by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XVI
AN EXCITING RACE IN THE CHINA SEA
Everything worked as smoothly on board of the Blanchita as though shehad been in commission for years, for there was not a green hand in thecabin or forecastle. The experience obtained by the "Four" in the Maudhad made them proficients in the duties of their present positions.Louis and Felix were not trained engineers or machinists; though theywere familiar with the machine, which was of very simple construction.Both of them were competent to run the engine, and had served theirwatches in the Maud. If there was any trouble, the chief engineer wasclose at hand.
From eight to twelve it was the captain's watch. Achang, who had beenthe master of a vessel, had been regularly installed as second mate, andwas in charge of this watch; though Scott remained on deck all the time,for he was anxious to observe the movements of the Delhi. Clingman andLane had their two-hour tricks at the wheel, and there was no hard workfor anybody.
The breeze was good, though not heavy from the south-west; but the Delhihad not yet set a sail. The Blanchita passed Cape Datu at ten in theevening, and the second mate made a note of it on the log-slate. Bothcraft were still making their eight knots, and remained abreast of eachother. The wind increased slightly in force, but the conditions wereabout the same all night. At twelve the watch was changed, and Morriscame on duty, with Louis in the engine-room. The captain turned in atthis time.
At three in the morning the yacht was off the island of Sirhassen, ofwhich a note was made on the log-slate. Morris had studied the chartenough to enable him to recognize the island, distant as it was, at sixbells, or three o'clock in the morning. Of course he could not identifyit by its looks, never having seen it before; but the captain had givenhim the distances between the islands on the course. Sirhassen was fortysea miles from Cape Datu, or five hours as the yacht was running; andwhen land was reported on the beam, bearing about west, he knew what itwas. The chart gave the island as one of considerable size compared withthe multitude of small ones in that locality; and this indicationafforded him a further clew to the identification.
At eight bells, or four o'clock, the morning watch came on duty, withAchang as its officer. Captain Scott did not turn out when the secondmate was called, with Felix to take his place at the engine, and it wassix o'clock when he made his appearance. Except when there is only onemate, as in small vessels, the captain keeps no watch; but he is liableto be called at any hour of the night in case of a squall or otherperil. His responsibility may induce him to spend the entire night ondeck.
When he came out of the cabin, his first care was to observe the signswhich indicate the coming weather. Then he went to the wheel, and readthe entries made on the log-slate. The sea was about the same as it hadbeen when he left the deck. He had looked at the barometer before heleft the cabin. There were no signs of bad weather in any direction.
"What do you think of the weather, Mr. Achang?" he asked of the officerof the deck.
"It will be fine, Captain," replied the second mate. "I have come allthe way from Banjermassin to Calcutta with the weather just like thisalways; but I think we have more wind when the sun come up."
"We can stand more than we have now," added Scott.
"Some of the young gentlemen fear to go to sea in open boat like thisyacht; but the dhows and the proas have not much decks," said theBornean.
"Then you think we shall have weather like this all the way to PointCambodia?"
"May blow a little more hard some time."
The sun was coming up in the east, and in the course of half an hourAchang's prophecy of more wind was realized. It freshened rapidly for ashort time; but it did not come in flaws or squalls, and was a steadybreeze. A table had been set up in the fore cabin; and at half-pastseven, or seven bells, which is the usual hour for breakfast at sea,the meal was served to the watch below.
"Land on the port bow, sir!" reported Clingman, who was the lookout man,just before eight bells.
"That is Subi," said Achang, looking at the paper Morris had given himwhen the watch was changed.
"That's right, Mr. Achang," added the captain. "I see the Delhi issetting her foresail, and that means wind enough to add something to hereight knots an hour."
Lane at the wheel struck eight bells a few minutes later; and theofficer and engineer of the port watch came promptly on deck from thecabin, as did the seamen from the fore cabin. Breakfast had been servedat both ends of the yacht to the watch below, so that they were inreadiness to come on duty at the striking of the bell. Breakfast wasready for those who came off watch as soon as they were relieved.
Pitts had his hands more than full in supplying the two tables, but hewas assisted by the idlers about the boat. The seamen were served as onboard of the Guardian-Mother, where they had a table and a regular meal.On ordinary sea-going vessels the men get their "grub" at the galley intins, or kids, and eat it seated on the deck, or where they choose.
Captain Scott had graciously ordained, as there was nothing to be doneoutside of the working of the yacht, that "watch and watch" should bethe rule on board; which means that the hands shall have all their timeto themselves when not on watch, though they were to respond when allhands were called.
"The Delhi means to run away from us, I suppose, for she has put on allsail," said Louis as he came on deck when he had finished his breakfast.
"But I don't believe she will do it," replied the captain. "We have asail; but I am waiting to see what she can do under her presentconditions, and I have told Felipe to hurry her up a little, just enoughto keep up with our consort."
"She is gaining on us a little," added Louis.
"I see she is; but the engineer has thrown another shovelful of coalinto the furnace, and I wish to see the effect it will produce. He hasopened his valve a little, but he has not steam enough yet."
