CHAPTER XVIII
RUNNING A CARGO
On crawling into the cabin Frank found the stove burning fiercely withthe register open full blast. He was sitting near it wrapped in a thickblanket from which his bare legs and arms protruded when Harry joinedhim.
"This should thaw you out," the latter said. "The place would do fordrying fruit in. Got any coffee left?"
Frank gave him some, and when he had drunk it Harry examined some of thegarments which were hanging about the stove.
"They'll be getting fairly dry in half an hour or so and then we'll pullout for home," he added. "It's breezing up quite smart now and I'd liehere until morning only aunt would get badly scared. She wouldn't sayanything, but if Jake got to talking it would probably make trouble whendad comes home."
"How did the canoe get adrift?" Frank inquired sleepily.
"That," said Harry with an excellent imitation of Mr. Barclay's manner,"is a point I have been investigating. To begin with, the killick hadbeen hauled up since we pitched it over, and let go again--only on thelast occasion it was made fast so it wouldn't quite fetch the bottom."He raised his hand in protest as Frank was about to speak. "It's a surething. One strand was chafed where I took a turn with the rope, and thatfrayed bit had got moved a fathom or two along. I felt about until Istruck it."
Frank started, for this confirmed a hazy suspicion which had alreadybeen in his mind, but he stooped to pat the dog, who was licking hisuncovered foot.
"Hold on. Your tongue's rough," he said before he looked up at hiscompanion. "What do you make of the thing?"
"Well," said Harry, "the man who did it wanted it to look as if thecanoe had gone adrift by accident. He was on the island when we camealong and the dog got after him. It's most likely he went off in a boator canoe while we were making for the beach after we'd heard thebarking. Seems to me he'd some reason for wanting to keep us here."
"You think he was one of the dope men?" suggested Frank.
"I wouldn't be greatly astonished if we saw the schooner on our wayhome," Harry answered with a chuckle.
There was some excuse for his amusement, because Frank looked somewhatludicrous as he sat thinking hard with his brows wrinkled down and theblanket falling away from him.
"I've an idea," he announced at length. "The question, of course, is whyshould the man who set the canoe adrift have landed on a desolate placelike this? I expect it's just its desolateness that brought him here.Now the smugglers probably find it difficult to get hold of the dope inCanada, and they may have to save it up in small parcels until it'sworth while to send the schooner through. She couldn't come often withonly a case or two, because it wouldn't pay and it would increase thechances of somebody's seeing her. On the other hand, they may not beable to get rid of the stuff immediately when she brings a big lot, andin that case they'd be likely to make a cache of part of it where nobodywould be likely to strike it and their friends could come for it later.This island ought to be just the place."
Harry made a sign of assent.
"I guess you've hit it first time, but I'll go up and get the mainsailon her. I can manage it alone with two reefs in, and you can stay whereyou are until your clothes are a little drier, unless I call you."
He went out, and Frank heard a clatter of blocks and flutter of canvas.After that there was a sharp rattling as Harry hauled in the anchorchain, and then the boat suddenly slanted over with a jerk which flungFrank backward against the side of her. As he got up he heard the watersplash about her bows. A few minutes later they began to swing sharplyup and down, and the thuds against them made it evident that the sloopwas plunging close-hauled through a short, head sea. By and by theplunges grew more violent, and struggling into his clothes, which werepartly dry, Frank put out the lamp and crawled out into the well. For aminute or two he could see nothing as he held on by the weather coaming,though he felt the buffeting of the wind and the sting of the spray uponhis face. Then by degrees he made out that the sloop was lying down onone side, with the small black strip of her double-reefed mainsailslanting sharply above her, and a filmy white cloud flying at her bows.Suddenly the frothing water began to glitter, and on looking up he sawthat the moon, which had grown brighter, had just emerged from behind abank of flying cloud. Then Harry who sat at the helm called to him.
"Look yonder! Just over the bowsprit end," he cried.
Frank, gazing where his companion told him, saw a bright red twinkle lowdown above the sea and apparently two or three miles away.
"A fire!" he exclaimed. "On the island by the point, isn't it?"
"A signal," Harry assented. "Guess it's to show the schooner men thebush gang are ready." He broke into a laugh which reached Frank faintly."They're figuring we're safe on the island out of the way. You couldn'tsee that fire from the beach we were left upon."
"What are you going to do?"
"Stand right on to where the fire is. We have to make a long leg on thistack, anyway. When we're close up with the point we'll consider. Get alittle more head sheet in if you can."
It cost Frank an effort, though the sloop was carrying her smallest jib,and when he had made the rope fast he crouched beside his comrade in thepartial shelter of the coaming with the dog at his feet. It was blowingmoderately fresh, and the sloop was very wet, for the tide was runningwith her and she thrashed on at a great pace pitching the water allover, while the red twinkle ahead grew steadily higher and brighter. Itwas the only thing that Frank could see, because the moon haddisappeared again.
