To Jack and Sam, making their first voyage in these waters, everythingwas new and fascinating. They never tired of leaning over the rail,watching the different forms of marine life that were to be seen almostevery moment.
Jack had succeeded in attaching a bell to the wireless apparatus, which,while it did not sound powerfully when a wireless wave beat against theantennae, yet answered its purpose so long as they were in the vicinityof the wireless room. Jack had hopes, in time, of perfecting a devicewhich would give a sharp, insistent ring and awaken even the soundestsleeper. The boy knew that on many small steamers only one wirelessoperator is, from motives of economy, carried. When such an operator isasleep, therefore, the wireless "ears" of his ship are deaf. But with analarm bell, such as Jack hoped to bring to perfection, there would be nodanger of the man's not awakening in time to avert what might prove tobe grave disaster.
They now began to steam past small islands, bare, desolate spots for themost part, but surrounded by waters clear as crystal and gleaming likejewels. Some of them were covered with a sparse sort of brush, butgenerally they were mere specks of sand in a glowing sea of azure.
One evening Jack was sitting at the key, when through the air therecame, beating at his ears, a wireless summons. Such messages were commonenough and the boy languidly, for the night was stiflingly hot, reachedout a hand for his pencil in order to jot down whatever might be coming.
But the next instant he was sitting bolt upright, sending out withstrong, nervous fingers a crashing reply to the message that had come tohim.
"To any ship in vicinity," it read. "Send us a boat-load of provisionsand water or we shall perish."
"Who are you?" flashed Jack's key in reply.
Feebly, as if the supply of juice was running low, the mysterious senderof the urgent appeal sent back his answer.
"The Sombrero Island Light. The monthly provision boat has not arrivedfrom the mainland. We are almost destitute."
Jack looked up at his wireless map. Sure enough, on a tiny speck of landnot far off, was marked in blue, with a red star, the location of theisland light, the coloring denoting that, like many modern lighthouses,it was equipped with wireless.
"How many of you are there?" inquired Jack's radio.
"Two. But my partner, an old man, is bedridden from suffering. I havenot slept for many nights and am almost exhausted."
"Keep up your courage," rejoined Jack, "and I'll see what I can do."
He hurried forward with his message to the bridge. He found the captaintaking his ease in slippers and pajamas outside the sacred precincts ofhis cabin. Jack told him briefly about the communication he had had, andthen handed the skipper the notes he had made of the radio conversation.
The captain looked annoyed. A frown furrowed his forehead.
"Confound it all," he muttered, "I was making up my mind for a recordrun and this means delay. But we can't neglect to aid those unfortunateswho are probably suffering the pangs of hunger and thirst at this verymoment."
He paused as if reflecting, while Jack stood by respectfully. Thecaptain had not dismissed him, and the boy judged that he wasconsidering some plan.
"Come into the chart room," he said presently; and Jack followed himthrough a doorway into the chart room where the sea-maps were stowedneatly away in overhead racks.
The captain took down one. Jack saw that it showed the Caribbean. With abrown forefinger the captain checked off the course of the _TropicQueen_ and her present whereabouts, as marked that day by the chiefofficer when the log was written up.
"No chance of getting this ship anywhere within ten miles of theisland," he said, after he had examined the soundings carefully. "It isone of the worst places charted in these seas."
"You mean it is unapproachable, sir?" asked Jack.
"Yes, to a degree. It is surrounded by shoals and reefs. It would besuicide to try to navigate a ship of this size amongst them."
"What can be done then, sir?" asked Jack, who knew that he would have tosend a reply to the lighthouse keepers.
"We shall be about twenty miles to the east of the island earlyto-morrow morning," said the captain. "You may inform them that I shallsend off a boat and perhaps the doctor, if I can spare him."
"Very well, sir."
Jack started away, but then lingered.
"Well, what is it?"
The captain swung around in his chair and looked at the boy whohesitated in the doorway.
"I--I wondered if it would be possible for me to go along with the boat,sir?" asked Jack haltingly. There was something very disconcerting inthat direct glance of the captain's.
"In the boat, you mean?"
"Yes, sir. You see they have wireless there. I might be of some use.I----"
"There, don't bother to make excuses," laughed the captaingood-humoredly. "You really want to go for the sake of the trip, don'tyou?"
