CHAPTER IX
Jim becomes a Mechanic
"See here, Jim," whispered the Major, as he and our hero, with Tombeside them, huddled close to the bank of the stream which gave exitfrom the lagoon, "when she comes abreast of us you and I will jumpaboard. There are branches in plenty overhead from which we can swingourselves. We leave Tom to get a grip of the launch itself, and pull herin to the side; got that?"
The big negro wagged his head knowingly from side to side. "Got um safeand sound, sah," he whispered hoarsely. "Tom grip de launch, lift herouter de water if you wants. Lummy! But dis goin' to be a bean feast!"
"S-s-sshe, man! Stay here. Jim, I'll go a little farther up, just a fewfeet, and pick my branch. You had better do the same; there won't bemuch time to waste."
"Supposing she doesn't come in; supposing those men discover us, smell arat, eh?"
Jim asked the question anxiously, and detained the Major on the point ofleaving.
"Then we'll be after them quick."
"Will the men fire on them?"
"No; I've given them orders not to do so unless opposition isoffered. I never like shooting into men before they open fire. But we'reright this time; those fellows are going to jump into the net we havespread for them."
WAITING FOR THE ENEMY]
He moved off at once, while Jim stepped a few paces from the spot wherethe bulky figure of Tom was reclining, and, searching above his head,quickly found a branch strong enough to support his weight. He held toit, and lifted his feet from the ground, making assurance doubly sure.By then the strange launch was heading direct for the opening of thenarrow tunnel in which the pursuers were secreted. Jim could hear thesplash of her tiny propeller; for the launch was running light, and theblades often rose clear of the water. Then suddenly the noise ceasedabsolutely, the low, clock-like tick of her engines could no longer beheard, while the moonrays playing upon the ripples at her stern aloneshowed that she was in motion.
"Coming! In a second I shall have to jump. Reckon we shall have to bepretty slippy with those fellows, for they have arms and are likely touse them."
For some reason or other our hero felt not the slightest trace ofexcitement on this occasion. No doubt the experiences he had alreadygone through had helped not a little to steady his nerves, while theoverwhelming force of the party he accompanied seemed to argue thatthere could be now but little prospect of danger; but he was to learnthat it is the least-expected thing that happens. For hardly had thewords left his lips when the propeller of the launch was heard againthrashing the water frantically, while the ripple ahead suddenly diedout altogether, leaving the surface of the lagoon shimmering placidlybeneath the soft rays which flooded every portion of it. Then there camea shout, a startled cry from the deck of the launch, a man stood up tohis full height forward, his figure silhouetted blackly against thewater. A second later he had dived down again, there was another shout,then flames suddenly roared from the funnel, while a glow whichilluminated the rear of the vessel showed that the door of the furnacehad been thrown open.
Jim rubbed his eyes; the sudden change in the movement of progression ofthe launch amazed him. He could hardly believe that she was retreating,that those agitated ripples now spreading from her stern right forwardbeyond the bows meant that she was departing. It was the whirr of herengine and the splashing of her propeller as it churned the waterviolently which brought the true facts clearly to his mind.
"They're off," he shouted; "we must follow. Quick, on to the launch!"
He dashed along the bank of the stream, calling loudly to the men, andarriving opposite to their own vessel, swiftly cast adrift the ropewhich had been passed from her stern to a tree growing close down to thewater. With a spring he was aboard, and, tumbling at once into the well,he searched in the darkness for the starting handle. But howeverconvenient a gasolene motor may be on ordinary occasions, the factcannot be denied that there are at times difficulties in connection withthem. For instance, it was always a practice of Jim's to shut off hispetrol supply when the engine was not running; for otherwise there wasrisk of leakage through the carburettor, and leakage of such a volatileand inflammable fluid aboard a boat spells danger for those who man her.Then, too, it happened that this engine trusted to drip lubricators forher supply of oil, and though she might reasonably be expected to runsatisfactorily for a while without that supply, still, in the excitingtime before him, Jim might easily forget to turn up his lubricators, andsuch neglect spelt failure for his party. After all, this was decidedlyone of those cases where it would be better to follow his usual routine,and thereby make sure that the engine had everything in its favour.
