AN EXCITING RACE IN THE CHINA SEA
Everything worked as smoothly on board of the Blanchita as though she
had been in commission for years, for there was not a green hand in the
cabin or forecastle. The experience obtained by the "Four" in the Maud
had made them proficients in the duties of their present positions.
Louis and Felix were not trained engineers or machinists; though they
were familiar with the machine, which was of very simple construction.
Both of them were competent to run the engine, and had served their
watches in the Maud. If there was any trouble, the chief engineer was
close at hand.
From eight to twelve it was the captain's watch. Achang, who had been
the master of a vessel, had been regularly installed as second mate, and
was in charge of this watch; though Scott remained on deck all the time,
for he was anxious to observe the movements of the Delhi. Clingman and
Lane had their two-hour tricks at the wheel, and there was no hard work
for anybody.
The breeze was good, though not heavy from the south-west; but the Delhi
had not yet set a sail. The Blanchita passed Cape Datu at ten in the
evening, and the second mate made a note of it on the log-slate. Both
craft were still making their eight knots, and remained abreast of each
other. The wind increased slightly in force, but the conditions were
about the same all night. At twelve the watch was changed, and Morris
came on duty, with Louis in the engine-room. The captain turned in at
this time.
At three in the morning the yacht was off the island of Sirhassen, of
which a note was made on the log-slate. Morris had studied the chart
enough to enable him to recognize the island, distant as it was, at six
bells, or three o'clock in the morning. Of course he could not identify
it by its looks, never having seen it before; but the captain had given
him the distances between the islands on the course. Sirhassen was forty
sea miles from Cape Datu, or five hours as the yacht was running; and
when land was reported on the beam, bearing about west, he knew what it
was. The chart gave the island as one of considerable size compared with
the multitude of small ones in that locality; and this indication
afforded him a further clew to the identification.
At eight bells, or four o'clock, the morning watch came on duty, with
Achang as its officer. Captain Scott did not turn out when the second
mate was called, with Felix to take his place at the engine, and it was
six o'clock when he made his appearance. Except when there is only one
mate, as in small vessels, the captain keeps no watch; but he is liable
to be called at any hour of the night in case of a squall or other
peril. His responsibility may induce him to spend the entire night on
deck.
When he came out of the cabin, his first care was to observe the signs
which indicate the coming weather. Then he went to the wheel, and read
the entries made on the log-slate. The sea was about the same as it had
been when he left the deck. He had looked at the barometer before he
left the cabin. There were no signs of bad weather in any direction.
"What do you think of the weather, Mr. Achang?" he asked of the officer
of the deck.
"It will be fine, Captain," replied the second mate. "I have come all
the way from Banjermassin to Calcutta with the weather just like this
always; but I think we have more wind when the sun come up."
"We can stand more than we have now," added Scott.
"Some of the young gentlemen fear to go to sea in open boat like this
yacht; but the dhows and the proas have not much decks," said the
Bornean.
"Then you think we shall have weather like this all the way to Point
Cambodia?"
"May blow a little more hard some time."
The sun was coming up in the east, and in the course of half an hour
Achang's prophecy of more wind was realized. It freshened rapidly for a
short time; but it did not come in flaws or squalls, and was a steady
breeze. A table had been set up in the fore cabin; and at half-past
seven, or seven bells, which is the usual hour for breakfast at sea,
the meal was served to the watch below.
"Land on the port bow, sir!" reported Clingman, who was the lookout man,
just before eight bells.
"That is Subi," said Achang, looking at the paper Morris had given him
when the watch was changed.
"That's right, Mr. Achang," added the captain. "I see the Delhi is
setting her foresail, and that means wind enough to add something to her
eight knots an hour."
Lane at the wheel struck eight bells a few minutes later; and the
officer and engineer of the port watch came promptly on deck from the
cabin, as did the seamen from the fore cabin. Breakfast had been served
at both ends of the yacht to the watch below, so that they were in
readiness to come on duty at the striking of the bell. Breakfast was
ready for those who came off watch as soon as they were relieved.
Pitts had his hands more than full in supplying the two tables, but he
was assisted by the idlers about the boat. The seamen were served as on
board of the Guardian-Mother, where they had a table and a regular meal.
On ordinary sea-going vessels the men get their "grub" at the galley in
tins, or kids, and eat it seated on the deck, or where they choose.
Captain Scott had graciously ordained, as there was nothing to be done
outside of the working of the yacht, that "watch and watch" should be
the rule on board; which means that the hands shall have all their time
to themselves when not on watch, though they were to respond when all
hands were called.
"The Delhi means to run away from us, I suppose, for she has put on all
sail," said Louis as he came on deck when he had finished his breakfast.
"But I don't believe she will do it," replied the captain. "We have a
sail; but I am waiting to see what she can do under her present
conditions, and I have told Felipe to hurry her up a little, just enough
to keep up with our consort."
"She is gaining on us a little," added Louis.
"I see she is; but the engineer has thrown another shovelful of coal
into the furnace, and I wish to see the effect it will produce. He has
opened his valve a little, but he has not steam enough yet."
