THE DOOMED VESSEL
"You say there's a wreck?" cried Blake.
"Yes, we just made her out through the glass. She's driving on the rocks
fast. The current is setting inshore and the wind is helping it."
"Where is she?" asked Joe.
"Right down there," answered the life guard. "But she'll come up farther
this way," and he pointed down toward the rocks opposite which the boys
had first surprised the wreckers at work.
"I've got to give the alarm," went on the life saver. "We need all the
help we can get. We're short-handed, anyhow, and two of our men were
hurt early this morning trying to launch the surf-boat."
"Can't you get some of the fishermen from around here?" asked Joe.
"That's what I came for."
"And we'll help, too!" cried Blake, bracing himself by leaning against
the wind, which seemed to grow stronger every minute.
"Sure we will," added Joe. "Can you see the vessel?" he asked, peering
eagerly into the spume and spray.
"Maybe she's drifted far enough up by now," went on the coast guard, as
he looked intently in the direction he had pointed. "Yes," he cried a
moment later, "I can catch glimpses of her at times, when the waves go
down a bit. See! There she is now!"
Looking in the direction the guard pointed, Blake and Joe caught a
glimpse of a distant black object rising and falling at the mercy of the
wind and waves. It was the hull of a vessel, and when Blake used the
glass the guard handed him a moment later, he could see the jagged
stumps of broken masts.
"She's in a bad way," remarked the lad, gravely.
"Indeed she is," assented the life saver.
"I wonder if my father is in any such storm as this, on his way to
China?" mused Joe, as he, too, looked through the binoculars.
"It's a bad storm--and a big one, too," said the guard. "But I must
hurry on and give the alarm to the fishermen. The ship will strike soon,
and we want to send a line aboard if we can."
"Wait!" cried Blake, as the man started off. "We'll tell the fishermen.
You can go back to the station. We'll come to help as soon as we can,
and bring all the men we can find."
"Good!" shouted the man. "It'll take some time to get the apparatus in
shape, and we'll have to drag it up the beach from the station, to about
the place where she'll come on the rocks. Go ahead, give the alarm, and
I'll go back. Whew! But this is a fierce storm!"
"Come on!" cried Blake to his chum, and they raced toward the little
fishing hamlet.
"Say!" shouted Joe. "I've got an idea!"
"What is it?"
"The wreck--it'll come close on shore, the guard says; why not make some
moving pictures of it? They'll be just what Mr. Hadley wants."
"That's it!" yelled Blake. "You've struck it. Go on and tell Mr.
Ringold, Mr. Hadley and the others, and I'll get the fishermen. Then
we'll go down the beach until we meet the life savers. It's a great
chance, Joe!"
The lads separated, one to arouse the fishermen, most of whom were in
their shacks, for it was out of the question to lift the nets in the
tremendous seas that were running.
"Come on!" cried Blake, as he saw old Abe Haskill come out to look at
the weather. "Wreck--ship coming ashore. The coast guards need help!"
"Aye, aye, lad. We're with you!" cried the sturdy old man. "I'll get
the boys. A wreck; eh? Pity the poor sailors that come ashore in such a
blow!"
Having given the alarm, Blake turned back to join his chum and the
others of the theatrical colony.
"We may need all three cameras," he reasoned; "it is such a good chance
we don't want to risk it on one film."
Blake found Mr. Hadley and his chum, with the theatrical manager and the
male members of the company, ready to set out. Joe had his own camera,
while Mr. Hadley was getting the largest one in readiness.
"Let's take the automatic, too," suggested Joe. "We can start it going
and not have to worry about it."
"All right," agreed Blake.
"Say, this is the very chance we wanted!" cried Mr. Ringold. "Think of
it! A regular wreck, right at our doors!"
"Oh, but the poor sailors!" exclaimed Miss Shay. "I do hope they may be
saved!"
"Of course they can!" cried C. C. Piper. "We'll all help. Never fear;
we'll save them!"
His tone and manner, to say nothing of his words, were in such contrast
to his usual demeanor that everyone looked at his or her neighbor in
surprise.
"Don't give up!" went on the comedian, cheerfully. "We'll help the life
guards--we'll do anything. We'll save those sailors!"
"Well, get on to Gloomy; would you!" exclaimed Joe, in a low voice, to
his chum. "That is the best ever! It's the first time he hasn't
predicted a calamity."
"And just when anyone else would," added Blake. "For it sure is going to
be hard work to save anyone from a vessel that comes ashore in such a
storm as this," and he looked toward the tumbling billows in view from
the windows.
Films were threaded into the moving picture cameras, the mechanism was
tested, and then the whole company, even to the ladies, set forth.
"I hope the wreck gets near enough so we can get some good pictures of
it," said Mr. Ringold.
"It'll have to come pretty well in shore, or the breeches buoy rope
won't reach," said Mr. Hadley. "I guess we can get some good pictures."
"It's good it doesn't rain," went on the theatrical man; "though I think
it's going to, soon. We'll have to get up on some elevation to avoid the
spray."
Down the beach they made their way, to be joined presently by the band
of sturdy fishermen.
"There she is!" cried old Abe, as he pointed out to sea. "There she is,
blowing and drifting in fast. And right toward the Dolphin Rocks,
too--the worst place on the beach!" They all gazed toward the doomed
vessel, that was now much nearer shore. Blake even thought he could
descry figures on deck, clinging to the stumps of masts.