CHAPTER VI.
ROUTINE DUTY.
During the three days which elapsed after the crew began work on thewreck Benny found sufficient with which to occupy his time.
From early morning until after dinner he was engaged in the kitchen, orin setting to rights the different apartments of the station, and theresult of his work was soon apparent. Never before during the activeseason had the interior of the building been so cleanly, and the menwere delighted with the agreeable change.
"You're what might be called an A 1 housekeeper, Benjamin," Tom Downeysaid one day as he returned to the station unexpectedly and found thelad washing the floor of the sleeping room. "All hands of us turn toand clean up once a week, according to the rules and regulations,but somehow we don't get it as neat as you do, and it's littered upin great shape forty-eight hours later. Now, everything is brightand clean as a new pin, and I reckon we're gettin' the best of thisguardianship business."
"I'm glad if you think I'm paying our board, sir," Benny replied,pleased because of the praise bestowed upon him.
"You're doing more than that, my lad, an' we must hit upon some planof squaring matters. A lad who takes it upon himself to see that ouroutside clothing is properly dried after we come in from a day's workis worth considerably more than what he and an imitation dog can eat,to say nothing of the other duties you have assumed."
"If you'll be as pleased to have me here as I am to stay, it'll be abig thing for Fluff an' me, sir."
"I allow matters are about in that shape already, and we'll see ifsomething in the way of an allowance can't be made for the extra workyou're doing."
"Do you mean that you'll pay me money, sir?"
"That's what the boys are talking about. You see we count on your goingto school next season, and you must have a nest-egg before then, inorder to pay your way."
"I'd rather it shouldn't be done, sir," Benny replied gravely. "It'smighty good of you to say I'm helpin' along; but I'm sure this kindof work isn't worth more than our board. If the men would be willingto teach me the rules of the service, and let me join in the drillsometimes, I'd be glad."
"What's your idea in doing that, Benjamin?"
"If I knew how to handle a boat in the surf, and could go through thedrill, perhaps I might get a job as a surfman."
Tom Downey laughed loudly, until noting the red flush which creptover the lad's face, when he checked his mirth suddenly, as he saidseriously:
"You're not much bigger than a peanut, Benny, and I'm afraid youwouldn't cut any figger in a boat."
"But I'm bound to grow, sir. Of course I couldn't do anything of thekind now, but after a spell perhaps I'll be big enough."
"Why do you want to get into the service, lad? Every member of a crewtakes his life in his hand when there's work to be done, and you'vealready had a chance to see that the duties are not only dangerous, butsevere."
"Yes, sir; but whenever you save a man from drowning it must make youfeel mighty good, and that squares up for all the hard work. I'd ratherbe a regular member of the crew than anything else."
"That comes of your having been thrown among us; but once you go outinto the world you'll have different ideas."
"I've seen quite a bit of it already, sir, and never thought so much ofwhat I might be able to do," Benny replied meekly.
"I'll admit, lad, that you've knocked around considerable for one ofyour age--seen more of the world than any of us; but--I'll tell youwhat it is, Benny, you shall learn the drill, and when spring comeswe'll show you how to handle a boat, although I'm not certain any ofthe crew would agree to your entering this branch of the service."
The conversation came to an end at this point for the time being, sofar as Benny was concerned; but when Tom Downey had an opportunity ofspeaking privately with the crew, he repeated all that had been said,treating the matter as if it gave him no slight degree of pleasurebecause the lad was inclined to enter the service.
"I'll answer for it he shall know how to handle a surf-boat 'twixt nowand next summer," Sam Hardy said decidedly. "That boy has got sand, an'a good deal of it, else he'd never worked in as he has here."
"If his mind is set on such a life, I'm another as will help the littlewhifflet along," Joe Cushing added with a laugh, and although nolengthy discussion was indulged in at the time, all the crew appearedto consider it as settled that Benny should be instructed in the dutiesof life-saving.
It is not to be supposed that the boy worked every moment of daylight.After the dishes used at dinner had been washed, the cook insisted thathe go out of doors with Fluff, and the pine grove was his favoriteplayground. Here, despite the cold weather, he roamed to and fro whilethe dog chased imaginary squirrels and his own shadow, until the frostyair drove both inside the station again.
