CHAPTER XVI
WIND AND WAVE TOSSED
Abe stood looking anxiously down into the dark opening where his matehad disappeared. Tom, understanding that something unusual was takingplace, also hurried up to look on, and Mr. Skeel and Jackie followed.
"Is--is it safe?" asked our hero, for it was as if some one had gonedown a well.
"Well--er--hardly--that is to say, of course it is!" exclaimed Abe,quickly changing his mind, as he saw the little boy regarding himcuriously. "Joe'll come up in a minute with just the very thing weneed--maybe."
Tom caught the alarmed note in the sailor's voice.
"Why did you let him do it?" he asked in a whisper.
"There was no stopping him," answered Abe. "He would do it. He knewthat I needed a saw, but, pshaw! I'd rather he hadn't done it. I couldhave made out, only the storm that----"
Then he stopped at the look of alarm on Tom's face.
"What storm?" demanded the lad.
"Oh, Joe had a notion that a storm was coming up, and he wanted us toget the boat done before then, so we'd have a chance to scud beforethe wind. But, bless my jib-boom! there ain't going to be no storm,in my estimation," and Abe cast a hasty glance about the heavens, nowcloud-encumbered. "No storm at all--leastways not soon," he added.
Amid a strained silence they all watched the opening into the ship,waiting for the reappearance of Joe. A minute went by, and he did notcome up. A minute and a half,--two minutes!
"He can't stay under much longer," murmured Abe.
"No man can hold his breath that long under water," spoke Mr. Skeel,"at least not an ordinary man. Maybe something has----"
He hesitated, Abe began taking off his shoes, ready for a rescue.
"Hadn't we better tie a rope to you?" suggested Tom, understanding thedanger.
"I--I'll----" began Abe, and then there was a commotion in the water,and Joe shot up. He did not seem to be in distress. In one hand he heldup a carpenter's hammer.
"We were just getting worried about you," said Tom, with a breath ofrelief.
"How'd you manage to stay down so long?" asked Abe.
"I--I found air down there," explained Joe, pantingly. "The cabin isn'tquite full of water, and I stuck my nose up close to the ceiling andgot a breath in an air space."
"Did you locate a saw?" asked Abe.
"Not yet. But I will. I found the carpenter's quarters all right. I'vegot to go by feeling, but I'll get a saw sooner or later. Here's ahammer, anyhow."
He tossed it to Abe and then, after a rest, he went down again. Thistime he remained under longer than before and coming up brought anadze, which would come in useful. It was on his third trial that helocated a saw, quite rusted, it is true, but nevertheless a saw.
"Hurray!" cried Tom.
"Now I can do something!" declared Abe. "I can work quicker now."
"There are some more tools down there," said Joe. "I'm going to bringsome up."
Which he did, after a number of trials, and some other things thatwould prove useful, including several coils of strong rope. But hecould find no food, and, probably had he come upon any it would havebeen spoiled.
"Never mind," said Abe, when his partner had commented on this failure."We'll make out somehow. And we'll soon be afloat in a better craft.Can you spare me a bit of that canned beef fat, Tom, so I can grease upthis saw?"
Tom passed him a chunk that was hardly edible, but Mr. Skeel seemed toeye it greedily. He was a large man, and had a big appetite that wasfar from being satisfied on the meager rations that were available.
The saw was soon in shape to use, and then Abe and Joe could work tobetter advantage. That night the boat sections were joined together,and the next day would see the practical completion of the craft.
"It'll have to be well calked," said Abe, as he looked critically athis handiwork in the gathering dusk. "Them seams ain't just what I'dlike 'em to be, though it was the best I could do. But if I stuff 'emwell with rags and such-like I guess it'll answer. We'll get at thatthe first thing in the morning."
"And we'll lash the boat well down to-night," spoke Joe in a low voiceto his companion.
"Yes, I shouldn't wonder but what we were in for a blow," was therejoinder. "But don't say anything to Tom."
