Four Afloat: Being the Adventures of the Big Four on the Water

  CHAPTER VII--IN WHICH NELSON DISCOVERS A STOWAWAY

  For a moment the silence was startling. For an hour and a half the humand whir of the busy engine had filled the boat until it had long sincegrown unnoticeable. And now to have it suddenly cease without warningseemed a veritable catastrophe. The silence which ensued while Nelsonwent anxiously over the motor seemed unnatural and fraught withdisaster. On the stove, Tom's viands stood forgotten while the _chef_watched with worried countenance the captain's efforts to locate thetrouble. Bob stood silently by and Dan peered down from the hatch, forthere was no use in holding the wheel. The _Vagabond_ drifted silently,rolling a little from side to side as the swells took her.

  Finally Nelson stood up and scowled impatiently.

  "I can't see where the trouble is. The spark's all right, she doesn'tseem hot, and the gasoline cock is wide open. The only thing----"

  He seized a wrench and began to unfasten the vaporizer.

  "This thing may possibly be stopped up," he muttered.

  He cleaned it out, turned the gasoline on again, and whistled.

  "What is it?" asked Bob.

  "She doesn't get any gasoline," said Nelson thoughtfully. "It surelyhasn't been shut off at the tank! No one has been trying any fool trickslike that, have they?"

  There was a prompt and sober denial from each.

  "Then," said Nelson, "either the supply pipe is stopped up or the tank'sempty, and I don't see how either is possible. Bring that light, Bob,will you? I'm going to measure."

  A moment later, when the measuring stick had been pulled out of the tankfor the third time, perfectly dry, Nelson gave in.

  "That's it," he said quietly. "The tank's as dry as punk."

  "But I thought we had something like ninety gallons aboard," said Bob.

  "So did I. Either there's a big leak in the tank or else they only gaveus about ten gallons at the wharf. I wasn't looking. Did anyone noticehow much gasoline was put in?"

  "Why, it couldn't have been much," answered Dan. "The young fellow thatwas doing it was only at it three or four minutes."

  "That's it, then," said Nelson. "It couldn't be a leak. If it was, we'dsmell it easily. Well, we can't run the engine without gasoline. I oughtto have seen to the filling of the tank, I suppose; but you'd think theycould be trusted to do that, wouldn't you? They'll hear about it, allright!"

  "Wh-wh-what are we gu-going to do?" asked Tom.

  "Well, there are three things we can do," was the answer. "We can getinto the tender and tow the launch, for one thing. But we're a good tenor eleven miles from the harbor, and that's an all-night job. Or we canlet her drift as long as she keeps near the shore. Or we can drop heranchor and ride here until morning."

  "Let's do that," said Dan. "It--it's perfectly safe, isn't it?"

  "Yes, safe as you like while this sort of weather lasts. Only I don'tknow for certain whether we've got cable enough to the anchor. Itdepends on how much water there is here."

  "Well, we can soon find out," said Bob cheerfully. "Come on and let'sget it over."

  There was an anxious moment or two following the splash of the anchor,and while the cable paid out into the dark water.

  "How's she coming?" asked Nelson.

  "Plenty left yet," answered Dan.

  "All right!" called Nelson. "Make her fast. It isn't nearly as deep as Ifeared it would be."

  The _Vagabond_ swung her nose seaward and tugged at the cable, but theanchor held fast. Nelson and Bob examined the lanterns carefully, tookin the flags, which had been forgotten, and came back to the cockpit.Barry, who seemed to scent trouble, followed Dan's heels at every step.

  "If the weather stays like this," observed Dan, "we'll do pretty well."

  "Yes, and I don't see any sign of a change," answered Nelson."Barometer's behaving well and the wind's clean from the west. All we'vegot to do now is to have our dinner, turn in, and sleep until morning.But we've got to keep watch on deck. I'll take it for two hours and thenyou fellows can take it for two each. That'll bring us to daylight. Thenwe'll have to find some one to give us a tow. How about dinner, Tommy?"

