REGAINING THE SHIP
At first the others did not know what he meant. Andy seemed much
excited, and for a time the professor thought the heat and worry might
have affected the hunter's mind.
"We'll show 'em a thing or two!" cried Andy. "I once scared a lot of
Indians this way so they didn't know whether they were on their head or
their feet. Hurrah!"
"What are you talking about?" asked Mr. Henderson. "Hadn't you better
sit down and rest a bit?"
"I'm all right," replied Andy. "I'm talking about those sky rockets.
They'll be better than bullets. You see," he went on, "after it gets
dark we'll shoot the rockets over the ship. The savages will think they
are in the midst of a lot of falling stars, and if they don't take to
their boats and leave us the ship I'll miss my guess, that's all."
"Good!" exclaimed the inventor. "We'll try it."
The rockets were taken out and examined. They were big affairs of
several pound weight and were intended for far-off signalling at sea.
Andy, with the aid of the boys, Tom and Bill, soon constructed a rough
sort of support from which to set off the fire-works. As soon as it grew
dark, which it did about seven o'clock, preparations were made to try
the experiment.
With a whizz and roar the first rocket went sailing skyward. Up through
the black night it went, trailing behind it a shower of fire and sparks.
Then, with a loud report like that of a gun it burst directly over the
ship and a rain of brilliantly colored globes of flame descended.
"Shot number one!" cried Andy, who was setting off the rockets.
For a few seconds after the first flight there came no sound from the
natives at the ship. Then, just as the second rocket was set off there
issued a long-drawn howl, which was succeeded by cries of fear.
"We've waked 'em up!" shouted Jack.
In rapid succession several more rockets were sent over the _Porpoise_.
By the light of them could be seen a mass of natives crowded out on the
small deck, while others were in their canoes.
"I think I'll try it a little lower this time," remarked Andy. "Maybe I
can hit some of 'em!"
He slanted the support closer to the ground and set off two rockets at
once. Straight across the sandy beach they flew, directly toward the
crowd of natives on the ship. Right into the midst of the savages the
trailing comet of fire shot, with a hiss, roar and sputter that was
enough to strike terror into the bravest heart.
There was a long piercing howl of fear. Then, as the natives felt the
hot sparks scatter over their half-naked bodies, they broke into a wild
stampede. Over the side of the ship they plunged, into the sea, and swam
off. Those in boats paddled quickly away.
For good measure Andy sent another rocket into the midst of the fleeing
ones, and this served to quicken their departure. By the light of the
last one it could be seen that the ship was deserted, though the water
all about her was black with the swimming savages, and the canoes.
"I guess they won't come back in a hurry!" cried Andy. "Come on! We'll
board the ship now, and get the electric guns to ward off any further
attacks!"
"That's the talk!" cried Mark.
Toward the _Porpoise_ all started on a run. As they neared her they
found that the rising tide had floated her.
"We must see if the natives damaged her," spoke Mr. Henderson as soon as
he set foot on deck. "If they have it will be a hard matter to make
repairs so far from civilization."
A hasty examination, however, showed that the savages had disturbed
little. The engine was soon set in motion, and, in ten minutes the ship
was steaming away from the coast, headed toward the south, the goal they
were so eagerly seeking.
As soon as they were well out to sea, and all sight of the canoes of the
savages had been lost, supper was served, and all brought good appetites
to the table. For, though the improvised meals on shore had tasted good,
there had not been much to them.
For several days the _Porpoise_ was kept on her course, sailing along
under the water by day, and upon the surface at night. It was one
pleasant afternoon, while Nellie, Jack and Mark were sitting out on the
deck, during one of the times when the boat had risen to the surface to
renew the air supply, that a strange commotion was observed off their
lee. The ocean seemed to be boiling.
"What is that?" asked the little girl.
The two boys looked to where she pointed. Indeed the ocean seemed to be
bubbling up and down in a strange manner.
"It's a school of porpoises," said Jack.
