CHAPTER XI
A CALL FROM THE STERN
For the instant after Tom slipped over the side of the _Golden Wave_,Dan Baxter was too dazed to do more than stare at the spot where hehad last seen the boy with whom he had been struggling.
"Gone!" he muttered presently. "Gone!" he repeated and crouched backin the darkness.
The great beads of perspiration came to his brow as he heard rapidfootsteps approaching. Would he be accused of sending Tom Rover tohis death?
"What's the trouble?" came in the voice of Captain Blossom.
Instead of answering, Dan Baxter crept still further back. Then,watching his chance, he darted into the forecastle.
"Hullo, the rail is broken!" he heard the captain exclaim. "Bring alantern here, quick!"
A sailor came running with a lantern, which lit up the narrow circleof the deck near the rail and part of the sea beyond.
"Somebody gave a cry," said the captain, to those who began to gather."Looks to me as if the rail gave way and let somebody overboard."
"Tom Rover was on deck," came from old Jerry. "Do you reckon as howit was him?"
"I don't know. It was somebody, that's certain. Call all hands at once."
This was done, and Dan Baxter had to come out with the rest. He waspale and trembled so he could scarcely stand.
"All here," said Captain Blossom. "Must have been one of the Roverboys or one of the young ladies."
Word was passed along and soon Sam and Dick came rushing on deck.
"Tom is missing!" cried Sam.
"If that is so, I'm afraid, boys, you have seen the last of yourbrother," said Captain Blossom. He turned to his crew. "Do any ofyou know anything of this affair?"
There was a dead silence. Then he questioned the man at the wheel.
"Don't know a thing, cap'n," was the answer.
"It's queer. He must have pressed on the rail very hard.. Here arehalf a dozen nails torn from the wood."
While this talk was going on Dick and Sam had passed along the railfrom the place of the accident to the stern.
"Perhaps he caught hold somewhere," said Sam, who was unwilling tobelieve that his brother had really perished.
They had just gained the stern and were looking over when a call camefrom out of the darkness.
"He--help! Help!"
"It's Tom!" screamed Dick in delight. "Tom, is that you?"
"Yes! Help!"
"Where are you?"
"Holding on to a rope. Help me quick. I--I can't hold on mu--muchlonger!"
"We'll help you," answered Dick.
Captain Blossom was called and more lanterns were lit, and then aBengal light, and Tom was seen to be holding fast to a rope whichhad in some manner fallen overboard and become entangled in therudder chain.
By the aid of the boat-hook the rope was hauled up and to the sideof the _Golden Wave_. At the same time the sails were lowered, and thena rope ladder was thrown down. Dick descended to the edge of thewaves, and, watching his chance, caught Tom by the collar of hiscoat. Then the brothers came slowly to the deck.
A cheer went up when it was found that Tom was safe once more, andNellie Laning could not resist rushing forward and catching the wetyouth in her arms. Tom was so exhausted he dropped on the nearestseat, and it was several minutes before he had recovered strengthenough to speak.
"I would have been drowned had it not been for that rope," he saidwhen questioned. "As I slid along the side of the ship the rope hitme in the face. I clutched it and clung fast for dear life. Then whenI came up and swept astern I called as loudly as I could, but itseemed an age before anybody heard me."
"It was a narrow escape," said Dick. "You can thank a kind Providencethat your life was spared."
"You must have leaned on the rail awfully hard," put in Nellie.
"Leaned on the rail?" repeated Tom. "It wasn't my fault that I wentoverboard. It was Dan Baxter's."
"Dan Baxter!" came from several.
"Exactly. He tackled me in the dark, and we had it hot and heavy fora minute. Then he crowded me on the rail, and it gave way. He jumpedback and let me go overboard."
"The rascal! I'll settle with him!" cried Dick. "I'll teach him tokeep his distance after this!"
He knew Baxter was still forward, and ran in that direction. Thebully saw him coming and tried to hide in the forecastle, but Dickwas too quick for him and hauled him back on the deck.
"Take that for shoving my brother overboard, you scoundrel!" heexclaimed, and hit Baxter a staggering blow straight between the eyes.
