Chapter 13.
Three hours later the breeze came. Frank was pacing up and down thedeck, when there was a slight creak above. He stopped and lookedup.
"Is that the breeze?" he asked the first mate, whose watch it was.
"I think so, sir, though it may be just the heaving from a steamersomewhere. I don't feel any wind; not a breath from any quarter."
There was another and more decided sound above.
"There is no mistake this time," the mate said, as the boom whichhad been hanging amidships slowly swung over to port. "It'ssomewhere about the quarter that we expected it from, and coming asgently as a lamb."
Five minutes later there was sufficient breeze to cause her to heelover perceptibly as she moved quietly through the water.
"Hands aft to shake out the reefs," the mate called.
The order was repeated down the fo'castle hatch by one of the twomen on the lookout. The rest of the watch, who had been allowed togo below, tumbled up.
The sailors hastened to untie the reef points. All were aware ofthe nature of the chase in which they were embarked. The whole crewwere full of ardour. They felt it as a personal grievance that theyoung lady to whom their employer was engaged had not only beencarried off, but carried off from the deck of the yacht. Moreover,she was very popular with them, as she had often asked themquestions and chatted with them when at the helm or when she walkedforward. She knew them all by name, and had several times come offfrom shore with a packet of tobacco for each man in her basket. Shehad been quick in learning to steer, and her desire to knoweverything about the yacht had pleased the sailors, who were alldelighted when they learned of her engagement to the owner. The newhands, on learning the particulars, had naturally entered to someextent into the feeling of the others, and the alacrity with whichevery order was obeyed showed the interest felt in the chase.
As soon as the reef points were untied came the order:
"Slack away the reef tackle, and see that the caring will run easy.
"Now up with the throat halliard. That will do.
"Now the gaff a little more. Belay there.
"Now get that topsail up from the sail locker. We won't shift jibsjust yet, until we see whether the breeze is going to freshen."
It was not long before the increasing heel of the craft, and rustleof water along her side, told that she was travelling faster.
"The wind is freeing her a bit, sir. It has shifted a good halfpoint in the last ten minutes."
"That is a comfort," Frank said. "You may as well heave the log. Ishould like to know how she is going before I turn in."
"Seven knots, sir," the mate reported. "That is pretty fair,considering how close-hauled she is."
"Well, I will turn in now. Let me know if there is any change."
At five o'clock Frank was on deck again. Purvis was in charge ofthe watch now.
"Good morning, sir," he said, touching his hat as Frank came up."We are going to have a fine day, and the wind is likely to keepsteady."
"All right, Purvis. What speed were we going when you heaved thelog?"
"Seven and a half, sir. Perry tells me that she has been doing justthat ever since the wind sprang up. I reckon that we are prettywell abreast of Finisterre now. We shall have the sun up in a fewminutes, and I expect that it will come up behind the land.
"Lambert, go up to the cross-tree and keep a sharp lookout, as thesun comes up, and see if you can make land."
"I can make out the land, sir," the sailor called down as soon ashe reached the cross-tree. "It stands well up. I should say thatyou can see it from deck."
The mate and Frank walked further aft and looked out under theboom. The land was plainly visible against the glow of the sky.
"There it is, sure enough," the mate said. "I looked over therebefore you came up and could not make it out, but the sky hasbrightened a lot in the last ten minutes. I should say that it isabout five-and-twenty miles away. It is a very bold coast, sir.
"That is Finisterre over the quarter; you see the land breaks offsuddenly there. We ought to have made out the light, but of courseit is not very bright at this distance, and there was a slight miston the water when I came up at eight bells."
"I suppose in another forty-eight hours we shall not be far fromthe southern point of Portugal."
"We shall be there, or thereabouts, by that time if the wind keepsthe same strength and in the same quarter. That would make anuncommonly good run of it, considering that we were lyingtwenty-four hours becalmed. If it had not been for that, we shouldhave been only four days from the Start to Saint Vincent."
The mate's calculations turned out correct, and at seven in themorning they anchored a mile off Cape Saint Vincent. The gig waslowered, and Frank was rowed ashore, taking with him a signal bookin which questions were given in several languages, includingSpanish. He had purchased it at Cowes before starting.
