CHAPTER XV.
LIVELY WORK.
When Sam Hardy and Benny returned to the life-saving station no mentionwas made regarding the misadventure on board the wreck, although theformer described in detail to his comrades all he had seen on or aroundthe steamer.
Benny's greatest fear was lest the cook might question him so closelythat it would become necessary to remain silent or betray the secret,and then the crew would understand that the two had had some unpleasantexperience.
Fortunately, however, all hands applied to Sam for information, andhe was able to lead the conversation into some other channel wheneveranything was said regarding the hold of the steamer.
Then some sailors from one of the tugs came into the station, and thecrew no longer showed any desire to learn what Hardy and No. 8 hadseen, much to the relief of the latter.
Benny and Fluff spent several hours during the afternoon with thelookout on the hill, and when Keeper Downey hove in sight the ladwalked slowly toward the station, whispering to the dog in his arms:
"It won't do, Fluffy to rush right up the minute Mr. Downey gets backand ask to see the uniform; but I do hope it won't be very long beforehe shows us what he has brought."
By the time Benny arrived at the boat-house door the keeper was mooringhis dory, and a few moments later the lad saw him step ashore with apackage in his arms so large that it hid at least half of his body fromview.
"He has really brought the clothes, Fluffy, and it oughtn't to be sucha dreadful while before we can look at them, because supper won't beready for two hours, and he'll have nothing else to do except show allhands what the tailor has made."
Benny was not kept long in suspense. As Tom Downey approached thebuilding he cried to the expectant lad:
"Come into the mess-room, No. 8; I've brought home all your finery, andthe crew will be wantin' to see how you look in the uniform."
Benny answered the summons hastily, and Fluff ran at his heels barkingshrilly, as if he had some personal interest in that which the keeperwas carrying.
With the exception of Robbins, who was acting as lookout, every memberof the crew was awaiting Tom Downey's arrival when he entered, lookingparticularly cheerful.
"I've got all I went for, and a little besides," he said, still holdingthe package in his arms. "What's more, I haven't taken advantage ofyou fellows by looking at the toggery. It was wrapped up when I got tothe tailor's, and beyond the little he told me, I know no more aboutwhat's inside the paper than you do. Now I propose that Benny take thisbundle, go up-stairs, put on the uniform, and dazzle us all by suddenlyappearing as a full-fledged life-saver."
"That's the way to fix it!" Sam Hardy cried enthusiastically. "Getalong, No. 8, an' don't spend too much time primpin', for we're achin'to get a sight of you in brass buttons."
Benny did as he was bidden, and a few moments after he had disappearedup the stairway those below heard an exclamation of astonishment,followed an instant later by the question:
"What's that other thing, Mr. Downey?"
"The tailor said he'd put in something on his own account for Fluff.Try it on and send him down."
The crew were wholly at a loss to understand the meaning of this briefconversation until the dog came down-stairs at full speed, yelping andbarking as if in the highest state of excitement and pleasure.
A roar of laughter burst from the men when the little fellow sat up onhis tail in the centre of the room, as if asking that he be admired.Over his silken white hair was strapped a tiny, blue broadclothblanket, on the two rear corners of which was worked in white silk theletters "L. S. S.," so disposed as to form a fanciful monogram.
"Three cheers for No. 9!" Joe Cushing cried, and this was respondedto with such good-will that Fluff hurriedly ran back to his master,thoroughly frightened by the noisy demonstration.
"Don't he look great?" Benny cried, and Tom Downey replied with a laugh:
"Indeed he does, lad; but you needn't stay up there admiring him, forwe're more anxious to see your rig."
Then, moving slowly and shyly, as if almost ashamed of his finefeathers, Benny made his appearance on the stairs, and it was anexclamation of genuine admiration with which he was greeted. The littlefellow looked manly in the neatly fitting suit of blue, bedecked withbrass buttons, and very proud withal, for, although he consideredhimself a member of the crew, the fact had never seemed so real to himas at this moment when he was attired as a life saver.
The deep crimson blood came into his cheeks as he stood before the men,in obedience to orders, turning here and there as one or the otherdictated, and listening all the while to words of praise and genuineadmiration.
"It's all right, No. 8," Sam Hardy said at length. "I was almost afraidthat tailor might rig you out like a jumping-jack, with a lot offolderols that had no place on a life saver's uniform; but he's gonestraight with the orders I gave him, an' the job couldn't be improvedon."
"Don't forget that you're to go into town with me when next I haveleave of absence," Joe Cushing cried, and then some one calledattention to Fluff, who was sitting on the topmost step, still clad inuniform, wagging his tail vigorously as if asking whether it would besafe for him to venture down.
