A Runaway Brig; Or, An Accidental Cruise

by James Otis

  CHAPTER XVII.

  REPAIRING THE SEA BIRD.

  It was extremely difficult for anyone on the tug to set about work whilethe sense of injury and grief was so fresh in his mind, and had it notbeen for Joe all hands would have given way to sorrow and anger, acourse which could certainly bring no relief. He bustled around as ifthere was not a thought in his mind beyond repairing the engine, callingfor assistance first upon one of the boys and then Bob, until they wereabsolutely forced to take an interest in the work.

  He insisted that the yawl must be gotten into the water without delay,because his duties might necessitate his going ashore at a moment'snotice; and it was nearly time for the sun to set before the little boatwas in sailing trim. While the boys were engaged in this work Joe calledupon Bob so often that the old sailor grew quite eager to see the jobprogress, and, like the others, almost ceased to dwell upon the bitterdisappointment.

  When the boat was launched, Joe advised the boys to go into the tinygalley of the tug for the purpose of getting supper, concluding bysaying:

  "It ain't as big as the one on the Bonita; but you'll find better toolsto work with, because everything is new. There must be grub enough tolast ten days or more; but if not, we'll do a little hunting andfishing. This is the season for turtles, so we can have plenty of meatand eggs; and there's no show of being put on short allowance, even ifwe should stay here a month."

  This remark about food aroused Bob from the mournful reverie into whichhe had fallen for the moment, and he said with something like his oldcheerfulness, as he started forward:

  "I'll overhaul the stores, so we'll know jes' what there is on board;but it won't do any harm for you boys to go fishin' now an' then, seein'that you can't do very much work in the engine-room."

  Then he went into the fore-peak. Jim and Walter built a fire in thestove, which occupied fully half the space in the tiny galley, and Harryset about laying the forward-cabin table with the limited collection ofcrockery.

  Joe came from the hot engine-room when the others were fully occupied.He had not really begun, his task, nor did he intend to do so until thenext morning when some kind of a bench could be set up in the open air,although he had moved about very lively to keep the minds of hiscompanions on something besides their own misfortunes.

  It was not long before Bob finished taking account of the eatables, andon coming from the hold he reported:

  "We've got fully half a barrel of flour, about twenty pounds of saltpork, twice as much beef, and two hams. There's coffee enough to lastthis crew four or five weeks, with canned milk to help it out. Two dozentins of assorted vegetables, three bushels of potatoes, plenty of salt,pepper, molasses and vinegar. Pretty nigh a whole tub of butter, anotherof lard, and a barrel two-thirds full of ship's-biscuit. We sha'n'tstarve yet awhile; but it stands us in hand to do some fishin' an'huntin' before we leave this place--if we ever do."

  "Now, don't talk that way, Bob," Joe said with a laugh. "I give you myword that the engine can be repaired, so of course we shall leave here."

  "How much coal have you got?"

  Joe's face darkened. The fuel supply was the only thing of which he hadnot thought, and he knew there was only such an amount on board as wouldserve to keep up steam about forty-eight hours.

  "I don't suppose we've got enough for the run across," he said after ashort pause; "but we can take on plenty of wood, or make our way intoNassau, where, by giving a distress note on the steamer, it will bepossible to get all that may be needed. If we could only manage to patchthe bow a little better I wouldn't feel worried about anything."

  "That's jes' what I've made up my mind to do," Bob replied. "If youdon't call on me too often, I reckon I can show a pretty decent job ofcarpentering by the time you're ready to make steam."

  "After to-morrow night I shan't need much help, so you'll have plenty oftime," Joe said with a laugh; and then the conversation was interruptedby Walter's announcement that supper was ready.

  Jim had taken especial pains with this meal, probably acting on thebelief that grief is lessened when the stomach is satisfied, and allhands seated themselves at the table, which occupied nearly the entirefloor-space of the little cabin, looking far more cheerful than onewould have supposed under the circumstances.

  "There's a big advantage about living here," Joe said, as he lighted theswinging lamp that the interior might seem more cheerful. "Everything issnugger than on the brig. We've got one bunk apiece, and none to spare;the bedding is clean because it's new, while Jim's work is easier owin'to the fact of the galley bein' alongside the dining-room."

  "Yes," Bob said, as he choked down a sigh with a big piece of ham,"we're pretty well fixed considerin'; an' if the Bonita had gone to thebottom, or been burned up, I wouldn't feel sore a bit. It's the ideathat the same villains we brought off the key to save 'em fromstarvation have run away with the brig which riles me. Howsomever," headded, as he helped himself to another potato, "it don't do any good totalk of sich rascality, an' we may as well chuck ourselves under thechin 'cause things are no worse."

