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diff --git a/39262.txt b/39262.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d0ff769 --- /dev/null +++ b/39262.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5631 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Bert Wilson, Wireless Operator, by J. W. Duffield + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Bert Wilson, Wireless Operator + +Author: J. W. Duffield + +Release Date: March 25, 2012 [EBook #39262] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BERT WILSON, WIRELESS OPERATOR *** + + + + +Produced by Donald Cummings and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + + BERT WILSON, + Wireless Operator + + BY + + J. W. DUFFIELD + + AUTHOR OF "BERT WILSON AT THE WHEEL," + "BERT WILSON, MARATHON WINNER," + "BERT WILSON'S FADEAWAY BALL" + + + + + Copyright, 1913, By + SULLY AND KLEINTEICH + + _All rights reserved._ + + Published and Printed, 1924, by + Western Printing & Lithographing Company + Racine, Wisconsin + Printed in U. S. A. + + + + +CONTENTS + + + CHAPTER PAGE + I. RUNNING AMUCK 1 + II. AN UNEXPECTED MEETING 14 + III. A STARTLING MESSAGE 26 + IV. THE FLAMING SHIP 38 + V. AN ISLAND PARADISE 56 + VI. THE "GRAY GHOST" 70 + VII. A SWIM FOR LIFE 79 + VIII. THE CAPTURED SHARK 90 + IX. IN THE HEART OF THE TYPHOON 99 + X. THE DERELICT 111 + XI. THE TIGER AT BAY 124 + XII. AMONG THE CANNIBALS 141 + XIII. THE HUNTING WOLVES 159 + XIV. THE LAND OF SURPRISES 179 + XV. THE DRAGON'S CLAWS 195 + XVI. THE PIRATE ATTACK 211 + + + + +BERT WILSON, WIRELESS OPERATOR + + + + +CHAPTER I + +RUNNING AMUCK + + +"Amuck! Amuck! He's running amuck! Quick! For your lives!" + +The drowsy water front pulsed into sudden life. There was a sound of +running feet, of hoarse yells, a shriek of pain and terror as a knife +bit into flesh, and a lithe, brown figure leaped upon the steamer's +rail. + +It was a frightful picture he presented, as he stood there, holding to a +stanchion with one hand, while, in the other, he held a crooked dagger +whose point was stained an ominous red. He was small and wiry, only a +little over five feet in height, but strong and quick as a panther. His +black hair, glossy with cocoa oil, streamed in the wind, his eyes were +lurid with the wild light of insanity, his lips were parted in a savage +snarl, and he was foaming at the mouth. He had lost all semblance of +humanity, and as he stood there looking for another victim, he might +have been transported bodily from one of Dore's pictures of Dante's +Inferno. Suddenly, he caught sight of a group of three coming down +the pier, and leaping to the wharf, he started toward them, his bare +feet padding along noiselessly, while he tightened his grip on the +murderous knife. A shot rang out behind him but missed him, and he kept +on steadily, drawing nearer and nearer to his intended prey. + +The three companions, toward whom doom was coming so swiftly and +fearfully, were now halfway down the pier. They were typical young +Americans, tall, clean cut, well knit, and with that easy swing +and carriage that marks the athlete and bespeaks splendid physical +condition. They had been laughing and jesting and were evidently on +excellent terms with life. Their eyes were bright, their faces tinged +with the bronzed red of perfect health, the blood ran warmly through +their veins, and it seemed a bitter jest of fate that over them, of all +men, should be flung the sinister shadow of death. Yet never in all +their life had they been so near to it as on that sleepy summer +afternoon on that San Francisco wharf. + +At the sound of the shot they looked up curiously. And then they saw. + +By this time the Malay was not more than fifty feet away. He was running +as a mad dog runs, his head shaking from side to side, his kriss +brandished aloft, his burning eyes fixed on the central figure of the +three. He expected to die, was eager to die, but first he wanted to +kill. The dreadful madness peculiar to the Malay race had come upon him, +and the savage instincts that slumbered in him were now at flood. He +had made all his preparations for death, had prayed to his deities, +blackened his teeth as a sign of his intention, and devoted himself to +the infernal gods. Then by the use of maddening drugs he had worked +himself into a state of wild delirium and started forth to slay. They +had sought to stop him as he rushed out from the cook's galley, but +he had slashed wildly right and left and one of them had been left +dangerously wounded on the steamer's deck. The captain and mates had +rushed to their cabins to get their revolvers, and it was the shot from +one of these that had tried vainly to halt him in his death dealing +course. The crew, unarmed, had sought refuge where they could, and +now, with his thirst for blood still unslaked, he rushed toward the +unsuspecting strangers. + +For one awful instant their hearts stood still as they caught sight of +the fiendish figure bearing down upon them. None of them had a weapon. +They had never dreamed of needing one. Their stout hearts and, at need, +their fists, had always proved sufficient, and they shared the healthy +American repugnance at relying on anything else than nature had given +them. There was no way to evade the issue. Had they turned, the madman, +with the impetus he already had, would have been upon them before they +could get under way. There was no alternative. They _must_ play with +that grim gambler, Death, with their lives as the stakes. And at the +thought, they stiffened. + +The Malay was within ten feet. Quick as a flash, the taller of the three +dove straight for the madman's legs. The latter made a wicked slash +downward, but his arm was caught in a grip of iron, and the next instant +the would-be murderer was thrown headlong to the pier, his knife +clattering harmlessly to one side. The three were on him at once, and, +though he fought like a wildcat, they held him until the crowd, bold now +that the danger was past, swarmed down on the wharf and trussed him +securely with ropes. Then the trio rose, shook themselves and looked at +each other. + +"By Jove, Bert," said the one who had grasped the Malay's arm as it was +upraised to strike, "that was the dandiest tackle I ever saw, and I've +seen you make a good many. If you'd done that in a football game on +Thanksgiving day, they'd talk of it from one end of the country to the +other." + +"O, I don't know, Dick," responded Bert. "Perhaps it wasn't so bad, but +then, you know, I never had so much at stake before. Even at that I +guess it would have been all up with me, if you hadn't grabbed that +fellow's hand just at the minute you did." + +"If I hadn't, Tom would," rejoined Dick lightly. "He went for it at the +same instant, but I was on the side of the knife hand and so got there +first. But it was a fearfully close shave," he went on soberly, "and I +for one have had enough of crazy Malays to last me a lifetime." + +"Amen to that," chimed in Tom, fervently, "a little of that sort of +thing goes a great way. If this is a sample of what we're going to meet, +there won't be much monotony on this trip." + +"Well, no," laughed Bert, "not so that you could notice it. Still, when +you tackle the Pacific Ocean, you're going to find it a different +proposition from sailing on a mill pond, and I shouldn't be surprised if +we found action enough to keep our joints from getting rusty before we +get back." + +The crowd that had seemed to come from everywhere were loud in their +commendation of the boys' courage and presence of mind. Soon, an +ambulance that had been hastily summoned rattled up to the pier, at top +speed, and took charge of the wounded sailor, while a patrol wagon +carried the maniac to the city prison. The throng melted away as rapidly +as it had gathered, and the three chums mounted the gangway of the +steamer. A tall, broad shouldered man in a captain's uniform advanced to +greet them. + +"That was one of the pluckiest things I ever saw," he said warmly, as he +grasped their hands. "You were lucky to come out of that scrape alive. +Those Malays are holy terrors when they once get started. I've seen them +running amuck in Singapore and Penang before now, but never yet on this +side of the big pond. That fellow has been sullen and moody for days, +but I've been so busy getting ready to sail that I didn't give it a +second thought. I had a bead drawn on the beggar when he was making +toward you, but didn't dare to fire for fear of hitting one of you. But +all's well that ends well, and I'm glad you came through it without a +scratch. You were coming toward the ship," he went on, as he looked at +them inquiringly, "and I take it that your business was with me." + +"Yes, sir," answered Bert, acting as spokesman. "My name is Wilson, and +these are my two friends, Mr. Trent and Mr. Henderson." + +"Wilson," repeated the captain in pleased surprise. "Why, not the +wireless operator that the company told me they had engaged to make this +trip?" + +"The same," replied Bert, smiling. + +"Well, well," said the captain, "I'm doubly glad to meet you, although I +had no idea that our first meeting would take place under such exciting +circumstances. You can't complain that we didn't give you a warm +reception," he laughed. "Come along, and I'll show you your quarters and +introduce you to the other officers." + +Had any one told Bert Wilson, a month earlier, that on this June day he +would be the wireless operator of the good ship "_Fearless_," Abel +Manning, Captain, engaged in the China trade, he would have regarded it +as a joke or a dream. He had just finished his Freshman year in College. +It had been a momentous year for him in more ways than one. He had won +distinction in his studies--a matter of some satisfaction to his +teachers. But he had been still more prominent on the college diamond--a +matter of more satisfaction to his fellow students. He had just emerged +from a heart breaking contest, in which his masterly twirling had won +the pennant for his Alma Mater, and incidentally placed him in the very +front rank of college pitchers. His plans for the summer vacation were +slowly taking shape, when, one day, he was summoned to the office of the +Dean. + +"Sit down, Wilson," he said, as he looked up from some papers, "I'll be +at liberty in a moment." + +For a few minutes he wrote busily, and then whirled about in his office +chair and faced Bert, pleasantly. + +"What are your plans for the summer, Wilson?" he asked. "Have you +anything definite as yet?" + +"Not exactly, sir," answered Bert. "I've had several invitations to +spend part of the time with friends, but, as perhaps you know, I haven't +any too much money, and I want to earn some during the vacation, to help +me cover my expenses for next year. I've written to my Congressman at +Washington to try to get me work in one of the wireless stations on the +coast, but there seems to be so much delay and red tape about it that I +don't know whether it will amount to anything. If that doesn't develop, +I'll try something else." + +"Hum," said the Dean, as he turned to his desk and took a letter from a +pigeon hole. "Now I have here a line from Mr. Quinby, the manager of a +big fleet of steamers plying between San Francisco and the chief ports +of China. It seems that one of his vessels, the _Fearless_, needs a good +wireless operator. The last one was careless and incompetent, and the +line had to let him go. Mr. Quinby is an old grad of the college, and +an intimate personal friend of mine. He knows the thoroughness of +our scientific course"--here a note of pride crept into the Dean's +voice--"and he writes to know if I can recommend one of our boys for the +place. The voyage will take between two and three months, so that you +can be back by the time that college opens in the Fall. The pay is good +and you will have a chance to see something of the world. How would you +like the position?" + +How would he like it? Bert's head was in a whirl. He had always wanted +to travel, but it had seemed like an "iridescent dream," to be realized, +if at all, in the far distant future. Now it was suddenly made a +splendid possibility. China and the islands of the sea, the lands of +fruits and flowers, of lotus and palm, of minarets and pagodas, of +glorious dawns and glittering noons and spangled nights! The East rose +before him, with its inscrutable wisdom, its passionless repose, its +heavy-lidded calm. It lured him with its potency and mystery, its +witchery and beauty. Would he go! + +He roused himself with an effort and saw the Dean regarding him with a +quizzical smile. + +"Like it," he said enthusiastically, "there's nothing in all the world I +should like so well. That is," he added, "if you are sure I can do the +work. You know of course that I've had no practical experience." + +"Yes," said the Dean, "but I've already had a talk with your Professor +of Applied Electricity, and he says that there isn't a thing about +wireless telegraphy that you don't understand. He tells me that you are +equally familiar with the Morse and the Continental codes, and that you +are quicker to detect and remedy a defect than any boy in your class. +From theory to practice will not be far, and he is confident that before +your ship clears the Golden Gate you'll know every secret of its +wireless equipment from A to Z. I don't mind telling you that your name +was the first one that occurred to both him and myself, as soon as the +matter was broached. Mr. Quinby has left the whole thing to me, so that, +if you wish to go, we'll consider the matter settled, and I'll send him +a wire at once." + +"I'll go," said Bert, "and glad of the chance. I can't thank you enough +for your kindness and confidence, but I'll do my very best to deserve +it." + +"I'm sure of that," was the genial response, and, after a few more +details of time and place had been settled, Bert took the extended hand +of the Dean and left the office, feeling as though he were walking on +air. + +His first impulse was to hunt up his two chums, Tom and Dick, and tell +them of his good fortune. Tom was a fellow classmate, while Dick had had +one year more of college life. The bond that united them was no common +one, and had been cemented by a number of experiences shared together +for several years back. More than once they had faced serious injury or +possible death together, in their many scrapes and adventures, and the +way they had backed each other up had convinced each that he had in the +others comrades staunch and true. During the present year, they had all +been members of the baseball team, Tom holding down third base in +dashing style and Dick starring at first; and many a time the three had +pulled games out of the fire and wrested victory from defeat. In work +and fun they were inseparable; and straight to them now Bert went, +flushed and elated with the good luck that had befallen him. + +"Bully for you, old man," shouted Dick, while Tom grabbed his hand and +clapped him on the back; "It's the finest thing that ever happened." + +"It sure is," echoed Tom. "Just think of good old Bert among the Chinks. +_And_ the tea houses--_and_ the tomtoms--_and_ the bazaars--_and_ the +jinrikishas--and all the rest. By the time he gets back, he'll have +almond eyes and a pig-tail and be eating his rice with chop sticks." + +"Not quite as bad as that, I hope," laughed Bert. "I've no ambition to +be anything else than a good American, and probably all I'll see abroad +will only make me the more glad to see the Stars and Stripes again when +I get back to 'God's country.' But it surely will be some experience." + +Now that the first excitement was over, the conversation lagged a +little, and a slight sense of constraint fell upon them. All were +thinking of the same thing. Tom was the first to voice the common +thought. + +"Gee, Bert," he said, "how I wish that Dick and I were coming along!" + +"Why not?" asked Dick, calmly. + +Bert and Tom looked at him in amazement. + +"What!" yelled Bert. "You don't really think there's a chance?" + +"A chance? Yes," answered Dick. "Of course it's nothing but a chance--as +yet. The whole thing is so sudden and there are so many things to be +taken into account that it can't be doped out all at once. It may prove +only a pipe dream after all. But Father promised me a trip abroad at +the end of my course, if I got through all right, and, under the +circumstances, he may be willing to anticipate a little. Then too, you +know, he's a red-hot baseball fan, and he's tickled to death at the way +we trimmed the other teams this year. And we all know that Tom's folks +have money to burn, and it ought to be no trick at all for him to get +their consent. I tell you what, fellows, let's get busy with the home +people, right on the jump." + +And get busy they did, with the result that after a great deal of +humming and hawing and backing and filling, the longed for consents were +more or less reluctantly given. The boys' delight knew no bounds, and it +was a hilarious group that made things hum on the Overland Limited, as +it climbed the Rockies and dropped down the western slope to the ocean. +The world smiled upon them. Life ran riot within them. They had no +inkling of how closely death would graze them before they even set foot +upon their ship. Nor did they dream of the perils that awaited them, in +days not far distant when that ship, passing through the Golden Gate, +should turn its prow toward the East and breast the billows of the +Pacific. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +AN UNEXPECTED MEETING + + +The "Fearless" was a smart, staunch ship of about three thousand +tons--one of a numerous fleet owned by the line of which Mr. Quinby +was the manager. She had been built with special reference to the +China trade, and was designed chiefly for cargoes, although she had +accommodations for a considerable number of passengers. She was equipped +with the latest type of modern screw engines, and although she did not +run on a fixed schedule, could be counted on, almost as certainly as a +regular liner, to make her port at the time appointed. Everything about +the steamer was seamanlike and shipshape, and the boys were most +favorably impressed, as, under the guidance of Captain Manning, they +made their way forward. Here they were introduced to the first and +second officers, and then shown to the quarters they were to occupy +during the voyage. + +Like everything else about the ship, these were trim and comfortable, and +the boys were delighted to find that they had been assigned adjoining +rooms. By the time they had washed and changed their clothes, it was time +for supper, and to this they did ample justice. They were valiant +trenchermen, and even the narrow escape of the afternoon had not robbed +them of their appetites. + +"You'd better eat while you can, fellows," laughed Bert. "We sail +to-morrow, and twenty-four hours from now, you may be thinking so little +of food that you'll be giving it all to the fishes." + +"Don't you worry," retorted Dick, "I've trolled for bluefish off the +Long Island coast in half a gale, and never been seasick yet." + +"Yes," said Bert, "but scudding along in a catboat is a different thing +from rising and falling on the long ocean swells. We haven't any +swinging cabins here to keep things always level, and the ship isn't +long enough to cut through three waves at once like the big Atlantic +liners." + +"Well," said Tom, "if we do have to pay tribute to Neptune, I hope we +won't be so badly off as the poor fellow who, the first hour, was afraid +he was going to die, and, the second hour, was afraid he couldn't die." + +"Don't fret about dying, boys," put in the ship's doctor, a jolly little +man, with a paunch that denoted a love of good living; "You fellows are +so lucky that they couldn't kill you with an axe. Though that knife did +come pretty near doing the trick, didn't it? 'The sweet little cherub +that sits up aloft, looking after the life of poor Jack,' was certainly +working overtime, when that Malay went for you to-day." + +"Yes," returned Dick, "but he slipped a cog in not looking after the +poor fellow that brute wounded first. By the way, doctor, how is he? +Will he live?" + +"O, he'll pull through all right," answered the doctor. "I gave his +wound the first rough dressing before the ambulance took him away. +Luckily, the blade missed any of the vital organs, and a couple of +months in the hospital will bring him around all right. That is, unless +the knife was poisoned. These beggars sometimes do this, in order to +make assurance doubly sure. I picked up the knife as it lay on the pier, +and will turn it over to the authorities to-morrow. They'll have to use +it in evidence, when the case comes up for trial." + +He reached into his breast pocket as he spoke and brought out the +murderous weapon. The boys shuddered as they looked at it and realized +how near they had come to being its victims. They handled it gingerly as +they passed it around, being very careful to avoid even a scratch, in +view of what the doctor had said about the possibility of it being +poisoned. + +It was nearly a foot in length, with a massive handle that gave it a +secure grip as well as additional force behind the stroke. The hilt was +engraved with curious characters, probably an invocation to one of the +malignant gods to whom it was consecrated. The blade was broad, with the +edge of a razor and the point of a needle. But what gave it a peculiarly +deadly and sinister significance was the wavy, crooked lines followed by +the steel, and which indicated the hideous wounds it was capable of +inflicting. + +"Nice little toy, isn't it?" asked the doctor. + +"It certainly is," replied Bert. "A bowie knife is innocent, compared +with this." + +"What on earth is it," asked Dick, "that makes these fellows so crazy to +kill those that have never done them an injury and that they have never +even seen? I can understand how the desire for revenge may prompt a man +to go to such lengths to get even with an enemy, but why they attack +every one without distinction is beyond me." + +"Well," replied the doctor, "it's something with which reason has +nothing to do. The Malays are a bloodthirsty, merciless race. They brood +and sulk, until, like that old Roman emperor--Caligula, wasn't it?--they +wish that the human race had only one neck, so that they could sever it +with a single blow. They are sick of life and determine to end it all, +but before they go, all the pent up poison of hate that has been +fermenting in them finds expression in the desire to take as many as +possible with them. Then too, there may be some obscure religious idea +underneath it all, of offering to the gods as many victims as possible, +and thus winning favor for themselves. Or, like the savage despots of +Africa, who decree that when they are buried hundreds of their subjects +shall be slaughtered and buried in the same grave, they may feel that +their victims will have to serve them in the future world. Scientists +have never analyzed the matter satisfactorily." + +"Well," said Dick, as they rose from the table, "one doesn't have to be +a scientist to know this much at least--that wherever a crazy Malay +happens to be, it's a mighty healthy thing to be somewhere else." + +"I guess nobody aboard this steamer would be inclined to dispute that," +laughed the doctor, as they separated and went on deck. + +Although his duties did not begin until the following day, Bert was +eager beyond anything else to inspect the wireless equipment of the +ship, and went at once to the wireless room, followed by the others. + +It was with immense satisfaction that he established that here he +had under his hand the very latest in wireless telegraphy. From the +spark key to the antennae, waving from the highest mast of the ship, +everything was of the most approved and up to date type. No matter how +skilful the workman, he is crippled by lack of proper tools; and Bert's +heart exulted as he realized that, in this respect, at least he had no +reason for complaint. + +"It's a dandy plant, fellows," he gloated. "There aren't many Atlantic +liners have anything on this." + +"How far can she talk, Bert?" asked Dick, examining the apparatus with +the keenest interest. + +"That depends on the weather, very largely," answered Bert. "Under +almost any conditions she's good for five hundred miles, and when things +are just right, two or three times as far." + +"What's the limit, anyway, Bert?" asked Tom. "How far have they been +able to send under the very best conditions?" + +"I don't believe there is any real limit," answered Bert. "I haven't any +doubt that, before many years, they'll be able to talk half way round +the world. Puck, you know, in the 'Midsummer Night's Dream' boasted that +he would 'put a girdle round the earth in forty minutes.' Well, the +wireless will go him one better, and go round in less than forty +seconds. Why, only the other day at Washington, when the weather +conditions were just right, the officials there heard two stations +talking to each other, off the coast of Chili, six or seven thousand +miles away. Of course, ships will never talk at that distance, because +they can't get a high enough mast or tower to overcome the curvature of +the earth. But from land stations it is only a question of getting a +high enough tower. They can talk easily now from Berlin to Sayville, +Long Island, four thousand miles, by means of towers seven or eight +hundred feet high. The Eiffel Tower at Paris, because still higher, has +a longer range. It isn't so very long ago that they were glad enough to +talk across a little creek or canal, a few feet wide. Then they tried an +island, three or four miles away, then another, fourteen miles from the +mainland. By the time they had done that, they knew that they had the +right principle, and that it was only a matter of time before they'd +bind the ends of the earth together. It started as a creeping infant; +now, it's a giant, going round the world in its seven league boots." + +"Hear hear," cried Dick, "how eloquent Bert is getting. He'll be +dropping into poetry next." + +"Well," chipped in Tom, "there _is_ poetry sure enough in the crash of +the spark and its leap out into the dark over the tumbling waves from +one continent to another, but, to me, it's more like witchcraft. It's +lucky Marconi didn't live two or three hundred years ago. He'd surely +have been burned at the stake, for dabbling in black magic." + +"Yes," rejoined Bert, "and Edison and Tesla would have kept him company. +But now clear out, you fellows, and let me play with this toy of mine. I +want to get next to all its quips and quirks and cranks and curves, and +I can't do it with you dubs talking of poets and witches. Skip, now," +and he laughingly shooed them on deck. + +Left to himself, he went carefully over every detail of the equipment. +Everything--detector, transmitter, tuning coil and all the other +parts--were subjected to the most minute and critical inspection, +and all stood the test royally. It was evident that no niggardly +consideration of expense had prevented the installation of the latest +and best materials. Bert's touch was almost caressing, as he handled the +various parts, and his heart thrilled with a certain sense of ownership. +There had been a wireless plant at one of the college buildings, and he +had become very expert in its use; but hundreds of others had used it, +too, and he was only one among many. Moreover, that plant had filled no +part in the great world of commerce or of life, except for purposes of +instruction. But this was the real thing, and from the time the steamer +left the wharf until, on its return, it again swung into moorings, he +would be in complete control. How many times along the invisible current +would he feel the pulsing of the world's heart; what messages of joy or +pain or peril would go from him or come to him, as he sat with his +finger on the key and the receiver at his ear! He stood on the threshold +of a new world, and it was a long time before he tore himself away, and +went to rejoin his friends on the upper deck. + +A young man, whose figure had something familiar about it was pacing to +and fro. Bert cudgeled his memory. Of whom did it remind him? The young +man turned and their eyes met. There was a start of recognition. + +"Why, this must be Bert Wilson," said the newcomer, extending his hand. + +"Yes," replied Bert, grasping it warmly, "and you are Ralph Quinby or +his double." + +"Quinby, sure enough," laughed Ralph, "and delighted to see you again. +But what on earth brings you here, three thousand miles from home?" + +"I expect to be twelve thousand miles from home before I get through," +answered Bert; and then he told him of his engagement as wireless +operator for the voyage. + +"That's splendid," said Ralph, heartily. "We'll have no end of fun. I +was just feeling a bit down in the mouth, because I didn't know a soul +on board except the captain. You see, my father is manager of the line, +and he wanted me to take the trip, so that I could enlarge my experience +and be fit to step into his shoes when he gets ready to retire. So that, +in a way, it's a pleasure and business trip combined." + +"Here are some other fellows you know," remarked Bert, as he beckoned to +Tom and Dick who came over from the rail. + +They needed no introduction. A flood of memories swept over them as they +shook hands. They saw again the automobile race, when Ralph in the +"_Gray Ghost_" and Bert at the wheel of the "_Red Scout_" had struggled +for the mastery. Before their eyes rose the crowded stands; they heard +the deafening cheers and the roar of the exhausts; they saw again that +last desperate spurt, when, with the throttle wide open, the "Red Scout" +had challenged its gallant enemy in the stretch and flashed over the +line, a winner. + +That Ralph remembered it too was evident from the merry twinkle in his +eyes, as he looked from one to the other of the group. + +"You made me take your dust that day, all right," he said, "but I've +never felt sore over that for a minute. It was a fair and square race, +and the best car and the best driver won." + +"Not on your life," interjected Bert, warmly. "The best car, perhaps, +but not the best driver. You got every ounce of speed out of your +machine that anyone could, and after all it was only a matter of inches +at the finish." + +"Well, it was dandy sport, anyway, win or lose," returned Ralph. "By the +way, I have the 'Gray Ghost' with me now. It's crated up on the forward +deck, and will be put down in the hold to-morrow. So come along now, and +take a look at it." + +There, sure enough, was the long, powerful, gray car, looking "fit +to run for a man's life," as Ralph declared, while he patted it +affectionately. + +"I thought I'd bring it along," he said, "to use while we are in port at +our various stopping places. It will take a good many days to unload, +and then ship our return cargo, and, if the roads are good, we'll show +the natives some new wrinkles in the way of fancy driving. We're all of +us auto fiends, and I want you to feel that the car is as much yours as +mine, all through the trip. That is," he added, mischievously, "if you +fellows don't feel too haughty to ride in a car that you've already +beaten." + +With jest and laughter, the time passed rapidly. The evening deepened, +and a hush fell over the waters of the bay. Lanterns twinkled here and +there like fireflies among the shipping, while from an occasional boat +rose the tinkling of a banjo or guitar. From the shore side came the +night sounds of the great city, sitting proudly on her many hills and +crowned with innumerable lights. Silence gathered over the little group, +as they gazed, and each was busy with his own thoughts. This loved land +of theirs--by this time to-morrow, it would be out of sight below the +horizon. Who knew when they would see it again, or through what perils +they might pass before they once more touched its shores? It was the +little shiver before the plunge, as they stood upon the brink of the +unknown; and they were a trifle more quiet than usual, when at last they +said good-night and sought forgetfulness in sleep. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +A STARTLING MESSAGE + + +The next morning, all was stir and bustle on board the steamer. The +great cranes groaned, as they hoisted aboard the last of the freight, +and lowered it into the hold, that gaped like a huge monster, whose +appetite could never be satiated. Men were running here and there, in +obedience to the hoarse commands of the mates, and bringing order out of +the apparent confusion. The pier and decks were thronged with friends +and relatives of the passengers, come to say good-by to those who seemed +to become doubly dear, as the hour of parting drew near. The cabins were +piled with flowers that, under the inexorable rules of sea-going ships, +would have to be thrown overboard, as soon as the vessel had cleared the +harbor. Everywhere there were tears and smiles and hand grasps, as +friends looked into each other's eyes, with the unspoken thought that +the parting "might be for years, or it might be forever." + +The boys had risen early, and, after a hearty breakfast, had come on +deck, where they watched with keenest zest the preparations for the +start. It was a glorious day and one that justified all they had heard +of the wonderful California climate. The sun was bright, but not +oppressive, and a delightful breeze blew up from the bay. The tang of +the sea was in their nostrils, and, as they gazed over the splendid +panorama spread out before them, their spirits rose and their hearts +swelled with the mere joy of living. The slight melancholy of the night +before had vanished utterly, and something of the old Viking spirit +stirred within them, as they sniffed the salt breeze and looked toward +the far horizon where the sky and waves came together. They, too, were +Argonauts, and who knew what Golden Fleece of delight and adventure +awaited their coming, in the enchanting empires of the East, or in the + + "Summer isles of Eden, lying + In dark purple spheres of sea." + +As they stood at the rail, filling their lungs with the invigorating +air, and watching the animated scenes about them, Ralph came up to them, +accompanied by an alert, keen-eyed man, whom he introduced as his +father. + +He shook hands cordially with the boys, but when he learned that Dick +and Tom, as well as Bert, were all students in the college from which +he had himself graduated, his cordiality became enthusiasm. He was one +of the men who, despite the passing of the years and the growth of +business cares, remain young in heart, and he was soon laughing and +chatting as gaily as the boys themselves. There was nothing of the snob +about him, despite his wealth and prominence, and, in this respect Ralph +was "a chip of the old block." + +"So you are the Wilson whose fadeaway ball won the pennant, are you?" as +he turned to Bert. "By George, I'd like to have seen that last game. The +afternoon that game was played, I had the returns sent in over a special +wire in my office. And when you forged ahead and then held down their +heavy hitters in the ninth, I was so excited that I couldn't keep still, +but just got up and paced the floor, until I guess my office force +thought I was going crazy. But you turned the trick, all right, and +saved my tottering reason," he added, jovially. + +The boys laughed. "It's lucky I didn't know all that," grinned Bert, "or +I might have got so nervous that they would have knocked me out of the +box. But since you are so interested, let me show you a memento of the +game." And running below, he was back in a minute with the souvenir +presented to him by the college enthusiasts. + +It was a splendid gift. The identical ball with which he had struck +out the opposing team's most dangerous slugger in the ninth had been +encased in a larger ball of solid gold on which Bert's name had been +engraved, together with the date and score of the famous game. Now it +was passed from hand to hand amid loud expressions of admiration. + +"It's certainly a beauty," commented Mr. Quinby, "and my only regret is +that I wasn't called upon to contribute toward getting it. I suppose it +will be rather hard on you fellows," he went on, "to have to go without +any baseball this summer. If I know you rightly, you'd rather play than +eat." + +"Oh, well," broke in Ralph, "they may be able to take a fling at it once +in a while, even if they are abroad. It used to be the 'national' game, +but it is getting so popular everywhere that we'll soon have to call it +the 'international' game. In Japan, especially, there are some corking +good teams, and they play the game for all it is worth. Take the nine of +Waseda University, and they'd give Yale or Princeton all they wanted to +do to beat them. Last year, they hired a big league star to come all the +way from America, to act as coach. They don't have enough 'beef,' as a +rule, to make them heavy sluggers, but they are all there in bunting and +place hitting, and they are like cats on the bases." + +"Yes," said Dick, "and, even leaving foreigners out of the question, the +crews from Uncle Sam's warships have what you might call a Battleship +League among themselves, and every vessel has its nine. Feeling runs high +when they are in port, and the games are as hotly contested as though a +World's Series were in question. I'm told that, at the time of the Boxer +rebellion, there were some dandy games played by our boys right under the +walls of Peking." + +Just here the captain approached, and, with a hearty handshake and best +wishes for the journey, Mr. Quinby went forward with him to discuss +business details connected with the trip. + +Ten o'clock, the hour set for starting, was at hand. The first bell, +warning all visitors ashore, had already rung. The last bale of freight +had been lowered into the hold and the hatches battened down. There was +the usual rush of eleventh hour travelers, as the taxis and cabs rattled +down to the piers and discharged their occupants. All the passengers +were on the shore side of the vessel, calling to their friends on the +dock, the women waving their handkerchiefs, at one moment, and, the +next, putting them to their eyes. The last bell rang, the huge gangplank +swung inward, there was a tinkling signal in the engine room and the +propellers began slowly to revolve. The steamer turned down the bay, +passed the Golden Gate where the sea lions sported around the rocks, +and out into the mighty Pacific. The voyage of the _Fearless_ had begun. + +Down in the wireless room, Bert had buckled to his work. With the +telephone receiver held close to his ears by a band passing over his +head, he exchanged messages with the land they were so rapidly leaving +behind them, with every revolution of the screws. Amid the crashing of +the sounder and the spitting blue flames, he felt perfectly in his +element. Here was work, here was usefulness, here was power, here was +life. Between this stately vessel, with its costly cargo and still more +precious freight of human lives, and the American continent, he was the +sole connecting link. Through him alone, father talked with son, husband +with wife, captain with owner, friend with friend. Without him, the +vessel was a hermit, shut out from the world at large; with him, it +still held its place in the universal life. + +But this undercurrent of reflection and exultation did not, for a +moment, distract him from his work. The messages came in rapidly. He +knew they would. The first day at sea is always the busiest one. There +were so many last injunctions, so many things forgotten in the haste of +farewell, that he was taxed to the utmost to keep his work well in hand. +Fortunately he was ambidextrous, could use his left hand almost as +readily as his right, and this helped him immensely. From an early age, +more from fun than anything else, he had cultivated writing with either +hand, without any idea that the day would come when this would prove a +valuable practical accomplishment. Now with one finger on the key, he +rapidly wrote down the messages with the other, and thus was able to +double the rapidity and effectiveness of his work. + +Before long there was a lull in the flood of messages, and when time +came for dinner, he signaled the San Francisco office to hold up any +further communications for an hour or so, threw off his receiver, and +joined his friends at the table. + +"Well, Bert, how does she go?" asked Dick, who sat at his right, while +Tom and Ralph faced them across the table. + +"Fine," answered Bert, enthusiastically. "It isn't work; it's pleasure. +I'm so interested in it that I almost grudge the time it takes to eat, +and that's something new for me." + +"It must be getting serious, if it hits you as hard as that," said Tom, +in mock concern. "I'll have to give the doctor a tip to keep his eye on +you." + +"Oh, Bert just says that, so that when he gets seasick, he'll have a +good excuse for not coming to meals," chaffed Ralph. + +"Well, watch me, fellows, if you think my appetite is off," retorted +Bert, as he attacked his food with the avidity of a wolf. + +"By the way," asked Dick, "what arrangements have you made for any +message that may come, while you are toying with your dinner in this +languid fashion?" + +"I've told the San Francisco man to hold things up for a while," replied +Bert. "That's the only station we're likely to hear from just now, and +the worst of the rush is over. After we get out of range of the land +stations, all that we'll get will be from passing ships, and that will +only be once in a while." + +"Of course," he went on, "theoretically, there ought to be someone there +every minute of the twenty-four hours. You might be there twenty-three +hours and fifty-nine minutes, and nothing happen. But, in the last +minute of the twenty-fourth hour, there might be something of vital +importance. You know when that awful wreck occurred last year, the +operator was just about to take the receiver from his head, when he +caught the call. One minute later, and he wouldn't have heard it and +over eight hundred people would have been lost." + +"I suppose," said Ralph, "that, as a matter of fact, there ought to be +two or three shifts, so that someone could be on hand all the time. I +know that the Company is considering something of the kind, but 'large +bodies move slowly,' and they haven't got to it yet." + +"For my part," chimed in Tom, "I should think that with all the brains +that are working on the subject, there would have been some way devised +to make a record of every call, and warn the operator at any minute of +the day or night." + +"They're trying hard to get something practical," said Bert. "Marconi +himself is testing out a plan that he thinks will work all right. His +idea is to get a call that will be really one long dash, so that it +won't be confounded with any letter of the alphabet. He figures on +making this so strong that it will pass through a very sensitive +instrument with sufficient force to ring a bell, that will be at the +bedside of the operator." + +"Rather rough on a fellow, don't you think?" joined in the ship's +doctor. "If he were at all nervous, he might lie there awake, waiting +for the bell to ring. It reminds me of a friend of mine, who once put up +at a country hotel. He was told that the man who slept in the next room +was very irritable and a mere bundle of nerves. He couldn't bear the +least noise, and my friend promised to keep it in mind. He was out +rather late that night, and when he started to retire he dropped one of +his shoes heavily on the floor. Just then he remembered his nervous +neighbor. He went on undressing quietly, walked about on tiptoe, put out +the light, and crept into bed. Just as he was going off to sleep, a +voice came from the other room: 'Say, when in thunder are you going to +drop that other shoe?'" + +"In the meantime," went on Bert, when the laugh had subsided, "they've +got an ingenious device on some of the British ships. It seems rather +cruel, because they have to use a frog. You know how sensitive frogs are +to electricity. Well, they attach a frog to the receiving end, and under +him they put a sheet of blackened paper. As the dots and dashes come in, +the current jerks the frog's legs over the paper. The leg scrapes the +black away, and leaves white dots and dashes. So that you can pick up +the paper and read the message just like any other, except that the +letters are white instead of black." + +"Poor old frogs," said Ralph. "If they knew enough, they'd curse the +very name of electricity. Galvani started with them in the early days, +and they've still got to 'shake a leg' in the interest of science." + +"Yes," murmured Tom, "it's simply shocking." + +He ducked as Ralph made a playful pass at him. + +"There's been quite a stir caused by it," went on Bert, calmly ignoring +Tom's awful pun, "and the humane societies are taking it up. The +probability is that it will be abolished. It certainly does seem +cruel." + +"I don't know," said the doctor. "Like many other questions, there are +two sides to it. We all agree that no pain should be inflicted upon poor +dumb animals, unless there is some great good to be gained by it. But it +is a law of life that the lesser must give way to the greater. We use +the cow to get vaccine for small-pox, the horse to supply the anti-toxin +for diphtheria. Rabbits and mice and guinea-pigs and monkeys we +inoculate with the germs of cancer and consumption, in order to study +the causes of these various diseases, and, perhaps, find a remedy for +them. All this seems barbarous and cruel; but the common sense of +mankind agrees that it would be far more cruel to let human beings +suffer and die by the thousands, when these experiments may save them. +If the twitching of a frog's leg should save a vessel from shipwreck, we +would have to overlook the frog's natural reluctance to write the +message. I hope, though," he concluded, as he pushed back his chair, +"that they'll soon find something else that will do just as well, and +leave the frog in his native puddle." + +When they reached the deck, they found that the breeze had freshened, +and, with the wind on her starboard quarter, the _Fearless_ was bowling +along in capital style. Her engines were working powerfully and +rhythmically, and everything betokened a rapid run to Hawaii, which the +captain figured on reaching in about eight days. The more seasoned +travelers were wrapped in rugs and stretched out in steamer chairs, but +many of the others had already sought the seclusion of their staterooms. +It was evident that there would be an abundance of empty seats at the +table that evening. + +Throughout the rest of the day the messages were few and far between. +Before that time next day, they would probably have ceased altogether as +far as the land stations were concerned, and from that time on until +they reached Hawaii, the chief communications would be from passing +ships within the wireless range. + +The boys were gathered in the wireless room that night, telling stories +and cracking jokes, when suddenly Bert's ear caught a click. He +straightened up and listened eagerly. Then his face went white and his +eyes gleamed with excitement. It was the S. O. S. signal, the call of +deadly need and peril. A moment more and he leaped to his feet. + +"Call the captain, one of you fellows, quick," he cried. + +For this was the message that had winged its way over the dark waste of +waters: + +"Our ship is on fire. Latitude 37:12, longitude 126:17. For God's sake, +help." + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +THE FLAMING SHIP + + +The captain came in hurriedly and read the message. He figured out the +position. + +"She's all of sixty miles away," he said, looking up from his +calculation, "and even under forced draught we can't reach her in less +than three hours. Tell her we're coming," he ordered, and hurried out to +give the necessary directions. + +The course of the ship was altered at once, the engines were signaled +for full speed ahead, and with her furnaces roaring, she rushed through +the night to the aid of her sister vessel, sorely beset by the most +dreaded peril of the sea. + +In the mean time Bert had clicked off the message: "We've got you, old +man. Ship, _Fearless_, Captain Manning. Longitude 125:20, latitude +36:54. Will be with you in three hours. Cheer up. If you're not +disabled, steam to meet us." + +Quickly the answer came back: "Thank God. Fighting the fire, but it's +getting beyond us. Hasn't reached the engine room yet, but may very +soon. Hurry." + +In short, jerky sentences came the story of the disaster. The steamer +was the _Caledonian_, a tramp vessel, plying between Singapore and San +Francisco. There was a heavy cargo and about forty passengers. A little +while since, they had detected fire in the hold, but had concealed the +fact from the passengers and had tried to stifle it by their own +efforts. It had steadily gained, however, despite their desperate work, +until the flames burst through the deck. A wild panic had ensued, but +the captain and the mates had kept the upper hand. The crew had behaved +well, and the boats were ready for launching if the worst came to the +worst. The fire was gaining. "Hurry. Captain says----" + +Then the story ceased. Bert called and called again. No answer. The boys +looked at each other. + +"The dynamo must have gone out of commission," said Bert. "I can't get +him. The flames may have driven him out of the wireless room." + +All were in an agony of suspense and fear. It seemed as though they +crept, although the ship shook with the vibration of its powerful +engines, working as they had never worked before. The _Fearless_ was +fairly flying, as though she knew the fearful need of haste. + +Outside of the wireless room, none of the passengers knew of the +disaster. Most of them had retired, and, if the few who were still up +and about sensed anything unusual, the discipline of the ship kept +questions unspoken. All the officers and the crew, however, were on the +alert and tingling with the strain, and every eye was turned toward the +distant horizon, to catch the first glimpse of the burning vessel. + +Out into the night, Bert sent his call desperately, hoping to raise some +other ship nearer to the doomed steamer than the _Fearless_, but in +vain. He caught a collier, three hundred miles away, and a United States +gunboat, one hundred and sixty miles distant, but, try as he would, +there was nothing nearer. Nobody but themselves could attempt the +rescue. Of course, there was the chance that some sailing vessel, not +equipped with wireless, might come upon the scene, but this was so +remote that it could be dismissed from consideration. + +More than half the distance had been covered when Dick, who had stepped +outside, came running in. + +"Come on out, fellows," he cried, excitedly. "We can see a light in the +sky that we think must come from the fire." + +They followed him on the run. There, sure enough, on the distant +horizon, was a deep reddish glow, that seemed to grow brighter with +every passing moment. At times, it waned a trifle, probably obscured by +smoke, only to reappear more crimson than ever, as the vessel drew +nearer. + +"How far off do you suppose it is now?" asked Tom. + +"Not more than fifteen miles, I should think," answered Bert. "We'll be +there in less than an hour now, if we can keep up this pace." + +The _Fearless_ flew on, steadily cutting down the distance, and now the +sky was the color of blood. Everything had been gotten in readiness for +the work of rescue. The boats had been cleared and hung in their davits, +ready to be lowered in a trice. Lines of hose were prepared, not so much +with the hope of putting out the fire as to protect their own vessel +from the flying brands. Every man of the crew was at his appointed +place. Since the wireless could no longer be used to send messages of +encouragement, rockets were sent up at intervals to tell the +unfortunates that help was coming. + +"Look!" cried Tom. "That was an actual flash I saw that time." + +Gradually these became more frequent, and now the upper part of the +vessel came into view, wreathed in smoke and flame. Soon the hull +appeared, and then they could get a clear idea of the catastrophe. + +The whole forward part of the vessel was a seething mass of fire. The +engines had been put out of commission, and the hull wallowed helplessly +at the mercy of the waves. The officers and crew, fighting to the last, +had been crowded aft, and the stern was black with passengers huddled +despairingly together. The supply of boats had been insufficient, and +two of these had been smashed in lowering. Two others, packed to the +guards, had been pushed away from the vessel, so as not to be set on +fire by the brands that fell in showers all around. Near the stern, some +of the sailors were hastily trying to improvise a raft with spars and +casks. They were working with superhuman energy, but, hampered as they +were by the frantic passengers, could make but little progress. And all +the time the pitiless flames were coming nearer and nearer, greedily +licking up everything that disputed their advance. It was a scene of +anguish and of panic such as had never been dreamed of by the breathless +spectators who crowded the bow of the _Fearless_, as it swiftly swept +into the zone of light and prepared to lower its boats. + +Suddenly there was a great commotion visible on the flaming ship. They +had seen their rescuers. Men shouted and pointed wildly; women screamed +and fell on their knees in thanksgiving. The boats already in the water +gave way and made for the _Fearless_. The sailors stopped work upon the +raft, now no longer needed, and turned to with the officers who were +striving desperately to keep the more frenzied passengers from plunging +headlong into the sea and swimming to the steamer. Their last refuge in +the stern had grown pitifully small now, and the flames, gathering +volume as they advanced, rushed toward them as though determined not to +be balked of the prey that had seemed so surely in their grasp. + +It was a moment for quick action, and Captain Manning rose to the +occasion. In obedience to his sharp word of command, the sailors tumbled +into the boats, and these were dropped so smartly that they seemed to +hit the water together. Out went the oars and away they pulled with all +the strength and practised skill of their sinewy arms. Bert and Dick +were permitted to go as volunteers in the boat of Mr. Collins, the first +mate, who had given his consent with some reluctance, as he had little +faith in any but regular sailors in cases of this kind; and his boat was +the first to reach the vessel and round to under the stern. + +"Women and children first," the unwritten law of the sea, was strictly +enforced, and they were lowered one by one, until the boat sat so low in +the water that Mr. Collins ordered his crew to back away and let the +next one take its place. Just as it got under way, a woman holding a +baby in her arms, frantic with fright as she saw the boat leaving, broke +away from the restraining hand of a sailor, and leaped from the stern. +She missed the gig, which was fortunate, as she would certainly have +capsized it, heavily laden as it already was, and fell into the water. +In an instant Bert, who could swim like a fish, had plunged in and +grabbed her as she rose to the surface. A few strokes of the oars and +they were hauled aboard, and the boat made for the ship. Collins, +a taciturn man, looked his approval but said nothing at the time, +although, in a talk with the captain afterwards, he went so far as to +revise his opinion of volunteers and to admit that an able seaman could +have done no better. + +The rest of the passengers were quickly taken off and then came the turn +of the officers and crew. The captain was the last to leave the devoted +vessel, and it was with a warm grasp of sympathy and understanding that +Captain Manning greeted him as he came over the side. He was worn with +the strain and shaken with emotion. He had done all that a man could do +to save his ship, but fate had been too strong for him and he had to bow +to the inevitable. He refused to go below and take some refreshment, +but stood with knitted brows and folded arms watching the burning +steamer that had carried his hopes and fortunes. They respected his +grief and left him alone for a time, while they made arrangements for +the homeless passengers and crew. + +These were forlorn enough. They had saved practically no baggage and +only the most cherished of their personal belongings. Some had been +badly burned in their efforts to subdue the flames, and all were at the +breaking point from excitement and fatigue. The doctors of both ships +were taxed to the utmost, administering sedatives and tonics and +dressing the wounds of the injured. By this time the passengers of the +_Fearless_ had, of course, been roused by the tumult, and men and women +alike vied with each other in aiding the unfortunates. Cabins and +staterooms were prepared for the passengers, while quarters in the +forecastle were provided for the crew who, with the proverbial stolidity +and fatalism of their kind, soon made themselves at home, taking the +whole thing as a matter of course. They had just been at hand-grips with +death; but this had occurred to them so often that they regarded it +simply as an incident of their calling. + +There was no thought of sleep for Bert that night. The sounder crashed +and the blue flames leaped for hours in the wireless room. The operator +of the _Caledonian_ volunteered to help him, but Bert wouldn't hear of +it and sent him to his bunk, where, after the terrific strain, he was +soon in the sleep of utter exhaustion. + +Then Bert called up the San Francisco station and told his story. The +owners of the ship were notified that the vessel and cargo were a total +loss, but that all the passengers had been saved. They sent their thanks +to Captain Manning and then wirelessed for details. Mr. Quinby, of +course, was called into the conference. Now that it was settled that +no lives had been lost, the most important question was as to the +disposition of passengers and crew. They had been making for San +Francisco, but naturally it was out of the question for the _Fearless_ +to relinquish her voyage and take them into port. + +Three courses were open. They could go to Hawaii, the first stopping +place, and there take the first steamer leaving for San Francisco. Or +they could depend on the chance of meeting some vessel homeward bound, +to which they could transship before reaching Honolulu. Or Bert could +send his call abroad through his wireless zone and perhaps arrange for +some ship coming toward them to sail along a certain course, meet them +at a given location and there take charge of the _Caledonian's_ people. +In that case, the owners, of course, would expect to recompense them +handsomely for their time and trouble. + +As the survivors were desperately anxious to reach home and friends at +the earliest possible moment, Bert was instructed to follow the latter +course and do his utmost to raise some approaching vessel. For a long +time his efforts were fruitless. His call flew over the ocean wastes but +awoke no answering echo. At last, however, well toward morning, his +eager ear caught a responsive click. It came from the _Nippon_, one of +the trans-Pacific liners plying between Yokohama and San Francisco. She +was less than four hundred miles away and coming on a line slightly east +of the _Fearless_. The situation was explained, and after the captains +of the two steamers had carried on a long conversation, it was agreed +that the _Nippon_ should take charge of the survivors. They would +probably meet late that afternoon, and arrangements were made to keep +each other informed hourly of pace and direction, until they should come +in sight. + +Bert breathed a huge sigh of relief when that question was settled. But +his work was not yet done. He must notify the United States Government +of the presence of the derelict as a menace to navigation. The +_Caledonian_ had lost all its upper works and part of the hull had been +consumed. But the waves breaking over it as it lurched from side to side +had kept it from burning to the water's edge, and it now tossed about, a +helpless hulk right in the lane of ships. So many vessels have been lost +by coming in collision with such floating wrecks at night, that the +Government maintains a special line of gunboats, whose one duty is to +search them out and blow them up with dynamite. Bert gave the exact +latitude and longitude to the San Francisco operator, who promised to +forward it at once to the Navy Department at Washington. + +Then, at last, Bert leaned back in his chair and relaxed. The strain +upon heart and nerve and brain had been tremendous. But he had "stood +the gaff." The first great test had been nobly met. Cool, clever, +self-reliant, he had not flinched or wavered under the load of +responsibility. The emergency had challenged him and he had mastered it. +In this work, so new to him, he had kept his courage and borne himself +as a veteran of the key. + +He patted the key affectionately. Good old wireless! How many parts it +had played that night and how well! Telling first of pain and terror +and begging for help; then cheerily sending hope and comfort and promise +of salvation. Without it, the dawn would now be breaking on two small +boats and a flimsy raft, crowded with miserable refugees and tossing up +and down on the gray waves that threatened to engulf. Now they were +safe, thank God, warm and snug and secure, soon to be called to the +abundant breakfast, whose savory odors already assailed his nostrils. +And now the whole world knew of the disaster and the rescue; and the +machinery of the Government was moving with reference to that abandoned +hulk; and a great ship was bounding toward them over the trackless waste +to meet at a given place and time and take the survivors back to country +and home and friends and love and life. It was wonderful, mysterious, +unbelievable---- + +A touch upon his shoulder roused him from his reverie, and he looked up, +to see the captain standing beside him. + +"You've done great work this night, Wilson," he said, smiling gravely, +"and I'll see that the owners hear of it. But now you must be dead +tired, and I want you to get your breakfast and turn in for a while. +I'll get Howland, the wireless man of the _Caledonian_, to hold things +down for a few hours, while you get a rest. I've told the cook to get a +bite ready for you and then I want you to tumble in." + +The "bite" resolved itself into a capacious meal of steak and eggs, +reinforced by fragrant coffee, after which, obeying orders, he rolled +into his bunk and at once fell into deep and dreamless sleep. + +Meanwhile, the ship awoke to the life of a new day. The sun streamed +down from cloudless skies and a spanking breeze blew over the quarter. +The air was like wine and to breathe it was an inspiration. The sea +smiled and dimpled as its myriad waves reflected back the glorious +light. The _Fearless_ slipped through the long swells as swiftly as a +water sprite, "footing it featly" on her road to Hawaii, the Paradise of +the Pacific. Everything spoke of life and buoyancy, and the terrible +events of the night before might well have been a frightful nightmare +from which they had happily awakened. + +There were grim reminders, however, that it had been more than a dream +in the hurrying doctors, the bandaged hands and faces, the haggard +features of the men and the semi-hysterical condition of some of the +women. But there had been no death or mortal injury. The Red Death had +gazed upon them with its flaming eyes and scorched them with its baleful +breath, but they had not been consumed. There were property losses, but +no wife had been snatched from her husband, no mother wailed for her +child. Under the comforting influence of a hot breakfast, the heartfelt +sympathy of the passengers and the invigorating air and sunshine, they +gradually grew more cheerful. After all, they were alive, snatched by a +miracle from a hideous death; and how could or dared they complain of +minor ills? The tension relaxed as the hours wore on, and by the time +that Bert, after a most refreshing sleep, appeared again on deck the +scene was one of animation and almost gaiety. + +Straight to the wireless room he went, to be met on the threshold by +Dick and Tom and Ralph, who gathered around him in tumultuous greeting. + +"Bully for you, old man," cried Dick. "We hear that you did yourself +proud last night." + +"Yes," chimed in Ralph. "I wouldn't dare to tell you what Father says in +a message I've just received, or you'd have a swelled head, sure." + +"Nonsense," answered Bert. "I simply did what it was up to me to do. +Good morning, Mr. Howland," he said, as the young fellow seated at the +key rose to greet him. "How are things going?" + +"Just jogging along," answered Howland. "I guess you cleaned up about +everything before you turned in. We're getting beyond the shore range, +but I've been keeping in touch every hour with the _Nippon_. The captain +figures that we'll get together at about four this afternoon." + +The former operator of the _Caledonian_ was a well set-up, clear-eyed +young fellow, about the age of Bert and his chums, and a liking sprang +up between them at once. With the recuperative power of youth he had +almost entirely recovered from the events of the night before, although +his singed hair and eyebrows bore eloquent testimony to the perils he +had faced and so narrowly escaped. He had stuck to his post until the +blistering heat had made life impossible in the wireless room, and then +had done yeoman's work in aiding the officers and crew to fight the fire +and maintain order among the passengers. The boys listened with keenest +interest, while he went over in graphic style his personal experiences. + +"I can't tell you how I felt when I got your message," he said, as he +turned to Bert. "I had about given up hope when your answer came. I +rushed at once to the captain and he passed the word to the passengers +and crew. It put new heart and life into them all, and it was the only +thing that kept many from jumping into the sea when the flames got so +horribly near. But they held on desperately, and when they saw your +rockets I wish you could have heard the cry that went up. They knew then +that it was only a matter of minutes before your boats would be under +the stern. But it was fearfully close figuring," he went on, soberly. +"You saw yourself that fifteen minutes after the last boat pulled away +the whole stern was a mass of flames." + +"Well," said Bert, as he slipped on the receiver, and took charge of the +key, "it's lucky that I got your call just when I did. A little later +and I'd have been off duty." + +"That reminds me," broke in Ralph. "I sent a message to Father to-day +about that, urging that you have an assistant to take charge when you +are at meals or in bed. I suggested, too, that since Mr. Howland was +here, he might be willing to go on with us and act as your assistant. He +says he is agreeable if they want him to, and I expect a wireless from +Father to the captain authorizing him to make the arrangement." + +"I hope he will," said Bert, warmly. "Accidents have an awkward way of +happening just when they ought not to, and when one thinks of the life +and property at stake it certainly seems that somebody should be on the +job all the time." + +A little later the looked-for message came instructing Captain Manning +to engage Howland as Bert's deputy during the voyage. From now on, there +would not be one moment of the twenty-four hours that someone would not +be on watch to send or receive, much to Bert's relief and delight. Now +he could breathe freely and enjoy his work, without any torturing fears +of what might have happened while he slept. + +By half-past three that afternoon the ships were within twenty miles of +each other. The beautiful weather still continued and the sea was as +"calm as a millpond." All were on the alert to greet the oncoming +steamer. Soon a dot appeared, growing rapidly larger until it resolved +itself into a magnificent steamer, seven hundred feet in length, with +towering masts and deck piled on deck, crowded with dense masses of +people. She made a stately picture as she came on until a quarter of a +mile from the _Fearless_. Then she hove to and lowered her boats. + +With deep emotion and the warmest thanks, the survivors bade their +rescuers good-by and were carried over to the _Nippon_, their third +temporary home within twenty-four hours. By the time the last boat had +unloaded and been swung on board, dusk had fallen. The ships squared +away on their separate courses and the bells in the engine room +signaled full speed ahead. Handkerchiefs waved and whistles tooted as +they passed each other, and the white-coated band on the upper deck of +the _Nippon_ played "Home Again." The electric lights were suddenly +turned on and the great ship glowed in beauty from stem to stern. They +watched her as she drew swiftly away, until her gleaming lights became +tiny diamonds on the horizon's rim and then faded into the night. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +AN ISLAND PARADISE + + +"Land ho!" shouted the look-out from his airy perch in the crow's nest, +and with one accord the passengers of the _Fearless_ rushed on deck to +catch the first glimpse of that wonderful land they had all heard so +much about. Hawaii! What a vision of hill and plain, of mountain and +valley, of dangerous precipice and treacherous canyon, of sandy beach +and waving palm, of radiant sunshine and brilliant moonlight, the magic +of that name evokes! + +"Gee, fellows, can you see anything that looks like land?" Bert asked of +his companions, as they elbowed their way through the crowd to the +railing of the ship. "Oh, yes, there it is," he cried a moment later, +pointing to a tiny spot on the horizon, "but it looks as if it were +hundreds of miles away." + +"It sure does," Dick agreed. "If this atmosphere were not so remarkably +clear, we wouldn't be able to see it at all. It doesn't matter how far +away it is, though, as long as it's in sight. For the last few days it +has seemed to me that we would never reach it," and he gazed longingly +at the speck on the horizon that seemed to be dissolving into two or +three smaller parts that became more distinct every moment. + +"Yes, I can't wait to try the little old 'Gray Ghost' on some of those +swell Hawaiian roads. Say, fellows, can't you just imagine yourselves in +the old car; can't you feel the throb of the motor and the whistling +of the wind in your ears as she takes a steep hill with a 'give me +something hard, won't you' air? Can't you?" he demanded, joyfully, while +the boys thrilled at the mere prospect. + +"You bet your life," Tom agreed, enthusiastically. "Make believe we +won't make things hum in little old Hawaii, eh, fellows?" and they all +laughed from sheer delight. + +"Glad to find you in such good spirits this fine morning, boys," came +a genial voice behind them and the boys turned to find the doctor +regarding them with a good-natured smile on his friendly face. "I don't +wonder you feel good at the prospect of setting foot on solid ground +again. For, no matter how enjoyable and prosperous the voyage may be, +one is always glad to get on shore and feel that he may come and go when +he pleases and is not at the mercy of the elements. I for one will be +glad when we cast anchor." + +"I have always heard that Hawaii was one of the most beautiful countries +in the world, and I've always wanted to see it," said Bert. "What do you +think of it, Doctor? You must have been here many times." + +Dr. Hamilton took two or three long puffs of his cigar before he +answered, reflectively, "It has always seemed to me that when Nature +discovered Hawaii she had some time on her hands that she didn't know +what to do with, so she spent it in making this obscure little group of +islands way out in the Pacific, the garden spot of the world. Over those +islands the wind never blows too roughly or too coldly, the sun never +shines too brightly and there is no snow to blight and kill the +vegetation that warm rain and summer sun have called forth. Over there +the grass is greener, the sky bluer and the scenery more beautiful than +it is in any other part of the world. If you should take everything that +you consider beautiful, multiply it by one hundred and put them in one +small portion of the earth, you would have some idea of what Hawaii is +like." + +The boys were struck by the outburst. + +"Hawaii is the doctor's favorite hobby," Ralph said, in response to the +look of astonishment and wonder on the boys' faces. "If he had his way, +he'd live here all the year round." + +"That I would," said the doctor, with a sigh, "but my profession claims +me first, last and all the time. However," he added, with his cheerful +smile, "I want you boys to make the most of the few days we are to spend +here, to have the time of your lives. The only thing I ask of you is +that you don't run the 'Gray Ghost' over the side of a precipice or seek +to inquire too closely into the mysteries of the firepit, Halemaumau. +I'll have to leave you, as I have some important matters to attend +to before I can enjoy the beauties of Hawaii. Coming, Bert? Yes, I +shouldn't wonder if we would be getting some wireless messages very +soon." + +The three companions watched Bert and the doctor until they disappeared +down the companion-way and then turned once more to the islands. + +After a moment of silence Tom said, "Say, if Hawaii is all the doctor +says it is, Ralph, we ought to have some fun. Imagine driving the +machine along a precipice and visiting fire-pits with outlandish names. +What was it he called it?" + +"Halemaumau," Ralph answered. "It is a jaw-breaker, isn't it, but I've +heard Dad talk so much about Hawaiian wonders that I've got the name +down pat. You see Halemaumau means 'House of Everlasting Fire,' and it's +the name of the fire-pit of the crater, Kilauea. There, don't you think +I've mastered the subject and learned my lesson well?" + +"You have, indeed, my son," Dick said, assuming his best grandfatherly +air. "If you continue on the road you have begun you will make a success +of your life." + +"Say, fellows," Tom broke in. "Stop your nonsense and look at what +you're coming to. I'm beginning to think that Dr. Hamilton didn't +exaggerate, after all. Just look at that line of beach with the cliffs +behind it, forming a dark background for the white of the buildings. And +what are those funny, bobbing things in the water? I suppose they must +be boats of some sort, but they don't look like anything I ever saw." + +"I guess they must be the boats of the native money divers." + +"Money divers!" Tom exclaimed. "Where do they get the money?" + +"We give it to them," said Dick. "I remember reading about how passengers +throw their perfectly good money into the water just for the fun of +seeing those little grafters pick it up. A waste of good money I call +it." + +"Gee, I'm going into the business," Tom affirmed. "Just give me a +diving costume and I bet you couldn't tell me from the natives." + +"You needn't count on annexing any of my hard-earned cash, because you +won't get it. I'd be more likely to throw a dynamite bomb in just as you +were getting ready to dive," Dick said. + +"I know you would, you old skinflint. The only thing is that you would +be just as likely as I to get blown up. I guess you left that out of +your calculations, didn't you?" + +"What's all this about dynamite bombs and getting blown up?" Bert asked, +coming up behind them. "It sounds rather bloodthirsty." + +"Oh, he's just threatening my very valuable life," Tom answered, "but I +forgive him, for he's not responsible for what he says. To change the +subject, what are you doing up here when you ought to be taking down +wireless messages?" + +"Oh, I'm off duty for a few days, now. I'm glad of it, for, although I +like nothing better than taking down messages and sending them out, it's +good to have a few days to explore this country that the doctor has +recommended so highly. It sure does look promising." + +By this time the _Fearless_ had weighed anchor and the boats were being +let down to convey the passengers to the shore. All around the ship were +the queer little craft of the natives, the occupants on the alert to +catch the first bit of money thrown to them. They had not long to wait, +for soon small pieces of coin were being showered down. As each piece +fell into the water, the little brown-skinned native boys would dive in +after it and catch it, with a deftness born of long experience, before +it reached the bottom. In spite of the boys' declared intentions not to +waste their "hard-earned and carefully-hoarded cash," a few pieces of +that very same cash went to increase the spoils of one especially active +and dextrous young native. No matter how hard they tried to be prudent +or how emphatically they declared that "this would surely be the last +bit of money that that little rascal would get out of them," another +coin would find its way into the eager hands of the little dark-skinned +tempter. There was a very strong bond of fellowship between this small +native diving for money way off in the islands of the Pacific and +the strong, sturdy college boys who had fought so gallantly on the +diamond for the glory of Alma Mater. It was the call of the expert +to the expert, the admiration of one who has "done things" for the +accomplishments of another. + +However, the boys were not very sorry when they reached the shore where +they were beyond temptation. Tom voiced the general sentiment when he +said, "Gee, if we hadn't touched land just as we did, I'd have had to +telegraph home to Dad for more money. They nearly broke me." + +While they were waiting for Ralph, who had stayed behind to see that the +"Gray Ghost" got over safely on the raft rigged up for the purpose, the +comrades took a look around them. And there was enough to occupy their +attention for an hour just in the country in the immediate neighborhood +of the harbor. All around them swarmed the natives, big, powerful, +good-natured people, all with a smile of welcome on their dark faces. +Everywhere was bustle and life and activity. + +"I always thought that Hawaii was a slow sort of place," Dick said, "but +it seems that I was mistaken. This crowd rivals the business crush on +Fifth Avenue." + +"It does that," said Bert. "But just take a glance at this scenery, my +friends. Did you ever see anything on Fifth Avenue that looked like +that?" + +"Well, hardly. But it's the town that takes my eye. Look at those +quaint houses and the big white building--I suppose it must be a +hotel--towering over them. And isn't that a picture, that avenue with +the double border of palm trees? We must explore that first thing when +we get the 'Gray Ghost.' Say, I'm glad I came." + +"So am I," said Tom. "If it hadn't been for you, Bert, we shouldn't any +of us be here. Prof. Gilbert didn't know what a public benefactor he was +when he nominated you for the telegraphy job. Say, isn't that the car +coming over now?" he asked, pointing to a great raft that was heading +slowly for the dock. + +"It looks like it," Bert replied. "Make believe it won't seem good to be +in a car again. I'm anxious to get my belongings up to one of the +hotels, too." + +"Yes, I'm glad we decided to stay in a hotel for the few days we are +going to spend here. It will be good to be able to eat our breakfast on +shore for a little while instead of on the briny deep," said Tom, who +had not been altogether free from occasional pangs of sea-sickness +during the voyage. + +By this time the raft had landed the car and the other luggage. Ralph +was beside his favorite, looking it over from one end to the other to +see that everything was intact, while a crowd of curious little urchins +watched his every action. In a moment our three fellows had joined him +and were busily engaged in trying to remedy an imaginary fault. They +finally gave this up as a hopeless task as the car was in absolutely +perfect condition. + +"I guess there's nothing very much the matter with the old car, eh, +fellows?" said Ralph with the pride of possession in his voice. "I +shouldn't wonder if she could show the natives something of the art of +racing and hill-climbing. I bet she is just as anxious as we are to try +her speed on that palm avenue there." + +"Don't let's waste any time then," Dick suggested. "What's the matter +with piling our luggage into the car and going right over to the hotel? +By the way," he added, as a second thought, "what hotel are we going +to?" + +"Why, Dad told me that if we wanted to get off the ship at Hawaii that +the best place to put up at would be the Seaside House," said Ralph. "He +thinks that we can have more fun at a small place than we could at one +of the swell hotels." + +"I agree with him there," said Bert, "but do you know the way?" + +"You just watch me," said Ralph. "If I don't get you to the Seaside in +ten minutes I give you leave to hand me whatever you think I deserve in +the way of punishment. Come on, jump in, and the little 'Gray Ghost' +will have you and your baggage at your destination before you know it." + +So Tom and Dick jumped into the tonneau with the luggage, while Bert +took his seat beside Ralph. Once more they were flying over the road +with the wind whistling in their ears to the tune of the throbbing +motor. Many nights they had dreamed of it and many days they had talked +of it, but to really be there, to feel the mighty power of that great +man-made monster, to feel the exhilarated blood come tingling into their +faces with the excitement of the race, ah, that was heaven indeed. + +But all delightful things must come to an end sometime and so, in the +very midst of their enjoyment the speed of the great car slackened and +they drew up before a building that looked like an overgrown cottage +with a sign in front, announcing to all whom it might concern that this +was the "Seaside House." It all looked very comfortable and homelike, +and even as they stopped the host advanced to give them welcome. + +It took the boys a very short time to explain that they had just come in +on the _Fearless_ and only wanted accommodations for a very few days. In +less time than it takes to tell the machine was taken around to the +garage and the boys had been shown up to two very comfortably furnished +rooms. + +"Doctor Hamilton expects to stay here, too," Ralph volunteered when they +had finished exploring their small domain, "but he won't be able to get +here until late this evening. I promised to take the car around for him +at the dock about nine o'clock. I suppose all you fellows will go with +me, won't you?" + +"Surest thing you know," Bert agreed. "I'm glad that he's going to be +with us for he knows a lot about the country and he'll go with us on all +our expeditions. The Doctor's a jolly good sort." + +"He sure is that," said Tom, and so, in the course of time the Doctor +arrived and was given the room next to the boys. Just before they went +to sleep that night Bert called into Ralph, "Say, Ralph, what do you +love best in the world?" and the answer came in three words, "The Gray +Ghost." + +Next morning bright and early the boys, the Doctor and the "Gray Ghost" +started for a visit to Halemaumau, the fire-pit of the crater, Kilauea. +The day was ideal for such a trip and the party started off in high +spirits. They rode for miles through the most beautiful country they had +ever seen until, at last, they came to the foot of the great crater. +Only a very few minutes more and they stood within a few yards of +the edge of that wonder of wonders, the fire-pit of Kilauea. It is +impossible to describe the grandeur of that roaring, surging sea of +fire, the tongues of flame lapping one upon another like raging demons +in terrific conflict. It is the greatest wonder of Nature ever given to +man to witness. + +For a few seconds the boys could only stand in amazement that such a +thing could be. "If anybody had told me," said Bert, almost whispering +in his excitement, "a few months ago that I would be standing here at +the edge of the largest living crater in the world, I would have thought +that either I was crazy or that they were. I never could forget that +sight if I lived forever." + +"It sure is about the slickest little bit of Nature that I ever came +across," Tom agreed. "If all the scenery is like this we ought to spend +four years here instead of a measly four days. I'm beginning to be as +much interested in this place as the Doctor is." + +"The more you see of it the more you will love it," the Doctor +prophesied. "If you would like to we can take a ride across the island +to-morrow. It will be about a day's journey, but I can show you a great +many points of interest as we go along. What do you say?" + +The boys fell in with the plan very readily, and so it was decided that +the next morning they would start early. With great reluctance and many +backward glances they finally tore themselves away from Halemaumau and +turned the "Gray Ghost" toward home. During the ride they could talk of +nothing else than the wonder and the magnificent beauty of "The House of +Everlasting Fire." + +Mile upon mile they rode with the sun filtering through the trees in +little golden patches on the road before them, with the caress of the +soft breeze upon their faces and the song of the birds in their ears. + +"I don't wonder that you think Hawaii's about the nicest place on earth, +Doctor," Bert said after a few minutes of silence. "I'm almost beginning +to agree with you." + +And again the Doctor answered, "The more you see of it the more you will +love it." + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +THE "GRAY GHOST" + + +The next morning after an early breakfast the "Gray Ghost" was brought +around in front of the "Seaside" and the boys began to look her over to +make sure that she was in condition for the day's trip. They found that +everything was all right, so they began loading her with baskets of +delicious eatables that the host had prepared for them. In a very short +time all was ready and Tom, Dick and Ralph piled in the tonneau, while +the Doctor took his seat beside Bert, who was to drive that day. There +had been some discussion that morning as to whether Bert or Ralph were +to run the machine. Bert claimed that as it was Ralph's car it was his +right and prerogative to drive. But Ralph wouldn't listen to such an +argument for a minute. For wasn't Bert his guest and wasn't he there to +give his guest a good time, especially as he, Ralph, had driven the car +the day before? So after a time it had been settled and Bert reluctantly +took the wheel. + +But the reluctance didn't last long, for, when he found himself guiding +the great car over the road, the old feeling of exultation took +possession of him and the old wild desire to put on full speed came +surging over him. But Bert was never one to give way to impulse when +caution told him it would be unwise, so he held his desire and, +incidentally, his machine well in check. + +"You said last night that you would tell us about the hunt for sharks, +Doctor Hamilton," Dick reminded him. "Won't you tell us about them, +now?" + +"Why, yes, if you would like to hear about it," the Doctor consented. +"These seas, as you probably know, are full of sharks, and therefore +are very dangerous. The natives of Hawaii are not the people to be +terrorized, however, by any animal on land or sea. So, after careful +consideration, they decided that, as long as they couldn't hope to +exterminate the pests, the only thing for them to do was to learn how to +defend themselves against them. So, when a man wanted to go out into the +deep, shark-infested waters he would take with him a handy little +dagger. Then, instead of swimming for home and safety at the first sign +of a shark, he would wait boldly for the creature to come near enough +for a hand-to-hand (or, rather, a fin-to-hand) conflict." + +"Say, a man would have to have some nerve to wait calmly while one of +those cute, harmless little animals came prancing up playfully to be +petted," Tom broke in. "I'd rather be excused." + +"It does take an immense amount of courage to brave a shark, but I +shouldn't wonder if there were thousands of people in the world who are +at this moment making greater sacrifices, performing deeds that call for +more real fortitude and courage than these shark hunters ever dreamed +of. Only, you see we don't know of those cases. However, that's neither +here nor there. Well, to get back to my story, when the shark nears the +man he turns on his back to grab him. Then comes the crucial moment. +Before the shark has a chance to accomplish his purpose, the native +deftly buries the dagger up to the hilt in the shark's throat." + +"Yes, but suppose the shark nabbed the hunter before he had a chance to +use his weapon," Ralph suggested. + +"It is very probable in that case that the hunter would hunt no more +sharks," the Doctor laughed. "However, that very rarely happens these +days, for the Hawaiians are trained to hunt as soon as they leave the +cradle, and are experts at the age of nine or ten." + +"I wouldn't mind trying it myself," Bert declared, for, to him danger +and excitement were the very breath of life, "only I'd like to practice +up for a few years before I hung out my sign." + +"Well, they went on killing the sharks by means of a dagger for some +time," the Doctor went on, "but one day some bright young native +discovered what seemed to him to be a much more interesting and, at the +same time, just as sure a way of killing the shark. So one day he called +all his relatives and friends together and told them to watch his new +method. They all noticed that, instead of the usual dagger, this youth +carried in his hand a pointed stick. 'What good will a sharp stick do?' +they all asked one another. 'He surely cannot mean to kill the shark +with such a weapon,' and they tried to persuade him not to try anything +so foolish. However, he was not to be persuaded, so he started out with +his stick to fight the shark. He had not gone very far before his +eagerly watching friends on the shore saw a fin rise above the water and +knew that the shark was near. With breathless interest they watched the +coming conflict. Nearer and nearer came the shark until it was only a +very few yards from the daring hunter. Then in a flash it was on its +back and bearing down on its prey. With the speed of lightning our hero +reached down the shark's throat and wedged the pointed stick right +across it so that the shark couldn't close his wicked, gaping mouth. Of +course, not being able to shut his mouth he drowned there in his native +element. There is an instance of the irony of fate, isn't it?" + +"It surely is," Dick answered. "But, Doctor, is that really so or is it +only a story?" + +"It's the truth. The shark hunters use both methods, the dagger and the +sharp stick, but the stick is the favorite." + +So the morning was passed in interesting tale and pleasant conversation, +and they were all amazed when the Doctor informed them that it was +half-past twelve. Soon afterward they came to a cozy little inn with the +sign "Welcome" over the door painted in great gold letters on a black +background. At this hospitable place they stopped for lunch. + +When this most important function of the day was satisfactorily +accomplished, they went for a stroll on the beach, as they had about +half an hour to look around them before it was necessary to start on +their way once more. + +This part of the beach was perfectly protected from the unwelcome visits +of the sharks by the large coral reefs, and the boys were surprised to +see the number of people that were enjoying their afternoon dip. + +"Look at those fellows over there riding in on the breakers," Tom +cried, pointing to a group of boys that looked as if they might be +Americans. "Will you please tell me what they think they have on their +feet?" + +"They look like snow shoes," Bert said, "but I never knew that you could +use skees on the water." + +"They are really nothing more nor less than snow shoes, but you see over +here they have no snow to use them on, so they make them do for the +water," said the Doctor. + +"It's a great stunt," said Dick. "I wish we had brought our bathing +suits along, we could take a try at it ourselves." + +"If bathing suits are all you want," Ralph broke in, "I can soon get you +them. This morning I thought we might want them, so, at the last minute, +I ran back to get mine. While I was there I discovered your suits all +tied together with a strap, so I brought them along, too. They are under +the seat in the tonneau." + +"Bully for you, old fellow," said Dick. "You have a head on your +shoulders, which is more than I can say for myself." + +"Yes, that's fine. Now we can try our skill at skeeing on the water. +But, by the way, where will we get the skees?" + +"They are not really skees; they're only pieces of wood pointed at one +end," the Doctor explained, "and I think you will be able to get all you +want up at the inn." + +"But you will come with us, too, won't you?" Bert asked. "It won't be +half as much fun if you don't." + +"No, I don't think that I'll go in with you to-day. I brought a little +work along, and I thought that if I got a minute I would try to do some +of it. You will only have a little while to stay anyway, so go ahead and +enjoy yourselves while you may. I'll tell you when time is up. I'll go +with you as far as the house. You needn't be afraid that I'll forget." + +So, in a few minutes the boys were on the beach once more, ready to try +their luck on the skees. They watched the group of fellows that had at +first caught their attention until they thought that they knew pretty +well what to do. When they fancied they could safely venture they waded +out until the water was about to their waists. Then, resting the long +board on the water, they tried their best to mount it, as they had seen +the other fellows do. But they would just get the board placed nicely +with its point toward the shore, when a wave would come along and carry +it out from under their feet. + +They had very nearly given it up in despair when one of the fellows +from the other group came over and spoke to them. + +"Is this your first try at the surf boards?" he asked, and they knew +from the very tone of his voice that he was what they had thought him, +an American. "We saw you were having trouble, and we thought you +wouldn't mind if we gave you a few pointers. It's hard to do at first, +but when you once catch on it's a cinch." + +"We would be very much obliged if you would show us how to manage them," +Bert replied. "I thought that I had tried pretty nearly every kind of +water trick, but this is a new one on me." + +"Yes, we can't seem to get the hang of it," Tom added. "How do you stay +on the thing when you once get there?" + +So our boys and the others soon became very well acquainted, and it +wasn't very long before they were doing as well as the strangers. All +too soon they saw the Doctor coming down the beach toward them, and they +knew that the time was up. They bade good-bye to their new found friends +and hurried up to the inn to get ready for the rest of the journey. For +the whole afternoon they rode through scenes of the most striking beauty +and grandeur. + +They went through the historic valley of Nuuanu, where the great battle +was waged by Kamehameha the Great, sometimes called the Napoleon of the +Pacific. They followed the scene of that terrible struggle until they +came to the precipice over which the Oahu army of more than three +thousand men had been forced to a swift death on the rocks below. + +When they reached the hotel at which they had expected to stay for the +night, they found a telegram waiting for them. Doctor Hamilton opened it +and read, "Come at once. Ship sails to-morrow morning, nine o'clock." + +"That means," said the Doctor, "that we will have to start for the +_Fearless_ as soon as we can get a bite to eat." + +So start they did, and it took hard riding nearly the whole night to get +them to the ship in time. After they had settled with the landlord of +the Seaside House and had hustled their belongings into the car, they +started for the dock and found that they were just in the nick of time. + +As Bert turned from his companions toward the operating room to take +down any last messages that Hawaii might want to send, he said with a +sigh, "I'm sorry that we had to leave sooner than we expected, but as +long as we had to--say, fellows, wasn't that ride great?" + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +A SWIM FOR LIFE + + +It was a hot day, even for the tropics, and everybody felt the heat +intensely. Awnings had been stretched over the deck, and under their +inviting shade the passengers tried to find relief from the burning sun, +but with little success. A slight accident to the machinery had caused +the ship to heave to, so that they were deprived of the artificial +breeze caused by the vessel's motion. The oppressive heat rivaled +anything the boys had ever felt, and for once even their effervescent +spirits flagged. They lolled about the deck in listless attitudes, and +were even too hot to cut up the usual "monkeyshines" that gave the +passengers many a hearty laugh. Dick looked longingly at the green, +cool-appearing water, that heaved slowly and rhythmically, like some +vast monster asleep. + +"Make out it wouldn't feel good to dive in there, and have a good, long +swim," he exclaimed, in a wistful voice. "Just think of wallowing around +in that cool ocean, and feeling as though you weren't about to melt and +become a grease spot at any moment. Gee, I'd give anything I own to be +able to jump in right now." + +"Go ahead," grinned Bert, "only don't be surprised if we fish you out +minus a leg or two. Those two sharks that have been following the ship +for the last week would welcome you as a very agreeable addition to +their bill of fare." + +"Yes," chimed in Ralph, "and that's not the only thing, either. I've +felt sorry for those poor old sharks for quite a while. Here they follow +our ship around for a week, hoping that somebody will fall overboard and +furnish them a square meal, and then everybody disappoints them. I call +it pretty mean conduct." + +"That's my idea exactly," agreed Bert, "and I think it would only be +doing the gentlemanly thing for Dick to volunteer. You won't disappoint +your friends on a little point like that, will you, Dick?" + +"No, certainly not," responded Dick, scornfully. "Just ring the dinner +bell, so that the sharks will be sure not to miss me, and I'll jump in +any time you say. Nothing I can think of would give me greater +pleasure." + +"Well, on second thought," laughed Bert, "I think we'd better save you a +little while, and fatten you up. I'm afraid you haven't got fat enough +on you at present to give entire satisfaction. We might as well do this +thing up right, you know." + +"O, sure, anything to oblige," grunted Dick. "Just dispose of me any way +you think best. Naturally, the subject has little interest for me." + +"Aw, you're selfish, Dick, that's what's the matter with you," said +Ralph. "I'd be willing to bet any money that you're thinking more of +yourself than you are of those two poor, hungry fish. Gee, I'm glad I'm +not like that." + +"All right, then," responded Dick, quickly, "as long as you feel that +way, and I don't, why don't you serve yourself up to the suffering +sharks? Besides, you're fatter than I am." + +Apparently Ralph could think of no satisfactory answer to this profound +remark and so changed the subject. + +"Well," he exclaimed, "all this doesn't get us any nearer to a good +swim. I wish this were one of the steamships I was on not long since." + +"Why, how was that?" inquired Bert. + +"Well, on that ship they had a regular swimming tank on board. Of +course, it wasn't a very big one, but it was plenty large enough to give +a person a good swim. Gee, I used to just about live in that tank on a +day like this." + +"I suppose that was what you might call a tank steamer, wasn't it?" +said Bert, and his remark raised a general laugh. + +But now an elderly man among the passengers, who up to now had listened +to the boys' conversation with a smile on his face, but had not spoken, +said, "Why don't you ask the captain to rig up the swimming nets? I'm +sure he would be willing to do it for you, if you asked him in the right +way." + +"Swimming nets!" exclaimed Dick, "what's a swimming net?" + +"Why, it's simply a sort of a cage that they rig up alongside the ship, +and anybody that wants to can swim to their heart's content inside it. +The net keeps sharks out, and makes it safe." + +"Say, that would certainly be great," exclaimed Ralph. "Come along, +fellows, and we'll see if we can't persuade the captain to fix us up. +The idea of a good swim certainly hits me where I live." + +The rest were nothing loath, and they jumped to their feet and rushed +off in search of Captain Manning. He was soon found, and listened +smilingly to Ralph, who acted as spokesman for the others. + +"I guess we can arrange that, all right," he said, after Ralph had +finished. "It will be at least two hours before our repairs are +finished. Between you and me, I'd like to jump in myself," he added, +regretfully. + +He gave orders accordingly, and the crew soon had the netting rigged. +Before they had finished, news of what was going on had flown through +the ship. All who felt so disposed or had bathing paraphernalia with +them, appeared on deck attired for a dip. Needless to say, Bert, Dick, +and Ralph were among the first to put in an appearance, and great was +their impatience while the crew were putting the finishing touches to +the "cage." While they were waiting, Ralph said, "Look at that, fellows. +Those two sharks that we were talking about a little while ago have +disappeared. I guess they must have overheard our conversation, and +given us up for a bad job." + +"They're certainly not in sight, at any rate," said Dick. "However, I +think I shall manage to control my grief at their desertion." + +"It always gave me a creepy feeling," said the passenger who had first +suggested the swimming nets, "they hung on so persistently, just as +though they felt sure that their patience would be rewarded some time. +It seemed uncanny, somehow." + +"It certainly did," agreed another. "I guess they're gone for