by Kirk Munroe
CHAPTER XV.
OFF FOR LABRADOR.
Slowly but surely the launch gained on the flying schooner, until, asthe sun was sinking behind its western horizon of water, she fired ashot that passed through the "Sea Bee's" mainsail and fell a hundredyards beyond her.
"Wh-e-e-w!" exclaimed White, as he glanced up at the clean-cut hole."That's rather too close for comfort, and I shouldn't be surprised ifthe next one made splinters fly. However, it will soon be dark, andthen, if we are not disabled, we may be able to give them the slip."
"I don't believe there's going to be another shot," cried Cabot, whowas gazing eagerly astern. "No--yes--hurrah! They are turning back.They have given it up, old man, and we are safe. Bully for us! Iwonder what possesses them to do such a thing, though, when they had sonearly caught us?"
"Can't imagine," replied White, who was also staring at the launch,which certainly had circled back and was making towards the placewhence she had come. "They are afraid to be caught out at sea afterdark perhaps. I always understood that Frenchmen made mighty poorsailors. Lucky thing for us she wasn't a British launch, for they'dhave kept on around the world but what they'd had us."
In justice to the Frenchmen it should be said that their reason forturning back, which our lads did not learn until long afterwards, wasthe imminent exhaustion of their coal supply, which, not calculated fora long cruise, would barely serve to carry them back to the Bay ofIslands.
By the time the launch was lost to sight in the growing dusk the "Ruth"had also disappeared. She was headed southward when last seen, and nowWhite said it was time that they, too, were turning towards theirultimate destination. So, topsails and mainstaysail were taken in, andthe helm was put down until fore and mainsails jibed over. Then sheetswere trimmed until the little schooner, with lee rail awash, wasrunning something east of north, on an easy bowline, carrying a bone inher teeth and leaving a bubbling wake trailing far astern. Witheverything thus satisfactorily in shape, White lighted the binnaclelamp, and giving Cabot a course to steer, went below to prepare thefirst meal of their long cruise. "You must keep a sharp lookout," hesaid as he disappeared down the companionway, "for I don't dare showany lights. So if we are run into we'll have only ourselves to blame."
Left thus to his own devices, Cabot realised for the first time theresponsibility of his position and began to reflect seriously upon whathe had done. Until this time one disturbing event had followed anotherso rapidly that he had been borne along almost without a thought ofwhat he was doing or of the consequences. As a result, instead ofcarrying out the purpose for which he had been sent to Newfoundland,and studying its mineral resources, he now found himself forced intoflight for having defied the authorities of the island, embarked upon adoubtful trading venture into one of the wildest and least knownportions of the continent, and, with but a slight knowledge ofseamanship, engaged in navigating a small sailing vessel across one ofits stormiest seas. What would his guardian and employer say could heknow all this and see him at the present moment?
"I wish he could, though," exclaimed Cabot half aloud, "for it would befun to watch his look of amazement and hear his remarks. I suppose heis wondering what has become of that Bell Island report I was to sendin the first thing, and I guess he'll have to wonder for some timelonger, as St. Johns is about the last place I feel like visiting justat present. I certainly have made a mess of my affairs, though, sofar, and it looks as if I had only just begun, too. At the same time Idon't see how I could have acted differently. I tried hard enough toreach St. Johns, and would have got there all right if it hadn't beenfor this factory business. But when the fellow who saved my life gotinto trouble, from which I could help him out, I'm sure even Mr.Hepburn would say I was bound to do it. Besides, I have found onepromising outcrop of copper, and now I'm off for Labrador; so perhapsthings will turn out all right after all. Anyway I'm learning how tosail a boat, and that is something every fellow ought to know. I wishit wasn't so awfully dark though, and that White would hurry up withthat supper, for I am powerful hungry. How good it smells, and what afine chap he is. Falling in with him was certainly a great bit ofluck. But how this confounded compass wabbles, and how the schoonerjumps off her course if I lift my eyes from it for a single instant. Idon't see why she can't go straight if I hold the tiller perfectlystill. There's a star dead ahead, and I guess I'll steer by it. ThenI can keep the sharp lookout White spoke of at the same time."
Thus deciding, the anxious helmsman fixed his gaze upon the newly risenstar that he had just discovered, and wondered admiringly at its rapidincrease in brilliancy. After a little he rubbed his eyes and lookedagain at two more stars that had suddenly appeared above the horizondirectly below the first one.
"Never saw red and green stars before," Cabot muttered. "Must bepeculiar to this high latitude. Wonder if they can be stars, though?Oh! what a chump I am. White! I say, White, come up here quick!"
