A NEW DANGER.
To the frightened boys in the cabin it was as if the night would never
come to an end, and during every one of those fearful moments they
believed the yacht was on the point of taking the final plunge.
At four o'clock in the morning the steamer's movements became more
regular; but not less in violence, and, shortly after, the sailing
master came below.
"We are laying-to," he said to Mr. Emery. "There is a nasty sea on, and
I didn't care to take the chances of fighting against it."
"How does she stand it?"
"Like a darling. I was afraid of straining her at first; but when she
took the butt end of the storm in such a pleasant fashion there was no
longer any reason to fret about her."
"It didn't seem like such a very pleasant fashion to us," Teddy said to
Neal, who had succeeded in gaining a chair near his friend.
"It appeared to me as if she kicked pretty hard about it," Neal
replied, and then Mr. Emery asked:
"What are the weather indications?"
"There is no reason to hope for anything better until the wind blows
itself out, and according to my way of thinking that won't be within the
next twenty-four hours. Why don't you people lie down?"
"Because it has been a matter of impossibility to remain in the berths."
"You can do so now without much difficulty. Come, boys, let me help you
to turn in."
The calm, matter-of-fact way in which Mr. Walters acted caused the boys
to feel more comfortable in mind, and they made no protest when he
assisted them to the state-room where there was yet water enough to show
what had happened.
"Why didn't you call one of the stewards to mop this up?" the sailing
master asked as he lighted the swinging lamp.
"We haven't seen one since the gale begun," Neal replied with a laugh.
"I fancy they were as much frightened as Teddy and I."
"It won't take long to turn them out," and Mr. Walters started forward
in a manner which boded no good for the skulkers.
Neal and Teddy found little difficulty in retaining a recumbent
position, although the yacht was tossing up and down like a mad thing.
She no longer gave those sudden lurches which threatened to carry away
even the short spars, and for the first time since the deluge from the
port-hole, they began to feel really comfortable in mind.
The steward came in very shortly after Mr. Walters left, and from the
expression on his face it was evident he had been rated severely for
neglect of duty.
"It didn't make any difference to us whether the water was washed up or
not," Neal said in a friendly tone. "The sailing master saw it and asked
why we hadn't called you."
"He don't allow that a man has any right to sleep," the steward replied
sulkily. "If he'd been up since five o'clock, he'd want to turn in
before midnight instead of foolin' around the cabin till it was time to
begin another day's work."
"Is it possible that you have been sleeping?" Neal asked in surprise.
"Why not?"
"I don't see how you could even lie down while the yacht was tumbling
about in such a furious manner."
"That was none of my business. I didn't ship before the mast,
consequently it ain't any duty of mine to go prowlin' 'round if the
wind happened to blow a little."
"If you call this a 'little' I wouldn't like to be on board when you
thought it was a regular gale," Teddy said with a laugh.
"I've seen the wind blow so hard that a fellow had to lash his hair down
to keep it from bein' carried away when he went on deck; but that didn't
stop my wantin' to get a watch below."
With this remark the steward, having finished his work, left the room,
and the boys were alone once more.
Although they had believed it would be impossible to sleep during a gale
such as the yacht was now laboring under, the eyes of both were soon
closed in slumber, not to be opened until late in the morning.
So far as could be told by the motion, there was no diminution in the
strength of the wind, and they experienced great difficulty in making
their toilets.
When this task had finally been accomplished, however, Neal said as he
opened the door after some trouble, owing to the erratic movements of
the yacht:
"I'm going on deck. It can't be much worse there, and it wouldn't be a
bad idea to see what the ocean looks like in a gale."
"I'll go too: but don't let's venture out of the companion-way, for the
waves must be making a clean sweep over the decks."
When the boys entered the cabin no one was to be seen save the surly
steward who visited them the night previous, and in reply to Neal's
question he said:
"Your father left word that he wasn't to be called. It wouldn't be much
use for him to turn out, because we can't set the table in such a
rumpus."
"What are we to do for breakfast?"
"The same as Mr. Walters did, get a cup of coffee and a hard-tack;
that'll go way ahead of nothin' if you're very hungry."
"We can go into the galley when we want a bite," Neal replied, and then
he led the way up the narrow stairs where, through the half-opened
hatch, it was possible to get a view of the raging waters.
Perhaps it would have been better, so far as their peace of mind was
concerned, not to have ventured out, for the scene was anything rather
than reassuring.
