The cook, an old, bent man, with a wild blue eye, stood by his rustystove watching as they devoured what was set before them. Overhead theycould hear the trample of feet and the occasional impact of a big waveas it broke in spray over the bow.
"It's getting rougher," remarked Jack.
"Seems to be," agreed Bill; "this is a small boat to be out in a storm."
"They say that the trawlers are fine sea boats," declared Jack.
There was no doubt that it was getting rougher. By mid-afternoon thegreen seas with breaking, white tops, were leaping mountainously under ascudding gray sky. Still, the captain of the _Barley Rig_ did not takein a reef of his sails. He stood beside the tiller, which was gripped bya young giant of a fisher in jersey and boots, giving an occasionalorder and puffing vigorously at his stubby clay pipe.
Beside an occasional gruff word, Captain Hoeseason did not have much tosay to his passengers, but they noticed that his eyes followed themconstantly.
"I can't shake off an idea that the fellow has some mischief in mind,"declared Bill, after he had noticed the furtive scrutiny the skipper ofthe _Barley Rig_ was bestowing on them.
"Nonsense," declared Jack. "I made a few inquiries about him and heappears to bear a good character. Anyhow, we are going among dangersbeside which this trip won't appear as anything, so don't get nervous atthe start off."
As dusk began to settle down, it showed a wild scene. The trawlerappeared to be alone on the troubled ocean; at least, no other craft waswithin sight. The wind howled dismally through the cordage, and thereefed sails tore at their ropes as if they would part at any moment.
"Bad weather, Captain," said Jack, as he and Bill stood bracingthemselves against a back stay.
"Oh, aye," rejoined the captain, taking out his pipe like a stopper topermit himself speech, "but she'll be worse afore she gits better."
He was right. By nightfall, it was blowing a gale, and the big seas werebreaking over the _Barley Rig_, drenching everything. Water fell incataracts down the cabin companionway every time the hatch was opened.Cooking was impossible, and the boys made their supper on hard shipbiscuit and water while a small flood washed about their feet.
"This is awful, Jack," remarked Bill after a lurch that had sent himsliding across the cabin.
"Cheer up, old fellow, it might be worse," retorted Jack cheerily.
Bill gave a groan.
"I don't see how it could be, unless we go to the bottom," Bill grumbleddismally. "You don't think there's any danger of that, Jack, do you?"
"Not a bit of it. This craft has weathered many a storm as bad or worsethan this, I don't doubt," declared Jack stoutly, although the laboringof the storm-stricken _Barley Rig_ was beginning to get on his nerves.
Not long after the completion of their scanty meal, the captain camebelow and snatched a bite. He was dripping from head to foot andreported the gale as increasing in violence.
"My advice to you younkers is to turn in," he said. "You can have mybunk--that one yonder. I'll be on deck all night and so will 'totherlads."
The bunk in question was not much more than a shelf with some verydubious-looking blankets piled untidily on it. But the boys were tired,and so they clambered up and composed themselves to rest with the deckwithin a foot of their faces, so low was the cabin ceiling.
For a time sleep was impossible. The buffeting blows that the big wavesstruck the laboring trawler made her shake and creak as if she would goto pieces at any moment. On deck the heavy trampling of sea boots keptup without intermission. The smoky lamp swung drearily. The motion grewso violent at times that they were almost pitched out of the bunk. Insome corner into which he had dragged himself, they could hear the oldcook snoring and mumbling in his sleep.
But at last, despite all this, tired nature asserted herself and theydozed off, while outside, the storm howled and shrieked like a furiousand sentient creature aroused to frenzy and extermination.
CHAPTER XX.
THE HIDDEN MINE.
About midnight, Jack awakened with a start and a vague feeling that allwas not well. The _Barley Rig_ was still tossing violently and for a fewmoments after he opened his eyes, the lad who had slept on the outsideof the bunk felt dazed.
