CHAPTER XXIII--HEROES TO THE RESCUE
"Men overboard from the wherry!" bellowed a voice in the motor boat thathad brought out the second diving suit.
"Stand by to pick them up!" roared the ensign.
"They'll never make it. Shall we go over, sir, and help them out whenthey come up?" asked a seaman.
"Stand by! Not a man of you goes over. You couldn't live in this sea.The fools--to do a thing like that!"
The wind had increased to a gale, great walls of water hurlingthemselves against the frail craft and breaking over them in quicksuccession.
"Bail boat," commanded the ensign.
"Aye, aye, sir."
It seemed as if every moment would be the last for the small boats, butnot a man showed the least trace of excitement, either in face or voice.
"Anchor's giving way, sir."
"Stand by the oars. Hold your bow to the wind. Keep them up, lads. Andnot a signalman on board to tell the ship we are in trouble!" theofficer muttered to himself.
Off on the battleship, however, a dozen glasses were leveled in theirdirection and as many keen eyes were gazing toward them over thetroubled sea.
"Small boat appears to be in trouble, sir," called the quartermaster,who, standing on the quarter-deck of the battleship, was bracing hisglass against a stanchion. The ship's lookouts had failed to catch DanDavis's quick signal of "accident."
"Have they asked for assistance?" questioned the executive officer.
"No, sir. I have seen no signals in some time."
"Not since the diver went overboard?"
"Not since they made signal that the mine had been located."
"What do you think about it, Coates?" asked the captain, peering throughhis own glasses, now and then catching a glimpse of the boats throughthe mist of white spray that enveloped them.
"Two men missing from the wherry, sir," called the quartermaster, withno trace of excitement.
"Steamer number one!" roared Lieutenant Commander Coates, the executiveofficer.
"Aye, aye, sir," came the answer, borne faintly on the gale.
"Cast off and proceed full speed to the assistance of boats on the minefield."
The steamer's crew needed no urging to leap to their work. Some of theircomrades were in distress. Lines were cast off, boat hooks were quicklythrust against the side of the ship to prevent the little steamer frombeing dashed to pieces against it.
"All clear!"
With a shrill blast of her whistle steamer number one rounded the ship'sbow in a cloud of blinding spray and headed for the mine field. Theofficer in charge had been given the number of the mine, and thebearings, as he started away, so that by the aid of the compass he wasenabled to direct a straight course to the scene of the trouble.
It seemed as if the staunch little steamer must turn over as she plungedalong through the seas that were smiting her with increased force everymoment.
In the meantime the men in the little boats on the mine field, werefighting desperately to keep their craft near the spot where two men hadgone down to battle for the life of a third down under the sea.
The Battleship Boys were splendid swimmers else they never would havebeen able to wriggle their way through the water to the bottom. Dan wassomewhat hampered too, by the coil of line that he had instinctivelygathered in his hand as he prepared to leap from the boat.
By rare good luck, his hands gripped the helmet of Kester, who lay onhis back drifting slowly along, the weight at his feet holding him downnot far from the sea bottom.
Dan made a desperate effort to pass the line about the drowning man. Bythis time, however, it seemed as if the boy's breath would burst fromhim. He could hold it only a second or so longer.
At that instant a new form hovered close to him. It was the red-hairedSam. With quick instinct Dan thrust the rope into the hands of hiscompanion, and struck out for the surface.
Those in the boats made him out the instant his head was poked above thewater. The boats were close by.
"There he is!" yelled a voice. "Wait; we'll cast a rope."
Dan shook his head, once more plunging under, swimming for the bottomwith long, powerful strokes.
He had great difficulty this time in finding the spot he was in searchof, for in his rise to the surface he had been carried some twenty feetfrom the place where Kester lay.
He reached it at last. Sam had gotten the rope about the neck of thediver but was too much exhausted to make a hitch.
Dan pushed him toward the surface. Working desperately Davis at lastsucceeded in completing the work that Sam had well-nigh finished.
The boy's mind was working with lightning-like rapidity. He knew that hecould not hope to get the drowning man to the surface by his ownefforts. There was only one way that this could possibly beaccomplished. That was to get to the surface himself and try to drawKester up. Dan did not know whether the rope would reach that distanceor not.
"I must do it!" he thought.
Grasping the end of the rope he dashed upward for the surface. On theway he met a figure coming down. It was Sam. Dan grabbed him and by aseries of quick pinches managed to convey the word that the red-headedboy was to return to the surface.
Sam wriggled about and struck out for the upper air.
Hickey's red head appeared in a swirl of water and spray. He shook hishead, gasping for breath, nearly drowning himself in the effort to geteven a little fresh air into his lungs.
An instant later Dan leaped to the surface.
Dan gave a wig-wag signal with one hand, meaning "help."
By this time the small boats had drifted too far away to be able toreach them quickly.
But steamer number one had reached the scene. She gave a short, sharpblast of her whistle to show that those aboard had seen and understoodthe situation.
"Is he lost?" gasped Sam.
"N-n-no. I've got him at the end of the rope. Help me quick. He must bedead by this time. There comes the steamer. Oh, why don't they hurry?"
"Where is the rope?"
"Here! Help me with it. I'm getting tired."
Dan was holding to the rope with all his strength, trying to retain hishold of it and at the same time keep himself from sinking. Someinvisible power seemed to be pulling him downward.
The ensign and his oarsman had gotten aboard the steamer, trailing theirwherry behind it. The ensign was standing in the bow with a rope in hishand.
As the steamer, lifting on a great swell, dropped down within reachingdistance he made a cast. Dan reached for the rope and missed it.
