AN OPPORTUNE ARRIVAL.
Each member of the party, with the exception of Chloe, was doing his
or her best to appear cheerful during the time they were preparing and
eating breakfast, and the result naturally was that the enforced gayety
gave no signs of mirth. It is barely possible Gertie did not have any
dismal forebodings regarding the future, but the others realized fully
the sufferings they might be called upon to bear, though all were
careful to avoid any word which would lead the conversation into this
very unpleasant channel.
Chloe discussed with Jake the question of how an oven, which would
serve every purpose of a stove, could be built, and Ben carried on
a conversation with Gertie regarding the cat, until the meal was
finished, when the former cook of the Sea Queen beckoned for Ben to
follow him as he said carelessly:
“We’ll look around the island a bit, an’ in the course of an hour or
so come back here to build the oven for aunty. There ain’t any need
of hurryin’ very much for we’ve got more time than we know what to do
with.”
Ben understood that this proposition to explore the key was only made
in order to give them an opportunity of discussing the situation, and
he walked on in silence until they were at the extreme end of the reef,
when he asked:
“How long will our provisions last, Jake?”
“A good while longer than the water, I reckon,” was the reply in a tone
of despair. “We could manage to catch some fish, with now an’ then a
turtle to help out on; but we’ve got to keep drinkin’ all the time, an’
where’s the water comin’ from? Our five gallons may see us through a
couple of days, countin’ what we’ve used already, an’ then what’ll we
do?”
“It may rain before we’ll have to answer the question,” Ben suggested;
but at the same time he knew that such good fortune was hardly within
the range of possibilities.
“You might jest as well say perhaps the yacht will drift back here,
for neither of them chances is likely to turn up,” and Jake spoke very
sharply, as if he believed his companion was treating a serious problem
with too much levity.
“I only said _perhaps_ it might rain. Of course we wouldn’t expect to
find water by digging into a coral reef, an’ when what’s in the breaker
gives out we’ll go thirsty unless some vessel comes this way.”
“That’s the very thing,” Jake said quickly as if this was the point
to which he had been trying to bring the conversation. “Captain Irwin
won’t hunt for us until after two weeks at the very least, ’cause if
we don’t show up in Key West he’ll think we’re all right, an’ the only
hope we’ve got is that a craft of some kind will heave in sight.”
“Would you go back to Key West an’ run the chance of Dr. Harlan’s
seein’ Gertie?”
“It’ll be better to do that than die from thirst,” was the quick reply;
“but we needn’t take them risks. One of us might go there, see the
captain, an’ then come back for the others, for of course a little
water could be got from whatever craft we hailed to keep them as was
left behind from suffering.”
“You know I’m ready to agree to anything which promises to get us out
of the trouble,” Ben said when Jake paused as if for an answer; “but we
must wait till a vessel comes along.”
“That’s a fact, and between whiles it’s our business to rig up
somethin’ that’ll answer for a signal of distress, after which we’ll
take turns at standin’ watch. We want a piece of white cloth, an’ I
reckon it won’t do any harm to tear a strip from one of the tents.”
“Perhaps Chloe has got some; she bought a lot of things for Gertie jest
before we come away.”
“Go an’ see, while I’m lookin’ for somethin’ that’ll serve as a
flag-staff.”
Ben went toward the tents, which were completely hidden from the view
of those on the westerly end of the key by the trees, and on arriving
there found Gertie and Chloe busily engaged in the household duties as
if nothing had occurred to cause them any distress of mind. The old
woman was evidently making ready the new wardrobe she had purchased for
the child, for a quantity of material, as well as a number of outside
garments, lay on the sand just inside the tent.
“That’s the very thing I want, aunty,” Ben said as he pointed to a roll
of cotton cloth. “Will you give me two or three yards?”
“Spects I’ll hab ter, honey; but don’ go cuttin’ up any monkey shines
wid it, kase I paid ten cents for ebery yard.”
Ben did not explain for what purpose he intended to use the cloth; but,
cutting off as much as he believed would be necessary for a signal,
hurried away before any questions could be asked.
