CHAPTER VI
ON THE SPANISH MAIN
There had been wind, but it had fallen toward evening, and the_Enchantress_ rolled in a flat calm when her engines stopped. As sheswung with the smooth undulations, blocks clattered, booms groaned, andthe water in her bilges swirled noisily to and fro. It was difficult tomove about the slanted deck, and two dark-skinned, barefooted seamenwere seated forward with their backs against the rail. A comrade belowwas watching the engine fires and, with the exception of her Spanishhelmsman, this was all the paid crew the _Enchantress_ carried.
She drifted east with the Gulf Stream. Around her there hung a muggyatmosphere pervaded with a curious, hothouse smell. Grahame stood in thechannels, heaving the lead. He found deep water, but white patches onthe northern horizon, where the expanse of sea was broken by spouts offoam, marked a chain of reefs and keys that rose a foot or two above thesurface. A larger streak of white was fading into the haze astern, butGrahame had carefully taken its compass bearings, because dusk, whichcomes suddenly in the Bahama Channel, was not far away. He dropped thelead on deck, and joined Macallister, who stood in the engine-roomdoorway rubbing his hands with cotton waste.
"No sign o' that steamboat yet?" the Scot asked.
"It's hazy to the east," said Grahame. "We mightn't see her until she'sclose if they're not making much smoke. Still, she ought to have turnedup last night."
"She'll come. A tornado wouldna' stop her skipper when he had freight tocollect; but ye were wise in no' paying it in advance."
"You haven't seen the fellow."
"I've seen his employers," Macallister replied with a chuckle. "Weel Iken what sort o' man would suit them. Gang canny when ye meet him, andsee ye get the goods before ye sign the bill o' lading."
"I mean to take precautions. No first-class firm would touch ourbusiness."
"Verra true. And when ye find men who're no' particular about one thing,ye cannot expect them to be fastidious about another. When I deal wi'yon kind, I keep my een open."
"Where's Walthew?"
Macallister grinned.
"Asleep below, wi' his hair full o' coal-dust, looking more like anigger than the son o' a rich American. Human nature's a verra curiousthing, but if he can stand another month, I'll hae hope o' him."
"I think the lad's right. He wants to run his life on his own lines, andhe is willing to pay for testing them by experience."
Grahame, glancing forward, suddenly became intent, for in one spot adingy smear thickened the haze. It slowly grew more distinct, and hegave a seaman a quick order before he turned to his companion.
"That must be the _Miranda_. You can start your mill as soon as we havelaunched the dinghy."
By the time the boat was in the water the steamer had crept out of themist. She came on fast: a small, two-masted vessel, with a white wavebeneath her full bows and a cloud of brown smoke trailing across the seaastern. She was light, floating high above the water, which washed upand down her wet side as she rolled. A few heads projected over the ironbulwark near the break of the forecastle, and two men in duck stood onthe bridge. Studying them through the glasses, Grahame saw they had anunkempt appearance, and he was not prepossessed in favor of the one whomhe took to be the captain.
He rang the telegraph, and when the engines stopped he jumped into thedinghy with Walthew and one of the seamen. Five minutes later, theyceased rowing close to the steamer's side, which towered high abovethem, red with rust along the water-line. The black paint was scarredand peeling higher up, the white deckhouses and boats had grown dingy,and there was about her a poverty-stricken look. The boat swung sharplyup and down a few lengths away, for the sea broke about the descendingrows of iron plates as the vessel rolled.
"_Enchantress_, ahoy!" shouted one of the men on her bridge. "This isthe _Miranda_. S'pose you're ready for us?"
"We've been ready for you since last night," Grahame replied.
"Then you might have got your gig over. We can't dump the stuff intothat cockleshell."
"You can't," Grahame agreed. "The gig's hardly big enough either, and Iwon't risk her alongside in the swell that's running."
"Then what do you expect me to do? Wait until it's smooth?"
"No," said Grahame; "we'll have wind soon. You'll have to take her inbehind the reef, as your owners arranged. It's not far off and you'llfind good anchorage in six fathoms."
"And lose a day! What do you think your few cases are worth to us?"
"The freight agreed upon," Grahame answered coolly. "You can't collectit until you hand our cargo over. I'll take you in behind the reef andbring you out in three or four hours. There'll be a good moon."
The skipper seemed to consult with the man beside him, and then wavedhis hand.
"All right! Go ahead with your steamer and show us the way."
"I'd better come on board," Grahame answered. "It's an awkward place toget into, but I know it well."
A colored seaman threw them down a rope ladder, and, pulling incautiously, Grahame waited until the rolling hull steadied, when hejumped. Walthew followed, and in a few moments they stood on the_Miranda's_ deck. Walthew had been wakened when the boat was launched,and he had not had much time to dress, but he wore a fairly clean duckjacket over his coaly shirt. His bare feet were thrust into greasyslippers, and smears of oil darkened the hollows round his eyes.