Then he became aware that Captain Hoeseason was standing near to him,feeling about under the mattress.
"He's trying to rob us," thought Jack. "What shall I do?"
The thought flashed across him that he had no weapon, and that Hoeseasonwas probably armed. He was undecided whether to feign sleep or not, forthe captain of the _Barley Rig_ was apparently not yet aware that theboy was awake, when he was saved the trouble of making a decision.
He was grasped roughly by the shoulder and violently shaken. The giantcaptain, with an evil look in his eyes, stood above him, a huge seaman'sknife glimmering in his hand under the light of the guttering lamp.
"Now, younker," he said, in his hoarse tones, with a ferocious look, "Iain't goin' ter beat about the bush. I've come after that money ofyourn."
"What money?" demanded Jack, deeming it wisest to "spar for time," andsee if he could not devise some way out of the dilemma.
"Now, don't play foxey, Mister Yankee kid," snarled the huge fisherman;"you know as well as I do. The money in that belt I heard you talking toyour chum about."
"I know nothing about it," declared Jack. "When I paid you I gave youalmost all the money I had. I am looking to get fresh funds in Antwerp."
The man tightened his grip on the boy's shoulder and fairly yanked himout of the bunk. He placed his knife between his teeth and compellingJack to hold his arms above his head he searched him. Jack's heart sank.He knew the money belt was in the bunk under the pillow. Beyond doubtthis desperate ruffian would search the sleeping place before very longand discover its hiding place.
"So it ain't on you," snarled Hoeseason, when he had finished hissearch, "but I'll bet a guinea it ain't far away. Stand where you areand don't move as you value your life while I overhaul the bunk."
A moment later an exclamation of savage delight burst from his beardedlips.
"Ah! Here it is. See, younker, I was bound to find it and---- Whatthe----?"
As the giant of a man stood half-facing him, Jack gathered himself for acrouching leap. He sprang straight at the man's legs and, catching himentirely by surprise, brought him to the floor with a crash that couldbe heard above the raging of the storm.
Jack gathered himself for a crouching leap and sprangstraight at the man's legs.--Page 156]
"Bill! Bill!" he shouted.
There was a stir in the bunk above.
"Help me, quick. He'll be too much for me alone."
"What in the world, Jack Ready----?"
"Don't ask questions. Come, quick!"
Bill clambered out of his bunk with alacrity as soon as he saw what wasgoing forward. Hoeseason, who had been, luckily for Jack, slightlystunned by the fall, lay still. In his fall the knife had flown from hishand and lay half-way across the cabin.
"The knife, Bill," panted Jack, "the knife before he comes to. I darenot take chances with him."
Bill quickly fetched the weapon.
"So he did try to rob us after all," he said. "The precious ruffian, Ididn't like his looks from the start."
"Never mind about that now, Bill, but hustle and get some rope. We musttie him, for when he comes out of this he'll be a match for the two ofus."
There were plenty of odd bits of rope lying about the cabin on lockersthat ran down one side of it. Bill procured several lengths, and in afew moments, the semi-conscious giant was bound hand and foot.
In the meantime, Jack fastened the money belt round his waist once more.
"I wish we had pistols," he said, as they stood watching the slow returnof consciousness to the bound captain's face.
"Why, this fellow is harmless now," rejoined Bill.
"Yes, but you have forgotten the rest of the crew, haven't you?"
&
nbsp; "Great Scott, I had for a moment. Do you think they are in league withhim?"
"I don't know, but they are bound to find out his plight sooner or laterand we shall have to reckon with them. We're in a tight place, Bill."
Captain Hoeseason began to stir. He rolled his eyes uneasily, and thenext moment discovered that he was tied fast.