"I'll have her running in double-quick time," he shouted. "Get thatpainter cast off, Major; and, see here, can't you manage to push heralong until I have got the engine going?"
"Guess I'se got one mighty big pole here," called Tom, an instant later,whilst the launch heaved and rolled as the ponderous fellow moved about."You get right along wid dat engine, Massa Jim. I'se gwine astern topole her."
Once more the launch rolled and heaved as Tom made his way rapidly aft.Then his pole plunged into the water, one of the policemen pushed thebows out from the bank, and, casting his eye upward for one briefinstant, Jim saw that they were moving. Meanwhile he had found thegasolene tap and turned it, while the fingers of his other hand asrapidly lifted the six lubricators which fed the engine with that fluidso vital to her.
"Ready?" asked the Major tersely, his voice hard and cold, as if suddendisappointment had changed it. "Get her going quick, my lad, or thosefellows will get clear away from us. Already they are steaming right outinto the lagoon."
It was true enough; for, casting his eye ahead, Jim could see, throughthe dark tunnel formed by the overhanging branches of the trees, a wideexpanse of shimmering water, across which sped the boat that bore themen in pursuit of whom they had come. There was a white wash at herstern, while sparks and flames shot from her funnel. That and the glowwhich surrounded her, coming from her opened furnace door, showedclearly that the rascals aboard her were fully prepared for flight, witha hot fire burning and roaring in their furnace, and a head of steamwhich would drive their boat faster perhaps than she had ever travelled.
"Got it! Now we'll be moving."
With the fingers of one hand Jim had held the float of his carburettorlifted, thereby making sure that the engine would obtain a free supplyof fuel; while with the other hand he had discovered the startinghandle. It was a simple matter to slip it on to the shaft and turn ittill the clutches engaged. Then he bent his back to the work, switchedhis magneto into circuit and sent the engine twirling round. Poof! poof!poof! Three of the cylinders fired, but the crank ceased turning. Jimlifted his float again, adjusted the handle, and made another effort atstarting. Gur-r-rr! bizz! she was off. The rhythmical hum of themachinery told his practised ear at once that the engine was runningbeautifully.
He dropped the starting handle on to the floorboards and stepped brisklyacross to his levers.
"Ready?" he asked steadily.
"Let her have it," came from the Major, who, meanwhile, had takenpossession of the wheel. "Let her have it all you know, Jim, for we've along way to make up. Those rascals have obtained a splendid start."
Jim promptly dropped his fingers on the quadrant where throttle andignition levers lay, and jerked both of them up a few notches. He couldfeel the thrust of the propeller now, and could hear the wash of thewater as the launch pushed her way through it. Then suddenly the vesselcleared the dark tunnel in which she had been lying, and a glorioustropical moon shone down upon her, rendering every figure aboarddistinctly visible, while, better than all, the rays flooded the enginewell and made Jim's task all the easier.
"Faster!" commanded the Major sharply, and at the word Jim jerked hislevers some few notches higher, till the engine buzzed more loudly thanbefore, while the floorboards took on a trembling vibration to which, asa general rule, they were unaccustomed.
"More! We must mov
e faster if we are to catch them," cried the Major,something akin to entreaty in his voice. "Can't you make her do a littlemore, my lad? We mustn't let those rascals slip through our fingers."
Jim nodded curtly; he disliked racing his engine as a general rule, forcommon sense told him that such a course if persisted in might well leadto disaster. But these were exceptional circumstances, and, if race herhe must, he determined that no precaution on his part should be relaxedso that the motor might come through the ordeal satisfactorily. Oncemore, therefore, he jerked his levers upwards till the throttle was wideopen, while the ignition was advanced to the fullest extent. And how themotor roared! Compactly built and beautifully designed, it could not beexpected to revolve at such extraordinary speed and give out its fullpower without some sign of remonstrance. It answered the persistentgoadings of its grim young driver with a tremulous roar, while theplanks under foot now shook and rattled ominously. Indeed the wholevessel vibrated, while the bows lifted out of the water, thrusting ahuge wave to either side. The surface of the lagoon, hitherto so placid,was now churned to milky foam at the stern of the vessel, while a whitewash trailed aft, glimmering in the moonlight.