"Well, I----" began Jack, feeling rather foolish at having his mind readso unerringly.
"Will your assistant stand watch if I let you go? The ship must not beleft without a wireless man."
"Sam will stay, sir," rejoined Jack. "It is his watch, anyway."
"All right, then, consider it settled. Cut along now and send out thatmessage. Those poor devils must be waiting eagerly for it."
"Very well, sir, and thank you," exclaimed the delighted Jack.
"Don't thank me," said the captain, with a gruffness that a twinkle inhis eye betrayed. "I heard before you joined the ship that you had afaculty for rushing in where you had no business to be, and now I seethat I was not misinformed."
CHAPTER XX
TO THE RESCUE
"Aren't you going to turn in?"
Sam asked the question as, at midnight, he came on watch. He took hisposition at the key, but, to his surprise, Jack did not show his usualalacrity to seek his bunk.
"I guess I'll sit up a while," rejoined Jack, without a trace ofdrowsiness.
Then he added, as Sam looked his bewilderment, "Sammy, my boy, just castyour eye over those copies of radios I got and answered while you wereasleep."
Sam obeyed, scanning the despatches and the answers to them, copied incarbon, with deep interest. When he had finished he looked up.
"I can guess the reason for your staying up now," he said.
"Well?" asked Jack, his eyes dancing.
"You're going along in that boat!"
"A good guess," laughed Jack. "You don't mind, do you, Sam?"
"Not a bit. If you will insist on risking your neck, it's no affair ofmine," laughed Sam.
"Hum, you're a nice, sympathetic little friend, aren't you?" inquiredJack, giving Sam a dig in the ribs. "But seriously, though," he added,"you don't think it selfish of me to go off alone and----"
"Get a ducking?" chuckled Sam. "No, I don't. I'd rather be comfortablehere on board than trying to make a landing on an island beach. It's tento one you get tipped over in the surf."
"Not much danger of that," said Jack; "we've got some skillful oarsmenin the crew, and you know that boat drill is one of the fads of thisline."
"Well, what time do you expect to start?"
"Haven't any idea, but the skipper said we ought to be up with theisland by dawn."
"If I were you, I'd turn in and get some sleep."
"Couldn't take a wink. I'm too keyed up about the trip."
Jack looked at his watch, the fine gold one that had been presented tohim in Antwerp on his first voyage, in recognition of a brave deed.
"Not one o'clock yet," he muttered impatiently.
"It won't be light for four hours anyhow," counseled Sam; "you'd betterget into your bunk."
But Jack was so fearful of being left behind that he refused to turn in.However, after a time, as he sat in the spare chair of the wirelessroom, his eyelids did close in spite of all he could do to prevent them.
Sam smiled as, turning around, he saw that his chum was asleep.
It was Schultz, the old quartermaster, who aroused Jack by poking his
head into the door of the wireless room.
"Ahoy, vere is dot Yack vot vants to go midt us py der Somprero Lighdt?"
Jack awakened with a start.
"Eh? What?" he demanded sleepily.
"Vell, don't you vant to go midt us py der Somprero?" asked Schultz."Oder dot you schleep?"
Broad awake now, Jack sprang to his feet.
"All right, Schultz, I'll be with you in a jiffy," he exclaimed.
"Don't make no nefer mindt aboudt gedtting prettied oop," grinned theold quartermaster grimly, as Jack plunged his face into a basin of coldwater and parted his tousled hair; "maype vee gedt idt a spill in dervater before ve gedt back der ship py."
"There, what did I tell you?" demanded Sam triumphantly; but Jack onlygrinned.
There was a great trampling about on the decks outside. The men who hadbeen selected to form the boat's crew, the pick of the sailors, wererunning about, loading the small craft with provisions and barrels offresh water.
To the men this sudden call for a trip to the shore came in the natureof a junket. It afforded an agreeable bit of relaxation in the midst ofthe hum-drum monotony of sea life. A sailor on such an expedition islike a boy off on a picnic. The men joked and laughed as, in the gray ofthe early light, they hustled about between boat and storeroom.
Dr. Flynn, to Jack's disappointment, was unable to go. A sick patient onboard demanded all his attention. But he put up a case of medicines forthe old light keeper and gave Jack directions how to administer them;for, by means of the old man's symptoms, transmitted by wireless throughJack, the doctor of the _Tropic Queen_ had been able to diagnose thetrouble as being a case of tropic fever.
