CHAPTER III
NAT'S BRAVE RESCUE
"Somebody must have fallen overboard from one of the barges," thoughtNat, for he could now easily determine that the cry came from the sideof the dock where the two big freight carriers were tied. "Why doesn'tsome one there help him?"
But though he thus wondered, he did not hesitate over what to do. Heran out on the pier, and seeing a gangplank leading to one barge, hesprinted up it. The cries continued.
"I'm coming!" the boy shouted. "I'll help you! Where are you?"
"Down between the two barges! I can't get out!" cried a man's voice."Hurry! help!"
The voice ended in a gurgle.
"He's gone down under water!" exclaimed Nat. "Man overboard!" heloudly cried, thinking some one on the dock or aboard the vesselsmight hear him and come to help aid in rescuing the imperiled one. Butthere came no answer. The pier seemed to be deserted.
Nat reached the deck of the first barge and rushed across it to thefarthermost rail. He tried to peer down into the black space betweenthe two freight boats, but he could see nothing.
"Where are you?" he called again.
"Here! Right here!" was the answer. "I fell down in between the twobarges. I got hold of a rope, but it slipped from me a moment ago, andI went under. I managed to get hold of it again when I came up, but Ican't last much longer. Hurry and help me!"
"I will!" exclaimed Nat. "I'm coming down as soon as I can find a ropeto cling to. There isn't room to swim down there."
"No; that's right. I can hardly move. But I can't hold on muchlonger."
"Don't give up!" yelled Nat. "I'll be right there. Queer there isn'tsome of the crew here," he murmured to himself.
He glanced rapidly about him. There was a lantern burning high up onthe smokestack of one of the barges, which were of the latest type,with big engines to turn the large propellers. It was the work of butan instant for Nat to loosen the lantern rope from the cleat and lowerthe light to the deck. Then cutting the rope, as the quickest methodof detaching it from the stack, he hurried with it to the spacebetween the two barges. He lowered the light, and by its gleam saw anelderly man clinging to a rope that dangled from the side of thebarge the boy was on.
"That's good; show a light!" exclaimed the man. "Now you can see whatto do. But please hurry. My arms are nearly pulled from the sockets."
"I'll have to get a rope that will bear my weight," replied Nat. "Holdon a moment more."
He fastened the lantern cord to the rail, so that the light would hangdown in the space between the two vessels. Then he got a long rope, asimple enough matter aboard a vessel. Securing one end to a stanchion,Nat threw the other end down between the barges. Then giving the cablea yank, to see that it was secure, he went down it hand over hand.
"I'll have you out of here now in short order," he said to thehalf-exhausted man. "Can you pull yourself up by the rope?"
"I'm afraid not. I'm too weak."
This was a problem Nat had not considered. He thought for a moment. Hewas a bright lad, and his life about the docks had made himresourceful in emergencies.
"I have it!" he exclaimed. "Hold on just a few seconds more."
Twining his legs about the cable to support himself, Nat with one handmade a loop in the rope, using a knot that would not slip. Thus hehad a support for his feet.
Standing in the loop he quickly made another below it, for the ropewas plenty long enough.
"There!" he cried to the man. "Work your arms into that and then getyour head and shoulders through. Put it under your arm-pits, and thatwill support you until I can haul you up."
"Good idea," murmured the man weakly. With one hand he grasped theloop which Nat let down to him. He evidently was used to cables, forhe knew how to handle this one, and in a few seconds he had his headand arms through the loop. This supported him so that he was out ofwater up to his waist.
"I'll have you out in another minute," declared Nat as he scrambled upthe rope hand over hand, until he was once more on the deck of thebarge. Then he tried to pull the man up by hauling on the rope, but hefound the task too great for his strength.
"I'll have to get help," he said.
"No, no! Don't leave me!" begged the man. "Just lower me another rope,and I can pull myself up."
Nat understood the plan. Quickly running to the other side of thebarge, he found a long cable. This he fastened as he had done thefirst, and he let the length of it dangle between the two vessels sothat the man could reach it.
