CHAPTER II
THE WRECK IN THE ARABIAN SEA
It was a sharp squall that suddenly struck the Guardian-Mother, heeling herover so that everything movable on her decks or below went over to the leeside, and sending no small quantity of salt water over her pilot-house. Ithad begun to be what the ladies called rough some hours before; and withthem Captain Ringgold's reputation as a prophet was in peril, for he hadpredicted a smooth sea all the way to Bombay.
The Blanche, the steam-yacht of General Noury, which was only a triflelarger than the Guardian-Mother, rolled even more. She was following thelatter, and seemed to be of about equal speed, though no trial had beenmade between them. Miss Blanche and Louis had retreated to a dryer placethan the promenade when the shower of spray broke over the pilot-house uponthem, leaving the commander and Mr. Scott there.
Captain Ringgold frowned as he looked out on the uneasy waves, for thesquall appeared to be a surprise to him; but it proved to be more than awhite squall, which may come out of a clear sky, while with a black one thesky is wholly or partly covered with dark clouds. It continued to blow veryfresh, and the commotion in the elements amounted to nothing less than asmart gale.
"This is uncommon in the region of the north-east monsoons," said thecommander, who was planking the promenade deck with Scott. "During Januaryand February the wind is set down as moderate in these waters. I have madetwo runs from Cape of Good Hope to Bombay, and we had quiet seas from thelatitude of Cape Comorin to our destination both times; and I expected thesame thing at this season of the year on this voyage."
The captain was evidently vexed and annoyed at the failure of hisprediction, though squalls were liable to occur in any locality; but thepresent rough weather had begun to look like a gale which might continuefor several days. The north-east monsoons were what he had a right toexpect; but the gale came up from the south south-west. The commanderappeared to be so much disturbed, that the young officer did not venture tosay anything for the next half-hour, though he continued to walk at hisside.
At the end of this time the commander descended to his cabin, invitingScott to go with him. On the great table was spread out the large chart ofthe Indian Ocean. From Aden to Bombay he had drawn a red line, indicatingthe course, east by north a quarter north, which was the course on whichthe steamer was sailing.
"Have you the blue book that comes with this chart, Captain Ringgold?"asked Scott, rather timidly, as though he had something on his mind whichhe did not care to present too abruptly; for the commander was about thebiggest man on earth to him.
"This chart is an old one, as you may see by the looks of it and thecourses marked on it from the Cape of Good Hope," replied the captain,looking at the young officer, to fathom his meaning. "I put all my chartson board of the Guardian-Mother when we sailed for Bermuda the first time.If I ever had the blue book of which you speak, I haven't it now; and Iforget all about it."
"I bought that chart at Aden the first day we were there, when I expectedto navigate the Maud to Bombay; and with it came the blue book, whichtreats mainly of winds, weather, and currents," added Scott. "I studied itwith reference to this voyage, and I found a paragraph which interested me.I will go to my state-room for the book, if you will permit me to readabout ten lines from it to you."
The captain did not object, and Scott soon returned to the commander'scabin with the book. The autocrat of the ship was plainly dissatisfied withhimself at the failure of his prediction for fine weather, and perhaps hefeared that the ambitious young officer intended to instruct him in regardto the situation, though Scott had conducted himself in the most modest andinoffensive manner.
"I don't wish to be intrusive, Captain Ringgold, but I thought it waspossible that you had forgotten this paragraph," said the young officer,with abundant deference in his tone and manner.
"Probably I never saw it; but read it, Mr. Scott," replied the commander.
"The weather is generally fine, and the sky clear, with neither squall norrain, except between Ras Seger and the island of Masira,'" Scott began toread, when the commander interrupted him, and fixed his gaze on the chart,to find the localities mentioned.
"Ras Sajer," said the captain, placing the point of his pencil on the capewhose name he read. "That must be the one you mention."
"No doubt of it, sir; and I have noticed that the spelling on the chart andin the books doesn't agree at all. The island is Massera on my chart."
"They mean the same locality. Go on, Mr. Scott," added the captain.
"'And the vicinity of the bay of Kuriyan Muriyan, where the winds andweather are more boisterous and variable than on any other part of thecoast,'" continued Scott.
"Where is that bay?" asked the commander.
"It is between the two points mentioned before; but it is Kuria Muria onthe chart;" and the captain had the point of his pencil on it by this time.
"We are within three hours' sail of the longitude of that bay, but ahundred and fifty miles south of it," said the commander. "The informationin the book is quite correct. Is there anything more about it?"
"Yes, sir; a few lines more, and I will read them: 'Respecting KuriyanMuriyan Bay, Captain S.B. Haines, I.N., remarks that the sudden change ofwinds, termed by the Arabs _Belat_, and which blow with great violencefor several days, are much dreaded; but what surprised me more than theseland winds were the frequent and heavy gales from the S.S.W. duringFebruary and March, blowing for six days together.'"
