*CHAPTER VII.*
*THE WRECK.*
John and Jerry were late coming with the milk, and they were in a stateof great excitement.
"Did you hear about the wreck?"
"Wreck!" cried the boys in chorus, as they gathered around thenews-bearers.
"Yes, a wreck."
"Where?" was the eager query.
"Right on that reef near the surf-bell."
"Tell us about it!"--"Anybody lost?"
"Yes, one fellow. Father's been talking with 'em. He can't but justmake out what they say. She's just keeled up on that ledge. I tell youshe looks awful!"
"She? Is there a woman there?"
"I don't know."
"Oh, he means the vessel when he says 'she,'" exclaimed Frank Furman.
"Wasn't it an awful storm?"--"Wasn't it!"
"I tell you we was scared, Jerry and me! I thought sure the oldlighthouse was going over, and our house, too. Everything was creakin'and groanin', and the surf was flyin' up against the windows."
"Father stayed by the lantern all night; he afraid the light might goout," added Jerry. "We didn't know nothin' about the wreck tilldaylight."
"John, tell me what kind of a vessel it is," said Joe, pale with somesudden apprehension.
"It's a schooner."
"Were they fishermen, do you think?"
"I think so. They are trying to get her off before she breaks up. Theythink if they get her over to the Cape she can be mended."
Joe had already darted away to Mr. Bernard's tent, and rapping on thecanvas, he asked hurriedly, "Mr. Bernard, may I come in?"
"Come."
"O Mr. Bernard, John and Jerry are here, and they have been telling usabout a wreck over there on the ledge."
Mr. Bernard threw down his book and listened.
"One fellow was lost. The boys think it was a fishing-vessel. What ifit should be the _Una_, Mr. Bernard?"
The teacher arose hastily and put on his hat.
"Did they know the name of the vessel?"
"I didn't ask, Mr. Bernard; I didn't dare to," answered Joe, still verypale.
"I will go over there at once."
"Oh, may I go too?"
A reluctant consent was given, and Joe boldly asked,--
"May we all go--Max and all?"
"Yes, you may all go.--Max, come with me."
Joe hastened back to the boys, shouting, "Come on! Mr. Bernard says wemay go over to see the wreck!"
"Good for him! Hurrah, boys! we are off for the wreck."
"What did you say about a wreck?" asked Jonas, as John and Jerrydelivered the milk at the cookhouse.
The boys enlightened him, and Jonas, turning to his man Friday, said,"Come on, Freit--we'll let the dishes go;" and seizing his hat hehurried after the boys, who were scampering off towards the lighthousewith the teachers.
They attempted to go by the shorter route over the rocks on the shore,in spite of John's warning, but after some of the party had beendrenched by the surf they retreated to the woods.
Joe kept close to Mr. Bernard's side, without speaking a word, and someof the boys behind whispered, "They are afraid it is that vessel thatRalph and Ben went in."
This sobered them all, and there was very little conversation as thecrowd hurried on. They could hear the "boom-boom" of the sea againstthe cliff long before they reached it, and Joe's heart felt heavier thanever.
Ralph had never been a favourite among his schoolmates, and Joe,especially, had never been attracted toward him. Their acquaintance haddeveloped during the last weeks of the school, while the search wasbeing made for the offender; and in helping him then he came to pityhim, and feel an interest in him, quite sure that the boy had received alesson that would make him hesitate to speak an untruth again.
At length John ran through the bushes out on the top of one of the highboulders, where he pointed to the dismantled vessel with the men workingat the pumps.
"What's the name on the stern?" asked Joe, straining his eyes as thewaves now and then left the end of the vessel.
No one could tell, but it was plain to all that the word was a long one.
"It can't be the _Una_, then!" cried Joe with a sigh of relief.
"No--thank God for that; but these poor fellows are having a hard time,"said Mr. Bernard.
"Bad enough!" exclaimed the light-keeper, who had joined the party onthe rocks. "They think they can save the vessel; but unless she is offbefore noon she's gone! She will break up fast in this sea."
"Is there no way for us to help them?" asked Mr. Andrews.
"No; it would be nonsense to try to get to them with my boat. Thelanding here is bad at the best; and I never think of going out exceptin fair weather."
"What kind of boats have you?"
"Nothing but a common sail-boat and a couple of skiffs, and theywouldn't stand a sign of a chance in this sea."
"What will the men do if the vessel goes down?"
"They've got their boats all ready to launch, and their boats are muchbetter than mine."
"They are calling you, father!" cried Jerry, pulling his father's coat.
"Who?"
"The men over yonder."
"Yes,--hear them!" said the boys excitedly.
"Keep still, all o' ye!" said the light-keeper. Then, making aspeaking-trumpet of his hands, he shouted, "Ship ahoy! what's wanted?"
