The Hero of Panama: A Tale of the Great Canal

  CHAPTER III

  Jim Partington shows his Mettle

  "Come back, lad," shouted the captain, as Jim's heels disappearedbeneath the surface of the ocean. Then he rose quickly to his feet, and,gripping the gunwale of the rocking boat with both hands, he staredthrough the gloom at the sinking ship, and at the solitary figure nowclinging to the rail amidships. Indeed the unhappy individual who hadbeen accidentally left on the foundering vessel showed that he was inalmost as frantic a condition as had been the Spanish workmen, whenfighting in the waist for possession of the boats. He was waving the onearm which was uninjured vigorously, and as Jim set out in his directionhe was seen to throw one leg over the rail, to clamber with difficultyupon it, then to sit there holding desperately, and looking as thoughevery movement of the ship would cast him into the water.

  "She's a going! Gee! did yer see her lurch then? My, I thought she wasunder!"

  The deck hand who had shouted the words threw up his hands in thedirection of the steamer, and turned a pair of startled, staring eyesupon her. There was good reason for his alarming observation, for atthat moment the foundering vessel rolled heavily from side to side, asif she found her position irksome. Then she dipped her nose still deeperinto the ocean, kicking her stern clear of the water till ten feet ofher dripping keel were visible, and until her decks were at such a steepangle that none but an acrobat could have retained his position on them.Indeed the unfortunate individual clinging to the rail was swung fromhis insecure seat, and, falling backwards, crashed on to the deck andslithered down it till one of the bridge pillars arrested his progress.

  "Holy poker, but dat near shave, I guess! Massa Jim, what yo doin' datfor? Yo's mad! Yo's goin' to drown yo'self!" shouted Tom, rising to hisfeet so rapidly that his huge bulk set the ship's boat rockingdangerously.

  "Drown himself! He's jest committing suicide! I tell you, he's bound togo under," growled the captain, who, if the truth had only been known,felt himself so strongly impelled to leap into the sea and help in thisfoolhardy but gallant effort at rescue that it was only by exercisingthe greatest self-control that he was able to hold himself in check.

  "If I wasn't skipper I'd do it," he cried. "But it would be a fool'sgame. Besides, I've got to remember that I'm in charge of thisexpedition."

  Meanwhile Jim's head had burst from the surface of the water, and theplucky lad was forcing his way towards the sinking vessel with powerfulstrokes. He gave no heed to the shouts and calls of those behind him,not even when Sadie, beside herself with anxiety, rose from her seat inthe stern of the boat and shrieked to him to return instantly.

  "I'll do it, or go under," he told himself grimly. "A sinking ship ain'tgoing to frighten me. Guess a chap couldn't float out there in safetyand see a man drowned before his eyes, especially a man that's unable tofend for himself."

  Though the water dripped into his eyes from his hair, and made seeingdifficult, he, too, had observed the terrific lurch which the founderingvessel had just given; and if he had had any doubts as to her truecondition they were instantly set aside by the mass of her sternelevated in such an ungainly manner into the air.

  "Aboard there!" he shouted; "jump over into the water. She is goingdown."

  Thanks to an oil lantern which still hung amidships, below the bridge,he could see the man for whose rescue he was striving, and as he thrusthis way strenuously through the water he watched the injured passengerpick himself up on hand and knees and struggle towards the rail. Hewedged his feet against a stanchion supporting the latter, and as Jimarrived within a few yards of the vessel, the man was again endeavouringto clamber over the rail.

  Then there came, of a sudden, another sluggish lurch. The ship appearedto shiver throughout her framework, and rolled heavily from side toside. A moment later her bows rose rapidly from the ocean in which theyhad been submerged, while the stern regained almost its normal position.It looked, in fact, as if she were making one last gallant effort tofloat upon the surface. But again she rolled heavily from side to side,till her decks were slanting at a sickening angle, greater indeed thanthat to which Jim and his mates had become accustomed when cruising tothe south along the Caribbean coast.