"This gale, for such it appears to be, instead of a mere squall, as Isupposed it was at first, has come before it was due by a few days; but itproves that what you have read is entirely correct," said the commander."My two voyages in the Arabian Sea took me twenty degrees east of thispoint, and therefore I had nothing but quiet water. But, Mr. Scott, youhave put an old navigator into the shade, and I commend you for the careand skill with which you had prepared yourself for the voyage of the Maudto Bengal."
"I protest that it was only an accident that I happened on that paragraph!"exclaimed Scott, blushing under his browned face.
"You found what you were looking for, and that was no accident. I feel thatI have added an excellent young officer to the number of my officers,"added Captain Ringgold.
"I thank you, sir, with all my heart; but may I ask one favor of you?"inquired the third officer.
"Name it, and I will grant it if possible."
"I earnestly request that you do not mention this little matter to anyperson on board of the ship."
The commander of the Guardian-Mother was an honest and just man, and he wasdisposed to give credit to any one who deserved it, even at his ownexpense, and he looked at the young officer in silence for some moments.Then they argued the question for a time; but the captain finally grantedthe new officer's request, praising him for his modesty, which was rather anewly developed virtue in his character.
The steamer continued to roll violently when Louis assisted Miss Blanchedown the stairs to the main cabin. The dozen passengers who had notgone on deck after luncheon were in excellent humor, for all of themwere experienced sailors by this time, and beyond the discomforts ofseasickness. All of them held the commander in such high respect andregard, that not one of them mentioned the failure of his prediction offine weather for the next five or six days. Perhaps all of them wondered,for the captain's predictions before had been almost invariably verified;but not one of them spoke of his missing it in this instance.
The gale continued the rest of the day and during the night. When themorning watch came on duty at four o'clock, Captain Ringgold was pacing thepromenade deck, peering through the darkness, and observing the huge wavesthat occasionally washed the upper deck. He had not slept a wink during thenight, though he had reclined an hour on the divan in the pilot-house. Hewas not alarmed for the safety of his ship, but he looked out for her verycarefully in heavy weather.
He was particularly interested in the conduct of the Blanche. She had ta
kena position to windward of the Guardian-Mother, and appeared to be doingquite as well in the heavy sea as her consort. She had been built with allthe strength and solidity that money could buy; and she was as handsome acraft as ever floated, not even excepting her present companion on thestormy sea, and she was proving herself to be an able sea-boat.
"Good-morning, Mr. Scott," said the commander, as the young officer touchedhis cap to him.
Scott had been temporarily placed in the watch with the first officer, andhis post of duty was at the after part of the ship.
"Good-morning, Captain Ringgold," replied Scott, as he halted to ascertainif the commander had any orders for him. "The gale does not appear to havemoderated since I turned in, sir."
"On the contrary, it blows fresher than ever. I did not expect such a nastytime as we are having of it," added the commander.
"According to Captain Haines of the Indian navy, we may expect it to lastfive days longer, for we have had nearly one day of it."
"Not quite so bad as that, Mr. Scott. If we had stayed in the vicinity ofKuria Muria Bay, we might have got five days more of it; but this is alocal storm, and we shall doubtless run out of it in a day or two at most,and come again into the region of the north-east monsoon."
"I hope so for the sake of those in the cabin; and I did not think of thelocal feature you mention."
"The deck is well officered now," added the captain with a gape, "and Iwill take a nap in my cabin for an hour or two. Mr. Boulong will have mecalled if the storm gets any worse."
The commander went to his cabin, and Scott walked aft to the compass abaftthe mainmast. The binnacle was lighted, and he looked into it. The coursewas all right, though the ship yawed a good deal in the trough of the sea,the gale pelting her squarely on the beam. Though it was not an easy thingeven for a thorough seaman to preserve his centre of gravity, the youngofficer made his way fore and aft with the aid of the life-lines which hadbeen extended the evening before. He watched the motions of the Blanche,for there was nothing else to be seen but the waste of angry waters.
Far ahead the light of the breaking day began to penetrate the gloomy blackclouds. It was a pleasure to come out of the deep darkness, and he observedwith interest the increase of the light. While he was watching the east,the lookout man in the foretop hailed the deck. He listened and movedforward to the foremast to hear what passed between him and the firstofficer.
"Steamer on the port bow, sir!" reported the man aloft.
Scott saw the vessel, but she was too far off to be made out. She passedand disappeared; but about the moment he lost sight of her, he thought heheard the report of a musket, or some other firearm, to the northward ofthe ship. He listened with all his ears, and then distinguished veryfaintly shouts from human voices. He waited only long enough to satisfyhimself that he had not mistaken the roar of the sea for calls for help,and then went forward to the pilot-house, where he announced that he hadheard the shots and the cries.
"Are you sure of it, Mr. Scott?" asked the first officer.
"Very sure, sir."
"We have heard nothing, and the lookouts have not reported anything," addedMr. Boulong.
"On deck, sir! Wreck on the port beam!" yelled the lookout aloft.
"Call the captain, Mr. Scott," said the first officer, as he went out ondeck.
He made out the ominous sounds, and judged that they came from a point notmore than a mile distant. The commander and Scott appeared immediately; andwith the increased daylight they discovered several men clinging to whatappeared to be a wreck.