THE LONE SAILOR
Down shot the _Comet_, as Jerry shifted the depression rudder. Down,
down, closer and closer to the surface of the ocean, where rolling
sluggishly, showing her water-logged condition, was the wrecked
steamship. Anxiously the boys looked to see if she should prove to
be the craft for which they were looking. She seemed silent and
deserted--as though all had fled from her, or had, perhaps, been washed
away by the angry sea.
“Stand by to lower the hydroplanes!” called Jerry to Ned and Bob.
“We’ll try a landing on them.”
“Is it calm enough?” asked Professor Snodgrass, who had, on hearing of
the sighting of the wreck, left his scientific work to give the boys
any aid that might be needed.
“Yes, there’s only a gentle swell,” answered the tall steersman. “It
will be safe to use the hydroplanes.”
On these the motorship could float, motionless if need be, while the
boys investigated the wreck.
“All ready there, Ned?” asked Jerry.
“All ready, old man.”
“Here, Bob, you give me a hand with this wheel. I may have to make a
sudden turn in case the wreck drifts too close to us.”
“All right, Jerry,” and the stout lad, who had been in the galley up to
the time of sighting the steamer, hurried to the pilot house.
“Professor, you might give Ned a little help,” went on the steersman.
“Those planes haven’t been used lately, and they may be a trifle stiff.”
“Of course, Jerry,” and the scientist, laying aside his precious notes,
went out on the main deck.
Nearer and nearer to the wreck went the _Comet_. Every moment the boys
dared spare from the wheels and levers they peered at the steamship,
rolling lazily on the swell below them.
Would she prove to be the _Hassen_?
“Can you make out any name?” asked Ned, standing ready with his hand on
the hydroplane lever.
“Not yet,” answered the professor.
It was Bob who made the welcome discovery, and perhaps, since it was
Bob’s relatives they had come to save, it was very fitting that the
stout lad should have had this honor. Bob gave a cry, which caused
Jerry to turn and look at him.
“What is it?” asked the tall lad.
“That steamer! She’s the _Hassen_, all right! I just caught a glimpse
of the name under her stern as she rolled that time.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive! There! You can see for yourself!”
Jerry looked, as the vessel rolled again, and he, too, saw the name in
gold letters on the black paint of the stern. The wreck was indeed that
of the _Hassen_.
“Well, we’ve found her,” said Jerry in a low voice. “Now to see if
anyone’s aboard. It doesn’t look so. Here we go, Ned! Down with that
lever!”
“Down she is!”
A moment later Jerry shut off the power from the big propellers, and
the _Comet_ swept gently to the surface of the sea, where she floated
close to the wrecked steamer.
“Well, she didn’t sink after all,” said Bob. “I wonder what became of
the passengers and crew? For there doesn’t appear to be a soul aboard.”
“That’s right,” agreed Ned, “and she doesn’t seem to be sinking, even.
There’s a sort of mystery about her.”
“Perhaps not so much,” put in Jerry, as he watched to note the drift
of the wreck and the airship. He did not want a collision which might
damage the frailer craft. “Possibly in the storm some water came in, or
the engines may have stopped. That would cause a panic, and the boats
may have been lowered, and have taken everyone off, although, all the
while, the steamer was in good condition. I’ve read of such cases.”
“That is very true,” said Professor Snodgrass. “In time of storm and
peril one loses control of one’s self, and does things one would not
otherwise do. Probably the poor souls who deserted this ship would have
done better to stay aboard.”
“Too bad!” exclaimed Bob, mournfully. “If my uncle and cousin had
stayed here they might be alive now.”
“And they may be still!” cried Jerry, quickly. “We’re not going to
give up yet. Why, I think it’s good luck that we located the wreck. We
did it sooner than I expected. And when we go aboard we may find some
message they left--we may even find that mysterious object, or whatever
it was, that your uncle was bringing to this country, Bob.”
“Are you going aboard?” asked Ned.
“Certainly. Why not? The sea is calm, and it will be safe to make our
craft fast to the ship. We’ll take a look around and then start off
again and search for the small boats. It’s them we want, for if any
persons were saved from the _Hassen_ they’ll be drifting about in small
boats.”
The _Comet_ was some distance from the _Hassen_ now, but Jerry slowly
started the propellers, which would take the air craft up to the ship
over the surface of the water on the hydroplanes as well as though they
were sailing through the air, though not so swiftly.
“Stand by with a line to make her fast, if you can see anything to tie
to, Ned,” called Jerry, as they approached closer to the wreck.
“Hadn’t we better go around on the other side? We may find an
accommodation ladder down, or part of one, and that will make it easier
to board her,” suggested Bob.
“That’s right, Chunky!” exclaimed Jerry. “Hold on there a minute, Ned.
I’ll put her around.”
On the other side of the _Hassen_ the boys saw part of a ladder
dangling over the side.
“That’s good!” exclaimed Bob, with a sigh of content. He was getting
stouter than ever and he did not relish the idea of any unnecessary
gymnastics in boarding the wreck.
“Make fast to that, if you can’t see anything else, Ned,” suggested
Jerry. Ned, however, found a projection on the side of the wrecked
craft, and took a couple of turns of the rope about it. The _Comet_ was
now drifting with the _Hassen_.
Up the broken ladder scrambled the boys, followed by the professor. The
decks were a scene of confusion, showing the power of the gale, and
also the terror that must have inspired passengers and crew as they
were leaving what they believed to be an ill-fated ship. One or two
life boats were found with their sides or bows stove in, showing that
the waves must, at times, have swept over the vessel.
“She’s entirely deserted,” said Jerry, in a low voice. “Not a soul left
aboard. And yet, if they had only known she would keep afloat, how much
safer they all would have been here.”
“Well, I guess if we’d been here, and had seen the big waves,”
suggested Ned, “we’d have gone in the boats, too. Though with a heavy
sea running I’d hate to trust myself in even a big life boat.”
“Suppose we go below,” said Jerry. “We may find some trace of Bob’s
uncle and cousin.”
“Will it be safe?” asked the stout lad.
“Safe! Why not?” Ned wanted to know.
“I mean she may suddenly sink while we’re below.”
“Nonsense! This steamer, aside from the wreck of her upper works, and
possibly of the engines, is sound and tight,” declared Jerry.
“That’s right,” agreed Ned. “She doesn’t seem to have taken in much
water, either. This steamer would be valuable if we could get her to
port. There’s the cargo, too. It’s a good find for someone.”
Looking about them, and making sure their airship was well fastened so
that it would not drift away, the boys and the professor started below.
They were wondering what they would find. But even in their wildest
imaginings they did not dream of finding what confronted them a moment
later.
For, as they started to descend, they heard a noise from below, and up
a companionway came a voice calling:
“Who’s there? What do you want? I’m in command here, and I’m going to
salvage this craft. Avast and belay! Who are you, anyhow, boarding me
on the high seas? Who are you?”
The boys started back, and a moment later there jumped into view a
grizzled sailor--who had been in sole possession of the wrecked ship.
He held a boiler slicing bar in his hand, and he glared, rather than
looked, a welcome at our friends.
“What do you want here?” growled the lone sailor.