CHAPTER IX
"MAN OVERBOARD!"
"Off at last," exclaimed Benton, as he leaned back in the luxurious seatof the Pullman. "I can hardly believe that my plans are really beginningto work out the way I've been dreaming about for months."
"Just wait till you get on board ship and find out you're skipper of thecraft," grinned Phil. "I suppose you'll get so haughty that you won'tcare to notice us. We'll only be the foremast hands."
"By the time we get back, I'm willing to wager that you all will havelearned a good deal about sailing," asserted Benton.
"Even if you have to knock it into our heads with a belaying pin, Isuppose," grinned Tom.
"I hope it won't be necessary to use such strong persuasion," smiledBenton. "Still, that's the time-honored method at sea, you know."
"It must make a difference when the crew are part owners in the vessel,though," remarked Dick.
"Oh, that makes all the difference in the world," laughed the ex-marine."If I get rough, I suppose you'd fire me at the first port of call, soI'll have to try and act nice."
"You'd better," threatened Phil. "We may get to be experts at handlingbelaying pins, too."
"Stow that talk, you swabs," exclaimed Tom, assuming a fierce scowl."Heave a bucket over the side and scrub down the decks. Step lively, youslab-sided sons of sea cooks. Shiver me toplights, but you're slow.I'll--"
"You'll dry up, that's what you'll do," said Phil, as he and Dick landedon Tom and proceeded to shove his head into the soft seat cushions. "Seeif that will take some of the saltiness out of you."
Sounds of muffled expostulation came from the depths of the seat, and atlast Tom struggled free with a face that was fairly crimson from partialsuffocation.
"Why don't you throw me out of the window and kill me quick?" he askedin an injured tone. "I was just trying to get you a little familiar withnautical language, and that's what I get for my trouble. I'd be betteroff if I left you steeped in ignorance."
"We don't mind being ignorant," Dick assured him. "We can't all hope toknow as much as you."
"You can hope to, but you never will," retorted Tom, and slipped nimblyinto the aisle as he saw Dick getting ready to jump for him again. For afew seconds the latter hesitated, but then dropped back into his seatwith a laugh.
"Wait till we get you on board the ship and we'll soon find out how muchyou know," he said. "How about it, Jack?"
"Well, I guess we're none of us apt to know too much about nauticalmatters," answered Benton.
"By the time we get back we'll know more anyway," said Phil. "Come onand sit down, Tom. We'll forgive you."
"I don't need to be forgiven for telling you the plain facts," said Tom,resuming his seat, though at the same time keeping a cautious watch onthe others. "I wish I were going to be skipper on this trip. Believe me,you'd step around lively before I got through with you."
"After we got through with you, you'd _never_ step again," grinned Phil,"lively or slow either. Eh, Dick?"
"You told it," agreed his friend emphatically. "Some dark night he'd goover the rail so fast he'd think he was flying, and that would be theend of old Skipper Tom."
"I'll have to watch my step and keep away from the rail," laughedBenton. "You fellows seem to have everything doped out in case of need."
"Oh, don't mind them," said Tom loftily. "They wouldn't have the nerveto throw a blind pup overboard."
"Be nice now, or you'll get another dose of the cushions," warned Dick.
"I don't know how to be anything else," Tom serenely assured them, withsuch calm conviction that they had to laugh.
When they arrived in New York, Steve was waiting for them at the railwayterminal, and after the first joyous greetings were over he wasintroduced to their new friend, with whom he was soon on the mostcordial terms. Steve insisted that they all stop at his home duringtheir stay in the "Big Town," which they did up to the day of sailing.
This soon arrived, and one fine sunny morning they found themselvessteaming past the Statue of Liberty, outward bound for San Domingo andthe sunken treasure ship.
The first two days passed uneventfully, but not without the keenestinterest and pleasure to the Radio Boys, whose sailing had been confinedmostly to inland waters.
On the third day when they were well on their way to their destination,they were lolling in their steamer chairs close to the starboard railwhen they heard a shriek, followed by a loud splash in the wateralongside.
Leaping to their feet they rushed to the rail just in time to see ascared black face with rolling eyes that swept past in the froth of thesteamer's wake.
With Phil, action followed like lightning on the heels of thought. Hetore off his coat, leaped to the rail, balanced himself for an instant,then straight as an arrow dove into the sea.
He rose some distance away, dashed the water from his eyes and made forthe woolly black head that showed clearly against the foam of the wake.
In the meantime the cry "Man overboard!" had been raised on the steamerand echoed by a score of throats. It was heard on the bridge, and in afew seconds the steady beat of the engines ceased, and then the wholeship shuddered and shook as they went into reverse. Quickly the speedwas checked and a boat was lowered. The oars dipped and the boat spedtoward the two figures in the water.
Phil, using the crawl stroke in which he was an expert, and which fairlyate up the distance was quickly at the side of the struggling figure.Not a second too soon either, as the negro's eyes were glassy and he wasevidently at the last gasp. Perhaps this was fortunate, as otherwise inhis frantic fear he might have embarrassed his rescuer.
Phil grabbed him from the back by his shirt and held him so that hishead was well above the surface. For a moment he trod water, and thenwith his helpless burden struck out toward the oncoming boat.
That boat was now coming at a tremendous rate. And there was need forhaste. For the keen eyes of the mate standing in the bow had seensomething behind the swimmer that thrilled him with horror.
Cleaving the water two hundred yards in the rear was the dorsal fin of ashark. The pirate of the seas had scented prey and was coming toward itwith terrible speed.
"Row, men, row," shouted the mate. "A shark! For God's sake, row! Putyour backs into it. Row! Row!"
The men toiled feverishly at their work and the oars almost bent double.