Just then the water became alive with big fish. They leaped over each
other, springing high into the air and falling back into the sea with
resounding splashes.
"They're not porpoises! They're whales! Baby whales!" yelled Mark. "Look
out or some of the big ones may ram the boat!"
As he spoke the water all about the submarine was seen to be fairly
swarming with the small whales. There were scores of them, and, at
times, they were so thick that it appeared possible to walk out upon
them without getting very deep into the water.
Suddenly the ship careened to one side and the sea rushed over the deck.
It was evident that one of the big whales, which were deeper down in the
water, had struck the vessel.
Nellie screamed and tried to grab the hand rail that was about the
platform. She missed her grip. The next instant she was floundering in
the ocean, in the midst of the school of whales.
"Man overboard!" yelled Jack, remembering vaguely that he had read this
was the proper call to make in case of accident.
His cry brought Washington and the professor up the companionway on the
jump.
"Launch the boat!" cried the inventor as he saw what had happened.
Mark was already in action. At the first sight of Nellie slipping over
the side he had thrown off his coat, broken the laces of his shoes in
order the more quickly to remove the foot coverings, and had dived into
the swirling water which surrounded the submarine.
He struck out in the direction where the little girl had disappeared,
and as her golden head appeared above the mass of foam he yelled in
encouragement.
By this time the small boat was launched and the colored man and Jack
were pulling toward him. Mark succeeded in reaching Nellie as she was
going down the second time. He grabbed her long locks and managed to
keep her up until the little craft was alongside of him.
"Git in quick, 'fore dem whales eat yo' up!" cried Washington.
He hauled the unconscious child in first, and then Jack gave Mark a
hand. As if by magic all the whales had disappeared and the sea was
quiet again. In a few minutes the rescuers and the rescued one went back
again on the _Porpoise_, where Professor Henderson soon brought Nellie
around again. Beyond the shock and wetting neither she nor Mark was
harmed.
It was Jack's watch on deck that night. He had the tour from eight until
twelve o'clock and when, about ten, every one but himself had retired,
he took his position in the door of the conning tower and prepared to
pass the time as best he could.
The ship was moving along at half speed, and, as the automatic steering
attachment was working Jack had little to do. He sat looking at the
stars that twinkled in the sky, the blazing Southern Cross showing among
the constellations, when he heard a slight noise near the companionway.
He looked in that direction and, to his horror, he saw the ghostly white
shape that had, on previous occasions, caused him and the others fright.
At first the boy resolved to shut himself up in the tower and wait until
the uncanny thing had disappeared. Then his courage came back and he
thought he would try to solve the mystery.
He argued that if the weird white object was human and could witness his
movements the best thing to do would be to try and creep upon it
unobserved. On the contrary, if the ghost was some natural phenomenon,
or a supernatural agent, all he could do would be of no avail.
So he decided the best thing to do would be to crawl upon the thing,
keeping as near to the deck as possible and trying to hide himself. With
this in view he put on a long rain coat that hung in the conning tower,
and then, like a snake, commenced to wiggle his way toward the middle of
the platform where the white object still stood.
Nearer and nearer to it Jack came. His heart was beating fast and he was
much frightened, but he nerved himself to continue. As he came closer he
could see that the object looked more and more like a man, completely
robed in white garments.
Jack was now within ten feet of the strange object. It was a man, he was
sure of it, but whether a present or former inhabitant of the earth he
could not decide. Jack's hair was beginning to raise. A cold shiver ran
down his spine as the white thing lifted an arm and seemed to point
directly at him. At the same time it groaned in a deep tone.
Jack let out a yell that could be heard all over the ship. He made a
spring for the object, determined to discover what it was or die.
At that instant the whole ship seemed to rise in the air. It left the
water and began moving skyward. Right out of the waves the _Porpoise_
was lifted until the big screw was clear of the water and it was
churning around in the tunnel without any resistance, racing at top
speed now that it had no water to thrust against.
Then the ghost seemed to vanish into thin air, and Jack felt himself
falling down the hatchway.