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A VOYAGE WITH CAPTAIN DYNAMITE
Suddenly he half rose in the tossing boat and shouted tothe rowers (_Page 13_)]
A VOYAGEWITHCAPTAIN DYNAMITE
BYCHARLES EDWARD RICH
Publishers mark]
NEW YORKA. S. BARNES & COMPANY1907
COPYRIGHT, 1907, BYA. S. BARNES & COMPANYAll rights reserved
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER PAGE
I. CAUGHT IN A GALE 1II CARRIED AWAY TO SEA 11III "SHE'S LIKE A WARSHIP BELOW" 24IV. A LESSON IN PATRIOTISM 37V. SENDING THE MESSAGE 51VI. "VIVA, CUBA LIBRE!" 63VII. IN THE DANGER ZONE 73VIII. A BRUSH WITH THE GUNBOAT 86IX. THE MIDNIGHT MESSAGE 99X. INTO THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY 112XI. CAPTURED BY SPANIARDS 125XII. ON TO GOMEZ 139XIII. HARRY REFUSES TO BETRAY CAPTAIN DYNAMITE 151XIV. THE SECRET PASSAGE 165XV. THE EXECUTION AT DAWN 177XVI. THE ESCAPE 185XVII. "YOU WILL BE SHOT AS SPIES" 198XVIII. CAPTAIN DYNAMITE FINDS JUANITA 208XIX. DRAWING THE NET CLOSER 218XX. CAPTAIN DYNAMITE TO THE RESCUE 231XXI. GENERAL SERANO MEETS CAPTAIN DYNAMITE 242XXII. THE ESCAPE--VILLAMONTE AGAIN BEATEN 254XXIII. BACK TO THE MARIELLA 266XXIV. THE ESCAPE FROM THE LAGOON 275XXV. HOME AGAIN 291
A VOYAGE WITH CAPTAIN DYNAMITE
CHAPTER I
CAUGHT IN A GALE
"Let go the jib halliards, Mason. Lay out there, Bert, and get in thatslack sail. It's blowing a bit. Gee, see that bank of wind coming up."
The little pleasure boat careened and took aboard a few barrels of wateras she faced a sudden puff of wind that almost put her on her beam ends.But she was a game little craft, and came back from the onslaught of theelements with a sturdiness that indicated strong timbers, and a buildthat was meant to cope with the sudden squalls that come out of a clearsky off the coast of Martha's Vineyard during the early autumn days.
"She's good for anything that you will get around these parts, and sheis the fastest boat of her length in these waters."
This recommendation by Tom, the veteran skipper of the summer fleet, hadbeen sufficient to complete the sale of the sloop to three enthusiasticboys. And the boat had made good her reputation and served her purposewell. During the two months that the boys had owned her, there had beenfew days when she had not been in commission, either cruising for bluefish, or skimming along the shores of the island in a pleasant, summerway, lazily passing the days away for the youngsters, who lolledcontentedly on her deck.
Since we shall follow the crew of the yacht through many adventures, letus make their acquaintance at once. At the helm stood Harry Hamilton, aboy of sixteen, strong of build and an athlete of renown within thecircles of his school. Honest and straightforward in all his dealings,and with a cheery disposition, he commanded the respect and admirationof his fellows, and because of his natural characteristics, was usuallylooked upon as the leader in their sports. With his parents he wasspending his vacation at their summer home at Cottage City.
With him were two schoolmates, Geoffrey Mason and Bertram Wilson, whowere staying with him. Bertram was about Harry's age. Geoffrey,nicknamed "Midget" Mason, or the "Midget," was a year younger than hischums, and although small for his age, was strong and wiry. Lighthearted and fun loving, he was always the life of any gathering of boys.He was one of Harry Hamilton's staunchest friends and admirers. Forweeks the boys had enjoyed the sailing, bathing, fishing, golf, andother sports, but their particular diversion was sailing. Under theinstruction of old Tom, the boys were soon able to handle alone thelittle boat that they had bought by clubbing together their resources.
