by Carol Norton
CHAPTER V.
THE START.
THE captain introduced the boys to the Greek who beamed upon them asthough nothing unpleasant had ever passed between them. The lads methis smiling advances with a cold silence which the captain noticed withpuzzled concern.
As soon as he could do so without attracting too much notice, Walterdrew the old sailor to one side. "We don't want anything to do withthat man," he declared, and he hurriedly told about the whipping andrepeated what Mr. Driver had said.
Captain Westfield looked troubled. "I wish I'd known that two hoursago," he said. "He's signed on with us now an' if I try to get rid ofhim he can make a lot of trouble for us. We have got to take him along.If we don't, he's liable to libel the schooner an' cost us no end ofmoney and delay."
Walter's face showed his anxiety and concern.
"He said he was going to bring a boy along with him to act as cabinboy," said the old sailor after an uncomfortable pause. "Maybe it willall work out for the best. He won't be able to abuse the lad on theschooner, an' I don't see how he can make us any trouble. All he's todo is to make our orders plain to the men, it ain't as though he was anofficer over them."
"Well, if it can't be helped, we have just got to make the best of it,"Walter agreed, "I am going to keep a mighty close watch on him all thetime, though. We will talk more about it later on. He keeps glancing atus as though he knew we were talking about him."
As soon as he got the chance, Walter told his chum what the captain hadsaid.
"I don't like the idea of that fellow going with us," Charley declared,"but if it has got to be, we had better start in by treating himfriendly. It won't help matters any to quarrel with him."
That was sound sense and the boys at once began to treat the Greekpleasantly, in spite of the dislike they felt for him.
There was no doubt but what the fellow understood his positionthoroughly. With his able assistance, the captain, in a short time,secured a full crew of fifteen men, including four professional diverswho brought their queer looking suits with lead shoes and heavy helmetsalong with them. The boys were pleased with the appearance of the men.They were well-built, husky fellows and looked to be capable sailors.They were much alike in looks, all being broad-shouldered and swarthywith clean-cut features and straight noses. One alone seemed to differgreatly from the rest. He was a tall, powerful, handsome fellow withunusually small hands and feet. He seemed to be shunned by the othersand left very much to himself. He was evidently a good sailor and whenthe captain set his new crew at work to getting the schooner ready forsea he performed his part with a quickness and intelligence that wonthe old sailor's approval.
As soon as the work was well under way, Charley and Walter, taking theinterpreter with them, went back up town to purchase their stores. Thebulk of their purchases were made at Mr. Driver's store, but there weremany articles that he did not carry in stock which they had to buy atthe Greek stores. Manuel directed them as to the kind of food theircrew were accustomed to. The bulk of the stores consisted of ripe blackolives in small kegs; queer looking cheeses, rice, black flour and anabundance of tea and coffee. The boys bought three whole beeves andfour lambs, directing that all their purchases should be sent down tothe schooner at once.
"Whew," whistled Charley as he paid the last bill, "we have only gotfive dollars left of our fifteen hundred."
"Don't you care," Walter replied, confidently. "We will have a coupleof thousand dollars anyway coming to us when we get back, and stillhave the 'Beauty' besides."
The boys next visited the hotel and got their valises and belongingswhich they carried down to their new floating home.
They found that the Greeks already had the meat cut up and sizzlingmerrily in the great iron kettles.
The new crew were a quick and willing lot and before dark the lastarticle was stored aboard, and, with the diving boat towing alongbehind, they dropped the schooner down the river to the mouth andanchored for the night just outside amongst a great fleet of schoonerslying ready for an early morning start for the sponging ground.
Long after they had eaten their supper and all of the crew but theanchor watch had retired to the forecastle, the four chums sat ondeck admiring the beauty of the scene around them. A thousand lightstwinkled from the fleet and high in the air ahead of them the greatlantern of the Anclote lighthouse on its little island of barren rock.
Captain Westfield awoke the boys early next morning, "Hurry up on deckif you want to see the prettiest sight you ever saw," he said. The ladshustled into their clothing and followed him up the ladder. As theygained the deck they paused with exclamations of deepest admiration.