"Call your partner, No. 8, an' let's see how the two of you looktogether."
During fully five minutes Benny and Fluff were forced to walk here orthere in order that the men might have good opportunity for seeing themin all possible lights, and then Mr. Downey suggested that the lad showhimself in civilian's garb.
No. 8 obeyed very readily, almost glad to escape from that atmosphereof praise, and when he next appeared it was in a suit of clothes suchas any well-dressed boy ten or twelve years of age would be expectedto display.
A blue blouse with a rolling collar, sailor-fashion, knickerbockers,stockings, and a jacket of the same color, the clothing trimmed neatlywith white braid, made of him, as Dick Sawyer said, "a perfect littlegentleman."
"You look best in whichever you happen to have on when you heave insight," Sam Hardy said admiringly. "Ain't it goin' to be quite acome-down to get into your old pea-jacket an' sou'wester?"
"I'll feel more like myself then," Benny said emphatically. "It don'tseem right for me to be dressed up so fine, and most likely it ain't."
"There's nothin' too good for you, accordin' to my way of thinkin', No.8, so don't get such queer ideas into your head. How does young Mr.Foster feel about it?"
"Do you know, I believe he's proud of his blanket? I tried to take itoff before we came down, and he growled terribly."
"It'll be a good thing for him when the weather is biting cold, an'you'd better let him wear it a spell."
Then Benny went up-stairs again in order to change his clothes oncemore, preparatory to assisting the cook, and a stranger would havefound it difficult to decide whether the boy or the crew of men weremost pleased because of the new clothes.
During the four days which followed the arrival of the uniform, No. 8was kept busily employed about the station, except during such times ashe went on patrol with Sam Hardy.
Because of the wreckers in the vicinity, and the many visitors whocame to see the stranded steamer, it seemed as if the buildings werethronged with strangers during the greater portion of each day, andwhen the lad was not at work in the kitchen, he found quite as much ashe could conveniently do in "cleaning up" after the careless ones, whoappeared to think it would make little difference to a "crew of men" ifa greater or less amount of mud or snow was brought in on the cleanlyscrubbed floors.
"If the steamer ain't hauled off mighty soon, No. 8 will wear himselfdown to skin an' bone, trying to make the place look tidy," Dick Sawyersaid after a party of slovenly visitors had taken their departure. "Itmakes me tired to see him running around from mornin' till night witha swab in his hands, an' ten minutes after he's scrubbed every boardclean, a fresh layer of dirt is brought in."
"He'll get a rest by to-morrow, I'm thinking," Joe Cushing replied,"an' it wouldn't surprise me such a terrible
sight if all the wreckers'work was undone before twenty-four hours go by."
"We may get a little blow from the eastward, but I ain't countin'on anything that can be called a storm," Dick said carelessly as hefollowed No. 8 into the oil-room.
Before night had come there were many in and around the station whoshared Joe Cushing's opinion as to the weather.
Everything about the wreck was made as snug as possible; extra hawserswere run out, the hatches battened down, and the lighters anchored indeep water.
Instead of lying off the cove when the day's work was done, the tugsran over to the city, and all the small boats were hauled up beyondreach of the waves.
Sam Hardy was the first to go on patrol this night, and, as a matterof course, Benny accompanied him, for since the affair in the hold ofthe steamer the surfman had appeared more than usually eager for thecompanionship of his young comrade.
"We're gettin' the fat of the work this night," Hardy said as the twoleft the building.
"What do you mean by that? Ain't we going to stay out the full fourhours?"
"Indeed we are, lad; but the wind won't get up much before midnight,an' when it does come I'm thinkin' it will bring rain."
"Then you believe as Mr. Cushing does?"
"I'm not lookin', as Joe is, for anything very heavy, but allow itwon't be pleasant for the patrol who comes after us."
Save that the wind was blowing freshly, Benny saw no indications of astorm, and whatever might have been the appearance of the sky, it wouldhave had no meaning for him after Sam Hardy delivered his opinion.
Their beat led them past where the stranded steamer lay, nowconsiderably more than half unloaded, and at this point a long halt wasmade.
As yet the surf had not risen, although the wind had been steadilyincreasing in force since sunset, and the lighters rose and fell on thegentle swell with but little tugging at their cables. White foam aroundthe wreck told that the rising tide was churning against her sides; butwith no more force than while the wreckers had been at work.
To Benny, particularly after hearing Hardy's opinion, there was noreason for the life savers to feel disturbed in mind, and, when thetour of duty having come to an end, he returned to the station, it waswith the belief that the repose of the crew would be undisturbed.