The signal officer was very polite, and fortunately understood alittle English. So Frank managed, with the aid of the book, to makehim understand his questions. No craft at all answering to thedescription had been noticed passing during the last five or sixdays; certainly no yacht had passed. She might, of course, havegone by after dark.
He showed Frank the record of the ships that had been sighted goingeast, and of those that had made their numbers as they passed. ThePhantom was not among the latter, nor did the rig or approximatetonnage, as guessed, of any of the others, at all correspond withhers.
After thanking the officer, Frank returned to his boat, and half anhour later the Osprey was again under weigh.
At Ceuta, Tarifa, and Tangier there was a similar want of success.Such a craft might have passed, but if so she was either too faraway to be noted, or had passed during the night. From Tangier hecrossed to Gibraltar, and anchored among the shipping there.
So far everything had gone to confirm his theory that the Phantomwould not go up the Mediterranean. Of course, she might have passedthe three places, as well as Saint Vincent, at night; or have keptso nearly in the middle of the Strait as to pass without beingremarked. Still, the chances were against it, and he regarded it asalmost certain that she would have put into one or other of theAfrican ports, as she passed them, for water, fresh meat and fruit.
It was six days after the Osprey passed Saint Vincent before sheanchored off Gib. She had made her number as she came in, and in ashort time the health officer came out in a boat. The visit was aformal one; the white ensign on her taffrail was in itselfsufficient to show her character, and that she must have comestraight from England; and the questions asked were few and brief.
"We are ten days out," Frank said. "We have touched at Tarifa,Ceuta, and Tangier, but that is all. The crew are all in goodhealth. Here is the list of them if you wish to examine them."
"As a matter of formality it is better that it should be done," thehealth officer said.
"I will order them to muster," Frank said, "and while they aredoing so, will you come below and take a glass of wine?
"Can you tell me if a craft about this size, a schooner orbrigantine, has put in here during the last fortnight? I don't knowwhether she is still flying yacht colours, or has gone into trade,but at any rate you could see at once that she had been a yacht."
"Certainly no such craft has put in here, Major Mallett. Yours isthe first yacht that has come round this season, and as I boardevery vessel that anchors here, I should certainly have noticed anytrader that had formerly been a yacht. The decks and fittings wouldtell their story at once. Do you know her name?"
"I don't know much about her," Frank said, "but a craft of thatkind sailed from Cowes a day or two before I started, and, as Ibelieve, for the Mediterranean. Being about our own size, andheavily sparred for a schooner, I was rather curious to know if Ihad beaten her. We did not make her out as we came along."
"You must have passed her in the night, I should say, unless, as islikely enough, she did not put in, but kept eastward."
As Frank had touche
d at Gibraltar three times before, the place hadno novelty for him. He, however, went ashore at once to makearrangements for filling up again with water. The steward andGeorge Lechmere accompanied him into the town to purchase freshmeat, fruit and vegetables.
Frank then made his way to the post office. He was scarcelydisappointed at finding that there was nothing for him as yet.
The next three days he spent in wandering restlessly over the Rock.As long as the Osprey was under weigh, and doing her best, he wasable to curb his anxiety and impatience; but now that she was atanchor he felt absolutely unable to remain quietly on board.Several officers of his acquaintance came off to the Osprey, and hewas invited to dine at their mess dinner every night. He, however,declined.
"The fact is, my dear fellow," he said to each, "I am at presentwaiting with extreme anxiety for news of a most important nature,and until I get it I am so restless and so confoundedly irritablethat I am not fit to associate with anyone. When I look in hereagain I hope that it will be all right, and then I shall bedelighted to come to you, and have a chat over our Indian days; butat present I really am not up to it."
His appearance was sufficient to testify that his plea was not afictitious excuse.
On the fourth day he found a letter awaiting him at the postoffice. He tore it open, and read:
"Funchal, Madeira, August 30.
