CHAPTER IV
THE HOLE IN THE BOAT
Harry dashed to the rail and seized the ring life preserver from itsbeckets. As Arnold rose to the surface and reached out for theunfortunate man from the schooner, Harry flung the ring-buoy withunerring aim. It fell true, and within Arnold's reach.
Gradually pulling in the line, Harry and Tom drew their chum to the sideof the Fortuna. The figure in his arms appeared perfectly lifeless.Quickly they prepared to take both on board.
"Make a bowline in a bight in that line," directed Harry. "Pass it downto Arnold and let him send us up the man first."
"Right-o," responded Tom, quickly preparing the line.
It was but the work of a moment to securely fasten the line about theman's limp form and in another moment he was safely on deck. Arnoldfollowed, coming over the rail like a monkey.
First aid to the drowned was administered rapidly by the boys who pridedthemselves upon their proficiency in this art.
"Looks like a nasty bump he got on the coco, too," commented Tom. "How'dthey happen to sneak upon us so close?" he added.
"Humph!" grunted Harry. "We all forgot to keep the Klaxon going while welistened to that fairy tale about the Spanish Treasure Chest. Maybe theyforgot to blow their fog horn also, and there you are. Natural result ofneglect. That's easy."
"Where are they now?" queried Arnold peering about in the fog.
"I believe that as soon as they saw we were picking up this chap," Jackreplied, "they filled their sails and away they went. Certainly they arenot here now."
"Hush, boys, he's coming to," declared Tom, watching the newcomeranxiously for signs of returning consciousness.
"Sure enough," assented Harry. "I tell you that little trick of pullinga fellow's tongue out isn't near as good as turning him face down. Lookhow easily this chap came around."
"We'd better get him in and get him to bed as soon as we can, boys,"admonished Jack. "He needs a warming up."
"I'll start the electric heater and percolate some coffee for both of werescued persons," declared Arnold. "Lucky I hadn't put on my oilskinsafter getting dinner," he added.
Quickly the boys carried the stranger to the cabin and put him into oneof the berths. There every care was bestowed to make him comfortable andeasy, while Arnold prepared the coffee.
"Lay right there and don't try to talk," advised Arnold. "I'll stay withyou and see that you don't want for anything."
"That's kind of you," replied the stranger. "What vessel is this, if Imay ask before you make me keep quiet?"
"This is a gasoline pleasure launch," replied Arnold.
"Oh, thanks," replied the stranger. "Now, I'll rest a while."
In the pilot house the boys discussed the incident that had so nearlyresulted in a collision. They were all excited and beginning to feel thestrain upon their nerves.
"This is getting to be one of our usual strenuous trips," announcedJack. "I declare we never go anywhere, it seems, but we dash headforemost into excitement and trouble. The only thing we need now tostart us right is to discover a Boy Scout or two out here and we'll beprepared to go ahead and have some adventure."
"Never mind, Captain, we'll find the Boy Scouts, all right. Don't thinkour luck will turn yet. Just remember the horseshoe I picked up on thestreet in Mobile," urged Tom.
"Yes," Jack assented, "that's a fact. And, by the way, where did you putthat horseshoe? I haven't seen it since."
"I hung it up on the switchboard lamp bracket," said Tom.
"Well, it isn't there now," declared Jack.
"What's that isn't there now?" asked Arnold at that moment climbing thecompanion-way from the cabin.
"Tom's horseshoe," Jack replied. "He says he hung it on the lamp overthe switchboard and now it's gone."
"Oh, that," scorned Arnold. "That was just a little bit of a mule shoe.That wasn't a real full-sized horse shoe."
"All right, Smarty," bridled Tom. "Just tell us where you threw itoverboard and we'll make you go dive for it."
"It was swinging around and making so much noise I took it down and hungit on the bracket there by the compass," replied Arnold pointing to themissing article hung over the place indicated.
"Good night," cried Jack. "Here we've been trying to steer a compasscourse in a thick fog all the way from Mobile with that thing there! Nowonder we've been hoodooed."
"Why, what's the matter?" innocently inquired Arnold.
Jack's answer was to take the horseshoe from its resting place and makeas if to fling it overboard. He restrained himself, however, and turningto Arnold said quietly:
"Look here, young man, you evidently do not know how sensitive a thingthe compass is. But if you had done a thing like that on some vesselsthey would have thrown you overboard. You have rendered the compassuseless and we have been steering by a crazy instrument. Your horseshoehanging there has deflected the needle to such an extent that we cannoteven guess where we have been going."
"I'm sorry," contritely answered Arnold, "but I didn't understand itthat way. I won't do that again, that's sure."
"Thanks, awfully," scornfully answered Tom. "Maybe now you'll agree thatthe thing is bigger than you imagined at first."
"You're right," was Arnold's reply. "A little thing can be mighty big insome cases. I'll remember this for a long time."
"Boys, I believe the fog is thinning out somewhat," announced Harry."Maybe the old horseshoe is bringing us luck after all."
"I believe you're more than half right," responded Jack.
"We'd better be on the lookout for breakers and things inside as well asoutside," declared Tom. "Remember what that Carlos de Sneakodorus Maderodid to us when our backs were turned."
