Asiatic Breezes Part 5

It was a very democratic routine that prevailed on board of the little steamer; for the captain was no bigger man than the two seamen before the mast, and was obliged to take his turn on the lookout; but the arrangement had been made by the boys, all had agreed to it, and no one could complain. Scott went to his place in the bow, taking the gla.s.s with him. He had given out the course to his successor at the wheel, and the Maud was now going at full speed.

The dignity of the quarter-deck does not permit an officer, much less a seaman, to ask questions of his superior. This sacred limit on board of a ship was entirely constructive so far as the Maud was concerned; for she was provided with no such planking, and the dignity was applicable only to the persons to whom the quarter-deck is appropriated. But Captain Ringgold was a strict disciplinarian, having served in the navy during the War of the Rebellion.

The young navigators had imbibed this deference from the officers on board of the Guardian-Mother, and it had become, as it were, a part of their nautical being. It had never been incorporated in any regulation, but it was just as potent as though it had been set forth in an order from the commander. Captain Scott did not explain what other steamers headed in the same direction as the Maud had to do with the present voyage, and it was not in order to make any inquiries; but Louis Belgrave would have been very glad to know what was pa.s.sing through the mind of his superior officer at this time.

The young commander "made no sign," and all that could be done was to wait until events developed themselves. Morris and Louis were at liberty to go where they pleased, and do what they liked, provided they did not interfere with the routine of the steamer. Both of them were desirous of understanding the situation, and they went upon the upper deck in order to obtain a better view of the other vessels.

Morris had a field-gla.s.s which he carried with him. Like everything else the magnate of the Fifth Avenue provided for the members of his family, it was of the best quality, and had proved to be a powerful instrument.

He first looked for the Guardian-Mother; but he could not make her out.

The trend of the coast was to the southward, beyond Damietta, and she had either gone out of the reach of the gla.s.s, or she was concealed by the intervening land. The Fatime was very distinctly to be seen, headed for the Maud, and there could be no doubt at all in regard to her intentions. She was in pursuit of the Maud, and her movements very plainly indicated that she was engaged in a mischievous mission.

"It begins to look serious, don't it, Louis?" asked Morris, after both of them had used the field-gla.s.s.

"It would look so if the Guardian-Mother were not somewhere in the vicinity," replied Louis. "Captain Mazagan has waited till she is well out of sight; and I have no doubt he is wondering why our two vessels have separated. At any rate, he has bitten at the bait prepared for him without seeing the hook it conceals."

"I don't see why the plan is not succeeding as well as could be desired," suggested the first officer. "Of course Captain Ringgold does not mean to leave us to fall into the hands of this pirate, as you all call her."

"It was distinctly the understanding that she was to come between us and any possible harm."

"Something may happen to prevent her from doing so."

"Of course there is no knowing what may happen," Louis admitted. "I do not see what can possibly occur to prevent her from following us to Cyprus, if we go there."

"Isn't it settled that we are to go there?" asked Morris, who had not heard the manoeuvre discussed before the commander of the ship.

"It is not absolutely settled; for the Fatty might take to her heels, and no doubt would do so if she discovered the Guardian-Mother in her wake. Mazagan knows very well that she can make four knots to the Moorish craft's three; for that is just the ratio we figured out between them. With three or four knots the lead she could overhaul her in an hour."

"But the pirate could make her out in clear weather ten or a dozen miles off. But what was Captain Scott's idea in running for the island of Cyprus?"

"In order to have room enough for his manoeuvre."

"Have you kept the run of the Maud's course, Louis?"

"I have not; I am not so much of a sailor as you are, my boy, and I don't figure on sailing the craft unless required to do so," replied Louis. "But why do you ask that question?"

"Because I think the captain has changed the course of the Maud, and is headed more to the northward," answered Morris.

"What makes you think so? He gave out a north-east course to Flix. You have seen no compa.s.s since that time, and the sun is clouded in. I see that Captain Scott is no longer at the bow; he must have gone into the pilot-house," added Louis, his thought in regard to the indefinite idea in the mind of the navigator coming to him again.

