Mr. Trunnell, Mate of the Ship Part 16

At noon Sackett came on deck to take the sun. His second officer, Journegan, a heavily built man with mutton-chop whiskers of a colorless hue, was incapable of the smallest attempt at navigation, so he stood idly by while his superior let the sun rise until it had reached its highest point.

"Eight bells," cried Sackett, and went below to work out the sight.

"By the grace of G.o.d," echoed Andrews, who had come upon the p.o.o.p.

The second officer smiled at his attempted wit and struck off the bells.

He appeared to be quite friendly with Andrews and stopped a moment afterward to chat with him.

When we went below to dinner the words of Jim were fresh in my mind. How would Andrews try to get clear of us? The fact that he intended to do it I firmly believed, for the ruffian had such a sinister character that I felt certain his only reason for being apparently satisfied at present was because he intended some treachery. What part the third officer of the _Pirate_ would play in the affair I could hardly guess. Jim knew nothing about him, but since he came aboard with Thompson, there was every reason to believe that this rosy-cheeked youngster with the girl's voice was an accomplished villain. That Andrews and he understood each other was certain. Andrews was most blasphemous at meals, and would endeavor to engage Sackett in an argument concerning devils, h.e.l.l, and many other subjects not relating to navigation of the Indian Ocean. At such times the third mate would raise his piping voice and plead with Andrews not to shock him with his profanity. The second officer of the _Sovereign_ appeared to enjoy the situation, and would laugh until ordered from the table by Sackett. Miss Sackett, of course, would not dine with the rest, but had her meals served in her stateroom by the steward, who did it with a very bad grace, grumbling and complaining at the extra work. He was a good-looking young man, this steward, and the fact that he complained told plainly that there was something between the men that was doing away with discipline. The steward's name was Dalton, and he was a fair specimen of the London c.o.c.kney. Stout and strong, he was as ignorant as an animal and about as easily persuaded into doing things as an obstinate mule. He was also about as hard to dissuade. The other men of the _Sovereign's_ crew were Bull England, a powerful sailor who had served many years in the navy, and who was also a prize fighter, and Dog Daniels, a surly old fellow, who was continually growling at everything. He was six feet six inches and over in height, and as lean and gaunt as the white albatross hovering over our wake. Journegan, the second officer, made the last but not least of the select four who had elected to stay aboard with Sackett to take in the ship and get salvage.

If Andrews had weapons, which I had reason to believe he had since his show of a revolver upon the captain's table, there would be six armed men against thirteen and a woman, for I had no reason to doubt Sackett was to be done away with if the rest were.

I pondered while I ate the cold junk and ship's bread, listening to Andrews holding forth to Mr. Bell and Journegan upon the fallacy of trusting to a power that was highly unintelligible.

"For instance," said he, "for why should I give thanks fer this stinkin'

junk meat when I don't know but what Dalton, there, has put his dirty hands on it an' pisened it fit to kill? How do I know if he washes his hands afore cookin', hey? Look at them warts an' tell me if they ain't ketchin'. Jest think of a stomach full o' warts. Is that anything to be thankful for, I'd like to know."

The idea amused Journegan, but it set me to thinking about the medicine chest in spite of myself. Sackett scowled while this sort of talk went on, but said nothing to bring forth an outbreak from Andrews. I wondered why he did not try to get his men with him and clap the fellow in irons.

There was every reason to believe they would have obeyed him at first, but he hesitated for some religious purpose better known to himself, until the fellow had obtained such a sway over the crew that it was now doubtful if it could be done without an open fight between them and the men he had to back him.

Sackett announced to me that we had made no westing to speak of, on account of the ship now being in the southeasterly set of the Agullas current. We had drifted along with the topsail and two staysails drawing from the main, and a sort of trysail set from a preventer-stay leading aft. In spite of this amount of canvas the breeze had been so light that the sunken ship had not made a mile in two hours. It was disheartening, but if we could only get at the leak and stop some of the water from flowing into her, we might get her up a bit and then she would move faster. Her hatch-combings were high, and the sea had not washed clear over them yet, while her high strakes would be all the tighter, now that they had been under water for days. This seemed to be a very fair argument, but, while the skipper talked, my eyes were upon the gla.s.s case at the end of the cabin, where a row of bottles showed through the front and above the wooden frames. They contained the drugs usually carried aboard ship, and while the skipper talked to me I wondered if there were any poisons in that case which would be of service to Andrews. When we were through, the captain and I left the cabin, for there had been no watches at meals; all had eaten together in order to facilitate matters of cooking, the men only eating at different times from the officers.

As we pa.s.sed up the after-companionway, I looked into the case and endeavored to interest the skipper in drugs for the men in case of sickness. He showed me a bottle of arnica, one of squibbs, another of peppermint, and many other drugs used as simple remedies. At the end of a long row was one containing a white powder, unlabelled. I picked it up and opened the vial, thinking to taste it to see if it was quinine. Its weight, however, made me certain this could not be, and I was just about to put a bit on my tongue when Sackett stopped me.

"It's bichloride of mercury. Don't taste it," said he.

I was not much of a chemist; for a mate's knowledge of the atomic theory must necessarily be slight.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Oh, a poison. I only keep it for vermin and certain skin diseases. It's too deadly to keep around, though, and I've a notion to heave it overboard--"

"Steamer on starboard quarter, sir," came the cry of England, who was at the wheel.

We were bounding up the companionway in an instant, and looking to the northward as soon as our feet struck the deck. There, sure enough, was a dark smudge of smoke on the horizon.