Converting his speaking-trumpet into an ear-trumpet, he listenedintently.
"She's filling fast! Is there anything there to fasten our rope over?"
The light-keeper glanced quickly around, and shouted back, "Yes!"
Then the boys saw the sailors draw something forward near the taffrail.
"What are they going to do, Mr. Kramer?" asked Joe.
"Fire us a line."
There was a little delay, then a puff of smoke, and a line fell acrossthe island. There was a great rush and scramble for it, and some of theboys in their eagerness fell over each other, doing more harm than good;but the line was secured, and pulled in with a will. At the end of thisline was fastened a rope, and this, in turn, brought a double cable.
"A long pull, and a strong pull, and a pull all together!" said thelight-keeper.
There were hands enough to pull, but after all it was hard work; andthere was a cheer when they got hold of the double cable and ran with itto an old oak stump.
The light-keeper sent John for some heavy spikes, which he drove intothe stump, in a circle above the cable, to prevent its slipping up whenit began to move.
"Pull tight now!" shouted Kramer.
The boys could see the rope tighten.
"What are they doing now, Mr. Bernard?" asked Dave.
"That's what I should like to know," said Joe. "They are coming ashore,I think."
"Coming ashore! What! on that rope?"
"Astride of it, or hanging on by their hands? That's what I'd like toknow!" and there was great confusion among the boys, all talking atonce.
"Boys, keep quiet!" said Mr. Bernard. "The captain is calling."
"All ready there?"
"Ay, ay,--all ready!" shouted the light-keeper.
"They can't hear," said Mr. Bernard; "the wind is this way."
"All ready!" shouted Kramer again, beckoning with his hand.
"Oh, they are launching a big basket!" cried Ned Gould.
"They are coming in that? Whew!" cried Frank Furman, fairly dancingwith excitement.
"Ready, there?" was shouted again from the vessel.
"All ready!"
"Steady, then--pull!"
"Now, boys, stand off!" said Kramer, motioning the crowd away. "I onlywant the men now; steady pulling is what we want."
Mr. Bernard, Mr. Andrews, Mr. Wiseman, Jonas, and Freitag began to pullwith the light-keeper, who timed them with a monotonous, "There shecomes! there she comes!" while the boys watched the basket in breathlessexcitement as it moved on, swaying frightfull
y at times as it hung overthe seething mass of water.
At length a loud cheer from the boys, and a "Hold, there!" from theoccupants of the basket, announced its safe arrival with its preciousfreight.
The vessel's cook and the captain's little son, a boy of eight years,were the passengers, and a cheer, loud and long, as they were helpedashore, announced their safety to the anxious father on the wreck.
The basket was speedily returned to the vessel, and once more it startedon its shoreward trip.
"That's the mate," said the cook. "The captain vowed he'd be the lastman to leave."
"Take that child to the house, and tell mother to get him warmed, John,"said the light-keeper.
The boy refused to go until his father should get across; so Joe wrappedhim in his overcoat, and they stood together watching the advancingbasket.
"How did it seem coming over in that basket?" asked Joe.
"I don't know; I was too frightened to think; I kept my eyes shut, andjust curled down in Jim's lap."
Another cheer presently announced the arrival of the basket the secondtime, as the mate landed safely and waved a signal to the captain.
"I tell you, friends, that cheer you sent up when the basket got acrosswith the captain's boy was the most welcome sound I ever heard; and poorcaptain, he almost broke down with joy. Now if we can get him oversafely we shall give thanks in earnest."
Away went the basket to the wreck as fast as the men could pull therope, every foot of which the mate examined carefully as they pulled.
Away went the basket to the wreck.]
The captain was below, when the basket reached the vessel, and it wassome minutes before he reappeared.
"He has got Jingo, Bertie," cried the mate.
"Oh, has he? I thought Jingo would have to drown. Are you sure, Mr.Osmond?"
"Yes," said the mate, looking through his field-glass. "He is going tostow everything into that basket that he can. I am afraid he will getit too full."
"Ready!" shouted the captain.
"Steady!" cried the mate. "If we spill that load we lose the best manthat ever trod the deck of a vessel!"
Again the light-keeper's monotonous chant, "There she comes! there shecomes!" commenced, and slowly and steadily the basket advanced.
Suddenly, when it was about two-thirds of the distance over, the ropeceased to move, and the basket hung motionless over the rough sea.
"What's the matter?" shouted the light-keeper, looking at the mate.
"The cable must have caught on the rigging, with no one there to keep itclear. We thought we guarded against that," said the mate.
"Oh, father can't get ashore!" cried the child, pale with terror.
Joe tried to comfort him, assuring him that they would find some way tosave him.
Another pull, long and strong, but the rope did not yield.
"What will be done?" asked Mr. Bernard, losing all his ordinarycalmness. "Can he help himself at all?"
