CHAPTER III
A SURPRISED SKIPPER
"NO use!" groaned Jarvis. "There isn't a ghost of a chance of ourgetting out of this until the old tub gets to some place or other. We'redone for, this time. I wish I had stayed in the mines, where I belong,instead of following along after you. You can get into more trouble thanany other fellow I ever knew."
"Never mind," laughed Steve. "We're the Iron Boys. Why shouldn't wetravel as part of the iron ore cargo? The only thing that troubles me isthat we have lost our ship. The 'Wanderer' will sail to-night with twomen short, and--but I care more about what Mr. Carrhart will think whenhe hears that we missed our boat. He will think us a couple of stupidboys, and he will be justified in so thinking."
"I don't care what he thinks," growled Bob. "What's bothering me now ismy stomach, and the thought of how I'm going to get out of this."
Steve did not reply. An idea had occurred to him. Gathering up a handfulof soft ore he tossed it up over His head. Some of the stuff showereddown over Bob Jarvis, causing that young man to protest vigorously. Alarge portion of the stuff, however, did not come down. Steve heard itdrop on metal, roll a little way then stop.
"Quit that, now," protested Jarvis. "What on earth are you trying to do?I can't appreciate a joke to-night."
"This is not a joke," answered Steve, gathering up another handful. "Iam saving your life."
"Huh! Pleasant way you have of doing the trick."
Several large chunks of ore were tossed up with the same result. Theydid not roll back into the hold.
"I've got it, Bob," exulted the Iron Boy.
"You're wrong there. I got most of it myself."
"Listen! There is a platform or passageway running along this side ofthe ship above our heads. I suspected there must be something of thesort, for surely they have to get into the hold occasionally----"
"Above our heads, you say, eh?"
"Yes."
"Precious lot of good that will do us," grunted Bob.
"That depends upon whether or not you have any spunk left."
"I guess I've got as much of that kind of stuff as you have. But I'msick--I'm a sick man, Steve Rush!"
"Forget it, and then you'll be a brave man. At all events I'll tell youwhat I want you to do."
"Go ahead. I can't be any worse off than I am."
"I am going to brace myself here against the side, and I want you toclimb up to my shoulders. You ought not to have any difficulty instanding on them, when once you get up, for you will have the side ofthe hull to lean against."
"Can't do it; can't do it at all. Why don't you do it yourself, insteadof trying to make me do so when you know how sick I am?"
"All right, if you want me to stand on your neck. I am offering you theeasiest part of the plan."
"I guess you won't stand on my neck! All right; I'll be the goat. Whatam I to do when I get up to where I can stand on _your_ neck?"
"Reach up for the platform. If you can get it, all you have to do is topull yourself up. Then, after you are once up you can, perhaps, reachover and give me a hand."
"Fine, fine!" jeered Jarvis. "I wish I could talk as easily as you. Why,I'd hire out to spout in a political campaign and----"
"Don't waste breath. I am ready."
Feeling his way in the darkness, Bob finally got hold of his companion.It was not a difficult task for him, strong and athletic as he was, toclimb to Rush's shoulders. The difficulty was in staying on theshoulders after he once got there.
Bob didn't stay long. He toppled over backwards with a quick roll of theship, landing high up on the ore pile, sliding down to the bottom,protesting and growling at the boy who had been the cause of hisdownfall.
"Do it yourself!" Jarvis shouted after getting to his feet once more.
"Come on, now! You're all right."
After a little urging Jarvis succeeded in reaching his chum's shouldersonce more.
"Now, be careful! I will try to hold you," said Steve grasping hiscompanion's ankles.
"I've got hold of it. I've got the platform. It's only a little above mywaist. Leggo my legs."
Steve stepped out from under so suddenly that Jarvis was left danglingin the air.
The latter was too busy in trying to pull himself up, to enable him tomake any retort. He scrambled to the passageway or platform, out ofbreath and dizzy. For a few moments Bob lay flat on the support beneathhim, groaning.
"Don't be a tenderfoot. What's the matter?" called Steve.
"Everything's the matter. I'm all shot to pieces--I'm all falling apartinside----"
"Take your time. When you feel able give me a hand. Is there any railingaround the walk?"
"Yes; how did you know?"
"I just guessed it, that's all."
"All right; come on."
Bob leaned as far over as he could, without falling, and tried to reachthe upraised hands of his companion.
"Can't make it. You've got to grow a little first," Jarvis jeered.
"We are going to make it. I'm going to back up on the ore and take arunning jump. You stand by ready to catch me. Better twist your legsabout a railing post if there is such a thing handy."
"I'm waiting for you. I hope you bump your nose until it bleeds."
But Steve Rush did not bump his nose. He took a running jump, nearlylosing his foothold in starting. By a lucky chance he landed half wayup the side of the hold, right against Bob's hands. Bob grasped himabout the waist.
"Now, pull me up," commanded Rush.
"I can't. I'm a sick man, I tell you."
"Fudge! Just hang on and I will do the rest, but for goodness' sakedon't let go and fall off."
"Why should I let go? You don't think I am so anxious to get down thereas all that, do you?"
Steve climbed nimbly up the body of his companion until he found himselfable to reach the rail with one hand. It was then but the work of amoment to pull himself up to the platform.
"There, now we're all right," exclaimed Rush triumphantly.
"No, we're all wrong. I tell you I'm a sick man," protested Jarvis.