good, this +time, though." + +This seemed to be the general opinion among the crew, also, and the +boys felt relieved in spite of themselves, for swimming in close +proximity to a couple of hungry sharks, even when separated from them by +a net, is not a particularly cheerful experience. + +Soon everything was ready, and the swimmers descended the steps let down +alongside the ship, and plunged into the water. It was very warm, but a +good deal cooler than the air, and you may be sure it felt good to the +overheated passengers. Bert and Ralph were expert swimmers, and dove and +swam in a manner to bring applause from the passengers up above. Dick +was not such a very good swimmer, having had little experience in the +water. He enjoyed the dip none the less on this account, however, and if +he could not swim as well as the others, at least made quite as much +noise as they. + +After half an hour or so of this the boys ascended to the deck to rest a +little before continuing their aquatic exercises. + +"My, but that felt good, and no mistake," said Bert. + +"It sure did," agreed Ralph. "The only objection I can find is that you +can't swim far enough in any one direction. I like to have enough space +to let me work up a little speed. I've half a mind to take a chance and +dive off here outside the net. There's no sign of those pesky sharks +around now. I'm going to take a chance, anyhow," and before anybody had +a chance to stop him he had made a pretty dive over the side. He struck +the water with scarcely a splash, and in a few seconds rose to the +surface and shook the water out of his eyes. Bert yelled at him to come +back on board, but he only shook his head and laughed. + +Then he struck out away from the ship with bold, rapid strokes, and soon +had placed a considerable distance between himself and the vessel. Bert +and the others watched his progress with anxious eyes. + +"The young fool," growled one of the passengers, "hasn't he got any more +sense than to do a thing like that? Those sharks are likely to show up +any minute. They don't usually give up so quickly, once they've started +to follow a ship." + +It seemed, however, as though Ralph would experience no bad results from +his rash act. He had swum several hundred yards from the vessel, and had +turned to come back, when a cry went up from one of the women +passengers. + +"Look! Look!" she screamed, and pointed wildly with her parasol. All +eyes followed its direction, and more than one man turned white as he +looked. For there, not more than five hundred feet from the swimmer, a +black fin was cutting the water like a knife-blade. It was not headed +directly for Ralph, however, but was going first in one direction, then +in another, showing that the shark had not yet definitely located his +prey. + +A few seconds later a second fin appeared, and there was little doubt in +the minds of all that these were the two sharks that had followed the +ship for the last few days. + +In the meantime, Ralph had drawn nearer the ship, but was swimming in a +leisurely fashion, and evidently had no inkling of the deadly peril that +threatened him. Bert was about to yell to him and point out his danger, +when he thought better of it. + +"If he knew those two sharks were on his trail," he said in a strained +voice to Tom, "he might get frightened and be unable to swim at all. I +think we had better leave him alone and hope that he gets to the ship +before the sharks locate him." + +"Let's go after him in a boat," suggested one of the sailors, excitedly, +and this was no sooner said than done. Without even waiting for orders +from the captain, several of the crew started to launch a boat, but it +became evident that this could be of no avail. For at that moment the +two searching fins suddenly stopped dead for a second, and then started +straight for the unconscious swimmer. + +A cry went up from the passengers, which reached Ralph's ears. He +glanced behind him, and for a second seemed paralyzed at what he saw. +Bert yelled wildly. "Swim for your life, Ralph," he shrieked. "Here," +turning to the sailors, "get a long rope, and stand by. We'll need it +when he gets near the ship." + +Now Ralph had recovered from his panic to some extent, and struck out as +he had never done before. At every stroke he fairly leaped through the +water, but the two black fins overhauled him with lightning-like +rapidity. Closer and closer they came, and still the swimmer was a good +forty or fifty yards from the ship. Now he started a fast crawl stroke, +and it was a lucky thing for him that day that he was an expert swimmer. + +He was soon almost under the ship's side, and one of the sailors threw +the rope previously secured in his direction. Ralph grasped it with +a despairing grip, but now the two fins were terribly close, and +approaching at express train speed. A dozen willing hands grasped the +rope, and just as the two man-eaters were within ten feet of him the +exhausted swimmer was swung bodily out of the water. There was a swish +alongside, two great white streaks flashed by, and the passengers +caught a glimpse of two horrible, saw-like rows of gleaming teeth. Then +Ralph was drawn up on a level with the rail, and strong hands pulled him +safely inboard. + +No sooner did he realize that he was safe, than he collapsed, and it was +some time before he recovered from the strain. When he was once more +himself, he grinned weakly at Bert. "Next time I'll follow your advice," +he said. + +"Oh, well, 'all's well that ends well,'" quoted Bert. "Just the same, it +was more than you deserved to have us work ourselves to death a hot day +like this trying to keep you from doing the Jonah act. It would have +served you right if we had let the shark take a bite or two." + +"Sorry to have troubled you, I'm sure," retorted Ralph. "But say, +fellows, just as soon as I can get enough nerve back to think, I'm going +to dope out some way of getting even with those man-eaters. I'll be +hanged if I'm going to let even a shark think he can try to make hash of +me and get away with it. In the meantime, you and Tom might set your +giant intellects to work and see if you can think of a plan." + +A sailor had overheard this, and now he touched his cap, and said: + +"Excuse me for buttin' in, but I think me and my mates here can fix up +those sharks for you, if the captain's willin'. On a bark I sailed in +once we caught a shark that had been annoyin' us like these has, just +like you'd catch a fish. We baited a big hook, and pulled him in with +the donkey engine. If the captain ain't got no objections, I don't see +why we couldn's sarve these lubbers the same trick." + +This idea met with instant approval, and Captain Manning was soon +besieged by a fire of entreaty. At first he seemed inclined to say no, +but when he found that the majority of the passengers were in favor of +capturing the sharks, he gave a reluctant consent. + +The sailors grinned in happy anticipation of a good time, and set +about their preparations with a will, while an interested group that +surrounded them watched the development of their scheme with intense +interest. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +THE CAPTURED SHARK + + +The species of shark that inhabits tropical waters is very voracious, +and will eat almost anything that has the smell or taste of food about +it. Therefore, the sailors were troubled by no fears that the bait they +were preparing would not prove tempting enough. + +The cook had provided them with a huge slab of salt pork, and then the +problem arose as to what they could use as a hook. Finally, however, one +of the sailors unearthed a large iron hook, such as is used on cranes +and other hoisting machinery. The point of this was filed down until it +was sharp as a needle, and the big piece of meat was impaled on it. + +"That ought to hook one of them blarsted man-hunters," remarked one +grizzled old sea dog, who was known to his companions as "Sam," and +apparently had no other name. "If that hook once gets caught in his +gizzard, we'll have him on board unless the rope breaks, won't we +mates?" + +"Aye, aye. That we will," came in a gruff chorus from the bronzed and +hardy crew, and matters began to look dark for the unconscious sharks. + +When the meat had been securely tied to the hook, the big crane used to +store the cargo in the hold was brought into use, and the hook made fast +to the end of the strong wire cable. + +"Gee," said Tom, who had been regarding these preparations with a good +deal of interest, as indeed had everybody on deck, "I begin to see the +finish of one of those beasts, anyway. I can see where we have shark +meat hash for the rest of this voyage, if the cook ever gets hold of +him." + +"Oh, they're not such bad eating, at that," said Ralph. "Why, when once +in a while one becomes stranded on the beach and the natives get hold +of him, they have a regular feast day. Everybody for miles around is +notified, and they troop to the scene of festivities by the dozen. Then +they build fires, cut up the shark, and make a bluff at cooking the meat +before they start to eat it. But you can hardly call it eating. They +fairly gorge it, and sometimes eat steadily a whole day, or at any rate +until the shark is all gone but his bones. Then they go to bed and sleep +off the results of their feed. They don't need anything else to eat for +some days." + +"Heavens, I shouldn't think they would, after that," laughed Bert. "I +think if I ate a whole day without stopping it would end my worldly +career at once. Subsequent events wouldn't have much interest for me." + +"Oh, well," said Dick, in a whimsical tone, "I suppose they think if +they did die, they would at least have died happy." + +"And full," supplemented Bert. + +"Oh, that's the same thing with them," laughed Ralph. "That's their idea +of paradise, I guess. They're always happy when they have enough to eat, +anyway." + +"Well, that's the way with all of us, isn't it?" asked Dick. "You're +never very happy when you're hungry, I know that." + +"But there's a shark not very far from here that's not going to be very +happy when he's eaten a square meal that we're going to provide him," +laughed Bert, and the others agreed with him. + +By this time everything was ready for the catching of at least one of +the sharks, and steam was turned into the engine operating the crane. +The machine proved to be in first-class condition, and so the baited +hook was carried to the side and slowly eased into the water. An empty +cask had previously been tied to it, however, to act as a float, and all +eyes were fastened eagerly on this. It drifted slowly away from the +ship's side, as the cable was paid out, and was checked when it had +reached a distance of perhaps a hundred and fifty feet from the vessel. + +The sailors had armed themselves with axes and clubs, and waited +expectantly for the disturbance around the cask that would show when the +monster had been hooked. + +For some time, however, the cask floated serenely, without even a ripple +disturbing it. Many were the disappointed grumblings heard among +passengers and crew, but the confidence of old Sam was not shaken. + +"Give him time, give him time!" he exclaimed. "You don't expect him to +come up and swally the bait right on scratch, like as though he was paid +to do it, do ye? Have a little patience about ye, why don't ye? Bein' +disappointed in takin' a nip out of the lad, there, them sharks will +hang around, hoping for another chanst, never fear. Time ain't money +with them fellers." + +The words were scarcely out of his mouth when the cask disappeared in a +whirl of foam, and a cheer arose from the spectators. The steel cable +whipped up out of the water, and sprang taut as a fiddle string. The big +crane groaned as the terrific strain came upon it. + +"Say, but that must be a big fellow," exclaimed Bert, in an excited +voice. "Just look at that cable, will you. It takes some pull to +straighten it out like that." + +But now the shark, seeming to realize that he could not get away by +pulling in one direction, suddenly ceased his efforts, and the cable +slackened. Captain Manning gave the signal to the engineer to start +winding in the cable, but hardly had the drum of the crane started to +revolve, when the shark made a great circular sweep in a line almost +parallel with the ship. The cable sang as it whipped through the water +in a great arc, and the whole ship vibrated to the terrific strain. + +But the great fish was powerless against the invincible strength of +steam, and was slowly drawn to the ship as revolution after revolution +of the inexorable engine drew in the cable. Leaning breathlessly over +the side, the passengers and crew could gradually make out the shape of +the struggling, lashing monster as he was drawn up to the ship's side. +He made short dashes this way and that in a desperate effort to break +away, but all to no purpose. When he was right under the ship's side, +but still in the water, the captain ordered the engine stopped, and +requested the passengers to retire to a safe distance. Bert, Dick, and +Ralph pleaded hard to be allowed to take a hand in dispatching the +monster, but Captain Manning was inexorable, and they were forced to +withdraw from the scene of the coming struggle. + +The crew grasped their weapons firmly, and as one put it, "cleared for +action." + +Then the signal was given to resume hoisting the big fish aboard, and +once more the crane started winding up the cable. Slowly, writhing and +twisting, the shark was hauled up the side. He dealt the ship great +blows with his tail, any one of which would have been sufficient to kill +a man. His smooth, wet body gleamed in the sun's rays, and his wicked +jaws snapped viciously, reminding the spectators of the teeth of some +great trap. All his struggles were in vain, however, and finally, with +one great "flop" he landed on the deck. + +He lashed out viciously with his powerful tail, and it would have been +an ill day for any member of the crew that inadvertently got in its +path. Needless to say, they were very careful to avoid this, and dodged +quickly in and out, dealing the monster heavy blows whenever the +opportunity offered. Slowly his struggles grew less strong, and at last +he lay quite still, with only an occasional quiver of his great carcass. +Then old Sam stepped quickly in, and delivered the "coup de grace" in +the form of a stunning blow at the base of the shark's skull. + +This was the finishing blow, and soon the passengers were allowed to +gather around and inspect the dead monster. A tape-measure was produced, +and it was found that the shark was exactly twelve feet and seven inches +long. + +"Why," remarked Dick, "you'd have been nothing but an appetizer to this +fellow, if he had caught you, Ralph. He sure is some shark." + +"Well, I won't contradict you," said Ralph, "but I don't think this +shark was the same one that chased me. Why, it seems to me that that +fellow was nothing but teeth. That's all I remember noticing, at any +rate." + +"Yes, but this rascal seems to have quite a dental outfit," said Dick. +"Just think what it must be to a shark if he starts to get a toothache +in several teeth at once. It must be awful." + +"I'm certainly glad our teeth aren't quite as numerous," laughed Bert. +"Just think of having to have a set of false teeth made. A person would +have to work about all his lifetime to pay for a set like that." + +"It would be fine for the dentists, though," remarked Ralph, but then he +added, "I wonder what they're going to do with this fellow, now that +they've caught him." + +"Throw him overboard, I suppose," said Bert. "I don't think he's of much +use to us, seeing that we're not like the savages Ralph was telling us +about." + +And that is just about what they did do. First, however, the sailors +secured a number of the shark's teeth, and these were distributed among +the passengers as souvenirs. Then the great carcass was hoisted up until +it dangled over the water, and the hook was cut out. The dead monster +struck the water with a splash, and slowly sank from view. + +"Well, Ralph, now you've had your revenge, anyway," said Bert. "I don't +think there's much doubt that that was one of the pair that came so near +to ending your promising career. He looked to be about the same size as +the one that almost had you when we hauled you out." + +"Oh, I guess it's the same one, all right," agreed Ralph, "and I owe +everyone a vote of thanks, I guess. I hope I never come quite so near a +violent death again. It was surely a case of nip and tuck." + +The crew now set to work to clear up the mess that had been made on the +deck, and soon all mementoes of the bloody struggle were removed. +Shortly afterward the chief engineer reported that the break in the +machinery had been repaired, and it was not very long before the ship +renewed its interrupted voyage. + +At the dinner table that night little else was spoken of, and Ralph was +congratulated many times on his lucky escape. + +And one of the passengers voiced the general sentiment, when he said +with a smile that "he was satisfied if the ship broke down often, +provided they always had as exciting an experience as they had had +to-day." + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +IN THE HEART OF THE TYPHOON + + +Over the quiet ocean so calm that, except for an occasional swelling +foam-tipped wave it seemed like a sea of glass, the noon-day sun poured +its golden light. It was a perfect day at sea, and so thought the +passengers on board the swift ocean greyhound that plowed its way +through the quiet waters of the Pacific. + +A stately ship was she, a palace upon the waves. No deprivation here of +any comfort or luxury that could be found on land. Her shining brass +work gleamed in the sunshine like molten gold. The delicate colors in +her paneling blended with the tints of the soft rugs on her polished +floors. On deck, in the saloons, and staterooms, all was luxury. Gay +groups of passengers, richly dressed, paraded her decks or lay at ease +in their steamer chairs, or upon the softly-upholstered couches and +divans of her gorgeous saloons. Japanese servants glided noiselessly to +and fro, ministering to the slightest wish of these favored children of +fortune. Everywhere were signs of wealth and ease and careless gaiety. +Sounds of music and merry laughter floated over the quiet waters. Pain, +fear, suffering, disaster, danger, death,--what had such words as these +to do with this merry company? If anyone had mentioned the possibility +of peril, of calamity, the idea would have been scouted. Why, this great +ship was as safe as any building on land. Was it not fitted with +water-tight compartments? Even such an unlikely thing as a collision +could bring no fatal catastrophe. + +That this feeling of absolute security is felt by all can be very +plainly seen. Go to the perfectly appointed smoking-room and scan the +faces of the gentlemen, quietly smoking and reading, or talking in +friendly fashion together, or enjoying a game of cards. Every face is +serene. + +Pass on into the music-room. A waltz is being played by the piano and +violin, and gay couples of young people are enjoying the dance to the +utmost. Groups of interested older people look on with smiles. No +anxiety here. Nothing but happy, care-free faces. + +But come into the captain's private cabin where he is standing, +listening earnestly to one of his officers. Perfect appointments here +also, but evidently they do not appeal to these men at this moment. No +smiles of gaiety here. The captain's face pales as he listens to his +officer's words. + +"The barometer has fallen several inches in the last hour and a half," +was the announcement. Not enough in this, one may think, to cause +anxiety. But the captain knew and realized, as few on board beside +himself could, that the ship was nearing the coast of Japan, the +latitude most frequently visited by the dreaded typhoon, and also that +this mid-summer season was the most dangerous time of the year. + +Among the first signs of danger from one of these terrible visitors is +an unusually rapid fall of the barometer. No wonder that, with the +responsibility of the lives and safety of hundreds of people resting +upon him, his face should blanch with apprehension. + +Verifying his officer's statement by a quick look at the barometer, he +went hastily on deck. Here his quick eye noticed the change in weather +conditions; not very great as yet, only a slight cloudiness which dimmed +the brightness of the sun. Not enough to trouble the passengers who, if +they noticed it at all, were only conscious of an added sense of comfort +in the softening of the almost too brilliant sunshine, but enough to +deepen the pallor of the captain's face and quicken his pulse with the +realization of a great, impending danger. Even as he looked the heavens +began still more to darken, the clouds increased in size and blackness +and began to move wildly across the sky. The wind freshened and the +quiet sea broke into billows which grew larger and more angry-looking +each passing moment. + +Taking his stand on the bridge, the captain summoned all his officers to +him and gave quick, decisive orders. With the rapidity of lightning his +orders are executed and soon everything is made snug. Every possible +measure is taken to safeguard the ship. + +But, now it was evident to all that more than an ordinary storm +threatened them. In an almost incredibly short time the whole aspect of +sky and sea had changed. The surface of the ocean was lashed into +mountainous waves which raced before the terrible wind. The heavens +darkened until an almost midnight blackness settled down over the +appalled voyagers. + +Vanished are the sounds of music and laughter. Gone the happy, care-free +look from the faces. Filled with terror, they awaited they knew not +what. The wind increased, and now the heavens opened and the rain came +in such a torrential downpour that it seemed almost as if the great, +staunch ship would be beaten beneath the waves. + +With a feeling of agonized despair, the captain realized that that which +he so feared had come upon the vessel, and that she was in the grasp of +the dreaded typhoon. The darkness thickened, the wind increased, and +suddenly they felt themselves caught in a great wave which tossed the +ship about like a child's toy. Back and forth twisted the great ship, +completely at the mercy of this remorseless wind and sea. + +Thunderous crashing was heard as the upper works of the ship were torn +away by the gigantic waves that washed over her. The passengers were +panic-stricken and rushed wildly about, seeking those who were dear to +them, their cries and groans drowned in the roaring of tumultuous seas. +The captain, calm and self-controlled in the midst of this terrible +scene, went about among them, restraining, soothing, speaking words of +encouragement and hope, but in his heart he had no hope. A fireman +rushed up with the report that the engine-rooms were flooded and the +fires out; and then, with blows that made the great ship tremble, part +of timbers were torn away by the great seas which made no more of +iron girders or sheets of riveted steel than if they were strips of +cardboard. The sea rushed in from more than one jagged opening in her +side. + +Now at last, the captain realized that his splendid ship was doomed. The +great vessel was slowly sinking. One hour, a little more, a little less, +would see the end. And, to make their doom more certain, he could not +launch a single life-boat for they had all been shattered and washed +away by the sea. There is but one hope left, and quickly ascertaining +that the wireless is still O. K., the captain orders the call for help. +For who can tell at what moment the apparatus might be disabled? +Eagerly the operator bends above his key and forth across the angry +waves, defying the forces of wind and wave and torrent that have sought +to cut them off from all succor, goes that pitiful cry for help. + +With every nerve strained to the utmost tension he awaits the response +that will assure him that his call is heard and that help is coming; +but, before his ear can catch the welcome signal a flash, a whirring and +snapping, tells him that the apparatus has gone dead! They must wait for +the weary danger-fraught moments to bring them the knowledge. Thank God +the cry for help was sent in time. There is a chance of its reaching +some ship near enough to rescue them; but near indeed that ship must be +or she will bring help too late. + + * * * * * + +Twenty miles away the good ship _Fearless_ plows through mountainous +billows that, breaking, drench her decks with spray. + +In his wireless room Bert is sitting with his receiver at his ear on the +alert for any message. His three chums are with him as usual, Tom and +Ralph sitting in a favorite attitude with arms across the back of a +chair in front of them, while Dick walked excitedly up and down the +room. Quite a difficult task he found that for the ship was rolling +considerably. As he walked he talked. + +"Well, fellows," he was saying, "I have always wanted to see a genuine +storm at sea, and to-day I think I've seen it." + +"It seems to me that you've seen a great deal more storm to-day than you +longed for or ever care to see again," Tom commented. + +"You're just right there," Dick agreed. "It would be all right if you +could watch the storm without sharing the danger. There was one time +this afternoon when I thought it was certainly all over with us." + +"It sure did look that way, and I guess Captain Manning thought so, +too," Tom said. + +"It was a lucky thing for the _Fearless_," Ralph broke in, "that the +storm didn't last long. If it had kept on much longer we shouldn't be +here talking about it now." + +"But wasn't Captain Manning fine through it all?" said Bert. + +They were all feeling the effects of one of the most thrilling +experiences of their lives. + +The _Fearless_, fortunate in not being in the direct course of the +typhoon, had felt its force sufficiently to place her in great danger +and to make every man Jack of her crew do his duty in a desperate effort +to keep his ship from going to the bottom. That they had come through +safely with no greater damage than the washing away of her life-boats +was largely due to Captain Manning's strength and courage, and the young +fellows were filled with admiration. Each in his heart had resolved to +prove himself as brave if a time of trial should come to him. + +With this thought in mind they had sat very quietly for a few moments +after Bert's last remark, but now they all thrilled with a new +excitement as Bert suddenly straightened up from his lounging position, +and, with kindling eye and every faculty alert, grasped the key of his +instrument. The others knew that he had caught a wireless message and +feared from the sudden flushing and paling of his face that it was a +call for help. + +In the twinkling of an eye all was again excitement on board the +_Fearless_. The ship's course was altered and, with full steam pressure +on her engines, she fairly flew to the rescue. Twenty miles, and a +trifle over fifty minutes to reach that sinking ship. Could she make it? +Hearts felt and lips asked the question as the _Fearless_ raced over the +water, and all eyes were strained in a vain effort to catch a sight of +the ship to whose succor they were going long before there was even the +remotest possibility of sighting her. Their own peril was so recently +passed that all on board the _Fearless_ throbbed with pity for those so +much more unfortunate than themselves, and prayed heaven that they might +be in time. + + * * * * * + +But if eyes were strained on the _Fearless_, how much more earnestly did +everyone of those on the ill-fated steamer look for some sign or sound +from a rescuing ship? The typhoon had passed very quickly, but what +havoc it had wrought in so short a time! The floating palace that had +seemed so secure was now reduced to a dismantled, twisted hulk, +water-logged and slowly carrying her unfortunate passengers to +destruction. + +A whole hour had passed since the message had been sent forth to seek +and find help, but no help had come. Who shall attempt to record the +history of that hour? At first hope, faint it is true but still hope, +then increasing anxiety as the doomed vessel settled deeper and deeper +in the water, then growing despair as all feared, what the captain and +crew knew, that in a very little while would come the end. Even if a +vessel should appear now, the captain feared that only a few could be +saved, as it must be a work of time to transfer those hundreds of +passengers from one ship to another. As all the life-boats had been +smashed and carried away, precious minutes must be lost awaiting a boat +from the rescuing ship. But in order that all might be in readiness, the +women and children were placed close to the rail to be taken first, and +the other passengers told off in squads for each succeeding embarkation +so that there need be no confusion at the last moment. + +To the poor unfortunates those long minutes of waiting, fraught with +possibilities of life or death, had seemed like hours. A great quiet +had fallen over them, the paralyzing stupor of despair. Nearly all had +ceased to hope or look for rescue, but sat with bowed heads, awaiting +the fate which could not now be long delayed. + +Suddenly, through this silent despairing company ran an electric thrill. +Life pulsed in their veins, and hope that they had thought dead, sprang +anew in their hearts. A sailor casting one despairing glance about him, +had seen the smokestacks of a steamer gleaming red through the faint +mist that still hung over the water. Springing to his feet, he began +shouting, "Sail ho! a sail! a sail!" For a moment all was wildest +confusion, and it was with greatest difficulty that the captain, who +had prepared for just this outbreak, could control these frantic people +and restore discipline among them. By this time, the lookout on the +_Fearless_ had made out the wreck and a heartening toot-toot from her +steam whistle gladdened the waiting hundreds. But would she reach them +in time? Already the captain had noticed the trembling of the ship that +so surely foretells the coming plunge into the depths of the ocean. It +is a miracle that Fate had so long stayed her hand. To be lost now, with +life and safety almost within their grasp, would be doubly terrible. + +Breathlessly they wait until the steamer moving at the very limit of her +speed, comes nearer and nearer, till at last she slows and drifts only a +few hundred feet away. + +To the surprise of the _Fearless_, no attempt was made on board the +sinking ship to lower her boats; and equal was the consternation on +board the sinking steamer, when they saw that no boats were lowered from +the other ship. + +"Her boats are gone, too," shouted Bert as the situation became plain +to all. No sooner had the words left his lips than the _Fearless'_ +carpenters were at work, and in an incredibly short space of time, a +rough life buoy was knocked together. They worked with a will for they +knew that every second might mean a life. The buoy consisted of a rude +platform with uprights at its four corners, to the top of each of which +a pulley was securely fastened. Around the uprights ropes were wound +making a rude but safe conveyance. + +While this was doing, a ball with string attached was shot from a small +cannon on board the _Fearless_. Whistling through the air, it landed +just within the wrecked ship's rail. Eager hands prevent it from +slipping and there is no lack of helpers to draw in the line to the +deck. With deft but trembling hands the crew work to secure the cable +which follows the line. + +At last the life line is adjusted and secured between the two ships, the +life buoy comes speeding over the water to the doomed vessel, and as it +rushed back toward the waiting _Fearless_, with its load of women and +children, a great cheer goes up. A moment, and the forlorn creatures +are lifted by tender hands to the _Fearless_, and the buoy swings back +for a second load. The work of rescue has begun. + +Back and forth swings the buoy until the women and children are all +safe, and still the miracle holds; the wreck still floats. In less time +than would have seemed possible, all the sufferers from the wreck have +reached the rescuing ship except the captain and his first mate, and the +life buoy is swung back for the last time. Hurry now, willing hands! +Already the bow of the sinking steamer is buried beneath the waves. +Another moment or two, and it will be too late. Only a few feet more. +Speed, speed, life buoy! She reaches the rail. Eager hands draw the two +last voyagers over and cut the now useless life line. As the men step to +the deck of the _Fearless_ the wreck, with one more convulsive shiver, +plunges to her last resting place, but, thank God, with not one soul +left upon her. All are saved, and Bert, overcome, bows his head upon his +arms, and again thanks heaven for the wireless. Once more it has wrought +a miracle and plucked a host of precious lives from the maw of the +ravenous sea. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +THE DERELICT + + +"Beat this if you can, fellows," said Tom, as, next morning, lazily +stretched in his steamer chair on the deck of the _Fearless_, his eyes +took in with delight the broad expanse of the ocean, with its heaving, +green billows, capped with feathery foam of dazzling whiteness; the +arching blue of the heavens, across which floated soft, gray clouds, +which, pierced through and through by the brilliant sunshine, seemed as +transparent as a gossamer veil. A sea-gull, rising suddenly from the +crest of a wave, soared high with gracefully waving wings; then suddenly +turning, swooped downward with the speed of an arrow, disappearing for a +moment beneath the wave, rose again, triumphant, with a fish in its +talons, and swept majestically skyward. + +Fountains of spray cast up by the swiftly moving ship gleamed and +flashed in the sunshine and fell to the deck in myriad diamonds. + +Tom's pleasure was fully shared by his comrades, and surely in contrast +to the storm and stress and darkness of yesterday, the sunshine and +calm and beauty of this matchless day was enough to fill them with +keenest delight. The swift motion of the good ship that had so gallantly +weathered the terrible storm, the sea air which, freighted with salt +spray as it rushed against their faces made the flesh tingle, the +brilliant sunshine,--all combined to make this one of the happiest +mornings of their lives. + +From sheer exuberance of joy Dick started singing + + "A life on the ocean wave," + +in which the others joined. As the last notes died away they began to +talk of yesterday's storm. Something that Tom said reminded Dick of an +exciting sea story he had read, and, complying with Tom's eager "Tell us +about it," he was soon in the midst of the yarn, the boys listening with +eager delight. Others, seeing their absorbed interest, drifted up until +Dick had quite an audience of interested listeners. + +This story was followed by others, and one of the passengers had just +finished describing the very narrow escape of a boatload of sailors who +were being drawn to destruction by the dying struggles of an enormous +whale which they had harpooned, when Bert, who, while he listened, +had been idly watching a sail which had appeared above the horizon, +suddenly sprang to his feet in great excitement and drew everybody's +attention. + +"What is it? what is it?" cried Tom, catching the excitement and also +springing to his feet. + +"Why," Bert answered, "look at that ship to starboard. I've been +watching her for some time and she acts differently from any ship I ever +saw. At first she seemed to be sailing a little distance and then back +again in a sort of zig-zag course, but just a minute ago she turned +side-on toward us, and now she looks as if she were veering from one +point of the compass to another without any attempt at steering." + +Following his gaze, all saw with intense surprise the ship, as Bert had +said, apparently without guidance and drifting aimlessly. + +After the first moments of startled silence, exclamations and questions +broke forth on all sides. + +"Well, well, what a most extraordinary thing!" "What ship can she be?" +"She looks like a schooner." "Why does she drift in that aimless +fashion?" "What can be the matter with her?" + +By this time glasses had been brought. Eager eyes scanned the strange +ship from stem to stern, and one of the gazers exclaimed: + +"She certainly doesn't seem to have anyone at her wheel. She is +evidently at the mercy of the sea." + +This set everyone to talking at once and the greatest excitement +reigned. Everyone crowded to the side of the ship to get a better view. +The stranger seemed to be about three miles away, but, as the distance +lessened between her and the _Fearless_, the excitement on board +increased, and as, even with the glasses, no sign of living creature +could be seen, the sense of mystery deepened. + +When, at last, the captain announced that he would send a boat out to +speak the strange ship, a murmur of satisfaction was heard on every +side. At the call for volunteers there was no lack of response and our +boys were among them. + +It was with breathless delight that they heard their names called, and +tumbled with others into the boat. + +"Here's luck," Dick exulted as he scrambled to his place. The others +agreed with him. But, if they had expected a pleasure trip, they were +quickly undeceived. Standing on the deck of a great ship like the +_Fearless_ is a very different thing from sitting in a small boat, with +the waves which, from the ship's deck had looked only moderately large, +now piling up into a great, green wall in front of them, looking as if +it must inevitably fall upon and crush them. + +That the wave did not conquer them, but that the boat mounted to the top +of it, seemed little short of a miracle; and then, after poising for a +moment at the top, the plunge down the other side of that green wall, +seemed an equally sure way to destruction. They were glad indeed to +remember that the boat was in the hands of experienced and capable +seamen. Altogether, they were not sorry when, by the slowing up of the +speed, they knew that they were nearing their goal and saw the ship that +had so interested them looming up before them. + +Her name, _The Aurora_, flashed at them in great golden letters from her +prow. She was a fair-sized schooner in first-class condition outwardly, +and calling for a crew of eighteen or twenty beside the captain and +officers; but, where were they now? Sure enough, there was no one at the +wheel nor anywhere about the decks. Were they below? If so, what was the +desperate need or urgent business that could hold officers and crew +below decks while their ship, unguarded, her rudder banging noisily back +and forth, lay, uncontrolled, upon the waves? + +Well, they from the _Fearless_ were here to answer these questions if +they could, and preparations were made to go on board. As they drew +closer they realized that it was going to be a very difficult task to +gain her deck. With the wheel unmanned she broached to and fro with +every current and wave motion, and, constantly veering from point to +point, made it seemingly impossible to mount her decks. A little +assistance from on board would have helped them greatly, but, though +they hailed her again and again, she made no response. + +After repeated unsuccessful efforts one of the sailors, more agile than +the others, succeeded in springing into and grasping the rudder chains, +and hauling himself on deck. Catching up a rope that lay near him, he +cast it to his shipmates and, by easing and adjusting the boat as much +as possible to the erratic heaving and plunging of the ship, made it +possible for the others to climb on board. Very soon all, except two +sailors who, much to their disgust, were left in charge of the boat, +were standing together on the steamer's deck. + +With bated breath they stood for many minutes, looking about them in +wide-eyed amazement, but, as if by common instinct, not an audible sound +was heard, nor even a whispered word. A silence so intense as to make +itself felt, a sense of overwhelming loneliness and solitude held them +motionless. It was as if they stood in the presence of the dead. Here +was the body, this big schooner, but the soul had fled. The rush of +feet, the quick word of command, the hearty "Aye, aye, sir," in +response, the noise of gear and tackle, of ropes slapping on the deck, +the songs of the sailors as they go lustily about their work,--all the +sounds that make up the life of a ship were stilled, and no sound but +the splashing of the waves against her sides broke the awesome silence. + +At last, under the direction of Mr. Collins, four men from the +_Fearless_ began to search the deck for some solution of the mystery, +and not one among them was conscious of the fact that he moved about on +his toes in the presence of this awe-inspiring silence. + +Their search of the deck revealed nothing. Everything seemed undisturbed. +The life-boats and even the little dinghy were in their places. All was +perfectly ship-shape, but over everything was the silence of desertion. + +While the deck was being searched by the four men, the others, including +Bert and Dick and Tom, went below, for, here in the cabin, they hoped +to find some solution of the mystery. But again they found the same +chilling silence, the same absolute desertion. + +In the state-rooms the bunks were made up and all was in order. An +uncompleted letter lay on the captain's table and an open book lay +face-downward on the bed. In the cabin the only sign of haste or +disturbance was found. The table was set for breakfast with the food +upon it only partly eaten. Chairs were pushed back from it and one was +overturned. A handkerchief lay on the floor as if hastily dropped, but +there was no further sign of panic or of any struggle. + +Someone suggested that the storm had driven them away in panic. Mr. +Collins soon proved to them the fallacy of that supposition by calling +attention to an unfinished garment which lay on a sewing machine in one +of the state-rooms. A thimble and spool of cotton lay beside it. In a +storm these things would inevitably have been thrown to the floor. He +showed them further that the breakfast things on the table were in their +places and not overturned as they must have been in the storm. Then, +too, the coffee in the urn was barely cold, and the fire in the galley +stove was still burning. This proved conclusively that up to almost the +last moment before the desertion of the ship, all was normal and +peaceful on board. "And," he continued, "if there were nothing else the +last entry in the ship's log would show that she was not deserted until +after the storm." + +While everyone listened with keenest interest, he read them the account +entered there of the storm, the gallant behavior of the _Aurora_, and +the safety of all on board. The entry was made with the kind of ink that +writes blue but afterwards turns black, and the officer called their +attention to the fact that the ink was not yet black. + +"Why," said he, "they must at this moment be only a very few miles from +the ship. Did anyone ever hear of anything like this?" wondered Dick. +"Such a little while ago, and absolutely nothing to show why they went. +I'd give a whole lot to know." + +"Well, anyway, it is evident," said Bert as they examined the galley, +"that it was not hunger or thirst that drove them away," and he pointed +to the shelves of the pantry, well stocked with meats and vegetables and +fruits, and lifted the cover from the water tank and showed it full of +sweet water. + +With the feeling of wonder and amazement growing upon them, they +examined every corner of the ship from deck to hold, but found no sign +of living creature, nor any clue to the profound mystery. Cold shivers +began to run up and down their spines. + +"What on earth or sea," said the irrepressible Tom, voicing the inmost +thought of every mind, "could have driven a company of men to abandon a +ship in such perfect condition as this schooner is?" and again all stood +silent in a last effort to solve the problem. + +"Well," said Mr. Collins, "we have made a most thorough search and +nothing can be gained by remaining here longer." So, only waiting to +procure the ship's log that he had laid upon the table, he led the way +to the deck. With a last look about them, in the vain hope of finding +some living creature, they clambered into the boat and rowed back to +the _Fearless_. + +On the way over, everyone was too oppressed for further conversation, +but as they neared the _Fearless_ their faces brightened; and as they +stood once more upon her decks, with the eager people crowding about +them, it seemed good, after the desolation they had witnessed, to be on +board a live ship once more. + +"This is surely a most wonderful and mysterious thing," said the +captain, after listening to their report. "What could have driven them +to such a desperate measure as abandoning a ship in sound condition and +so well provisioned? Was it mutiny?" + +"No, sir," and the mate shook his head. "I thought of that and we +searched the ship for any signs of a struggle or bloodshed; but there +was no evidence of fighting nor a drop of blood anywhere." + +"Was there, perhaps, a leak?" again suggested the captain. + +"Not that we could find," Dick answered. "The ship seemed as tight and +safe as could be. We are sure there is no leak." + +"What do you think about it?" asked Captain Manning, turning to a very +grave and thoughtful gentleman standing near. This was Captain Grant who +the day before had so nobly stood by his ill-fated ship and to whose +rescue and that of his unfortunate passengers the _Fearless_ had +come with not a minute to spare. Captain Manning had found him very +congenial, and in the few hours since he had come on board the two +gentlemen had become firm friends. At Captain Manning's question he +turned to him cordially and answered with a smile: + +"Well, as far as the crew are concerned, it might have been superstition, +fear of ghosts perhaps. This unreasoning fear has driven more than one +crew bodily from their ship." + +"If that was the cause," ventured Bert, "is it not possible that their +panic may leave them, and that they may return?" + +"It is possible," agreed Captain Manning, smiling, "and we will cruise +about as soon as I can make preparation. We may be able to overtake them +or perhaps meet them returning." + +"Was her cargo a valuable one?" asked one of Captain Grant's passengers. + +"Yes, quite," was the response, "but not so valuable as it would have +been if she had been homeward instead of outward bound. The log shows +her to be of Canadian construction and bound from Vancouver to China +with a cargo of dried fish, skins, and lumber. If she had been returning +she would have been freighted, as you know, with rich silks and tea and +rice, of more value than the cargo she carried from British Columbia." + +"Shall you attempt to return her to her owners?" asked Mr. Collins. "A +schooner like the _Aurora_ would mean a large salvage." + +"It certainly would," replied the captain, "and, if we had found her +earlier in the voyage, I should have towed her back. But now I cannot +afford the time, and I hardly know what to do. She ought not to be left +drifting; she is right in the track of steamships, and so is a menace. +Wilson," he said, turning to Bert, "try to raise a United States vessel +and give her the location of the derelict." + +It took two hours before Bert succeeded, but at last he reached the +cruiser _Cormorant_ and received thanks for the information and +assurance that the matter would be attended to at once. + +By this time all was ready and the _Fearless_ began to cruise in +ever-widening circles around the _Aurora_. With and without glasses all +scanned the sea in every direction for signs of a boat. Once the call of +the lookout drew all eyes to a dark object which, at that distance, +looked as if it might be a yawl, and every heart beat faster with the +hope that at last the mystery of the _Aurora_ might be solved. But, +alas, it was found to be only a piece of broken mast, discarded from +some ship. + +For several hours they cruised about, filled with eager hope which +gradually faded as the hours went by. At last, Captain Manning gave the +order, and the _Fearless_ again came about to her course. + +Everyone turned disappointedly from the rail as the quest was abandoned, +and it seemed to the four young fellows that the _Fearless_ swung slowly +and reluctantly, as if she disliked to leave her sister ship to such an +uncertain fate. + +The good ship gathered speed, and as they stood at the rail, Ralph +thoughtfully said, "I wonder if the mystery of that deserted ship will +ever be made clear." + +"Well," said Bert, "when we return we can ascertain if she lived to +reach port." + +"Yes," grumbled Tom. "But unless some of the crew had returned before +the government ship reached her the mystery would be as profound as +ever. And," he added, sinking disgustedly into his steamer chair, and +stretching himself out lazily, "I do hate mysteries." + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +THE TIGER AT BAY + + +One day, about mid-afternoon, Bert was going through his duties in a +more or less mechanical fashion, for the day had been warm, and he had +been on duty since early morning. For several days past, practically no +news of any interest had come in over the invisible aerial pathways, and +as he had said to Dick only a short time before, "everything was deader +than a door nail." + +Suddenly, however, the sounder began to click in a most unusual fashion. +The clicks were very erratic, quick, and short, and to Bert's experienced +ear it was apparent that the person sending the message was in a state of +great excitement. He hastily adjusted the clamp that held the receiver to +his ear, and at the first few words of the message his heart leapt with +excitement. + +"Tiger broken loose," came the message, in uneven spurts and dashes, +"three of crew dead or dying--am shut up in wireless room--beast is +sniffing at door--help us if you can--" and then followed, latitude and +longitude of the unlucky vessel. + +Bert's hand leaped to the sender, and the powerful spark went crashing +out from the wires. "Will come at once--keep up courage," he sent, and +then snatched the apparatus off his head and rushed in mad haste to the +deck. Captain Manning was below deck, and Bert communicated the message +he had just received to the commanding officer at the time. + +"Good heavens," ejaculated the first officer, "there's only one thing +for us to do, and that's to go to their aid just as fast as this old tub +will take us." + +This was no sooner said than done, and in a few minutes the course of +the vessel was changed, and she was headed in the direction of the +distressed animal ship, for there could be little doubt that such was +the nature of the cargo she had on board. It is not such an uncommon +thing for a wild animal to break loose during a voyage, but generally it +is recaptured with little trouble. Occasionally, however, an especially +ferocious animal will escape, and at the very outset kill or maim the +men especially employed to take care of them. Once let this happen, and +the crew has little chance against such an enemy. Nothing much more +terrible could be imagined than such a situation, and such was the +plight in which the crew of the animal ship found themselves. They had +made several vain attempts to trap the big tiger, but at each attempt +one of their number had been caught and killed by the ferocious beast, +until in a panic they had retreated to the forecastle, taking with them +the first mate, who had been seriously injured by the murderous claws of +the tiger as they were trying to cast a noose around his neck. Left +without management, their ship was at the mercy of wind and wave, with +no living creature on deck save the big cat. He had vainly tried to +break into the men's quarters, and failing in that, had laid siege to +the cabin of the wireless operator. The door of this was fragile, +however, and although the desperate man within had piled every article +of furniture in the room against the door, there could be little doubt +that it was but a matter of time when the maddened tiger would make use +of his vast strength and burst in the frail barrier. + +Such was the situation on board when, as a last resource, the devoted +operator sent out the call for help that Bert had heard. The knowledge +that help was at least on the way gave heart to the imprisoned and +almost despairing man, and he waited for the rescuing ship to arrive +with all the fortitude he could muster. + +Meanwhile, on Bert's ship, Captain Manning had been summoned to the +bridge, and had immediately ordered full steam ahead. The ship quivered +and groaned as the steam rushed at high pressure into the cylinders, +causing the great propellers to turn as though they had been but toys. +Great clouds of black smoke poured from the funnel, and the ship forged +ahead at a greater speed than her crew had ever supposed her capable of +making. + +Fast as was their progress, however, it seemed but a crawl to the +anxious group gathered on the bridge, and Bert went below to send an +encouraging message to the unfortunate operator on the other ship. + +Crash! crash! and the powerful current crackled and flashed from the +wires. + +"Keep up courage," was the message Bert sent, "keep up courage, and we +will get help to you soon. Are about ten knots from you now." + +For a few minutes there was no reply, and, when the receiver finally +clicked, Bert could hardly catch the answer, so faint was it. + +"The dynamo has stopped," it read, "and batteries are almost exhausted. +Heard shouting from the crew's quarters a short time ago, and think the +tiger is probably trying to break in there. A--few minutes--more--" but +here the sounder ceased, and Bert, in spite of his frantic efforts, was +unable to get another word, good or bad. Finally, giving the attempt up +as hopeless, he made his way to the bridge, where Captain Manning and +the first officer were absorbed over a chart. + +"We can't be very far from them now, sir," the latter was saying. "At +the rate this old boat's going now we ought to sight them pretty soon, +don't you think so, sir?" + +"We surely should," replied the captain. "But I wonder if Wilson has +heard any more from them. As long as--ah, here you are, eh, Mr. Wilson? +What's the latest news from the distressed vessel?" + +"Pretty bad, sir," said Bert. "The crew seems to have become +panic-stricken, including the engine-room force, and they've allowed the +dynamo to stop. The wireless man didn't have enough current left from +the batteries to finish the message he was sending. He did say, though, +that the tiger was raising a rumpus up forward, and trying to break into +the men's quarters. I can only hope, sir, that we will not arrive too +late." + +"I hope so, indeed," responded Captain Manning, gloomily, "but even if +we get there before the beast has gotten at them, we'll have our work +cut out for us. We have no adequate weapons on board, and we can't hope +to cope with a foe like that barehanded." + +"That's very true," said the first officer, scratching his head. "I +rather had a feeling that all we had to do was to get there and kill the +tiger, but I must confess I hadn't figured out how. However," he added, +"I've got a brace of pistols in my cabin, and I suppose you have, too, +haven't you, sir?" addressing the captain. + +"Oh, of course I have them," said the captain, impatiently, "but they're +not much good in an affair of this kind. What we need is a big game +rifle, and that's something we haven't got. However, I imagine we'll hit +on some plan after we get there. Set your wits to work, Mr. Wilson, and +see if you can't figure out a scheme. You have always struck me as being +pretty ingenious." + +"Well, I'll do my best, you may be sure of that, sir," replied Bert, +"but meanwhile, I guess I'd better go below and see if by any chance +they have got their wireless working again." + +"Aye, aye," said the captain, "see what you can do, and I'll see that +you are informed when we get near the vessel." + +Bert did as he had proposed, but could get no response from his +apparatus, and was just giving over the attempt as hopeless when he got +a message from the captain that they were close up to the unfortunate +ship. + +Hastily unfastening the "harness" from his head, Bert rushed on deck, +and gave a quick look about him. Sure enough, they were close aboard a +rusty-looking steamer, that drifted aimlessly about, and at first glance +seemed to have no living soul aboard. The deck was untenanted and showed +no signs of life, and the silence was unbroken save for an occasional +cry from the caged animals in the hold. + +Of the tiger said to be loose on board there was no indication, however, +but they soon made out a colored handkerchief waving from one of the +portholes that afforded light and ventilation to the "fo'castle." +Presently they heard someone shouting to them, but were unable to make +out what was said. + +Captain Manning ordered a boat lowered, and carefully picked the men +whom he desired to go in it. When he had chosen almost his full crew, +Bert hurried up to him, and said: "I beg your pardon, sir, but I would +like to ask you a favor. Do you think you could allow me and my friend, +Mr. Trent, to go along? I think we could do our share of what's to be +done, and I feel that I ought to be among the party that goes in aid of +a fellow operator." + +At first the captain would not hear of any such proposition, but +finally, by dint of much persuasion, Bert won a reluctant consent. + +"All right," grumbled the captain. "If you must, you must, I suppose. +But hurry up now. Step lively! All hands ready?" + +"Aye, aye, sir," sang out the crew, and after a few parting instructions +from Captain Manning, the first officer, Mr. Collins, shouted the order +to give way. + +The crew bent to their oars with a will, and the heavy boat fairly +leaped through the water at their sturdy strokes. In almost less time +than it takes to tell, the boat was under the porthole from which they +had first seen the signals, and Mr. Collins was talking in a low voice +with a white-faced man who peered out of the circular opening. + +"He almost had us a little time back," said the latter, "but we managed +to make enough noise to scare him away for the time. We haven't heard +anything of him for quite a while now, but he's hungry, and he'll soon +be back. Heaven help us, then, if you fellows can't do something for +us." + +"We'll get him, all right, never fear," said Mr. Collins, reassuringly, +"but how do you stand now? How many did the beast get before you got +away from him?" + +"He killed the three animal keepers almost at one swipe," said the man, +who proved to be the second mate. "Then the captain, as was a brave man, +stood up to him with an old gun he used to keep in his cabin, and the +beast crushed his head in before he could get the old thing to work. It +must have missed fire, I guess. Then the brute started creeping toward +us as was on deck, and we made a rush for the fo'castle door. The first +officer happened to be the last one in, and the tiger just caught his +arm with his claws and ripped it open to the bone. We managed to drag +him in and slam the door in the beast's face, though, and then we piled +everything we could lay hand to against the door." + +"What did he do then?" inquired Mr. Collins. + +"Why, he went ragin' back and made a dive for one of the stokers that +was up at the engine-room hatchway gettin' a bit of fresh air, and he +almost nabbed him. The dago dived below, though, and had sense enough to +drop a grating after him. That stopped the cursed brute, and then I +don't know what he did for a while. Just a little while ago, though, as +I was tellin' ye, he came sniffin' and scratchin' around the door, and +if he made a real hard try he'd get in, sure. Then it 'ud be good-night +for us. Not one of us would get out of here alive." + +"But now that he's left you for a time, why don't you make an attempt to +trap or kill him?" inquired Mr. Collins, and there was a little contempt +in his tone. + +"What, us? Never in a hundred years," replied the man, in a scared +voice. It was evident that the crew was completely unnerved, and Mr. +Collins and his crew realized that if anything was to be done they must +do it unaided. + +"Well, here goes," said he. "We might as well get on that deck first +as last. We'll never get anywhere by sitting here and talking." +Accordingly, they clambered up on deck, one by one, led by the first +mate. In a short time they were all safely on deck, and looked around, +their hearts beating wildly, for any sign of the ferocious animal. As +far as any evidences of his presence went, however, the nearest tiger +might have been in Africa. There was a deathlike hush over the ship, +broken at times by the muffled chattering of the monkeys confined in +cages below decks. + +All the men were armed with the best weapons they were able to obtain, +consisting chiefly of heavy iron bars requisitioned from the engine-room. +Mr. Curtis, of course, had a pair of heavy revolvers, and both Bert and +Dick had each a serviceable .45-calibre Colt. These were likely to prove +of little avail against such an opponent, however, and more than one of +the crew wished he were safely back on the deck of his own ship. + +Not so Bert and Dick, however, and their eyes danced and sparkled from +excitement. "Say," whispered Dick in Bert's ear, "talk about the +adventures of that fellow you and I were reading about a day or two +ago. This promises to outdo anything that _I_ ever heard of." + +"It sure does," said Bert, in the same suppressed voice. "I wonder where +that beast can be hiding himself. This suspense is getting on my +nerves." + +All the rescuing party felt the same way, but the tiger obstinately +refused to put in an appearance. The men started on an exploring +expedition, beginning at the bow and working toward the stern. At every +step they took, the probability of their presently stumbling on the +animal became more imminent, and their nerves were keyed to the breaking +point. + +In this manner they traversed almost two-thirds of the deck, and were +about to round the end of the long row of staterooms when suddenly, +without a moment's warning, the tiger stood before them, not thirty feet +away. + +At first he seemed to be surprised, but as the men watched him, +fascinated, they could see his cruel yellow eyes gradually change to +black, and hear a low rumble issue from his throat. For a few seconds +not one of them seemed able to move a hand, but then Mr. Curtis yelled, +"Now's your time, boys. Empty your revolvers into him, Wilson and +Crawford," and suiting the action to the word, he opened fire on the +great cat. + +Bert and Dick did likewise, but in their excitement most of their shots +went wild, and only wounded the now thoroughly infuriated animal. + +With a roar that fairly shook the ship the tiger leapt toward the hardy +group. "Back! Back!" shouted Mr. Collins, and they retreated hastily. +The tiger just fell short of them, but quickly gathered himself for +another spring, and two of the more faint-hearted seamen started to run +toward the bow. Indeed, it was a situation to daunt the heart of the +bravest man, but Bert and the others who retained their self-control +knew that it was now too late to retreat, and their only course, +desperate as it seemed, was to stand their ground and subdue the raging +beast if possible. + +The tiger's rage was truly a terrible thing to see. As he stood facing +them, foam dripped from his jaws, and great rumblings issued from his +throat. His tail lashed back and forth viciously, and he began creeping +along the deck toward them. + +But now Bert and Dick and the first mate had had a chance, in frantic +haste, to load their revolvers, and they gripped the butts of their +weapons in a convulsive grasp. And they had need of all they could +muster. + +Soon the tiger judged he was near enough for a spring, and stopping, +gathered his great muscles under him in tense knots. Then he sprang +through the air like a bolt from a cross-bow, and this time they had no +chance to retreat. + +As the raging beast landed among them, the men scattered to left and +right, and struck out with the heavy iron bars they had brought with +them. They dodged this way and that, evading the tiger's ripping claws +and snapping teeth as best they could, and landing a blow whenever the +opportunity offered. They were not to escape unscathed from such an +encounter, however, and again and again shouts of pain arose from those +unable to avoid the raving beast. Bert and Dick waited until the tiger's +attention was concentrated on three of the men who were making a +concerted attack on him, and then, at almost point blank range, emptied +their revolvers into the beast's head. At almost the same moment the +first mate followed suit, and the tiger stopped in his struggles, and +stood stupidly wagging his head from side to side, while bloody foam +slavered and dripped from his jaws. Then he gradually slumped down +on the reddened deck, and finally lay still, with once or twice a +convulsive shiver running over him. + +Quickly reloading their revolvers, Bert, Dick, and the first mate +delivered another volley at the prostrate beast, so as to take no +chances. + +Every muscle in the animal's beautiful body relaxed, his great head +rolled limply over on to the deck, and it was evident that he was dead. +A cheer arose from the men, but their attention was quickly turned to +themselves, and with good reason. Not one of them had escaped a more or +less painful wound from the great beast's tearing claws, one or two of +which threatened to become serious. Both Bert and Dick had deep, painful +scratches about the arms and shoulders, but they felt glad enough to +escape with only these souvenirs of the desperate encounter. + +"Well, men," said Mr. Collins, after they had bound up their wounds +temporarily, and were limping back toward their boat, "I think we can +thank our lucky stars that we got off as easily as we did. When that +fellow jumped for us the second time, I for one never expected to come +out of the mix-up alive." + +"I, either," said Bert. "I like excitement about as well as anybody, I +guess, but this job of fighting tigers with nothing but a revolver is a +little too rich for me. The next time I try it I'll want to pack a +cannon along." + +"Righto!" said Dick, with a laugh that was a trifle shaky. "But what are +we going to do now? I suppose the first thing is to let those low-lives +out of the forecastle and tell 'em we've fixed their tiger for them." + +"We might as well," acquiesced Mr. Collins, and they lost no time in +following out Dick's suggestion. Before they reached the forecastle +they were joined by the two men who had run at the tiger's second +onslaught, and you may be sure they looked thoroughly ashamed of +themselves. The men who had stood fast realized that reproaches would do +no good, however, and they were so exhilarated over their victory, now +that they began to realize just what they had accomplished, that they +were not inclined to indulge in recriminations. They could come later. + +They were about to resume their march to the crew's quarters when Dick +happened to notice that Bert was missing. The men all started out in +search of him, but their anxiety was soon relieved by seeing Bert +return accompanied by a man whom he presently introduced to them as +the wireless operator. The latter was profuse in his expressions of +gratitude, but Bert refused point blank to listen to him. + +"It's no more than you would have done for us, if you had had the +chance," he said, "therefore, thanks are entirely out of order." + +"Not a bit of it," persisted the other, warmly. "It was a mighty fine +thing for you fellows to do, and, believe me, I, for one, will never +forget it." + +By now they were in front of the fo'castle, and shouted out to the men +within that they could come out with safety. There was a great noise of +objects within being pulled away from the door, and then the crew of the +animal ship emerged in a rather sheepish manner, for they realized that +they had not played a very heroic part. However, they had had very +little in the way of weapons, and perhaps their conduct might be +palliated by this fact. + +Two of them immediately set to work skinning the tiger, and meantime the +wounded first mate of the animal ship expressed his thanks and that +of the crew to Mr. Collins. Then the limping, smarting little band +clambered over the side and into their waiting boat. The row back to the +ship seemed to consume an age, but you may be sure that the two sailors +who had escaped the conflict were now forced to do most of the hard +work, and they did not even attempt to object, no doubt realizing the +hopelessness of such a course. + +They reached their ship at last, however, and were greeted with praise +from the passengers on account of their bravery, and sympathy over their +many and painful wounds. + +After Mr. Collins had made his report to the captain, the latter shook +his head gravely. "Perhaps I did wrong in letting you undertake such a +task," he said, "but I don't know what else we could have done. Heaven +knows how long it would have taken any other vessel to get here, and +after they arrived they might not have had any greater facilities for +meeting such a situation than we had. But I'm very glad we got out of +the predicament without actual loss of life." + +"We were very fortunate, indeed," agreed Mr. Collins, and here they +dropped the subject, for among men who habitually followed a dangerous +calling even such an adventure as this does not seem such a very unusual +occurrence. + +Bert was not so seriously wounded as to make it impossible to resume his +duties, however, and after a few days his wounds gave him no further +trouble. Needless to say, the remembrance of the desperate adventure +never entirely left his mind to the end of his life, and for weeks +afterward he would wake from a troubled sleep seeing again in his +imagination the infuriated tiger as it had looked when leaping at the +devoted group. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +AMONG THE CANNIBALS + + +The routine life of shipboard wore quietly on for several days without +interruption. The staunch ship held steadily on its course, and the +ceaseless vibrations of its engines came to be as unnoticed and as +unthought of as the beatings of their own hearts. There had been no +storms for some time, as indeed there seldom were at this time of the +year, and Bert's duties as wireless operator occupied comparatively +little of his time. He had plenty left, therefore, to spend with Dick +and Tom, and they had little trouble in finding a way to occupy their +leisure with pleasure and profit to themselves and others. + +A favorite resort was the engine room, where in spite of the heat +they spent many a pleasant hour in company with the chief engineer, +MacGregor. The latter was a shaggy old Scotchman with a most stern and +forbidding exterior, but a heart underneath that took a warm liking to +the three comrades, much to the surprise and disgust of the force of +stokers and "wipers" under him. + +"And phwat do yez think of the old man?" one was heard to remark to his +companion one day. "There was a toime when the chief 'ud look sour and +grumble if the cap'n himself so much as poked his nose inside the engine +room gratin', and now here he lets thim young spalpeens run all ovir the +place, wid never a kick out o' him." + +"Sure, an' Oi've ben noticin' the same," agreed his companion, "an' +phwat's more, he answers all their questions wid good natur', and nivir +seems to have ony desire to dhrop a wrinch on their noodles." + +"Perhaps 'tis because the youngsters ask him nothin' but sinsible +questions, as ye may have noticed," said he who had spoken first, as he +leaned on his shovel for a brief rest. "Shure, an' it's me private +opinion that the young cubs know 'most as much about the engines as old +Mac himsilf." + +"Thrue fer you," said the other. "Only yisterday, if O'im not mistaken, +young Wilson, him as runs the wireless outfit for the ship, was down +here, and they were havin' a argyment regardin' the advantages of the +reciprocatin' engines over the new steam turbins, an' roast me in me own +furnace if I don't think the youngster had the goods on the old man +right up t' the finish." + +"Oi wouldn't be su'prised at ahl, at ahl," agreed his companion. "The +young felly has a head for engines, an' no mistake. He's got a lot o' +book larnin' about 'em, too." + +It was indeed as the stokers said, and a strong friendship and mutual +regard had sprung up between the grizzled old engineer and the +enthusiastic wireless operator. As our readers doubtless remember, Bert +had been familiar with things mechanical since boyhood, and during his +college course had kept up his knowledge by a careful reading of the +latest magazines and periodicals given over to mechanical research. +Needless to say, his ideas were all most modern, while on the part of +the chief engineer there was a tendency to stick to the tried and +tested things of mechanics and fight very shy of all inventions and +innovations. + +However, each realized that the other knew what he was talking about, +and each had a respect for the opinions of the other. This did not +prevent their having long arguments at times, however, in which a +perfect shower and deluge of technical words and descriptions filled the +air. It seldom happened, though, that either caused the other to alter +his original stand in the slightest degree, as is generally the case in +all arguments of any sort. + +But the engineer was always ready to explain things about the ponderous +engines that Bert did not fully understand, and there were constant +problems arising from Bert's inspection of the beautifully made +machinery that only the engineer, of all on board, could solve for him. +Bert always found a fascination in watching the powerful engines and +would sit for hours at a time, when he was at leisure, watching each +ingenious part do its work, with an interest that never flagged. + +He loved to study the movements of the mighty pistons as they rose and +fell like the arm of some immense giant, and speculate on the terrific +power employed in every stroke. The shining, smooth, well-oiled +machinery seemed more beautiful to Bert than any picture he had ever +seen, and the regular click and chug of the valves was music. Every +piece of brass, nickel and steel work in the engine room was spotlessly +clean, and glittered and flickered in the glow from the electric lights. + +Sometimes he and MacGregor would sit in companionable silence for an +hour at a time, listening to the hiss of steam as it rushed into the +huge cylinders, and was then expelled on the upward stroke of the +piston. MacGregor loved his engines as he might a pet cat or dog, and +often patted them lovingly when he was sure nobody was around to observe +his actions. + +Once the engineer had taken Bert back along the course of the big +propeller shaft to where it left the ship, water being prevented from +leaking in around the opening by means of stuffing boxes. At intervals +the shaft was supported by bearings made of bronze, and as they passed +them the old man always passed his hand over them to find out if by any +chance one was getting warm on account of the friction caused by lack of +proper lubrication. + +"For it's an afu' thing," he said to Bert, shaking his head, "to have a +shaft break when you're in the ragin' midst of a storm. It happened to +me once, an' the second vayage I evir took as chief engineer, and I hae +no desire t' repeat the experience." + +"What did you do about it?" inquired Bert. + +"We did the anly thing there was to be done, son. We set the whole +engine room force drillin' holes thrae the big shaft, and then we +riveted a wee snug collar on it, and proceeded on our way. Two days and +two nights we were at it, with the puir bonnie ship driftin' helpless, +an' the great waves nigh breakin' in her sides. Never a wink o' sleep +did I get during the hale time, and none of the force under me got much +more. Ye may believe it was a fair happy moment for all of us when we +eased the steam into the low pressure cylinder and saw that the job was +like to hold until we got tae port. Nae, nae, one experience like thot +is sufficient tae hold a mon a lifetime." + +"I should think it would be," said Bert. "You generally hear a lot +about the romantic side of accidents at sea, but I guess the people +actually mixed up in them look at the matter from a different point of +view." + +"Nae doot, nae doot," agreed the old Scotsman, "and what credit do ye +suppose we got for all our work? The papers were full o' the bravery and +cael headedness the skipper had exhibited, but what o' us poor deils +wha' had sweated and slaved twae mortal day an nichts in a swelterin', +suffercatin' hold, whi' sure death for us gin anything sprang a leak and +the ship sank? Wae'd a' had nae chanct t' git on deck and in a boat. +Wae'd have been drounded like wee rats in a trap. I prasume nobody +thocht o' that, howiver." + +"That's the way it generally works out, I've noticed," said Bert. "Of +course, many times the captain does deserve much or all the credit, but +the newspapers never take the trouble to find out the facts. You can bet +your case wasn't the first of the kind that ever occurred." + +"'Tis as you say," agreed the engineer; "but nae we must back to the +engine room, me laddie. I canna feel easy when I am far frae it." + +Accordingly they retraced their course, and were soon back in the room +where the machinery toiled patiently day and night, never groaning or +complaining when taken proper care of, as you may be sure these engines +were. MacGregor would have preferred to have somebody make a slighting +remark about him than about his idolized engines, and would have been +less quick to resent it. + +Bert was about to take his leave, when suddenly Tom and Dick came +tumbling recklessly down the steep ladder leading to the engine room, +and fairly fell down the last few rounds. + +"Say, Bert, beat it up on deck," exclaimed Tom, as soon as he was able +to get his breath. "We sighted an island an hour or so ago, and as we +get nearer to it we can see that there's a signal of some sort on it. +Captain Manning says that none of the islands hereabout are inhabited, +so it looks as though somebody had been shipwrecked there. The skipper's +ordered the course changed so as to head straight toward it, and we +ought to be within landing distance in less than an hour." + +"Hooray!" yelled Bert. "I'll give you a race up, fellows, and see who +gets on deck first," and so saying he made a dive for the ladder. Dick +and Tom made a rush to intercept him, but Bert beat them by a fraction +of an inch, and went up the steep iron ladder with as much agility as +any monkey. The others were close at his heels, however, and in less +time than it takes to tell they were all on deck. + +Dick and Tom pointed out the island to Bert, and there, sure enough, he +saw what appeared to be a remnant of some flag nailed to an upright +branch planted in the ground. They were not more than a mile from the +island by this time, and soon Captain Manning rang the gong for half +speed ahead. A few moments later he gave the signal to shut off power, +and the vibration of the ship's engines ceased abruptly. The sudden +stopping of the vibration to which by now they had become so accustomed +that it seemed part of life came almost like a blow to the three young +men, and they were obliged to laugh. + +"Gee, but that certainly seems queer," said Tom. "It seems to me as +though I must have been used to that jarring all my life." + +"Well," said Dick, "it certainly feels unusual now, but I will be +perfectly willing to exchange it for a little trip on good, solid land. +I hope we can persuade the captain to let us go ashore with the men." + +The captain's consent was easily obtained, and they then awaited +impatiently for the boat to be launched that was to take them to the +island. + +The island was surrounded by a coral reef, in which at first there +appeared to be no opening. On closer inspection, however, when they +had rowed close up to it, they found a narrow entrance, that they +would never have been able to use had the water been at all rough. +Fortunately, however, the weather had been very calm for several days +past, so they had little difficulty in manoeuvering the boat through +the narrow opening. As it was, however, once or twice they could hear +the sharp coral projections scrape against the boat's sides, and they +found time even in their impatience to land to wonder what would happen +to any ship unfortunate enough to be tossed against the reef. + +After they had passed the reef all was clear sailing, and a few moments +later the boat grated gently on a sloping beach of dazzling white sand, +and the sailor in the bow leapt ashore and drew the boat a little way up +on the beach. Then they all jumped out and stood scanning what they +could see of the place for some sign of life other than that of the +signal they had seen from the ship. This now hung limply down around the +pole, and no sound was to be heard save the lap of the waves against the +reef and an occasional bird note from the rim of trees that began where +the white sand ended. + +The green trees and vegetation stood out in sharp relief contrasted with +the white beach and the azure sky, and the three boys felt a tingle of +excitement run through their veins. Here was just such a setting for +adventures and romance as they had read about often in books, but had +hardly dared ever hope to see. This might be an island where Captain +Kidd had made his headquarters and buried priceless treasure, some of +which at that moment might lie under the sand on which they were +standing. The green jungle in front of them might contain any number of +adventures and hair-raising exploits ready to the hand of any one who +came to seek, and at the thought the spirits of all three kindled. + +"This is the chance of a lifetime, fellows," said Bert, in a low voice, +"if we don't get some excitement out of this worth remembering, I think +it will be our own fault." + +"That's what," agreed Dick, "why in time don't we get busy and do +something. We won't find the person who put up that signal by standing +here and talking. I want to make a break for those trees and see what we +can find there." + +"Same here," said Tom, "and I guess we're going to do something at last, +by the looks of things." + +Mr. Miller, the second mate, who had been placed in charge of the party, +had indeed arrived at a decision, and now made it known to the whole +group. + +"I think the best thing we can do," he said, "is to skirt the forest +there and see if we can find anything that looks like a path or trail. +If there's any living thing on this island it must have left some sort +of a trace." + +This was done accordingly, and in a short time they were walking along +the edge of the jungle, each one straining his eyes for any indication +of a trail. At first they met with no success, but finally Tom gave a +whoop. "Here we are," he yelled, "here's a path, or something that looks +a whole lot like one, leading straight into the forest. Come along, +fellows," and he started on a run along an almost obliterated trail that +everybody else had overlooked. + +You may be sure Bert and Dick were not far behind him, and were soon +following close on his heels. After they had gone a short distance in +this reckless fashion they were forced to slow down on account of the +heat, which was overpowering. Also, as they advanced, the underbrush +became thicker and thicker, and it soon became difficult to make any +progress at all. Great roots and vines grew in tangled luxuriance across +the path, and more than once one of them tripped and measured his length +on the ground. + +Soon they felt glad to be able to progress even at a walk, and Bert +said, "We want to remember landmarks that we pass, fellows, so that we +can be sure of finding our way back. It wouldn't be very hard to wander +off this apology of a path, and find ourselves lost." + +"Like the babes in the woods," supplemented Dick, with a laugh. + +"Exactly," grinned Bert, "and I don't feel like doing any stunts along +that line myself just at present." + +These words were hardly out of his mouth when the path suddenly widened +out into a little opening or glade, and the boys stopped abruptly to get +their bearings. + +"Look! over there, fellows," said Bert, in an excited voice. "If I'm not +very much mistaken there's a hut over there, see, by that big tree--no, +no, you simps, the big one with the wild grape vine twisted all over it. +See it now?" + +It was easy to see that they did, for they both hurried over toward the +little shack at a run, but Bert had started even before they had, and +beat them to it. They could gather little information from its contents +when they arrived, however. Inside were a few ragged pieces of clothing, +and in one corner a bed constructed of twigs and branches. In addition +to these there was a rude chair constructed of boughs of trees, and tied +together with bits of string and twine. It was evident from this, +however, that some civilized person had at one time inhabited the place, +and at a recent date, too, for otherwise the hut would have been in a +more dilapidated condition than that in which they found it. + +They rummaged around, scattering the materials of which the bed was +constructed to left and right. Suddenly Tom gave a yell and pounced on +something that he had unearthed. + +"Why don't you do as I do, pick things up and look for them afterward?" +he said, excitedly. + +"What is it? What did you find?" queried Bert, who was more inclined to +be sure of his ground before he became enthusiastic. "It looks a good +deal like any other old memorandum book, as far as I can see." + +"All right, then, we'll read it and see what _is_ in it," replied Tom. +"Why, it's a record of somebody's life on the island here. I suppose +maybe you think that's nothing to find, huh?" + +Without waiting for a reply he started to read the mildewed old book, +and Bert and Dick read also, over his shoulder. + +The first entry was dated about a month previous to the time of reading, +and seemed to be simply a rough jotting down of the important events in +the castaway's life for future reference. There were records of the man, +whoever he might be, having found the spring beside which he had built +the hut in which they were now standing; of his having erected the rude +shelter, and a good many other details. + +The three boys read the scribbled account with breathless interest, as +Tom turned over page after page. "Come on, skip over to the last page," +said Bert at last, "we can read all this some other time, and I'm crazy +to know what happened to the fellow, whoever he is. Maybe he's written +that down, too, since he seems to be so methodical." + +In compliance with this suggestion, Tom turned to the last written page +of the note-book, and what the boys read there caused them to gasp. It +was scribbled in a manner that indicated furious haste, and read as +follows: + +"Whoever you are who read this, for heaven's sake come to my aid, if it +is not too late. Last night I was awakened by having my throat grasped +in a grip of iron, and before I could even start to struggle I was bound +securely. By the light of torches held by my captors I could see that I +was captured by a band of black-skinned savages. After securing me +beyond any chance of escape, they paid little further attention to me, +and held what was apparently a conference regarding my disposal. Finally +they made preparations to depart, but first cooked a rude meal and my +hands were unbound to enable me to eat. At the first opportunity I +scrawled this account, in the hope that some party seeing my signal, +might by chance find it, and be able to help me. As the savages travel I +will try to leave some trace of our progress, so you can follow us. I +only hope--" but here the message ended suddenly, leaving the boys to +draw their own conclusions as to the rest of it. + +For a few moments they gazed blankly into each other's faces, and +uttered never a word. Bert was the first to break the silence. + +"I guess it's up to us, fellows," he said, and the manly lines of his +face hardened. "We've got to do something to help that poor devil, and +the sooner we start the better. According to the dates in this book it +must have been last Thursday night that he was captured, and this is +Monday. If we hurry we may be able to trace him up and do something for +him before it's too late." + +The thought that they themselves might be captured or meet with a +horrible death did not seem to enter the head of one of them. They +simply saw plainly that it was, as Bert had said, "up to them" to do the +best they could under the circumstances, and this they proceeded to do +without further loss of time. + +"The first thing to do," said Bert, "is to scout around and see if we +can find the place where the savages left the clearing with their +prisoner. Then it will be our own fault if we cannot follow the trail." + +This seemed more easily said than done, however, and it was some time +before the three, fretting and impatient at the delay, were able to +find any clue. At last Bert gave an exultant whoop and beckoned the +others over to where he stood. + +"I'll bet any amount of money this is where they entered the jungle," he +said, exultantly. "Their prisoner evidently evaded their observation +while they were breaking a path through, and pinned this on the bush +here," and he held up a corner of a white linen handkerchief, with the +initial M embroidered on the corner. + +"Gee, I guess you're right," agreed Dick. "Things like that don't +usually grow on bushes. It ought to be easy for us to trace the party +now." + +This proved to be far from the actual case, however, and if it had not +been for the occasional scraps of clothing fluttering from a twig +or bush every now and then their search would have probably ended +in failure. So rank and luxuriant is the jungle growth in tropical +climates, that although in all probability a considerable body of men +had passed that way only a few days before, practically all trace of +their progress was gone. The thick underbrush grew as densely as ever, +and it would have seemed to one not skilled in woodland arts that the +foot of man had never trod there. Monkeys chattered in the trees as they +went along, and parrots with rainbow plumage shot among the lofty +branches, uttering raucous cries. Humming clouds of mosquitoes rose and +gathered about their heads, and added to the heat to make their journey +one of torment. + +Their previous experience as campers now stood them in good stead, and +they read without much trouble signs of the progress of the party in +front of them that they must surely have missed otherwise. + +After three hours of dogged plodding, in which few words were exchanged, +Bert said, "I don't think we can have very much further to go, fellows. +I remember the captain saying that this island was not more than a few +miles across in any direction, and we must have traveled some distance +already. We're bound to stumble on their camp soon, so we'd better be +prepared." + +"Probably by this time," said Tom, "the savages will have returned to +the mainland, or some other island from which they came. I don't think +it very likely that they live permanently on this one. It seems too +small." + +"Yes, I thought of that," said Bert, "but we've got to take our chance +on that. If they are gone, there is nothing else we can do, and we can +say we did our best, anyway." + +"But what shall we do when we find them?" asked Tom, after a short +pause, "provided, of course, that our birds haven't flown." + +"Oh, we'll have to see how matters stand, and make our plans +accordingly," replied Bert. "You fellows had better make sure your +revolvers are in perfect order. I have a hunch that we'll need them +before we get through with this business." + +Fortunately, before leaving the ship the boys had, at Bert's suggestion, +strapped on their revolvers, and each had slipped a handful of cartridges +into their pockets. + +"The chances are a hundred to one we won't need them at all," Bert had +said at the time. "But if anything _should_ come up where we'll need +them, we'll probably be mighty glad we brought them." + +The boys were very thankful for this now, as without the trusty little +weapons their adventure would have been sheer madness. As it was, +however, the feel of the compact .45's was very reassuring, and they +felt that they would at least have a fighting chance, if worse came to +worst, and they were forced to battle for their lives. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +THE HUNTING WOLVES + + +They advanced more cautiously now, with every sense alert to detect the +first sign of any lurking savage. They had not proceeded far in this +manner when Bert, who was slightly in the lead, motioned with his hand +in back of him for them to stop. This they did, almost holding their +breath the while, trying to make out what Bert had seen or heard. +For several seconds he stood the very picture of attention and +concentration, and then turned to them. + +"What is it, Bert, do you see anything?" inquired Dick, in a subdued but +tense whisper. + +"Not a thing as yet," answered Bert, in the same tone, "but I thought I +smelled smoke, and if I did, there must be a camp-fire of some kind not +very far away. Don't you fellows smell it?" + +Both sniffed the air, and as a slight breeze suddenly blew against their +faces, Tom said, "Gee, Bert, I smell it now!" + +"So do I!" said Dick, almost at the same instant, and the hearts of all +three began to beat hard. They had evidently trailed the party of +savages to their camp, and now they had something of the feeling of the +lion hunter who suddenly comes unexpectedly upon his quarry and is not +quite certain what to do with it when cornered. Needless to say, they +had never faced any situation like this before, and it is not to be +wondered at if they felt a little nervous over attempting to take a +prisoner out from the midst of a savage camp, not even knowing what +might be the force or numbers of the enemy they would have to cope with. + +This feeling was but momentary, however, and almost immediately gave +place to a fierce excitement and a wild exultation at the prospect of +danger and conflict against odds. Each knew the others to be true and +staunch to their heart's core, and as much to be relied on as himself. +They felt sure that at least they were capable of doing as much or more +than anybody else under the circumstances, and so the blood pounded +through their veins and their eyes sparkled and danced as they drew +together to hold a "council of war." + +There was little to be discussed, however, as they all three felt that +the only thing to do was to "face the music and see the thing through to +the finish," as Bert put it. + +Accordingly they shook hands, and drew their revolvers, so as to be +ready for any emergency at a moment's notice. Then, with Bert once more +in the lead, they took up their interrupted march. For all the noise +they made, they might have been the savages themselves. Their early +training in camp and field now proved invaluable, and not a twig cracked +or a leaf rustled at their cautious approach. Soon a patch of light in +front of them indicated a break in the jungle, and they crouched double +as they advanced. Suddenly Bert made a quick motion with his hand, and +darted like a streak into the underbrush at the side of the trail. The +others did likewise, and not a moment too soon. A crackling of the +undergrowth cluttering the path announced the approach of a considerable +body of men, and in a few moments the boys, from their place of +concealment, where they could look out from the leafy underbrush with +little chance of being seen, saw a party of eight or ten dusky warriors +pass by, apparently bent on foraging, for each carried a large bag slung +over his shoulder. + +They were big, splendidly built men, but their faces indicated a very +low order of intelligence. Their features were large, coarse, and +brutish, and the boys were conscious of a shudder passing over them as +they thought of being at the mercy of such creatures. + +The savages seemed in a good humor just then, however, for every once in +a while they laughed among themselves, evidently at something humorous +one of them was reciting. It was well for our heroes that they were so, +for otherwise they could hardly have failed to notice signs of their +recent presence on the trail. Fortunately this did not happen, however, +and soon they were swallowed up in the dense jungle. + +Shortly afterward the boys emerged from their places of concealment, and +resumed their slow advance. They were soon at the edge of the clearing, +and then halted to reconnoitre before venturing further. + +The savages were encamped in a natural hollow, and had apparently made +arrangements for quite a protracted visit. They had constructed rude +huts or lean-tos of branches and leaves, scattered at any place that +seemed convenient. Naked children shouted noisily as they played and +rolled on the green turf, and made such a noise that the parrots in the +woods were frightened, and flew away with disgusted squawks. + +In the center of the encampment were two huts evidently constructed with +more care than the others, and around both were squatted sentries with +javelins lying on the ground within easy reach. + +"I'll bet any money they are keeping their prisoner in one of those +shacks, fellows," said Bert, "but what do you suppose the other one is +for? It looks bigger than the others." + +"Oh, that's probably the king's palace," said Dick. "Compared to the +rest of those hovels it almost looks like one, at that." + +"That's what it is, all right," agreed Tom, "but how are we going to +tell which one is the prisoner's, and which the king's? We don't want to +go and rescue the wrong one, you know." + +"No danger of that," said Bert. "All we've got to do is to lie low a +little while and see what's going on down there. We'll find out how +matters stand soon enough." + +Accordingly, the trio concealed themselves as best they could, and in +whispers took council on the best means of bringing about the release of +the captive. + +This proved a knotty problem, however, and for a long while they seemed +no nearer its solution. It was Bert who finally proposed the plan that +they eventually followed. + +"I think," he said, "that we'd better get the lay of the land securely +in our eye, and then wait till dark and make our attempt. We haven't got +any chance otherwise, as far as I can see. It would be nonsense to rush +them in the broad light of day, for we'd simply be killed or captured +ourselves, and that wouldn't improve matters much. There will be a full +moon, almost, to-night, and this clearing isn't so big but what we might +be able to sneak from the shadow of the trees up close to the two center +huts. Then we could overpower the sentries, if we have luck, and +smuggle the prisoner into the woods. Once there, we'll have to take our +chance of keeping them off with our revolvers, if they pursue and +overtake us. Can either of you think of a better plan than that?" + +It seemed that neither could, and so they resolved to carry out Bert's. +Accordingly, they kept their positions till the sun gradually sank, and +the shadows began to creep over the little clearing. The night descended +very quickly, however, as it always does in tropical latitudes, but it +seemed an age to the impatient boys before the jungle was finally +enshrouded in inky shadows, and it became time for them to make their +desperate attempt. Stealthy rustlings and noises occasionally approached +them as they lay, and more than once they thought their hiding-place had +been discovered. At last, Bert decided that the time had come to put +their plan into action, and they rose stealthily from their cramped +position. The prospect of immediate action was like a strong stimulant +to these three tried comrades, and all thought of danger and possible, +nay, even probable, death, or what might be infinitely worse, capture, +was banished from their minds. They had often craved adventure, and now +they seemed in a fair way to get their fill of it. + +Quietly as cats they stole around the edge of the clearing, planting +each footstep with infinite care to avoid any possible sound. Once a +loud shouting arose from the camp, and they made sure that they were +discovered, and grasped their revolvers tightly, resolved to sell their +lives dearly. It proved to be merely some disturbance among the savages, +however, and they ventured to breathe again. + +Foot by foot they skirted the clearing, guided by the fitful and +flickering light of the camp-fire, and finally gained a position in what +they judged was about the rear of the two central huts. + +Now there was nothing to do but wait until the majority of the camp +should fall asleep, and this proved the most trying ordeal they had yet +experienced. At first groups of boisterous children approached their +place of concealment, and more than once their hearts leapt into their +mouths as it seemed inevitable that they would be discovered by them. As +luck would have it, however, the children decided to return to the fire, +and so they escaped at least one peril. + +Gradually the noises of the camp diminished, and the fire flickered and +burnt low. It was now the turn of the jungle insects, and they struck up +a chorus that seemed deafening. Also, the mosquitoes issued forth in +swarms, and drove the three boys almost frantic, for they did not dare +to change their positions or make any effort to ward off the humming +pests, as the noise entailed in doing so would have been almost certain +to betray them. + +There is an end to the longest wait, however, and at Bert's low whisper +they crept toward the two huts they had marked in the center of the +village. The moon was not yet high over the trees, and threw thick +patches of inky blackness, that served our three