LOST--THE STORM.
Jack now surveyed the field of action with some satisfaction.
"Well, I managed to lay 'em all out at last," he told himself. "Now to
see how Frank and the others are."
He hurried first to Frank's side. The latter was just returning to
consciousness and raised himself on one elbow as Jack kneeled beside
him.
"How do you feel, old man?" asked Jack gently.
"I don't feel so much," was Frank's reply. "Say, that fellow must have
given me a pretty good crack."
"He did," said Jack dryly. "I can vouch for that. He landed on your head
with that revolver like a ton of brick. Do you think you can stand?"
"I guess so. Lend a hand, will you?"
Jack helped his chum to his feet. Frank staggered a bit at first, but in
a minute or two announced that he was fit for whatever might come. He
followed Jack aft, where lay the bodies of Edwards and Williams.
Jack passed his hand over Edwards' face and the man stirred feebly.
"Water, Frank," said Jack.
Frank hurried forward again and returned in a moment with water. This
Jack sprinkled over Edwards' face. Five minutes later Edwards sat up.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
Jack explained.
"I remember now, sir," said Edwards, trying to smile. "And did you lick
'em?"
"I did," said Jack.
"And Williams, sir? How is he? I saw him go down just before I went
under."
"We'll see," replied Jack briefly.
He led the way to where Williams still lay prone, Frank and Edwards
following.
Jack bent over the man, then placed a hand over his heart. Then he got
slowly to his feet.
"Is he----," began Edwards.
"Dead," replied Jack quietly.
For a moment there was silence; then Edwards spoke brokenly.
"The best shipmate a man ever had, sir."
He knelt beside his dead companion and tears streamed down his face.
Jack and Frank did not speak as he mourned silently for some minutes. At
last Edwards got to his feet.
"War is war, sir," he said quietly.
He moved aft.
"Well," said Frank, "I guess we may as well be getting back to _The
Hawk_. Lord Hastings will be worried."
"Right," said Jack. "You take the wheel. I'll try and coax the engine
along."
They took their respective places.
"Which way, Jack?" called Frank.
"By Jove! You know as much about it as I do," was the reply. "I don't
know where we are."
"Must be off to the left," declared Frank. "We'll steer that way,
anyhow."
"All right," said Jack.
The engine began to sputter and directly the motorboat moved.
"We may as well go this way as another," Frank shouted to make himself
heard. "It'll be daylight soon, anyhow, and we can probably pick up _The
Hawk_."
"We'll go slowly, at all events," said Jack.
For half an hour the little craft forged slowly ahead, all three aboard
keeping a sharp lookout for _The Hawk_.
Suddenly a breeze sprang up. It blew lightly at first and then with more
and more violence.
"Looks like Lord Hastings' gale was about to materialize," shouted Jack.
"Guess this is it all right," replied Frank.
Edwards now came aft and took his stand by Frank.
"Want me to take the wheel, sir?" he asked.
"Guess I can handle it all right," replied Frank.
"Very well, sir, only I thought you would rather be forward with Mr.
Templeton."
There was an odd note in his voice and Frank glanced at him inquiringly.
"What made you think that?" he asked sharply.
"Only," replied Edwards, "only because this is liable to settle things
for all of us."
"You mean the storm?" asked Frank.
"Yes, sir."
"You think it will be severe?"
"Very severe, sir. I have sailed the seas longer than you have, sir, and
I recognize the signs."
"And you don't think this craft can weather the storm?"
"I am afraid not, sir. Of course there is always a possibility, and by
running with the storm we have, of course, a fighting chance; but that's
all we have, sir, a fighting chance."
"It is as much as we have had many times before," replied Frank.
"Very well, then," to Edwards, "you may take the wheel. Your advice is
to run before it?"
"Yes, sir, at full speed."
"Your advice shall be taken. We'll keep the engine going and the
steering is up to you."
"Very good, sir."
Edwards took the wheel and Frank made his way forward.
"Hello," said Jack. "Thought you were going to do the steering."
"I was," replied Frank, "but Edwards seemed to think he could do better
and I guess he is right. He says we are in for a bad gale."
"He's right," replied Jack. "I've seen the signs before. You may
remember I lived on the ocean. Yes, we're in for it, I'm afraid. All we
can do is run."
