CHAPTER VII
THE IRON BOYS ON DECK
THE lads began their work above decks on the following day. It was awelcome relief to be out in the open air, with the wind blowing overthem, the soft odors of the inland seas mingling with the faint perfumeof the land drifting out from the unseen shores.
The first work of the Iron Boys was to remove the hatches that the sunmight penetrate the hold and dry out the ore, which had been put in verydamp. Ore in that condition did not handle easily, taking up time andcosting considerably more to handle than when dry. Steve pondered overthis all during his first forenoon's work. Here was something that oughtto be remedied. His fertile brain was at a loss to solve the problem. Hetalked the matter over with Jarvis after luncheon, that day, and askedhis companion's opinion.
"That's easy," answered Bob promptly. "Put a stove in."
"Where?"
"In the ore pockets on the trestles."
"That would be fine," grinned Steve. "But you have given me an idea. Iwill think it over. There is a point that it will pay us both to thinkover very carefully. Have you seen anything of our friends from belowdecks this morning?"
"No; I guess they must be sleeping."
"Look out, Bob. We haven't heard the last from Smith. He is a vengefulfellow and he will try to get even with us. I hope he doesn't ship withus on the return trip."
"I'll punch his head for him if he gets funny with me."
"I don't like the man's looks at all. It is my opinion that he is adesperate character."
"Well, so are we, for that matter," replied Jarvis with a mirthlessgrin.
"I am beginning to think so myself, old chap. It seems almost impossiblefor us to keep out of trouble. I, for one, am going to stop it. Nexttime any rough argument is started I'm going to run."
Jarvis laughed uproariously.
"I think I see you doing it! Why, you wouldn't run if you saw a herd ofelephants charging you. No, sir--not Steve Rush!"
At about four o'clock in the afternoon the boys were ordered to assistin replacing the hatches to make all snug for the night. The vessel wasslipping down Lake Huron, now, at an eleven-knot gait. There was agentle roll on the sea, but neither lad minded that. Neither wouldsuffer further from seasickness, they felt sure.
The hatches having been made secure there was nothing more to be donefor the rest of the afternoon. The lads were free to go where theypleased and do as they pleased. They repaired to their cabin, where theyremained until supper time. They now ate with the ship's officers, thestokers and oilers having a mess-room by themselves. The officers'mess-room was a roomy apartment at the extreme stern of the ship, andthe food served there was excellent. The boys did not remember ever tohave had better.
Mr. Major, the first mate, occupied the lower end of the long table,while the captain sat at the head. There was little conversation. Theprincipal business was eating, sailors having a habit of shoveling intheir food as fast as possible when it is placed before them.
The result was that Steve and Bob, being accustomed to eat slowly andchew their food well, were not half through when the others rose fromthe table.
"Going to eat all night?" demanded the captain, with the suspicion of asmile on his face.
"Oh, no," laughed Rush. "Not quite so long as that, I hope."
"How about you?" questioned the master, nodding at Jarvis.
"Well," answered Bob reflectively, "as nearly as I can figure it I amabout amidships between soup and pie. If I don't fall through the centrehatch before I reach the pie end I'll be on deck about seven o'clock."
The officers laughed heartily.
"Do we go on duty this evening, sir?" questioned Rush.
"Certainly," replied the captain. "You take your regular tricks just thesame. You two will take the forward watch at nine o'clock."
They had never been on watch before, and did not know what their dutieswere to be. So, after finishing their supper, they hunted up Mr. Majorand asked him to explain their duties to them. He told them that allthey had to do would be to watch out for lights ahead and either side ofthe ship, ring the hours on the ship's bell just forward of the bridge,at the same time glancing back at their own ship's running lights to seeif all were burning brightly. The mate told them how to report this,giving them some other suggestions at the same time.
"This is fine," glowed Bob. "We're going to walk the bridge at midnight,aren't we?"
"Rush will have the bridge watch," explained Mr. Major. "You will takethe deck just forward of and under the bridge. It is not hard work ingood weather, but it gets to be rather lonesome at times. I shall be onduty in the pilot-house during your trick. If you are in doubt at anytime be sure to call out to me."
Both promised that they would. It was with keen anticipation that thelads made their way forward from their cabins a few minutes before nineo'clock.
"Second watch changed," called the watch who was on the point ofretiring.
"Aye, aye," answered the officer in charge in the pilot-house. All wasdark in there so the men could see ahead, the windows of the captain'scabin having the shades pulled tight so that not a single ray of lightcould shine out ahead to blind the eyes of the lookouts.
"All clear ahead. Steamer heading up the lake off the starboard bow."
"All right," answered Steve as he took his place at the rail of thebridge. "I guess she won't run into us."
"Watch for that steamer's red light off to starboard," warned abusiness-like voice from the blackness of the pilot-house.
"I will," replied Steve.
"Say, 'aye, aye, sir.'"
"Aye, aye, sir."
"That's right. We observe all the forms on board these ships just thesame as they do on the high seas."
"What's all that talk about up there?" called Bob Jarvis, from his postin the bow on the deck below.
"You are to keep watch of that fellow off to starboard," answered Rush.
"Starboard? Let's see--that's the left side, isn't it?"
"No, the right."
"Oh, I guess that's right."
"Tell the watch below to 'tend to his business," warned the mate in thepilot-house.
"Forward watch, knock off talking," called Steve.
"Don't get funny up there or I'll come up and straighten you out."
"Bob," called Steve softly, "the officer will be down there in a momentif you don't stop your nonsense. This is business. Keep your eyes on thewater and call out whenever you see a light. I----"
"Ship, ho!" sang out Jarvis suddenly, interrupting what Steve wassaying.
"Lower watch reports a ship, sir," sang out Steve.
