Budd Boyd's Triumph; or, The Boy-Firm of Fox Island

by John Kendrick Bangs

  CHAPTER XXII.--AN EXCITING ADVENTURE.

  "Good morning, father! Would you like to go with us to the fish-traps,or will you remain here and rest?"

  It was the morning after Mr. Boyd's arrival at the island, and as yetbarely six o'clock. Budd had come to the door of his father's room, andfinding him awake had thus accosted him.

  Mr. Boyd looked up at his boy with a cheerful smile.

  "Good morning, Budd!" he responded. "You are around early here, aren'tyou? Well, I like to see promptness and industry in any one; and as anencouragement, if not an example, to you and Judd, I'll go right alongwith you. How soon shall I be ready?"

  "Breakfast will be on the table in ten minutes, and in course of ahalf-hour we must be off," answered Budd. "Is there anything I can dofor you, father?"

  There was manifest affection in the lad's tones as he asked thisquestion, and his face beamed with an irrepressible joy. The greatpurpose of his heart had been accomplished; his father was not only atliberty, but with him, and he had nothing more to ask.

  "No, my son," replied Mr. Boyd, with no less show of affection; "I'll bewith you presently."

  Budd went back to the kitchen and assisted Judd in the few preparationsnecessary to complete the breakfast, and when Mr. Boyd joined the lads afew minutes later all was in readiness for them to sit down to thetable; and within the prescribed half-hour the meal had been dispatchedand all were on board the Sea Witch.

  Her moorings were speedily cast off, and with a strong southeast wind tocontend against she tacked down the bay. The first run carried herclose under the west shore of the bay, and just before she was put aboutfor her second tack, Budd, who was forward, noticed a large flat-boatcoming out from a small cove right ahead of them. A single glanceshowed him that the one sail of the boat was furled, and that his oldemployer, Mr. Benton, was pulling her along against the stiff breezewith an enormous pair of sweeps.

  "Where did Mr. Benton get that boat, and what is he doing with her,Judd?" he asked.

  "All I know about it," replied Judd, eying the clumsy craft, "is that hehad her down on Plum Beach, yesterday, loading her with sand. Where hegot her I can't say. Perhaps he knocked her together himself; I shouldjudge so, from her build. She won't stand a rough sea long, though; andunless he hurries around with his load to-day, she'll go down under him,I'm thinking."

  "Are we going to have a storm right away?" asked Mr. Boyd, looking up atthe mackerel-sky.

  "Yes, sir," replied Judd, promptly. "When the wind blows as fresh asthis from the southeast, it won't take over six hours to bring a regulargale. That's one reason we have hurried off to the traps so early thismorning. I'll agree to show you all the rough weather you'll care tosee before we get back to the island;" and the lad spoke with apositiveness that gave a convincing force to all his words.

  On account of the strong head-wind the lads had thought it best to firstwork down along the west shore and visit the two traps on that side ofthe bay, and then, with the breeze on their starboard, run over to theirtrap under Canonicut Island. This would give them, also, a stern-breezefor their return home.

  In carrying out this plan they ran on their third tack close enough toMr. Benton to hail him.

  "Good-morning, Mr. Benton," Budd cried out. "Shall we take you in towand leave you at the beach?"

  He made the offer, for he had noticed that the old man was making butslow progress against the head-wind. A surly refusal of the offeredhelp was, however, the only answer he received. It was quite evidentthat Mr. Benton, while he had steadily let the young partners alonesince his last encounter with them, had never forgiven them for theadvantage they had then gained.

  A few minutes after passing Mr. Benton the first fish-trap was reached,and the lads soon emptied it of its "catch" with all the quickness anddexterity for which they were noted. Mr. Boyd assisted them somewhat,but laughingly declared that "he would have to serve a regularapprenticeship at the business before he could hope to compete withthem."

  "Oh! you would learn how to do it sooner than you think," remarked Budd,giving the huge net a vigorous pull that sent it slowly back to itsplace. "I was as great a novice at the work as you are when Judd took meinto partnership; but I soon caught the knack, and rather like thebusiness now."