"Full out, sir," reported Jim to the Major. "How are we doing?"
"Fine, fine, my boy. We'll have 'em yet, if only you can keep her at it;but can she last? Can she keep up this pace much longer?"
"Guess she's got to," laughed Jim, a note of excitement in his voice, inspite of his apparent coolness and unconcern. "Guess she's got to, sir;I'll keep her at it all I know."
He craned his head to one side, and for the space of a minute fixed hiseyes upon the black shape ahead which they were following. A column offlame and showers of sparks were being vomited from the funnel, whilstthe ruddy hue that had surrounded the escaping launch had nowdisappeared entirely.
"Closed his furnace; that means that he's got steam up tobursting-point," thought Jim. "But we're gaining on him sure. In half anhour, if all goes well, we'll be alongside."
He let his glance rest for a few seconds on the figures of the policemenhuddled in the cab of the launch beside the Major. He even caught thereflection of the moonlight in Sam's big rolling eyes. Then he turnedhis glance to either side, watching the widespreading bow wave as itswept out over the lagoon. He followed the ripples, and, turning, gazedastern. It came as a shock to him almost to discover two figures therecrouching on the little deck aft of the engine well. One was huge andmassive, and bore aloft a long, straight pole, while the second satcrouched on his haunches, as motionless as a statue. It was Ching. TheChinaman sat playing with the end of his pigtail, and giggled as Jimlooked into his eyes.
"Velly fine! Dis allee lightee, sah; you catch him plenty quick," hegurgled.
"Den hang um," simpered Tom, his eyes rolling. "Dem scum not stand dechance of a dog, I tell yo. Massa Jim, yo make um buzz right along likedis; and den, by lummy, yo see what we do to um. Nobble dem rascalsprecious quick. Kill um; wring de neck of de villains."
Jim scowled at the negro, for such threats vexed him. Then, seeing thebroad smile on Tom's face, he laughed outright.
"Jest like you, Tom, always threatening. I don't believe you'd actuallyhurt a fly unless you were forced to. But have a care, my lad; thisboat's over-loaded, and if I hear too much from you I'll give Chingorders to send you overboard. Get lower, man; your big body meets thewind and keeps us from moving forward."
The mere suggestion that he might be tossed overboard caused thesimple-minded Tom to open his big eyes wide in consternation. His hugejaw drooped; then, hearing his young master's merry laugh, the thicklips split asunder, and a loud guffaw came from the negro.
"Wat dat?" he demanded. "Yo ask dis man here to throw Tom overboard? Byde poker, but if dis Chinaboy breathe one little word, me smash um. Tomnasty fellow to deal with when him angry."
But Jim had other matters to attend to rather than to listen to thenegro's sayings. Indeed he had already turned his back upon the two mencrouching astern, and was bending over the engine. Fumbling at the lockof a cupboard, he pulled the door open and extracted a heavy object fromwithin. His finger pressed a button, and instantly a flood of light camefrom the electric torch he had secured. For five minutes he busiedhimself with the motor. Carefully adjusting the drips from thelubricator, he set them to give a more liberal supply than was usual.Then he lifted the board which covered the tail shaft bearing, andsqueezed down the grease cup secured there. A finger laid on the top ofthe bearing assured him that it was running cool, while the sameprecaution in regard to the cylinders disclosed the fact that the waterpump was working as it should do. In fact, in spite of the tremendouspace at which the motor was revolving, there was as yet no sign offailure, nothing to point to an immediate breakdown, nothing, in fact,to lead him to suppose that the chase would have to be abandoned.
"Then I can begin to take a little interest in those rascals," hethought, "Ah, we're nearer, we're overhauling them without a shadow ofdoubt! I give them a quarter of an hour's more freedom."
It did indeed seem as though the pursuit was entering upon its laststage, for the black shape ahead was decidedly nearer--so near, in fact,that one could make out the various features of the launch as well asthe two fugitives crouching beside their engine. Tongues of flame andbroad showers of sparks still belched from the funnel, while at onemoment, when she steamed into the dense shadow cast by some tall treesgrowing upon the tail end of a group of small islands which studded thelagoon, the funnel itself was seen to be glowing hot. Indeed, while thelaunch herself was blotted out in the darkness, the glowing funnelremained the one conspicuous object.