"He can if anybody can," answered the mate gruffly.
"Hark, he is calling!"
Every ear was strained to catch the words.
"Let go there! let's see if I can move."
They all left the rope and crowded near the edge of the rocks, watchingthe slow and dangerous transit as the shaky basket was pushed along stepby step, with a jerky motion that tipped the basket from side to side ina frightful way.
"Hold on there; I'll sling a line, captain," as the basket came nearenough to make it possible.
The man seemed too exhausted to pull a foot further, and he croucheddown in the basket as low as possible, with hands outstretched to catchthe line.
A dozen attempts were made in vain, as the wind would blow it out of itscourse; but at last the coil dropped into the basket, and was easilyclutched and made fast.
The boys commenced to cheer, but Mr. Bernard hushed them, saying, "Notnow, boys,--wait!"
Steadily on came the basket now, and in a few moments the mate seized itand steadied it as the captain stepped ashore.
"O father!" cried his son, throwing his arms around him.
"Thank God for his great goodness!" he said reverently, as he held thechild close.
The basket contained dry clothing for the party, and among it littleHerbert's rat-terrier, almost lifeless with fright.
The light-keeper hurried the rescued party to the house, where his wifehad hot coffee and a bountiful meal ready for them. The men were toomuch exhausted to talk, and were glad to accept the offer of a chance tosleep off their fatigue.
"Now, boys, we must go back and leave it quiet here; these men needrest."
"Come on, then, John and Jerry; show us the spouting-horn," cried Joe.
"Will it take us far out of the way, boys? I am too tired to wastesteps," said Mr. Bernard.
"No, sir; we can go to camp right up that shore," and John led the way,running like a young deer.
"There she spouts!" he shouted as they came within sight of it.
Loud were the exclamations of surprise and delight as the column ofwater shot up into the air with a boom like a cannon.
"What makes it?" asked Maurice Perry.
"I don't know, I'm sure," said John. "This one always does so after astorm; and one on the other side there spouts and bangs at low tide--thelower the tide the louder she bangs."
Mr. Bernard and the rest of the party had arrived now, and as if fortheir benefit the horn spouted full eighty feet, dropping the spray in ashower all around them.
"What makes it bang so, Mr. Bernard?" asked Maurice again, not satisfiedwith John's answer.
"The air driven by a rush of the water, Maurice. There is a hole in theside of that rock, extending up to the surface, and the air rushesthrough, followed presently by a mass of water, and the escape of theair from its pursuer causes the loud report."
"It is simply a big pop-gun," said Joe, "and it works itself, withoutany boy's help."
"Oh, I see a rainbow," said Lewis Germaine.
"Where, where?" asked the others.
"Right there in the spray."
"Oh, so there is! just as bright."
"Isn't that fine?"
After they had exhausted the list of adjectives expressing theiradmiration and delight, John said, "I'll show you somethin' else sometime when it's low tide."
This he said with a very proud air, as if he owned all the wonders ofthe island.
"Show it now."
"Can't; it only shows at low tide."
"Oh, the other spouter!"
"No; somethin' else."
"What is it?--tell us." And the boys gathered around him.
"Why, right down there, where you see that big rock with a sharppick--see it? Well, right down behind there is a place where the tideleaves a big puddle when it goes out, and that puddle is full of livethings."
"What are they?" asked Joe laughing;--"not whales?"
"Oh, nothin' like that. Flowery kind of things, awful pretty, that shutup if you look at 'em very hard, or leastways if you poke 'em ever soeasy."
"Those are sea-anemones," said Mr. Bernard.
"Then there are crowds of little things with pricks all over theirbacks, and if you turn them over they stick out those splinterssideways, and make 'em long-like, and pull themselves right side upagain," said John, trying to imitate, with his own arms, thesea-urchin's movements with his spines.
"There's more than that there, too," piped Jerry. "There's five-fingers,plenty of 'em--big ones, and baby-fellers, too, no bigger than yourfinger-nail; nor so big."
"Sometimes fish get in there, too," said John. "I tell you it's anawful pretty puddle."
"I should think so, indeed," said Mr. Andrews. "It certainly is a'puddle' worth seeing.--When will the tide be low, Jonas?"
"About five o'clock, I reckon, though the fog has been too thick to tellwhether there has been any tide or not," answered the cook, who had comewith the others to see the "spouting-horn."
"Very little doubt of that, I shoul
d judge from appearances," said Mr.Lane, one of the teachers.
"I am too tired to come over again to-day, boys," said Mr. Bernard,turning to take little Max's hand. "But you can come at low tide, if youlike. I suppose John and his brother will be willing to meet you."
"Oh, they are going to camp with us!--Aren't you, John?"
"No; we want to see what becomes of the wreck--we don't have one everyday."
"No, I hope not," said Joe. "Well, good-bye till to-night."