HENRY FINDS HE HAS AN ENEMY
Slowly the staunch little cutter steamed ahead. Had it not been for
the broken rudder, the _Capitol City_ could have gone on her way,
unattended, as she was little damaged. But with her rudder injured,
she was in a bad way. Although it was not entirely gone, and it
helped somewhat in guiding the ship, still at times the huge craft
yawed badly. By paying out more cable Captain Hardwick partly
overcame this tendency to yaw. Nevertheless it was difficult enough
to make headway, for the wind had now whipped around almost to the
north, and for a time the two ships had to sail into the teeth of
it. The _Capitol City_ could not use the full power of her engines,
but she kept her propeller turning, and this greatly lessened the
burden on the cutter. Unless some unforeseen difficulty should
arise, the two vessels would have no trouble in reaching their port.
There was much to be done on both ships, however. The captain of the
disabled steamer wanted to get in touch with his agents, and inform
them of the safety of the vessel. His wireless was still out of
commission, and his messages had first to be sent to the _Iroquois_
by blinkers and then relayed by wireless. So both Henry and his
friend Belford were kept busy for a long time. Then, too, Henry had
to get in touch with the Coast Guard land station where the men from
the _Iroquois_ had found shelter, and send instructions concerning
them. The captain felt that he could operate the _Iroquois_ with his
little force for the short run to Boston and thence to New York. His
men were willing to do double duty. It was necessary for him to get
back to New York at the earliest possible moment. The run to Boston
would require only a few hours. Then he could retrace his steps
immediately. It was simpler to have the seamen go direct to New York
and rejoin the _Iroquois_ there, than to wait for them in Boston. So
Henry got in touch with the land station and communicated the
captain’s orders to that effect.
By the time the two young wireless men had finished their tasks,
they were about worn out. It was far into the night. Belford had
been on duty for many hours. Henry, though not on duty so long, was
almost exhausted by the nervous strain under which he had been
working. Furthermore, he would have to respond, at any moment, to
any call for wireless communication.
“We must get to bed,” he said the moment their tasks were done.
“Won’t you please call the other operator? Then we can arrange our
watches.”
Belford summoned Black, who came into the radio shack, yawning. “I
guess you’ll have to stand watch for a while, Black,” said Henry.
“Things have got a little mixed up in the wireless house, but we’ll
get them straightened out shortly. Suppose you stay until breakfast.
That won’t be long. Then we can rearrange our watches.”
“That isn’t my regular watch,” said the young radio man, sullenly.
“And why should you be telling me what to do, anyway? That’s up to
Mr. Sharp.”
“But Mr. Sharp isn’t here,” replied Henry. “He went in one of the
boats. I am working with you men. We’ve got to do the best we can
under the circumstances. We’ll get things straightened out soon, and
back in their old order.”
“And do you think I am going to take orders from you?” said the
young operator, insolently.
Henry’s face flushed. An angry light leaped to his eyes, and his
fist involuntarily clenched. But he took a grip on himself, and
replied very slowly and deliberately: “It isn’t a question of taking
orders, Black. The captain has asked me to work with you two men,
and the three of us must pull together until we get the ship safe
home. Aren’t you willing to do your share? Belford here has been
working like a Trojan for I don’t know how many hours. He’s all worn
out. We want you to take this trick. You’ll have to watch close, for
there’ll likely be calls for us. Summon me at once if you hear our
call.”
“I reckon I can answer a call as well as anybody on this boat,”
growled the scowling radio man.
“See here, Black,” said Henry. “Why do you want to make trouble?
We’re still at sea, and we’ve got some tall traveling to do before
we are back safe in New York. We’ve all got to pull together. I’m
not asking you to do this for me. It’s for the good of the ship.”
And then, noting the sullen look in the lad’s eyes, Henry continued:
“There’s one thing more. I’m acting under orders from the captain.
He has ordered me to take charge of the wireless. My instructions
are to let no one touch the key but myself. All I can do is to pass
those orders along. If you hear a call for the _Iroquois_, waken me
at once. I’ll answer it.”
Young Black mumbled an unwilling assent, and swore under his breath.
Henry and the other radio man passed out of the shack to the
stateroom. They noticed that the wind had decreased greatly.
Once in the stateroom, Henry turned to his companion. “What do you
suppose ails that fellow, Black?”
“I don’t know. None of us can make him out. He’s been snappy and
surly ever since he came aboard a few months ago. He’s lazy—too lazy
to study and practice and become a really good operator. But he is
quick and reads wireless calls very well. He spends most of his time
smoking cigarettes and reading dime novels. He’s simply crazy to use
the wireless. He thinks he’s a great operator. The chief electrician
would be glad to let him practice under his own supervision, the way
he does with me. But he doesn’t want either of us to send when he
isn’t present. He’s afraid we might burn out something. I don’t want
to knock Black, but I’d be afraid to have him monkey with any
machine I was responsible for myself. He’s the most careless,
reckless fellow I ever saw.”
“But why should he take such an apparent dislike to me?” demanded
Henry. “I’m a complete stranger to him. He hasn’t any possible
reason for disliking me.”