  "By de power, but dat terrific, dat 'nough to shake de life out ofanybody," muttered Tom, whose eyes all this while had been staring intothe gloom, endeavouring to follow every movement of his young Americanmaster. Indeed, so acute was the vision of the dusky giant that detailswere visible to him, and to Sam, his diminutive brother, which othersaboard the boat had no idea of. "Lummy, but Tom not like to see dat shipshake herself so! She go down with a bust in one little moment, andden--and den, what happen to Massa Jim?"

  The very thought of the disaster which would follow drove the negro intoa condition almost of frenzy. His eyes bulged from their sockets andlooked as though they would tumble from his head. A whimper from Sadieset Tom's honest heart throbbing and palpitating. It was real pain tothe fine fellow to know that his little mistress was in trouble. Thatand his own courageous, impetuous nature made it impossible to stay anylonger inactive in the boat. Every muscle in his body trembled, whilehis breath came quick and deep.

  "I's goin' ter help!" he shouted. "Nebber yo fear, missie; soon habMassa Jim back safe and sound."

  With that he floundered overboard, causing the boat to rock once moretill her gunwale dipped beneath the oily surface of the ocean, a mass ofwater flooding the interior instantly. His head had hardly bobbed up inview again when there came a sudden exclamation from Sam, and a momentlater the little fellow had slipped away to help his dusky brother inhis gallant task.

  "Jemima! But if that don't take it!" bellowed one of the crew of theboat, looking himself as if he were about to follow. "Every mother's sonof 'em'll go down. That ship'll suck 'em under sure. Ain't we goingnearer?"

  In his eagerness he seized an oar, banged it into the rowlock, andproceeded to bear upon it; but a stern order from the captain at oncearrested the movement.

  "Belay there!" he cried sharply. "I ain't going to risk the lives of allaboard for those in the water. We're too close to that ship by a longway, much too close to my liking. Drop another oar in there, Macdougal,and pull us away a bit. Harvey, jest get to at bailing; she's taken abit of water aboard. Miss Sadie, it's the right thing we're doing. It'llhelp them best in the end."

  But there was mutiny in the eye of Macdougal. In the excitement of themoment the eager fellow could not in his own mind differentiate betweenthe safety of those aboard the boat and those who had plunged into thewater.

  "What's that?" he growled. "Go farther away! Desert them as is wantingour help! Wall, if I ain't jiggered! We calls ourselves white men,and----"

  "Stop!" commanded the skipper sternly. "Get down on that seat and pull,Macdougal. You're a fool, I'm thinking. Jest remember that I'm yourskipper still, and taking orders from no one. I'm working in theinterest of all."

  "Aye, aye, sir. Macdougal, get to at it!" growled the mate, scowling atthe sailor, and clenching a pair of brawny fists. Not that this officerwas really angry with Macdougal. In his heart of hearts he ratheradmired the man; but discipline was discipline, and the skipper had manya time proved his own courage and discretion. Still, even his persuasiondid not make of the sailor a willing man; for the moment Macdougal wasobedient, though mutiny and smouldering anger flashed from his eyes.

  Meanwhile the sinking vessel had displayed another series of erraticmovements. That sickening roll from side to side had been replaced by agentle pitching fore and aft, and as the seconds fled swiftly by, thepitching had become slowly and almost imperceptibly greater. Then,suddenly, the vessel tossed her bows into the air till her watermarkswere visible to those swimming in the ocean. But it was only for alittle while. The bows came down again with a heave, which sent herforecastle beneath the surface, till she looked as though she were inthe act of plunging to the bottom. Up she came again, displacing a hugemass of water, and raising a wave which spread quickly across the seatill it reached the boat hovering at a distance a
nd rocked it. Shecanted heavily to port, showing the whole of her length of deck, andwith such a violent movement that the passenger aboard was flung clearof the rail right out into the water. Then souse went her bows oncemore, raising the stern like a pinnacle into the gloom which surroundedeverything.

  "Yo grip him and get away back, quick as yo can," bellowed Tom, hismouth almost submerged, his powerful arms bearing him swiftly to helpin the rescue. "I's close behind yo, Massa Jim."