Standing there and looking forward the boys could see a huge wall of
water dead ahead bearing down upon the yacht as if to swamp her, and at
the moment when it appeared as if the final stroke had come she would
lurch to leeward, presenting her side to the wave, rising on the
succeeding one and shivering on its crest as if shaking the spray from
her shrouds, after which came the downward plunge that caused the boys
to hold their breath in fear.
The sky, the swiftly flying clouds, and the waves were of a grayish hue
looking ominous and threatening and the little craft appeared to be but
a plaything for the angry elements. That she could out-ride the gale
seemed almost impossible, and Teddy said with a shudder as he descended
the stairs:
"Don't let's stay where we can see it. I wish I hadn't looked, for, bad
as matters seem to be down here, it is as nothing compared to being on
deck."
Neal was of the same opinion, and the two passed through the cabin to
the engine-room where Jake was keeping vigilant watch over the
machinery.
"Why, I thought we were hove to," Neal exclaimed in surprise as the
engineer assisted him and Teddy to a seat by his side.
"So we are; but it is necessary to keep the screw turning, otherwise it
might not be possible to hold her in the proper position."
"How long have you been on duty?"
"Since I saw you last."
"Haven't you had any sleep?"
"I can bottle up enough when the gale abates; but just now it stands a
man in hand to have his weather eye open pretty wide, for a bit of
carelessness would work considerable mischief. I'm going to have
breakfast, an' if you boys care to join me we'll make it three-handed.
You're not likely to fare any better in the cabin than here to-day."
The boys accepted the invitation, and with some cold meat and hard-tack
placed on the locker where it could not slide off, and mugs of steaming
coffee in their hands, all made a remarkably jolly meal under the
unfavorable circumstances.
During the remainder of the day Neal and Teddy stayed below, not caring
for another view of the angry sea, and when night came the gale had so
far abated that the yacht was sent ahead once more; but owing to the
force and direction of the wind it was deemed best to continue on a
southerly course even at the expense of reaching the Caribbean Sea,
rather than take the chances of putting about.
All this Jake explained when the boys visited him just previous to
retiring, and he added in conclusion:
"It seems pretty tough to go yet further south; but Mr. Walters is a
cautious sailin' master, an' when he makes up his mind to a thing you
can count on its bein' mighty nigh right."
"Will it be possible to get home as soon as father intended if we go so
far out of the way?" Neal asked.
"If he don't do any cruisin' after he gets up north I reckon it could be
done; but there's no sense in figgerin' on that till we're off
Hatteras."
Now that the yacht had proved her seaworthiness by riding safely through
the storm the boys would have been willing to go almost anywhere in her,
and the idea that they might have no cruising in a more agreeable
climate caused a decided feeling of disappointment; but, as Jake had
said, there was no reason to worry about that while they were so far
from home, and as if by common consent the subject was not broached
again.
On the following morning when they went on deck the sun was shining down
upon the yet angry looking waves; but one of the sailors assured them
that "the gale had blowed itself out."
"It stands to reason there'd be a heavy sea runnin'; but its settlin'
down fast, an' by to-morrow there won't be swell enough for comfort."
In this he was correct. Twenty-four hours later the awnings were up, and
all hands were panting under the blazing heat of a tropical sun.
This sudden change prostrated the boys, and during the next two days
they fanned themselves, drank iced drinks, and sought in vain for some
spot where a breath of cool air could be found.
It was the fourth day after the norther. While waiting for dinner to be
brought on deck (the meals had been served under the awnings since the
storm, for the cabin was too hot to permit even of their eating there),
Teddy lay near the after starboard boat lazily wondering why that thin
curl of blue smoke should come from the planking directly over the
kitchen, instead of through the pipe as it always had before.
Owing to the fact that there was no unusual disturbance he never fancied
for a moment anything could be wrong, and remained gazing at it in
silence so long that Neal asked curiously:
"What do you see that is so very interesting?"
"I was wondering what had happened to the galley pipe."
"How do you know that it isn't all right?"
"I suppose it is; but it looks queer to see that smoke coming up as if
from the deck."
Neal looked in the direction indicated by Teddy's outstretched finger,
and seeing the blue curl, which had now grown considerably thicker,
sprang to his feet very quickly.
Without speaking to his friend he ran forward, Teddy still ignorant
there was any danger, and in the shortest possible space of time Mr.
Walters came from the wheel-house in response to Neal's emphatic
request.
To Teddy it seemed as if but an instant elapsed before the deck was a
scene of confusion, and as all hands were called for duty he heard one
of the sailors cry in a tone of alarm:
"Tumble up, boys, the yacht is on fire!"