At last all was ready, and a few early-rising passengers saw the boatlowered and pulled away for the dim speck of land on the far horizonthat marked the site of Sombrero Island. A few moments later thestopping of the _Tropic Queen's_ engines aroused the other passengers,and before the breakfast bugle blew, the ship was humming withconjecture and surmise as to the reason for the sudden check in thevoyage.
A bulletin, posted by the captain's orders, dispelled the mystery. Italso announced that the boat was expected back by evening at the latest.
CHAPTER XXI
A TALE OF THE SEA
The boat, urged by strong arms, fairly flew over the water.Quartermaster Schultz served out breakfast to the crew in relays, for notime had been taken for eating before they started. Jack felt in highspirits. The morning was clear and quite cool. The scorching heat of theday would not come till later, when the sun rose higher.
"Ach, idt vos a badt ding to be on a lighdthouse midout help from dersupply boat undt not knowing if you vill lif or die," said the oldquartermaster, as he sat in the stern sheets with Jack. "I rememper venI vos younger vunce I vos tired of der sea undt ships, undt I take idt ayob on a lighdthouse off der coast of Oregon on der Bacific.
"Der Big Boint Lighdt vos its name. It vos known as vun of der loneliestof all der lighdts on dot rocky coast. Budt I didn't care about dot, orI dought I didn't. Der pay vos goodt undt dere vos annunder keeper, anoldt man, oldt enough to be mein fadder, I reckon.
"Vell, der supply boat idt take me to der lighdt, budt a badt storm cameup after dey hadt landed me, undt dey had to go avay again. To get toder lighdt from der schmall boat dey sendt me ashore in, I hadt to behoisted oop in a sordt of basket from der boat by a derrick. Der lighdtvos just as lonely as I hadt heardt idt vos. Idt stood on a big rockvich formed der endt of a sordt of peninsula of rocks dot ran out twomiles from der shore.
"Idt vos buildt of stone undt lookedt strong undt substantial. Idtneeded to pe so, I dought, as I lookedt aboudt me undt sized der placeoop.
"Der oldt man on der lighdt, his name vos Abbott, velcomed me. He vos afine-looking oldt man, midt pale blue eyes undt a long white beard.After de boat hadt left, pecause of der rising sea, der oldt man toldtme dot ve vos in for a badt storm.
"'Let idt come,' said I, 'dis tower is as strong aber der rock idt isbuilt on. Nuddings can harm idt.'
"He didn't say nuddings, budt showed me my quarters vich vos in derlower pardt of de tower. Den he took me oop to show me der lamp, an oilburner midt a two minute flash.
"'Many a poor sould vill bless dis lamp to-nighdt,' he saidt to me, undtden he vent on to tell me dot his son vos a sailor on de China run on apig tea clipper.
"'He is homevard boundt now, undt ought to pe off dis coast to-nighdt,'he said. 'His ship runs into Portlandt.'
"Vell, ve cooked our supper undt ate idt vhile der sea oudtside keptrising undt der windt hadt a sordt of a moan in idt dot made you dink ofsomepody in bain. I couldt see dot ve vere in for a mighty badt nighdt.After ve had eaten, der oldt man, his name vos Abbott, climbed oop dertower undt lighted der lamps.
"Den he sedt in motion der clockvurk dot kept der lighdt revolving allt'rough der nighdt giffing oudt der regular flashes, as sedt down on dercharts. Ven dot vos done dere vosn't much to do budt to smoke undt talk.Der oldt man vosn't much of a handt for talking, budt aboudt his son hehad a lodt to say. Vot a fine poy he vos, undt how he vos going to tryto gedt him to leave der sea after dot voyage, der oldt man knowing dersea undt how efery voyage may pe a sailor's last. He showed me hispicture, too. A fine figure of a poy. Ach, yes, undt to dink of vot vosto happen dot night! Poor oldt Abbott, dot vos many years ago, budt Ican hear him still telling me aboudt his poy Harry, undt vot a fine poyhe vos.
"Vell, py der time idt vos my turn to go to bed der vind vos howlingundt tearing roundt der lighdt like a pack of wolves. Der sea vosgedtting oop, too. You could hear idt roar like vild beasts roundt derplace. I foundt myself being mighty gladt dot der tower vos of solidtstone. Nudding else couldt have stoodt idt.