  But he might have shouted to a log of wood for all the use his wordswere. Jim heard not a syllable of his warning, for his eyes and all hisattention were fixed upon the injured man who had been thrown from thevessel. He reached him in the course of a few seconds, and turning himupon his back supported his head.

  "I'm fine," he heard the man say faintly. "This arm of mine don't giveme no more than a dog's chance of swimming. You clear off, young chap.You've the right stuff in you, there ain't a doubt; but I'm fine. Don'tyou get worrying."

  The last words were almost cut off by water lapping into his mouth. Thehuge wave raised by the sudden lifting of the vessel caught them both,and for a moment the two were hidden from sight by a mass of surginggreen foam. Jim kicked frantically, bearing himself and the man to thesurface. Something struck hard against his chest, and, gripping at itwith the one hand he had free, he swiftly realized that fortune had beengood to him, for it was a buoy, cast loose by the injured passengerhimself but a little while before, and now swept to hand at a mostopportune moment. He looped his arm over it, and, slipping the otherdeeper down, hugged the man closer, drawing his head well up on to hisown shoulder.

  It was as well that he had made this hasty preparation, for, of asudden, the ship beside which they floated soused her bows deep again,and slid farther beneath the surface. She seemed to hesitate, to makeone other effort. There came a loud explosion, accompanied by the soundof splintering and rending wood. Air gushed from a mighty aperture whichhad made its appearance at the point where but a little while before theSpanish passengers had been fighting so frantically; then she plunged toher bed in the ocean. Swift as a dart she shot beneath the surface,leaving in her wake a swirling whirlpool, a twisting vortex into whicheverything--splinters of wood, spars, and human beings--were sucked withalarming swiftness, and with such force that none could resist it. So ithappened that Jim and the passenger once more disappeared from the kenof those who were watching so eagerly.

  How frantically Jim kicked; how desperately he clung to the buoy and tothe man at whose rescue he aimed. The swirling water bearing them bothdown beneath the surface of the Caribbean in the wake of the vesselalmost tore them apart in the course of that desperate struggle.

  At one moment the pull on the buoy was so intense that he felt as if hisarm would be dragged from its socket. An instant later a recoil of thewaters swept it back against his face with such violence that his jawwas all but broken.

  "Done for," he thought. "I can't stand much more of this. My lungs arebursting, my head feels as if it will explode."

  The sound of seething, gushing water deafened him at first, but when hehad been a little while immersed the thunderous notes, so distressing amoment ago, seemed to become lessened in intensity. The buzzing wasnow, if anything, rather pleasant, while his mind, acutely active but asecond before, became blissfully content, as if absorbed in payingattention to that curious singing in his ears. But if he himself wereunconscious of other things, nature still urged him to struggle on forexistence. Jim had no idea of the frantic kicks he gave, of the grimforce with which he clung to the man and to the buoy. Then somethingrevived his senses and caused his wandering wits to take notice of hissurroundings. A breeze blew in his face, while someone shouted in hisear. He opened his eyes, and in the gloom that pervaded everything madeout the grinning features of Tom.

  "Yo's dere, den; yo's safe," he heard the negro exclaim. "By lummy, butdat extra near squeak, so I tell yo! Let go ob de man. Me take him forde moment. Yo puffed, blowin' like an engine."

  Jim was exhausted; his breath was coming in quick, painful gasps. Hecould not spare any for an answer, and, indeed, had so little strengthleft in him that he did not even resent Tom's movement to take theinjured passenger from his care. Instead, he clung to the buoy, fightingfor air, wondering vaguely exactly what had happened.

  "Yo hang dere quiet and easy," said Tom, one hand on the buoy and hismuscular arm about the half-drowned man. "Yo puffin' like a grampus now,but in a little bit yo be better, not make such a noise, have plentystrength again. Den take de man and swim back with him. Tom only come tolook on and see dat all well."

  It was like the gallant fellow to make light of his own adventure, tostand aside now that he was sure that Jim was safe, so as not to rob himof the honour which would follow. Tom was indeed a very honest negro, aman with a wide, big heart, which held a large corner for Jim and hissister. He grinned in Jim's face, then suddenly turned and looked overhis shoulder.