In the meanwhile he wondered what his companion meant to do, for hefancied that Harry had something in his mind. The latter was like hisfather in some respects, since he did not, as a rule, explain what hisintentions were until he was reasonably sure that he could carry themout. One result of this was that while each seldom did less than he saidhe would he not infrequently did a good deal more. Folks of this kind,Frank reflected, inspired one with confidence.
At last, when the fire was large and bright, a head loomed up above itwith the wavering glow falling upon its rocky face. On one side of thecrag there was a strip of darkness, which Frank supposed was water, anda little nearer him a long shadowy patch, which he knew to be an island.He turned to Harry, who was just then glancing up at the sky.
"We'll run right into the light if you stand on much longer," he pointedout.
He had hardly spoken when the red blaze sank down amidst an upward rushof sparks, and as it died away Harry laughed.
"That means one of two things," he said. "Either they've given theschooner up, or she has her anchor down inside and they've no more usefor a light that might set folks wondering, though I don't know thatanybody would be likely to see it."
"Anyway, you'll go ashore if you stand on," persisted Frank.
"It's not my intention that we should stand on," said Harry, glancing upagain at the cloud-barred sky. "We can just weather the island as she'slying, and when that's done I could put up my helm and run through thesound behind it. I'll do it if the moon keeps in. If the schooner'sinside yonder we ought to see her."
Frank was rather staggered by the boldness of the idea. The straitseemed narrow and he fancied that it would be further contracted byshallows now that the tide was getting low, while it appeared veryprobable that if they saw the schooner her crew would see them. If shewere landing cargo there would be boats about, and he did not think itwould be pleasant to fall in with them, after the pains somebody hadtaken in setting the canoe adrift. Still, though he was very dubiousabout its wisdom, the prospect of the adventure appealed to him andHarry seemed to take his consent for granted.
"We'll carry a fair wind through," the latter announced. "If it'snecessary we could lower the peak down and that would leave very littlecanvas to be seen. You had better shorten the canoe up while I luff.She's half full and towing heavily."
The mainsail thrashed and the speed slackened when he put down his helm,and Frank, hauling with all his might, dragged the canoe up a littlecloser astern and made her f
ast with a shorter rope, after which Harrygot way on the boat again. It seemed to Frank to be blowing harder, andshe swayed down farther, plunging furiously through the short seas witha white belt of surf which had shadowy rocks behind it to lee of her.The moon was still hidden, but it was evident that they were very closeto the end of the island. By and by the white line to lee suddenlyvanished and they stretched out into the dark water, with a high, blackmass not far ahead.
"We've got to jibe her," said Harry. "Get the peak down."
The deck was horribly slanted and slippery, but Frank made his wayforward along it while the seas which seemed steeper there drenched himwith showers of cold brine. He found the halliard and let it go, andscrambling aft as the head of the sail swung down, helped his companion,who was struggling with a rope, while he jammed the tiller over with hisshoulder.
"Handy!" cried Harry. "You must check the boom as it comes over."
The craft was coming round with her stern to the wind, and as she did sothe canoe came up on the top of a sea and struck her with a crash. Frankhad, however, no thought to spare for her. He was dragging at themainsheet as the big boom tilted up into the darkness above his head,while the sloop rolled heavily. Then the upper part of the bagging sailswung over with a bang and he whipped the rope around something as theheavy spar followed it. The sloop rolled at the same time until half herdeck was in the sea, the sheet was torn furiously through his hands, andthe canoe hit her with another heavy thud as she swayed up again. Thenit drove astern, and Frank had space to gather his breath and look abouthim as they swept on into smoother water.
Harry was edging in toward the low black ridge of the island, and therewas a higher mass on the opposite side crested with what appeared to berows of pines, with a dark gap between them. They could now hear thesurf on the weather side of the island, which told them that they werealready behind it. Four or five minutes later the channel twisted, andas they swept around a black rock two or three lights blinked out ahead,with a low red blaze behind them, apparently on the opposite beach.
"There she is; ready to clear at the shortest notice," said Harry,stretching out a pointing hand. "They've kept the boom-foresail and mostof the mainsail on her, though I guess the anchor's down. We'll get thecenterboard up."
They were drawing nearer the lights rapidly, but it was two or threeminutes before Frank, who heaved the board up into its case, could makeout a black mass of fluttering canvas against the sky. Then Harry spokeagain:
"There's a shingle bank runs out not far ahead and there can't be muchwater over it now the tide's nearly run out. I'm afraid I'll have topass on the other hand of the schooner."
Frank could understand why he did not want to do this, since the channelwas narrow and they must pass between the lights of the vessel and thefire upon the beach. It seemed to him that it would be singularlyawkward if they met a boat coming from or going to the latter, which,however, was precisely what befell them.
Harry ran the sloop off as far as he dared, and Frank was watching theschooner's black hull rise higher when he made out a dim shape thatmoved between her and the beach.
"A boat, sure!" cried Harry. "Get the mainsheet in. We'll have to takeour chances of the shoal."