"Get the gla.s.s," said Sackett.

He took it and gazed hard at the dark streak.

"I can just make out her mastheads. She seems to be coming along this way,'" he said, after a moment.

All hands gathered upon the p.o.o.p and watched the smoke. Those who hadn't had their dinner, hastily went below and came up again with the junk in their hands, munching it as they stood gazing after the rising mastheads.

Soon the funnel of the steamer rose above the horizon, and showed that she was standing almost directly parallel to our course. We had run up a distress signal from the main, and now all waited until the stranger should make it out and send a boat or heave to. Our own boat was towing astern, so Sackett had her drawn up to the mizzen channels, ready for the men to get aboard. Miss Sackett came from below and announced that she was ready to accompany the boat.

"If you are silly enough to stay, papa, I can't help it," she said. "I am tired of sitting around in a cabin with my feet in the water, eating stuff fit for pigs. I think you really ought to give the old boat up."

"So do I, Missy," said Andrews. "I can't think of any good a-coming to the old man by staying aboard a craft half sunken like this one. I think your girl is giving you good advice, Captain Sackett."

"I think you heard me state just how I felt about the matter, Mr.

Andrews," replied the captain. "If you're disposed to quit, you can go in the boat."

"Oh, no," said the ruffian, "I intend to stay." And he lent such emphasis to the last word that Sackett gave him a sharp glance to see if he meant anything more.

In half an hour the steamer was pa.s.sing abreast, and we were in the boat rowing hard to head her off. We set a signal on our mast forward, and pulled desperately, but she never even slowed down, pa.s.sing along half a mile distant on the calm ocean. She must have seen us, for the day was bright and cloudless as could be. We hailed and waved until she was a speck to the westward, leaving us alone again save for the sunken ship under our lee.

"It's just the way with a Dago," said Jenks. "They always leaves a fellow just when they shouldn't, and when I first seen that yaller flag I felt pretty sure we'd come in fer somethin' like this."

No one said anything further, for our disappointment was sharp. Even Phillippi, the Portuguese, took no offence at the allusion to Dagos, but rowed in silence back to the _Sovereign_.

"It seems like you can't leave us," said Andrews, sourly, when we returned. "There ain't much room aboard this hooker, an' I don't see why you forever turn back to her when you ain't wanted here."

Jenks climbed up the mizzen channels, which were now no higher than the boat's bow, and made the painter fast on deck without remark. Chips followed him closely.

"If ye mane there's no room aboard fer us, thin why in h.e.l.l don't ye git out th' way an' rid th' ship av a useless ruffian," said the Irishman.

Andrews scowled at him, but changed his look into a sour smile.

"By the grace of the good Lord, I never rips up a sailor for slack jaw aboard the Lord's special appointed ship. Maybe we'll settle the matter of leaving later on," said the ruffian.

"Let there be an end of this talk, sir," said Sackett. "Get your men to work, Mr. Andrews, and you, Mr. Rolling, get the pa.s.sengers out of that boat and stand by to try to find the leak. I don't intend to have any more of this eternal bickering."

Miss Sackett was helped aboard again. As she stepped on deck she whispered, "There's no use, Mr. Rolling. We will have to get out. The only trouble is that the water is gaining slowly in the cabin, and I'm afraid for papa."

"It's a pity he won't desert her," I answered; "but if we get away, Andrews and the rest will be more apt to help him honestly. They won't while we're here, and he won't force any of his men to stay and obey orders, as he should. If he only would, we might get the ship in before a week more of it."

"It's his way," said the girl. "He believes no captain has the right to endanger his men for gain. You couldn't take him by force, for he'd make things warm after he got ash.o.r.e. If we could only get some of the water out of her and get away, he could get her in with England, Journegan, Daniels, and Dalton. Your two men added would make seven. These men could handle the canvas and steer her as well as twelve."

I didn't like to tell her that the devil himself would hardly be safe in the same ship with Andrews. It was quite possible that the ruffian would turn to and do good work for his share of the salvage when he got clear of the rest of us, for the amount would be large and tempting. Sackett would be of more service to him alive than dead.

"We'll get at the leak this afternoon, if it's possible," I said, and the young girl went back to her stateroom.

XIV

It was with anything but rising spirits that Chips went at the leak. He had a frame slung outboard some fifteen feet from the ship's side, supported by guys from the mainmast and jury foremast. It was after eight bells in the afternoon before this was finished, and then Sackett and he went out on it to study the ship's bilge through the calm water. It was almost flat calm, but the _Sovereign_ had steering way enough to turn her side to the slanting sun, letting the light shine under her copper. She was so deep, however, nothing could be made out on the smooth green surface that showed like a started plank end. Only here and there a lump or protuberance appeared, showing a bunch of marine growth, or a bent edge of a plate where it had started to rip off. The water of the Indian Ocean is always remarkably clear, and this day during the still weather it was like liquid air. Objects were as distinctly visible three or four fathoms below the surface as those at a corresponding distance on deck.

I joined Sackett and Chips on the frame, and studied the ship's bilge the entire length of her waist. In about half an hour we shifted to starboard and, by dint of handling the canvas, got her head around so that the sun shone under this side. Nothing showed like a leak.

"If a man could dive under her a few times," said Sackett, "he might see, with the light as good as it is now. What do you think, Mr. Rolling?"

"It would take a good swimmer to go clear under her broad beam," I answered. "I don't believe there's any one aboard who could do it, even with a line around him."

England, the stout sailor, was standing near the rail while I spoke.