CHAPTER XI
A QUEER STORY
For a moment the boys did not know what to do--or what to say. Jerryconfessed, afterward, that he feared the lone sailor might be alunatic--made mad by his sufferings in the storm and wreck--and thetall lad reasoned that it would hardly be safe even to parley with him.Ned and Bob also admitted they felt much the same way. As for ProfessorSnodgrass, no sooner had he come aboard, than he saw a new kind of bug,and so intent was he on its capture that he paid no further attentionto the boys or the sailor, either.
“Well, what do you want?” again growled the latter, advancing in whatseemed a menacing way toward our friends. “Are you trying to get inahead of me?”
Jerry was the first to speak.
“We came here to look for friends,” spoke the tall lad. “We’re nottrying to get in ahead of you, or anything like that. In fact we didn’tknow that you, or anyone, was aboard. We are seeking friends--perhapsyou can tell us something about them?”
“Ha! That’s a likely yarn!” sneered the sailor. “Tell that to themarines! What do you want here, anyhow?”
“I tell you we are looking for friends,” repeated Jerry. “They are theuncle and cousin of Bob Baker, here. We are looking for a Mr. NelsonSheldon and his daughter Grace, who came from Germany on this ship. Canyou tell us what became of them?”
At the sound of the names the sailor started. The iron bar dropped fromhis hand, and a different look came over his face.
“Is that true?” he cried. “You’re not stringing me; are you? Is that astraight yarn?”
“It certainly is,” said Jerry, a trifle stiffly, for he did not likethis talk, nor was he in the habit of having his word doubted. “Welive in Cresville, not far from Boston. We heard of this wreck--it wasreported by wireless in the papers--and we came in our airship to seeif we could pick up any survivors, hoping to find Mr. Sheldon and hisdaughter among them. We were much surprised when we saw the steamerstill afloat. If you like you can look over the side and see ouraeroplane--the _Comet_.”
The man did not answer. But he did do as Jerry suggested. He went upon deck and looked over to where the craft of the air floated on thewaves, made fast to the _Hassen_. Then the sailor, smiting his thighwith his palm, making a sound like a pistol shot, cried:
“Well, I’ll be hornswoggled! Avast and belay! Davy Jones himselfcouldn’t beat this! And you came out here in that?”
“We surely did,” said Jerry. “Now do you believe us?”
“I guess I’ll have to,” said the sailor. “I ask your pardon, mates,but you see I’m naturally suspicious. I’ve been through a deal ofhardships, like, and this is my first chance to make some money. I’mgoing to get this ship to port if I can, and claim salvage.”
“But what about the Sheldons?” asked Bob, eagerly. “Were they aboard?Are they drowned? What has become of my uncle and cousin? If they’renot here we’ll have to go in search of them.”
“Easy, son, easy!” exclaimed the old sailor, in gentle tones. “Oncemore I asks your pardon for the way I received you folks. I didn’t meananything by it. And to think that I acted that way toward friends ofMr. Sheldon--after all he did for me! It’s too bad!”
“Then he was here?” asked Bob, eagerly.
“He was, son, he and his daughter. But they’re not here now--nobodystayed but myself, though it would have been better for all hands ifthey had. The old _Hassen_ is tight yet.”
“But where are they--where is my uncle?” cried Bob, a little impatientat the man’s long-winded talk.
“They went off in one of the small boats,” said the sailor. “Sit yedown, lads, and I’ll tell you all about it. Sit ye down. Oh, but it’sgood to see friends again! I’ve been lonesome these last days, justdrifting along. Sit down and I’ll spin you the yarn in proper fashion.”
“We can’t stay long,” said Jerry, foreseeing a lengthy tale. “If ourfriends aren’t here we must go aloft and search for them. They may besuffering.”
“I don’t doubt but what they are,” returned the sailor, in a low voice.“They went off in an open boat, and there wasn’t much time to put waterand provisions aboard. But I won’t keep you long. I’ll tell you whathappened then--at the time of the storm--and since. Your friends maynot be as far away as you think.”
“Where? Where are they?” cried Bob, eagerly.
“I’ll tell you, lad. I’ll tell you, only I have to do it in my ownway,” said the sailor, and Jerry made his stout chum a sign not tointerrupt if he could help it. That would be so much time gained.
The man told, as briefly as he could, how they had sailed fromGermany, and had had, until near the close of the voyage, fine weather.Mr. Sheldon and his daughter, Grace, were among the passengers, and thesailor, who gave his name as Jacob Denton, came to know Bob’s unclequite well, from having rendered him a slight service.
Then one day there had been a fire drill, and the sailor, through somemistake, had been in danger of severe injury by the slipping of a rope.Mr. Sheldon, who was standing near him, acted promptly, and savedhim. This made Jacob Denton very grateful, and it was no wonder thathe regretted the rather surly way in which he had greeted Bob and hischums.
“But I thought you had come to take away my right to salvage,” said thesailor. “You know, if a vessel is deserted, and someone picks it up atsea, or if he stays aboard, and brings her to port, he is entitled tosalvage--that’s a certain percentage of her value and the value of thecargo. If I get mine I’ll never go to sea again.”