"Sure enough, we ought to set a guard on this fellow," agreed Harry."I'll volunteer to go and 'red up' the cabin as the Dutchman says, andincidentally keep an eye on his royal joblots."
The boy descended to the cabin and in furtherance of his design walkedto a locker and extracted an automatic pistol which he placed in aconvenient pocket. He then busied himself about the place in small tasksthat always kept him within sight of the rescued man.
No effort was made by the stranger to engage the boy in conversation,however, and he worked away undisturbed. Occasionally the bulldog wouldenter and after sniffing suspiciously at the prostrate figure of therescued man would emit a low growl of disapproval and retreat. He wasnot disposed to be friendly.
On one of his trips to the forward cabin Harry noticed the clothesbelonging to the newcomer lying on the floor where they had been droppedwhen he had been put into the berth. Thinking to care for them bystraightening and drying them, the boy picked up the first garment inthe pile. It was a vest and as he raised it a collection of smallarticles fell from the pocket to the floor.
Among the contents was a metal match box which fell and slid across thefloor, striking, on the locker as it dropped.
"Well, that's too bad. The gentleman will have wet matches, I guess,"thought the boy. "I'd better empty those wet ones out and give him somedry ones against his waking and needing some."
What was his amazement, however, upon opening the box to find instead ofmatches, a clipping from a newspaper. Harry was about to thrust it backinto the box again when a printed word caught his attention and held himfor a moment motionless. The word was the name of their vessel, the"Fortuna."
Hastily glancing through the headlines, Harry uttered a quick cry anddashed forward to the pilot house.
"Boys! Jack, Tom, Arnold," he cried excitedly. "What do you think ofthis? Here's some more of this mystery for us."
"What do you mean, mystery?" queried Tom, scoffingly.
"Just listen to this! Here's a newspaper clipping evidently from aChicago paper which tells about our fitting out the Fortuna for thecruise to the Gulf of Mexico and also hazards the guess that we areyoung and adventurous spirits evidently seeking the buried treasure onthe Gulf Coast."
"Does it say that we are after the Spanish Treasure Chest at the ol
dFort on Biloxi Bay, that must be dug up in the full of the moon on arising tide with not a word said?" asked Tom.
"It does say that our destination is Biloxi and that we are known to bedaring lads," replied Harry. "But that is not all."
"Let's have it, Harry," cried Jack. "I'm anxious to hear all."
"There's a pencil notation across the paper that says: 'Get thesefellows at any cost.' That's mighty encouraging."
"Say, fellows, this is getting uncomfortably tight! I don't like it alittle bit," declared Tom. "Here we are peaceable Boy Scouts out for alittle pleasure trip and all at once it begins to rain adventurousspirits from any old place and each of them is posted to make away withus and all seem to be protecting this old Spanish strong box. I wishthey'd go away and let us pursue the even tenor of our way unmolested."
"So do I," Jack replied. "But they seem to feel otherwise and so we'llhave to take them as they come. We'll remember our motto and 'beprepared' to accept whatever they may have to offer."
"Is this fellow going to open the drip cock on our spare gasoline tank?"asked Arnold. "If he is, I'm going down to mount guard over him rightnow! Once is enough and too much is plenty."
"I don't believe he knows what vessel he's on yet," declared Harry. "Heasked me and I gave him an evasive reply."
"Fog's lifting, Captain," announced Tom who was at the wheel.
"Sure enough, it is," joyfully cried Jack. "Now maybe we can get abearing and know where we are. Do you see land anywhere?"
"I see smoke," declared Harry. "What does a sailor say when he sees asmoke? Should he say 'smoke ho,' or 'sail ho,' or what?"
"I don't know, I'm sure," Jack answered with a laugh.
"And now I see two 'smoke ho's,'" cried Tom. "That means that some BoyScout is in trouble and wants help."
"Maybe it means that a steamer is over there and the 'ash cats' are busywhile the firemen are putting in more coal."
"I don't believe it!" declared Tom. "See that fringe of pines alongthere and see the smoke rising from the sand beyond them. It surelylooks like two signal smokes to me! How about it?"
"Let's put on some more steam and run over in that direction to discoverwho may be making the smokes," suggested Jack.
It was voted a good idea and accordingly the Fortuna was headed in thedirection of the smokes with increased speed of the motors. Every momentnow the fog was lifting and objects could be more clearly distinguishedon the land which lay not a great way off.
"We can't get in very much closer here," declared Tom, "I see bottomnow, I believe. We'd better slip along shore until we're about oppositethe smokes and land in a small boat."
"All right," agreed Jack. "What do you say, boys?"
"Good idea, I say," offered Harry. "Who do you suppose it is making thesmoke? Wish it were someone from Chicago."
"Maybe it would be a good idea to see how our passenger is getting on,"suggested Arnold. "I believe I'll slip down and see."
He stepped down the companion way and in a moment the boys heard himshout excitedly back:
"Somebody come here, quickly. The Fortuna's taking in water fast. It'sup over the floor boards now and the engine is throwing it around ingreat shape. Our passenger's gone!"