, and I’ll pass a heaving line.”
“It ain’t the pleasantest thing in the world to go foolin’ ’round where
there are sharks,” Jake muttered, his old habit of grumbling coming
upon him now that the captain’s presence seemed to assure the safety of
all; “but perhaps they won’t ven’ter over the shoals.”
“I’ll go,” Ben said eagerly. “It would have to be a pretty lively shark
that could catch me.”
“Stay where you are and take care of old Chloe an’ Gertie,” the cook
replied with a comical assumption of dignity as he waded into the
low-running surf.
Five minutes later he was walking toward the shore pulling a light
hawser which was made fast to the heaving-line, and with Ben’s
assistance a couple of half-hitches were soon taken around the trunk of
the largest mangrove tree.
When this had been done the main hatch was launched as a boat, and on
it Captain Irwin and his companion landed without difficulty.
For several moments after he stepped ashore the scene was one of
boisterous confusion. It appeared as if Jake and Ben would never grow
weary of shaking hands, and Gertie got half a dozen kisses before she
believed her share of the welcome had been received.
“Tell us how you got aboard of that craft, and where the Sea Queen is,”
Jake said as soon as he could make himself heard, and Captain Irwin
replied with a smile:
“You’d better spin your yarn first, for it puzzles me considerably to
know where you picked up two new shipmates,” and he pointed toward Aunt
Chloe and the cat.
It was some time before either of the little party had become
sufficiently calm to be able to tell a connected story, but they
finally succeeded after many interruptions from each other, and when
all the adventures had been related, including the finding of the
message from the dead, they learned of the Sea Queen’s fate, Captain
Irwin’s story being substantially as follows:
The fog enshrouded the schooner just as the line was made fast to the
turtle, and fully ten minutes before Jake, Gertie and Ben were aware
of its coming. Captain Irwin had just gone below before the cloud came
up out of the sea, and the mate who was in charge neglected to take
the bearings of the boat before the dense vapor hid her entirely from
view. There was no wind, and to send out a crew in search of the lost
ones, not knowing in which direction they were towed by the turtle,
would have been the height of folly, therefore no move was made until
the wind sprung up, an hour or two before midnight.
During this enforced idleness, when his step-daughter was in such
great peril, Dr. Harlan showed but little genuine anxiety. He seemed
to be annoyed, fearing he might be deprived of Gertie’s services
after learning of how much assistance she could be in his peculiar
business, and scolded considerably because Captain Irwin had said there
was no danger to be apprehended in attempting to capture the turtle,
but evinced no sorrow for her possible fate. When the longed-for
wind came and the schooner was gotten under way, the quack went into
his state-room, even though both watches remained on deck to act as
lookouts, and so far as could be ascertained, slept soundly. The
vessel’s course was set toward that point where the boat had last been
seen, and all hands kept up an incessant shouting until the howling of
the gale drowned their friendly cries.
When the storm which had thrown the Simoon on the key was at its
height, it would have been impossible to extend any aid even had the
little craft been close alongside, and the Sea Queen was headed toward
the open waters of the gulf, it being the captain’s intention to run
into the very teeth of the wind until it subsided, when he would
continue the search for the missing ones.
As a matter of course, the night was as black as the castaways had
experienced while on the dismantled brig. The lookout could not see
a dozen yards ahead, and the Sea Queen plunged blindly through the
waves, making but little headway, until nearly three o’clock in the
morning, when suddenly a vessel hove up through the gloom close on the
starboard bow, running dead before the gale.
Hardly a dozen seconds elapsed from the time the craft first came into
view until she struck the Sea Queen amidships, and owing to her greater
velocity, crashed through the timbers as if they had been paper.
The stranger’s foremast was carried away by the shock, and with it four
of her crew of five, while she was badly stove about the bow. The Sea
Queen received the brunt of the collision. She was rolled over by the
blow which had splintered her timbers below the water-line, and sank
before the frightened crew had time to make the least effort toward
providing for their own safety. Captain Irwin was near the starboard
rail aft when the catastrophe occurred, and was hurled into the
water clear of his own vessel toward the other craft, which accident
resulted in the saving of his life while all the others on the schooner
perished. He had instinctively struck out with his arms on coming to
the surface near the stranger’s cutwater, and a huge wave dashed him
directly upon the main-chains, from where he readily clambered inboard.
The Mermaid, which was the name of the craft that had sunk the Sea
Queen, had but one of her crew surviving, and it was some moments
before anything could be done to prevent her also from foundering.
When Captain Irwin had collected his scattered senses and learned of
the damage done to the colliding vessel, the foremast was thrashing
and pounding against the side in a manner that threatened speedily to
shatter every timber, and the efforts of both men were directed to the
task of cutting it adrift. Several times, before this was accomplished,
did it seem as if the remaining spars would go by the board, but
fortunately the Mermaid was nearly new, her standing rigging in good
condition, and it was possible, after the most severe exertions, to
heave her to.
In this position she rode out the gale even better than could have been
expected, but Captain Irwin and the man, Tom Johnson, were obliged
to work more than half the time at the pumps. Daylight found them in
nearly the same place, but nothing could be seen of the ill-fated Sea
Queen save a mass of wreckage far away to the westward.