One or two slouching deckhands watched the new arrivals with dullcuriosity, and a few more were busy forward opening the hatch. Grahamethought the vessel a rather unfavorable specimen of the small, cheaplyrun tramp, but when he reached the hatch the skipper came up. He was alittle man with a bluff manner, a hard face, and cunning eyes.
"They'll have the cover off in a minute and you can see your stuff," hesaid, and called to a man with a lantern: "Stand by with the light!"
When the tarpaulin was rolled back, Grahame went down with a mate andcounted the wooden cases pointed out to him. After this, he examinedtheir marks and numbers and, going up, declared himself satisfied.
"Now," said the skipper, "you can take us in; the sooner the better,because it will be dark before long. Would you like a drink before youstart?"
Grahame said that he would wait until he had finished his work. Hefollowed the skipper to the bridge, and rang the telegraph.
The _Miranda_ went ahead, her propeller hurling up the foam as itflapped round with half the blades out of the water, while the_Enchantress_ crept slowly up her froth-streaked wake. Grahame, standingat the wheel-house door, was glad that Walthew had come with him,although this reduced his vessel's crew. Macallister, however, wascapable of managing his engines without assistance, for a time, andcould be trusted to take charge of the _Enchantress_ if necessary, forGrahame did not think the hands would give him trouble. One was a CanarySpaniard, whom they had picked up at Matanzas, a very simple and,Grahame thought, honest fellow; the other three were stupid butapparently good-humored half-breeds. Grahame would have preferred whiteseamen but for the danger of their getting into trouble in parts wherewine was cheap and perhaps betraying the object of the voyage indrunken boasts. His business would not bear talking about--and that waswhy he distrusted the _Miranda's_ captain.
The moon rose before the short twilight had changed to dark, and thesteamer moved on across the dimly glittering sea, until a long whiteline grew plainer ahead. As they drew near, the line could be seen towaver, gaining breadth and distinctness and then fading, while a dullroar which had a regular beat in it mingled with the thud of theengines. Though the _Miranda_ rolled and plunged, the surface of thewater was smooth as oil, and in the deep calm the clamor of the surf hadan ominous sound. Then another white patch appeared to starboard, and afew moments later, a third to port.
The captain was pacing up and down his bridge.
"It's a puzzling light," he said, stopping near Grahame with a frown. "Isuppose you do know the place?"
"Oh, yes," said Grahame carelessly. "We made a rough survey and tooksoundings. But slow her down and use your le
ad if you like."
"That's what I mean to do," the captain replied.
He rang the telegraph, and when the beat of engines slackened a manstood on a footboard outside the bridge, where a broad canvas belt wasfastened round his waist. Whirling the heavy plummet round his head, helet it shoot forward to the break of the forecastle, and steadied theline a moment when it ran vertically up and down.
"By the deep, eight!" he called.
"Starboard!" said Grahame, and there was silence except for the rumbleof the surf, while the quartermaster turned his wheel in theglass-fronted house.
In a few minutes the lead plunged down again.
"By the mark, seven!" was announced.
The captain gave Grahame a quick glance, and then looked ahead, wherethere was something to occupy him, for at regular intervals the sea wastorn apart and a spout of foam and a cloud of spray shot up. Moreover,the vessel was heading directly toward the dangerous spot. It was notneedful for Grahame to take her so close as he meant to do, but he hadreasons for letting the nearness of the reef appeal to the captain'simagination.
"And a quarter six!" the leadsman called.
The captain grasped the telegraph.
"If you mean to go any closer, I'll stop her and back out!" he said."Then you can tranship your goods outside or I'll take them on, as youlike."
"We can let her come round now," Grahame answered, and beckoned to thequartermaster. "Starboard. Steady at that!"
The _Miranda_ swung until the frothy confusion on the reef, where theswell broke in cascades of phosphorescent flame, bore abeam, and then asimilar troubled patch grew plain on the opposite bow. There was,however, a smooth, dark strip between, and she followed it, shoulderingoff a spangled wash, with the propeller beating slow. Ahead, a low, hazyblur rose out of the sea, and when Grahame spoke to the captain thewindlass began to clank and indistinct figures became busy on theforecastle. Then a gray strip of sand came into sight, and Grahamenodded to the anxious captain.
"You can let go here, but don't give her much cable."
The anchor splashed from the bows, there was a roar of running chain,the throb of the screw slowly turning astern, and a screaming ofstartled birds. She brought up, the noise died away, and the silence wasemphasized by the clamor of the surf on the opposite shore of the key.The captain looked about with a frown, for the desolation of the spotand the nearness of the reefs had their effect on him.
"Hail them to get your gig over at once, and then we'll have a drink,"he said.
Macallister answered Grahame's shout, for the _Enchantress_ had anchoredclose astern, and the boat was hanging from her davits when he followedthe captain into his room. The vessels rolled lazily and the swell brokewith a languid splash upon the beach, for the bight was sheltered by thereefs. The small room was lighted by an oil lamp and was very hot. Apilot coat, damp with salt, and a suit of oilskins swung to and froacross the bulkhead, and a pair of knee-boots stood in a corner. Two orthree bad photographic portraits were tacked against the teakwoodpaneling, but except for these, all that the room contained suggestedstern utility.