  "By de poker, but here someone else!" he muttered. "Who dar? We's safeand sound. Yo hab no cause to worry."

  "And I ain't worryin'," came a well-known voice through the darkness. "Icomed along here jest to see what's happenin'. Is Massa Jim right andwell?"

  A growl burst from Tom's lips as he recognized the voice, and at once heturned a pair of blazing eyes upon the culprit who had dared to followhim.

  "Dat yo, Sam?" he demanded. "Den what fo yo dare to leave de missie? Yoget back right now, or by de poker, me knock you into twenty cocked hat!What fo yo jump overboard and risk gettin' drowned?"

  The question brought a gurgle from the jolly little Sam. He laughedoutright beneath the nose of the irate Tom, and, reaching the buoy,clung to it for a moment or so before he deigned to reply.

  "Yo's one great big donkey, yo am, Tom," he roared, shaking withlaughter. "Yo tinks yo de only man allowed to jump into de water; butdat not so. De young massa place yo in charge of de missie, and yo noright to leave. Me knows dat; me comes along right out here to haul yoback. Yo one great big blackguard."

  To the astonishment of Tom and Jim the little fellow burst into violentsobs, though his words had conveyed anything but an idea of sorrow. Samshook from the top of his woolly head to his shoeless toes, and set thebuoy rocking. Big tears coursed down his cheeks, though the waterdripping from his hair almost cloaked them, and when he tried to speakagain he gulped at the words and failed to express them. It was, infact, a strange if comical procedure, and for the moment Jim's muddledcondition did not help him to arrive at the meaning. But he grasped thetruth a moment later, for Tom helped him.

  "Yo--yo one little rascal, yo!" he heard the huge fellow exclaim, thoughthere was no anger in his voice, no resentment for the words which Samhad hurled at him. Rather there was a strange trembling which denotedfriendly feeling, accompanied by a sudden gripping of hands between thetwo darkies which seemed to say that they were perfectly agreed. ThenJim gathered the full meaning of Sam's tears, of Tom's magnanimousaction. It was joy for his, Jim's, safety that had set Sam howling, andthe tears coursing down his cheeks. It was that same feeling whichinduced Tom to overlook the high-flown language of his small brother andgrip his hand so warmly.

  "You're just two great grown-up babies," he laughed across at them. "Youseem to imagine that no one can do anything without you, that I'm like apiece of china, liable to break on the smallest occasion. See here, Tomand Sam, shake hands. Guess you're both of you white right away throughfrom head to toe. I owe you both a heap for coming out after me; butmind what I've said--I ain't a piece of china. Guess I'm old enough andugly enough to look after myself."

  Tom grinned back at his young master and hung to the buoy for a while,still clinging to the hand he had offered. Then he dropped it, moved tothe farther side, as if to place himself in a position of safety, andpresently made his reply.

  "Sah," he said, "p'raps you old enough, as yo say, p'raps no. Ugly'nough: yes, I tink so. Yo's ugly 'nough to do one ob de stupidest tingsas ever I seed. What fo yo jump into de sea like dat and swi
m toward aship dat was sinking? S'pose she drag yo down? S'pose yo neber come upagin. Who den take care of missie?"

  Even behind his fun there was a deal of truth. Who indeed would be leftto care for the sister? But Jim had come up again, and, feeling better,he promptly made his presence felt.

  "Jest swim back quick," he commanded Sam, "and tell 'em we're all right.Tell 'em to come along. We'll hang to the buoy. Now, Tom, set tosplashing with your legs. There'll be sharks about here, and they'reextra fond of darkies."

  Tom paled for a moment under his dark skin and looked the reverse ofcomfortable. Then he laughed uproariously, shouted to Sam to hurry hisdeparture, and promptly did as Jim had ordered. For it was as well to becautious: both knew that sharks abounded in that corner of the CaribbeanSea, and some of the brutes might very well be in the vicinity. Theykicked continuously, therefore, till the boat came up with a rush, andthey and the injured man were lifted aboard.