adventurers well. + +At times they could hardly make out each other's forms, so deep were the +shadows, and they breathed a prayer of thankfulness for this aid. + +The shadows fell at least ten feet short of the huts, however, and +across this open space it was evident they would have to dash and take +their chances of being seen. + +As they had watched from the woods earlier in the evening, they had seen +that the guard around the huts consisted of two men for each. The huts +were perhaps forty feet apart, and this made it possible for them to +attack the sentries guarding the one in which the prisoner was confined +without necessarily giving the alarm to those about the other shack. + +The boys were near enough to the dusky sentries now to hear their voices +as they exchanged an occasional guttural remark. Bert touched the other +two lightly, and they stopped. "I'll take the fellow nearest the +fire," he breathed, "you two land on the other one. Club him with your +revolvers, but whatever you do, don't let him make a sound, or we're +gone for sure. Understand?" + +"Sure," they whispered, and all prepared to do their parts. At a +whispered word from Bert, they dashed with lightning speed across the +patch of moonlight, and before the astonished sentries could utter a cry +were upon them like so many whirlwinds. Bert grasped the man he had +selected by the throat, and dealt him a stunning blow on the head with +the butt of his revolver. The blow would have crushed the skull of any +white man, but it seemed hardly to stun the thickheaded savage. He +wriggled and squirmed, and Bert felt his arm go back toward the sash +round his waist, feeling for the wicked knife that these savages always +wore. + +Bert dared not let go of his opponent's throat, as he knew that one cry +would probably ring their death knell. He retained his grasp on his +enemy's windpipe, therefore, but dropped his revolver and grasped the +fellow's wrist. They wrestled and swayed, writhing this way and that, +but fortunately the soft moss and turf under them deadened the sound of +their struggles. + +Bert had met his match that night, however, and, strain as he might, he +felt his opponent's hand creeping nearer and nearer the deadly knife. +He realized that his strength could not long withstand the terrific +strain put upon it, and he resolved to make one last effort to beat the +savage at his own game. Releasing the fellow's sinewy wrist, he made a +lightning-like grasp for the hilt of the knife, and his fingers closed +over it a fraction of a second ahead of those of the black man. Eluding +the latter's frantic grasp at his wrist, he plunged the keen and heavy +knife into the shoulder of his opponent. Something thick and warm gushed +over his hand, and he felt the muscles of his enemy go weak. Whether +dead or unconscious only, he was for the time being harmless. Bert +himself was so exhausted that for a few moments he lay stretched at full +length on the earth, unable to move or think. + +In a few moments his strong vitality asserted itself, however, and he +gathered strength enough to go to the assistance of his comrades. It was +not needed, though, for they had already choked the remaining guard into +unconsciousness. + +They waited a few moments breathlessly, to see if the noise, little as +it had been, had aroused the rest of the camp. Apparently it had not, +and they resolved to enter the hut without further loss of time. + +This was accomplished with little difficulty, and they were soon +standing in the interior of the shack, which was black as any cave. The +boys had feared that there would be another guard in the place, who +might give the alarm before he could be overpowered, but they now saw +that this fear had been groundless. + +A torch, stuck in a chink in the wall, smoked and flared, and by its +uncertain light they could make out the form of a man bound securely to +one of the corner posts. He gazed at them without saying a word, and +seemed unable to believe the evidence of his senses. + +"What--what--how--" he stammered, but Bert cut him short. + +"Never mind talking now, old man," he said. "It's a long story, and we'd +better not wait to talk now. We're here, but it remains to be seen if we +ever get away, or become candidates for a cannibal feast ourselves." + +"How did you get past the sentries?" asked the prisoner. + +"Well, we didn't wait to get their consent, you can bet on that," +returned Bert, "and I don't think, now that we _are_ here, that they'll +offer any objections to our leaving, either. But now, it's up to us to +get you untied, and make a quick sneak. Somebody's liable to come +snooping around here almost any time, I suppose." + +"You may be sure we can't leave any too soon to suit me," said the +captive. "I believe, from all that I have been able to gather from +their actions, that I was to furnish the material for a meal for the +tribe to-morrow. They're head hunters and cannibals, and the more space +I put between them and me the better I shall be pleased." + +While he had been speaking, the boys had been busily engaged in cutting +the cords that bound him, and now they assisted him to his feet. He had +been bound in one position so long, however, that he could hardly stand +at first, and Bert began to fear that he would not be able to move. +After a few moments, however, his powers began to come back to him, and +in a few minutes he seemed able to walk. + +"All right, fellows, I guess we won't wait to pay our respects to the +king," said Bert. "Let's get started. Do you feel able to make a dash +now?" he inquired, addressing the erstwhile prisoner. + +The latter signified that he was, and they prepared to leave without +further discussion. When they got outside, they found that they were +favored by a great piece of good fortune. The moon was now in such a +position that it threw the shadow of a particularly tall tree almost to +the hut, and they quickly made for the welcome security it offered. They +made as little noise as possible, but their companion was less expert in +the ways of the woods than they, and more than once slipped and fell, +making a disturbance that the boys felt sure would be heard by someone +in the camp. + +Fate was kind to them, however, and at last they reached the shelter of +the woods without apparently having given the savages any cause for +suspicion. Once well in the jungle, they felt justified in making more +speed without bothering so much about the noise. After a little trouble +they found the trail that they had followed to the camp, and started +back toward the coast with the best speed they could muster. + +In the dense shadows cast by the arching trees they could hardly see a +foot ahead of them, and continually stumbled, tripped, and fell over the +roots and creepers in their path. + +Their progress became like a horrible nightmare, in which one is unable +to make any headway in fleeing from a pursuing danger, no matter how +hard one tries. They were haunted by the fear of hearing the yell of the +savages in pursuit, for they knew that if they were overtaken, here in +the narrow path, in pitch darkness, they would be slaughtered by an +unseen enemy without the chance to fight. The experienced savages could +come at them from all sides through the forest, and have them at a +terrible disadvantage. + +"If we can only make that rocky little hill we passed coming to this +infernal place, fellows," panted Bert, "we can stay there till daylight, +and at least make a fight for our lives. If they should catch us here +now, they could butcher us like rats in a trap." + +In compliance with these words, they made desperate efforts to hurry +their pace, and were beginning to pluck up hope. Suddenly their hearts +stood still, and then began to beat furiously. + +Far behind them in the mysterious, deadly jungle, they heard a weird, +eerie shrill cry. + +"What was it? What was it?" whispered Tom, in a low, horror-struck +voice. + +The man whom they had freed made one or two efforts to speak, but his +words refused to come at first. Then he said, in a dry, hard voice, "I +know what it is. That was the cry their hunting wolves give when they +are on the trail of their quarry. May heaven help us now, for we are +dead men." + +"Hunting wolves?" said Bert, in a strained voice, "what do you mean?" + +"They're three big wolves the savages captured at some time, and they +have trained them to help run down game in the hunt, the same as we have +trained dogs. Only these brutes are far worse than any dog, and a +thousand times more savage. If they get us--" but here his voice trailed +down into silence, for again they heard that fierce cry, but this time +much nearer. + +The little party broke into a desperate run, and blundered blindly, +frantically forward. The mysterious, danger-breathing jungle surrounding +them on every side, the horrible pursuit closing in on them from behind, +caused their hair to rise with an awful terror that lent wings to their +feet. They stumbled, fell, picked themselves and each other up again, +and hastened madly forward in their wild race. + +"If we can only make it, if we can only make it," Bert repeated over +and over to himself, while the breath came in great sobbing gasps +from between his lips. He was thinking of their one last chance of +safety--the little knoll that he had marked as they followed the +savages' trail the previous day as a possible retreat if they were +pursued. + +Loud and weird came the baying of the beasts on their trail, but Bert, +straining his eyes ahead, could make out a little patch of moonlight +through the trees. + +"Faster, fellows, faster," he gasped. "A little further, and we'll be +there. Faster, faster!" + +With a last despairing effort they dashed into the clearing, which was +flooded with silvery moonlight. Now, at least, they would be able to see +and fight, and their natural courage came back to them. + +"Get up on that big rock in the center!" yelled Bert, "for your lives, +do you hear me? for your lives!" + +They scrambled madly up the huge boulder, Bert helping them and being +pulled up last by Dick and Tom. Dropping on the flat top of the rock, +perhaps seven or eight feet from the ground, they drew their revolvers +and faced toward the opening in the trees from which they had dashed a +few moments before. + +Nor had they long to wait. From the jungle rushed three huge wolves, +forming such a spectacle as none of the little party ever forgot to +his dying day. The hair bristled on their necks and backs, and foam +dropped from their jaws. As they broke from the line of trees they gave +utterance once more to their blood-curdling bay, but then caught sight +of the men grouped on the big boulder, and in terrible silence made +straight for them. + +Without stopping they made a leap up the steep sides of the rock. Almost +at the same instant the three revolvers barked viciously, and one big +brute dropped back, biting horribly at his ribs, and then running around +the little glade in circles. The other two scrambled madly at the rock, +trying to get a foothold, and one grasped Dick's shoe in his teeth. A +second later, however, and before his jaws even had a chance to close, +the three guns spoke at once, and the animal dropped quivering back +upon the ground. The third beast seemed somewhat daunted by the fate of +his comrades, and was moreover wounded slightly himself. He dropped back +and took up a position about ten feet from the boys' place of refuge, +and throwing back his head, gave utterance to a dismal howl. Faintly, as +though answering him, the boys heard a yell, that they knew could be +caused by none but the savages themselves. + +It seemed hopeless to fight against such odds, but these young fellows +were not made of the stuff that gives up easily. Where the spirit of +others might have sunk under such repeated trials, theirs only became +more stubborn and more determined to overcome the heavy odds fate had +meted out to them. + +Taking careful aim Bert fired at the remaining wolf, and his bullet +fulfilled its mission. The brute dropped without a quiver, and Bert slid +to the ground. + +"Come on, fellows," he yelled, "get busy here and help me build a fort. +We've got to roll some of these rocks into position in a little less +than no time, so we can give them an argument when they arrive." + +"Oh, what's the use?" said the man whom they had rescued, in a hopeless +voice. "We haven't got any chance against them. We might as well +surrender first as last, and take our chances of escaping afterward." + +"Why, man, what are you talking about?" said Dick, scornfully. "You +don't think we're going to give in without a struggle, do you, when we +have some shelter here and guns in our hands? Not on your life, we +won't, and don't you forget it." + +"Well, I was just giving you my opinion, that's all," said the man, who, +it must be confessed, spoke in a rather shamefaced manner. "We're sure +to be butchered if we follow out your plan, though, mark my words." + +"Well, we'll at least send some of them to their last accounting before +they do get to us," said Bert. "Step lively, now, and help us, instead +of talking in that fool way." + +While this talk had been going on the boys had rolled several big +boulders up against the one that had already offered them such timely +aid, in such a manner as to form a little enclosed space or fort. In +their excitement and pressing need they accomplished feats of strength +that under ordinary circumstances they would not even have attempted or +believed possible. + +Soon they had made every preparation they could think of, and with set +teeth and a resolve to fight to the last gasp waited the coming of the +pursuing cannibals. + +Soon they could hear them rushing through the forest, exchanging +deep-throated cries, and a few moments later they burst into the +clearing. When they saw the preparations that had been made for their +reception, however, they paused, and some pointed excitedly toward the +three dead wolves. It was evident that they had been more prepared to +see the mangled bodies of their erstwhile prisoner and his rescuers, +rather than what they actually did find. + +Bert, seeing that they were disconcerted, decided to open hostilities. +With a wild yell, he started firing his revolver toward the +closely-grouped savages, taking careful aim with each shot. A much +poorer shot than Bert would have had difficulty in missing such a mark, +and every bullet took deadly effect. + +All at once panic seemed to seize on the savages, and they rushed madly +back into the jungle. Of course, Bert wasted no more valuable ammunition +firing at an unseen enemy, and a breathless hush fell over the scene. + +At first the little party expected the savages to renew the conflict, +but the time wore slowly on and nothing of the kind happened. They kept +a keen lookout to guard against a surprise, but none was attempted. + +At length dawn broke, and the sun had never been so welcome to the boys +as it was then. In the light of day their experience seemed like an +awful dream, or would have seemed so, had it not been for the bodies of +the three wolves. + +The besieged party held a "pow-wow," and as it was clear that they could +not stay where they were indefinitely, they decided to make a break for +the ship without further delay. + +After a careful reconnoitering of the path, they ventured into it with +many misgivings, but could see no sign of the head hunters. They made +the best possible speed, and it was not very long before they reached +the beach. + +Needless to say, the whole ship's company had been greatly worried over +their absence, but their relief was correspondingly great at their safe +return. The captain had reinforced Mr. Miller's complement of men with +orders to go in search of the three boys as soon as morning broke. He +was prepared to hold them strictly to account for what he thought their +rashness, but repressed his censure when he heard their story. The boat +was swung inboard, the _Fearless_ gathered way, and the island receding +to a point was soon lost to sight in the distance. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +THE LAND OF SURPRISES + + + "Better fifty years of Europe + Than a cycle of Cathay," + +murmured Dick, yielding once more to his chronic habit of quotation. + +They had reached the gateway of Southern China and cast anchor in the +harbor of Hong-Kong. It had been a day of great bustle and confusion, +and all hands had been kept busy from the time the anchor chain rattled +in the hawse-hole until dusk began to creep over the waters of the bay. +The great cranes had groaned with their loads as they swung up the bales +and boxes from the hold and transferred them to the lighters that +swarmed about the sides of the _Fearless_. The passengers, eager once +more to be on _terra firma_ after the long voyage, had gone ashore, and +the boat was left to the officers and crew. These had been kept on board +by the manifold duties pertaining to their position, but were eagerly +looking forward to the morrow, when the coveted shore leave would be +granted in relays to the crew, while the officers would be free to go +and come almost as they pleased. It was figured that even with the +greatest expedition in discharging cargo and taking on the return +shipments for the "States," it would be nearly or quite a week before +they began their return journey, and they promised themselves in that +interval to make the most of their stay in this capital of the Oriental +commercial world. + +Now, as dusk fell over the waters, the boys sat at the rail and gazed +eagerly at the strange sights that surrounded them. The harbor was full +of shipping gathered from the four quarters of the world. On every side +great liners lay, ablaze with light from every cabin and porthole. +Native junks darted about saucily here and there, while queer yellow +faces looked up at them from behind the mats and lateen-rigged sails. +The unforgettable smells of an Eastern harbor assailed their nostrils. +The high pitched nasal chatter of the boatmen wrangling or jesting, was +unlike anything they had ever before heard or imagined. Everything was +so radically different from all their previous experiences that it +seemed as though they must have kneeled on the magic carpet of Solomon +and been transported bodily to a new world. + +Before them lay the city itself glowing with myriad lights. The British +concession with its splendid buildings, its immense official residences, +its broad boulevards, might have been a typical European city set down +in these strange Oriental surroundings. But around and beyond this lay +the real China, almost as much untouched and uninfluenced by these +modern developments as it had been for centuries. Great hills surrounded +the city on every side, and temples and pagodas uprearing their quaint +sloping roofs indicated the location of the original native quarters. In +the distance they could see the lights of the little cable railway that +carried passengers to the heights from which they could obtain a +magnificent view of the harbor and the surrounding country. + +The ship's doctor had come up just as Dick had finished his quotation. + +"Yes," he assented, as he lit a fresh cigar and drew his chair into the +center of the group. "The poet might have gone further than that and +intimated that even one year of Europe would be better than a 'cycle of +Cathay.' There's more progress ordinarily in a single year among +Europeans than there is here in twenty centuries." + +They gladly made room for him. The doctor was a general favorite and a +cosmopolitan in all that that word implies. He seemed to have been +everywhere and seen everything. In the course of his profession he had +been all over the world, and knew it in every nook and corner. He had a +wealth of interesting experiences, and had the gift of telling them, +when in congenial company, in so vivid and graphic a way, that it made +the hearer feel as though he himself had taken part in the events +narrated. + +"Of course," went on the doctor, "it all depends on the point of view. +If progress is a good thing, we have the advantage of the Chinese. If it +is a bad thing, they have the advantage of us. Now, they say it is a bad +thing. With them 'whatever is is right.' Tradition is everything. What +was good enough for their parents is good enough for them. They live +entirely in the past. They cultivate the ground in the same way and with +the same implements that their fathers did two thousand years ago. To +change is to offend the gods. All modern inventions are devices of the +devil. Every event in their whole existence is governed by cut and dried +rules. From the moment of birth to that of death, life moves along one +fixed groove. They don't want railroads or telephones or phonographs or +machinery or anything else that to us seems a necessity of life. +Whatever they have of these has been forced upon them by foreigners. A +little while ago they bought up a small railroad that the French had +built, paid a big advance on the original price, and then threw rails +and locomotives into the sea." + +"Even our 'high finance' railroad wreckers in Wall Street wouldn't go +quite as far as that," laughed Tom. + +"No," smiled the doctor, "they'd do it just as effectively, but in a +different way." + +"And yet," interposed Dick, "the Chinese don't seem to me to be a stupid +race. We had one or two in our College and they were just as bright as +anyone there." + +"They're not stupid by any means," replied the doctor. "There was a +time, thousands of years ago, when they were the very leaders of +civilization. They had their inventors and their experimenters. Why, +they found out all about gunpowder and printing and the mariner's +compass, when Europe was sunk in the lowest depths of ignorance. At that +time, the intellect of the people was active and productive. But then +they seem to have had a stroke of paralysis, and they've never gotten +over it." + +"It always seemed to me," said Bert, "that 'Alice in Wonderland' should +really have been called 'Alice in China-land.' She and her mad hatter +and the March hare and the Cheshire cat would certainly have felt at +home here." + +"True enough," rejoined the doctor. "It isn't without reason that this +has been called 'Topsy-turvy' land." + +"For instance," he went on, "you could never get into a Chinaman's head +what Shakespeare meant when he said: 'A rose by any other name would +smell as sweet.' The roses in China have no fragrance. + +"Take some other illustrations. When we give a banquet, the guest +of honor is seated at the right of the host as a special mark of +distinction. In China, he is placed at the left. If you meet a friend in +the street, out goes your hand in greeting. The Chinaman shakes hands +with himself. If an American or European is perplexed about anything he +scratches his head. When the Chinaman is puzzled, he scratches his +foot." + +The comicality of this idea was too much for the gravity of the +boys--never very hard to upset at any time--and they roared with +laughter. Their laugh was echoed more moderately by Captain Manning, +who, relieved at last of the many duties attendant upon the first day in +port, had come up behind them and now joined the group. The necessity of +keeping up the strain and dignity of his official position had largely +disappeared with the casting of the anchor, and it was more with the +easy democracy and good fellowship of the ordinary passenger that he +joined in the conversation. + +"They have another queer custom in China that bears right on the +doctor's profession," he said, with a sly twinkle in his eye. "Here +they employ a doctor by the year, but they only pay him as long as the +employer keeps well. The minute he gets sick, the doctor's salary +ceases, and he has to work like sixty to get him well in a hurry, so +that his pay may be resumed." + +"Well," retorted the doctor, "I don't know but they have the better of +us there. It is certainly an incentive to get the patient well at once, +instead of spinning out the case for the sake of a bigger fee. I know a +lot of fashionable doctors whose income would go down amazingly if that +system were introduced in America." + +"You'll find, too," said the captain, "that the Chinaman's idea of +what is good to eat is almost as different from ours as their other +conceptions. There's just about one thing in which they agree with us, +and that is on the question of pork. They are very fond of this, and you +have all read, no doubt, the story told by Charles Lamb of the Chinese +peasant whose cabin was burned, together with a pig who had shared it +with the family. His despair at the loss of the pig was soon turned to +rejoicing when he smelled the savory odor of roast pork and learned for +the first time how good it was. But, outside of that, we don't have much +in common. They care very little for beef or mutton. To make up for +this, however, they have made a good many discoveries in the culinary +line that they regard as delicacies, but that you won't find in any +American cook book. Rats and mice and edible birds' nests and shark fins +are served in a great variety of ways, and those foreigners who have had +the courage to wade through the whole Chinese bill of fare say it is +surprising to find out how good it is. After all, you can get used to +anything, and we Europeans and Americans are becoming broader in our +tastes than we used to be. Horse meat is almost as common as beef in +Berlin; dogs are not disdained in some parts of France, and only the +other day I read of a banquet in Paris where they served stuffed +angleworms and pronounced them good." + +"I imagine it will be a good while, however, before we get to the point +where rats and mice are served in our restaurants," said Tom, with a +grimace. + +"Yes," rejoined the captain, "we'll probably draw the line there and +never step over it. But you'll have a chance pretty soon to sample +Chinese cooking, and if you ask no questions and eat what is set before +you, you will probably find it surprisingly good. 'What the eye doesn't +see the heart doesn't grieve over,' you know. And when you come to the +desserts, you will find that there are no finer sweetmeats in the world +than those served at Chinese tables." + +"Another thing that seems queer to us Western people," said the doctor, +"is their idea of the seat of intellect. We regard it as the head. They +place it in the stomach. If the Chinaman gets off what he thinks to be a +witty thing, he pats his stomach in approval." + +"I suppose when his head is cut off, he still goes on thinking," grinned +Tom. + +"That wouldn't phase a Chinaman for a minute," answered the doctor. +"He'd retort by asking you if you'd go on thinking if they cut you in +half." + +"Then, if you wanted to praise a Chinese author, I suppose, instead of +alluding to his 'bulging brow,' it would be good form to refer to his +'bulging stomach,'" laughed Ralph. + +"Gee," put in Tom, "if that were so, I've seen some fat people in the +side shows at the circus that would have it all over Socrates." + +"There's one thing," went on the doctor, "where they set us an example +that we well might follow, and that is in the tolerance they have for +the religious views of other people. There isn't any such thing as +persecution or ostracism in China on the score of religious belief. +There are three or four religions and all are viewed with approval and +kindly toleration. A man, for instance, will meet several strangers +in the course of business or of travel, and they will fall into +conversation. It is etiquette to ask the religious belief of your new +acquaintances, so our Chinaman asks the first of them: 'Of what religion +are you?' 'I practice the maxims of Confucius,' is the response. 'Very +good, and you?' turning to the second. 'I am a follower of Lao-tze.' The +third answers that he is a Buddhist, and the first speaker winds up the +conversation on this point by shaking hands--with himself--and genially +remarking: 'Ah, well, we are all brothers after all.'" + +"They certainly have the edge on us there," remarked Bert. "I wish we +had a little of that spirit in our own country. We could stand a lot +more of it than we have." + +"Outside of the question of religion, however," went on the doctor, "we +might think that they carry politeness too far to suit our mode of +thinking. If you should meet a friend and ask after the health of his +family, you would be expected to say something like this: 'And how is +your brilliant and distinguished son, the light of your eyes and future +hope of your house, getting on?' To this your friend would probably +reply: 'That low blackguard and detestable dog that for my sorrow is +called my son is in good health, but does not deserve that your glorious +highness should deign to ask about him.'" + +"You will notice," said the captain when the laugh had subsided, "that +the doctor uses the son as an illustration. The poor daughter wouldn't +even be inquired about. She is regarded as her father's secret sorrow, +inflicted upon him by a malignant decree of fate. In a commercial +sense, the boy is an asset; the girl is a liability. You hear it said +sometimes, with more or less conviction, that the world we live in is a +'man's world.' However that may be modified or denied elsewhere, it +is the absolute truth as regards China. If the scale of a nation's +civilization is measured by the way it treats its women,--and I believe +this to be true,--then the Celestial Kingdom ranks among the very +lowest. From the time she comes, unwelcomed, into the world, until, +unmourned, she leaves it, her life is not worth living. She is the slave +of the household, and, in the field, she pulls the plough while the man +holds the handles. In marriage, she is disposed of without the slightest +reference to her own wishes, but wholly at the whim of her parents, and +often sees the bridegroom's face for the first time when he comes to +take her to his own house. There she is as much a slave as before. Her +husband can divorce her for the most flimsy reasons and she has no +redress. No, it isn't 'peaches and cream' to be a woman in China." + +"It doesn't seem exactly a paradise of suffragettes," murmured Ralph. + +"No," interjected Tom, "the Government here doesn't have to concern +itself about 'hunger strikes' or 'forcible feeding.'" + +"To atone to some extent for this hateful feature of family life," said +the doctor, "they have another that is altogether admirable, and that is +the respect shown to parents. In no country of the world is filial +reverence so fully displayed as here. A disobedient son is almost +unthinkable, and a murderer would scarcely be regarded with more +disapproval. From birth to old age, the son looks upon his father with +humility and reverence, and worships him as a god after he is dead. +There is nothing of the flippancy with which we are too familiar in our +own country. With us the 'child is father of the man,' or, if he isn't, +he wants to be. Here the man always remains the father of the child." + +"Yes," said Bert, "I remember in Bill Nye's story of his early life he +says that at the age of four 'he took his parents by the hand and led +them out to Colorado.'" + +"And that's no joke," put in the captain. "All the foreigners that visit +our country are struck by the independent attitude of children to their +parents." + +"Another thing we have to place to the credit of this remarkable +people," he went on, "is their love for education. The scholar is held +in universal esteem. The road to learning is also the road to the +highest honors of the State. Every position is filled by competitive +examinations, and the one who has the highest mark gets the place. Of +course their idea of education is far removed from ours. There is no +attempt to develop the power of original thinking, but simply to become +familiar with the teaching and wisdom of the past. Still, with all its +defects, it stands for the highest that the nation knows, and they crown +with laurels the men who rise to the front rank. Of course they wouldn't +compare for a moment with the great scholars of the Western world. +Still, you know, 'in a nation of the blind, the one-eyed man is king,' +and their scholars stand out head and shoulders above the general level, +and are reverenced accordingly." + +"I suppose that system of theirs explains why the civil service in our +own country is slightingly referred to as the 'Chinese' civil service by +disgruntled politicians," said Ralph. + +"Yes," said the captain, "and speaking of politicians, our Chinese +friends could give us cards and spades and beat us out at that game. +They're the smoothest and slickest set of grafters in the world. Why, +the way they work it here would make our ward politicians turn green +with envy. We're only pikers compared with these fellows. Graft is +universal all through China. It taints every phase of the national life. +Justice is bought and sold like any commodity and with scarcely a trace +of shame or concealment. The only concern the mandarin has with the +case brought before him is as to which side will make him the richest +present. It is a case of the longest purse and little else. Then after +a man has been sent to prison, the jailer must be paid to make his +punishment as light as possible. If he is condemned to death, the +executioner must be paid to do his work as painlessly and quickly as he +can. At every turn and corner the grafter stands with his palm held out, +and unless you grease it well you might as well abandon your cause at +the start. You're certainly foredoomed to failure." + +"Well," said Bert, "we're badly enough off at home in the matter of +graft, but at least we have some 'chance for our white alley' when we go +into a court of justice." + +"Yes," assented the doctor, "of course a long purse doesn't hurt there, +as everywhere else. But, in the main, our judges are beyond the coarse +temptation of money bribes. We've advanced a good deal from the time of +Sir Francis Bacon, that 'brightest, wisest, _meanest_ of mankind,' who +not only accepted presents from suitors in cases brought before him, but +had the nerve to write a pamphlet justifying the practice and claiming +that it didn't affect his judgment." + +"What do