CHAPTER II
A STORM ON THE PACIFIC
Larry found Captain Ponsberry working over a chart on the cabin table,laying out the course of the ship. The commander of the _Columbia_ was abluff, hearty individual and he and the young second mate thought agreat deal of each other.
"Well, what is it?" asked the captain, looking up quickly.
"I came to report that a storm is coming up from the west," answeredLarry.
"Humph! I was afraid we'd catch it sooner or later. Is it close up yet?"
"It's coming up pretty fast."
Captain Ponsberry said no more, but threw down his parallel rulers andhis pencil. Catching up his cap, he mounted to the deck, and the youngsecond mate followed at his heels. The captain gave a long look to thewestward and then a gaze around the remainder of the horizon.
"Tell Cal Vincent to call all hands to shorten sail!" he called out toLarry. "Tell 'em to tumble up quick, too--thet storm ain't none too faroff for comfort!"
Larry passed the word to Cal Vincent, who was the boatswain of the_Columbia_, and soon the whistle piped up shrilly, and those who werebelow or in the forecastle, came on deck in a hurry. Already the windwas freshening, ruffling up the whitecaps in all directions. The sky,that had been so blue a short while before, became leaden, and thedepths of the ocean took on a somber hue. The barometer indicated agreat and immediate change.
"Lay aloft there, men!" cried Captain Ponsberry. "Our sails are mostlynew and we don't want them ripped up if we can help it. Skip alongthere, Peterson!" The latter words to a big sailor who was moving acrossthe deck at a snail's pace.
The sailor addressed, scowled. It was not his watch on deck and he hatedto have his midday nap disturbed.
"Got a nail in ma boot," he said.
"Well, haul it out--after the sails are trimmed," returned the captain,and then turned to another hand: "Semmel, what's the matter with you?"This to the suspicious-looking sailor with the heavy black beard.
"Nodding," grumbled Semmel, and turned away sulkily.
"Then get a move on, or we may lose a stick as well as a sail," andthere followed a perfect volley of orders in a tone that none of thesailors misunderstood. Up to the yards they crawled like so manymonkeys, and soon the creaking of halyard blocks was heard, as thetopsails came down. The jib and flying jib were also taken in, and alittle later the main-course and the mizzen-course.
"Reckon we can stand the fore-course for a little while longer," saidCaptain Ponsberry to Tom Grandon. "What do you think?"
"We can, unless it comes quicker nor it is coming now," returned thefirst mate.
"Well, keep an eye on the wind and reef her as soon as it begins to looknasty," said Captain Ponsberry, and returned to the cabin, to finish hisnautical calculations.
The _Columbia_ had left the last of the Philippines behind and washeaded north through the China Sea toward the lower extremity ofFormosa. She was not as new a ship as when Larry had first boarded herat Honolulu, for since that time she had seen half a dozen years of hardservice. But Captain Ponsberry was a careful man and believed in makingrepairs as soon as they were needed, so there was small danger of heropening her seams or going to pieces even in the stiffest of blows. Sheleaked a little--the best of ships do that--but a short pumping everymorning kept the water at the bottom of the well.
As second mate, it was Larry's duty to see that everything on the deckwas "ship-shape," and this was especially necessary when a storm wascoming up. He made a tour of the ship, his keen eyes taking in everydetail.
As it happened, an hour before he had set the sailor Semmel to workstowing away some odds and ends of rope. He had supposed that this taskwas long since finished, but now he found the ropes scattered about asbefore.
"See here, Semmel," he called out, "why didn't you stow away those ropesas I told you?"
"Stow dem avay in a leetle vile," answered the sailor with the heavybeard.
"You'll stow them away now," returned Larry, sharply. He did not at allfancy the manner of the hand he was addressing. "I told you to do it anhour ago. We don't want anything loose on deck when this storm hits us."
"Vincent kicked de ropes out dare," growled Semmel. "I had nodding to domit 'em."
"That isn't here or there. I told you to stow them away, and I want youto do it. If you don't, I'll have to report you to the captain."
"Oh, I do him!" grumbled Semmel, but he glared at Larry as if he wishedto chew the young second mate up. "You put all dare vork on me, hey?" headded, after a pause.
"You've got to do your share of it."
"Humph!" Semmel seemed on the point of saying more, but shut his teethand began to arrange the ropes in proper order. Larry watched him for amoment and then walked away. As soon as his back was turned the sailorshook his fist at the young second mate.
"You vait!" he muttered. "Chust vait, you Jankee rat!"
The sky kept growing darker, and soon came a puff of wind much heavierthan any that had gone before. The _Columbia_ had been moving over thewaves on an even keel, but now she gave a sudden lurch to starboard.