He helped Frank with one hand, but the task was almost beyond theirstrength, and while they dragged at the rope the half-seen boat and theschooner seemed to be flying toward them. Then as they made the ropefast and the sloop headed in toward the island a pale gleam from a lighton the vessel fell upon her. It seemed impossible to Frank that theyshould not be seen, but nobody hailed them, and while he listened,expecting every moment to hear a shout, a clatter of blocks brokethrough the splash of approaching oars. Even behind the island, thewater was rather broken and the men seemed to be pulling hard.
A moment later the light faded off the sloop, though Frank could see theschooner comparatively plainly. Her tall, shadowy canvas was flutteringathwart the light, and beneath it a cluster of indistinct figures roseand fell as they heaved up something with a tackle. He could hear theirvoices clearly, and he was glad to remember that the dusky ridge of theisland rose behind the sloop, though he wished his companion would runcloser in with it. He had seen all he wanted and only desired to getaway as soon as possible.
It became evident by and by that Harry had run in closer than wasadvisable, for there was a crash and the sloop suddenly stopped. Almostimmediately afterward she lay over with her boom and most of her deck onone side in the water, while the tide, twisting her bows around,threatened to pour into her over the depressed coaming. As she had comeup nearly head to wind, her mainsail thrashed furiously, jerking theboom up out of the sea every now and then and letting it splash inagain, while the flapping jib seemed likely to snap off the head of herrattling mast. Loose ropes appeared to be flying everywhere and Frankclung stupidly to the coaming, uncertain what to do. They were agroundunfortunately close to the schooner, and, he feared, within sight of themen on board her. Harry's voice, however, roused him to make an effort.
"Jump forward with the big oar! We must get her off," he said. "Thetide's still falling."
Frank trod upon and fell over the dog, who fortunately was unable to seeanything over the coaming. He scarcely heard it yelping as he scrambledalong the steeply slanted deck dragging the heavy oar. They got it overand thrust upon it in desperate haste in an attempt to cant her bow off,but as the tide swung her farther around her side came up against theoar, threatening to break it or pitch the boys over the rail, and for awhile they strained every muscle in vain. Then she suddenly swung backin the midst of a furious swirl, and Frank fell down on something thatseemed unpleasantly hard. Harry, flinging the oar upon the deck, droppedclose by, feeling for a rope.
"Get up and get hold!" he cried breathlessly. "We must box her roundwith the jib. You can lie down afterward."
Frank scrambled up and pulled in a frenzy, and the boat swung fartheraround. Then the mainsail ceased fluttering, and jumping aft they fellinto the well, where Frank fancied that he trod upon the dog again.Harry immediately seized the tiller, thrusting it to weather, and thesloop commenced to move slowly through the water, though there was aharsh grinding beneath her. By and by she suddenly shot forward again.
"She's off!" exclaimed Harry. "Give her sheet!"
Frank let the mainsheet run and afterward leaned breathlessly upon thecoaming with a thrill of relief as they drove out into the deeper water;but it appeared that his companion was not satisfied yet.
"She should run over to the opposite side without bringing the boomacross," he said. "There seems to be a big rock yonder and we couldheave her to in the gloom of it. If I remember, it's good water."
"What for?" asked Frank, who was anxious to get out of the channel.
"Well," said Harry, "we've seen the schooner, a boat, and a fire uponthe beach, but, after all, that's not a great deal to go upon. We wantto make sure what she's putting ashore."
The boom lifted ominously as he ran her off and Frank fancied thatsomebody would certainly hear the crash if he jibed it over. Shestretched across, however, and, rounding her up close beneath a darkrock, they hauled the jib to windward and waited. Though they were indeep shadow, a stream of flickering radiance fell upon the water not faraway and lighted up a narrow strip of beach. A few minutes passed andthen Harry touched his companion, who saw several men cross the shinglewith loads upon their shoulders. Their figures showed black against thelight, and Frank fancied that they were carrying square wooden cases.After them came several more figures, but these carried nothing and weredressed differently. They looked like Chinamen and they had evidentlyjust got out of an unseen boat.
"Now," said Harry, "I guess that will do. If you'll trim the jib overI'll get way on her."
Frank was glad to do it. He felt that he had seen quite enough and itwould be wiser to get away before any misadventure befell them. They ranout of the channel and were thrashing close-hauled into a rather steephead sea when Harry spoke again.
"There were four
cases in the last lot, and another boat went ashore,"he observed. "It looks as if they would swamp the market. Dope's dear,and a little of it goes a mighty long way."
"Perhaps there was something else in some of the cases," suggestedFrank.
"It's possible, though from the little I know of the tariff I haven't anidea of what it could be. Anyway, that's a proposition we can leave toBarclay. They were certainly Chinamen and passengers who landed."
"How do you know they were passengers?" Frank inquired.
Harry laughed. "If they'd been anything else they'd have had to carrythose boxes. As a general thing, an American doesn't work while aChinaman watches him."
Nothing more was said, and half an hour later when pale moonlight oncemore streamed down upon the water the schooner swept out of the gloomastern of them. After that they went about and clung to the shadow alongthe land until they lost sight of her shortly before they ran into thecove.
It was very late when they reached the ranch, but they merely informedMiss Oliver that they had had some trouble through the canoe goingadrift and had been compelled to beat back against a strong head wind.