The Secret of the Reef Page 5

  CHAPTER V--AN INTERRUPTION

  For three days a bitter gale raged about the island, blowing clouds ofsand and fine shingle along the beach and piling the big Pacific combersupon the shoals. The air was filled with the saltness of the spray, andeven below deck the men's ears rang with the clamor of the sea. Then thewind fell, and when the swell went down they set to work again and foundtheir task grow less troublesome. They learned the pressure best suitedto the very moderate depth, their lungs got accustomed to the extralabor, and none of them now hesitated about entering the gloomy hold.Though they were interrupted now and then by the rising sea, theysteadily removed the sand. Their greatest difficulty was the shortnessof the time one could remain below. There was no sign of the bulkheadyet, and a gale from the eastward might wash back the sediment they hadlaboriously dug out. If this happened, they must try to break an openingthrough the side of the hull; and none of them was anxious to do that,because the timbers of a wooden ship are closely spaced and thick.

  For a while nothing but the weather disturbed them; and then, one calmday when trails of mist moved slowly across the water, Jimmy saw astreak of smoke on a patch of clear horizon.

  "Somebody farther to the east than he ought to be," he said, leaning onthe pump-crank; and then he fixed his eyes on the spot where the bubblesbroke the surface. Though he had grown used to the work, the bubbles hadstill a curious fascination. It was difficult to turn his glance fromthem as they traced a milky line across the green water or stopped andwidened into a frothy patch. So long as they did either, all was wellwith the man below.

  An hour later, when the mist closed in again, Jimmy lay smoking on thedeck. He had gone down and stayed longer than usual, and he felt tiredand somewhat moody. Of late he had been troubled by a bad headache,which he supposed was the result of diving, and during the last few dayshe had found the sand unusually hard. The lower layers had beenconsolidated into a cement-like mass by the action of wave and tide.Moreover, the work was arduous even when they were not down at thewreck. It was no light task to tow the sloop out against the swell inthe calms; and when the sea rose suddenly, as it often did, they wereforced, if the tide was low, to thrash her out for an offing and facethe gale until there was water enough to take them up the channel.Indeed, at times they dare not attempt the entrance, and lay to understorm canvas to wait for better weather. Then they sat at the wheel inturn while the hard-pressed craft labored among the frothing combers,and afterward lay, wedged into place with wet sails and gear, on thecabin lockers, while the erratic motion rendered sleep or any occupationimpossible. The _Cetacea_ was small enough to drift to leeward fast, andit sometimes took them hours to drive her back to the island against thestill heavy sea when the wind began to lighten. It was a wearing life,and Jimmy felt his nerves getting raw.

  Bethune had gone below and Jimmy was turning the crank of the pump whena dull, throbbing sound came out of the mist. Moran looked up sharply.

  "That blame steamboat is coming here!" he cried, diving into the cabinto get their glasses.

  The measured thud of engines was plainly distinguishable with the roarof water flung off the bows. Jimmy supposed the clank of the pump hadprevented their hearing it before.

  "She's pretty close! Keep turning, but bring him up; you have the line!"Moran exclaimed.

  Bethune answered the signal; but as the bubbles drew near the sloop, thesteamer appeared in an opening in the mist. Her white hull and small,cream funnel proclaimed her an auxiliary yacht.

  "There's wind enough to move us, and we have to light out of this asquick as we can," Moran said, signaling again to Bethune.

  When the copper helmet came into sight, they dragged Bethune on deck andthen set to work to shorten cable. The yacht was now plainly visibleabout a mile off, and seemed to be moving slowly, which suggested thatsoundings were being taken preparatory to anchoring; but the sloop wouldnot readily be seen against the land. There was, however, a quantity ofheavy chain to get in before they hoisted sail, and Jimmy in hasteslipped the breast rope that held them to the wreck. For convenience inpicking it up, they had attached its outer end to a big keg buoy.

  Getting under way, they headed for the bight, and presently saw a whitegig following them.

  "They won't stay long," said Bethune. "Want fresh water, or, perhaps, awalk ashore; but it's a pity we have no time to land and hide the pumps.The best thing we can do is to meet the party at the water's edge. It'slucky the big net is lying there."

