CHAPTER XXIII.
SALVAGE HUNTERS.
ON board the schooner all was excitement and confusion. Nearly awashas she already was the first big wave had swept her from stem tostern. Her frightened negro crew had quickly sprung into the riggingyelling at the top of their voices. Only the solemn, lanky, old captainremained impassive. He still stood at his post, by the wheel, peeringover his big, horn-rimmed spectacles, sizing up the situation withshrewd, calculating eyes.
A second wave struck and swept over, and then a third.
"She's sinking," Walter shouted.
Slowly the doomed craft settled down, down until her bulwarks lay evenwith the water, then stopped.
"She is not going to sink," Charley exclaimed, as he saw her stop inher downward course.
Captain Westfield quickly grasped the strange situation. "She's gone asfar as she can," he declared. "She is resting on a shoal. Steer down onthe leeward side of her, Charley, and we will take off the crew."
The other launch captains had been on the watch and had cut loose atthe same time as Charley. Following the "Dixie's" example, they flockedaround to the lee side of the wreck and assisted to take off the crew.The rescued negroes came aboard, wet to the skin, and fright had giventheir ebony faces a peculiar, ashen hue.
The solemn lanky captain was the last to leave the schooner. Beforegetting aboard the "Dixie," he made his way up to the vessel's bow andknocking out the shackle pin let the anchor drop to the bottom; a movewhich Captain Westfield watched with a twinkle in his eyes.
"That darkey sure knows his business," he remarked in an undertone toCharley.
The other launches crowded around the "Dixie," their captains wanting aconsultation.
"The schooner's not in bad shape here," Bill Roberts observed. "Thereisn't sea enough to break her up. The owners can get a sea tug and asteam pump from Tampa, and get her up and keep her afloat long enoughto tow her into the dry dock."
"We might as well all run on into Tarpon now and draw on Curry Bros.for that thousand dollars," one of the other captains proposed.
"You-alls can't collect dat money now," observed the darkey skipper,calmly. "You-alls wasn't to get it 'less you got de schooner into dedry dock."
"Didn't we do our best?" demanded Bill Roberts. "Haven't we got younearly there? Haven't we got your vessel into a place where she willnot be lost? Where would your old ship be outside in the gulf in thisgale? She wouldn't have lasted out there as long as a snowball in thewarm place."
"Dat's all true," agreed the darkey captain, "but you ain't carried outyouah part ob de contract. If you white gentlemens had got de schoonerinto de dry dock all right hit would hab been worth dat thousanddollars to mah owners, but now, dey will have to go to de expense ob atug an' steam pump, an' dat's going to be a heap ob money. I'se got towatch out for my owners' interests."
"But we have done our best," Captain Westfield protested. "We havespent our time and strained our engines, and we ought to be paid forwhat we've done."
"Dat's all right," agreed the sable skipper. "I reckon Curry Bros. payyou for dat all right, but not dat thousand dollars. Dat's too much,under de circumstances."
For a few minutes it looked as though the wily, ebony skipper wouldreceive rough treatment from the infuriated launch captains, but thecooler arguments of the Roberts and Captain Westfield prevailed.
"He has got the law on his side," Captain Westfield said. "We can'tforce the payment of that thousand dollars, although what we have donefor the owners is worth many times the amount. I guess the best thingwe can do is to trust to Curry Bros. to do the right thing by us."
"Not for me," declared the captain of one launch. "If we can't collectthat bill, I'll collect a bigger one. That schooner is abandoned. Hercaptain and crew have deserted her. I am going to put a man on her andput in a claim for salvage. The rest of you can join me, or not, justas you please."
"I am with you," the other fish captains agreed. Bill Roberts waveredand glanced at Captain Westfield for advice.
"I don't believe such a course would get us anything," the old sailorsaid. "These Key West captains are wise to all the salvage laws andCurry Bros. made their money in wrecking. They would fight any claimfor salvage and they have got too much money for us to fight against."
"Dis white gentleman is telling you-alls the truth," affirmed thedarkey skipper. "Dat ship ain't abandoned. I'se jes' going ashore tocommunicate wid de owners. I'se dun dropped de anchor over. An' sheain't floating helpless at sea."