  "I'm afraid it's all cooked away," said Tommy sadly.

  But it wasn't, and Bob, Dan, and Tom sat down to the table and atehungrily, while Nelson kept watch above, putting his head in the doorwaynow and then to beg some one to keep an eye on Tommy. The coffee was hotand Tom had not forgotten to "put the coffee in," and before the repastwas half finished everyone's spirits had risen to normal once more. Thecatastrophe began to take on the guise of an interesting adventure, andthe prospect of keeping watch on deck was quite exciting. Presently Danrelieved Nelson, and the latter took his place at table.

  It was decided that the first watch should commence at nine o'clock,with Nelson on duty; that Tom should relieve him at eleven, and befollowed by Bob and Dan in order. But when nine came, those who were offduty refused to go to bed in spite of Nelson's protests. Instead, theywrapped themselves up and snuggled down in the cockpit out of the wind,which seemed to be freshening gradually and was quite chill, and talkedand stared up at the stars or across the black void to where Minot'sflashed its signal. Once lights, a white and a green, passed them to theeastward, but there was no telling how far distant the craft was, andNelson decided that it would be a waste of breath to try and make thoseon board of her hear. The novelty of the situation added its spice ofenjoyment, and it was long after ten when Tom announced sleepily that hewas going to turn in.

  "What's the use, Tommy?" asked Dan. "You'll have to take the watch in ahalf hour."

  But Tom only muttered incoherently as he stumbled below. Dan and Bobfollowed soon after, and Nelson was left alone. He drew the hatch shutin order to cut off the light which came from below, and took his standby the wheel. Presently Bob shouted good night, and he answered. Theneverything was very silent out there. For awhile he kept his eyes busyon all sides, but such a sharp outlook was quite unnecessary, and sopresently he leaned his elbows on the cabin roof and let his thoughtswander. He blamed himself for their predicament, and would be heartilyglad when they were once more in port. Six bells sounded below, but hewas not sleepy, and so he didn't wake Tom until almost midnight. It wasno easy matter even then, but at last Tom stumbled up on deck, promisingsleepily to keep a sharp watch, and Nelson divested himself of his shoesand sweater and threw himself onto his bunk. Barry watched him from hisnest at Dan's feet and thumped his tail companionably. Sleep didn't comereadily, and so he lay for awhile with wide-opened eyes, staring at thedim light above Dan's berth. Presently his thoughts worked around to Tomout there on deck. He recollected how sleepy that youth had been when hewent out, and he became uneasy. Of course, with the lights in place,there was really no danger of anyone running them down, but at the sametime there was always a possibility of accident, and Nelson felt himselfliable for the safety of his companions. Presently he slipped off theberth and crossed the engine room quietly. All was still outside savefor the rush of the wind and the slap of the water against the boat. Heput his head out, expecting to see Tom huddled up asleep on the seat.Instead--

  "Hello!" said Tom. "Is that you, Bob? You're ahead of time."

  "N-no," answered Nelson a bit sheepishly, "it's me. I--I wasn't sleepy,and I thought I'd see how you were getting along."

  Which wasn't quite truthful, perhaps, but was possibly excusable, sinceNelson didn't want to hurt Tom's feelings.

  "Oh, I'm getting along all right," was the cheerful reply. "It's ratherjolly out here. Do you know what time it is?"

  "About half-past twelve."

  "All right. Haven't seen a thing yet."

  "Well, I guess you won't, Tommy, unless it's a whale. Call Bob at one.Goodnight!"

  "Good night, Captain!" answered Tom.

  Relieved, Nelson went back to his berth and fell promptly to sleep. Hehad a hazy idea once that the watch was being changed, but he didn'treally wake up until Dan shook him at a little after five.

  "Everything's all right, I guess," said Dan softl
y, "but it's rainingand blowing a good deal, and I thought maybe you'd want to know aboutit."

  Nelson put his feet to the floor and instantly realized that weatherconditions had altered. The launch was pitching endwise and sidewise,and through one or two of the ports, which had been left open, the rainwas blowing in.