“Then I hope you get it,” said Jerry. “But what happened to Mr. Sheldonand his daughter?”
“I’ll tell you,” resumed the sailor. “As I said, we had good weather,and it looked as though we would make port without a hitch. Then camethe storm, and everything went wrong.
“For a while our captain held on, and then, when the wind got worse,we plunged and pitched about until there was almost a panic among thepassengers. Of course it was a bad storm, but I’ve seen worse, and Ididn’t mind it so much.
“Then came a report that we were sinking, and a cry to man the smallboats. Some water did come into the engine room, when the ship startedsome of her plates, but the bulkhead doors were closed and therewasn’t really much danger. But you know how it is when you’re at seain a storm. It doesn’t take much water inside a ship to scare thepassengers, and sometimes the crew, too.
“Things went from bad to worse. Then it really came on to blow hard,and the captain didn’t know what to do. He saw it would be risky tolaunch the small boats, but more water came in, and the passengersfairly demanded to be set adrift. So the captain had nothing else to do.
“Some of our small boats were smashed, but we managed to get the othersover the side--them and some life rafts, and everyone but I took tothem--the captain and crew as well as the passengers.”
“Did Mr. Sheldon and his daughter go?” asked Bob eagerly.
“They did, son. I helped them stock their boat, which was one of thesmall ones. It was No. 7, but it was a good craft, and seaworthy. Theywent in that.”
“And you didn’t go?” asked Ned.
“No. Mr. Sheldon wanted me to, but I saw that he had a couple of goodsailors in his boat, and I said I’d take my chance staying on the old_Hassen_. I’m glad now that I did. I wanted more under my feet in astorm at sea than the inch planking of a small boat. So I stayed--Iwish the others had, too,” he added in rather gloomy tones.
“Don’t--don’t you think my uncle has any chance?” Bob asked.
“Yes, son, a chance--a bare chance. I didn’t think so until lastevening, but I did then.”
“Why then?” asked Jerry curiously.
“Because I saw him again--he and his daughter in the small boat!” wasthe unexpected answer.
“You saw them?” cried Bob. “Where?”
“Near this ship. They were drifting about--they’d lost their oars, Iguess, and the current set them back here. I saw them plainly, but Icouldn’t get to them, and they couldn’t get to
me. Then a fog cameup and I lost them. But I saw them right off there,” and the sailorpointed to the port side of the wrecked ship.
“Then let’s go in search of them!” cried Bob. “Come on, Jerry, beforeit’s too late.”
“All right,” agreed the tall lad. “Is that all?” he asked of the sailor.
“About all, lad. After all the boats had gone off in the storm Istayed aboard here. Plenty of ’em wanted me to come in their boats,but I knew I’d be safer here. And I was. The storm blew itself outand--here I am.”
He paused a moment and added:
“Where the others are--who knows? Maybe Davy Jones.”
“But you think Mr. Sheldon and his daughter have a chance; don’t you?”asked Jerry quickly.
“Yes, son. They weathered the storm, that’s sure, for I saw themafterward off to the eastward in their small boat.”
“Just those two?” Ned wanted to know.
“Just them two. Probably them as was in with ’em had been washedout, or leaped overboard. Sometimes they do that in a storm--theyget half-crazed, like. The oars, too, must have been lost or elseMr. Sheldon would have rowed over to me. As it was I saw him and hisdaughter plainly. They waved to me, and then the fog shut them out.”
“But we’ve got a chance to save them--and we’re going to!” cried Bob.“Come on, fellows!”
The old sailor quickly concluded his story.
“When the storm passed,” he said, “I managed to get steam up in one ofthe pumping engines, and I cleaned out the engine room. But one mancan’t work the machinery, so I’m just letting her drift. I’m going toget up a bit of a sail, if I can, to give her steerage way, and thenI’ll make for the nearest port. If I can fetch it my salvage money willmake me rich.”
“Hadn’t you better let us take you in our airship,” suggested Jerry.“We have plenty of room, and you could hire a tug and get the _Hassen_to port more quickly.”
“What! Trust myself in an airship? I guess not!” cried the old sailor.“I’ll stick here, thank you just the same. And I hope you find youruncle, son,” he said to Bob.
“If we do, we’ll come back and get you,” promised Ned.
“I may be in port ahead of you,” was the sailor’s answer. “Once I getup a bit of sail I can make pretty good speed. I’m sorry I was so surlywhen you came aboard. I was below, studying out what to do, and I surethought I had been boarded by some parties that wanted to cheat me outof my prize.”
“We were surprised to find anyone aboard,” said Jerry. “If you likewe’ll help you raise a sail. I guess we can spare that time.”
“Surely,” said Bob. “Now that we know about where to look for my uncleit won’t be such a puzzle.”
A sail was quickly rigged up on one of the stumps of the wirelessmasts, and then, bidding the lone sailor good-bye, and promising tolook for him in case they should be successful in their quest, the boysand Professor Snodgrass boarded the _Comet_ and prepared to start off.