But it was soon evident to all who understood the matter that theBlanchita was gaining on her consort. It was plain, too, that CaptainRayburn had noticed the fact, for his crew were setting thegaff-topsails on the fore and main masts. Something of the enthusiasm ofa race was aroused on board. Felipe had worked up his machine to thenine-knot gauge; and in spite of the added sail on the Delhi, the boatwas overhauling her.
"I think that Captain Rayburn must be recalling his talk to us atSarawak about running away from us," said Louis. "What is he doing now,Captain Scott?"
"He appears to be hoisting a yard on his foremast," replied Scott.
"What is that for?"
"If you watch the steamer for a little while longer, you will see himshake out a fore squaresail, and that will be the sharpest move he hasmade yet. Morris, have the mast stepped, and set the sail," continuedthe captain.
Clinch was at the wheel; and Clingman was called upon to do the work,with the assistance of the other two hands. The great squaresail of theDelhi had been shaken out, and it was drawing for all it was worth. Theeffect was simply to prevent the Blanchita from passing her, as shewould have done in a few minutes more. The enthusiasm of a race wasfully developed on board the yacht, among the seamen as well as thecabin party. Clingman and the others had worked very lively, and in afew minutes the sail was set. The captain gave the orders for trimmingit; and as soon as the sheet was made fast the yacht heeled over tillher rail was nearly down to the water.
"Our sail is a big one," said Scott, who saw it spread out for the firsttime; "and if we desire to run away from the Delhi, I am satisfied thatwe could do it."
The boat dashed the spray at her bow, and proved to be very wet in thefore cabin. The captain ordered the curtains to be hauled down to keepthe water out, and the forward part of the craft was then as dry as ithad been on the river.
Scott was not quite satisfied with the steering under the alteredconditions, and he went to the wheel himself. He was a very skilfulboatman in a sailing-craft, as had been fully proved by his bringing hisyacht, the Seahound, from New York through the Bahama Islands. Theseaman was inclined to follow the compass too closely, while Scottre
garded the effect of the sail.
"We are gaining on the Delhi," said Louis, as he seated himself near thecaptain.
"Of course we are; I knew she would do it with the sail in this wind,"replied Scott. "The Blanchita is a light craft, and skims over the waterlike a racer."
"But it is a little too much sail for her," suggested Louis. "She istaking in a bucket of water over her lee rail once in a while."
"Try the pump, Lane," added the captain. "I don't believe she hasshipped more than a teaspoonful or two."
"We are pretty well down in the water," added Louis.
"Clingman, let off about six inches of the sheet," continued Scott; andthe order was promptly obeyed. "I think you are getting a littlenervous, my dear fellow," he added to Louis.
"Perhaps I am; I should not like to see the yacht heel over and take ina couple of hogsheads of water, for she is loaded so heavily with coalthat she would go to the bottom."
"But I should not let her ship such a sea as that. The wind is quitesteady, with no heavy flaws, and the boat is under perfect control. Ishould like it better to sail the Blanchita with less cargo in her, butshe is doing splendidly."
"But a flaw might come, even if we have had none to-day; what could youdo in that case?" asked Louis.
"Clingman, stand by the sheet!" called the captain.
The seaman was seated on a box not more than three feet from the cleatat which the sheet was made fast. He took his place within reach of it.
"Now she heels over again!" exclaimed Louis, as the water came quite upto the rail, though she took none in.
"Cast off the sheet, Clingman!" called the captain; and the order wasobeyed in an instant.
The boat flew up to an even keel almost as though she had been hoistedup by some giant power.
"That is how I should keep her from shipping a big sea," said Scott, ashe looked at his companion with a smile on his brown face.
"I give it up, Captain Scott. Of course you know what you are aboutevery time, and I won't say a word again about the boat. But suppose youwere not looking when the flaw came?"
"It is not necessary to be looking; for a skipper steers more by thefeeling of the boat than by sight. Make fast the sheet, Clingman."
The Blanchita went ahead again; and by this time she was abreast of theDelhi, and gaining upon her. Captain Rayburn was on his quarter-deck.
"Don't run away from me, and I won't run away from you!" he shouted.
But he had hardly spoken before a noise like the distant report of acannon was heard on board of the yacht.
"He has split his fore squaresail; and if his game was not up before, itis now," said Captain Scott. "The sail was old and rotten, and I don'tbelieve he would have attempted to carry it except on an occasion likethe present."
"He was a little too pronounced when he expressed his fears that theBlanchita would not be able to keep up with him, and I fancy he is sorryhe said anything about it by this time," added Louis.
The split sail could not be repaired at once; and if it could it was notstrong enough to be of any use in the fresh breeze. The crew took it inat once, the yard being lowered to enable them to do so. The captain ofthe yacht ordered the engineer to reduce his speed to the ordinary rate,though the sail was not furled. Between the steam and the wind theBlanchita ran ahead of the Delhi. The sheet was slacked off as far as itcould be without permitting the sail to shake, and the two craft keptwell together the rest of the day, passing Great Natuna Island at fourin the afternoon.
The captain took the sun at noon, and worked up the position of theboat. The run from the mouth of the Sarawak at that time was two hundredand four sea miles.