CHAPTER XVII
_On to Cuba_
When the storm came at dawn on the thirtieth of June, it awakened Lindafirst. As the rain descended upon the slickers that covered the girls,and upon their faces, Dot merely buried her head sleepily under theraincoat, but Linda sat bolt upright on the bed of leaves.
The wind was howling about the lonely island, and the rain was pouringdown in sheets. The blackness of it all was terrifying, yet she knewthat she must get up.
"Dot!" she whispered, hoarsely. "Wake up!"
Her companion opened her eyes sleepily as she pushed the slicker aside.
"Yes.... Why Linda, it's--pouring!"
"It certainly is." Linda was slipping on her shoes and her knickersover her pajamas. "We've got to rescue the boat."
"Why?"
"Because water mustn't get into the gasoline. And because the tidemight come up high enough to wash the boat out to sea."
"O.K.," replied Dot, now quite wide awake. "I'm with you, Linda--injust a second."
Holding on to each other's hands, they made their way with difficultydown to the beach where the boat had been left, and together theydragged it back and covered it with one of the slickers.
Panting from the effort, they dropped back on the sand and sat down,not bothering about the rain that was descending relentlessly uponthem, soaking them to the skin.
"We might as well use the other slicker as a roof for ourselves,"suggested Dot, as she got to her feet again. "We can hang it over somebushes, and crawl under it."
"That's an idea!" approved Linda. "I was wondering how one raincoatcould keep us both dry."
"It won't keep us dry--we're wet now. But it will protect us from theworst force of this cloud-burst."
They went back to their camping site and arranged the slicker as bestthey could--carefully putting the bag of money and the box of toolsunder it, before they crawled in themselves. The bushes were wet, andso was the ground, but the girls were saved the discomfort of havingthe rain actually pour in their faces.
They watched the storm for some time, hoping that it would soon abate,and finally, becoming drowsy, they fell asleep again, with their feetsticking out under the covering.
Cramped by the awkward position, they awakened in a couple of hours.Daylight had arrived--but not sunlight. It was still raining steadilyand dismally.
"Don't you suppose we can go today?" asked Dot.
"Maybe later on," replied Linda, cheerfully. "There's one thing goodabout this, Dot. We can get a drink."
"How heavenly!" exclaimed the other, sitting up. "But how do we manageit? We won't get much by just opening our mouths!"
"Get up carefully. I'm sure there's a lot of water lodging on the topof this slicker. Wait--get the thermos bottles out of the tool-boxfirst. We'll use the cups, and then stand them up to catch the rain asit falls."
Linda's surmise was correct; there was so much water on the slickerthat it was in danger of collapsing any moment. They dipped their cupsinto the pool and drank eagerly. How good it tasted to their parchedthroats!
"There must be more down on the boat's cover," suggested Dot. "Let'sget it, and pour it into our thermos bottles."
When they had carried out this idea, they set the bottles firmly in thesand, and crept back under cover.
"Shall we eat?" asked Dot, after watching the rain for some minutes insilence.
"Let's wait a while--till noon, if we can. We have only those twooranges and a half a dozen crackers. It'll be something to look forwardto."
"There's still some tea and sugar--and one can of milk," the otherreminded her. "You know we didn't use them, because we couldn't affordthe water. Now it'll be different."
"I'd forgotten all about that!" exclaimed Linda, smiling. "Let's havetea and one cracker for lunch, and save the oranges for supper."
"But how can we ever hope to build a fire in this rain? We'd never findany dry sticks--and if we made one under here, we'd be smoked out."
"I hadn't thought of that. But we can make cold tea. If we leave theleaves in the water long enough, they'll flavor it--anyway, that's whatI read in an ad one time."
"You think of everything, Linda! It's no wonder you've gotten out of adozen disasters that would have killed an ordinary girl!"
"Now Dot!" protested the other girl, modestly. "Just so long as we getout of this one, I'll be satisfied."
To help pass the tediousness of the long gloomy day, the girls took abrisk walk encircling the entire island. Soaked as they were beforethey started, they decided it would be foolish to stop because of therain. The sight of the ocean, wild and angry as it was because of thestorm, aroused their wonder and admiration, and rewarded them for theirwet excursion. In vain they squinted through the spyglasses for aglimpse of the autogiro, but even the island on which it had been leftby Susie was obliterated from their vision.