Although the Mermaid was in imminent danger of foundering, Captain
Irwin bore away in the hope of finding some of his crew, but all in
vain. During the day, while the two men alternately stood at the wheel
and worked the pump, she cruised in the vicinity, and at night-fall,
positive that none save themselves had survived the disaster, knowing
also that the schooner could not long be kept afloat, the course was
set for Key West.
Before that port could be reached, and when both men were nearly
exhausted, the norther sprang up. That the Mermaid would live through
it neither of those who were working so manfully believed; but she did,
despite her crippled condition, and when the gale abated sufficiently
to admit of making any headway, she was steered for the nearest land.
“We didn’t get here any too soon,” Captain Irwin said as he concluded
the story. “Johnson and I were so nearly used up that it would have
been almost impossible to work the pumps three hours longer, and when
we struck this key the Mermaid was two-thirds full of water. There was
no thought of coming ashore last night, for we needed sleep more than
anything else, and in ten minutes after she took ground our eyes were
closed, not to be opened until you hailed.”
“Well, now that you’re here, captain, what are you goin’ to do toward
helpin’ us get away from this place?” Jake asked. “It looks pretty nice
while a feller’s on a sinkin’ vessel; but when he’s tied right down to
it, knowin’ what happened to Ben’s father, it ain’t the pleasantest
island to live on I ever saw.”
“I don’t fancy we need stay very long,” Captain Irwin replied
cheerfully. “We shall be pretty poor sailors if we can’t rig up a craft
out of the schooner’s timbers, and it isn’t very far to Key West.”
“Where are we?” Jake asked quickly.
“On Content Key.”
“Then I was right,” he cried triumphantly, and from that moment he
believed himself to be very nearly as good a navigator as he knew he
was a cook.
“Now let’s see what Jake and aunty can do in the way of getting
breakfast,” Captain Irwin said. “There are plenty of provisions on the
Mermaid, and the galley-stove can be brought ashore, or they be taken
on board as may be preferred. My idea is that two cooks ought to be
able to feed us pretty well while we stay here.”
“I’se worked for some ob de fustest families in Georgy,” old Chloe said
with considerable dignity, “an’ I knows how mos’ ebery kind ob a dish
oughter be served; but I’se done gone got frou paddlin’ roun’ on little
boards.”
“Then Johnson and Jake shall go after the stove, and from this time
out, aunty, your reputation as a cook is at stake, for we shall all
be able to eat our full allowance. Come, Ben, you and I will set
about finding the best place for a ship-yard, and after that has been
done, all hands, excepting of course old Chloe and Gertie, will begin
dismantling the schooner. I am expecting that we shall make decently
good wages in the matter of salvage, for she is loaded with hides, and
every one of them can be saved.”
The captain’s business-like manner had a wonderful effect on those
who, a few hours previous, thought it would be a great hardship to
remain many days longer on the key. There now seemed to be no immediate
necessity for departure, and all hands went to work with a will.
After making a complete circuit of the island, and deciding that the
boat-building operations should be carried on at the north, or shoal
side, breakfast was ready, and when that important meal had been eaten
the work of putting up the Mermaid’s mainsail as a stationary camp
was begun. The old tent was to be used as a kitchen, and in it the
provisions and cooking utensils were placed, Chloe being installed as
the presiding genius, for Jake’s services would be required in the work
of unloading the schooner.
Thus the first day was spent, and at night-fall Content Key looked like
a homestead rather than a desolate reef. Two tents, fully protected
from heavy winds by timbers driven firmly into the sand, were up. A
considerable amount of lumber had been carried to the ship-yard, and
all was in readiness for taking out the Mermaid’s cargo.
Everything was done in “ship-shape fashion,” as Jake expressed it in
a tone of most decided satisfaction while they were eating supper.
The edges of the main tent were buried deep in the sand, and weighted
down with the schooner’s chain-cable to steady it in case of a storm,
while one end had been partitioned off for the exclusive use of old
Chloe, Gertie and the cat. The kitchen was lashed even more firmly
than before, and fully supplied with provisions, while two full
water-breakers stood just outside, thus insuring a plentiful supply of
that precious liquid whatever might happen.
It was a pleasing contrast with that scene which four of the castaways
had looked upon the morning previous, and all hands felt remarkably
cheerful despite the many reasons which could have been found for
sadness.
“De Lawd has been wonderful good to us po’ sinful creeters,” old Chloe
said devoutly, as the whole party were resting from the labors of the
day in the main tent, which was lighted by the schooner’s lanterns,
“an’ ef He ain’t done gone forgot us, we oughter show a little bit of
respec’ kase ob His goodness.”
“You’re right, aunty,” Captain Irwin replied heartily, “and I ought to
be ashamed to wait until an old woman like you reminds me of my duty.
We are pretty poor stuff if we’re not willing to acknowledge our debts
after so many good fellows have gone to Davy Jones’ locker, and there
never were six people who had greater cause for gratitude.”
Then the captain offered a simple but soul-felt prayer, which old Chloe
interrupted with many a fervent “bress de Lawd,” and when it was ended
all probably felt as Jake privately expressed himself to Ben, “as if
they hadn’t been doin’ any more’n the square thing.”
It was unnecessary to stand watch, since they were in no danger of
being intruded upon, and all hands laid down with the low murmur of the
placid sea singing them to sleep, while high in the heavens the fair
moon looked upon a scene in which appeared to be pictured perfect peace.