CHAPTER II WHAT THE WIND DID
Pornell Academy was a rival institution of learning, located severalmiles from Putnam Hall. It was presided over by Doctor Pornell, who hadnot fancied Captain Putnam's coming to that locality. The students ofPornell were for the most part sons of wealthy parents, and a largenumber of them thought themselves superior to the Putnam Hall cadets.
On one occasion the lads of the two institutions had had quite a livelyrow, but this had been patched up, and several contests on the lake andon the athletic field had come off. Sometimes the Putnam Hall cadetswere defeated, but more times they were victorious, which pleased themnot a little.
Fred Century had come to Pornell Academy several months before thisstory opens. He was from Portland, Maine, and belonged to a boat clubthat usually sailed its craft on Casco Bay. Immediately on his arrivalat Cayuga Lake he took up boating and then had his father purchase forhim the _Ajax_, certainly a craft of which any young man might well beproud. Then he heard that Jack had a new boat, the _Alice_, and hewatched for his opportunity to race. That opportunity had now presenteditself; and the race was on.
It was a beautiful day, with the sun shining brightly and the breezestrong enough to make the sails of the sloops fill well. The Putnam Hallcadets had left the school with no idea of a contest of any sort, butnow that the race was in progress they were keenly interested.
"I've heard about this Fred Century," remarked Dale, as the _Alice_ spedon her course. "They tell me his father is next door to being amillionaire."
"One thing is certain--he has a good opinion of his boat," added Pepper.
"Well, I've got a good opinion of my boat, too," answered the youngmajor. "I want her to win."
"Oh, she must win!" cried Stuffer. "Why, don't you know that thosePornell fellows are just aching for a chance to crow over us?"
The race had now been noted by a number of people out in pleasure boats.Many knew that the two sloops were new boats and they were curious tolearn which might prove to be the better. Some waved their hands andhandkerchiefs, and others shouted words of encouragement to one group oflads or the other.
"It looks to me as if the Pornell boat was going to win," said onegentleman, who was out in his pleasure yacht.
"Oh, papa, how can you say that?" cried his daughter, who was an admirerof the Putnam Hall cadets.
"Because their boat is ahead," was the answer.
It was not long before Cat Point was reached. The _Ajax_ rounded therocks in fine style, for Fred Century was really a skillful skipper andknew how to handle his craft to perfection.
"Good-bye to you!" he called out, as his craft stood for a moment closeto the _Alice_.
"We'll tell everybody you're coming sooner or later," added Bat Sedley."Don't be too long--folks may get tired of waiting."
"I rather think they'll get tired of your blowing," retorted Paul.
"Don't get uppish!" cried the Pornell Academy boy, angrily, and then thetwo sloops passed out of speaking distance of each other.
"I wish the wind would freshen," said Jack, with something like a sigh.
"What good will that do?" demanded Dale.
"If it got too fresh it would make them take in some sail. The _Alice_is broader than the _Ajax_, consequently we can risk a little more thanthey can."
"Well, I think the breeze is freshening," said Pepper. "Just look downthe lake."
They did as directed and saw that he was right, for the water wasbeginning to show numerous whitecaps and ripples. The _Alice_ roundedCat Point, the mainsail was thrown over, and they started for Borden'sCove with the rival sloop more than a quarter of a mile in the lead.
"I don't believe we can catch up to that boat even if the wind doesfreshen," remarked Dale, soberly. "She's got too much of a lead."
"Here comes the breeze!" shouted Pepper, and he was right, the wind hadfreshened as if by magic, and at once the sloop bounded forward at anincreased speed, cutting the water like a thing of life and sending ashower of spray over all those on board.
"Hi! I didn't come out for a shower-bath!" yelled Pepper.
"Got to stand for it, though," answered Jack, with a grin. "All for theglory of the cause, you know."
The breeze kept increasing, and this caused the _Alice_ to heel wellover on her side. This made Paul a little bit anxious.
"Hadn't we better take in some sail?" he ventured. "We don't want to bedumped into the lake."
"Not yet," answered Jack. "It will have to blow harder than this to sendthe _Alice_ over. There is a whole lot of lead in her keel."
With the increase in the wind the _Alice_ kept gaining slowly but surelyon the _Ajax_, and this gladdened the heart of the youthful owner. Helooked ahead and saw that Fred Century was gazing back anxiously on therival that was coming nearer.
"I guess he is wondering when we'll take in some sail," said Jack."Well, he can keep on wondering."
"He is taking in his topsail!" cried Pepper, a moment later, and theannouncement proved correct. In the meantime the wind came stronger thanever, until it fairly whistled through the ropes aboard the _Alice_.Under ordinary circumstances Jack would have lowered not only histopsail but also his mainsail--or at least taken a reef in the latter--butnow he was determined to win the race if taking a small risk would doit. By this time the other boats on the lake were making for variousharbors.
But if Jack was willing to take a risk, so was Fred Century, and againstthe wishes of his two companions the lad from Pornell Academy kept allhis sails flying. As a consequence the _Ajax_ suddenly careened and tookaboard enough water to literally wash the deck and flood thestanding-room.