  "It's after five," said Dan, "but I thought you fellows might as wellsleep awhile longer. We couldn't see a boat anyhow, unless she bumpedinto us; it's as thick as anything outside."

  Nelson drew on his oilskins, closed the ports on the weather side, andfollowed Dan to the cockpit. The wind had passed around to thesouthwest, the sea had risen a good deal, and all sight of land was shutoff by the rain squalls. It was what the fisherman would have called a"smoky sou'wester." Nelson went forward and saw that the cable was fast,although it was no easy task to stay on the launch's plunging bow. Thewater swept over the forward end of the cabin in spray every moment.

  "You go and take a nap," said Nelson. "I'll look out for her awhile."

  "All right," agreed Dan, "I guess I will. The fact is"--he grinnedapologetically--"I'm feeling the motion a bit."

  "I should say you were!" answered Nelson. "You're as white as a sheet!Go on down and see if you can't get to sleep."

  "Well--is everything all right?"

  "Yes. This is only a squall, I guess. There's no danger, anyway,although it'll be pretty wet for awhile."

  Dan went down and Nelson made himself comfortable in the lee of thecabin. It seemed earlier than it really was, but that was due to theclouds and rain squalls. At about six Bob put his head out, withsurprise written large on his features.

  "What's happened?" he asked.

  "Oh, a nice little blow from the sou'west," answered Nelson. "The old_Vagabond_ thinks she's doing a Highland fling."

  "How long's it going to last?" asked Bob, with a dubious look about him.

  "Not long, I guess. I hope not, anyhow, for we're not likely to find atow while it keeps up. Wake Tommy and get him to start breakfast, willyou? A cup of hot coffee might taste nasty, but I don't think so."

  Bob's eyes brightened as he drew back out of the wind to awaken the_chef_ and finish dressing; "hot coffee" surely has a grateful sound ona wet deck at six o'clock in the morning. And it tastes a whole lotnicer than it sounds; everyone would have agreed to that half an hourlater, especially Nelson, who drank his coffee from a tin cup and atehis bacon and eggs from the top of the cabin, where the end of thetender sheltered the plate from the rain.

  "I'm just as well pleased that we didn't try to go to New York with theothers," observed Bob after breakfast. "About this time they must bedown around the mouth of Buzzard's Bay, and I'll bet it's blowing upnasty there."

  "Well, there was no danger of our getting there," said Nelson.

  "Why?"

  "Because we had no gasoline, of course."

  "That's so; I'd forgotten that. But, say, I'm glad I'm not on the _Sue_about this time!"

  "I wonder which will win," said Dan.

  "So do I," said Nelson. "Well, we'll find out if we ever get to land.Hang this wind, anyway! Last night we might have used the tender andtowed a bit, but we couldn't do that now in this sea to save our lives."

  "I hope it won't be necessary to try it," said Bob dryly.

  And as it proved, it wasn't. For before nine the wind died down, the suncame out strongly, and the sea, while still choppy, calmed considerably.Nelson set the yachting ensign upside down as a signal of distress, andthe Four kept a sharp watch for boats. Little by little the shorelineshowed clear and sharp to the west, and sails and smoke showed here andthere on the water. But it was all of an hour before any craft came nearenough to see the _Vagabond's_ dilemma. Then it was an ocean-going tug,which bore down on them from the north with a schooner in tow. The boyswaved and used the megaphone, and the tug presently altered her courseand ran up to them.

  "Broke down?" shouted a man from the door of the pilot house.

  "Yes," answered Nelson. "We're out of gasoline. Have you got any?"

  "No, we don't use it," laughed the other.

  "Can you give us a tow, then?"

  "Where do you want to go?"

  "Anywhere we can get more gasoline."

  "Well, I'm bound for Sanstable. If you want to make fast to the stern ofthe schooner back there you can. But I cal'ate if you wait awhile you'llfind some feller bound toward Boston."

  There was a hurried conference. They were tired of lying there, andSanstable sounded as good as any other place.

