Tom Fairfield at Sea; or, The Wreck of the Silver Star

by Norman Duncan

  CHAPTER XV

  MAKING A BOAT

  "Say, what's the matter with you?" burst out Abe. "Do you think I'mcrazy, Joe?"

  "There, there now. It's all right. You'll be over it in a little while.Just lie down," begged his mate.

  "He sure does," murmured Abe smiling. "He sure thinks I'm touched inthe head. Ho! Ho! That's a good one. Joe thinks I'm crazy!" and helaughed heartily.

  Joe looked at Tom, and shook his head sadly. Even Tom himself began tobelieve that perhaps the hardships of their position, and the horror ofwhat might come, had turned the sailor's brain. But his laugh seemednatural.

  "I'm all right!" insisted Abe, seeing that they were looking at himcuriously.

  "Then what do you mean by that talk about a smaller boat, and leavingthe derelict?" demanded Joe half angrily.

  "I meant just what I said."

  "And I say anybody's crazy that talks like that. Where are we going toget a smaller boat?"

  "It's right here with us now," declared Abe. "There she is," and hepointed to the half smashed lifeboat. "We can cut that in two, use thestern and bow that ain't a bit damaged, fasten 'em together in themiddle, with the airtight compartments in each end, and we'll have asfine a small boat as we could wish.

  "We can hoist the sail on it and then we can make some speed, insteadof just drifting along. I wonder I didn't think of it before, but itonly sort of just came to me now, and that's why I got excited I guess."

  "I sure thought you were raving," declared Joe. "It didn't seemnatural."

  "And you thought I was touched by the sun; eh, mate?"

  "I sure did."

  "Ho! Ho! That's a good joke! A good one! It'll do to tell the boys whenwe see 'em again."

  "If we ever do," put in Joe half gloomily.

  "Of course we will!" insisted Abe. "Wait until I get the boat made andyou'll see."

  "But do you think you can do it?" asked Tom. "Won't it leak?"

  "Not when I get through with it," declared Abe. "I can calk the seamswith some of our clothes, and part of the sail cloth. You will see."

  "But with only an axe, I don't see how you're going to cut the boat intwo, and fasten the two ends together," insisted Tom.

  "I've done harder jobs than that, matie," declared Abe. "Wait until Iget to work."

  He then explained his plan. The lifeboat was badly damaged amidships,but both the bow and stern, where the airtight compartments werelocated, were in good shape. By cutting the boat in twain, severingthe damaged portions and bringing the sections together again, lappingthem and making them fast with the copper nails drawn from the uselessparts, Abe hoped to make a serviceable craft, though crude.

  "It may leak some," he admitted, "but I'll stuff the cracks up withravelings from the sail cloth, and our clothes that we need least.Between us we can spare enough. Then I'll make a mast for the sail, andwe can leave this hulk and get somewhere. And Joe thought I was touchedby the sun! Ho! Ho! A good joke! A good one!"

  "All right," assented Joe. "If you make that boat you'll be a good one.I'll help, of course, but I don't believe it can be done."

  "I'll show you!" exclaimed Abe defiantly.

  Forthwith they began to work, even Mr. Skeel doing his share. He hadsettled into a gloomy silence, scarcely speaking unless spoken to,and he seemed to pay little attention to those about him. Clearly theshipwreck, and the unexpected meeting with the lad who had exposed hisvillainy at Elmwood Hall, had dispirited him. Yet at times he showed aflash of his old manners.

  It was harder work than even Abe had imagined, to cut the boat in two,and get out the damaged part. Especially with only an axe to use. Yetthe old sailor handled the implement with skill, and showed that heknew his business.

  Tom looked after the meals, though he had not much to do, for the menuwas not very varied. He had to keep Jackie amused, too, and inventedsuch little games as fishing over the broken rail of the ship with astring for a line, and no hook, and making fairy castles out of thesplinters that Abe knocked off the lifeboat.

  Several days passed, and though they looked almost every other minutefor a sail or a sight of land they saw nothing. They were borne on bythe currents and the light winds that at times scarcely filled theirclumsy sail.

  The watches were kept as before, Tom not being allowed to share inthem. But the darkness of the night was not relieved by any welcomelight. The days seemed to become more dreary as they passed, and onlyfor the work of making the boat they might not have stood the time sowell. But the work was a blessing to them.

  Tom looked anxiously at the store of food, and as he saw it diminishing,and no help of rescue at hand he spoke to the two sailors about it.

  "Well, we'll have to reduce rations, that's all, matie," said Joe, andhe spoke cheerfully.