  "He proved an apt scholar, and has outstripped his teacher," put inJudd, laughingly. "I sometimes find it hard work to keep up my end withhim. But we are ready now, I believe, to work down to the lower trap."

  The anchor of the sloop was raised, and her sails adjusted for the briefrun around Plum Beach Point to the other fish-pound. As she passedalong the sandy shore, on which the huge breakers were rolling with aconstantly increasing power, the boys noticed that Mr. Benton hadalready beached his boat, and had commenced to load her with sand.

  "He ought to know better than to put a flat-bottomed boat on there withthe wind from this quarter," observed Judd, sagely. "If the windincreases, as I think it will, she'll pound to pieces there in no time;and even if he's lucky enough to get her off before that happens, hecan't get up into his cove with her to-day."

  "Why not?" asked Mr. Boyd, with some show of interest.

  "Because she has no keel or center-board, and can't hold herself for amoment against the wind. Just as sure as he clears the point with herthe wind will drive her straight ahead for our island, or by the westend of it, on to the 'The Hummocks.' See if it don't turn out as I tellyou."

  "You are right," Budd quietly assented--"unless, as you suggested,before she goes down under him. That sand is heavy, and if he only putson a half-load, it will sink her well down into the water. A rough seamay flood her, and between the water and the sand she will surely sink.Possibly he will think of this, and be wise enough to leave her whereshe is at the risk of her being stove up."

  "I don't think so," went on Judd, quickly. "The first board that startsoff of her will make him think she is going to pieces right there, andto save her he will try to get her off shore, and that means no chancefor the boat, and only half a chance for himself."

  "Cannot you run in near enough to warn him of his danger?" asked Mr.Boyd. "Perhaps, if he came right off the beach now, and before the galecomes on, he could save himself and the boat, too."

  "Little will he care for our warning," replied Judd; "but then we cangive it, all the same. Go forward, Budd, and shout to him;" and he putup the helm and ran the sloop in as near the beach as he felt it wassafe to go.

  "Mr. Benton," shouted Budd, "your boat will soon pound to pieces there;and if you delay long about putting off shore there will be great riskabout your getting into your cove. The wind is increasing every minute,and will soon blow a gale."

  The old man turned slowly around and looked off toward the sloop.

  "I'll 'tend to my bizness, if ye'll 'tend to your'n," he curtly replied.

  "What did I tell you?" said Judd, as the sloop slowly swung off towardthe fish-pound, now no great distance away. "He'll stay there for hisload, whatever happens. He don't propose to have either Budd or me givehim advice."

  Before Mr. Boyd could make any reply there came a sharp cry from Budd,who was still on the bow of the sloop.

  "Quick, Judd, or our trap will be destroyed! There is a porpoise in it,and he has already noticed our approach."

  "We can't save the net!" exclaimed Judd, springing to his feet, andlooking at the huge cetacean that had raised his head above the surfaceof the water, and within the inclosure of the seine. "He will gothrough it like a shot! Our only hope is to save the fish!"

  "Perhaps I can get him," cried Budd, running aft and drawing the yawlclose up to the sloop.

  The next moment he had leaped into it, and casting off the painter, hesculled rapidly toward the pound.

  As he reached the upper side of the trap, the porpoise made a quicklunge against the opposite side; but the stout netting and firmly-drivenstakes withstood its effort to break through. Seeing his opportunity,Budd pulled in his oar and caught up an old harpoon that
lay in thebottom of the yawl, and which was kept there to be used upon the sharksthat frequently entered the traps.

  It was but the work of a moment to fasten the weapon to the bow-line ofthe yawl, and then Budd threw it with all his strength at the strugglingmonster. The sharp point struck the porpoise near the center of itsback, and penetrated through the thick hide to the depth of severalinches.

  "Hurrah! I've got him!" shouted Budd, seizing hold of the bow-line andbeginning to haul it in.

  Scarcely were the words out of his mouth when the rope was jerked fromhis hand with a force that sent him over backward in the yawl. Then heheard a crash, and a moment after felt the boat moving through the watera terrific rate of speed.

