CHAPTER III
LARRY LEARNS SOMETHING
The accident which had happened to Captain Nat Ponsberry was certainly acurious one, although similar to that which once cost the life of ayoung officer in our navy.
When the hurricane blast reached the _Columbia_, the captain was in theact of slipping on a lined raincoat,--a big affair, with long sleevesand an extra high collar. One arm was in the coat and the other wasgoing down the sleeve when it caught in the lining. At that instant theshock threw the captain across the deck and almost over the railing. Hecaught at the railing with his free hand, but his other hand remained aprisoner in the coat sleeve, while the garment itself stuck in a bunchacross his shoulders.
"Help!" he roared again. He tried to pull himself up, and to free thehand in the sleeve, but found both impossible.
Larry did not wait for a second cry for assistance. He knew the captainso well that he felt the officer would only call when in dire peril. Heran out on the slippery deck in double-quick order.
"Hullo, where are you?" he yelled.
"Here! Help!"
The young second mate caught sight of the captain not a moment too soon.Another lurch of the _Columbia_ had thrown him completely over the rail,and there he clung with one hand, while the spray was flying all overhim.
Not waiting to count the possible cost, Larry slid rather than ran tothe rail. Years before he had learned a trick which now stood him ingood stead. He wound his legs around the under rail, catching the upperone with his left hand. Then he clutched Captain Ponsberry by thetangled-up arm.
"On deck there!" he yelled. "Throw a rope this way, and hurry up aboutit!"
"What's the trouble?" came from Tom Grandon, who had been in anotherpart of the ship and had not heard the captain's cry.
"The captain is almost overboard. Throw us a rope."
Tom Grandon was quick to act. The rope came whizzing toward Larry, andin a twinkling he had it around his body and also around the captain.
"Haul in!" he called, and Grandon and two sailors did so. Over the railcame Captain Ponsberry, still fighting to release the tangled-up arm. Ina moment more all danger was past.
"Well, how in the world did this happen?" questioned Grandon.
"Tell ye--soon as I can git free o' this consarned coat!" splutteredCaptain Ponsberry, and he gave the garment a jerk that ripped one of thesleeves completely in half. "Did ye ever see sech foolishness?" headded. And then he told how the lurch of the ship had carried him overthe rail just when he could use but one hand. "After this I reckon I'llput on my coat afore I go on deck," he concluded.
"It was a lucky thing that Larry heard you cry out," said the firstmate. "I was at the wheel, helping Groot."
"That's right, Tom." The captain turned to the youth. "Larry, you're abrave one, and always was. I ain't going to forget this!"
"Oh, don't say anything about it," came from the young second mate,modestly. "I know you'd do as much for me, if I needed it."
"Well, I would, an' there's my hand on it," cried Captain Ponsberry,heartily, and gave Larry a grip that made him wince.
The storm kept up for the remainder of the day. But its worst fury wasspent, and during the night the wind went down to nothing more than astiff breeze, which was just what was wanted. All of the sails wereagain set; and the schooner resumed her course as before.
Before leaving Manila Larry had purchased a number of newspapers printedin that city in English. So far he had had no chance to look the sheetsover, but now came two days in which there was little to do, and hespent several hours in devouring the news, while he also let his friendLuke do some reading.
"Tell ye what, this 'ere war between Russia and Japan is goin' to be abig thing," said Luke, after reading an account of the first fights onland and on sea. "It ain't goin' to be no such short affair as ourlittle rumpus in Cuby."
"You are right, Luke; this war is going to be a long and bitter one."
"Who is goin' to win, do you think?"
"I'm sure I don't know. Russia is a vast country, with millions ofpeople and with an immense army and navy. I suppose she can put fivetimes as many men in the field as Japan can."
"But them Japs know how to fight."
"Indeed they do--they have proved that already. And what is to theiradvantage, they are closer to Korea and Manchuria than Russia is. Theycan get on the fighting ground quicker,--which counts for a good deal."
"How those Russians must have been astonished when the Japanese warshipssailed into 'em at Port Arthur last February. I don't believe they wereexpecting an attack."
"Hardly, for war had just been declared. But you wouldn't have caughtUncle Sam napping like that, Luke."
"Right ye are, lad; it ain't his style. An' then to see how them Japshave been a-blowin' up the Russian warships ever since. They must have afine navy."
"Yes, and good gunners, too. I was told in Nagasaki that quite a fewAmerican gunners were on their ships--fellows who served under Dewey atManila and under Sampson and Schley off Cuba."