They were so near now that Phil heard the shout of the mate and lookedbehind him. He saw that ominous fin, and for an instant his heart stoodstill. But he never dreamed of relinquishing his burden. With savageenergy he lunged forward, straining every muscle in what he knew now wasa race for life.
Nearer and nearer came the shark, and nearer and nearer came the boat.Phil set up a tremendous splashing that he hoped would keep the enemy atbay. For an instant it did daunt him, but only for an instant. He wastoo near victory thus to be balked of his prey. There was a flash ofwhite as he turned on his back and opened his horrible jaws.
Down into those jaws went crashing the end of a heavy oar driven by thebrawny arms of the mate. At the same instant, ready hands reached overand dragged Phil and his burden into the boat, where they lay pantingand exhausted.
"A close call, son," gasped the mate, and his men grinned theirsatisfaction and relief. "You've never been so near death as you werethat minute. Thought that shark had you sure."
"And he would have had, if it hadn't been for you and your men," saidPhil, so exhausted that he could only speak haltingly. "It was your hardwork and quick thinking that saved my life, and I can't thank you enoughfor it."
They were soon on the steamer's deck, where Phil was welcomed almost asone from the grave by his pale and rejoicing companions, and lionized bythe passengers to an extent that embarrassed him beyond measure.
As for the man he had rescued, or boy rather, for he seemed to be aboutnineteen or twenty years old, he had soon so far recovered as to be ableto answer some of the questions of the passengers who c
rowded aroundhim.
"Huccome ah fall ovahboa'd?" he said, with a feeble grin. "Kain'trightly say, 'ceptin' Ah wuz leanin' too fur ovah de rail. Ole ship guva roll an' Ah fin's mahself tryin' ter drink de whole Atlantic Ocean.Kain't nebber res' on dis ole ship dat sumfin doan' happen ter spoil mahfun."
"That fun would have been over for good, if that young fellow hadn'tjumped over for you," said one of the ship's officers. "You'd betterfind out who it was and thank him."
"Dat's jes' whut Ah aims ter do ef Ah kin fin' him. Dah he is now," headded excitedly, as his eyes fell on Phil's dripping clothes. "Dah's deyoung gemmun whut saved mah life," and running forward he fell on hisknees in front of Phil and tried to catch his hand.
Phil flushed at this action and at the murmur of admiration and applausethat came from the onlookers.
"Shucks" he exclaimed. "You don't have to thank me for simply doing whatanyone else might have done. I happened to be near the rail and had thechance."
"Jes de same you did it, an' Ah'm plumb grateful," declared the negro."Dis darky wud hev been shark's meat by dis time ef ut hedn't been furyou. Ah doan' know whar you-all ez goin', but whareber et is, Ah'll gowiv you, ef you let me."
"Well, well talk it over later," replied Phil, hardly knowing what replyto make to the offer. The darky seemed to take the matter as settled,however and after he had gone below and got on some dry clothing, heappeared on deck again and hung around Phil and the rest of his party,much after the manner of a faithful dog. At first they were in aquandary, but after considerable discussion they decided to include thenegro in their trip. According to his own account, he was a good cook,and they knew that they could find use for some one in that capacityafter they had secured their boat. Then too he was as strong as a bull,and might prove an important addition to their little party in case ofdanger.
Bimbo, as the negro was named, was overjoyed when told that he would beallowed to accompany them, and executed an impromptu buck and wing dancethat gave them a new idea of his quality as an entertainer. From thevery first he made himself exceedingly useful, and before many days hadpassed they wondered how they had gotten along without him.
One afternoon, as they were nearing the end of their voyage, Bentoncalled the boys together on a deserted part of the deck. They could tellfrom his agitated appearance that something was wrong.
He did not keep them long in suspense. It seemed, that shortly afterdinner he had been strolling along the decks when suddenly, in a groupof several men working at a windlass, he had seen Ramirez, thehalf-breed.
Benton's first impulse had been to leap for the rascal and avenge theattempt the halfbreed had made to stab him. But even as his muscles hadtensed, another thought had flashed across his mind and caused him todesist. Apparently, Ramirez had not seen him, and Benton withdrew tothink the matter over. It seemed improbable that the halfbreed'spresence on the boat was a mere coincidence, and Benton's face wore aworried expression as he told the boys of the encounter.
"The chances are that he found out in some way that I was taking passageon this ship and joined the crew in the hope of stealing the map whichhe knows that I always carry with me," concluded Benton. "From now on wemust all be on the alert, for he will know that you are with me and maysuspect each one of having a copy of the map. So watch your step andkeep away from dark places on the deck after nightfall."
For the rest of the trip, the boys kept their eyes open, but thehalfbreed made no hostile move, and for a time they believed that Bentonmust have mistaken his man. Life on shipboard followed the usual routineand the boys made many friends among the passengers.
With their knowledge of radio, they also got in the good graces of theradio operators on board ship, and once Phil stood an entire watch inthe radio room, receiving and sending messages in a way that evoked theunqualified admiration of the professionals.
One message that came during that watch illustrated again the beneficentproperties of radio. Word came from a town on the shore where anaccident had happened to one of the workmen erecting a sugar mill. Therewas no doctor at hand and the superintendent of the mill sent out aradio call for help that Phil caught. He summoned the ship's doctor, andat his dictation told the superintendent just what to do in order tosave the man's life. The interchange of messages lasted for over an hourand when the doctor arose from his chair it was with the informationthat his orders had been followed to the letter, and that the patientwas resting easily with every prospect of complete recovery.
Radio concerts also were held in the salon of the steamer, and helped tobeguile the time most pleasantly. The hours passed quickly until one daya speck appeared on the horizon that grew into an island as theyapproached it and a few hours later the ship had dropped anchor in SanDomingo.
The Radio Boys Under the Sea; or, The Hunt for Sunken Treasure Page 9