"Reckon it's time to take them reefs in the fore-course," said Grandon toLarry, and soon the sailors were at work on the sheets, leaving justsufficient canvas up to make the schooner mind her helm. It was hardwork, for the sudden gusts made the sail snap and crack like a whip.
So far it had not rained a drop, but now came a sudden downpour, thedrops "as big as hen's eggs," to use Luke Striker's manner of describingthem. Then came a flash of lightning out of the western sky, followed bya rumble of thunder.
"This is going to be an old-time storm," was Larry's comment, as he metLuke Striker near the forecastle. "I'll have to get my oilskin out."
Luke already had his raincoat on and soon the young mate was similarlyprovided. Wind and rain were increasing, and presently there came aflash of lightning and a clap of thunder that made everybody jump. Thethunder brought Captain Ponsberry to the deck in a hurry.
"Did that hit us?" he questioned, looking around anxiously.
"No, sir, but it was pretty close," replied Grandon.
"Is everything secure?" went on the commander, to Larry.
"Yes, sir."
It was difficult to converse further, for the wind was now whistlingthrough the rigging, driving the rain in sheets across the deck. All hadto hold fast for fear of being swept overboard. On every side the seawas lashing itself into a foam and the waves were growing higher andhigher. At one instant the _Columbia_ would seem to be riding on top ofa mountain, the next she would sink down and down into the trough of thesea.
"Well, Larry, how do you like this?" questioned Captain Ponsberry, as hetook a position beside the second mate.
"Oh, I don't mind it at all," was the cheery answer. "I used to mind thestorms, but I've got used to them."
"This isn't a plaything we are getting."
"Oh, I know that--you can see it by the way the wind is driving us. Butwe are not near any land, are we?"
"No."
"Then we'll be sure to outride it. I feel I can bank on the old_Columbia_ for almost anything."
At this Captain Ponsberry laid an affectionate hand on his second mate'sshoulder.
"Reckon you love the old craft about as well as I do," he said.
"I don't know about that--you've been on board so many more years thanmyself. But to me she is a second home."
"I see. Well, let us hope we get through with this trip in safety."
"Don't you imagine we'll do it?" questioned Larry, quickly.
"Certainly. But you must remember that we may have trouble if we fall inwith any Russian warship." Captain Ponsberry lowered his voice. "Did youhave trouble with Semmel?"
"A little. I ordered him to coil up some ropes and he didn't obey meright away. But he stowed them away afterwards."
Captain Ponsberry drew a long breath. "The more I see of that chap theless I like him."
"I never liked him from the start," answered Larry, frankly. "But you'llh
ave to give him credit for being a good all-round sailor."
"There is no doubt but what he is that, Larry. But he has a bad eye."
"What do you think he could do to harm us?"
"Nothing--unless we fell in with a Russian warship. In that case, if hewas a Russian sympathizer, he might expose the fact that while we arecarrying a cargo for the Richmond Importing Company the goods are reallymeant for the Japanese Government."
"Does he know that?"
"I'm not sure, one way or the other. What I am afraid of is, that he mayknow a good bit more nor we suspect."
"I see." The young second mate mused for a moment. "I'll tell you whatI'd do, if I thought he was going to play me foul--and we fell in with aRussian warship. I'd clap him below decks, out of sight until thewarship went on her way again."
"That's easily said; but I can't make him a prisoner unless I can provesomething against him."
"You can lock him up if he is sulky and won't obey orders."
"Yes, that is true. Still----Phew!"
The captain broke off short, for a vivid streak of lightning flared allover the upper masts of the ship. The thunder-clap was as sharp as itwas deafening, and for the moment all on board thought the _Columbia_had surely been struck. Then came a downpour which made even the boldestof the sailors seek shelter.
"That was closer than I like," was Larry's comment, after it wasascertained that the ship was unharmed.
"'Most knocked me overboard," came from Luke Striker. "Gosh! reckon myhair's singed," and he put up his hand and ran his fingers through hisgrayish locks. "Don't want another like thet nohow!"
A few minutes later came another flash of lightning, but this was to theeastward, showing that the center of the storm had passed them. The windwas apparently going down, but the sea was as angry as ever and would befor hours to come.
Luke had retired to the forecastle with several other sailors. Larry'swatch on deck was also at an end, and he was just on the point of goingbelow, when from the west came a curious humming sound which made theyoung second mate pause. The humming increased, and then of a sudden the_Columbia_ was caught in a hurricane blast that threw her far over onher side.
"Help!" Larry heard, in the voice of Captain Ponsberry. "Somebody helpme, quick, or I'll go overboard!"