  Then Joe made sure the conversation would not again drift into such adangerous channel by talking of the needed repairs until the meal wasfinished and the dishes washed, after which all hands went on deck toenjoy the cooling breeze.

  "If we could sleep here it would be possible to take some comfort,"Harry suggested, as the old sailor made preparations for hisafter-supper smoke. "It'll be terribly hot in the cabin."

  "Suppose we do that same thing?" Joe said, quickly. "I'm going to spreadthe foresail as an awning in the morning to make a work-room, and if weshould put it up now there'd be nothing else necessary but bring thebedding on deck."

  Bob showed that he thought the plan a good one by laying down his pipeand going forward. The others followed, and in a short time the littleforesail was unbent, the canvas stretched from the roof of the house aftto a couple of oars lashed to the rail, and the boys made up the beds.

  It was fully half an hour before sunrise next morning when Bob calledall hands, and the task of repairing the Sea Bird was begun withoutdelay. Joe had his tools and spare fittings on deck by the timebreakfast was ready, and Bob mapped out his work during the sameinterval.

  "You boys are to go ashore," the old sailor said when the little partyhad gathered around the table. "We haven't got much water, an' if youcan find a spring it'll save wastin' coal to condense what'll beneeded."

  An excursion on the island was by no means a hardship, and but littletime was spent setting the galley and cabin to rights after the meal hadbeen brought to an end.

  "The key ain't so small but that you can get lost on it an' not halftry," Bob shouted, as Jim and Harry took up the oars, leaving Walter toplay the part of coxswain. "Keep your bearings well in mind, an' don'tgo far from the shore."

  Jim waved his hand to show that the commands were understood, and thenthe little boat was propelled swiftly toward the key.

  Bob watched the boys until they landed, fastened the yawl by tying thepainter around a projecting piece of coral, and disappeared in theunderbrush, after which he went aft, where Joe had set up a very shakywork-bench and was busily engaged measuring a plate of metal.

  "Them two city-bred youngsters are having the worst end of this queercruise," the sailor said thoughtfully. "To an old moss-back like me, itdon't make much difference whether he's on the Bahamas or the SandwichIslands, providin' there's plenty of grub; but the lads must come prettynigh eatin' their hearts out sometimes when they think of home an' thesadness that's in it through their disappearin' so mysterious-like."

  "It's tough on them, and that's a fact," Joe replied; "but they keep thetrouble to themselves in a way that ought to teach us a lesson. A man,or a boy either, for that matter, should put his best foot forward, nomatter how hard a place he gets in, an' then half the battle's wonbefore a blow can be struck."

  Joe had no opportunity to continue the subject because Bob walked intothe cabin. The conversation was growing altogether too per
sonal toplease the old sailor, for he knew perfectly well that he had been morethan foolish in giving such free rein to his temper and grief when theperfidy of the strangers was first made apparent, and, like many others,he did not care to be told of his faults.

  He proposed to further repair the damage done the Sea Bird by plankingoutside the canvas, and to procure the necessary lumber he must take itfrom the bulk-head between the after-cabin and the engine-room.

  This he now proceeded to do, and while the pounding and hammering wenton below, as if the little steamer was being torn to pieces, Joecontinued what was both a difficult and laborious task. A piece of metalsuch as could have been cut and planed down into the required shape inhalf a day with the proper tools, he was forced to fashion from thickplates with nothing more effective than a file. Although accustomed to"look upon the bright side of trouble," it was impossible to concealfrom himself the unpleasant fact that two or three weeks might elapsebefore the job could be finished satisfactorily, and during such time agale from the east might make the Sea Bird a total wreck.

  These disagreeable thoughts did not prevent him from workingindustriously on what seemed an almost endless task, and he had notceased his labors for a single moment, even though fully two hours werepassed, when a loud noise from the shore attracted his attention.

  "Something has gone wrong with the boys!" he shouted; and Bob rushed ondeck in the greatest excitement as he asked, impatiently:

  "What's the matter? Have you seen anything?"

  "No; but listen to that yelling. It isn't possible they have found humanbeings on the key, and unless they're in trouble I don't see why thereshould be such an uproar."

  There was but little time for speculation. Almost before Joe ceasedspeaking the boys came from the underbrush at full speed and leaped intothe boat after launching her, Jim and Walter pulling energetically atthe oars while Harry waved some small object above his head.