"You young imps," he roared in stentorian tones, "cut me looseinstantly, or when I do get free I'll have such a vengeance on you aswill----"
"It won't do you any good to rave like that, captain," declared Jack,"and, moreover, we----"
The sentence was never finished. The fabric of the _Barley Rig_ seemedto heave suddenly upwards and then rush apart. There was a burst ofblinding flame, and a report that drove the ear drums in. The nextinstant, as it seemed to them, there was an inrush of water on the tideof which the boys were swept out into the darkness of the raging seas.
The trawler vanished almost as quickly as the terrific flash of flamefrom the mine that she had struck, and which had ended her career forall time.
CHAPTER XXI.
THE NORTH SEA.
The moments that followed were the most terrible that Jack had everknown in his adventurous life at sea. Cast adrift in the dark night andwild sea, he was at first completely bewildered. The very suddennesswith which the end of the _Barley Rig_ had come had benumbed him.
But ere long, the blind instinct of life asserted itself. He struck out,hoping to find some wreckage with which to sustain himself, for in thatrolling, breaking sea, he could not have hoped to remain afloat longwithout some support.
Wave after wave swept over the bravely battling lad, half choking him inspite of the fact that he was an experienced and powerful swimmer.
"Great Scott!" he thought with dismay. "If I can't find some support tocling to before long, I'm a goner. This is the worst ever."
In addition to the difficulty of fighting the baffling waves, Jack nowbegan to experience a fresh obstacle to keeping afloat. The weight ofthe heavy money belt at his waist seemed to be drawing him remorselesslydown toward the depths.
At first, he had difficulty in accounting for the leaden feeling thatpossessed him after being a short time in the water. But suddenly herecalled the money belt with its weight of gold.
"I'll stick it out as long as I can," resolved the boy, "and thenunfasten the buckle and let the money sink."
A section of wreckage came within his grasp at that moment. He made awild grab for it, but a great wave swept it beyond his reach. He beganto feel numb and chilled and utterly incapable of battling for his lifemuch longer. An odd, reckless feeling of indifference came over him. Hismovements became automatic, no longer consciously directed.
Suddenly he recollected the money belt that dragged at his body like aleaden weight. He fumbled with the buckle with one hand while he trodwater. But the strap proved obdurate. His chilled fingers could not undoit.
"It is the end," murmured the exhausted boy. "I'm all in, and can't keepup the fight any longer."
A strange, dreamy sort of feeling crept over him. He felt the waterclosing over his head. Then, suddenly he seemed to be dragged skyward.His senses swam and he knew nothing more. When he opened his eyes, itwas daylight. He lay in the bottom of a small boat that was being tossedabout like a chip on the rough sea which, although it had moderated tosome extent, was still running high.
"Where on earth am I and what has happened?" he wondered in the firstfew seconds of returning consciousness. "I remember that terriblefeeling that all was over, that I was drowning and----"
"Thank goodness you're all right again, old fellow."
"Bill!" cried the young wireless man wildly, as he recognized the voice,"is that really you or your ghost? Am I dreaming or drowned?"
"Neither, I hope," rejoined Bill, helping his chum to raise himself inthe bottom of the boat, "but you came mighty near being the latter if Ihadn't providentially come within reach of you just in time."
"Thank heaven you did," replied Jack fervently, "but tell me, how did itall happen? I don't understand. The last I can recollect is going underand thinking that all was over."
"Which must have been just about the time I grabbed you by the hair andgot you on board somehow," continued Bill. "I don't know how I did it,but I succeeded."
"But how did you come to be in the boat?" Jack wanted to know.
"Well, you see when we were both swept out of that cabin--I guess thetrawler must have been broken in half by the explosion,--when we wereboth swept out, I didn't know what was happening and just struck outblindly."
"Same here," observed Jack. "I was looking for a bit of wreckage tofloat on, but none came my way."
"I don't know, though I guess I answer that description," chuckled Bill,regarding himself with critical eyes. He was only half dressed, and thefew garments he had on, for it will be recalled that neither of the boyshad had time to dress, had been almost ripped from him. Nor was Jack inany better plight.
