CHAPTER XXVI
LEAKING
Dr. Hallet smiled as he saw the sinister weapon in Ned’s hand. The laddid not aim at his companion, and, as a matter of fact, he had drawnthe pistol more from instinct than anything else. The sudden noise,coupled with what he had gone through, had put Ned on the same sortof defensive attitude as he had been constantly under while in thetrenches or on the battlefield.
“There is no need for that,” said the scientist. “I see you do nottrust me.”
Ned would have blushed except for the fact that he was almost as brownas an Indian; and whoever heard of an Indian blushing?
“I beg your pardon!” exclaimed the lad. “I--I really didn’t think whatI was doing. But did you hear that noise?”
“Yes, I heard something. There is some excitement up above.”
There was no question about that. The shouting and the tumult up abovecontinued to increase, and it was evident that something serious hadhappened. There had been no concussion such as had taken place when thederelict hit the _Sherman_, but that there was danger was evident evento the scientist, who, like Professor Snodgrass, was absent-minded andlet the ordinary affairs of life pass by unheeded.
“We had better go up and see what it is,” suggested Ned.
“Yes, I agree with you,” was the answer. “My explanations will keep fora while.”
Ned was of the same mind, and, putting away his weapon, he and hiscompanion hastened out of the latter’s cabin. In the passageway leadingto the main deck they encountered many sailors, marines, soldiers andofficers hurrying along.
“What’s the matter? What’s happened now?” called Ned to some whom heknew.
“Don’t know! Another explosion, I guess!” some one answered.
“They’ve signaled to abandon ship!” cried another. “We’ve got to taketo the boats!”
With an exclamation Dr. Hallet turned from Ned’s side. He swung aboutand was about to retrace his steps when the lad caught him by the arm.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“Back to my cabin.”
“What for?”
“To get some of my most valuable experimental specimens and save mynotebooks. Their loss would be irreparable.”
“You can’t go back!” cried Ned, and he sought to drag his companionwith him. “The ship may go down at any minute, and if you’re caught inyour cabin you won’t have a chance!”
“But I must save my papers!” cried the scientist. “They represent mylife work. I would be ruined if they were lost! If we have to take tothe boats I can save them if I have them with me. I can’t let them godown with the ship.”
Ned recognized the same traits so often shown by Professor Snodgrassunder similar conditions. The doctor was going to prove a stubborn man,Ned could see that.
“Hurry up! Hurry up!” a sailor shouted as he passed Ned and hiscompanion on the run. “Get to your boat stations!”
“Do you hear!” yelled Ned in the doctor’s ear. “We’ve got to abandonthe troopship!”
“I don’t go without my notes!” was the answer, and the man sought topull his arm away from Ned’s detaining hand.
“Well, if you feel that way about it the only thing for me to do is tohelp you,” muttered the Motor Boy. “I can’t see you drown like a rat ina trap, and you may if you don’t have help. Come on!” he said in novery gentle voice as he swung around and hurried along with the doctor.
“What are you going to do?” asked the scientist in some alarm.
“Help you gather up your notebooks and other things. Oh, don’t beafraid!” he added, as he saw a look of something like distrust spreaditself over the features of his companion. “I know what’s valuable. Ihave often helped Professor Snodgrass. I’ll do the best I can for you.”
“Ah! Thank you for that!” murmured Dr. Hallet. “Some of my notes areworth more than their weight in diamonds!”
“Professor Snodgrass all over again!” mused Ned, and he was hardly ableto repress a smile in spite of the gravity of the situation.
And that it was grave he could not doubt as he noted the confusion onevery side and saw the soldiers and others hurrying to the stationsthat had been assigned to them in case of accident. It had beenannounced before the troopship sailed that there were enough lifeboats,rafts, and other appliances for saving the men aboard the ship and toprovide for all in case it was necessary to abandon the transport atsea. But Ned had his doubts of this, as, it was evident, many othershad also. For every one was hurrying to get to a vantage point, thoughthere was no real disorder, and the men were obeying their officers.
Ned, rather reluctantly it must be confessed, followed the doctor intothe cabin they had so lately quitted. The scientist began to gather upnotebooks and papers and stuff them into his pockets.
“That won’t do!” cried Ned. “If you have to jump overboard they’ll getsoaked!”
“But I’m not going to jump overboard!” was the calm reply, and it wasto be noted that the doctor was now more calm than was Ned.
“You may have to,” was the grim response. “Haven’t you got a bit ofoiled silk, or rubber, or something, you can wrap your papers in? Thatwill protect them from the sea water.”
“Oiled silk? Oh yes, I have something like that,” the doctor decided,after thinking a moment. He produced an oilcloth bag, saying:
“I use this to cover my specimen boxes when I go out in the rain. Willthis do?”
“It will have to!” exclaimed Ned, and he began stuffing into thereceptacle the papers he gathered up from the various places where theywere scattered about the doctor’s cabin. “Lively now!” cried the lad.“We may not have much time!”
“I must save all I can!” murmured the doctor. He gathered up book afterbook of notes, and as fast as he handed them to Ned the Motor Boystuffed them into the water-proof bag.
“Everybody on deck!” shouted a voice outside the cabin door.“Everybody on deck! We’ve got to abandon ship! She’s leaking like asieve!”
“Come on!” cried Ned. “No time for any more!”
“I must save my fleas! I must save the fleas I’m testing as gaspoisoning and trench fever carriers!” cried Dr. Hallet, as he turnedtoward the little green box. “I can’t go without them!”
“You’ve got to!” muttered Ned, grabbing him by the shoulders. “Didn’tyou hear ’em say we are leaking?” And by a sudden effort he succeededin forcing the doctor out of the cabin, not before the scientist,however, had caught up the specimen box containing the insects.