“He thinks he has,” said Belford.
“He does? What is it?”
“Why, Mr. Sharp let you send a message on the wireless outfit
yourself.”
“But Mr. Sharp was right beside me, to make sure I did no harm.”
“I know it, but that doesn’t make any difference with a fellow like
Black. He dislikes you very much. He tried to tell me a long story
about it. And to have you put over him as chief is more than he can
stand. He’s a bad egg, I believe. And I’d watch him closely if I
were you.”
“Of course I’ll watch him, if he’s likely to shirk his duty,” said
Henry. “He might get the ship into trouble.”
“I don’t mean to watch him in that way. Watch him on your own
account. I don’t know that he’d really do anything to anybody. But
he’s always talking about fixing this fellow or that fellow. He
might try to do you some harm.”
Henry smiled. “There’s little danger,” he said. “We’ll be in New
York in a couple of days, and I’ll probably never see him again
after that.”
But though Henry smiled at the idea of the young operator’s doing
him harm, he could not dismiss from his mind so easily the feeling
that had come to him of uneasiness for the boat itself. He got his
nightclothes from the captain’s cabin, undressed, and slipped into
the chief operator’s bunk. But weary though he was, he could not
sleep. He was worried, and worry was almost a new sensation to him.
He could not at first understand it. He would be almost asleep, then
he would wake up with a start, his leg or arm jerking nervously. It
was partly the reaction from the long strain he had been under. That
sort of experience was absolutely new to him, and he could not
forget the horrible things he had witnessed. But gradually he came
to realize that there was something more to his restlessness than
the reaction from nervous strain. Something was preying on his mind.
After he had tossed sleeplessly on his mattress for a long time, he
comprehended what was the matter. He was worried about the wireless.
This was the first time in his life that Henry had ever been placed
in a situation of great responsibility. The responsibility was very
real, too, for the lad understood that in large measure the safety
of the ship now depended upon him. Much more than his own life was
at stake. The lives of all the men left on the cutter, and the
safety of the ship herself, might at any moment become absolutely
dependent upon him. If no danger threatened aboard the _Iroquois_,
there might yet be other lives and other ships endangered, and upon
how well his instruments were cared for, and how thoroughly the
watch was kept, would depend the possibility of catching those
far-flung cries for help.
Had Henry been put in charge of the wireless thus suddenly and
unexpectedly, under less harrowing circumstances, he doubtless would
have felt the responsibility far less poignantly. But for hours past
he had been watching the fight against death, and even death itself.
He was nervously keyed up to a fearfully high pitch. His nerves
would not let down. Doubtless it was the sense of responsibility
that kept them taut. Again and again he told himself that it was his
business to go to sleep and rest, so that he might be fit for duty
when his turn came. But his arguments had no effect upon his nerves.
He was unable to sleep.
For an hour or two he tossed in his bunk restlessly. Again and again
he fell asleep, only to wake a few minutes later. The situation
preyed on him. He could not keep his thoughts away from the radio
shack. Suppose all was not right there. Suppose young Black was
taking this time to defy orders and fool with the wireless key.
Suppose when Henry woke up he should find the wireless out of
commission. And suppose the _Iroquois_ should break her rudder, or
crack her shaft. She might, with such a strain on it, in such a sea.
Suppose the captain should go wrong in his reckoning and the cutter
should pile up on the sands, as the _Capitol City_ had done.
Suppose—suppose——A hundred terrifying suppositions came into Henry’s
mind. Finally he could stand them no longer. He rose, drew on his
clothes, and made his way toward the radio shack. Light was
beginning to illumine the eastern sky. The sea still heaved
violently, but the wind had lost most of its force. Peace was
returning to the troubled world.
Then Henry stepped inside of the radio shack, and stood as though
petrified. Young Black lay back in his chair, his eyes tightly
closed, snoring loudly. He was sound asleep. For all that Henry
knew, he might have been asleep for a long time.
“Black,” said Henry sternly, touching the sleeping wireless man on
the shoulder. When the sleeper merely grunted, Henry said, still
more sternly, “Wake up!” And this time he shook the sleeper
vigorously.
Slowly young Black opened his eyes. A savage oath burst from his
lips as he saw who was standing before him and realized his
situation. Then a crafty look came into his eyes. He laughed.
“Fooled you that time, didn’t I?” he chuckled. “You thought I was
asleep.”
“No, you _didn’t_ fool me,” said Henry. “I don’t _think_ you were
asleep. I know it. Put on your headphones and attend to your
business.”
All the ill nature in the other lad’s being leaped to the front.
“You spy!” he snarled, with an oath. “So that’s the sort of chief
radio man we’ve got, is it? A sneaking spy!”
For a moment it was all Henry could do to keep from hitting the lad.
But he took a grip on himself and for a moment made no answer. Then
he said: “I shall report this matter to the captain as soon as
possible. You may go to your bunk. I will finish your watch myself.”
Slowly the third-class radio man arose and left the shack. At the
door he turned and faced Henry. “You sneaking spy,” he said, with
another oath, “if you tell the captain, I’ll fix you as sure as my
name is Black.”