"I'm going to give 'em a shot," called out the Major, casting a glanceat Jim over his shoulder. "You see, I don't know the ins and outs ofthis lagoon, and those fellows might yet escape us if they happen tohave had time to do a little exploration. See here, Tomkins, send a balla foot or two ahead of them; and if that does not bring them to a stop,put one right through her funnel. You can do it without fear of hittingone of the men."
"Sure! I'd back myself nine times out of ten to bring off a shot likethat. I'll just wait till we're out of the shadow."
Anxious eyes flitted from the dark shape fleeting through the waters ofthe lagoon to the long, bony fingers of the policeman. He stepped to thefront of the cab, leaned forward with his elbows on the deck, andclicked the bolt of his rifle open. Then he dropped the weapon intoposition, and there was a tense silence aboard as Tomkins squinted alonghis sights. A second later the report came, for the policeman was tooold a hand with his weapon to hesitate. While he shot the emptycartridge out and slipped in a fresh one all eyes went to the boatahead, and no doubt the bullet which Tomkins had dispatched had passedbut a few feet in front of her, conveying a message and a warning; butthe effect it had was entirely _nil_. The launch held on her course asthough there was no such thing as a pursuing vessel with arms aboardable to reach the miscreants who were escaping.
"Guess they've got to have it then," growled Tomkins. "This time I'llput one through the funnel, and there ain't a doubt that it'll send thembobbing."
As cool as an icicle, the man stretched himself out again, half on thedeck and half in the cab of the launch. Once more his eyes went down tothe sights, and on this occasion the pause he made was long, so long, infact, that when the rifle belched forth a stream of fire the suddennessof the report startled his comrades. Then they fixed their eyes upon thelaunch steaming ahead of them.
"Didn't I tell you! Got it sure, plump through the centre, and a barefoot above their heads," cried Tomkins, dropping his rifle. "See there,the flames tell you what happened."
His finger shot out instantly, and drew the attention of all to thefunnel. Flames and sparks were still belching from the opening above,but that was not all, for low down now, but a bare foot above the headsof the two men crouching beside the engine, the sheet-iron tube waspunctured, and a thin stream of fire was issuing from the hole. Clank!The sound of the furnace door being dragged violently open came clearlyto
the ears of the pursuers, in spite of the hum of their own motor,while that same red glow which had once before enveloped the launchagain surrounded her. It was the only answer the rascals aboard made toTomkins's shot, that and a dense column of smoke which now shot up,mingling with the flames and smoke from the funnel.
"Their last kick," cried the Major. "That shot tells them that we meanbusiness. Tomkins, my lad, just give 'em another. Say, Jim, how's themotor running?"
"Fine! fine! Couldn't be doing better. Sing out when you want me to cuther down a little."
To all appearances the end of an exciting chase was already in sight,for there was no doubt that now Jim and his party were running two feetfor the one covered by the escaping launch. But they had wily men todeal with, and that fact was impressed upon them within the space of afew seconds, for hardly had the third shot rung out when the launch infront ran into another long shadow by one of the islands, her form beinginstantly blotted out by the blackness.
There came the clang of the furnace door as it was kicked into place byone of the rascals, and then all that could be seen was the glowingfunnel. Even that did not remain long in evidence, for suddenly itswerved to the right, making off at a sharp angle to the course whichthe launch had been pursuing. Then it disappeared from sight, as if thevessel had gone beneath the water.
"Steady! Stop her!" commanded the Major, swinging his wheel over. "We'llrun on a little till we're out of the shadow. Then perhaps we shall beable to see where those fellows have got to. Queer! Seems to me thatthey know the road. They must have steered direct for the tail end ofthese islands."