  Pulling ashore in the dory, they waited for the yacht's boat, whichcarried two uniformed seamen and a young man smartly dressed in blueserge with bronze buttons, and pipeclayed shoes. He had a good-humoredlook, and greeted them affably, glancing at the net.

  "Glad to find somebody here; you're fishing, I suppose?" he said."You'll know where there's water, and ours is getting short. Theengineer has had some trouble with salting boilers and won't give usany. I'll take some fish, if you can spare it."

  Bethune laughed.

  "You can have all we've got," he said. "Any we keep we'll have to eat,and we're getting pretty tired of the diet. There's a good spring behindthe ridge; we'll show you where it is."

  The man beckoned the seamen, who shouldered two brass-hooped breakers,and the party set off up the beach. When they reached the spring theseamen returned with the breakers to empty them into the boat, using heras a tank to carry the water off, and Jimmy took the yachtsman into ahut they had roughly built of stones between two big rocks. Here theysometimes lived when wind or fog stopped their work. He gave them somecigars and told them that the yacht was returning from a trip to theNorth, where they had explored several of the glaciers. He was a bit ofa naturalist and interested in birds, and that was why he had comeashore; but the desolate appearance of the island had deterred hisfriends, who were playing cards.

  "Have you noticed any of the rarer sea-birds here?" he asked.

  "There are a number of nests some distance off," Bethune answered. "Idon't know what kind they are, but after making two or three attempts toeat them, I can't recommend the eggs."

  The yachtsman laughed.

  "You may have made omelettes of specimens collectors would give a gooddeal for. Anyway, I'd be glad if you would show me the place. As we musttake off as much water as she'll carry, the boys will be busy for sometime."

  "I'll go with you in a minute," Bethune said, giving Jimmy a warninglook. "Have you the ball of fine seizing?" he asked his comrade. "Thereare some hooks to be whipped on to the new line."

  Jimmy, understanding that Bethune wanted a word with him in private,went out, and Bethune followed.

  "Well?" Jimmy queried.

  "What do you think of the weather?"

  Jimmy looked round carefully. The sky was clear overhead except forthin, streaky clouds, and the mist was moving, sliding in filmy trailsalong the shore.

  "It won't be so thick presently, and we may have a breeze."

  "That's my opinion. Has it struck you that it will be after half-ebbwhen our yachting friend leaves? Besides, it would look inhospitable andperhaps suspicious if we didn't take him off to supper."

  "Ah!" exclaimed Jimmy. "The wreck will be showing, the pumps are onboard, and it's unfortunate we forgot to move our buoy."

  "Sure! There's no reason for supposing the man's a fool, and I've nodoubt he'll draw conclusions if he sees the diving truck and the buoy.It's certain that somebody on board the steamer has heard about thewreck; and any mention of our doings in the southern ports would lead tothe sending up of a proper salvage gang. We might finish before theyarrived; but I'm doubtful."

  "You're right," said Jimmy. "What's to be done?"

  "The best plan would be for you and Hank to get the pumps ashore whilethere's fog enough to hide you. Then you can slip the buoy and leave itamong the boulders abreast of the wreck. I'll keep our friend away fromthe water; but the high ground where the nests are looks down on thebeach and you'll have the steamer not far outshore of you."

  Turning at a footstep, J
immy saw the stranger leave the hut.

  "My partner will take you to the nests," he said. "I have something todo on board."

  Beckoning Moran, Jimmy turned away, and as the two went down to thebeach he explained his object to the fisherman. Moran agreed that ifnews of their doings leaked out, they might as well give up the search.They must, however, be careful, because there was a chance of theirbeing seen by anybody with good glasses on board the yacht, which hadmoved close in to shorten the journey for the boat. Now and then theycould see her white hull plainly, but it grew dim and faded into themist again.