  Crawling up onto his knees and grasping hold of the sides of the yawl,he looked about him. The cetacean had cleared itself from the trap andwas going down the bay with the boat in tow. Already the sloop wasseveral rods in the rear, and Judd was shouting to Budd to cut the ropethat fastened the yawl to the harpoon, so firmly imbedded in theporpoise's back.

  Grasping hold of the sides of the yawl Budd saw that theporpoise was going down the bay at a terrific rate of speed, with theboat in tow.]

  Holding on to the yawl with one hand, Budd took his jack-knife from hispocket with the other and opened it with his teeth. He then crept alongto the bow of the boat and raised his hand to sever the line. Thatmoment there was a movement on the part of his singular steed that ledhim to change his mind. The cetacean turned and ran obliquely for theshore, and hoping to yet secure the monster, Budd refrained from cuttingthe rope.

  "Look out for the net, first, then come on and pick me up," he shoutedback to Judd. "I'll cut the line at the first show of danger."

  The wind evidently carried his words back to his companions withsufficient distinctness to be comprehended, for they at once returned tothe pound, beyond which they had already passed in pursuing the fleeingyawl, and Budd was left to continue his wild ride unattended.

  To state the exact truth, the lad was immensely enjoying the peculiarsituation in which he found himself. As long as the porpoise kept atthe surface of the water he knew he was safe, and he watched itsmovements sharply, so as to cut the bow-line the moment he dived.

  But no such movement was to be detected. As though stricken with panic,and bent on suicide, the cetacean fled onward until opposite the hugecliff on the west shore of the bay known as Thurston's Rocks, and thenit turned and ran directly inshore.

  "It is sure death to go in there," muttered Budd at this movement of hissteed, "and I don't propose to go on to that cliff with you."

  With knife raised he waited until the porpoise was within a few rods ofthe shore; then with a quick stroke he severed the rope, and droppingthe knife, seized his oars. By a vigorous use of these he staid theimpetus of the yawl and turned its bow into the wind. Before he hadaccomplished this, however, the cetacean had dashed headlong upon thecliff, and now tossed helplessly upon the surface of the water.

  For a few minutes Budd held the yawl in check, and watched his hugevictim. He did not dare go nearer to the cliff, for he knew the waveswere dashing upon it with a force that would crush the boat as thoughbut a cockle-shell, and yet he longed to secure his prey.

  He ran his eyes along the rocks. Just beyond the place where theporpoise lay was a shelving ledge, upon which he knew he could get ifonce on shore, and from the ledge he believed he could reach the ropethat was fastened to the cetacean. But where could he land?

  Above him, a dozen rods or so, was the old tumbled-down wharf of thelong-disused "North Ferry." Rowing slowly up toward this, he was ableto bring in the yawl against the north, and hence the sheltered, side.

  Securing the boat against any possible escape, he ran quickly down theshore. Once opposite the shelving rock, he with difficulty descended tothe water's edge, and regardless of wet feet and wet arms soon caughthold of the rope which the dashing waves brought within his reach. Hefound also, to his delight, that the rope was long enough to be carriedaround the trunk of a red cedar that grew out of a crevice in the cliffjust above high-water mark.

  Having securely fastened the line, Budd stood on the ledge a fewminutes, watching the motionless porpoise. The rising tide lifted itupon the ledge quite near him, and the rope slackened somewhat as it wasrelieved of the cetacean's weight.

  "I'll take another half-hitch around the harpoon, and drive that deeperinto the porpoise; then he can't get away, and we'll come and get himafter the storm is over," Budd thought.

  Carrying out his thought, he made the half-hitch about the harpoon withthe slackened rope; then he seized hold of the protruding weapon andpressed it down into the motionless body of the cetacean with all hisstrength.

  The next moment the monster, which had apparently only been stunned byits dash upon the cliff, and was now revived by the terrible thrust ofthe lance into its vitals, gave a sudden and tremendous plunge, whichsnapped the cord by which it was fastened to the cedar as though it wasbut tow, and lad and cetacean together rolled off from the rocks intothe angry waters.