"Sir: At the request of Mr. Greenwood I beg to inform you that abrigantine, precisely answering to the description given me,anchored in the roads here on the 21st. She only remained a fewhours to take in water and stores. I was at the landing place whenthe master came on shore. He said that they had had a wonderfullyfast voyage from England, having come from the Lizard under sevendays, and holding a leading wind all the way. She was flying theBelgian flag, and I learned from the Portuguese official whovisited her that her papers were all in order, and that she hadbeen purchased at Ostend from an Englishman only three weeksbefore, and had been named the Dragon. He did not remember what herEnglish name had been.
"Most unfortunately she had left a few hours before the mailsteamer came in, bringing me the letter from Lloyd's. I do not knowthat I could, in any case, have stopped her; but I think that Icould have got the officials to have searched her, and if theladies had been on board, and had appealed to them for protection,I think the vessel would certainly have been detained; or, at anyrate, the authorities would have insisted upon the ladies being seton shore.
"Her papers had the Cape as her destination, though this may, ofcourse, have been only a blind. I regret much that I am unable togive you further information, beyond the fact that there were twomale passengers on board. I shall be happy to reply to anycommunication I may receive from you."
Frank hurried down to the landing place.
"Lay out, men," he said. "I want to be under way in a quarter of anhour."
The men bent to their oars, and the gig flew through the water.There was no one on shore, for Frank had given strict orders thatno one was to land, of a morning, until he returned from the postoffice.
"Get under way at once," he called to the captain, as soon as hecame within hailing distance.
There was an instant stir on board. Some of the men ran to thecapstan, others began to unlace the sail covers, while somegathered at the davits to hoist the boat up directly she camealongside.
"I have news, lads," Frank said, in a loud voice, as he stepped onboard. "She has touched at Madeira."
There was a cheer from the men. It was something to know that aclue had been obtained, and in a wonderfully short time the Ospreywas under way, and heading for the point of the bay.
"Then they did not stop them there, Major?" George Lechmere asked,after Frank had stated the news.
"No, the mail did not arrive with the letter in time for Lloyd'sagent to act upon it. The Phantom had sailed some hours before. Sheis still under her square yards, and her name has been changed tothe Dragon. She was there on the 21st, and the letter is dated the30th."
"And today is the 6th," George said. "So he has fifteen days' startof us, besides the distance to Madeira."
"Yes, she must be among the West Indies long before we can hope toovertake her--there, or at some South American port."
"Then you have learnt for certain that she has gone that way,Major?"
"It is not quite certain, but I have no doubt about it. Her paperssay that she is bound for the Cape, which is quite enough to showme that she is not going there. I think it is the West Indiesrather than South America, for if she went to any Brazilian port,or Monte Video, or Buenos Ayres, she would be much more likely toattract attention than she would in the West Indies, where thereare scores of islands and places where she could cruise, or liehidden as long as she liked.
"Yes, I have no doubt that is her destination. It is a nasty placeto have to search, but sooner or later we ought to be able to findher. Fortunately the negroes pretty nearly all speak English,Spanish, or French, and we shall have no difficulty in gettinginformation wherever there is any information to be had."
Four days later the Osprey anchored off Funchal. The dinghy at onceput off with six water casks, and Frank was rowed ashore in thegig, and had a talk with his correspondent. The latter, however,could give him no more information than had been contained in hisletter, except that the white streak had been painted out, and thatthe craft carried fourteen hands, all of whom were foreigners. Hecould give no information as to whether she would be likely totouch at either the Canaries or the Cape de Verde Islands, but wasinclined to think that she would not.
"They took a very large stock of water on board," he said, "and amuch larger amount of meat, vegetables and fruit than they wouldhave required had they intended to put in there, and meat is a gooddeal dearer here than it would be at Saint Vincent, or evenTeneriffe. I should think from this that they had no intention ofputting in there, though they might touch at Saint Helena orAscension, if they are really on their way to the Cape.
"But after what you tell me, I should think that your idea thatthey have made for the West. Indies is the correct one. I shouldsay that they were likely to lie up in some quiet and shelteredspot there, for it is the hurricane season now, and no one would becruising about among the islands if he could help it. There arescores of places where he could lie in shelter and no one be anythe wiser, except, perhaps, negro villagers on the shore."