Jake’s portion of the work was the most difficult, owing to the lack of
material, and he had done hardly more than settle upon a definite plan
when Ben returned.
“I’m goin’ to hunt among the mangroves for the longest straight branch
that can be found. You get a big pile of wood together while I’m gone,
an’ then our signal of distress will be finished. If we’re lucky enough
to sight a vessel anywhere near the key we ought to be able to attract
attention by sending up a lot of smoke an’ wavin’ a white flag at the
same time.”
It was nearly noon before these preparations were completed. The cotton
cloth hung from a pole about ten feet long, and near by was a stack of
wood as high as Ben’s head, with a lot of shavings at the base by which
a quick fire could be kindled.
“If I hadn’t been sich a fool we wouldn’t have to do anything like
this,” Jake said in a petulant tone as the two went toward the tents
for dinner. “We could be takin’ our ease with a trim little craft
anchored close by, an’ this trip wouldn’t seem anything more’n a bit of
pleasurin’. Now we’ve lost the boat, which cost an hundred dollars, an’
still it’ll be nothin’ but a big piece of luck if we get away without
knowin’ what it means to be mighty thirsty.”
“Is there any chance that vessels will come this way? The water is so
shoal that a very big one couldn’t get within five miles.”
“The sponge-fishers use light-draught craft, an’ some of ’em must
cruise near about. If we could hail one it oughter be an easy matter to
buy some water, an’ a passage for you or I to Key West. I reckon you
brought the money?”
“It’s all in the tent except what I gave you an’ Aunt Chloe,” Ben
replied, and then he relapsed into silence as he wondered how much of
his father’s little hoard would be left when he finally succeeded in
reaching New York.
Dinner was ready when the two arrived at the canvas dwelling, and
despite Gertie’s attempts to cheer her companions, but little merriment
was indulged in during the meal. Even Chloe had begun to feel
depressed, for while making tea she discovered how limited was the
supply of water, and it seemed almost a relief to Ben when Jake said,
as he concluded a not very hearty meal:
“If I have been the dumbest kind of a fool in some things, I managed to
buy a couple of fish-lines an’ hooks, an’ we’ll see what can be done
this afternoon toward splicin’ out the provisions. I reckon we can
catch some red snappers over on the west side where we’ve been workin’.”
After cutting a slice of raw pork for bait, he set out with Ben, saying
when they were at such a distance from the tents that his words could
not be overheard:
“We’ve got to stand watch, lad, an’ we might as well have a little
business on hand to make the time pass quicker.”
But fishing was work rather than amusement while they were so troubled
regarding the future, and the hours dragged along quite as wearily
as if nothing had been done save gaze over the mirror-like water in
the vain hope of seeing a sail. When the sun sunk behind the reefs
not so much as a sleeping turtle had been seen, but the time was not
absolutely wasted, for five small red snappers were shown as the
result of seven hours’ labor.
“’Pears to me like dey was too small to cook,” old Chloe said
doubtfully, as Ben laid the fish in front of her with the request that
they be served up for supper. “I’se powerful fond ob snappers, but dem
ain’t much more’n bones.”
“They must weigh about a pound apiece, an’ I reckon they’ll turn out
great for pan-fish, but if you don’t want to fry ’em on account of the
size, why I’ll have to try my hand at it.”
As he spoke Jake begun to make ready for the work, and Chloe, jealous
lest her privileges as cook should be encroached upon, cried angrily:
“G’way frum dere. Day’ll be spiled suah ef you meddles wid ’em. I’se
gwine ter git right ter work, an’ when I’se frou you kin mess wid de
bones ef you’se achin’ ter show how sailors hab to live. It makes my
ole head snap ter see men folks foolin’ roun’ ’splainin’ what great
cooks dey is.”
“All right, aunty, have it your own way an’ you’ll live the longer. I
wouldn’t a’ said a word only I thought you didn’t want to bother with
’em. Ben an’ me have got plenty to do gatherin’ fire-wood.”
Old Chloe made no reply, but begun bustling around as if all her
strength and energies were necessary in the proper preparation of the
fish, and finding that she could be of no assistance in preparing the
evening meal, Gertie joined the others in the work of collecting fuel.