"Anyhow," went on Bill, "the first thing I struck was this boat. It'sthe small one that hung astern of the trawler. The explosion, whichstruck about midships, I guess, hadn't harmed it and it must have tornloose from its fastenings when the _Barley Rig_ sank. I clambered intoit and found it was half full of water. I managed, with an old tinbucket, which luckily, hadn't been washed overboard, to bale it to someextent, and--and then I heard you yell----"
"I don't remember crying out," interrupted Jack.
"Well, anyhow, you gave a good husky yowl and I glimpsed your head justalongside. I hauled you aboard and laid you in the bottom of the boatbut I had not the least idea that it was you that I had the good fortuneto rescue till daylight. You can imagine how glad I was."
"But what are we going to do now? Have we oars?"
"No."
"Water?"
"No."
"Nor food?"
Bill shook his head.
"If we're not sighted and picked up we'll be in a bad fix, old fellow."
"I'm afraid so. I guess we're the sole survivors."
"Yes, poor fellows. One can't help feeling sorry even for that rascalHoeseason."
The boat, a small, not over tight ship's yawl, swung on the top of ahigh wave. The boys eagerly took advantage of this to gaze out over thecrests of the tossing water-mountains.
But the heaving, steel-gray sea was vacant of life. All they could seewas a vast expanse of mighty rollers, desolate and cold under a leadensky. They exchanged blank looks.
"Bill, old fellow, we're up against it," came from Jack.
"Well, I've known times when things looked considerably brighter,"admitted Bill dolefully.
CHAPTER XXII.
A NIGHT OF ALARMS.
Castaways on the open sea in a boat without water, food or oars!
It was a situation to frighten the bravest. To add to the peril of theboys' position, they had too appalling evidence of the fact that theNorth Sea was strewn with floating mines which, even the impact of asmall craft, like the one in which they were drifting at the mercy ofthe winds and waves, would serve to detonate.
Small wonder, then, that after a while conversation grew more and moredesultory until at length they each sat silent, gloomily surveying theirpredicament. Fortunately, there was no hot sun to beat down on them andaggravate the thirst both were already beginning to feel. But even withcool weather they could not hope to fight off the agonies of thirst forlong. Food, so far, was a secondary consideration.
Then, too, the frail nature of their craft gave them cause for anxiety.The gale showed as yet no signs of breaking up. From time to time theragged tops of great waves were ripped off by the fury of the wind,deluging the boat in spray. It was necessary to keep bailing constantlyif they hoped to remain afloat.
The constant buffeting to which they were subjected was dizzying andnauseating. Both lads ached in every limb. In a way they were glad tohave
the exercise afforded by bailing, for it went a long way to keepingtheir minds employed and their limbs from stiffening in the cramped, wetboat.
Yet their nerves showed no outward sign of a breakdown. From time totime they exchanged sentences intended to be cheerful; but it was aghastly sort of merriment of which they soon tired. Thus the hours woreaway and darkness set in with a slight dimunition of the violence of thewind and signs, by the clearing of the sky, that the break of the galewas at hand.
But they dared not sleep through the hours of darkness, except in hastysnatches. Had the bailing pail been left alone for even an hour, theboat inevitably would have been swamped. By midnight, though, the seawas much smoother. Their dizzied heads, racked by the incessant tossing,became clearer. They looked about them. Suddenly Jack gave a shout.
"Look! Look yonder!"
A short distance off, and apparently bearing down on them, were the redand green sidelights and the bright white mast-head signal of a steamer!
Bill broke into a shout.
"Hurray, Jack, we're saved!"
"Not so fast, Bill. They may not see us in the dark."
"That's so. I'd give a million dollars, if I had it, for a box ofmatches and some good dry stuff to burn for a signal."
"Not having those things, there's no use worrying about them," returnedJack quietly, "but say, Bill, see here."
The Ocean Wireless Boys on War Swept Seas Page 8