CHAPTER XXVI--AN UNEXPECTED DELAY
As soon as Aynsley joined her at Victoria, the handsome schooner-yacht,with its auxiliary engines, got under way. For the first day or two thewind was fair, but although she spread a good deal of canvas, Clayinsisted on keeping up a full head of steam.
"She'd slip along fast enough with her propeller disconnected and thegaff-topsails set," Aynsley expostulated. "Keeping the fires going is awaste of coal."
"I'm willing to meet the bill," Clay replied. "Guess I'm used tohustling, and I like to feel I'm getting there."
"We may get there too soon," Aynsley persisted. "I expect we'll find iceabout the island."
"Then we can wait until it clears. Keep her going at her best clip toplease me."
Aynsley promised to do so, though his father's eagerness made himthoughtful. As a matter of fact, Clay was tensely impatient to beginwork on the wreck. He had so far never spoiled an undertaking by unduehaste, but he had now a foreboding that if he delayed his attempt hemight be too late. His life was threatened, and he must finish the workhe had on hand while there was an opportunity.
When they lost sight of Vancouver Island the wind drew ahead, and,furling sail, the yacht proceeded under steam. For two days she made asatisfactory run, and then, as the breeze freshened and the sea got up,her speed slackened and, burdened by her heavy masts, she plungedviciously through the white-topped combers. The weather did not improve,and on the third afternoon Clay stood on the sloppy after-deckimpatiently looking about. Gray mist obscured the horizon, and longranks of frothing seas loomed up ahead. The vessel lurched over them,rolling wildly, burying her bows in the foam, which swept in across herlow bulwarks and poured out through the waist gangway in streakycataracts. The sooty cloud from her funnel streamed far to leeward, andClay could feel her engines throbbing; but he saw that she was makingpoor speed, and he beckoned to Aynsley, who came aft and joined him.
"I've been watching that log since lunch, and she's doing very badly,"he said, indicating the dial of a brass instrument on the taffrail."There's hardly sea enough to account for it, and they seem to be firingup."
"Saltom is having some trouble with his condenser," Aynsley explained."As you're anxious to get on, he didn't want to stop, but the vacuum'sfalling."
"Then I'll go down and see him; but I'm not an engineer, so you'd bettercome along."
They climbed down a greasy iron ladder, and found a man in overallskneeling beside a big iron casting in the bottom of the engine room.Near by piston-rod and connecting-rod flashed with a silvery glimmerbetween the throbbing cylinders and the whirling cranks that flung ashower of oil about, and floor-plates and frames vibrated in time to therhythmic clangor. The engineer held an open lamp, its pale flameflickering to and fro as the vessel rolled, while he watched the indexof the vacuum gage.
"You have lost half an inch since I was down," said Aynsley, stoopingbeside him.
"She's surely worrying me," replied the engineer. "I'll have to let upon feeding from the hot-well before long, and we haven't too much freshwater."
"Are you satisfied it's not the air-pumps?"
"Can't see anything wrong with them. I suspect there's something jambingthe main inlet-valve, and the tubes may be foul, though those I took outlast season were clean."
"Why didn't you scrap the blamed condenser if you doubted it?" Claybroke in. "I haven't cut your bills, and this boat has got to go when Iwant her."
His tone was sharp, and the man looked up with a start.
"I don't waste my employer's money," he began; but Clay cut him short.
"Let that go! She won't run, you say. What are you going to do aboutit?"
Aynsley was surprised. Clay had a quick temper, but he generally knewhow to keep it in check, and now his voice was hoarse with rage.
"I'd like to stop her right away and see what's wrong, but it's a longjob to strip a surface-condenser and these castings are heavy to moveabout."
"She'd fall off into the trough of the sea when her propeller stopped,and the rolling would make his work very difficult," Aynsley explained.
"Well," Clay said shortly, "what do you suggest?"
"I'd like a day or two to overhaul her in, up some inlet where we'd getsmooth water," the engineer replied.
"Do you know of a suitable place?" Clay asked Aynsley.
"Yes; but it's a little off our course, and would take a day to reach."
Clay turned with a frown to the engineer.
"He'll sail her in, but if you're not through in forty-eight hours, I'llfire you and scrap this machine!" Then he touched Aynsley's arm. "Leavehim to it, and give your orders to Hartley."
They went up on deck, and Aynsley saw his father light a cigar and thensavagely throw it away; and when he came back after speaking to theskipper Clay was standing in the deckhouse with a small bottle and awineglass in his hand. He looked at his son angrily, and Aynsley,recognizing the bottle, hastily went out.
A few minutes later the yacht swung off her course to the east, and theyset the foresail and two jibs. At midnight, when it was blowing hard,the engines stopped, and they hoisted the reefed mainsail. Aynsley wassurprised to see Clay on deck, but he did not speak to him, for Clay'smanner indicated that he was in a dangerous mood.
When day broke the schooner was sailing fast, close-hauled, with her leechannels in the water and the white seas breaking over her weather bow.Aynsley found his father sitting at the foot of the mainmast, which wasthe only dry spot. It looked as if he had been on deck since midnight.
"She's getting along fast, but Hartley thinks she's carrying more sailthan is prudent," Aynsley remarked. "There's a big strain on the weatherrigging, and I imagine it would be safer to heave her to and shortensail."
"Let her go," said Clay. "The fellow who designed her specified the bestOregon sticks for masts, and I remember paying high for them. Nowthey've got to stand up to it."