The party were thus busily engaged, and at least two had begun to build
hopes of sighting some passing craft next day, when all were absolutely
dazed with fear by hearing a cry from the water, apparently not more
than an hundred yards away:
“Halloo! on the key!”
It was nearly a minute before Jake gathered his scattered senses
sufficiently to reply, and then he shouted at the full strength of his
lungs:
“Boat ahoy! ahoy!”
“Well, we can hear without so much noise,” was the reply in an ordinary
tone of voice. “What are you doing on shore?”
Again was Jake dilatory about answering, for that question caused both
him and Ben to fear that the strangers might have been sent by Dr.
Harlan--perhaps the quack himself was in the boat.
“We’re out here for a little sport,” Ben replied after waiting so long
that it seemed certain suspicious had been aroused if the strangers
were in search of them. “Are you coming ashore?”
“Yes, we may as well stretch our legs a bit, I suppose,” the voice
replied, and the rattle of cordage told that a sail was being lowered.
“Stand by to take our line, will you?”
“All right,” Ben shouted, and then he whispered to Gertie: “Run back to
the tents, hide the clothes so these men won’t know there are any women
about, then take the kitten and go way over on the other side of the
key. They may be spies your step-father has sent, an’ you must keep out
of sight.”
The mention of the man whom she feared so much was sufficient to make
Gertie move very quickly, and Ben had hardly ceased speaking before she
was running toward the fire at full speed.
Jake went at once to the very edge of the water, understanding now
what a mistake he had possibly made in not answering the question the
instant it was asked, and when Ben joined him was pulling in on a light
heaving-line.
Slowly the strange craft was hauled out of the gloom until it could be
seen that she was a single-masted boat about the same size of the one
which had gone adrift, and Jake asked of the man who stood in the bow:
“Which way have you come from, stranger?”
“We’ve been in Barnes’ Sound for the last two or three weeks.”
“Didn’t see anything of a stray boat, did you?”
“No; have you lost one?”
“Yes; ours went adrift last night, an’ we’re shut up on this key
without any too much provisions or water. Where are you bound?”
“To Key West. If you are thirsty we can spare you something to drink,
for I suppose we must be pretty near the town?”
“It ain’t more’n ten miles south of here.”
The strangers had come ashore by this time, and, to his great relief,
Ben saw that they were two young men evidently bent on sport rather
than such business as Dr. Harlan’s.
A short conversation showed them to be from the North on a fishing and
hunting excursion, and both Ben and Jake felt that fortune or chance,
whichever it might be, had been very kind in sending them at such a
time. Having come from the sound, while the anxious ones were keeping
watch on the west side of the key, it was impossible to sight her
before dark, which was sufficient explanation of what at first seemed
like a mysterious arrival, and with not a fear now that the strangers
might be hunting for Gertie, the ex-cook lost no time in making
arrangements for a passage to Key West.
“What’ll you take to let one of us go on with you?” he cried. “We’ve
got to buy another boat, an’ don’t want to break up here yet awhile.”
“You’re welcome to a passage if you’ll do your share of the work,” one
of the men replied heartily. “Take a breaker of water ashore now, and
that portion of the trouble will be ended.”
As may be supposed, Jake and Ben worked with a will at this task, and
when the contents of the cask had been emptied into the one which was
buried, the strangers approached the camp-fire.
“Take hold an’ have supper with us,” Jake said as he removed the
decidedly overdone fish from the coals, and in a few moments all four
were busily engaged, the new-comers evidently having no suspicion that
there was any one else on the key.
“When are you going to start?” Jake asked, after his guests had eaten a
hearty meal, despite the diminutive size of the fish.
“I suppose we may as well take advantage of the night wind, for it’s
coming in pretty fresh just now, and we ought to be there before
bed-time. Which of you will go? We can carry both as well as not.”
“I’ll stay here,” Ben said decidedly. “Jake can bring the boat back
better than I, so he’s the one to do the business.”
“Come on, then,” one of the strangers said as he led the way toward the
boat, and Jake lingered behind only long enough for Ben to bring some
money from the tent.