CHAPTER XXV
FREE OF THE YACHT
The man was evidently dying. West, from his experience on Europeanbattle-fields, felt assured the end was indeed close at hand. His faceunder the flitting rays of the swinging light was ghastly and drawn, hiswords were barely audible, and painfully uttered, while, as the armsupporting his head was withdrawn, he sank back heavily into his formerposition, and his eyes instantly closed. Only as West bent lower could hedetermine the surety of his breathing still.
There was nothing to be done for Masters; no occasion for lingering therehelplessly. The yacht was sinking under their feet, going down slowly,but surely, and the end could not be far off. The very movement of thevessel sickened him, brought to him a sensation of fear. Moreover he knewthe truth now, and saw clearly his duty. The watchman had not told much,but it was sufficient to verify all his former suspicions. These fellowshe fought were desperate criminals, playing for high stakes, conspiringto even commit murder to achieve their object--which could be nothingless than gaining possession of the Coolidge fortune. To that end theyhad coolly planned the sinking of the _Seminole_ in mid-lake, with thehelpless girl locked securely in her cabin. It was a cowardly, diabolicalcrime, and yet, no doubt, they had figured it as the safest method ofcompletely disposing of her. And, but for the accident of his presence onboard, and his having been awakened by that incautious voice, the foulplot would probably have proven successful. They had already got safelyaway, leaving her behind a prisoner, her only possible rescuer thiswatchman wounded unto death. The yacht was sinking in the dark, goingsteadily down in those night shrouded waters. Who would ever know? Themain body of the crew, perhaps, never even dreamed of her presenceaboard. There was no evidence, nothing to convict the men really guilty.Here was the scheme of a master-mind in crime. West weaved his way acrossthe rolling deck of the cabin to the stateroom door Masters had pointedout as the one sheltering the girl. There was no sound from within, norwould the knob yield to his grasp. It was locked, the key gone. Therewas no time to wait and hunt for that missing piece of metal doubtlesssafely hidden in Hogan's pocket, or else thrown overboard; he must breaka way in; but first he must explain to her, so as to spare her the suddenfright of such an assault. He rapped sharply on the panel, pausing aninstant for a response. None came, and he knocked again more roughly.
"Miss Coolidge: you are there, are you not?"
"Yes; who is that?" almost a cry of delight in the voice. "You--you havea voice I know."
"I am Matthew West; but do not ask questions now. The yacht is goingdown, and I must break this door in to release you. Stand back while Ismash the boards. You hear and understand?"
"Yes--yes: I am safely away; have no fear."
The light revealed the weapon he required just beyond where Masterslay--a heavy hatchet, still stained with blood, probably the veryinstrument with which the watchman had been brutally struck down. Thatmade no difference now, and West snatched it up, and began to splinterthe wood with well directed blows. He worked madly, feverishly, unable tojudge there in the cabin whether he had a minute, or an hour, in which toeffect their rescue. All he knew was that every second was worth saving,and with this impulse driving him, swung the sharp blade with all hisstrength and skill, gouging out great splinters of wood, and finallyforcing the lock to yield. He sprang eagerly through the opening, thehatchet still in his grasp, and faced her.
She stood there looking straight at him, seemingly unable even yet towholly realize the marvellous truth of his presence. The light from theswinging lamp in the big cabin beyond, streamed in through the shattereddoorway, and revealed her face, pale, but unafraid, the eyes wide-open,the lips parted. An instant both paused, and then she cried out insudden relief.
"Oh, it is really you, Captain West. I know now. What has happened? Howdid you come to be here?"
"Not now," he insisted. "Don't ask me now. Just come as quick as you can.Do you not realize the boat is sinking, going down under our very feet?For all I know it may take the plunge before we can reach the deck. Thereis no time for anything but action. Quick; let me take your hand."
She obeyed without a word, and he pressed her before him out through thedoor into the more brightly lighted cabin. Her eyes opened in horror atthe sight of Masters, and she drew back trembling against West's arm.
"Who--who is that? A dead man?"
"I fear so; wait just a second until I learn; if he still lives we cannotleave him here."
West bent over the motionless figure; the flesh was no longer warm; andhe could detect no breath. Satisfied, he regained his feet.
"It is all over with," he said gravely. "He is beyond human aid."
"But--but, please, who is he?" she insisted, clinging to his arm. "SurelyI have seen the man before; what has happened?"
"He was the watchman on the yacht--Masters he said his name was," Westexplained impatiently. "He was still alive when I first came, and told mewhere you were confined. He tried to serve you when the others left, andwas struck down by Hogan."
"The others left! Is the boat deserted? Are we here all alone?"
"Yes; the villains left us both locked into state-rooms to die. Theydeserted the yacht, expecting it to sink, and take us both down with it.The craft is near foundering now, and our only hope is to obtain theopen deck at once. Do not question any more, but do just as I say. Youtrust me, do you not?"
"Trust you! of course I do."
"Then let's talk afterwards. All I can think about now is how best tosave your life."