It was blowing a stiff breeze and the blue water of the Gulf wasdancing and sparkling with white-crested waves. Around them was thefleet all under sail, their snowy canvas towering high above theirshapely hulls. Some lay with sails slatting, still clinging to theiranchorage while their brightly attired crews worked over windlasses,reeling in the dripping cables. Some already under way lay hove-to inthe open Gulf waiting for their fellows; while still others, anchorstripped and sails drawing, heeling over to the brisk breeze, dartedaway, sending the water tossing and foaming from their bows.
The boys drew a long breath of pure delight at the beautiful picture.
"It's grand," Charley cried.
"Aye, lad," agreed the captain with satisfaction. "There's no placelike the sea for beautiful scenes. But thar ain't a ship in the wholefleet as pretty as our own. Just watch her now."
The old sailor gave a few short orders which the interpreter repeatedto the crew. A dozen of them sprang to the windlass, while others stoodby the halyards, ready to hoist the big jibs the second the anchorbroke ground. The "Beauty's" huge main and foresails were alreadyhoisted and her cable hove short.
The men at the windlass shouted some words.
"Anchor broke," translated Manuel.
"Up helm," commanded the captain, "give her the jibs."
The great sails mounted their stays, the "Beauty's" head played off,and, careening over 'till her lee rail touched the water, she surgedthrough the waters like a thing alive.
The chums watched the foam sweep past in transports of delight.
"My, but she's fast," Walter cried.
"Aye, lad," the captain agreed, joyfully. "I ain't never seen a faster,except maybe Black Sam's schooner. We'll have to shorten sail in anhour if we don't want to run away from the rest of the fleet."
The boys watched with delight as the Beauty overhauled and passedschooner after schooner.
As she surged past a large black-hulled vessel with three diving boatsin tow, a man on the stranger's deck waved his cap and shouted,
"Good luck to you. Better keep with the fleet."
"That's Mr. Williams," Charley exclaimed. "I am glad that we are goingto be near somebody we know."
"Yes, it is Mr. Williams," affirmed Manuel, who was standing near. "Buthere is my little boy to say that your breakfast is ready."
"What is your name?" Walter enquired of the little fellow as they allfollowed him below. "I could never remember that," he said, when thelad replied with a very long Greek name. "I guess we will have to callyou Ben for short."
The band of chums were very hungry and they seated themselves aroundthe table before the steaming cups of coffee and waited impatientlyfor the food to be brought on, but the little Greek lad took a positionbehind their chairs and waited.
"Hurry up, Ben, and bring the breakfast," the captain ordered.
"Breakfast there," the lad replied.
The old sailor repeated his order but Ben replied as before.
"I reckon he don't understand," the captain remarked, "Go up and tellyour father, owner, or whoever he is, to come down."
The lad was back in a minute with the smiling Greek.
"We want our breakfast," the captain explained, "the boy don't seem tounderstand."
"He understands all right, but, I see the cook does not comprehend. Itis the custom to have coffe
e only in the morning on sponging ships."
"Nothing but coffee for breakfast?" roared the old sailor.
"We eat but one meal a day and that at night," the Greek explained. "Ifthe rest of the crew ate the divers would want to eat also, and thatwould be fatal for them. The stomach must be empty when they descend tothe bottom in deep water, otherwise they die."
"Well, they can't see us eat an' I want my three square meals a day,"said the hungry sailor. "Right saving plan for us though if they onlyeat once a day."
"They eat the whole three meals in one," the Greek said with a smile."I will speak to the cook at once and he will soon have something readyfor you."
In a very short time they were served with a substantial meal to whichthey all did full justice. As soon as it was finished, they returned tothe deck where they learned that the "Beauty" was already so far in thelead of the fleet that sail had to be shortened.
With Manuel's aid the boys picked out their crews for the diving boat.They found that many of the Greeks were familiar with gasoline enginesand they selected one of the youngest and most intelligent-looking foran engineer. The four divers were, of course, allotted to their boat,but besides them they had to have two men to work the air pump and twoothers to tend to the life-lines, which made a crew of nine, besidesthe young officers, and would leave only Captain Westfield, Chris andthe cook and five men on board the schooner.
The divers at once began preparations for their future dangerous work.They examined pump and air hose very carefully, for a slight leak ineither one would mean death by suffocation beneath the surface. Theybrought out their diving suits and went over them inch by inch forpossible rents or tears. Many of the suits were old and covered witha multitude of rubber patches. The boys were amazed that their ownerswould dare descend in such worn suits, but Manuel assured them thatthe patches were so cunningly put on that not only would they excludewater, but they would outlast the suit itself.