  "Young man, you can jest give me a grip of yer hand," cried the skipperof the foundered vessel when all were safely in the boat, stretchingacross to the triumphant Jim. "I guessed when you came up alongside uson the ship, telling me that you had fixed matters for your sister, andwere ready to help us out with the trouble those Spaniards were giving,that you had got stuff behind you--the right sort of stuff, too. Thenyou tackled the hounds in proper style, so that I knew I had a man withme; a man, siree, not jest a boy. But this last thing's better than all.Guess this gentleman owes you a life. Guess he'll be for ever in yourdebt. Young man, I'm pleased to have met you."

  It was a glowing tribute to our hero's courage, and he went crimson fromthe top of his dripping head to his stockinged toes as he listened tothe words. Not that anyone could tell, for the gloom shroudedeverything. However, Sadie, sitting beside him, clinging to his arm asif loath to part again with her protector, guessed his pleasure, whileher own courageous little heart felt as if it would burst with pride.

  "I'm glad you did it, Jim," she whispered, "though I was terrified. AndTom and Sam were really brave; they are so devoted. Can you believe, Ihad the greatest difficulty to keep Ching with me? He hates swimming, asyou know, but he was very nearly following."

  "Brave, honest fellows!" answered Jim with a gulp, for such devotiontouched him. "They are, indeed, true friends to us."

  However, he had no time for further conversation; for now that thecaptain had given his decision on events so recent, the mate and crew ofthe boat were determined to make their own voices heard.

  "A right proper thing to have done: wish you was my own son," declaredthe former. "Shake, young man. It's a treat to meet one who's a trueAmerican."

  "One of the very right sort," growled Macdougal, still trembling withexcitement. "See here, young feller, I've nigh lost a job through you. Iwas for kicking up a rumpus direct against the old man's orders. Chief,I'm main sorry for them words and looks; but there's a time when a manhas to kick. I thought you was funking."

  "Funking!" exploded the mate, though the captain sat rigidly in hisplace, making no response. "Him funking! The man you and I have sailedwith these past three years and never known to fail us. You guessed thatthe chief who led us against those Spaniards was funking! Gee! I've amind to smash your head in with this oar."

  There was real anger in the voice. The mate was furious, and his hugedoubled fists showed that he was ready for anything; but the skipperquickly quietened him.

  "Belay there, Mr. Jarvis," he said in his ordinary tones. "Macdougal's afool, as I've already told him; and if he never knew it before he doesnow. I'm not afraid of anyone's criticisms. There's a motto I'm always abeliever in. It runs: 'By their works shalt thou know them'. Guess I'venever done a thing to allow any man to think I was funking. Macdougalwas too excited to be responsible for his thoughts; it's just the man'sbluntness which has made him tell us so honestly. But take the lesson toheart, Macdougal; keep a clear, steady head always and it'll carry youthrough heaps of difficulties. Watch the men you work with, and get toknow all about them: moments of excitement aren't the times for comingto conclusions. Now let's get on to other matters. How's thatgentleman?"

  "Fine," came in shaky tones from the bows of the boat in which therescued passenger had been laid. "Guess I know everything. I've beenlying here these last few minutes wondering whether I was alive or dead,and what had been happening. Is that the skipper?"

  "It is, sir."

  "Then allow me to say that you've as fine a crew as ever I set eyes on.It wasn't their fault that I was left aboard the ship. The collisionknocked me silly, and guess I lay away there on the decks out of sight;but I never reckoned you'd have men aboard ready to take such risks torescue a passenger. That young chap who swam out for me wellnigh wentdown with the vessel. I held my breath as we went under till I thought Ishould bust. And all the time I could feel him holding tighter to me andkicking. Gee, he's a full-blooded lad! He's got pluck if you like. Andthose coloured men come close after him. When I'm feeling better, guessI'd like to take a grip of their hands."

  It was evident that he considered Jim to be one of the crew, and hisgallant action undertaken in the course of duty; but the captainundeceived him.

  "That young chap's a passenger like yourself, sir," he said. "And thedarkies are ditto. I allow that you have every reason to want to thankthem; you owe them your life. But let us see to the other vessel; thisaffair has taken her wellnigh out of my head."