  "Of course," assented Abe. "I'll have the boat done in a few more days,and then we can set sail. Reduce rations! If I only had a saw I couldwork faster, but I'll do the best I can. Reduce rations, that's all.I'm getting too fat as it is."

  He laughed at his joke, and a grim joke it was, for his belt had beentaken in several holes, and could stand more. They were all becomingthin.

  When the next meal, after the reduced ration decision had been arrivedat, was served, Mr. Skeel looked at the portion handed him on the topof a beef tin.

  "Is that all I get?" he demanded roughly. "That isn't enough for a man."

  "It's all that can safely be given," spoke Tom, quietly.

  "Well I want more. I demand my fair share."

  "That's your fair share, mate," said Joe grimly. "It's as much as anyof us have. We're on short rations, don't you understand?"

  "Huh! That may be so, but I notice that you have charge of the food,"and he sneered at Tom.

  "Because we voted him to do so," put in Abe. "And what the majoritysays goes!"

  "The boy has more than I have!" snarled the former professor, and heglanced at Jackie who, under a little tent he had made from a sparepiece of the sail, was eating his lunch at a "play party," as he calledit.

  "That'll do you!" snapped Joe, shaking a menacing finger at Mr. Skeel."You eat what you've got, and be thankful on your bended knees thatyou've got that much. And if I hear any more talk that the boy has morethan you, why I'll--"

  "Easy matie," cautioned Abe. "Easy."

  Tom looked distressed, but said nothing. When the water was passed,that too had dwindled in amount. Mr. Skeel looked at his share, andseemed about to make a protest, but a glance from Joe stopped him.

  The weather had been fine for several days; too fine to last, Abedeclared as he worked away at the boat.

  "We're in for another storm, I'm thinking," he said to Joe.

  "Well, keep still about it," suggested his companion. "No use makingTom and the kid worry. I guess we can weather it."

  "The waves'll sweep over this old hulk, once they get running high,"went on Abe. "And that deck house won't stand much. The boat, too, islikely to be washed away. If I only had a saw I could make twice thespeed. But I don't reckon I could get one."

  "Leastways not unless there's one aboard, down in the carpenter'squarters," said Joe, "and I don't see how it's to be come at. We'llhave to do the best we can."

  "I reckon so. Catch hold of that plank now, and hold it while I chop itoff."

  They resumed work, pausing now and then to look at the sky. It cloudedup in the afternoon, and there came a heavy rain storm, unaccompaniedby much wind, for which last fact they were thankful.

  "This is just what we need!" cried Abe, as he saw the big drops comedown. "Spread out the sail cloth, mates, and catch all the water wecan. We'll need it."

  The sail was hastily taken down, and with another piece of the canvaswas spread out in the form of a huge bowl. The rain filled it, and,making a sort of channel at one end, the precious water was run intothe nearly empty kegs. Thus their supply was replenished, and withlighter hearts they resumed their task, the two sailors and Mr. Skeelworking at the boat, while Tom steered.

  It was abou
t a week since they had taken refuge on the derelict, andthe signs of an approaching change in the weather were increasing. Inall that time they had not seen a sail, and what was more remarkable,they had not sighted an island, though they were in that part of thePacific where many are located.

  "Either we are passing in and out among them, just far enough awayso as to miss 'em, or we can't pick 'em out on account of the mist,"explained Joe. "I was sure we'd sight one before this."

  "Same here," murmured Abe. "It's middling queer, though. But if ourgrub holds out we'll soon be afloat in a better craft."

  "It doesn't look like it," declared Joe. "You've get a lot of work onit yet."

  "I know I have, and if only there was a saw I'd make double speed."

  Joe did not answer but walked forward to where the hatchway, openingdown into the lower regions of the ship, showed. It was more out ofwater than at any previous time, and it could be seen that there was apassage leading into the crew's quarters. Joe stood contemplating this,and then slowly began taking off his shoes, and some of his garments.

  "Hi! matie, what are you up to?" hailed Abe, seeing his actions. "Goingfor a swim? If you are you'd better look out for sharks. I see somebig fins in the offing this morning."

  "No, I'm not going to swim--I'm going to have a dive."

  "A dive?"

  "Yes. I'm going down and see if I can't fetch up a saw, or something soyou can finish that boat quicker."

  Abe dropped the axe and hurried toward his companion.

  "Say, don't you do it," he gasped. "You might not be able to get upagain, and we can't afford to lose you."

  "No danger! If I get _into_ a place, Abe, I can get _out_ again. I'mgoing to dive and get you a saw."

  "Don't do it!" urged the other. "I can make out some how."

  "Here goes!" cried Joe, and with that he walked down the half-submergedcompanion steps and dived into the water-filled forecastle quarters.