He was exceedingly tired, as he had been every night since the strandedsteamer attracted so many visitors, and went to bed immediately afterentering the building, failing to observe what at another time mighthave drawn his attention--that every member of the crew yet remained inthe mess-room as if anticipating a sudden call to duty.
It seemed to him that he must have been asleep several hours whenFluff's shrill barking aroused him, and, sitting bolt upright in bedhe observed, much to his surprise, that none of the men, with theexception of the cook, who regularly retired at an early hour, had beenin the sleeping-room.
Covering Fluff's mouth to still his barking, Benny listened.
It was evident Joe Cushing had just come in from patrol, and was makinga report of rather an alarming nature.
"In addition to the laboring of the steamer, one of the lightersappears to be dragging anchor, and if she sweeps down upon thestranded craft there'll be no more work for the wreckers."
Benny was out of bed in an instant, for he knew that the crew wouldset about repairing the mischief without delay, and it was not hisintention to be left behind.
Dressing hurriedly, he descended the stairs just as the men wereputting on their oiled clothing, and without comment he began followingtheir example.
"Hello, No. 8, what are you about?" the keeper asked.
"Ain't the crew going out, sir?"
"Yes; but not on what you might call life-saving work. It's only a'longshore job of caring for lighters, with more hard work than gloryin it. We may be knocking around from one of those tubs to the otheruntil daylight, and it'll be wiser for you to stay under cover."
Benny immediately removed the coat he had put on; but it could readilybe seen that he was sorely disappointed at thus being advised to remainin the station, for advice from the keeper was to him nothing less thana positive command.
"It'll grieve him mightily to be here while we're at work," Sam Hardywhispered to Mr. Downey, and the latter replied:
"It's easier for him to feel sorry than to be knocking around with usall night, for I'm thinkin' this is a job that ain't soon to be ended."
"It won't be as hard for him as to stay here with the cook. No. 8 ain'ta lad who's afraid of work, as he's shown us every day since he came."
Tom Downey hesitated a moment, and then said slowly, as does one who isnot certain that he speaks wisely:
"If you had rather take the chances with us, when we're setting out todo nothing more than get a lot of scows into shape, come along, Benny.It was only in order to save you a long spell of hard work that Iproposed you should stay behind."
"If it don't make any difference to you, sir, I'd much rather go,"Benny replied in a low tone. "It wouldn't seem that I really was No. 8if the crew went away without me."
"Get into your oil-skins, since you're so greedy for hard work, lad,an' we'll start. You'll see this night the dullest piece of drudgerythat life savers were ever put to."
Benny's face was actually aglow with pleasure when this permissionhad been given, and before the foremost of the crew could leave themess-room he was clad in his oiled clothing, eager to share whatevermight be the portion of his comrades.
To the boy's delight, the life-boat was to be used for the work. He hadnever been on board of her, and it would indeed have seemed hard hadthis opportunity been denied him.
Not until the buoyant craft had been pulled out beyond the point didNo. 8 realize that in his weather predictions Sam Hardy had made afailure. The wind was blowing freshly from the northeast, the rain wasfalling, and the waves had risen until the heavy boat was flung aboutlike a cork.
The crew plied their oars in silence; all evidently looked upon thework of securing the lighters in exactly the same light as did TomDowney--as drudgery,--and there was nothing to animate them. If avessel with a crew on board had been in distress, each man would havebeen on the alert and eager, straining every muscle without thought offatigue, instead of which they were now dispirited.
Not until they were within fifty yards of the lighter which lay nearestthe point, could Benny distinguish any object on the rolling waters,and then he began to understand how difficult a task had the crew takenupon themselves.
The huge fabrics, hardly more than scows, were wallowing in the waves,sending up great clouds of spray when the seas broke with a noiselike thunder under the square bows or sterns, and the lad, ignorantthough he was regarding such work, knew full well that it would be moredifficult to board one of the hulks than to clamber over the rail of anordinary wreck.
The order was given to "cease rowing," and as the oars were held firmlyin the water to prevent the life-boat from being blown at the mercyof the wind, Keeper Downey studied how he might best accomplish thedifficult task.
"They are all dragging their anchors," he said after a brief silence.
"Yes, and would in this shallow water, no matter what weight of metalthey had out," Dick Sawyer grumbled. "If the wreckers are willing toleave their hulks on such a shore as this, without so much as a singleman aboard, it would serve them right to lose the whole boiling."
"We've got to board that lighter!" Downey finally exclaimed, giving noheed to Dick's grumbling. "It won't be a nice job, boys, but must bedone, else those hulks will be driven down upon the steamer. Stand by,1, 2, 4, and 5," he added, designating the men by their numbers.