"Yes, I should think that is what he would do," Frank agreed. "Howlong does the hurricane season last?"
"The worst time is between the middle of September and the middleof November, but you cannot depend upon settled weather until thenew year begins."
"Well, hurricane or no hurricane, I shall set out on the search assoon as I get over there."
Two hours later the Osprey was again on her way. The breeze wasfresh and steady, and with her square sail set and her mizzenfurled she ran along at over nine knots an hour. One day succeededanother, without there being the least occasion to make any shiftin the canvas, and it was not until they were within a day's sailof Porto Rico that the wind dropped almost suddenly. Purvis at onceran below.
"The glass has fallen a long way since I looked at it atbreakfast," he said, as he returned.
"Then we are in for a blow," the skipper said. "I am new to theselatitudes, but wherever you are you know what to do when there is asudden lull in the wind, and a heavy fall in the glass.
"Now, lads, get her canvas off her."
"All down, captain!"
"Every stitch.
"Andrews, do you and two others get down into the sail locker andbring up the storm jib, the small foresail, trysail, and stormmizzen. If it is a tornado, we shan't want to show much sail toit."
"If we are going to have a tornado, captain, I should recommendthat you get the mainsail loose from the hoops, put the cover on,roll it up tightly to the gaff and lash it to the bulwarks on oneside, and get the boom off and lash it on the other side."
"That will be a very good plan. The lower we get the weight thebetter."
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When this was done, the topmast was also sent down and lashed bythe sail. The barrels, which were now all empty, were lowered downinto the saloon, while the trysail was fastened to the hoops readyfor hoisting, and all the reefs tied up. A triangular mizzen wasthen hoisted, and a storm jib.
"We won't get up the foresail at present," the captain said. "Ihave reefed it right down, sir, but I won't hoist it until we havegot the first blow over."
"You had better see that everything is well secured on deck, and ifI were you I would put the jib in stops. We can break it out whenwe like; but from all accounts the first burst of these tornadoesis terrible. I should leave the mizzen on her; that will bring herhead up to it, whichever way it comes, and she will lie to underthat and the jib."
"Yes, sir; but it is likely enough that we shall have to sail. Ihave been reading about the tornadoes. I picked up a book at Cowesthe day we sailed, when I saw that you were ordering the charts ofthese seas, and have learnt what is the proper thing to do. Thewind is from the southeast at present, which means that the centreof the hurricane lies to the southwest.
"If the wind comes more from the east, as long as we can sail weare to head northwest or else lie to on the port tack. If it shiftsmore to the south, we are to lie to on the starboard tack."
"That sounds all right, Hawkins. It is very easy to describe whatought to be done, but it is not so easy to do it, when you are in agale that is almost strong enough to take her mast out of her. Iwill tell you what I would do. I would break up a couple of thosecasks, and nail the staves over the skylights, and then nailtarpaulins over them. I have no fear whatever about her weatheringthe gale, but I expect that for a bit we shall be more under waterthan above it.
"I see Perry is getting the two anchors below; that will help toease her. At any rate she will be in good fighting trim. I think webegan none too soon. There is a thick mist over the sky, and itlooks as dark as pitch ahead."
"There is only one thing more, sir," and the captain shouted:
"All hands get the boats on deck, and see that they are lashedfirmly.
"Will you see to getting in the davits out of the sockets, Purvis,and getting them below?
"I ought to have done that before," he went on, apologetically,"but I did not think of it. However, with such a strong crew itwon't take five minutes, and we have got that and something tospare, I think."
"You have got the bowsprit reefed, Hawkins?"
"Yes, sir; full reefed."
"There is only one thing more that I can suggest. I fancy thatthese tornadoes begin with heavy lightning. Get those wire topmaststays, and twist them tightly round the shrouds and lash themthere, leaving the ends to drop a fathom or two in the water. Inthat way I don't think that we need be afraid of the lightning. Ifit strikes us it will run down the wire shrouds, and then straightinto the water."
In five minutes all was in readiness; the boats securely lashed ondeck, the davits down below, and the lightning protectors tiedtightly to the wire shrouds.
"Now, captain, I think we have done all that we can do. What areyou doing now?"