"Outside der lighdt vos a small stone shanty. In dis vos der boiler vichmade der fog-horn blow. Oldt man Abbott toldt me pefore I go to bedt dotI hadt bedder start der fires oop undter der boiler, so dot if anytinghappened to der lighdt ve vould still be able to varn der ships.
"Ven I open der door to go to der boiler room der vind almost knocks meoff my feedt. Der spray blows in my face like knives. Der sea vos allvhite, like idt vos boiling. I dell you, dot vos a nighdt, budt idt vosnudding to vot vos to come.
"I got steam oop undt banked der fires. Den I turned in till oldt manAbbott should rouse me for my vatch. I didn't sleep much, vhat vith derdevils howling of vind, and der roar of der sea. Ven oldt man Abbottvake me, he say dot I shall come oop into der lantern.
"I hurried on a few clo'es and climbed oop. Himmel! At der top of dertower you couldt feel dot stone shake, der vind vos so fierce! Oldt manAbbott, he vos yust sitting dere saying nudding, budt staring out. Hedidn't turn ven I came in, budt yust kept on staring. Budt at last heturn round to me undt holdt oop vun of his vingers, solemn like.
"'Hark!' he say.
"'I don't can hear idt nuddings,' I saidt.
"He shook his oldt vhite head.
"'Don't you hear dem calling?' he saidt. 'Listen!'
"I began to dink dot der oldt man hadt gone crazy, as lighdt keeperssometimes do. For der life of me I could hear nuddings budt der vindundt der sea. All at vonce a vave came crashing against der glass of derlantern. You could hear der vater swish undt crash on der lenses.
"Der tower shook as if idt hadt been struck a blow. I pegan to feel abidt scared. A few more vaves like dot undt nudding dot man buildt couldstandt idt. Budt oldt man Abbott, he say nudding. Py undt py I saw hislips move undt I dought maype he vos praying.
"I not interrupt him budt come downstairs again. I know I must see toder furnace under der boiler in der vistle house. But ven I opened derdoor I vos blown in again. Dot vind vos so strong dot idt drove merighdt back, undt I vos a strong young man den, too, midt my muscleshardened on ships all ofer der vurld. I saw dot if I vanted to endt idtmy life, all I had to do vos to try to gedt to dot boiler house. So Igif idt oop, undt come in py der tower again.
"I go oop py der lighdt. Ach, it vos terrible oop dere! Der seas vos sopig dot dey sweep righdt ofer de
r tower. Small rocks undt stoneshammered against der lenses till you vould haf dought dey must besmashed in! Budt dey vere of t'ick, strong glass undt dey stoodt idt.
"Oldt man Abbott, he asks me to go pelow undt gedt him some coffee. Pydot time idt is gedtting on toward morning. Der storm is schreechingundt howling undt ramping like ten t'ousand teufels. Sometimes ven a bigvave hit der tower idt shake like dere vos an eart'quake gotd idt in itsteef!
"'Schultz,' I say by meinselfs, 'you are one pig fool, mein fine fellow,to leave der sea. Aber idt is bedder to die on a goodt ship dan in derwreck of a lighdthouse.'
"I haf youst aboudt godt der coffee ready ven der oldt man comes down.Dere vos a vild look in his eyes like he hadt seen a ghost.
"'Dere's a ship, a fine ship, she's driven ashore on der Squabs,' hesaid. Der Squabs peing vot ve called der long neck of small rockspetween der Big Lighdt undt der shore.
"'Impossible!' saidt I. 'Ve vould half heardt idt der rockets aber derguns if such hadt been der case.'
"'Pelief idt or nodt as you like,' he said, 'budt dere is a ship ashore.I heardt der poor soulds on her screaming undt praying.'
"I looked at him, dinking he had suddenly gone crazy. Budt he lookedquite sane undt serious.
"'Idt is a terrible ding,' he said, 'to die like dot midtoudt a gravebudt der sea to lay your headt in, till der judgment day ven der goodbook tells us dere shall pe no more sea.'
"'Mr. Abbott,' I saidt, 'I dink you hadt bedder dake your coffee undt goto bedt. You are overtired.'
The Ocean Wireless Boys and the Lost Liner Page 7