No protest was made, although the life savers knew they were ordered tofar more dangerous work than would be theirs if human lives were to bewrested from the waters.
The men referred to hauled in their oars, and the remainder of thecrew, Benny doing his best with the heavy implement Sam had beenwielding, worked the life-boat around until she was to leeward of thelighter.
"Jump when I give the word, and then slack away on the cables. Lookaround for spare anchors! If any be found, heave them out; but rememberthat you must work lively! Are you ready? jump!"
The four men leaped as one, and the life-boat was hurled back by theimpetus until a dozen yards of water tumbled between her and thelighter.
A long sigh of relief escaped from Benny's lips as he saw that hiscomrades had gained a safe footing on the rolling, pitching hulk, andthen it was necessary that he give his undivided attention to workingthe oar, lest the waves should wrest it from his grasp.
Downey's purpose was to keep the life-boat under the lee of thelighter to lessen the labor of his men, and even this was an extremelydifficult matter, for the sea increased in violence momentarily, whilethere were but three men and a boy at the oars.
Hardy, Cushing, Sawyer, and Henderson were the men detailed for thework of securing the heavy hulk, and there were none among the crewstronger or more able to perform the task, yet it was soon seen thatthey were working at a great disadvantage owing to lack of numbers.
"There are no spare anchors here!" Hardy cried out after he had been onboard the unwieldy craft ten minutes or more. "There's only an apologyfor a windlass, an' I question if it won't go by the board before manyhours."
"Give her more scope, for it's all we can do, and get on board againsmartly; the lighter nearest inshore is dragging badly," Downey shoutedin reply.
As was afterward learned, the men had but just loosened the carelesslylaid turns from the shaky windlass when a huge sea lifted the stern ofthe lighter high in the air, and, passing forward, allowed the heavyafter part to drop into the trough of the sea with a snap that wouldhave tested the timbers of a strong vessel.
Those on board the life-boat heard a crashing and rending as of wood;saw the huge hulk rise again on a wave, and then came the cry from JoeCushing:
"The windlass has gone!"
Even as he spoke it seemed as if the heavy fabric, lifting such aheight of side against the wind that it acted as a sail, literallyleaped forward directly upon the life-boat.
"Stern all! Lively, boys! Lively!"
Benny laid all his strength against the huge oar, and yet he could notpush it back so much as an inch; but his efforts might have been ofsome avail in connection with the quick, muscular work of the others,and the boat was forced out of the way only so much as was absolutelynecessary. The failure of an inch in distance, and she must have beencrushed by the ponderous weight which overhung her until Benny feltcertain they would be swamped.
This necessary manoeuvre exposed the life-boat to the full force of thewind, and before she could be brought round again, half-manned as shewas, fully fifty yards of water separated her from the lighter whereonwere the four life savers now turned mariners in distress.
Because no one of his companions spoke, Benny believed the danger whichmenaced his comrades on the hulk to be very great, and a sensation offaintness came over him as he thought that perhaps he might neveragain clasp the hands of those whom he had learned to love.
With a full crew on the life-boat it would have been a comparativelyeasy task to rescue the men from the lighter; but under thecircumstances it was difficult work to even so much as hold her againstthe wind, and in the meanwhile the huge craft was approaching thebreakers at a speed that must soon put her beyond reach of help.
"Put your very life into the oars, boys!" Downey cried appealingly. "Wemust lay her so near alongside that we can pass our comrades a rope,for we can't hope to help them from the shore!"
Every one, including Benny, had been working to the full extent of hispower, yet it seemed now as if still greater strength was laid on theoars, as Downey shouted to their comrades:
"Stand by for a line, boys! Make it fast, and come in on it. I see noother chance!"
"Let her drift in on the shoal!" Hardy cried.
"There are too big odds against all of us using your line, an' we'llhold on a spell after she strikes. You four can manage the surf-boat,an' I allow there's time to get it."
"He's right!" the keeper exclaimed. "I must have lost my head when Ithought they could come in hand-over-hand while there's such a sea on.Buckle to the oars, boys! We'll make the station if we can; but ifnot, beach this craft as near as possible. We've a poor crew indeed,if our comrades are allowed to drown while they've got so many timbersunder them!"
While speaking he had swung the boat around head on to the shore, andevery man tugged and strained at his ashen blade, while Downey lent allpossible assistance with the steering oar.
"We'll never make the station!" Benny heard Robbins, who was directlyin front of him mutter, and almost at the same instant the keeper criedhoarsely:
"We must take our chances in the cove, boys. No. 8, get hold of a corkjacket and come aft before we strike!"