"I believe you, lad. When a feller gits it in his bones to fight on awarship there ain't no life on a merchantman goin' to satisfy him. Somejackies would rather fight nor eat--you know thet as well as I do."
"Well, I shouldn't mind doing some fighting myself. You know I was on astand about going with Ben and Gilbert Pennington."
"Where do you reckon they are now?"
"In Manchuria, I suppose, fighting as hard as they can. I thought Iwould get a letter from them before we left Manila, but nothing came."
"I suppose the mails are all upset, on account of the war," put in CalVincent, who sat nearby, sewing a button on his shirt. "If you'llremember, Nagasaki was in a big state of excitement while we were therelast."
"Did they say anything about any Russian warships bein' in these parts?"questioned Luke.
"No."
"It would be strange if we did fall in with them."
"Which puts me in mind," came from the boatswain, and then he gazedaround to see if any other persons were near. "Semmel says he ain't noRussian, but it's dollars to doughnuts he is," he continued, in alowered tone.
"Have you discovered anything new?" demanded Larry.
"Yes and no. Last night I overheard him and Peterson talking in asuspicious kind of a way. I didn't catch much, for they talked partly inEnglish and partly in a foreign language. But I am sure they arefavoring Russia, and Semmel said something about doing something to harmJapan."
"I don't see how they could do anything on board of this ship," camefrom Luke.
"You didn't hear anything definite?"
"Can't say that I did," answered the boatswain.
"We had better watch them closer than ever."
"All right; I'll do my share," responded Vincent, and Luke Striker saidthe same.
That very afternoon Larry had another quarrel with the sailor with thelong beard. Semmel had a bucket of dirty water which he was carrying tothe ship's side. As Larry passed he pretended to stub his toe andallowed some of the dirty water to flow over the young second mate'sfoot.
"Semmel, what did you do that for?" cried Larry, indignantly.
"Canno help dat," said the sailor. "I slip."
"You did it on purpose!"
"Oh, no!" And the sailor grinned wickedly.
"I say you did. If you try anything like that again, I'll make it warmfor you. Get a swab and clean the deck up at once!"
As Semmel sauntered off, and while Larry was stamping the water from hisshoe, Captain Ponsberry came up. He had seen the trick played from adistance.
"What did you tell Semmel?" he questioned, sharply.
"Told him to swab the deck up. I think he slopped the dirty water overme on purpose."
"Just my idea of it. I'll tell him what I think of it." And stridingafter the bearded sailor Captain Ponsberry gave him a lecture not to bereadily forgotten.
"I won't have any of your dirty underhanded work aboard of my ship," heconcluded. "Either you'll behave
yourself, or I'll put you in irons."
"In irons!" ejaculated Semmel, scowling viciously.
"That is what I said and that is what I mean. Ever since you came onboard you have been acting in this same dirty fashion and I want itstopped. Now swab up that deck, and see that you make a first-class jobof it. For two pins I'd make you black Russell's shoes."
"No black nobody's shoes," growled Semmel, but in such a low tone thatCaptain Ponsberry could not hear him. He cleaned the deck in his ownugly, independent manner, muttering imprecations against both Larry andthe captain in the meantime.
As a matter of fact, even though he had denied it to Captain Ponsberryand others, Ostag Semmel was really a Russian by birth, having been bornand raised in the seaport of Kolaska. He had been drafted into the army,but not wishing to serve under a military rule which is unusuallysevere, he had run away to sea and become a sailor.
Life on the ocean suited Semmel very well and he would have remainedaway from Russia had it not been for the fact that a rich uncle had diedleaving him a property valued at two thousand dollars--a small fortunein the eyes of a man of this Russian's standing. He wished to go back toclaim his inheritance, but feared to do so, for he knew that once onRussian soil he would be arrested for desertion, and might be sent to amilitary prison for a great number of years.
From a friend in Manila he had heard of something which interested himgreatly. This was the news that another deserter from the Russian armyhad been pardoned for his offense because he had taken home with himimportant news concerning the movements of a certain Japanese warship.
"If I could only do as well," he told himself, over and over again, andthen, when he signed articles for the _Columbia's_ trip, he listenedeagerly to some talk he overheard about the ship's cargo. When he beganto suspect the truth--that the cargo was meant for the JapaneseGovernment--his eyes glistened cunningly.
"If I can only let Russia know of this!" he reasoned. "All will go wellwith me. If I can only let Russia know!"