Jim jerked throttle and ignition levers back as the orders came to hisears, and threw his lever into neutral position. But the launch had beenploughing along at a speed of some twenty knots, and the way on hercarried her swiftly forward. Dense shadow enveloped her, and for a whilethere was not one aboard the launch but wondered whether the vesselwould dash herself upon a rock, since the course was being followedblindly. The Major had swung his wheel just where he guessed thefugitives had done likewise, and that movement still found the boat indense shadow. A second or two later she shot out into open water, andonce more the moon's rays flooded her from stem to stern.
"Gone! Not a sign of them! This is the queerest thing I have ever----"
"Stop! I can see them!" shouted Jim, interrupting the Major. "Theysteamed straight between two of the islands, and there they are beyond.Push ahead, Major? Our best way is to run right round this island, andso take up their course again. Ain't that land ahead?"
"Land fo shore! Massa Jim right," sang out Sam, who seemed to have thesharpest eyes of the whole party. "Dem villains know de way; dey beenhere before. Sam say dey heading for anoder opening."
Whatever was the nature of the evolution practised by the fugitives, theMajor, as leader of the party, did not hesitate to follow Jim's advice.
"Forward!" he roared, glancing over his shoulder. "Rocks or no rocks,I'll chance rounding the island. Send her ahead, Jim. Give her fullpower again."
Bizz! Gurr! How the motor roared as our hero jerked his levers back intotheir old position. As for that commanding the gears, it was already inposition, while the propeller was churning the water into white foam.The launch shot ahead as if propelled from a gun, and in a trice wasrounding the island on the far side of which the fugitives had takentheir course. A minute later she was again in open water, while rightacross her path stretched a dark, unbroken line, the edge of which wasobscured in deep shadow. It was the margin of the lagoon, without adoubt, while it was equally certain that those whom Jim and his partysought to capture had chosen some point along it on which to land.Either that or their explorations had discovered some exit, for whichthey were at that very instant racing madly.
"Artful dogs!" cried the Major, wrath in his voice. "They stole a nicemarch on us by that movement, and gained many yards. Don't fire,Tomkins. You might hit one of them in this uncertain light, and thatwould defeat my special object. I want to capture the two alive andstrong, or not at all."
"See dat? Massa Jim, dere an openin' ober dere. Dose scum race for um!"shouted Sam a moment later, stretching one black arm out in front, andpointing eagerly. "Me see de light shinin' on de water ob a stream, andde launch just about to enter. Steady, sah! Not do to dash right in atdis pace. P'raps smash de launch, run ashore, or pile her up on amudbank. S'pose we take it easy."
"Steady! Stop her again!" commanded the Major, his eyes fixed on theretreating launch. "Sam is right. Those gentlemen have discovered achannel leading out of the lagoon, and have made for it at their fastestpace. That shows that they have been there before. Look at them; theyhave sent their boat in without attempting to slow down. Steady, Jim!Let her push ahead slowly; those rascals are a long way from making goodtheir escape. I'll follow them even if it takes me miles into theinterior."
Had the Major but known it, there was every prospect of this pursuitcarrying him and his party many miles beyond the margin of the lagoon,for the band of ruffians who had so lately attracted his attention, andon the catching of two of which he was now bent, had not confined theirthieving attentions to the various settlements along the coast. They hadeven exploited the peoples of the interior of the unsettled regionslying adjacent to the canal zone. There were wide areas of tracklessforest, of jungle, and of swamp, which to this day are unexplored andunknown by the white man. That deadly malarial fever, more than attackby unfriendly natives, has kept the white man at a distance. Only alongthe immediate line of the coast has trading been done in some of thedistricts, and even then the results have not been always satisfactory.
"It's a queer place," said Phineas Barton, when describing the isthmusto our hero. "Here along the canal zone you have civilization. Uncle Samhas come in with his dollars and his men, and has worked with an energywhich, one of these days, when the facts are known, will surprise theworld. As I tell you, you've civilization right here. But jest step outof the canal zone, and what do you find? Savages, sir. Wild men, armedwith spears and bows and poisoned arrows. Yes, sir, poisoned arrows thatwill kill a man inside thirty minutes, even if they only happen to havejust broken the skin. And they tell me that 'way along in the jungle,where the fever's that bad that a white man don't dare to go, there aregangs of tall natives that won't allow a stranger to put so much as hisnose into their territory."