"That's what Edwards said."
"It'll be daylight in less than half an hour," Jack continued. "That
will help some. If it will hold off that long, I'll feel better."
And the gale did hold off.
A faint gray streaked the east, making more plain the seriousness of
their situation. The clouds hung heavy and low and it took no mariner to
tell that a storm was brewing.
Gradually the wind increased and the little motorboat tore along before
it. Now the swell of the sea became heavier. Waves rolled higher and
higher and the little craft first wallowed in the trough of the sea and
then climbed the gigantic waves.
"No wonder people get seasick," Frank muttered to himself.
The wind increased in violence until it blew a hurricane, but still the
little motorboat did not falter; it bore on as bravely as before,
climbing wave after wave swiftly and unerringly. Edwards, at the wheel,
was giving a splendid example of seamanship.
A mountainous wave, greater than the rest, descended upon the motorboat
and broke over it, drenching all on board to the skin. The wind whistled
overhead and the air grew icy cold. Frank shivered, as he held fast.
"Br-r-r," he said. "Right now it would feel awfully nice to be ashore. I
wonder what of Lord Hastings and _The Hawk_?"
At the same moment, Lord Hastings was wondering what of them.
For hours and hours, it seemed to the two lads, the little craft battled
the storm, at each moment seeming in imminent danger of capsizing; but
always the master hand of Edwards at the wheel righted the little craft
and it dashed away in the gale.
"Great Scott!" cried Frank, raising his voice to a shout to make himself
heard above the terrible roaring of the wind, "we can't stand this much
longer."
"You are right," declared Jack. "We are liable to be swamped at any
moment."
As each wave descended upon them, breaking over the little boat, Frank
was confident that the end had come. It did not seem possible that the
craft could withstand another. But each time the little boat seemed to
brace itself for the shock and a moment later would ride high to safety.
Edwards, at the wheel, had lashed himself fast, that he might not be
swept overboard; and once, soon after the storm had descended, he was
startled.
Something soft touched his feet; and taking his eyes from ahead long
enough to look down, he saw that the object was the body of Williams,
which the water had washed over the deck to him.
His hands fast, as they were, he could not stoop down to touch the body
as he gazed at it mournfully; then another wave descended, and when it
had gone, Williams' body was no longer in sight.
"Good-bye, old friend!" Edwards shouted after it. "Good-bye! I may be
with you soon. If I could have reached down I would have shaken hands
with you once more before you went away."
Another gigantic wave swooped down and he gave his attention to keeping
the boat's head right.
At last, when it seemed that the storm would never end, it broke
suddenly. As if by magic there was a calm, and bright sunlight streamed
down from above. The gale was over. The motorboat and its crew of three
were safe.
Frank and Jack clasped hands.
"Safe once more," said the latter quietly.
Suddenly the little craft pitched violently. Frank turned a quick gaze
aft to the wheel where he made out the reason for this sudden lurch.
Completely exhausted by his recent experience, Edwards had lapsed into
unconsciousness once the strain was over. No hand grasped the wheel and
the motorboat pitched this way and that in the trough of the sea.
Frank made his way aft as rapidly as possible and took the wheel. Jack
shut down the engine and followed him. He poured water over Edwards'
face and directly the latter sat up.
"Funny I had to keel over like that," he said grinning feebly. "Don't
know what's the matter with me. Must be getting old, I guess. Never
happened before."
"Here," said Jack, "you come forward with me and rest awhile. You're
about done up."
The sailor protested; but Jack had his way, and a few moments later, in
the little cabin, Edwards was fast asleep. Jack returned aft to discuss
the situation with Frank.
"Well, what now?" asked the latter. "Where are we going to find Lord
Hastings?"
"I imagine the best thing for us," said Jack, "is to return to Bantry
Bay. If _The Hawk_ weathered the storm, Lord Hastings will put in
sometime to-day."
"I suppose that is best," agreed Frank. "Let's be on the move."
The head of the motorboat was brought about, and gaining his bearings
from a compass in the cabin, Jack shaped his course.
"A four or five hour run," he said to Frank, in giving him the proper
directions.
He glanced at his watch. "Six o'clock. Well, we shall be there before
noon, anyhow."
He returned to his place at the engine and the motorboat headed toward
the British coast.