"Pull now!" called the man.
Hauling on the rope about the stranger's shoulders, while the latteraided himself in the work of rescue by pulling on the second rope, therescued one was soon on the deck of the barge beside Nat. He was soweak that he sank down in a heap as soon as he was over the rail.
"Are you hurt? Can I get you anything? Do you belong aboard thisbarge?" asked the boy.
"No--no, my lad," said the man slowly. "I'll be all right in a fewminutes. I'm exhausted, that's all. My name is Weatherby----"
"What, John Weatherby, the pilot of the _Jessie Drew_?" asked Nat, whoknew a number of pilots by their names.
"That's who I am, my lad. You may think it queer that a pilot shouldfall overboard, but I'll tell you how it happened. First, however, letme thank you with all my heart for what you did for me. But for you Iwould have been drowned."
"Oh, I guess not."
"Yes, I would. I couldn't have held on much longer, as I'm getting oldand I'm not as strong as I was."
"Some one else would have come to your aid."
"I don't know about that. There is no one aboard either of the barges.I didn't know that, or I shouldn't have come here to-night. Thatvessel over there has gone out of commission, and there is no oneaboard her. There's a watchman on the pier, but he didn't hear mecalling for help. You saved my life, and I'll not forget it."
"I am glad I was able to," responded Nat.
"What is your name?" asked the pilot. He seemed to be feeling better.
"I'm Nat Morton."
"Nat Morton! I've heard of you. Why, you're the boy who got therowboat out of the way of the vessel I was bringing in the other day,aren't you?"
"I guess I am."
"Well, I've wanted to meet you to thank you for that. Then, before Iget a chance to do it, you do me another favor. I heard about you froma friend of mine--a pilot. He said you were always about the docks."
"Yes, I spend a good deal of my time here. I get occasional jobs, andI like the ships."
"So do I, my lad. The lakes are wonderful bodies of water."
"But hadn't you better go home?" suggested Nat. "You're wet, and,though it's a warm night, you may take cold. It's going to rain," headded, as a flash of lightning came.
"Yes, I will go home if you will help me."
"I will, gladly. Where do you live?"
"I board near here, as it's handy for my business. The _Jessie Drew_is to sail day after to-morrow. I came down here to-night to see afriend of mine, who is captain of one of these grain barges, thesecond one over there. I didn't know that he and his crew, as well asall those on this barge we're on, had gone ashore. I started to crossfrom one barge to the other, and I fell down between them. I calledand called, but it seemed as if help would never come."
"I'm glad I happened to be passing," replied Nat. "Now, if you feelable, we'll go ashore."
"Yes, I'm all right now. I'll go to my boarding place and get some drythings. Do you work around here?"
"I help Mr. Miller--he's the man I live with--whenever I can. He'sworking to-night, helping unload a vessel that was delayed by thestorm."
"Yes, it's blowing quite hard. I didn't notice it so much down betweenthose barges, but now I feel quite chilly. So you work on the pier,eh?"
"Whenever I can get anything to do. But I'd like to get a job on asteamer."
"You would, eh? What kind?"
"Well, I'd like to be a pilot, but I suppose I'd have to work my wayup. I'd be willing to start at almost any
thing, if I could get on avessel."
"You would, eh?" said the pilot, and then he seemed to be busilythinking.
The two walked down the gangplank and off the pier, meeting no one,for the wind, and an occasional dash of rain, made it unpleasant to beout, and the watchman was probably snugly sitting in some shelteredplace.
"This is my boarding place," said Mr. Weatherby at length, as theycame to a small house on a street leading up from the lake front. "Ican't properly thank you now, but--I wish you'd come and see meto-morrow, when you're not working," he added.
"I'll be glad to call and find out how you are."
"Oh, I'll be all right. Now, be sure to come, I--I may have some goodnews for you." And with that the old pilot went into the house,leaving a very much wondering youth on the sidewalk.