"Lay alongside, sir," commanded Dan, with a feeble effort at salutingwith his injured hand.
"Can't do it. We will run you down in this sea. Look out for the nextcast."
"You'll have to hurry, sir. We've got a drowning man under the waterhere, sir. Lay over, no matter if you do run us down. Quick!"
A sudden, but quickly suppressed exclamation escaped the ensign.
"Take hold; I'm going to let go," gasped Dan.
Sam grabbed the rope from the hands of his companion, but Dan suddenlysnatched it away again, observing that his companion was getting weak.
"Can you take care of yourself?"
"Yes," replied Sam faintly.
The next time the line was cast from the steamer, Davis grabbed it, andwith his burden was quickly hauled alongside the plunging steamer.Willing hands grabbed the lad, dragging him aboard and then began afrantic effort to pull up the drowning diver. Kester was hauled over thesteamer's side a few seconds later.
The helmet was jerked from the head of the diver in wonderfully quicktime, and then began a hurried effort to restore him to consciousness.
"Sam! Sam! Where is Sam?" cried Dan wildly.
For the first time they noticed that the red-headed boy was not onboard.
"There! There! He's sinking!"
Dan made a rush to leap overboard.
"Hold him!" cried the ensign.
Two sailors fastened upon the Battleship Boy at
the instant he was aboutto take the plunge.
"Keep working on Kester, and don't let the boy get away. I hold youresponsible for him."
The ensign cleared the rail with a bound, leaping far out into theboiling sea, but Dan had not observed it. Giving a sudden tug, the boyfreed himself from his companions. He was overboard in a twinkling. Aboathook hauled him back, protesting and fighting to get away.
"The ensign is over. No need for you to go."
It was the same ensign who had rebuked Sam earlier in the day, andagainst whom the lad had taken a sudden and violent dislike on thataccount.
"Full speed ahead," commanded the coxswain of the little steamer.
"Steady there, helmsman; don't run them down."
A desperate struggle followed amid the smashing seas. By this time thesteamer was hard by.
"Cast a rope," commanded the coxswain. A coil shot through the air,landing over the ensign's shoulder. He fastened upon it instantly, and afew moments later was drawn slowly to the steamer, one hand clinging toHickey's red hair. The two men were hauled aboard in a half-drownedcondition. Dan was the worst off of the three, however. He was not onlysuffering from broken bones but he had been under water for a long time.He was barely able to speak now. His face was pale and drawn and hislegs seemed unable to support him.
The first act of the ensign upon getting aboard, was to spring over towhere Kester lay stretched out in the bottom of the steamer, the menstill working over him, applying the methods that they had learned atthe training station. Some of the men had been through the experiencebefore and knew what to do.
"Is he dead?" questioned the officer.
"No, sir, I think not. See, the color is coming into his cheeks."
The ensign drew a deep breath of relief.
"Gangway! Let me have a hand, lads," he cried.
But the men stood fast.
"You are not fit for it, sir," answered Dan Davis, barring the way."Please, sir, sit down and rest yourself. We are fresh and you are not."
"You are----"
The words seemed to stick in the ensign's mouth.
"My lad, I think you have quite as much right to rest as have I. Standaside," he added in a stern tone.
Dan fell back. The officer began working over the body of the diver,bringing his longer experience into play. In a very short time Kesterwas coughing and choking. It appeared almost as if he were strangling.
"Shall we get under way, sir?" questioned the coxswain.
"Are we all here?"
"Yes, sir. The other boats are tied astern, their crews on board."
"Get under way as quickly as possible. Run as fast as you dare. Thesemen need the attention of the surgeon."
"Aye, aye, sir. Full speed ahead!"
The steamer plunged away headed for the battleship. But still the ensignand his men worked over the diver. Little by little he regainedconsciousness. He was too weak to do more than glance about at themslowly, then his eyes closed wearily.
"We'll save him," muttered the officer. "We must save him."
"Catch Davis," shouted a voice.
A Jackie caught the boy just in time to prevent Dan from goingoverboard. They hauled him back with a laughing remark. Dan wavered onhis feet for a few seconds then plunged heavily forward on his face.
"He's fainted, sir."
"Let him alone. We shall be aboard ship in a few moments. He willrecover by that time."
Soon after that the little steamer ran in under the lee of thebattleship. The rail was lined with officers and men.
"Anyone lost?" called the executive officer.
"No, sir; got them all. Two men in bad shape. Pass over a sling."
Sam was kneeling beside his unconscious companion a troubled look on hisface.
Almost at once a rope sling was passed over the side. The men reachedfor the unconscious boy. Sam motioned to the diver.
"Take him first," directed the lad. "He is the worst off."
Bill Kester, therefore, was hoisted to the deck; then came Dan Davis.Tenderly they laid him on the deck. Stretchers were brought and thepatients were started quickly for the sick bay.
"Ensign, what happened?" demanded the captain.
"Briefly, sir, those two lads made the most heroic rescue that I evereither saw or heard of. Especial credit is due to Ordinary Seaman Davisfor his wonderful and heroic efforts."
The young officer related all that had occurred out on the mine field,to which the commanding officer together with a group of other shipofficers listened with grave faces.
"Orderly."
The captain's voice was full of decision.
"Go to the sick bay. Run! Tell the surgeon to send the boy to my cabin."
"Davis, sir?"
"Yes, and, Ord'ly."
"Yes, sir."
"Tell the surgeon I wish the boy to be put in my bed. Tell the surgeonto report to me as soon as he has examined the boy."