"Don't worry, mother, she's as safe as a scow," Harry would say, as hesaw the expression of anxiety spread over his mother's face when heannounced that they were off for a day's cruising.
On this day they had started early in the morning for a blue-fishingcruise, and all had gone well until the homeward voyage. The cockpit wasfull of big fish and the boys took much pleasure in anticipating theirreception when they made fast to the pier. The little sloop was skimmingalong under full sail, when just off Edgartown a stiff puff of windstruck them.
Harry jammed the helm hard down and the boat responded gamely, comingquickly up into the wind. It was then that he called sharply to Mason tolet go the jib halliards. The sail was so light and the wind slapped itfrom side to side with such angry vehemence that it would not run downon the stay. Harry dropped the helm, and holding it down with thepressure of his leg, seized the down haul and brought the jib, flappingand pounding, down to the bowsprit.
"Get out there and furl that jib, Bert," he shouted. "We'll have to reefdown the mainsail soon."
Bert climbed cautiously out of the cockpit and made his way along theslippery deck until he reached the bowsprit. Clinging to the mainmast,he steadied himself while he surveyed the thrashing sail, whose folds ofcanvas hung over and trailed in the water until, caught every now andthen by the wind, it bellied out like a balloon. A wave bigger than therest completely submerged the bowsprit as the boat plunged into thetrough of the sea.
To furl the jib it was necessary to climb out on the lower stay, whichacted as a foot rope, and it required the agility of a cat to hang onand drag the water-soaked, wind-thrashed sail onto the bowsprit and makeit fast with canvas stops. For a moment Bert hesitated, but Harry wavedto him eagerly to go on. Bert nodded in assent and began to climbgingerly out onto the stay. Harry held the boat up into the wind to aidhis companion in getting in the wet and flapping sail.
They plunged into wave after wave, carrying Bert almost completelyunder, as a bather goes under a comber in the surf. But he hung onto thelight spar with one hand while he dragged in the sail with the other.When his task was completed and he climbed inboard again, Bert was aswet as if he had been overboard.
Then came the task of reefing the mainsail, which the boys accomplishedsuccessfully, though not without a hard struggle, for the wind increasedin violence every moment. Holding the boat, which now carried only a fewsquare yards of canvas, well up into the wind, they pounded along withthe gunwale under the rushing water. She rode a little easier and theboys settled down for a breathing spell.
"There is nothing to be done now but to let her run," said Harry, as hegripped the helm hard to meet a sudden plunge into a head sea.
"But we are heading straight out to sea," said Bert, with a tone ofworriment in his voice.
"Can't be helped. This wind has not reached its limit yet, and I wouldnot dare to try to take her in before it. It might take the mast out ofher."
"It's getting dark, too," said Mason, nervously.
"That can't be helped either."
"Can't you ease her off for the Massachusetts shore?"
"I tell you, Bert, there is nothing to be done with safety but to keepher right up into the eye of the wind."
"But this blow may last for a day or two."
"Now look here, Bert, you and I have been caught in one or two hardblows and we have pulled out all right together. If you think you knowmore about handling this boat than I do, I will turn the helm over toyou and you can have your own way."
"Skipper," said Ber
t, with a return of his natural good humor, "I seekneither the honor nor the responsibility. Keep the helm and sail her onto whatever port this blooming gale may be heading us for. It looks tome as if we would make the coast of Ireland for our first stop."
"She is not making as much headway as she appears to be. I have got herjammed way up into the wind."
The sky was constantly growing darker and the wind seemed each moment toincrease in fury. To add to the discomfort of the situation, it began torain. The wind howled and shrieked and lashed the surface of the waterinto a white foam, lifting at times the crests from the waves andhurling the fine spray into the faces of the boys.
Darkness was falling rapidly, and away off in the distance behind themthe lights of Cottage City flashed out as the cottagers began to lightthe lamps.