It was no wonder, therefore, that they did not see the plane whichbrought Sergeant Worth and the two pilots to that other island. Allunaware that Ladybug had flown home that afternoon, the girls finallysettled down after dark to try to sleep under their improvised roof.
When they awakened the following morning, they were disappointed not tosee the sun. It was still raining, but no longer in torrents; the stormhad slackened to a monotonous drizzle.
"We better go," said Linda, as they breakfasted on tea and two crackersapiece. "I can keep the engine pretty well covered up. And this rainmay keep up for days."
"I shouldn't care to keep up this reducing diet for days," observedDot. "If we were only too fat, Linda, how we would welcome such achance to starve ourselves!"
"Yes.... If--Oh, Dot, don't you wish we had a thick steaknow--smothered in mushrooms----"
"With creamed potatoes and fresh peas----"
"Fruit salad and cheese wafers----"
"Meringues, salted nuts, and coffee!"
Both girls suddenly laughed out loud.
"Anyway, we can both have our drinks of water," concluded Dot. "Andthey say thirst is worse than hunger."
"We'll fill both thermos bottles before we push off," said Linda. "ButI'm counting on reaching the Ladybug before noon, and then we ought toget to the Georgia coast by two o'clock."
"Where we eat that dinner!" added Dot.
Carrying their belongings, they walked down to the beach in theirrain-soaked clothing, and pushed the boat out towards the water. Theocean was still so high and so rough that Linda hesitated a moment.
"Do you think we can make it?" asked Dot, noticing the expression ofdoubt on her companion's face.
"Yes, I think so. That island didn't look far, yesterday."
"That's true. But I can't see it now, Linda. Suppose the storm hadwashed the Ladybug away--or even the whole island?"
Linda shuddered, realizing that there was that possibility. She tookthe glasses from her pocket, and peered through them in the directionshe remembered the island to be.
"I can't see a thing but ocean," she stated. "The waves are so high.But let's go in that direction anyway. It must be there."
She turned to the motor-boat and attempted to start the engine, but forsome minutes she labored in vain, for the engine refused to catch. Waseverything in the world against them, Dot silently wondered, as shewatched Linda repeat her efforts with infinite patience.
At last, however, there was a sputter, and the motor started. The girlspushed the boat into the water and climbed into it.
It would have been great sport riding the waves, had it not beenfor the grave danger attached. This was no sporting contest, with alife-guard in readiness to rescue them if anything went wrong! It was arace between life and death.
The wind had died down, however, and the sea was gradually growingcalmer. Up and down the little boat bobbed, now in the trough of awave, seemingly under a mountain of water--now rising again to a heightthat made the girls think of a scenic-railway at a pleasure park. Dotscreamed with excitement, but Linda's lips were set in a firm line ofdetermination, her attention riveted
on the engine.
By some miracle, it seemed to the girls, the little boat forgedtriumphantly ahead, with its motor running smoothly. A feeling ofconfidence was gradually taking the place of fear, and Dot strained hereyes for the island that was their goal. Half an hour later she spottedit, and almost upset the boat in her joy.
"There it is, Linda!" she cried, excitedly. "Oh, Linda, we're saved!We're----" She stopped suddenly, hardly able to believe her eyes. Theautogiro was gone!
"What's the matter, Dot?" asked Linda, unable to understand the abruptend of her chum's rejoicing. "Anything wrong!"
"Yes.... The Ladybug's gone!"
"What? Oh, it can't be!" Linda's voice was hoarse with terror. "Lookagain, Dot--you have the glasses."
Dot squinted her eyes, but was rewarded by no trace of the plane.
"You take a look, Linda," she suggested. "Maybe you can see better."
The other girl eagerly caught the glasses which her companion tossed,and with trembling fingers held them to her eyes. The island was inplain sight now, but it was a ghastly fact that the autogiro hadcompletely disappeared.
Linda continued to gaze at the barren spot, her eyes fixed and staring,as if she were looking at death itself. Then, dropping the glasses intoher lap, she seemed to be thinking intently.