"There is a compa.s.s in the standing-room, Louis; suppose we go below and look up this matter," Morris proposed, though he could have had no suspicion that the captain had any concealed intentions.

They went down the forward ladder to the forecastle, though there was one aft leading into the standing-room. Louis found that Scott was seated on the divan abaft the wheel, studying a chart, which he could see included the island of Cyprus. He took no notice of them as they descended the ladder, and they went to the standing-room without stopping on the forecastle. Morris led the way; for he seemed to be impatient to ascertain whether or not he was right in relation to the course of the steamer.

"There you are!" he exclaimed as he looked at the face of the compa.s.s.

"The Maud is headed to the north north-east half east; and that is not the course Captain Scott gave out when Flix took the helm."

"But it is not a great change," added Louis.

"Just now it is not; but in making two hundred miles to the northward it would take the Maud to a point about forty miles to the westward of where she would have brought up on her former course," Morris explained.

"I understand your point; but what does it mean?"

"It means that we are going to a place forty miles west of the one we started for."

"I don't understand it; and Captain Scott is just as tenacious in keeping his own counsels as the commander of the Guardian-Mother himself," replied Louis.

"But you have as much influence with him as the commander."

"And for that reason I will not ask him any questions in regard to the sailing of the Maud."

Morris was not ready to ask him to call the captain to an account; and, leaving him in the standing-room, he went into the cabin. Louis was not willing to believe, or even to accept a suggestion that Scott had any ulterior purpose in his mind; for it seemed very much like treason to harbor such a thought of his friend. The only thing that gave him a hint in that direction was the fact he had expressed that Louis ought not to be on board of the Maud during her present mission.

If the little steamer was not to engage in some perilous adventure, why should Scott wish he were somewhere else? But the captain was certainly solicitous for one of those whose safety was threatened; and he tried to believe that this was a sufficient explanation. While he was thinking of the matter, Morris rushed out of the cabin, and looked and acted as though he were laboring under some excitement.

"What is the matter now, Morris?" he asked.

"Matter enough!" replied the first officer. "The barometer has made a considerable slump since I looked at it the last time."

"And that means bad weather, I suppose," added Louis, who very rarely became excited when a young fellow would be expected to be in such a condition.

"No doubt of it," answered the mate, wondering that he had made so slight an impression on his companion.

"We have weathered two pretty severe gales in the Maud, and I dare say we can do it again. I suppose the barometer will tell the same story on board of the ship that it has on the consort."

"No doubt of that."

"Then we shall soon see the Guardian-Mother bowling this way at her best speed," answered Louis.

The officer levelled his field-gla.s.s in the direction the ship had gone; but there was not the least sign of her or any other steamer in that quarter of the horizon.

"She isn't there; but she may have run in under a lee somewhere near Damietta, in order to watch the movements of the Fatty."

"That may be; and if she has done so it was not a bad idea. But I think we had better go forward and ascertain if there is any news there,"

added Louis, as he led the way.

If he was not alarmed at the situation in view of the weather indications, he was certainly somewhat anxious. When he reached the forecastle he found the captain there, using his gla.s.s very diligently, pointing it in the direction in which the ship was supposed to be. Louis and Morris did not interrupt his occupation. He discovered nothing, and he was apparently going aft to get a view of the Fatime when he noticed the members of the port watch.

"I suppose you noticed that the course of the Maud has been changed, Louis?" said he.

This remark afforded the perplexed millionaire a decided relief; for it proved that the captain had not intended to conceal the change from him.

"I did not observe it, but Morris did; for he is boiling over with nautical knowledge and skill," replied Louis, and without asking any question.

"I was going aft to take a look at the Fatty; but I suppose you can report what she is doing," added Captain Scott.

"Morris can, but I cannot."

"Do you think she is gaining on us?" asked the captain, turning from Louis to the mate.