CHAPTER X
THE LONE SAILOR
Down shot the _Comet_, as Jerry shifted the depression rudder. Down,down, closer and closer to the surface of the ocean, where rollingsluggishly, showing her water-logged condition, was the wreckedsteamship. Anxiously the boys looked to see if she should prove tobe the craft for which they were looking. She seemed silent anddeserted--as though all had fled from her, or had, perhaps, been washedaway by the angry sea.
“Stand by to lower the hydroplanes!” called Jerry to Ned and Bob.“We’ll try a landing on them.”
“Is it calm enough?” asked Professor Snodgrass, who had, on hearing ofthe sighting of the wreck, left his scientific work to give the boysany aid that might be needed.
“Yes, there’s only a gentle swell,” answered the tall steersman. “Itwill be safe to use the hydroplanes.”
On these the motorship could float, motionless if need be, while theboys investigated the wreck.
“All ready there, Ned?” asked Jerry.
“All ready, old man.”
“Here, Bob, you give me a hand with this wheel. I may have to make asudden turn in case the wreck drifts too close to us.”
“All right, Jerry,” and the stout lad, who had been in the galley up tothe time of sighting the steamer, hurried to the pilot house.
“Professor, you might give Ned a little help,” went on the steersman.“Those planes haven’t been used lately, and they may be a trifle stiff.”
“Of course, Jerry,” and the scientist, laying aside his precious notes,went out on the main deck.
Nearer and nearer to the wreck went the _Comet_. Every moment the boysdared spare from the wheels and levers they peered at the steamship,rolling lazily on the swell below them.
Would she prove to be the _Hassen_?
“Can you make out any name?” asked Ned, standing ready with his hand onthe hydroplane lever.
“Not yet,” answered the professor.
It was Bob who made the welcome discovery, and perhaps, since it wasBob’s relatives they had come to save, it was very fitting that thestout lad should have had this honor. Bob gave a cry, which causedJerry to turn and look at him.
“What is it?” asked the tall lad.
“That steamer! She’s the _Hassen_, all right! I just caught a glimpseof the name under her stern as she rolled that time.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive! There! You can see for yourself!”
Jerry looked, as the vessel rolled again, and he, too, saw the name ingold letters on the black paint of the stern. The wreck was indeed thatof the _Hassen_.
“Well, we’ve found her,” said Jerry in a low voice. “Now to see ifanyone’s aboard. It doesn’t look so. Here we go, Ned! Down with thatlever!”
“Down she is!”
A moment later Jerry shut off the power from the big propellers, andthe _Comet_ swept gently to the surface of the sea, where she floatedclose to the wrecked steamer.
“Well, she didn’t sink after all,” said Bob. “I wonder what became ofthe passengers and crew? For there doesn’t appear to be a soul aboard.”
“That’s right,” agreed Ned, “and she doesn’t seem to be sinking, even.There’s a sort of mystery about her.”
“Perhaps not so much,” put in Jerry, as he watched to note the driftof the wreck and the airship. He did not want a collision which mightdamage the frailer craft. “Possibly in the storm some water came in, orthe engines may have stopped. That would cause a panic, and the boatsmay have been lowered, and have taken everyone off, although, all thewhile, the steamer was in good condition. I’ve read of such cases.”
“That is very true,” said Professor Snodgrass. “In time of storm andperil one loses control of one’s self, and does things one would nototherwise do. Probably the poor souls who deserted this ship would havedone better to stay aboard.”
“Too bad!” exclaimed Bob, mournfully. “If my uncle and cousin hadstayed here they might be alive now.”
“And they may be still!” cried Jerry, quickly. “We’re not going togive up yet. Why, I think it’s good luck that we located the wreck. Wedid it sooner than I expected. And when we go aboard we may find somemessage they left--we may even find that mysterious object, or whateverit was, that your uncle was bringing to this country, Bob.”
“Are you going aboard?” asked Ned.
“Certainly. Why not? The sea is calm, and it will be safe to make ourcraft fast to the ship. We’ll take a look around and then start offagain and search for the small boats. It’s them we want, for if anypersons were saved from the _Hassen_ they’ll be drifting about in smallboats.”
The _Comet_ was some distance from the _Hassen_ now, but Jerry slowlystarted the propellers, which would take the air craft up to the shipover the surface of the water on the hydroplanes as well as though theywere sailing through the air, though not so swiftly.
“Stand by with a line to make her fast, if you can see anything to tieto, Ned,” called Jerry, as they approached closer to the wreck.
“Hadn’t we better go around on the other side? We may find anaccommodation ladder down, or part of one, and that will make it easierto board her,” suggested Bob.
“That’s right, Chunky!” exclaimed Jerry. “Hold on there a minute, Ned.I’ll put her around.”
On the other side of the _Hassen_ the boys saw part of a ladderdangling over the side.
“That’s good!” exclaimed Bob, with a sigh of content. He was gettingstouter than ever and he did not relish the idea of any unnecessarygymnastics in boarding the wreck.
“Make fast to that, if you can’t see anything else, Ned,” suggestedJerry. Ned, however, found a projection on the side of the wreckedcraft, and took a couple of turns of the rope about it. The _Comet_ wasnow drifting with the _Hassen_.
Up the broken ladder scrambled the boys, followed by the professor. Thedecks were a scene of confusion, showing the power of the gale, andalso the terror that must have inspired passengers and crew as theywere leaving what they believed to be an ill-fated ship. One or twolife boats were found with their sides or bows stove in, showing thatthe waves must, at times, have swept over the vessel.
“She’s entirely deserted,” said Jerry, in a low voice. “Not a soul leftaboard. And yet, if they had only known she would keep afloat, how muchsafer they all would have been here.”
“Well, I guess if we’d been here, and had seen the big waves,”suggested Ned, “we’d have gone in the boats, too. Though with a heavysea running I’d hate to trust myself in even a big life boat.”
“Suppose we go below,” said Jerry. “We may find some trace of Bob’suncle and cousin.”
“Will it be safe?” asked the stout lad.
“Safe! Why not?” Ned wanted to know.
“I mean she may suddenly sink while we’re below.”
“Nonsense! This steamer, aside from the wreck of her upper works, andpossibly of the engines, is sound and tight,” declared Jerry.
“That’s right,” agreed Ned. “She doesn’t seem to have taken in muchwater, either. This steamer would be valuable if we could get her toport. There’s the cargo, too. It’s a good find for someone.”
Looking about them, and making sure their airship was well fastened sothat it would not drift away, the boys and the professor started below.They were wondering what they would find. But even in their wildestimaginings they did not dream of finding what confronted them a momentlater.
For, as they started to descend, they heard a noise from below, and upa companionway came a voice calling:
“Who’s there? What do you want? I’m in command here, and I’m going tosalvage this craft. Avast and belay! Who are you, anyhow, boarding meon the high seas? Who are you?”
The boys started back, and a moment later there jumped into view agrizzled sailor--who had been in sole possession of the wrecked ship.He held a boiler slicing bar in his hand, and he glared, rather thanlooked, a welcome at our friends.
“What do you
want here?” growled the lone sailor.