  "We'll go with you," answered Nelson.

  "All right. Get your mud hook up and be ready to throw a line to theschooner as she goes by."

  The tug started on slowly, the boys pulled the anchor up, and Nelsonfound a sixty-foot rope which would serve as a towline. By good luck,the man on the schooner caught it at the first throw, ran aft with it,and made it fast, and in another moment the _Vagabond_ was slidingthrough the water once more at a seven-mile gait. The crew of theschooner, the _Lizzie and May of Rockport_, laden with big blocks ofgranite, came aft and smoked their pipes and observed the launch withphlegmatic interest.

  "When will you reach Sanstable?" shouted Nelson.

  One of the men took his pipe from his mouth, spat over the rail, andcocked an eye at the sun.

  "'Bout three o'clock," he answered finally.

  "Thunder!" muttered Nelson. Then, "How far is it?" he asked.

  The pipe came forth again and the informant let his gaze travel aroundthe horizon as though he were looking for a milestone.

  "'Bout thirty or forty miles," he said.

  "Thanks!" shouted Nelson. There was no reply to this. Doubtless thesailor thought it a waste of time to remove his pipe for a mere politeformality. Presently he and his companions, all save the man at thewheel, disappeared.

  The sun grew warmer and the sea calmer. The wind had stolen around intothe south and blew mildly across the sparkling waves. There was nothingto do save take life easily, and so Bob and Dan stretched themselves outon the cabin roof, Tom went to sleep in the bow, and Nelson stayed inthe cockpit where he could get to the wheel if the necessity arose. Attwelve Tom was awakened out of a sound but not silent slumber, and sentbelow to cook luncheon, and at a little before two bells they ate. Bythis time they were near enough the shore so that they could distinguishobjects. Plymouth was passed at two, and at three the tug was headinginto the shallow harbor of Sanstable.

  "How much are you going to offer him?" asked Bob.

  "The tugboat fellow? I don't know. What do you think?" said Nelson.

  "Well, I suppose he could demand a lot if he had a mind to, but I thinkten dollars would be about right, don't you?"

  Nelson thought that it would, and so when the tug slowed down and theman at the wheel of the _Lizzie and May_ tossed them their line Nelsondropped into the tender, which had been put over, and rowed to the tug.

  "Ten dollars!" said the captain. "Why, say, young man, I'd tow youaround the world for that! No; you give me a couple of dollars for theboys and we'll call quits."

  "Well, we're awfully much obliged," Nelson assured him as he handed upthe money.

  "That's all right," answered the captain, who, on nearer acquaintanceproved to be a squat, broad-shouldered man with a grave face lighted bya pair of twinkling blue eyes, "that's all right. Maybe you can give mea tow some day!" And he chuckled as Nelson assured him of hiswillingness to do so. The tug and schooner proceeded on up the harboralong the waterfront, and Nelson rowed back to the _Vagabond_. There Danjoined him with the towline, and the two pulled the launch up to thenearest wharf. The harbor was not large, nor were there many piers, butit was well filled with pleasure craft and small schooners, and everyslip was occupied. As there was no chance of getting up to a wharf, theydecided to tie up to a schooner--the _Henry Nellis_--which was landing aload of pine boards.

  "We'll have to stay here until morning," said Nelson, "so we might aswell make the best of it. As soon as we get some gasoline aboard we canrun ou
t and anchor in the harbor."

  Luckily they were able to buy their fuel at the head of the wharf wherethey had berthed, but it was hard work getting it aboard, since they hadto carry it down from the little store in five-gallon cans, lug itacross the schooner's deck, and hand it down the side. Dan stayed aboardthe launch and the others carried. It was awkward work, and they decidedthat they would take aboard merely enough for a two days' run and fillagain where things were more convenient. So they put in thirty gallonsand called it off. It was then four o'clock, and they decided to goashore awhile before taking the launch out to her anchorage. After theyhad reached the village street Nelson stopped.

  "Say, I forgot to lock that hatch," he said. "I wonder if I'd better goback."