"It's true, Dot," she said, in an expressionless tone. "Yet that mustbe the right island.... Something has happened.... I don't know whetherthe wind could have lifted the Ladybug--or whether that gangster cameback for it.... In any case, there's only one thing for us to do."
"Yes?" faltered Dot, biting her lips to keep back the tears. She mustnot fail Linda now, in her darkest hour.
"Turn the boat around, and make for the shore. We mustn't waste anotherdrop of gasoline. It--won't last forever."
"Shall we go back to our island--if we can find it?" asked Dot, as sheturned the wheel.
"No, we'll go straight west.... Or is that the west? Oh, if we onlyhad a compass, or the sun to guide us.... But that must be the rightdirection."
Linda was speaking bravely, trying to keep her voice normal, and hercompanion took heart from her manner. The boat went forward in theopposite direction, presumably towards the coast.
Half an hour passed in silence, each girl intent upon her task. Lindatook out her extra can of gasoline and filled the tank. Once Dot dranksome water from the thermos bottle and reminded Linda of hers. All thewhile they continued to keep a sharp look-out for the coast.
Another hour passed, and the girls' hunger began to assault them. Therain continued to fall, and weariness stole over them both. They weretoo weak and too tired to talk.
At last Linda broke the silence by asking Dot to take another good lookfor the coast through the glasses. She did not add that it was vitalthis time, that the gasoline was running very low. On a rough sea likethis, oars would be out of the question, even if the girls had been asstrong as boys.
"I can't see anything but water," was the reply.
But just at that moment Linda saw something that held her speechlesswith terror. The boat was springing a leak! Water appeared to bepouring in by the bucket-full!
As the significance of this catastrophe dawned upon Linda, her throatgrew dry and parched; the words with which she meant to tell Dot chokedher so that she could not speak. How, oh how could she possibly informher brave chum of what was literally their death sentence!
It was Dot, however, who spoke instead. Rather, she cried outhysterically,
"Linda, I see a boat! A steam-boat! Coming towards us!"
"Where?" gasped the other girl, her heart beating wildly between hopeand fear.
"Right ahead! Look! You can see her without the glasses now!"
Linda shot a swift glance at the approaching boat, then looked again atthe floor, where the water was fast deepening. Would the rescue come intime? And would the boat stop at their signal of distress?
Wild with excitement, both girls raised their arms and waveddesperately at the approaching craft, until it was only fifty yardsaway. Then they both shouted with a power and volume that they wouldnot have believed they possessed.
The oncoming boat decreased its speed until it was almost beside thegirls' sinking craft. To their overwhelming joy and relief, they sawthat it was stopping. A man appeared on the deck, and called to them ina pleasant voice.
"In trouble, girls?"
"Our boat's sinking!" shouted Linda to Dot's amazement, for the latterwas still unaware of the immediate tragedy that was threatening them."Can you take us aboard?"
"Sure!" he replied. "Wait till I get a rope ladder."
While he was gone, Linda pointed to the water in the boat, which bythis time Dot had seen, and signaled to the other girl to say nothingof their experiences to this man, until they learned more about him.Linda's recent association with criminals had made her exceedingly wary.
"Pull up closer," instructed the man, as he returned with the ladder."Now, can you climb?"
"Easily!" Dot assured him. "We're in knickers, anyhow."
"May we throw our stuff on board first?" inquired Linda, picking upthe bag which contained, besides their few possessions, all the bank'smoney.
"Sure! Anything breakable in it?"
"Only a couple of mirrors," returned Dot, who had regained hercheerfulness with amazing speed. "And we're not afraid of bad luck,"she added.
A moment later the girls climbed to safety, and pressed their rescuer'shand in gratitude. It seemed like a miracle to them both, and the oldseaman was like an angel from heaven.
"How soon will we get to the coast?" asked Linda eagerly.
The man shook his head.
"We can't go to the coast," he replied. "We're headed for Cuba."
"But we must get back as soon as possible," pleaded Linda, beginning towonder whether she was about to be kidnapped again.
"You were headed for the open ocean," the seaman informed her, to bothgirls' consternation. "And that's where we have to go. I can't stop atthe United States.... I'm awfully sorry...."