In obedience to this summons the young skipper thrust his head from thecompanionway.
"What's up?" he asked.
"Don't know exactly," replied Cabot, "but there is a lighthouse or adock or something right in front of us."
"Steamer!" cried White as he sprang on deck and glanced ahead. "Keepher away, quick. I don't want them to sight us."
"Steamer," repeated Cabot as he obeyed this order and let the schoonerfall off to leeward. "I never thought of such a thing as a steameraway up here. Do you mean that she is a frigate?"
"No," laughed White. "There are other steamers besides frigates evenin these waters, and that is one of them. She is the 'Harlaw,' fromFlower Cove, near the northern end of the island, and bound forHalifax. It's mighty lucky she didn't pass us by daylight."
"Why?"
"Because she is already heading in for the Bay of Islands and wouldhave reported us as soon as she got there. Then we would have had afrigate after us sure enough."
"But how do you know she's a steamer? Mightn't she be a sailingvessel!"
"Not with that white light at her foremast head. Sailing vesselsaren't allowed to show any above their side lights. Now go below andeat your supper while I take her."
This eating alone was such an unpleasant feature of the cruise that, asCabot sat down to his solitary meal, he regretted having persuadedWhite to leave David Gidge behind.
"I am afraid this going to sea shorthanded will prove a false economyafter all," he said to himself, thereby reaching a conclusion that hasbeen forced upon seafaring men since ships first sailed the ocean.
Finishing his supper as quickly as possible, Cabot rejoined hiscompanion, and begged him also to hurry that they might bear each othercompany on deck.
"All right," agreed White, "only, of course, I shall be longer than youwere, for I have to wash and put away the dishes."
"Oh, bother the dishes!" exclaimed Cabot "Let them go till morning."
"Not much. We haven't any too many dishes as it is, nor a chance ofgetting any more, and if I should leave them where they are we probablywouldn't have any by morning. Besides, it wouldn't be tidy, and anuntidy ship is worse than an untidy house, because you can't get awayfrom it. But I won't be long."
True to his promise, White, bringing with him a heavy oilskin coat andan armful of blankets, speedily rejoined his comrade, who was by thistime shivering in the chill night air.
"Put this on," said the young skipper, tendering Cabot the oilskin,"and then I am going to ask you to stand first watch. I will roll upin these blankets and sleep here on deck, so that you can get me up ata moment's notice. You want to wake me at midnight, anyhow, when Iwill take the morning watch."
"Very well," agreed Cabot resignedly. "I suppose you know what is bestto be done, but it seems to me that we are arranging for a verylonesome cruise on regular Box and Cox lines."
As White had no knowledge of Box and Cox he did not reply to thisgrumble, but, rolling up in his blankets until he resembled a hugecocoon, almost instantly dropped asleep.
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During the next four hours Cabot, shivering with cold and aching withweariness, but never once allowing his tired eyes to close, remained athis post. Through the black night, and over the still darker waters,he guided the flying schooner according to the advice of the unstablecompass card that formed the only spot of light within his whole rangeof vision. At the same time, knowing how little of skill he possessedin this new line of business, and not yet having a sailor's confidencein the craft that bore him, he was filled with such a fear of thenight, the wind, the leaping waters, and a thousand imaginary dangersthat his hardest struggle was against an ever-present impulse to arousehis sleeping comrade. But he would not yield, and finally had thesatisfaction of coming unaided to the end of his watch.
"Midnight, and all hands on deck," he shouted, and White, springing up,asked:
"What's happened? Anything gone wrong?"
"Nothing yet," replied Cabot, "but something will happen if you leaveme at this wretched tiller a minute longer."
"I won't," laughed the other. "It will only take me half a minute toget an eye-opener in shape of a cup of cold tea, and then you can turnin."
When Cabot was at length free to seek his bunk he turned in allstanding, only kicking off his boots. The very next thing of which hewas conscious was being shaken and told that breakfast was ready.
It was broad daylight; the sun was shining; the breeze had so moderatedthat White had been able to leave the schooner to herself with a lashedhelm while he prepared breakfast, and as Cabot tumbled out he wonderedif he had really been anxious and fearful a few hours earlier.
All that day and through the following night our lads kept watch andwatch while the "Sea Bee" travelled up the coast. Early on the secondmorning they passed Flower Cove, and from this point White headeddirectly across the Strait of Belle Isle, which, here, is but a dozenmiles in width. Then, as Newfoundland grew dim behind them, a newcoast backed by a range of lofty hills came into view ahead; and, inanswer to Cabot's eager question, White said:
"Yes, that is Labrador, and those are the Bradore Hills back ofForteau."