Harry sat silently at the helm, with his eyes fixed on the sail, now andthen changing their course a little as the gusty wind veered a point ortwo.
On they plunged into the teeth of the ever increasing gale. Sooncomplete darkness shut in around them and it was impossible to seebeyond the bow of the boat, that at times rose high on the crest of arushing wave and then swooped down to meet the next with a crash thatsent a shiver through her timbers. But she was a sturdy little craft,and shaking herself like an animal, she would rise lightly to the top ofthe next wave, ready to fight it out to the end.
Mason and Bert perched grimly on the windward rail of the cockpit.Neither had spoken for a long time.
"Take a turn at the pump, Bert," said Harry, "I think she is takingwater."
Bert started towards the pump, slipped on the fish that filled thecockpit and pitched head-foremost into the lee scuppers.
"Throw half a dozen of those fish into the cuddy and chuck the restoverboard," said Harry, who, notwithstanding their serious situation,could not refrain from laughing at Bert's frantic efforts to regain hisfeet among the slippery cargo. "We may need some of them for food beforewe get out of this, but the others are in the way."
Mason climbed down from his perch with care and helped to throw the fishoverboard.
"Pretty dangerous situation, skipper," said the imperturbable youngster,"when we have to sacrifice the cargo. However, over they go."
The little cabin, or cuddy, of the boat was so low that it was withdifficulty that one could crawl into it. On either side the boys hadfitted up small bunks that served for lounging during calm weather, andin the middle of this space, on the centreboard box, they had arranged atable on which stood a small oil stove. Here they frequently cookedtheir luncheons when cruising.
After the fish were disposed of, Bert manned the pump, and for fiveminutes was busy getting the water out of the hold.
"This blow has opened up some of her seams," said Harry, as Bert beganto puff. "We shall have to work to keep the water out of her, boys."
"What about eating?" asked Mason, whose stomach never quailed, even inthe face of danger.
"We'll go without eating for the present, young man, and you may thinkyourself very lucky if you get out of this even with an empty stomach."
"O, fudge, I can sneak down into the cuddy and fix up a nice mess ofbaked beans that will make your mouth water. There are three cans left.Besides, if we are going to drown, what's the use of drowning on emptystomachs?"
"Don't you even put your head in that cuddy, Midget," said Harry,sharply. "If anything should happen to this boat you would be drownedlike a rat in a trap, in there."
"Pish, pish and tush, tush, what's the use of having a skipper if he isgoing to upset his craft? Bert, it is high time the crew mutinied.What--"
At this moment a big wave struck the bow of the boat and swept her fromstem to stern, filling Mason's open mouth with salt water.
"Skipper," he sputtered, as soon as he could speak, "I confidentlybelieve you did that on purpose."
"This is not a time for your nonsense, Mason," said Harry, somewhatsternly.
As he spoke, a fiercer gust of wind, veering a point or two, caught thesloop amidships, and before Harry could let go the sheet or bring hercloser up, she heeled over to the blast until the water poured in atorrent into the cockpit. Harry jammed down the helm and let go themainsheet and she righted herself, trembled under the strain and plungedahead once more into the seas.
It was mere chance that both Bert and Mason were not swept into the seaby the sudden careening of the boat. As it was, they were thrown intothe cockpit, and when they climbed back in the darkness to their placeson the weather rail, the Midget wore a much more serious expression onhis naturally comical face.
"You are right, Hal," he said, solemnly, "I guess it's no joke afterall."
The rain was now coming down in vicious torrents that beat in the boys'faces, almost blinding them.
Suddenly in the blackness ahead there flashed a bright, green light likethe eye of some monster of the deep. It appeared to be about as highabove them as the mast head of the sloop. They each saw it at the sametime, and each knew, with a thrill of horror, what it meant.
"Hold fast," shouted Harry, in tones that could just be heard above thehowling of the gale, and at the same time he put the helm hard down."She's almost on us."
It was too late. There was a crash and the sound of splintering timbers.
The big steamer cut the little craft in two as cleanly as with a knife.