  Boarding the sloop, they dismantled the pumps, and then found that withthese, the lead weights, and the diving helmet, the small dory had aheavy load. The tide was, however, falling, and for some distance itcarried them down a smooth channel between banks of uncovered sand. Theyhad no trouble here, but when they reached open water they found aconfused swell running against them. The fog had again thickened andthey could see only the gray slopes of water that moved out of the haze.It was hard work rowing, and care was needed when an undulation curledand broke into a ridge of foam. If that happened before they could avoidit, the dory might be overturned; and the water was icy cold. Theytoiled across a broad shallow, sounding with the oars, until they losttouch of the bottom and pulled by guess for a spot where landing wassafe.

  Soon it seemed that they had gone astray, for they could see nothing ofthe beach and a harsh rattle broke out close ahead. Moran stoppedrowing.

  "Tide has run us well offshore," he said. "The yacht skipper'sshortening cable or going to break out his anchor. Guess he's swung intoshoaler water than he figured on."

  While they waited and the tide carried them along, the rattle of thewindlass grew louder; and when it stopped, a dim, white shape crept outof the fog. It increased in size and distinctness; they could see thesweeping curve of bow, the trickle of the stream along the waterline,and the low deckhouse above the rail. There was no avoiding the yacht byrowing away without being seen, but the dory was very small and low inthe water.

  "They've hove her short and found another fathom, and I expect they'resatisfied," Jimmy said; "but they'll keep good anchor watch. The bestthing we can do is to lie down in the bottom."

  They got down on the wet floorings, and Jimmy looked over the gunwale.They were close to the yacht, and he could make out a figure or two infront of the house. As they drifted on, the figures grew plainer, and itseemed impossible that they could escape being seen. For all that,nobody hailed them, though they were near enough to hear voices and thenotes of a piano. The vessel's tall, white side seemed right above them,but they were abreast of the funnel now, and the ash hoist began toclatter; Jimmy saw the dust and steam rise as the furnace clinkersstruck the sea. Still, they were drifting aft, a gray blotch on thewater, and were almost level with her stern when Jimmy saw a man leaningon the rail. By the way his head was turned he was looking toward thedory, and for several anxious moments Jimmy expected his hail. It didnot come; the graceful incurving of the white hull ended in the sweep ofcounter above the tip of a propeller blade, and the dory drifted on intothe mist astern.

  "Now we'll have her round!" Moran exclaimed, with relief in his voice."I guess you've got to pull."

  It was difficult to prevent her heavy load from swamping her as theyapproached the beach; but they ran her in safely, and, after carrying uptheir cargo, set off for the wreck. Their buoy was visible some distanceoff, for the mist was now moving out to sea; and their chief trouble wasto get the awkward iron keg ashore. They had hardly done so when thesteamer showed up plainly through a rift in the fog and a draught ofcold air struck Jimmy's face.

  "It's coming!" he cried. "We've no time to lose in getting back!"

  The tide was beginning to ripple as they pulled off the beach, and theyacht was plainly disclosed, shining like ivory on the clear, greenwater. It did not matter now that they could be seen; their one concernwas to get home before the freshening wind raised the sea. In a shorttime the spray was flying about the dory and frothing ridges ran upastern of her. These got steeper as they reached the shoals, and the menhad hard work to hold her straight with the oars as she surged forward,uplifted, on a rush of foam. They had no time to look about, but theyheard the steamer whistle to recall her boat, and presently a gasolinelaunch raced by, rolling wildly, through deeper water.

  As they entered the channel into the bight, they met the launch comingout more slowly with the boat in tow, and somebody on board her wavedhis hand. Then she disappeared beyond a projecting bank, and Jimmy andMoran rowed on to the sloop.

  "They were only just in time," Bethune said as they got on board. "Isuppose you saw our friend go; but if they don't tow her carefully, itwon't be fresh water when it gets into their tank." He paused with alaugh and showed them some silver coins. "Anyhow, we have earnedsomething this afternoon. The fellow insisted on paying for the fish,and I thought I'd better let him."

  "It was wise," agreed Jimmy. "Moran and I have done our share, so it'sup to you to get supper."

  While they ate it, they heard the rattle of a windlass; and, looking outthrough the scuttle, they saw the yacht steam away to sea.