"You don't need to. I begin to suspect something," exclaimed our hero,with a grim smile, as he came up behind the two. "I'm not afraid toknow the worst," he went on. "In fact I want to know it. I'll be betterprepared then. Do you think we're in for a blow?"
"I come pretty near _knowing_ it, matie," said Joe in a low voice. "Weweren't to tell you, but we're in the storm region now, and I don'tneed one of them barometers to tell me we're going to have plenty ofwind and water soon. But don't worry. The old derelict has gone throughmany a one, and she'll stand another blow or two I guess. We'll makeeverything as snug as we can. You just look after the kid and yourself."
"Poor little chap," murmured Abe. "I wonder where his father is?"
"Lost, I reckon, like most of the other poor souls that were on the_Silver Star_," spoke Joe, gloomily.
"Oh, you get out!" cried his mate. "You'd have us all in Davy Jones'slocker if you had your way. Maybe the boy's dad is saved, and maybe allthe rest were picked up. And we'll be all right soon, you see if we'renot."
The cheerfulness of the old sailor was infectious, and Tom felt betterafter hearing his cheery talk. True, our hero had his moments ofsadness, particularly when he thought of his missing parents. And oftenhe found himself wondering what might be their fate, and where theywere. At night, as he stretched out beside little Jackie, under therude shelter, he spent many hours of wakefulness. But he tried not toshow his feelings to the others.
There was a moaning and sighing to the wind as darkness came on, andthe sailors, with Tom and Mr. Skeel to aid them, used the ropes tolash fast the reconstructed boat and the wooden shelter. The rude sailfilled out and urged the derelict on at a faster pace.
"If this kept up we'd get somewhere," observed Tom, as he relieved Abeat the helm.
"Yes, but we'll make twice the speed in our boat," said the old sailorproudly.
The wreck was rising and falling on the swell, the big oily wavesseeming to curl after her as though in time they would reach up andpull her down into their depths. There were no white-caps yet--theywould come later.
"We are going to have a storm, aren't we; a violent storm soon?"demanded Mr. Skeel, when it was almost dark, and the wind was sighingmore mournfully than before.
"I reckon so," answered Abe calmly.
"Then can't we do something more to make ourselves secure?"
"Nary a thing more," spoke the old sailor. "We've done all we can."
The face of the former professor was white, and he paced up and downthat portion of the deck less exposed to the waves. He was a coward andhe showed it.
The derelict dipped her half-buried bow farther under a wave. It broke,running well up on the deck, and breaking against the lashed lifeboat,sent a shower of spray aft.
"Oh, it's raining! It's raining!" cried Jackie. "If we only hadumbrellas now, Tom."
"We'll need more than umbrellas before morning, I'm thinking," murmuredJoe.
All that could be done had been, and when the last remnant of daylightfaded, earlier than usual because of the clouds, Tom took his littlecharge inside the shelter. They stretched out on the canvas bed, andTom joined silently with the child, who said aloud his simple prayers,asking that they might all be looked after by the All-seeing Providence.
The derelict forged ahead through the waves, blown by the ever increasingwind. She rose sluggishly on the swell--all too sluggishly--for she wasnot buoyant enough to escape the breaking swells. But still, aft, it wascomparatively dry.
"It's going to be a bad night--a bad night," murmured Joe, who had thefirst trick at the helm.
Tom managed to get some sleep, holding Jackie's hand, but aboutmidnight he was awakened by being fairly rolled out of the shelter.
"What--what's
the matter?" he cried.
"It's the storm!" cried Abe, springing up. "It's broke for fair, Iguess!"
Tom sprang to his feet and looked out. He could dimly see the bigwaves all around them, and he felt the derelict pitching and tossing ina swirl of water. It was at the mercy of the storm.
Then came a fiercer burst of the elements, a dash of rain, and atearing howl of the wind. The derelict heeled over, while a flood ofwater washed over the bow and came curling aft.
"Look out!" yelled Abe, as he saw Tom roll forward, and he grabbed ourhero in time to save him from once more pitching overboard.
Tom Fairfield at Sea; or, The Wreck of the Silver Star Page 16