  "You closed things up, didn't you?" asked Bob.

  "Yes."

  "Oh, it will be all right, then. Come on!"

  They found the post office, and Nelson wrote a brief account of theiradventures to his father. When he had signed his name to the postal cardhe paused and chewed the end of the pen for a moment. Then--

  "Look here, fellows," he said to the others, who were watching thevillage life through the dusty window, "we ought to decide where we'regoing, so that dad can send our mail to us."

  "That's so," agreed Tom.

  "Let's keep on to New York, now that we've started," said Bob.

  "Well, but you wanted to go to Portland," answered Nelson doubtfully.

  "Never mind Portland. Maybe we can run up there when we come back. Let'smake it New York."

  "All right. Then I'll tell dad to send our mail to the general deliveryat Newport, and we'll stop for it there the day after to-morrow. How'sthat?"

  "Sounds good to me," said Dan.

  An hour later they were back at the wharf, having given their legs agood stretching, and were making their way through the piles of lumberwhich covered the pier.

  "It's time we got here," observed Bob. "The schooner's throughunloading, and there comes a tug to take her out. Let's get a move on."

  He led the way across the deck of the schooner and was hailed by a thin,red-faced man, who came hurrying back from the bow.

  "Hi, there! Where you going?"

  Bob explained.

  "Oh!" said the other. Then, "Say," he asked, "you ain't seen a youngfeller about fourteen around here, have yer?"

  Bob replied that he had not.

  "Well, if you do, you let me know," said the captain of the _HenryNellis_ savagely. "He's my boy, and if I catch anyone helpin' him to runaway from this ship, there'll be trouble."

  "Oh, run away, has he?" asked Dan.

  "What's that to you, young feller?" asked the man angrily.

  "Nothing," replied Dan, flushing. "Only if he has, I hope he keeps outof your way."

  "Oh, you do, eh? Well, you get off my deck, do you hear? Get, now!"

  "Come on," whispered Bob. But Dan's ire was aroused.

  "Don't think I want to stay here, do you?" he asked sarcastically. "Youaren't laboring under the impression that your personal attraction is sogreat that I can't tear myself loose, are you? Why, I've seenbetter-looking folks than you in the monkey cage!"

  By that time Nelson and Bob were hurrying him unwillingly to the side ofthe schooner, and Tom, choking with laughter, was scrambling over therail. The captain choked with anger for an instant. Then he found hisvoice, and the boys landed on the deck of the _Vagabond_ amid averitable thunder of abuse. He came to the side of the schooner andcontinued to give his opinion of them while they cast off.

  "Go it!" muttered Dan. Then, seeing the boat hook in Bob's hands, "Say,let me have that a minute, Bob," he begged. "Just let me rap him oneover the knuckles with it!"

  But Bob refused, and the _Vagabond_ slid astern under the amused regardof the crew, who had gathered as the storm broke. Dan waved farewell inthe direction of the flaming red face which still regarded them savagelyover the rail.

  "Write often!" he called.

  There was a quickly hushed howl from the crew, the captain disappearedfrom the rail, and from the subsequent sounds it was evident that he hadtransferred his attention to his subordinates.

  "Gee, isn't he an old bear!" marveled Dan.

  "Don't blame the boy for running away!" observed Nelson, as he shovedback the hatch and opened the doors. "Take the wheel, Bob, and we'll runacross there toward the bar, where we'll be out of the way. See thatspar over there? Sing out when we get almost up to it and I'll shut heroff."

  "Yes, sir! Very good, sir!" replied Bob, touching his cap ceremoniously.

  Nelson went below, and as his feet touched the engine room floor heheard a shuffling sound in the stateroom beyond. With a bound, he was atthe door. There was no one in sight. Evidently his ears had deceivedhim; probably he had heard some one moving on deck. Then, as he turnedto go back to the engine, he saw that he had not been mistaken afterall. Huddled in the corner of Tom's berth lay a boy, whose anxious facegleamed pale in the dim light and whose wide, eager eyes staredpleadingly up at him.