"I am running a life line right round her, sir. It may save morethan one life if the seas make a sweep of her."
"You are right, captain. These eighteen-inch bulwarks are no greatprotection."
Four sailors speedily lashed a three-inch rope four feet above thedeck, from the forestay round the shrouds and aft to the mizzen,hove as tight as they could get it and then fastened. While thiswas being done one of the mates cut up a piece of two-inch ropeinto several foot lengths, and gave one to each of the men andofficers, including Frank and George Lechmere.
"If you tie the middle of that round your chest under the arms, youwill have the two ends ready to lash yourself to windward when itgets bad. A couple of twists round anything will keep you safe,however much water may come over her."
"Do you mean to stay on deck, sir?" the skipper asked. "You won'tbe able to do any good, and the fewer hands there are on deck theless there will be to be anxious about. I shall only keep fourhands forward after the first burst is over, and they will belashed to the shrouds. Purvis will be there with them. Perry andAndrews will take the helm, and I shall stay with them.
"We have battened the fore hatch down. One of the men will be inthe after cabin, and if I want to hoist the trysail or make anychange I shall give three knocks, and that will be a signal forthem to send half a dozen hands up. They will come through thesaloon and up the companion. We shan't be able to open the forehatch."
"Very well, skipper. I will go down when the hands do. We are goingto have it soon."
It was now indeed so dark that he could scarcely see the face ofthe man he was speaking to.
"I really think, captain, that I should send some of them downbelow at once. If a flash of lightning were to strike the mast, itwould probably go down the shrouds harmlessly, but might dofrightful damage among the men, crowded as they are up here; or itmight blind some of them. Besides, the weight forward is notrifle."
"I think that you are right, sir," and, raising his voice, thecaptain shouted:
"All hands below except the four men told off. Go down by thecompanion."
"Would you mind their stopping in the saloon, sir? It would makeher more lively than if they all went down into the fo'castle."
"Certainly not, captain;" and accordingly the men were ordered toremain in the saloon.
"You can light your pipes there, my lads," Frank said, as they wentdown, "and make yourselves as comfortable as you can."
The last man had scarcely disappeared when the captain said:
"Look there, Major Mallett," and looking up Frank saw a ball ofphosphorescent light, some eighteen inches in diameter, upon themasthead.
"Plenty of electricity about," he said, cheerfully. "If they areall as harmless as that it won't hurt us."
But as he ceased speaking there was a crash of thunder overheadthat made the whole vessel quiver, and at the same instant a flashof lightning, so vivid, that for a minute or two Frank feltabsolutely blinded. Without a moment's intermission, flash followedflash, while the crashes of thunder were incessant.
"I think that plan of yours has saved the ship, sir," the captainsaid, when, after five minutes, the lightning ceased as suddenly asit had begun. "I am sure that a score of those flashes struck themast, and yet no damage has been done to it, so far as I could seeby the last flash. Are you all right there, Purvis?"
"All right," the mate replied. "Scared a bit, I fancy. I know I ammyself, but none the worse for it."
"It is coming now, sir," the captain said. "Listen."
Frank could hear a low moaning noise, rapidly growing louder, andthen he saw a white line on the water coming along withextraordinary velocity.
"Hard down with the helm, Perry," the captain said.
"Hard down it is, sir."
"Hold on all!" the captain shouted.
A few seconds later the gale struck them. The yacht shook as if ina collision, and heeled over till the water was half up her deck.Then the weight of her lead ballast told, and as the pressure onthe mizzen did its work, she gradually came up to the wind, gettingon to an almost even keel as she did so.
"Break out the jib and haul in the weather sheet," the captainshouted.
Purvis was expecting this, and although he did not hear the wordsabove the howl of the storm, at once obeyed the order.
"There she is, sir, lying-to like a duck," the skipper shouted inFrank's ear; "and none the worse for it. An ordinary craft wouldhave turned turtle, but I have seen her as far over when she hasbeen racing."
"Well, I will go below now, Hawkins," Frank shouted back. "It isenough to blow the hair off one's head.
"Come down, George, with me. You can be of no use here."