She permitted him to draw her through the door on to the black, deserteddeck. For the first moment, as they hesitated there, little could beperceived other than vague shadows. The sky was overcast, but the windlight, yet with sufficient swell to the water to cause the yacht towallow uncomfortably. West, bracing himself to the sudden plunging,managed to reach the rail. He drew back, sick at heart at the sight ofthe waves lapping the side almost on a level with the sloping deck onwhich he stood. The sight brought home to him as never before the dreardeadly peril in which they were. It was already a matter of minutes; anysecond indeed that labouring hulk might take the fatal plunge. Theknowledge brought back all his soldier instincts of command, his roughinsistence. He would find some means of rescue; he must! He was backinstantly, grasping her arm.
"Quick," he cried. "You knew this yacht; what small boats did she carry?"
"Only the one; the other was so warped it had been taken ashore."
"Only one! Those fellows put off in that. There was nothing else to savelife aboard?"
"There are life-belts here; see, hung to the front of the cabin. Was thatwhat you meant?"
"Yes, and no." He snatched one from the hook, and hastily strapped itabout her. "These may help, but we shall need more. Was there nolife-raft? My God! there must surely be something of that kind."
"Yes, there is; I remember now. It is forward there, near the engine-roomhatch. Percival Coolidge explained to me how it worked once. But--but Idon't believe just the two of us could ever launch it over the rail."
"We will, because we must--it is our only hope. I'll take the other belt;now come. We haven't an instant to waste--the water is even now almostlevel with the deck; any second we may be awash, and go down like astone. Hold on tight to me."
The deck was already sloping to port in a dangerous degree, and West wascompelled to cling to the rail, as they slowly made passage forwardthrough the darkness. Their eyes had by then adapted themselves to thenight, so as to distinguish larger objects, and, as there was no litterto encounter, as in the case of a ship wrecked by storm, the twoprogressed safely as far as the engine-hatch. Neither spoke, but Weststill clasped the hatchet, peering anxiously about for some signs of thelife-raft. He located it at last, securely fastened to the side of thedeck house, and, leaving the girl to hold herself upright as best shecould, began to hack it loose. It was quite an affair, cork-lined, andevidently capable of sustaining considerable weight when once launched inthe water, but cumbersome and hard to
handle on deck, more particularlybecause of its awkward form.
Fortunately it hung to the port side with a rather steep slant to therail, which was not high. The waters of the lake, threatening to engulfthem with every sodden roll of the vessel, were almost within reach of anoutstretched hand, while occasionally a wave danced along the bulwark,and scattered its spray over the deck. West, working with feverishimpatience, realized suddenly that his companion had deserted the placewhere he had left her and was also tugging and slashing at the lashingsof the raft. These finally yielded to their blind attack. Without theexchange of a word the two grasped the sides and shoved the thing harddown against the port rail.
"Wait now," he cried exultantly. "Stay behind, and brace yourself againstthe hatch-cover. I'll get underneath and lift. Once on the rail the twoof us must shove it free overboard. Here, keep a grip on this line, sothe raft can't float away."
She understood instantly, and, with a single swift glance at her dimlyrevealed figure, West straightened up, bearing the full weight on hisshoulders, every muscle strained to the utmost, as he thus pressed itover inch by inch across the wooden barrier. Twice he stopped,breathless, trembling in every limb, seemingly unable to exert anotherpound of strength. Perspiration dripped from his face, his teeth clinchedin desperate determination. At the second pause, she was beside him,pressing her way in also beneath the sagging burden. He felt the pressureof her body.
"No, no; I can make it alone," he panted indignantly.
"Not so well as we both can, working together. I am strong, Captain West.Try it again now, and see."
Suddenly the great unwieldy mass moved, slid forward, poised itself aninstant on the rounded rail. The yacht rolled sharply to port, flingingboth on to the deck together, but sending the raft crunching overboard,clear of the side. West grasped her, and dragged her to her feet. His onethought was that they were actually going down, but, even as he held herin his arms, ready to leap out into the black water, the shudderingvessel, with a last despairing effort, partially righted herself, andstaggered on.
"The rope," he questioned. "Did you lose grip on the rope?"
"No, it is here. I can feel the jerk of the raft."
"Thank God for that; let's pull it closer to the side. We can't wait totake anything with us; even if I knew where provision and blankets were,I could never find them in this darkness. I would not dare leave you tosearch; another dip like that must be the very last. Here, let me holdyou up; can you see the raft?"
"Yes; I'm sure it is just below; why I could almost touch it."
"Can you jump to it from the rail? It is either that, or the water. Areyou afraid to try?"
"Afraid--no. Hold me; yes; that way, but--but what are you going to do?"
"Follow, of course; but I shall take to the water. There are no oarshere. Nothing to use as a substitute for them. I'll have to swim, andpush that old ark as far away as possible. When the yacht goes down, thesuction is liable to swamp us, if we are close in."
"But I can swim, Captain West."
"I am glad to know that; but now you do just as I say. There is nonecessity for both of us getting wet through. Are you ready?"
She poised herself, held steady by the grip of his hands, her eyes on thedark outline of the floating raft. There was no hesitancy, noquestioning.
"Say when," he said sharply.
"Now."
She sprang outward, and came down, sinking to her knees, and clingingfast, as the raft bobbed up and down under her sudden weight, dippinguntil the water rolled completely over it.