you think of the present revolution in China, doctor?" asked +Dick. "Will it bring the people more into sympathy with our way of +looking at things?" + +He shook his head skeptically. + +"No," he answered, "to be frank I don't. Between us and the Chinese +there is a great gulf fixed, and I don't believe it will ever be +bridged. The Caucasian and Mongolian races are wholly out of sympathy. +We look at everything from opposite sides of the shield. We can no more +mix than oil and water. + +"The white races made a mistake," he went on and the boys detected in +his voice a strain of sombre foreboding, "when they drew China out of +its shell and forced it to come in contact with the modern world. It was +a hermit nation and wanted to remain so. All it asked was to be let +alone. It was a sleeping giant. Why did we wake him up unless we wanted +to tempt fate and court destruction? + +"Not only that, but the giant had forgotten how to fight. We're teaching +him how just as fast as we can, and even sending European officers to +train and lead his armies. The giant's club was rotten and wormeaten. In +its place, we're giving him Gatling guns and rifled artillery, the +finest in the world. We have forgotten that Mongol armies have already +overrun the world and that they may do it again. We're like the +fisherman in the 'Arabian Nights' who found a bottle on the shore and +learned that it held a powerful genii. As long as he kept the bottle +corked he was safe. But he was foolish enough to take out the cork, and +the genii, escaping, became as big as a mountain, and couldn't be +squeezed back into the bottle. We've pulled the cork that held the +Chinese genii and we'll never get him back again. Think of four hundred +million people, a third of the population of the world, conscious of +their strength, equipped with modern arms, trained in the latest +tactics, able to live on practically nothing, moving over Europe like a +swarm of devastating locusts! When some Chinese Napoleon--and he may be +already born--finds such an army at his back--God help Europe!" + +He spoke with feeling, and a silence fell upon them as they looked over +the great city, and thought of the thousands of miles and countless +millions of inhabitants that lay beyond. Did they hear in imagination +the gathering of shadowy hosts, the tread of marching armies, and the +distant thunder of artillery? Or did they dimly sense with that +mysterious clairvoyance sometimes vouchsafed to men that in a few days +they themselves would be at death grip with that invisible "yellow +peril" and barely win out with their lives? + +Dick shivered, though the night was warm. + +"Come along, fellows," he said, as the captain and doctor walked away. +"Let's go to bed." + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +THE DRAGON'S CLAWS + + +The next morning the boys were up bright and early, ready for their trip +through the city. + +"By George," said Dick, "I have to pinch myself to realize that we're +really in China at last. Until a month ago I never dreamed of seeing it. +As a matter of course I had hoped and expected to go to Europe and +possibly take in Egypt. That seemed the regulation thing to do and it +was the limit of my traveling ambition. But as regards Asia, I've never +quite gotten over the feeling I had when I was a kid. Then I thought +that if I dug a hole through the center of the earth I'd come to China, +and, since they were on the under side of the world, I'd find the people +walking around upside down." + +"Well," laughed Bert, "they're upside down, sure enough, mentally and +morally, but physically they don't seem to be having any rush of blood +to the head." + +An electric launch was at hand, but they preferred to take one of the +native sampans that darted in and out among the shipping looking for +passengers. They hailed one and it came rapidly to the side. + +"See those queer little eyes on each side of the bow," said Tom. "I +wonder what they're for?" + +"Why, so that the boat can see where it is going," replied Dick. "You +wouldn't want it to go it blind and bump head first into the side, would +you?" + +"And this in a nation that invented the mariner's compass," groaned Tom. +"How are the mighty fallen!" + +"And even that points to the south in China, while everywhere else it +points to the north. Can you beat it?" chimed in Ralph. + +"Even their names are contradictions," said Bert. "This place was +originally called 'Hiang-Kiang,' 'the place of sweet waters.' But do you +catch any whiff here that reminds you of ottar of roses or the perfume +wafted from 'Araby the blest?'" + +"Well, not so you could notice it," responded Ralph, as the awful smells +of the waterside forced themselves on their unwilling nostrils. + +They speedily reached the shore and handed double fare to the +parchment-faced boatman, who chattered volubly. + +"What do you suppose he's saying?" asked Tom. + +"Heaven knows," returned Ralph; "thanking us, probably. And yet he may +be cursing us as 'foreign devils,' and consigning us to perdition. +That's one of the advantages of speaking in the toughest language on +earth for an outsider to master." + +"It is fierce, isn't it?" assented Bert. "I've heard that it takes about +seven years of the hardest kind of study to learn to speak or read it, +and even then you can't do it any too well. Some simply can't learn it +at all." + +"Well," said Tom, "I can't conceive of any worse punishment than to have +to listen to it, let alone speak it. Good old United States for mine." + +At the outset they found themselves in the English quarter. It was a +splendid section of the city, with handsome buildings and well-kept +streets, and giving eloquent testimony to the colonizing genius of the +British empire. Here England had entrenched herself firmly, and from +this as a point of departure, her long arm stretched out to the farthest +limits of the Celestial Kingdom. She had made the place a modern +Gibraltar, dominating the waters of the East as its older prototype held +sway over the Mediterranean. Everywhere there were evidences of the law +and order and regulated liberty that always accompany the Union Jack, +and that explains why a little island in the Western Ocean rules a +larger part of the earth's surface than any other power. + +"We've certainly got to hand it to the English," said Ralph. "They're +the worst hated nation in Europe, and yet as colonizers the whole world +has to take off its hat to them. Look at Egypt and India and Canada and +Australia and a score of smaller places. No wonder that Webster was +impressed by it when he spoke of the 'drum-beat that, following the sun +and keeping pace with the hours, encircled the globe with the martial +airs of England.'" + +"It's queer, too, why it is so," mused Bert. "If they were specially +genial and adaptable, you could understand it. But, as a rule, they're +cold and arrogant and distant, and they don't even try to get in touch +with the people they rule. Now the French are far more sympathetic +and flexible, but, although they have done pretty well in Algiers +and Tonquin and Madagascar, they don't compare with the British as +colonizers." + +"Well," rejoined Ralph, "I suppose the real explanation lies in their +tenacity and their sense of justice. They may be hard but they are just, +and the people after a while realize that their right to life and +property will be protected, and that in their courts the poor have +almost an equal chance with the rich. But when all's said and done, I +guess we'll simply have to say that they have the genius for colonizing +and let it go at that." + +"Speaking of justice and fair play, though," said Bert, "there's one big +blot on their record, and that is the way they have forced the opium +traffic on China. The Chinese as a rule are a temperate race, but there +seems to be some deadly attraction for them in opium that they can't +resist. It is to them what 'firewater' is to the Indian. The rulers of +China realized how it was destroying the nation and tried to prohibit +its importation. But England saw a great source of revenue threatened by +this reform, as most of the opium comes from the poppy grown in India. +So up she comes with her gunboats, this Christian nation, and fairly +forces the reluctant rulers to let in the opium under threat of +bombardment if they refused. To-day the habit has grown to enormous +proportions. It is the curse of China, and the blame for the debauchery +of a whole nation lies directly at the door of England and no one else." + +By this time they had passed through the British section and found +themselves in the native quarter. Here at last they were face to face +with the real China. They had practically been in Europe; a moment later +and they were in Asia. A new world lay before them. + +The streets were very narrow, sometimes not more than eight or ten feet +in width. A man standing at a window on one side could leap into one +directly opposite. They were winding as well as narrow, and crowded on +both sides with tiny shops in which merchants sat beside their wares +or artisans plied their trade. Before each shop was a little altar +dedicated to the god of wealth, a frank admission that here, as in +America, they all worshipped the "Almighty Dollar." Flaunting signs, on +which were traced dragons and other fearsome and impossible beasts, hung +over the store entrances. + +"My," said Ralph, "this would be a bad place for a heavy drinker to find +himself in suddenly. He'd think he 'had 'em' sure. Pink giraffes and +blue elephants wouldn't be a circumstance to some of these works of +art." + +"Right you are," assented Tom. "I'll bet if the truth were known the +Futurist and Cubist painters, that are making such a splurge in America +just now, got their first tips from just such awful specimens as these." + +"Well, these narrow streets have one advantage over Fifth Avenue," said +Ralph. "No automobile can come along here and propel you into another +world." + +"No," laughed Bert, "if the 'Gray Ghost' tried to get through here, it +would carry away part of the houses on each side of the street. The +worst thing that can run over us here is a wheelbarrow." + +"Or a sedan chair," added Tom, as one of these, bearing a passenger, +carried by four stalwart coolies, brushed against him. + +A constant din filled the air as customers bargained with the +shop-keepers over the really beautiful wares displayed on every hand. +Rare silks and ivories and lacquered objects were heaped in rich +profusion in the front of the narrow stalls, and their evident value +stood out in marked contrast to the squalid surroundings that served as +a setting. + +"No 'one price' here, I imagine," said Ralph, as the boys watched the +noisy disputes between buyer and seller. + +"No," said Bert. "To use a phrase that our financiers in America are +fond of, they put on 'all that the traffic will bear.' I suppose if you +actually gave them what they first asked they'd throw a fit or drop +dead. I'd hate to take the chance." + +"It would be an awful loss, wouldn't it?" asked Tom sarcastically, as he +looked about at the immense crowd swarming like bees from a hive. "Where +could they find anyone to take his place?" + +"There are quite a few, aren't there?" said Ralph. "The mystery is where +they all live and sleep. There don't seem to be enough houses in the +town to take care of them all." + +"No," remarked Bert, "but what the town lacks in the way of accommodations +is supplied by the river. Millions of the Chinese live in the boats along +the rivers, and at night you can see them pouring down to the waterside in +droves. A white man needs a space six feet by two when he's dead, but a +Chinaman doesn't need much more than that while he is alive. A sardine has +nothing on him when it comes to saving space and packing close." + +At every turn their eyes were greeted with something new and strange. +Here a wandering barber squatted in the street and carried on his +trade as calmly as though in a shop of his own. Tinkers mended pans, +soothsayers told fortunes, jugglers and acrobats held forth to delighted +crowds, snake charmers put their slimy pets through a bewildering +variety of exhibitions. Groups of idlers played fan-tan and other games +of chance, and through the waving curtains of queerly painted booths +came at times the acrid fumes of opium. Mingled with these were the +odors of cooking, some repellant and some appetizing, which latter +reminded the boys that it was getting toward noon and their healthy +appetites began to assert themselves. They looked at each other. + +"Well," said Ralph, "how about the eats?" + +"I move that we have some," answered Tom. + +"Second the motion," chimed in Dick. + +"Carried unanimously," added Bert, "but where?" + +"Perhaps we would better get back to the English quarter," suggested +Ralph. "There are some restaurants there as good as you can find in New +York or London." + +"Not for mine," said Tom. "We can do that at any time, but it isn't +often we'll have a chance to eat in a regular Chinese restaurant. Let's +take our courage in our hands and go into the next one here we come to. +It's all in a lifetime. Come along." + +"Tom's right," said Dick. "Let's shut our eyes and wade in. It won't +kill us, and we'll have one more experience to look back upon. So 'lead +on, MacDuff.'" + +Accordingly they all piled into the next queer little eating-house they +came to, but not before they had agreed among themselves that they would +take the whole course from "soup to nuts," no matter what their stomachs +or their noses warned them against. A suave, smiling Chinaman seated +them with many profound bows at a quaint table, on which were the most +delicate of plates and the most tiny and fragile of cups. They had of +course to depend on signs, but they made him understand that they +wanted a full course dinner, and that they left the choice of the food +to him. They had no cause to regret this, for, despite their misgivings, +the dinner was surprisingly good. The shark-fin soup was declared by +Ralph to be equal to terrapin. They fought a little shy of indulging +heartily in the meat, especially after Bert had mischievously given a +tiny squeak that made Tom turn a trifle pale; but in the main they stuck +manfully to their pledge, and, to show that they were no "pikers" but +"game sports," tasted at least something of each ingredient set before +them. And when they came to the dessert, they gave full rein to their +appetites, for it was delicious. Candied fruits and raisins and nuts +were topped off with little cups of the finest tea that the boys had +ever tasted. They paid their bill and left the place with a much greater +respect for Chinese cookery than they had ever expected to entertain. + +The afternoon slipped away as if by magic in these new and fascinating +surroundings. They wove in and out among the countless shops, picking up +souvenirs here and there, until their pockets were much heavier and +their purses correspondingly lighter. Articles were secured for a song +that would have cost them ten times as much in any American city, if +indeed they could be bought at all. The ivory carvers, workers in jade, +silk dealers, painters of rice-paper pictures, porcelain and silver +sellers--all these were many _cash_ richer by the time the boys, tired +but delighted, turned back to the shore and were conveyed to the +_Fearless_. + +"Well," smiled the doctor, as they came up the side, "how did you enjoy +your first day ashore in China?" + +"Simply great," responded Bert, enthusiastically, while the others +concurred. "I never had so many new sensations crowding upon me at one +time in all my whole life before. As a matter of fact I'm bewildered by +it yet. I suppose it will be some days before I can digest it and have a +clear recollection of all we've seen and done to-day." + +"Yes," said the doctor, "but, even yet, you haven't seen the real China. +Hong-Kong is so largely English that even the native quarter is more or +less influenced by it. Now, Canton is Chinese through and through. +Although of course there are foreign residents there, they form so small +a part of the population that they are practically nil. It's only about +seventy miles away, and I'm going down there to-morrow on a little +business of my own. How would you fellows like to come along? Provided, +of course, that the captain agrees." + +Needless to say the boys agreed with a shout, and the consent of the +captain was readily obtained. + +"How shall we go?" asked Ralph. + +"What's the matter with taking the 'Gray Ghost' along?" put in Tom. + +The doctor shook his head. + +"No," said he. "That would be all right if the roads were good. Of +course they're fine here in the city and for a few miles out. But beyond +that they're simply horrible. If it should be rainy you'd be mired to +the hubs, and even if the weather keeps dry, the roads in places are +mere footpaths. They weren't constructed with a view to automobile +riding." + +So they took an English river steamer the next day, and before night +reached the teeming city, full of color and picturesque to a degree not +attained by any other coast city of the Empire. Their time was limited +and there was so much to see that they scarcely knew where to begin. But +here again the vast experience of the doctor stood them in good stead. +Under his expert guidance next day they visited the Tartar City, the +Gate of Virtue, the Flowery Pagoda, the Clepsydra or Water Clock, the +Viceroy's Yamen, the City of the Dead, and the Temple of the Five +Hundred Genii. The latter was a kind of Chinese "Hall of Fame," +with images of the most famous statesmen, soldiers, scholars, and +philosophers that the country had produced. Before their shrines fires +were kept constantly burning, and the place was heavy with the pungent +odor of joss sticks and incense. + +They wound up with a visit to the execution ground and the prisons, a +vivid reminder of the barbarism that foreign influence has as yet not +been able to modify to any great degree. The boys were horrified at +the devilish ingenuity displayed by the Chinese in their system of +punishment. + +Here was a poor fellow condemned to the torture of the cangue. This was +a species of treebox built about him with an opening at the neck through +which his head protruded. He stood upon a number of thin slabs of wood. +Every day one of these was removed so that his weight rested more +heavily on the collar surrounding his neck, until finally his toes +failed to touch the wood at the bottom and he hung by the neck until he +slowly strangled to death. + +"Yes," said the doctor, as the boys turned away sickened by the sight, +"there is no nation so cruel and unfeeling as the Chinese. Scarcely one +of these that pass by indifferently, would save this poor fellow if they +could. They look unmoved on scenes that would freeze the blood in our +veins." + +"This is bad enough," he went on, "but it is nothing to some of the +fiendish atrocities that they indulge in. Their executioners could give +points on torture to a Sioux Indian. + +"They have for instance what they call the 'death of the thousand +slices.' They are such expert anatomists that they can carve a man +continuously for hours without touching a vital spot. They hang the +victim on a kind of cross and cut slices from every part of his body +before death comes to his relief. + +"Then, too, they have what they name the 'vest of death.' They strip a +man to the waist and put on him a coat of mail with numberless fine +openings. They pull this tightly about him until the flesh protrudes +through the open places, and then deftly pass a razor all over it, +making a thousand tiny wounds. Then they take off the vest and release +the victim. The many wounds coalesce in one until he is practically +flayed and dies in horrible torment." + +The boys shuddered at these instances of "man's inhumanity to man." + +"Life must be horribly cheap in China," observed Tom. + +"I wonder if such terrible punishment really has any effect as an +example to criminals," said Ralph. + +"I don't believe it does," put in Bert. "We know that formerly in Europe +there were hundreds of crimes that were punishable with death. In +England, at one time, a young boy or girl would be hung for stealing a +few shillings. And yet crime grew more common as punishment grew more +severe. When they became more humane in dealing with offenders, the +number of crimes fell off in proportion." + +"Yes," assented the doctor. "The modern idea is right that punishment +should be reformatory instead of vindictive. But it will be a good while +before China sees things from that standpoint." + +"It is possible of course that the culprit here does not suffer so +cruelly as a white man would under similar conditions. The nervous +system of a Chinaman is very coarse and undeveloped. He bears with +stolidity torture that would wring shrieks of agony from one more highly +strung." + +"Perhaps so," said Bert, "but I don't know. We say that sometimes about +fish. They're coldblooded, and so it doesn't hurt them to be caught. +I've often thought, though, that it would be interesting if we could +hear from the fish on that point." + +"No doubt," returned the doctor. "It's always easy to be philosophical +when somebody else is concerned. But we'll have to go now," looking at +his watch, "if we expect to get to the boat in time." + +"Well, fellows," said Bert that night as, safe on board of the +_Fearless_, they prepared to tumble in, "it certainly is interesting to +go about this land of the 'Yellow Dragon,' but it's a cruel old beast. +I'd hate to feel its teeth and claws." + +Was it a touch of prophecy? + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +THE PIRATE ATTACK + + +"Not very pretty to look at, is he?" asked Ralph, indicating by a nod +the huge Chinaman who had slipped noiselessly past them on his way to +the galley. + +"He isn't exactly a beauty," assented Tom, looking after the retreating +figure, "but then what Chinaman is? Besides he didn't sign as an Adonis, +but as an assistant cook. What do you expect to get for your twelve +dollars a month and found?" + +"Well, I'd hate to meet him up an alley on a dark night, especially if +he had a knife," persisted Ralph. "If ever villainy looked out from a +fellow's face it does from his." + +"Don't wake him up, he is dreaming," laughed Bert. + + "I do not like thee, Doctor Fell, + The reason why I cannot tell; + But this one thing I know full well, + I do not like thee, Doctor Fell," + +quoted Dick. + +"Come out of your trance, Ralph, and look at these two junks just coming +out from that point of land over there," rallied Tom. "Those fellows +handle them smartly, don't they?" + +It was a glorious evening off the China coast. The _Fearless_ had +hoisted anchor and turned her prow toward home. Every revolution of the +screws was bringing them nearer to the land of the Stars and Stripes. +The sea was like quicksilver, there was a following wind, the powerful +engines were moving like clockwork, and everything indicated a fast and +prosperous voyage. + +The boys were gathered at the rail, and, as Tom spoke, they gazed with +interest at the two long narrow junks that were drawing swiftly toward +them. All sails were set and they slipped with surprising celerity +through the water. + +"They both seem to be going in the same direction," said Ralph. "It +almost looks as though they were racing. I'll bet on the--What was +that?" + +The ship shook from stem to stern as though her machinery had been +suddenly thrown out of place. + +The captain rushed down from the bridge and the mates came running +forward. The boys had leaped to their feet and looked at each other in +dismay. Then, with one accord, they plunged down in the direction of the +engine-room. Before they reached it they could hear the hoarse shouts +of MacGregor and his assistants as they shut off the steam, and the ship +losing headway tossed helplessly up and down. + +"What is it Mr. MacGregor?" asked the captain. + +"I canna' tell yet," answered Mac. "Something must have dropped into the +machinery. And yet I'll swear there was nothing lying around loose. But +I'll find out." + +A minute or two passed and then with a snarl and an oath, he held up a +heavy wrench. + +"Here's the thing that did it," he yelled, "and it didn't get there by +accident either. I ken every tool aboard this ship and I never set eyes +on this before. Somebody threw it there to wreck the engines." + +"To wreck the engines," repeated Captain Manning. "Why? Who'd want to do +anything like that?" + +"I dinna' ken," said Mac stubbornly. "I only know some one must ha'. I'd +like to get these twa hands of mine on his throat." + +"Has any one been here except you and your men?" asked the captain. + +"No one--leastwise nane but the Chink. He stopped to say----" + +Bert jumped as though he had been shot. The Chinaman of the villainous +face--those junks putting out from land! Like a flash he was up the +ladder and out on the deserted deck. His heart stood still as he looked +astern. + +The two junks were seething with activity and excitement. The decks were +packed with men. All pretense of secrecy was abandoned. The stopping of +the ship had evidently been the signal they were expecting. All sails +were bent to catch every breath of air, and long sweeps darted suddenly +from the sides. The prows threw up fountains of water on each side as +the junks made for the crippled ship like wolves leaping on the flanks +of a wounded deer. + +Bert took this in at a single glance. He saw it all--the Chinese +accomplice, the carefully prepared plan, the wrecking of the machinery. +His voice rang out like a trumpet: + +"Pirates! Pirates! All hands on deck!" + +Then, while the officers and crew came tumbling up from below, he +rushed to the wireless room and pressed the spark key. The blue flames +sputtered, as up and down the China coast and far out to sea his message +flashed: + +"Attacked by pirates. Help. Quick." + +Then followed the latitude and longitude. He could not wait for a reply. +Three times at intervals of a few seconds he sent the call, and then he +sprang from his seat. + +"Here, Howland," he shouted, as his assistant appeared at the door. +"Keep sending right along. It's a matter of life and death. Let me know +if an answer comes." + +Then he grabbed his .45 and rushed on deck. A fight was coming--a fight +against fearful odds. And his blood grew hot with the lust of battle. + +Short sharp words of command ran over the ship. The officers and crew +were at their places. The women passengers had been sent below and an +incipient panic had been quelled at the start. The officers had their +revolvers loaded and ready and the crew were armed with capstan bars and +marlinspikes beside the sheath knives that they all carried. There was +no cannon, except a small signal gun on board the ship, and this the +pirates knew. The battle must be hand to hand. The odds were heavy. The +decks of the enemy swarmed with yelling devils naked to the waist and +armed to the teeth. They were at least five to one and had the advantage +of the attack and the surprise. + +The boys were grouped together at the stern toward which the junks were +pulling. All had revolvers, and heavy bars lay near by to be grabbed +when they should come to hand-grips with the pirates. They looked into +each others eyes and each rejoiced at what he saw there. Together they +had faced death before and won out; to-day, they were facing it again, +and the chances were against their winning. Yet they never quailed or +flinched. The spirit of '76 was there--the spirit of 1812--the spirit of +'61. They came of a fighting stock; a race that could face and whip the +world or die in the trying. They glanced at Old Glory floating serenely +above their heads, and each swore to himself that if he died defeated he +would not die disgraced. Their fingers tightened on the butts of their +weapons, their teeth clinched and their eyes grew hard. + +The captain, cool and stern, as he always was in a crisis, had divided +his forces into two equal parts. He himself commanded on the port side, +while Mr. Collins took charge of the starboard. A long line of hose had +been connected with the boiling water of the engine room, and two +sailors held the nozzle as it writhed and twisted on the rail. Had there +been but one junk, this might have proved decisive, but, in the nature +of things, it could only defend one side of the ship. The pirates were +proceeding on the plan of "divide and conquer." As they drew rapidly +nearer, they separated, and while one dashed at the port side of the +ship, the other swept around under the starboard quarter. Then a horde +of half-naked yellow fiends with knives held between their teeth swarmed +up the sides, grabbed at the rails and sought to obtain a foothold. A +volley of bullets swept the first of them away, but their places were +instantly taken by others. The boiling water rushed in a torrent over +the port side, and the scalded scoundrels fell back. But it was only for +a moment and still they kept coming with unabated fury. + +Bert and his comrades fought shoulder to shoulder. Their revolvers +barked again and again and the snarling yellow faces were so near that +they could not miss. Many fell back dead and wounded, but they never +quit; and when the revolvers were emptied, a number of the pirates got +over the rail, while the boys were reloading. Then followed a savage +hand-to-hand fight. Iron bars came down with sickening crashes; knives +flashed and fell and rose and fell again. The pirates were gaining a +foothold and the little band of defenders was hard pressed. But just +then reinforcements came in the form of MacGregor and his husky stokers +and engineers. They had been trying desperately to repair the engines, +but the sounds of the fight above had been too much for them to stand, +and now they came headlong into the fight, their brawny arms swinging +iron bars like flails. They turned the tide at that critical moment and +the pirates were driven back over the sides. They dropped sullenly into +the junks and drew away from the ship until they were out of range of +bullets. Then they stopped and took breath before renewing the attack. +They had suffered terribly, but they still vastly outnumbered the +defenders. + +The boys reloaded their revolvers, watching the enemy narrowly. + +"I wonder if they have enough," said Dick as he bound a handkerchief +around a slight flesh wound in his left arm. + +"I don't think so," answered Bert, "their blood is up and they know how +few we are as compared with themselves. They certainly fought like +wildcats." + +"They're live wires sure enough," agreed Tom. "They--why Bert, what's +the matter?" he exclaimed as Bert sprang to his feet excitedly. + +But Bert had rushed to the captain and was eagerly laying before him the +plan that Tom's words had unwittingly suggested. + +The captain listened intently and an immense relief spread over his +features. He issued his orders promptly. Great coils of heavy wire were +brought from the storeroom and under Bert's supervision were wound in +parallel rows about the stern of the ship. At first sight it looked as +though they were inviting the pirates to grasp them and thus easily +reach the deck. It seemed like committing suicide. The work was carried +on with feverish energy and by the time the pirates swung their boats +around and again headed for the ship, there was a treble row of wires +about a foot apart on both the port and starboard side. + +The revolvers had all been reloaded and every man stood ready. But the +tenseness of a few minutes before was lacking. For the first time since +the fight began Captain Manning smiled contentedly. + +"Don't fire, men, unless I give the word. Stand well back from the rail +and wait for orders." + +On came the pirates yelling exultantly. The silence of the defenders +was so strange and unnatural that it might well have daunted a more +imaginative or less determined foe. Not a shot was fired, not a man +stirred. They might have been dream men on a dream ship for any sign of +life and movement. The crowded junks bore down on either side of the +ship, and as though with a single movement, a score of pirates leaped at +the rails and grasped the wires to pull themselves aboard. + +Then a wonderful thing happened. From below came the buzz of the great +dynamo and through the wires surged the tremendous power of the electric +current. It was appalling, overwhelming, irresistible. It killed as +lightning kills. There was not even time for a cry. They hung there for +one awful moment with limbs twisted and contorted, while an odor of +burning flesh filled the air. Then they dropped into the sea. Their +comrades petrified with horror saw them fall and then with frantic +shrieks bent to the sweeps and fled for their lives. + + * * * * * + +And so it befell that when the good ship _Fearless_ drew up to the dock +at San Francisco, the young wireless operator, much to his surprise as +well as distaste, found that his quick wit and unfailing courage had +made of him a popular hero. But he steadfastly disclaimed having done +anything unusual. If he had fought a good fight and "kept the faith," it +was, after all, only his duty. + +"Well, yes, but admitting all that," said Dick, "it's so unusual for a +fellow to do even that, that when it does happen the world insists on +crowning it. You know. + +"'The path of duty is the road to glory.'" + +Neither knew at the moment how much of prophecy there was in that +quotation. For Glory beckoned, though unseen, and Bert in the near +future was destined to win fresh laurels. How gallantly he fought for +them, how splendidly he won them and how gracefully he wore them will be +told in + +"Bert Wilson, Marathon Winner." + +THE END + + + + + Transcriber's Notes: + + --Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_). + + --Punctuation and spelling inaccuracies were silently corrected. + + --Archaic and variable spelling has been preserved. + + --Variations in hyphenation and compound words have been preserved. + + --Page 149: oe ligature expanded (manoeuvering). + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Bert Wilson, Wireless Operator, by J. W. 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