"Very well," Aynsley acquiesced; but when the breeze still freshened hestayed on deck, watching the growing list of the vessel as, hard pressedby the canvas and half buried in foam, she plunged furiously through thebreaking seas.
During the morning the wind veered to the east, breaking the schooneroff her course, so that they were forced to make long tacks, and it waslate when a great range of forest-shrouded hills rose up ahead. Rockypoints and small islands broke the line of beach, and as they closedwith it Aynsley climbed the fore rigging with his glasses. There was agap in the belt of surf three or four miles off, which he knew was thespot he sought, and coming down, he had a consultation with the skipperbefore he explained the situation to Clay.
"So far as we can calculate from the tables, the tide had been ebbingfor about two hours," he said. "That means the stream will be settingstrongly out of the inlet, and we'll have the wind against us going in.I know the place pretty well, because I once sheltered there, butHartley wasn't with me then, and after looking at the chart he's a bitnervous about trying it on the ebb."
"How long would you have to wait for water on the flood?"
"About nine hours. You see there's a rocky patch in the entrance, andnot much room to tack. Then Saltom wants to put her on the beach, andwe'd have to wait until near high-water unless we go in at once. Still,it's a very awkward place."
"Take her in and chance it!"
As she drew nearer, Aynsley stood in the rigging, studying the shorethrough his glasses. He could see by the wet belt above the fringe ofsurf that the water had fallen; and the inlet had a forbidding look. Onthe starboard side of its mouth the tops of massive boulders showedthrough the leaping foam; to port there was a rocky shoal; and beyondthese dangers a deep, narrow channel ran inland between the hills. Thewind blew straight down it, lashing the water white.
"We'll want speed; you'd better give her the whole mainsail," he advisedthe skipper when he came down.
For a few minutes the crew were busy shaking out the reef, and then asthe yacht buried her lee bulwarks Aynsley took the wheel. The sea wassmoother clos
e in along the land, but she was hard pressed by her largespread of sail, and the water that leaped in across her bows flowedankle-deep across the steeply slanted deck. The tall masts bent toleeward, the weather shrouds hummed, and her crew stood with bent legsat their stations on the inclined wet planking, ready to seize thesheets. Forward, a dripping seaman swung the lead in the midst of thespray cloud that whirled about her rigging, and his voice came faintlyaft through the roar of parted water.
"Seven fathom!" He missed a cast, and his next cry was sharper."Shoaling, sir! And a quarter six!"
There was silence for a few moments while he gathered up his line, andthe yacht raced in toward the beach.
"By the deep, four!" he called.
"Ready about!" shouted Aynsley, pulling at his wheel. "Helm's a-lee!"
There was a furious thrashing of canvas as she rose to an even keel,while rocks and pines closed in on one another as her bows swung round.Then she started on the opposite tack, heading for the entrance, withthe boulders not far to leeward and the tide on her weather bow. Itcarried her back, the trailing screw hampered her, and when a wild gusthove her down until the sea boiled level with her rail Clay, holding onby a shroud, glanced sharply at his son.
Aynsley was gazing fixedly ahead, his face set but cool, though the foamthat surged among the boulders seemed rushing toward them. Clay was notmuch of a seaman but he could see that they were gaining little; but hehad confidence in his son. The leadsman had found bottom at threefathoms and still Aynsley did not bring her round. There was a slackalong that shore, and he meant to make the most of it, though it lookedas if she must strike in the next few moments.
She swayed upright suddenly, swung, and drove away on the other tacktoward a confused white seething, where stream and shore-running sea metupon the shoal. They were close upon it when she came round again; andfive minutes later she was racing back, with the ominous white patch onher lee bow, but not far enough for her to clear it. On the oppositeside a tongue of beach ran out, narrowing the entrance. It lookedimpossible for them to get in, and during the few moments while she spedtoward the rocks Clay was conscious of a new respect for his son.
Aynsley had shown himself no fool in business, he was a social favorite,and now he was altogether admirable as he stood, composed but strung up,at the yacht's helm. His finely proportioned figure was tense, his wetface was resolute, and there was a keen sparkle in his eyes. The boy wasshowing fine nerve and judgment. Clay was proud of him. Thisstrengthened his determination to safeguard his son's career. Aynsleymust bear an honored name; it was unthinkable that reproach shouldfollow him on account of his father's misdoings.
Aynsley shouted to the skipper, who was anxiously watching the shore.
"There's not much room! I'll let her shoot well ahead before I fill onher. See the boys are handy with the fore-sheets!"
As he pulled the helm down, Hartley gave an order, and the schooner,coming round, drove forward, head to wind, with canvas banging. It was abold but delicate maneuver, for Aynsley had to trust that her momentumwould carry her through the dangerous passage against the tide. If itfailed to do so, and she lost her speed before he could cant her on to anew tack, there was no way of saving her from the rocks. The skipperstood with set lips amidship just clear of the jerking foresail-boom;the crew forward, the slack of the fore-sheets in their hands; and Clay,leaning on the rail aft, watched his son. Aynsley's pose was alert buteasy; he looked keen but confident with his hands clenched upon thewheel.
"Lee sheets!" he cried, pulling the wheel over sharply.
Her head swung slowly round, and the shaking canvas filled; she gatheredway, and when her deck slanted the boulders were sliding past abeam.Coming round again, she left them astern, and drove forward swiftly intoclear and sheltered water. Ten minutes afterward they ran the headsailsdown, and Aynsley ran her gently on to the beach. There she would haveto stop until Engineer Saltom finished his repairs.
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