A COMMAND TO LAY TO
Strange things happen on the ocean. Sometimes slight occurrences lead
to great results. When the sailors deserted the brig _Rockhaven, _
provisioning their boats in a hurry, one water cask was left behind.
The mate had intended stowing it away in the captain’s gig, but found
there was no room for it, so he allowed it to remain on deck, where he
set it.
In due time, by the motion of the abandoned brig in the storm, the
water cask was overturned and rolled about at every heave of the waves,
first to port, and then to starboard, Now aft, and again forward. As
luck would have it, not long after those in the cabin fell under the
deadly influence of some queer, stupefying fumes, the water cask was
rolling about close to the trunk roof of the cabin, a roof that had
side windows in it.
With one lurch of the ship the water cask nearly crashed against these
windows, but, by the narrowest margin missed. Then the cask rolled
toward the scuppers. Those in the cabin were more than ever under the
influence of the fumes. They were breathing heavily, the veins in their
necks began to swell, their hearts were laboring hard to overcome the
stupefying influence of the fumes. But it was almost too late.
Suddenly a long roller lifted the brig well up into the air. Then it
slid down the watery incline. The cask started to roll toward the cabin
windows. Straight for them it came, turning over and over.
With a resounding blow the cask shattered the frame, and sent the glass
in a shower into the cabin below. Through the opening thus
Providentially made, the fresh air rushed. The deadly fumes began to
escape. Once more the cask rolled against the window, breaking another
glass, and more fresh air came in.
Jerry stirred uneasily. It seemed as if some one had a hammer, hitting
him on the head. That was the blood beginning to circulate again. His
veins throbbed with life. Slowly he opened his eyes. He became aware of
a sweet, sickish smell, that mingled with the sharp tang of the salt
air. By a great effort he roused himself. He could not, for a moment,
think where he was, but he had a dim feeling as if some one had tried
to chloroform him. Then, with a sudden shock his senses came back to
him. He became aware of the need of fresh air, and, hardly knowing what
he was doing, he opened the cabin door.
The inrush of a fresh atmosphere completed the work the water cask had
begun. The poisonous fumes were dispersed, and, with their
disappearance, the others regained their senses. Mr. De Vere was the
next to arouse.
“What—what happened?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” replied Jerry, “unless Blowitz came aboard and
chloroformed us.”
“He couldn’t do that—yet—the safe is not tampered with—but this drowsy
feeling—”
Mr. De Vere stopped suddenly. His eyes were fixed on the closet or
locker, whence the safe had been wheeled, and where the little boxes
were. From the locker a thin, bluish smoke arose.
“Quick!” he cried. “I understand it all now! We must get them overboard
or we’ll all be killed!”
Ned and Bob had been aroused by this time, and were sitting staring
stupidly around them. They did not realize what had happened.
“I’ll throw ’em overboard,” volunteered Jerry.
“Don’t go near them,” cautioned Mr. De Vere. “If you breathe too deeply
of those fumes, you’ll be killed. Get a boat hook, poke them out of the
locker, spear them with the sharp point, and thrust them up through the
broken cabin window.”
Jerry hurried to the _Ripper_, which safely rode alongside the brig.
He got a sharp boat hook, and, with the aid of Bob and Ned, the boxes,
with their deadly contents were soon out on deck, whence they were
knocked into the sea. Then a hunt was made in other parts of the brig
and more boxes were found and cast into the ocean.
“What was in them?” asked Ned, when the task was finished. “Was that
what made us fall asleep?”
“It was,” replied Mr. De Vere. “What was in them I do not know exactly,
but it was some chemical that Blowitz put there to accomplish his
purpose. I see through his scheme now. After the brig was loaded he
sent these boxes aboard. They were distributed in different parts of
the ship, some in the quarters of the crew, some where the mates slept,
and others in the captain’s cabin. They were properly adjusted to give
off a vapor at a certain time and he counted either on the fumes
killing the men, or making them unconscious so they would die of heart
failure. Then, very likely, he intended to make a search for the brig
which would have no captain or crew, and claim the vessel. But his
scheme did not work as he intended. The crew and captain were probably
frightened by feeling some mysterious sleepy influence at work, and
they hastily deserted the ship. Probably the commander did not like to
acknowledge the real reason for his seemingly un-called-for act, and he
did not tell Blowitz the cause for the abandonment. The stuff in the
boxes remained on board, ready to render unconscious any persons who
came within reach of the fumes. Maybe it made the dogs mad.
“The accidental closing of the cabin door deprived us of air. The fumes
filled the cabin, and rendered us all unconscious. I do not yet
understand how we were revived.”
“It must have been the water cask,” declared Jerry, who had seen it on
deck, and his theory, which was the correct one, was accepted.
“Now I will finish working the combination, and open the safe,” said
Mr. De Vere, when they had breathed in deep of the fresh air, and felt
the last influences of the fumes vanish. “We must have been unconscious
an hour or more.”
It did not take him long after this to open the strong box. From an
inner compartment he drew forth a bundle of papers, and a small box,
that seemed quite heavy. This he opened.
“The gold is safe, at any rate,” he announced. “Now to look at the
papers.”
A hasty examination of these showed that they were all there.
“This is good news for me, boys,” announced Mr. De Vere. “My fortune is
safe now, and that scoundrel Blowitz can not ruin me as he tried to
do!”
“Hark! What was that?” asked Jerry suddenly.
From somewhere out on the Pacific there sounded a whistle, long drawn
out.
“It’s a steamer!” cried Ned. “It has probably sighted the derelict!”
“A steamer,” murmured Mr. De Vere. “If it is not—”
He did not finish, but the boys knew what he meant.
Mr. De Vere hastily thrust the papers into an inner pocket of his coat.
“Distribute the gold among you,” he told the boys. “When we get it
aboard the _Ripper_ we can hide it. There is no telling what might
happen. If that steamer—”
“It’s the tug _Monarch!”_ cried Jerry, who had hurried up on deck.
“It’s coming this way full speed!”
“Then we must leave at once!” decided Mr. De Vere. “I think our boat
can beat theirs. I did hope to be able to tow the brig into harbor, and
save the cargo, but that is out of the question now. I do not want a
fight with Blowitz. Come, boys, we must escape!”
The boys hurriedly divided the gold among them. It made their pockets
bulge out, and was quite heavy. Mr. De Vere had his papers safe.
As the derelict hunters all came out on deck they could see the
_Monarch_ was much nearer. In bold relief stood a figure in the bow.
“It’s Blowitz!” exclaimed Mr. De Vere, “and he’s shaking his fist at
me. He’s angry because I have beaten him at his own game. But come on,
I don’t want a clash with him. I am in no shape for another fight.
We’ll have to retreat.”
It was the work of but a few seconds to get into the motor boat. The
lines were cast off, and, with one turn of the wheel Ned started the
engine, and ran her up to full speed after a few revolutions.
“Now let them have the brig,” said Mr. De Vere. “I’ve gotten the best
out of her.”
But Blowitz and his men seemed to have lost interest in the derelict.
Instead of continuing on their course toward it they were now coming
full speed after the _Ripper_, the tug being steered to cross her
bows. Probably Blowitz took it for granted that De Vere had the papers
and gold.
“They’re after us!” cried Jerry.
“Yes, but they’ve got to catch us!” declared Bob.
An instant later a puff of white smoke spurted out from the side of the
_Monarch, _ something black jumped from wave-crest to wave-crest. Then
came a dull boom.
“What’s that?” asked Bob, in alarm.
“A shot across our bows. A command to lay to,” said Mr. De Vere.