"If I hear you say that again, I am likely to throw you off. You make mesick."
"Hope I do. Then you'll know how I feel."
"This is better than I had hoped for," said Steve, not heeding hisfriend's ill-natured remark. "They've got to get up early in the morningif they want to down the Iron Boys, I tell you," he chuckled.
"It strikes me that we downed ourselves pretty thoroughly. Well, are wegoing to get out of here to-night?"
"We are going to make an effort to do so at once. Keep hold of the railand follow me. Look out where you step. We don't want to take any moretumbles, or----"
"Oh, that's all right. I couldn't feel any worse if I fell off from ahouse or the top of a mine shaft."
The two moved along cautiously, Steve feeling his way with feet andhands. They were going toward the stern of the ship, though they werenot aware of the fact. The passageway, constructed for the purpose ofgetting about on the inside of the hull, was narrow, built of metal, butwithout anything on it to bar their progress.
They made their way around the stern, which, inside the ship, was nextto the engine room. Rush felt the throb of the engines near him and knewthen that they were near the stern. They were separated from the engineroom by a bulkhead and there was no opening into the engine compartmentfrom the cargo-carrying part of the hull.
"We shall have to work our way to the other end," Steve said.
The boys, with Steve in the lead, continued their cautious creepingaround the ship until finally they had reached the forward end. Steve'shands came in contact with a door.
"Oh, pshaw, it's locked," he cried. "This is too bad."
"Kick it in," suggested Bob, as the most practical way out of thedifficulty.
"I can't; it's locked."
"And after all the trouble we have been put to!"
"At least, Bob, we have found a place where we shall be able to lie downand go to sleep in safe
ty. That is surely worth all the trouble we havebeen put to, as you call it."
"That's so. I hadn't thought of it in that light before. And I'm such asick----"
"You know what I told you."
Jarvis did not complete what he was saying.
"Good night."
Bob threw himself down on the hard floor and went to sleep. Stevedecided that this was the best thing they could do, so he, too, lay downand was sound asleep at once. Neither lad awakened for hours. Stevefinally opened his eyes and yawned. A ray of light that had penetratedbetween a thin joint between a hatch cover and its frame, hit his lefteye squarely.
"Wake up, Bob," he cried.
"Go 'way! Don't bother me. I'm having my beauty sleep."
Steve sprang up, shaking the other boy roughly.
"It's daylight. Come on; we've got to make a break to get out of herenow, if we do it at all. I just heard some one tramping along the deckoverhead."
Bob sat up rubbing his eyes sleepily. He would much have preferred tosleep longer, but he knew full well that, if he tried it, Steve Rushwould fall upon him and make life miserable for him for the next fewminutes. So Jarvis got up, grumbling.
"Where does that door lead to?" he demanded, pointing to a door thatSteve had not yet seen.
A faint light in the hold made it possible to see a short distance away.Steve glanced at the door, then sprang toward it.
"Hurrah, it is unlocked!"
"And don't forget that I found it. I can see like an owl, even if I amsick----"
Steve had jerked the door open, revealing a dark chamber. It proved tobe the chain and anchor room where odds and ends of the ship werestored.
After a little groping about in this chamber, they came upon acompanion-way, up which they hurried. There they met with another door,but this one too was unlocked. Rush opened it and stepped into the fulllight of day.
For the moment the light blinded both. The boys stood there, rubbingtheir eyes, blinking, and breathing in the fresh air of the lake.
"Great!" exclaimed Steve.
The ship was rolling gently. They glanced about them, but there was noland in sight. Everything was a sea of green, with white-capped comberstracing long lines of white against the deep green.
"Beautiful, isn't it, old chap?"
"It might be, if there were some land in sight. Where's everybody?"
"I don't know, but we will find out."
Smoke was rolling from the funnel of the steamer, a ribbon of whitesteam from the exhaust pipe trailing off astern and losing itself in theblack smoke.
"This is a beautiful sight, even if we have lost our boat and gone tosea on an unknown craft," exclaimed Rush, his eyes glistening.
"Pshaw!" grunted Jarvis.
"I guess it is about time we looked up some one and found out whether weare headed for the Soo, or----"
"Or the North Pole," added Jarvis.
"Well, who are you?" demanded a gruff voice just behind the lads.
The Iron Boys wheeled sharply.
They found themselves facing a thick-set man, whose face, from exposureto wind and sunshine, was almost fiery red. He was surveying the boysfrom head to foot with a look of stern disapproval.
Steve and Bob, with their torn and soiled clothes, _did_ present a mostdisreputable appearance. Their hair was unkempt and full of red ore,while their linen, white and clean when they left home on the previousday, now also partook of the color of the iron ore in which they hadwallowed for several hours.
"May I ask who you are, sir?" questioned Steve politely.
"I am the captain of this ship, and, unless you answer my questionpretty lively, I'll have you ironed and thrown into the hold."
"We have just come from there, sir," interrupted Bob.
"That is quite evident from your appearance. You are stowaways, eh?"
"No, sir; we got into the ship by accident, last night, and could notget out. We tried to attract attention, but were unable to do so."
"What were you doing around the ship?"
"We were to ship on the 'Wanderer.' We lost our way on the docks andfell into the hold of this ship. We had a hard time getting out, buthere we are, hoping to get to our ship as soon as we get to the nextstop."
It was the captain's turn to look astonished.