It was while he was enjoying his "outing" that the bodies latelyrecovered from the _Amazonia_ were removed by the coroner, and Bennyasked no questions concerning them. There was in his mind the fear thatby speaking of the wreck, when it would be impossible to control hissorrow, he might displease those who were so kind, and all this he kepta secret from every one save Fluff.
When he was alone with the dog, however, and the moaning and roaring ofthe surf told of what had been done on that forbidding coast, he pouredout all his heart to Fluff, and those who had gone into the Unknownfrom the decks of the _Amazonia_ had at least one sincere mourner.
Each evening Benny accompanied one or the other of the men on patrolduty, and appeared to take the liveliest interest at all times inwatching for signs of some craft in distress. At every convenientopportunity during the day he visited the lookout on the bluff, andwhen not otherwise engaged pored over the regulations of the serviceuntil, as Joe Cushing said, he believed the lad "could come near torepeating every word in the book."
During three days of pleasant weather the crew brought on shore thelittle which could be saved from what remained of the _Amazonia_, andthe men had settled down to a round of routine duty.
It was Sam Hardy's turn to begin the patrol work of the night, and,much to Benny's satisfaction, he called upon the lad to accompany him.
"I'm thinkin' it will be your last chance for some time, according tothe indications, and I'll set myself down as a Dutchman if we don'thave a blow 'twixt now and mornin' that will go ahead of anything youever saw on this coast."
Now that Fluff C. Foster was well acquainted with the members of thecrew, Benny did not consider it necessary to carry his pet whenever hewent out, therefore the dog was left behind, and, well wrapped in thickclothing, Benny set off, having received the assurance from Sam that hewould be allowed to share in the entire four hours of duty.
The wind had increased in force until it was difficult to make one'sway over the bold headlands through the snow, and more than once didSam Hardy find it necessary to seek a shelter while he rested from thesevere labor.
An unusually vigilant watch was kept over the broad expanse of waters,for this was a time when the life savers along the coast knew theirservices would most likely be needed. There would probably be somevessels, through carelessness, ignorance, or mishap, in distress, andwhatever of peril might await them, the men of the service must beprepared to put off in their boats for a battle with the raging waters.
"This wind is gettin' into shape for a regular tearer," Sam said whenthe two, partially sheltered by the rocks, stood peering out over theheaving waters. "Them as are outside to-morrow morning will do well tosee that they have plenty of sea-room."
Already had the first particles of snow begun to fall, and the air wasrapidly growing colder.
"It ain't often we have two big storms so near together; but it'scoming this time, an' I'm mistaken if we don't have plenty of workbefore the sun sets to-morrow."
"It doesn't seem possible you could see very far after it begins tosnow."
"We can't, lad, an' that's a fact; but I allow our eyes do betterservice than those that haven't been trained to the work. There's DickSawyer, for instance, he's by f
ar the best man among us in this kind ofwork. I've been with him when it seemed as if he smelled a vessel, forhe's struck his signal when I couldn't see six inches before my nose,an' I never knew him to go wrong. But we can't loaf here much longer ifwe count on covering our beat in the regulation time."
It was as if the storm had begun without warning. The first particleshad no more than fallen when the air seemed thick with swirling wreathsthat struck the skin like needle-points, and were forced by theincreasing wind through every aperture in one's clothing.
Benny found it necessary to shield his eyes, because of the pain causedby the icy particles, and could give little heed to his footsteps, butfollowed directly behind his companion.
Sam, on the contrary, appeared to suffer no especial inconvenience; hekept constant watch over the sea, although at times it was necessaryto cover his eyes, and breasted his way against the wind as if findingreal pleasure in the struggle.
"I'm sorry you came to-night, lad," he said when they paused foran instant. "My idea was that this flurry would hold off till pastmidnight, or you wouldn't have had a chance to show your nose outsidethe station."
"I'd been sorry if you hadn't let me come, 'cause I'll never make anyfist at being a surfman by staying under cover all the time."
"It ain't my plan to coddle you up, Benjamin; but at the same timethere's no good reason why you should get it quite so tough at thestart. You won't learn much----"
Sam paused as, sheltering his eyes, he gazed steadily seaward, andBenny tried in vain to discover what had thus attracted his companion'sattention.