It is all true enough, and is, indeed, one of the curious features ofthe Isthmus of Panama. There, where one of these days, when America hascompleted her gigantic task, a mighty canal will stretch from coast tocoast, bearing the commerce of the nations to and fro between Pacificand Atlantic Oceans, there lie side by side the modern dwellings and thecivilization which an enormous undertaking of this description mustinevitably produce, and a condition of savagery unchanged since theMiddle Ages. Even Spain, with her huge capacity for conquest, failed topenetrate into many of the wide areas of jungle adjacent to Panama andColon. Doubtless her gallant sons made the attempt; but history recordsthe fact that the fierce tribes within drove them back, murdering thoseupon whom they could lay their hands, and showing such courage andferocity that further attempts were not embarked upon. Moreover, themalarial fever, which haunts these jungles in its most virulent form,was deterrent enough, without thought of the natives.
Still, there were some who had contrived to open up negotiations withthe tribes. There are men who will risk anything for a handsome profit,and the gang of rascals we are dealing with had seen in these tribes anopportunity of enriching themselves. They tempted the natives with theoffer of guns and powder, and already the bartering of those weapons hadgiven them access to a part which would have brought inevitabledestruction, had they entered on any other pretext. Cheap guns andpowder were to be obtained, and in return the natives willingly partedwith huge quantities of precious stones and gold. Sam was perfectlyright when he suggested that the man aboard the steam launch had visitedthe lagoon and its surroundings before.
"I's sure of that," he cried, bending forward and pee
ring into thegloom. "Dem scum know ebery foot of de way, for dey steam hard ahead fora place dat no one else can see."
"Know it or not, we're going on after them," growled the Major. "Wherethey can run we can follow. But steady with her, Jim. This chase is notgoing to be finished yet awhile, and we shall do better now that thereis no longer a chance of catching them on the lagoon. Take it easy.After all, they can't go on for ever; some time or other the stream theyare making for will fail them, and then they must take to the jungle orfall into our hands. Steady with her! Slow but sure must be our motto."
"Steady it is, sir!" cried Jim. "But say, I can see a line of waterrunning out of the lagoon. Those fellows are steering straight aheadinto it."
All eyes aboard followed the movements of the fleeing launch, andwatched as she crossed in the gleam of the moonlight the last few yardsof open lagoon. They saw her shoot across the dark line which till amoment before had seemed unbroken; she sped on up the stream to whichJim had called their attention, then once again she was lost to sight.The blackness swallowed her; there was not even a glowing funnel to showher whereabouts.
"Forward!" cried the Major hoarsely. "But see here, Jim, send one ofyour men right up into the bows, for there's no knowing what may happen.We may run into a mudbank, and if we have a man forward with a pole wecan get pushed off in a twinkling."
The launch heaved and shook as the huge Tom rose to his feet. As agileas a cat, in spite of his size, the ponderous fellow went crawlingalong, past Jim and his motor, past the Major and his man, and finallyestablished himself right forward in the bows.
"Come a mudbank and Tom push de launch off quick," he called. "But habno fear. Me able to see much better right away here; dere no mudbanksin dis stream, sah. All open water; plenty room for eberyone."
By now Jim and his friends had reached the very edge of the lagoon, andwere able to make out their surroundings more distinctly. The brightmoon above helped them wonderfully; thanks to the light it shed, and tothe fact that the stream ahead was wide, and branches could not reachacross it, they could discern the path which they were to follow. Not astump, not a single object, broke the shimmering surface of the water. Abright lane stretched before them, with a deep black shadow on eitherhand.
"Give her steam," commanded the Major, forgetting that the launch whichhe and the others manned was of the gasolene variety. "Send her ahead,Jim. We've a clear road, way up there ahead, and we'll take it. Boys, beon the lookout for trouble; those rascals are not the only ones we arelikely to come across in such an out-of-the-way part."
Jim jerked his levers forward promptly; the motor buzzed and roared,while the propeller bit into the water, and, taking a grip of the fluid,shot the launch forward. She swept on gallantly into the unknown, hercommander and crew careless of the consequences and determined to dotheir duty whatever happened.