Unlocking a cupboard, the captain took a bottle and some glasses from arack, and Walthew coughed as he tasted the fiery spirit.
"That's powerful stuff, but the flavor's good," he said with an attemptat politeness.
A big, greasy man who the captain informed the others was Mr. James, hischief engineer, came in. He sat down with his feet on the locker, andhelped himself liberally to the spirits. In the meanwhile the captainput an inkstand on the small folding table.
"You have the bill of lading; endorse it that you've got delivery, andI'll give you a receipt for the freight."
Grahame glanced at Walthew, who sat nearest the door, and the lad lookedout.
"The gig's alongside, ready for the cases," he said.
"We'll heave them up as soon as we've finished this business," thecaptain replied.
Grahame wrote a check and put it on the table with some American papercurrency.
"Your owners have satisfied themselves that this will be met; I thoughtI'd better keep the other amount separate."
"That's all right," the captain returned; "but you're a hundred dollarsshort."
"I guess you're mistaken," Walthew said. "We've paid the freight, and abonus to yourself, as we promised because it was an awkward job. Whatelse do you want?"
"A bonus for the engineer," the greasy mechanic answered with a grin.
"Precisely," said the captain.
"Then I'm afraid you'll be disappointed," Grahame said, and Walthewpicked up the check, which still lay on the table.
There was silence for a few moments while the _Miranda's_ officerslooked hard at their visitors. Grahame's face was impassive, but therewas a gleam of amusement in Walthew's eyes.
"Now, you listen to me," said the captain. "Mr. James is entitled to hisshare, and he means to get it. You don't suppose he'd take a hand in arisky job like this entirely for the benefit of the owners?"
"Mr. James," said Walthew, "runs no risk that I can see. However, ifyou think he has a right to something, you can divide with him."
"No, sir! What you have given me is mine. But there's another pointyou've overlooked. The crew expect a few dollars, and it might be wiseto satisfy them."
Grahame smiled.
"They certainly struck me as a hard crowd; but seamen don't robcargo-shippers nowadays. Then it's difficult to imagine that you toldthem what's in the cases. In fact, the way they obeyed your matesuggested that there's not much liking between men and officers on boardthis packet. If there was any trouble, I don't know that they'd takeyour side."
The captain frowned; and James drained his glass again and then struckthe table.
"Think something of yourselves, I reckon, but we've come out on top withsmarter folks than you. Put down your money like gentlemen, and say nomore."
"It's good advice," the captain added meaningly.
"Guess we disagree," Walthew said, putting the check into his pocket."You haven't got your freight payment yet."
"Do you think you can keep that check?"
"Well," said Walthew coolly, "we could cable the bank to stop paymentfrom the nearest port. For that matter, I'm not certain that you couldtake it back."
"We're willing to try," the big engineer scowled.
"And you don't get the goods until we're satisfied," the captain added.
"May I ask what you would do with the cases? They're consigned to us,and you'd have some trouble in passing them through a foreign customshouse. They open things and inspect the contents when the duty's high."
"We could dump them overboard. Better do the fair thing by us and getdelivery."
"I don't think we're unfair," Walthew replied. "We engaged with yourowners to pay a stipulated freight, and added a bonus for the skipper.Now we put down the money and want our goods."
"The winch that heaves them up doesn't start without my order," Jamessaid with an ugly laugh.
Grahame turned to the captain with a gesture of weariness.
"We don't seem to get much farther! I suspect you've forgottensomething. How much a day does it cost you to run this ship?"
"What has that got to do with it?" the captain asked curtly.
"Well," said Grahame coolly, "there's a risk of your stopping here forsome time. It's an awkward place to get out of unless you know it well;particularly when it's blowing fresh. The Northers hardly reach so far,but they unsettle the weather, and when the wind's from seaward a strongeddy stream runs through the bight. Perhaps you may have noticed thatthe glass is falling fast."
The captain looked disturbed; but he was not to be beaten so easily.
"You don't get back on board your boat until you've taken us out!" hethreatened.
"I can take you out to-night, but if you miss your chance and have towait we can afford it best. Our expenses aren't heavy, but you'll haveto account to your owners for the delay that won't cost us much.Besides, you'd be forced to keep steam up i
n case she dragged; it's badholding ground."
There was silence for a few moments, and then the captain made a sign ofsurly acquiescence.
"Very well; we won't argue about the bonus. Give me the check."
"I think we'll wait until the cases are transhipped," Walthew said witha smile.
"Give them steam for the winch, Mr. James," the captain ordered; and theengineer slouched away.
The winch began to rattle and an hour or two later Grahame went up tothe bridge while the anchor was broken out. When the men were stowing itthe engines throbbed and the _Miranda_ turned her head toward openwater. In another half hour the propeller stopped and the captain turnedto his guests with a grin as the _Enchantress's_ gig came alongside.
"I expect the dagoes you're shipping those rifles for will find you hardto beat," he said.