  The oars were dipped in the water, and the boat was slowly rowed in thedirection of the twinkling lights which showed the position of the othersteamer. She had sheered off to some distance, but as the boatapproached her it became clear that her condition was not so desperateas had been imagined.

  "She's listing badly to port and is down at the head. You can tell thateasily," declared the experienced captain. "We'll row right alongsideand I'll go aboard. You come too, Mr. Jarvis, and we'll take that youngman there."

  He motioned to Jim, and, having put his helm over, so directing the boatalongside the steamer, he called to one of the hands in the bows to holdto the companion ladder which had been dropped over her side. Castinghis eyes about him, Jim was able to pierce the gloom to some extent, andbecame aware of the fact that a number of small boats were also lyingoff the vessel. In fact there were at least seven of them. Anotherremarkable fact was the silence which pervaded everything. A littlewhile before there had been a deal of shouting, and some amount ofconfusion, no doubt; but now everything was orderly.

  "Fine discipline," remarked the skipper. "The chief of this boat got hispassengers away first of all, and then set to work to repair damages.Guess he hadn't mad Spaniards to fight. Come along, please."

  He scrambled on to the companion and ran nimbly up the steps. A tall manmet him when he reached the deck, and introduced himself as the captain.

  "You're chief of the ship that's foundered?" he asked.

  "I am," came the rejoinder. "We were badly holed, and there wasn't achance from the very first. Then we had a horde of mad Spaniards tofight: the hounds lost their heads and struggled for the boats. Afterthat we found, when it was too late to go near the ship, that onepassenger had been left aboard; but we saved him, thanks to the pluck ofa passenger. Now, sir, I'm sorry for this collision. We'll not discussit now; the courts ashore will deal with the evidence. I've come alongto see how you fared."

  "And thanks for the kind thought, sir," came the answer. "Reckon thequestion of who's to blame can be dealt with as you say. I congratulateyou on the way you managed to come out of a difficulty. I'd have sentalong; but then, you see, I wasn't sure that we weren't foundering too.There's a hole as big as three rum casks punched in our bows, and youcan see that we've shipped no end of water; but our water-tightbulkheads were closed right away and that's saved us. We've thecarpenters at work this instant, and as soon as they've plugged the gapwith planks and oakum we'll be able to put matters a little moreshipshape. Our pumps are just holding the water now; when the gap isplugged we shall gain on it. I reckon to have my passengers ab
oard inhalf an hour; you'll bring yours along, and welcome."

  Half an hour later, in fact, found Jim and his friends, together withall the passengers and crew of the sunken steamer, aboard; while sometwenty-four hours later the port of Colon had been reached.

  "And here we have to start right off again," said Jim, discussingaffairs with his sister. "That five hundred dollars will have to bedrawn upon for clothes and other things, seeing that we lost everythingwith the ship. It'll mean I shall have to be quicker in getting a jobwhen we reach New York. But don't you fear, Sadie; somehow I've a notionthat our fortune is about to improve. Things are looking brighter."

  They watched the steamer slowly berthed, and then made for the gangway.Bidding farewell to the skipper and the crew, with whom they had becomemost friendly, they were about to make their way ashore when the manwhom Jim had rescued accosted them.

  "I've fixed rooms for you all," he said. "You'll not disappoint me, willyou? I've a house away up on the hill, and there's heaps of room."

  "But--but we're going on direct for New York," cried Jim, astonished atthe proposal.

  "No doubt, sir; no doubt. But then there don't happen to be a steamerfor a week, and Colon's a bad place to rest in. You'll oblige me bycoming. I ain't had a chance, so far, of thanking you and the others forwhat you did. You'll surely give me a chance to get to know you better.Come and stay for a week till the steamer puts into port."

  It may be imagined that Jim eagerly accepted the invitation, and,accompanied by Sadie, Tom, Sam, and Ching, took up his quarters withthis new friend. Not for a moment did he guess that this week's delaywould make a vast change in his future. His eye at the moment was fixedon New York, where he hoped to make that fortune of which he hadlaughingly spoken. He never imagined for one instant that the Isthmus ofPanama would detain him, and that there he would join his compatriots,the Americans, and with them would take his share in that giganticundertaking, the Panama Canal.