"All right, you fellows can listen to that nigger if you want to," saidthe salvage hunter. "I'm going to take possession of the schooner. Ifyou are going back, you can take these darkeys I've got in my launch."
His fellow fishermen elected to stay with him but the Roberts boysdecided to return with our party. The negroes in the other two boatswere transferred to the "Dixie," and Bill Roberts' boat, and the twolaunches remaining made fast to the sunken schooner.
As soon as the transfer was made the two returning boats headed backfor Clearwater with their cargoes of ebony passengers.
It was nearly dark when hungry, weary, and disappointed, our party andthe Roberts arrived at the Clearwater dock. The rescued negroes at oncescattered to seek food and shelter in the colored quarter of the town.Their captain, lanky and solemn as ever, departed to the telegraphoffice to communicate with his owners.
"You white gentlemen ain't going to lose nothing for de way you-allshave done," he assured Captain Westfield, earnestly, before he left."I'se only a captain an' I'se done got to do what I thinks is foah mahowners' interests. I allows, though, dat Curry Bros. going to treat youall right. I'se sorry dose other two white gentlemens is going to tryto make trouble. I'se dun been wrecking foah Mr. Curry foah foaty yearsan' I knows all about de salvage laws. Dey ain't a ghost ob a show toget salvage out ob dat schooner."
It was not until several days after that, however, that our friendsverified the truth of the ebony skipper's statements.
The first proof came with the return of the two launches which hadfastened to the schooner. Their captains were weary and wrathful.They had hung by the schooner for two days. Then a tug and steam pumparrived from Tampa and on board the tug was a United States marshalwho curtly ordered them away from the schooner. The schooner had thenbeen raised and towed into the dry dock. The two captains had at onceentered suit for salvage claims but what the outcome would be eventheir lawyers could, or would not, say.
The second proof came in the form of a letter from Curry Bros.,thanking them for what they had done and inclosing a check for twohundred dollars. Much to their pleasure they found that the Robertsboys had received a similar letter and check.
The night the check came Charley got out his note book and pencil andfigured up their accounts and the result brought satisfaction to themall.
The reef fishing had proved more profitable than they had dared hope,and for it they had credit slips on the fish house for two hundred andseventy-five dollars.
The sale of crabs, claws, and oysters--the work of stormy days--hadbrought them in another hundred dollars in cash.
Adding to this the two-hundred dollar check they had just receivedbrought the total up to five hundred and seventy-five dollars.
Deducting the two hundred dollars they owed for groceries and nets,left them the comfortable balance of three hundred and seventy-fivedollars.
"That's not half bad," Charley observed, "but I think now is the timefor us to quit. It will not be long now before Hunter returns and Iwant to be away from here before he gets back. If he succeeded inworking a few more of his sly tricks on us he might put us in the holeagain."
His companions were loath to leave such profitable work but they couldclearly see the wisdom of his plan. So, after some discussion, theydecided that the next day should see their last trip to the reef. Thenthey would take their departure for the East Coast and seek whateverwork they could find.
This settled, they retired to dream happily of new scenes and newa
dventures.
Their sleep would have been less sound, perhaps, had they knownthat Hunter had already returned. Their dreams would have been lesspleasant, if they had seen the silently propelled row boat creep intotheir little dock, a slinking figure groping around in the "Dixie,"and, after a few minutes, the ghostly row boat departed as silently asit had come.
But they were happily unconscious of these things and slept soundly onto waken only at their accustomed hour at break of day.
Sunrise found them on the reef fishing busily. But for some reason orother they did not meet with their accustomed success. Bites cameonly at long and irregular intervals. They shifted frequently to freshplaces but with no better result.
"I shouldn't wonder if there was a storm brewing," Captain Westfieldsaid. "Creatures in the sea, as well as on the land, seem to have aweather instinct which tells them when a serious change of weather iscoming. It looks bright all around, but it seems to me I can feel akind of heaviness in the air that only comes before a storm."
Noon came but the sky remained clear and uncloudy.
"I guess you missed the weather, for once, Captain," Charley observed,"but I think we might as well start for home, anyway. It's our last dayand we are not catching enough to pay us to stay out any longer."
His companions were willing so the anchor was hauled aboard and theengine started up.