During fully a minute the surfman stood immovable as a statue,regardless of the howling wind and stinging snow, and then mutteredhalf to himself, as he drew from his pocket one of the Coston signals:
"The work has begun sooner than I counted on."
"What do you mean?" Benny asked anxiously.
"There's a three-masted schooner less than a mile away, I should say,and doing her best to crawl off from the land."
Benny strained his eyes to pierce the fleecy cloud which enveloped him;but nothing save the swirling wreaths could be distinguished.
"I can't make out anything," he exclaimed in a tone of regret.
"And it ain't to be wondered at, lad. Wait until you've been on patrolduty a dozen nights like this, and you'll find it a different matter. Ican see the schooner now an' then, an' allow she's got a fore-staysail,reefed foresail, and spanker set; but don't seem to be crawling offvery fast. We'll let her know that the crew at this station ain'tasleep."
While speaking he had inserted the signal in its wooden handle, and ashe concluded, struck it sharply against a rock.
There was a crackling and spitting of fire for an instant, after whichthe light burned out with apparently almost as much brilliancy as thatdisplayed from the lighthouse a short distance away, and the glareliterally blinded Benny.
When it died away the night seemed yet darker than before, and the ladpeered straight ahead in the direction pointed out by Sam until hefancied he saw a tiny flare appear and disappear at brief intervals.
"They have seen us," Sam said in a tone of satisfaction. "That wispof flame was their answer, and I allow by its having been given soquickly that all hands understand they'd better have headed for deepwater sooner. Word must be taken to the station, and I'm doubtful aboutleavin' here. I wonder could you find your way back, Benny?"
"Of course I could, and I'll be mighty glad of the chance to try. Whatshall I tell the keeper?"
"I am not so certain that I've got any right to let you take thechances, for in this storm a lad who is green at the business caneasily get bewildered."
"_I_ shan't," Benny replied quickly. "Please let me go, Mr. Hardy, forit'll show that I can be of some little help in the work, and perhapsthe men will think I may be a surfman in time, even if I am small."
"You shall make the venture, my boy. Do you hear that whistle now andthen?"
"I have been hearing it for some time, sir. There must be a steamernear by."
"Why, bless your soul, Benny, haven't you found out by this time thatthere's a steam fog-horn near the lighthouse. I counted on theirsetting it going when this smother first gave signs of coming."
Benny remembered now that the cook had pointed out to him a smallbrick building painted white, which had at one side a curiously shapedfunnel, and told him this last was the fog-horn; but other matterswere occupying his mind at the time, and he gave little heed to theinformation.
"Keep straight on after that sound," Sam said as he saw to it thatBenny's coat was closely buttoned. "Don't try to travel too fast, forthere's plenty of time. Even if that craft comes to grief, she won'tstrike inside of an hour. When you get to the station there's nothingto be done save tell the keeper what we've seen, and that the schoonerlays off Skinner's Point."
"Shall I come back, sir?"
"Come back through this storm, Benny? Why, you're crazy! There's sucha thing as learning a surfman's duties; but attempting to find me outhere in this swirl ain't one of 'em. Even if I was fool enough to sayyou might try it, the rest of the crew would take good care you didn'tget outside the station again. Now be off, lad, and keep your wits wellabout you. Remember that you'll bring up nearabout the building if youfollow the sound of the whistle."
Benny was proud indeed as he began what unquestionably was, for aperson unfamiliar with the locality, a perilous journey.
There was in his mind the knowledge that he was taking some slightpart in the work of life-saving, and that by his making this ventureSam Hardy could remain on duty where he might possibly be of greatassistance to those who were in danger.
To push on alone over the rocks, through drifts of snow, beaten andbuffeted by the wind, and half blinded by the icy particles, wasentirely different from following behind Sam. Previously he had beenpartially sheltered by the surfman's body; but now it was necessaryto breast the storm alone, and there were many times when he found itliterally impossible to proceed, for the wind came in spiteful guststhat nearly threw him from his feet.
Many times did he unconsciously turn aside from the direct course, andwhen the whistle sounded again he was forced to make a detour in thisdirection or that, at the cost of many additional steps. Then again itwas as if the heavy booming came from all sides, and save for the factthat he remained motionless until the force of the wind lessened, hemight have lost his way completely.
Although the air was bitterly cold Benny was hardly aware of the fact;the severe labor of making his way through the drifts and against theblasts warmed his body until he perspired even at the same time thathis hands and face were chilled by the frost.