"Stop!" roared the bully, and struck out in return. But Dick dodgedthe blow, and then hit Baxter in the chin and on the nose. The elderRover boy was excited, and hit with all of his force, and the bullymeasured his length on the deck.
"Good fer you!" cried old Jerry, who stood looking on. "That's theway to serve him, the sarpint!"
Slowly Baxter arose to his knees, and then his feet, where he stoodglaring at Dick.
"Don't you hit me again!" he muttered.
"But I will," retorted Dick, and struck out once more. This time hisfist landed on the bully's left eye, and once again Baxter went down,this time with a thud.
The sailors were collecting, and soon Jack Lesher rushed up. He steppedbetween Dick and the bully.
"Stop it!" he ordered harshly. "We don't allow fighting on board ofthis craft."
"I wasn't fighting," answered Dick coolly. "I was just teaching arascal a lesson."
"It amounts to the same thing. If you have any fault to find tellthe captain, or tell me."
"Well, I'll go to the captain, not you," retorted Dick.
"All right," growled the first mate. "But just remember you can'tboss things when I'm around."
When Captain Blossom understood the situation he was thoroughly angry.
"Baxter certainly ought to be in prison," he said. "I'll clap him inthe brig and feed him on bread and water for three days and see howhe likes that."
"He ought not to be left at large," said Dora, with a shudder. "Hemay try to murder somebody next."
"We'll watch him after this," said the captain.
He kept his word about putting Baxter in the ship's jail. But throughLesher the bully, got much better fare than bread and water. Strangeas it may seem, a warm friendship sprang up between the bully andthe first mate.
"I aint got nothing against you, Baxter," said Jack Lesher. "When weget to Australia perhaps we can work together, eh?" and he closedone eye suggestively. Baxter had told him of his rich relative, andthe mate thought there might be a chance to get money from Baxter."He'd rather give me money than have me tell his relation what sortof a duck he is," said Lesher to himself.
After this incident the time passed pleasantly enough for over aweek. When Baxter came from the brig he went to work without a word.Whenever he passed the Rovers or the girls he acted as if he did notknow they were there, and they ignored him just as thoroughly. Butthe boys watched every move the bully made.
As mentioned before, Jack Lesher was a drinking man, and as theweather grew warmer the mate increased his potions until there wasscarcely a day when he was thoroughly sober. Captain Blossom remonstratedwith him, but this did little good.
"I'm attending to my duties," said Lesher. "And if I do that youcan't expect more from me."
"I thought I hired a man that was sober," said Captain Blossom. "Iwon't place my vessel in charge of a man who gets drunk."
Yet he was not willing to do the mate's work, or put that work ontoothers, so Jack Lesher had to take his turn on deck, no matter inwhat condition.
"I must say I don't like that first mate at all," said Tom to Sam."He is very friendly with Baxter."
"I have noticed that," replied the youngest Rover. "Such a friendshipdoesn't count in the mate's favor."
"Last night he was thoroughly drunk, and wasn't fit to command."
"Well, that is Captain Blossom's lookout. The captain can't be ondeck all of the time."
Two nights after t
his talk Jack Lesher was again in command of theship, Captain Blossom having retired after an unusually hard day.
It was hot and dark, and the air betokened a storm. The man at thewheel was following a course set by the captain, and the sailorswhose watch was on deck lay around taking it as easy as they could.
The mate had been drinking but little in the afternoon, but beforecoming on deck he took several draughts of rum. He was in a partiallarlybad humor and ready to find fault with anybody or anything.
Some of the sails had been reefed, and these he ordered shaken out,although there was a stiff breeze blowing. Then he approached theman at the wheel and asked for the course.
"Southwest by south," was the answer.
"That aint right," growled the mate. "It should be south by west."
"The captain gave it to me southwest by south," answered the man.
"Don't talk back to me!" roared Jack Lesher. "I know the course aswell as the captain. Make it south by west, or I'll flog you fordisobeying orders."
"Aye, aye, sir," answered the man at the wheel, and the course waschanged, for the sailor stood greatly in fear of the mate. Then themate sent below for another drink of rum.