"Where away?" demanded the mate.
"Where away?" repeated Steve.
"Oh, 'bout a mile off the right-hand side," answered the lower watchnonchalantly.
"He means the vessel off to starboard, sir," Rush informed the officerin charge.
"Has that wooden-head just discovered the ore carrier over there?"
"I guess so, sir."
"Pshaw! You keep your eyes open."
"He will be all right after he gets settled down to it, sir," said Steveapologetically.
"We're likely to be sent to the bottom before that time, if we wait forhim to keep us out of trouble."
The ship sailed on. Now and then Steve's keen eyes would sight a greenor red or a white light, and under the instruction of the mate hequickly learned to determine the position of the boat from her lights,enabling him to say instantly which way the other ship was traveling.After a while the captain entered the pilot-house.
"Who's on the forward watch?" he demanded.
"Rush on the bridge, Jarvis in the forward peak."
"Keep a sharp lookout. They are new men."
"Aye, aye, sir. Rush is all right. He has eyes like an owl at night.Trust him for not letting anything----"
"Red light dead ahead," called Rush.
"What do you make of her?"
"Nothing more, sir."
"That's one of the
Wyckoff coal fleet," announced the captain, leaningfrom the pilot-house window. "She's headed for Shoal Island."
"How in the name of all that's good does he know all that?" muttered theboy on the bridge. "I can't see a thing but the red light, and thatmeans that her port beam is almost across our bow. I don't see anythingelse."
"I suppose you are wondering how I know that, eh?" chuckled the captain,nodding to the lad pacing the bridge just below him.
"Well, yes, sir; I was wondering," admitted Rush.
"Do you make out her white lights!"
"No, sir."
"That's where I have you. There is a bank of fog or mist settling overthe lake. If you will raise your eyes a little to the right of the redlight you will make out two faint blurs----"
"I see them, sir."
"Those are her masthead lights. I know the set of the masts of theWyckoff boats, that's all. So will you, after you have been at sea longenough. It is all a matter of experience. I have been drilling up anddown these lakes for the past thirty years. I ought to know a fewthings about them and the fellows who are navigating them. It's going tostorm."
"Yes, sir," agreed the lad, but he did not see any signs of rain. Thestars were bright overhead and the moon was shining brightly. "I see Ihave a few things to learn about the weather," he muttered.
A few minutes later Steve discovered that the moon and the stars hadsuddenly disappeared. The captain knew they would, for the wind hadveered to the southeast and he had seen the fog bank settling down sincethe first moment he entered the pilot house. The rain started in shortlyafterwards in a thin drizzle.
"Hey, up there, it's getting wet down here!" shouted Bob. "Hand me downan umbrella or something."
"Keep a sharp lookout, lads," warned the captain. "Remember we've got aload of coal across our bows."
"Aye, aye, sir," answered Steve. "I think I can see quite a way ahead ofus."
"That is a mistake. You can't see a ship's length ahead. Keep your eyesopen."
"I will, sir."
"Where is your raincoat?"
"I am afraid I have none. I never thought to bring one with me."
"Tell your friend Jarvis to go to my cabin and ask the steward for twocoats."
Steve did so, and a few minutes later the lads were well protected fromthe storm, which was now upon them in full force. The rain was comingdown in blinding sheets by this time, beating into the faces of the IronBoys.
Suddenly Steve leaned over the edge of the bridge, shading his eyes withhis hand. Something that he thought he had observed in Bob's positionhad attracted his attention. He gazed more keenly, then uttered a littlegasp. Jarvis was standing with his head down, facing away from the stormtoward the stern of the ship. He looked very comfortable and contented.
"Bob!"
Steve's tone was stern.
"Bob!"
"What do you want?"
"Turn around and be quick about it!" Steve was speaking too low for theofficers in the pilot-house to hear. "Don't you know that the safety ofthe ship depends largely on our watchfulness at this minute, and----"
"Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang clang," interrupted the ship's clockin the pilot-house.
Steve grasped the cord attached to the clapper of the big bell in frontof the bridge, giving it six steady jerks.
"Six bells, eleven o'clock. All lights are burning brightly, sir," Rushcalled in the singsong voice of the sailor.
"Aye, aye," answered the deep voice of the mate from the darkness of thepilot-house.
"Reduce speed to one-half," commanded the captain, in a low voice. Heusually gave his commands calmly, no matter how great the stress oremergency. "Do you see anything of that coal carrier, Rush?"
"No, sir; she must be some distance away from us by this time."
"She ought to be, but she isn't."
"May I ask how you know that, sir?"
"I get her smoke."
"I don't make it out, sir."
"Neither do I, by sight, but I see it through my nose. I smell it."
"Well, doesn't that beat all!" muttered Rush.
He bent every energy toward piercing the black bank ahead. For the firsttime Steve Rush experienced a sense of uneasiness, and for the firsttime he realized what the perils of the sea meant. Before, it had seemedto him that, unless a ship were laboring in a great storm, there couldbe little danger. Once a minute the siren far back in the darkness, nearthe engine superstructure, would wail out a long, dismal blast which, amoment later, was answered by the ship out there somewhere ahead. Thesound of the other boat's siren did not seem to Steve Rush to be gettingany nearer, but to the experienced ears of Captain Simms quite thecontrary was plain.
"Look steady, down there!" he warned in a sharp tone which told Rushthere was something that he did not know about was likely to happen.
"Look sharp!" he repeated to Bob Jarvis.
"I'm looking. I'm----"
Steve Rush's voice cut in quick and sharp, though there was little traceof excitement in it.
"Sheer off! Ship dead ahead!"
"Hard a-port!" commanded the captain, at the same time sounding a longwailing blast on the siren.
A deafening crash followed almost upon the command.