When he came upon the light of the station, suddenly, as it were, itappeared to him as if a full hour must have been spent in the journey,and now that the task was accomplished it seemed impossible he couldhave continued on five minutes longer.
There was no need for him to explain why he had returned alone. Thewaiting crew, fearing news of disaster, understood at once that SamHardy would not have sent the boy back unless he had grave reasons fordoing so, and before Benny could speak Dick Sawyer cried:
"What have you seen, lad?"
Benny understood that his report should be made to the keeper, and,therefore, instead of answering Sawyer's question, he turned to Mr.Downey, describing what Hardy had seen.
"Off Skinner's Point, eh?" Downey said as he took from the pegs whereit was hanging, his suit of oiled clothing. "How far away?"
"Mr. Hardy said about a mile; but I didn't see any sign of a vessel,except when the little light showed itself."
"You'll need to go on patrol more than once, lad," Joe Cushing saidwith a laugh, "before you'll make much of a fist at seeing a craft amile away on such a night as this."
"I'll get so I can in time, if you allow me to go out on patrol," Bennyreplied confidently, and then, turning to the keeper, he added, "Mr.Hardy said I wasn't to come back; but if there's any message you'dlike sent him, sir, I'm certain I can
carry it."
"Would you be willing to go through this storm from here to Skinner'sPoint when there was no real need of it?"
"If there was a chance I might be of service, I'd be glad to, sir, and,besides, such work as that would be helping me along in learning asurfman's duties."
"It seems a cruel thing to do," Downey said half to himself; "but I'vea mind to let you go with us."
"If you only would, sir!"
"What about leavin' Fluff C. Foster alone? All hands of us, except thecook, must go."
"Fluff will behave himself, I'm certain, for he doesn't make anytrouble when I tell him he must stay alone."
"Thaw yourself a bit by the fire while we're getting the beach-wagonout, and then you shall do your share of the work, unless it so chanceswe're forced to launch the boat."
During this time every member of the crew had been preparing for thearduous labor before him, and the men were in readiness when KeeperDowney led the way toward the door.
Benny had no idea of spending valuable time in front of the fire. Hedelayed only an instant to pet Fluff, and whisper in the dog's earthat it was necessary he remain inside the building quietly.
"You see I'm going to take my first lesson as a surfman, Fluffy, andit's as much to your interest as mine that I do it, because we've gotto pay our way somehow, and it can't always be done by washing dishesand clearing up the house. Now be a good dog, and don't go outside, foryou'd surely get lost in the snow."
Then Benny replenished the fire, throwing on sufficient coal to keep itglowing several hours at least, and, closing the door behind him lestFluff should be tempted to disobey his command, joined the men at thedoor of the boat-room.
Four of the crew were putting the drag-ropes over their shoulders; JoeCushing and Keeper Downey were at the handles, although had the fullcrew been present Sam would have occupied the position which was nowfilled by the keeper, and the latter's station would have been at therear of the cart.
"You shall take my place, Benny, which is behind. Don't exert yourselfto push too strongly; but you may pull back the best you know how whenwe are going downhill."
"There'll be little holding back needed through this snow," Joe saidwith a cheery laugh, such as he might have indulged in had they beensetting out on some pleasure excursion.
Benny had studied a diagram in the _Revised Regulations_, showinghow the beach-wagon should be manned, as given below, therefore knewexactly what were his duties.
He heeded not the excessive labor which was before them in dragging thecart more than half a mile over the rocks and through the snow-drifts,because of the proud satisfaction which was his in thus being allowedto share the duties of the men.
The crew set off at a slow pace. It was reasonable to suppose,however imminent the danger which threatened the schooner, that someconsiderable time must elapse before they could begin the work oflife-saving, and it was necessary to husband their strength because ofthe difficult and protracted task before them.
Benny asked himself, even as they started, how it would be possible todrag the heavy wagon over the course traversed by the patrol, for heknew that in many places they would be forced to clamber up cliff-likemasses of rocks, and again drag the wagon through the drifts of snowthat under other circumstances would seem impassable.
The crew, however, appeared to give no heed to the difficulties in theway; but set out on this journey which, fatiguing as it must be, wasbut the beginning of their night of work.