But it was soon evident to all who understood the matter that the
Blanchita was gaining on her consort. It was plain, too, that Captain
Rayburn had noticed the fact, for his crew were setting the
gaff-topsails on the fore and main masts. Something of the enthusiasm of
a race was aroused on board. Felipe had worked up his machine to the
nine-knot gauge; and in spite of the added sail on the Delhi, the boat
was overhauling her.
"I think that Captain Rayburn must be recalling his talk to us at
Sarawak about running away from us," said Louis. "What is he doing now,
Captain Scott?"
"He appears to be hoisting a yard on his foremast," replied Scott.
"What is that for?"
"If you watch the steamer for a little while longer, you will see him
shake out a fore squaresail, and that will be the sharpest move he has
made yet. Morris, have the mast stepped, and set the sail," continued
the captain.
Clinch was at the wheel; and Clingman was called upon to do the work,
with the assistance of the other two hands. The great squaresail of the
Delhi had been shaken out, and it was drawing for all it was worth. The
effect was simply to prevent the Blanchita from passing her, as she
would have done in a few minutes more. The enthusiasm of a race was
fully developed on board the yacht, among the seamen as well as the
cabin party. Clingman and the others had worked very lively, and in a
few minutes the sail was set. The captain gave the orders for trimming
it; and as soon as the sheet was made fast the yacht heeled over till
her rail was nearly down to the water.
"Our sail is a big one," said Scott, who saw it spread out for the first
time; "and if we desire to run away from the Delhi, I am satisfied that
we could do it."
The boat dashed the spray at her bow, and proved to be very wet in the
fore cabin. The captain ordered the curtains to be hauled down to keep
the water out, and the forward part of the craft was then as dry as it
had been on the river.
Scott was not quite satisfied with the steering under the altered
conditions, and he went to the wheel himself. He was a very skilful
boatman in a sailing-craft, as had been fully proved by his bringing his
yacht, the Seahound, from New York through the Bahama Islands. The
seaman was inclined to follow the compass too closely, while Scott
regarded the effect of the sail.
"We are gaining on the Delhi," said Louis, as he seated himself near the
captain.
"Of course we are; I knew she would do it with the sail in this wind,"
replied Scott. "The Blanchita is a light craft, and skims over the water
like a racer."
"But it is a little too much sail for her," suggested Louis. "She is
taking in a bucket of water over her lee rail once in a while."
"Try the pump, Lane," added the captain. "I don't believe she has
shipped more than a teaspoonful or two."
"We are pretty well down in the water," added Louis.
"Clingman, let off about six inches of the sheet," continued Scott; and
the order was promptly obeyed. "I think you are getting a little
nervous, my dear fellow," he added to Louis.
"Perhaps I am; I should not like to see the yacht heel over and take in
a couple of hogsheads of water, for she is loaded so heavily with coal
that she would go to the bottom."
"But I should not let her ship such a sea as that. The wind is quite
steady, with no heavy flaws, and the boat is under perfect control. I
should like it better to sail the Blanchita with less cargo in her, but
she is doing splendidly."
"But a flaw might come, even if we have had none to-day; what could you
do in that case?" asked Louis.
"Clingman, stand by the sheet!" called the captain.
The seaman was seated on a box not more than three feet from the cleat
at which the sheet was made fast. He took his place within reach of it.
"Now she heels over again!" exclaimed Louis, as the water came quite up
to the rail, though she took none in.
"Cast off the sheet, Clingman!" called the captain; and the order was
obeyed in an instant.
The boat flew up to an even keel almost as though she had been hoisted
up by some giant power.
"That is how I should keep her from shipping a big sea," said Scott, as
he looked at his companion with a smile on his brown face.
"I give it up, Captain Scott. Of course you know what you are about
every time, and I won't say a word again about the boat. But suppose you
were not looking when the flaw came?"
"It is not necessary to be looking; for a skipper steers more by the
feeling of the boat than by sight. Make fast the sheet, Clingman."
The Blanchita went ahead again; and by this time she was abreast of the
Delhi, and gaining upon her. Captain Rayburn was on his quarter-deck.
"Don't run away from me, and I won't run away from you!" he shouted.
But he had hardly spoken before a noise like the distant report of a
cannon was heard on board of the yacht.
"He has split his fore squaresail; and if his game was not up before, it
is now," said Captain Scott. "The sail was old and rotten, and I don't
believe he would have attempted to carry it except on an occasion like
the present."
"He was a little too pronounced when he expressed his fears that the
Blanchita would not be able to keep up with him, and I fancy he is sorry
he said anything about it by this time," added Louis.
The split sail could not be repaired at once; and if it could it was not
strong enough to be of any use in the fresh breeze. The crew took it in
at once, the yard being lowered to enable them to do so. The captain of
the yacht ordered the engineer to reduce his speed to the ordinary rate,
though the sail was not furled. Between the steam and the wind the
Blanchita ran ahead of the Delhi. The sheet was slacked off as far as it
could be without permitting the sail to shake, and the two craft kept
well together the rest of the day, passing Great Natuna Island at four
in the afternoon.
The captain took the sun at noon, and worked up the position of the
boat. The run from the mouth of the Sarawak at that time was two hundred
and four sea miles.