"Hi, look out, or we'll all be drowned!" yelled Will Carey. He was notmuch of a sailor or a swimmer.
"Oh, you mustn't mind a dip like that," said Fred Century, reassuringly,yet even as he spoke he looked anxiously at the sky and at thewind-clouds scurrying past. He knew that if the wind increased much morehe would have to take in his topsail and his mainsail and perhaps hisjib.
"That other sloop is coming up fast," announced Bat Sedley, not a greatwhile later. And he spoke the truth, the _Alice_ was approaching by whatlooked to be leaps and bounds, making the best possible use of thestiffening breeze as Jack hung to the tiller and eased her off, this wayor that. The young major had issued orders to his chums, and they stoodready to lower both mainsail and topsail at the word of command.
The _Alice_ was still a good half-mile from Borden's Cove when her bowoverlapped the stern of the _Ajax_. At this Pepper set up a yell ofpleasure and all with him joined in. They waved their hands to those onthe other craft, but received no answer. Then they forged ahead, theever-increasing wind driving them along faster and faster.
"Lower the topsail as soon as we are far enough ahead," ordered Jack."No use of running the risk of breaking our mast now."
A strange whistling of the wind followed, and down came the topsail in ajiffy. Then several reefs were taken in the mainsail. The bosom of thelake was now a mass of whitecaps, while the sun went under a heavycloud.
"It's a wind squall, and a corker!" cried Jack.
"Why don't they take in some sail on the _Ajax_?" asked Dale, as heclung to a guard rail, to keep from being swept overboard.
"They are taking in the topsail," announced Jack. "But that isn'tenough. If they don't----"
The rest of his words was lost in the piping of the gale that came extrastrong just then. The sloop seemed to be fairly lifted from the lake,then she sank into a hollow and the water dashed over her stern. Thenshe bobbed up like a cork and shot forward as before. Pepper, holdingtight with might and main, glanced back.
"The _Ajax_ has gone over!" he screamed, in alarm.
Only Jack understood his words, but the others saw the look in his faceand saw him nod to a spot behind them on the bosom of the angry lake.True enough, carrying the mainsail had proved too much for the Pornellcraft, and she was now drifting along on her side, her masthalf-su
bmerged in the lashing and foaming waves.
The Putnam Hall cadets were greatly alarmed, and with good reason. Theyhad no desire to see any of their rivals drowned, and they felt it wasmore than likely one or another had gone overboard. Indeed, as theylooked back, they saw one youth struggling in the water near thetoppled-over mast, while another was trailing behind, clutching somebroken cordage. The third lad was nowhere to be seen.
"What shall we do?" yelled Paul, to make himself heard above the wind.
"I'll try to bring the sloop around," answered Jack. "Stand ready tothrow them some ropes and those life-preservers."
As well as the squall would permit, the young major sent the _Alice_around. Even with only the jib set this was a dangerous operation, andhe would not have undertaken it had he not thought it a case of life ordeath. As the sloop came broadside to the squall a wave struck her andbroke over the deck. The full force of this landed on Pepper, carryinghim off his feet in a twinkling. As he slid around Paul made a clutchfor him and held fast.
"Goo--good for you, Stuffer!" gasped Pepper, when he could speak. "Say,but that was something awful!" And he took a better hold than before.
"I am afraid some of those fellows will go down before we can reachthem," answered Paul. "My, what a blow this is! And it looked to be aperfect afternoon when we started out!"
The sloop boasted of two life-preservers, with lines attached, and aswell as they were able the cadets got these in readiness for use. In themeanwhile Jack, having brought the craft up in the wind, was now"jockeying" to get close to the overturned craft without crashing intothe wreck or running anybody down. This was a delicate task, and wouldhave been practically impossible had not the breeze just then died downa little.
"Save us! Save us!" came from the water, as the _Alice_ drew closer.
"We'll do it!" yelled back the boys from Putnam Hall.
"Here, catch the life-preserver!" called out Paul, and flung thepreserver in question toward Bat Sedley, who was floundering around nearthe half-submerged mast. The Pornell Academy lad saw it coming and madea dive for it, catching it with one hand. Pepper threw the secondlife-preserver to Fred Century, who was trying to pull himself towardhis wrecked craft by some loose ropes.
"Where is the third boy?" was asked, but for the moment nobody couldanswer that question. Bat Sedley had seen him hanging fast to some ropesas the _Ajax_ went over, but had not seen him since.
"He must have gone down----" began Pepper, when Jack set up a shout.
"There he is, under the edge of that sail," and he pointed to where thebroad mainsail of the _Ajax_ rose and fell on the waves. True enough,Will Carey was there, one arm and one leg caught fast in the sheetingand some ropes. He had been struggling, but now he fell back and wentunder, out of sight.
"We have got to save him!" cried Jack. "Here, Pepper, take the tiller."
"What are you going to do?"
"Go overboard after him."
As he spoke the youthful owner of the _Alice_ pulled off his cadet coatand cap. The next instant he was at the side of the sloop. He poisedhimself for a dive, and then cut the water like a knife and disappearedfrom view.