CHAPTER V
ON BOARD OF THE YACHT
"What a glorious day for the trip!"
"We are going to turn real sailors, aren't we?"
"Can't I help pull up a sail or something, Tom?"
Such were the remarks of Dora, Nellie, and Grace as they boarded theOld Glory early on Monday morning.
The boys and Captain Jerry were there to receive them, having arrivedan hour before, to see that all the provisions were stowed away, andthat the craft was in prime condition for sailing. By a curiouscombination of circumstances Bob Sutter had ordered far more provisionsthan were necessary for such a short trip, but Captain Jerry hadfound a place for everything, remarking that they might come in usefulafter all, but never dreaming how useful, as later events were to prove.
Mrs. Stanhope had come down in a carriage to see them off. She kissedall of the girls an affectionate good-by.
"Have a good time," she said. "And be sure and come back safe and sound."
"Don't ye worry but what I'll bring 'em back safe enough, ma'am,"said Captain Jerry, as he tipped his cap respectfully.
When the girls were safe on board, the boys waved an adieu to Mrs.Stanhope. Then they ranged up in a row in front of old Jerry and eachtouched his forelock and gave a hitch to his trowser leg.
"Ready for orders, cap'n," they said, in unison, having practicedthis little by-play in secret.
"Wh--what?" stammered Captain Jerry, gazing at them in bewilderment.
"Ready for orders, sir," they said.
"Shall we shake out the mainsail?" asked Dick.
"Shall I hoist the jib?" came from Tom.
"Can I set the topsail, captain?" put in Sam.
"Well, by the son o' Neptune!" gasped Captain Jerry. "Got a real,generwine crew, aint I? All right, my hearties, I'll set ye to workfast enough." And then followed a string of orders in true nauticalstyle, and the Rover boys flew in one direction and another to executethem. Up went the mainsail and the jib, and the top-sail followed,and soon the Old Glory was standing off into Santa Barbara Channel,with Mrs. Stanhope in the carriage waving them an adieu, and thegirls and the boys waving their handkerchiefs in return.
It certainly was a glorious day, as Dora had said, and after thesails were set, there was nothing to do but to take it easy on thecushions of the rail seats. Captain Jerry was at the wheel, but hepromised to let each of them "take a trick" in his place beforethe trip should come to an end.
"I jest wish we had another yacht to race with," said the old sailor."Then I could show ye what sort o' a clean pair o' heels the OldGlory could show the other craft."
"It is easy to see the yacht is speedy," replied Dick. "She cuts thewater like a thing of life. And you know just how to get her bestspeed out of her," he went on, a remark that pleased old Jerry very much.
"Will we have more breeze, do you think?" asked Tom, later on, as heobserved some in clouds to the westward.
"Can't say as to that, lad. Those clouds may come this way and theymay blow north'ard. If they come down here, we'll catch it puttylively."
"I like a good, stiff breeze," came from Sam.
"Oh, don't run us into a storm," cried Grace in alarm. "We might allget seasick."
"Don't be alarmed," said Dick. "We are a very long way from a storm,to my way of thinking."
The morning passed quickly enough, and at noon they ran into a smallharbor on one of the islands and had dinner in true picnic style. Atone o'clock they packed up once more, went on board of the Old Glory,and stood off to the westward, for all wanted a run "right on theocean," as Tom expressed it.
Captain Jerry was just a bit doubtful of the trip, for the clouds inthe western sky had grown considerably larger than when first noticed.Not that he did not think the yacht could weather a blow, but he wasafraid the young ladies would get seasick. However, as he did notwish to put a damper on their fun, he said nothing, resolved to turnback at the first sign of any "inward upsettin'," as he expressed it.
The breeze had increased, and as it was directly from off shore theOld Glory bowled along merrily over the waves. Nobody showed theleast sign of seasickness, and they talked, laughed, and sang as ifthey had not a care in the world. Tom also did some fishing, andcaught a string of the finny tribe, of which he was justly proud.
"You can bake them for us when we get back," he said to Nellie. "Andthen we can all have a fish party."
"I could go on sailing like this for a week," said Dick to Dora, asthey moved forward. "I mean if you were along with me," he added, ina lower tone, and she gave him a look that meant a good deal.
When three o'clock came Captain Jerry announced that they must turnback. They were far out of sight of land, with nothing but the blueocean around them. Overhead the sky was still clear, but the cloudson the horizon were rapidly increasing.
"Oh, let us keep on a while longer," pleaded Tom. "This is justglorious!" And the others said the same.
So they kept on, although somewhat against Captain Jerry's betterjudgment. The old sailor was watching the clouds. Presently therecame an extra heavy puff of wind, and then the clouds seemed to rushup with lightning-like rapidity.
"Got to go back, now," said the sailor. "Going to have a big blowafore night." And he threw over the tiller and gave the necessarycommands to change the sails.
"By Jove, but those clouds are coming up fast!" exclaimed Dick, aftera careful survey. "I ever saw them come up like that on the Atlantic,or on the Great Lakes."
"It's unusual," replied Captain Jerry, with a shake of his head."Never seen it afore myself. The wind is coming around, too. It'sgoin' to be a different storm from what we generally git around thesewaters."
The black clouds soon obscured the sun, and the wind began to blowstronger than ever, sending the whitecaps rolling over the ocean,and causing the spray to fly over the deck of the yacht. Nellieclutched Tom by the arm.
"Oh, Tom, what does this mean?" she asked in a trembling voice.
"It means that we are going to have a storm, that's all," he answeredas lightly as he could.
"But--but will it hurt us?" came from Grace.
"I don't think so," put in Sam. "But we may get wet, unless we gointo the cabin."
"I vote the girls all go into the cabin," said Dick. "Sam can go withthem if he wants to. Tom, you and I can stay on deck to look afterthe sails."
"I'm going to do my duty on deck, too," came from Sam promptly.
Another rush of wind now sent the spray flying in all directions,and to keep from being drenched the girls retired to the tiny cabin,or, rather, cuddy, of which the Old Glory boasted.
"I am sure it is going to be an awful storm," said Dora. "I wish wewere safe on land once more."
"Oh, dear! do you think we'll go to the bottom?" asked Nellie.
"The boys won't let the yacht go down," answered Dora. "They are allgood sailors, and Captain Jerry must know all about handling thiscraft. But we may have a very bad time of it before we get back toSanta Barbara."
It was dark in the cabin, but the yacht pitched and plunged soviolently that they were afraid to light the lantern. So they huddledtogether, each holding another's hand.
On deck Captain Jerry gave orders to lower the topsail and haul inthe jib. Several reefs were also taken in the mainsail, and the boysstood ready to bring down the rest of the sheet with a rush at thefirst word from the old sailor.
"It's a re-markable storm--re-markable," said Captain Jerry, chewingvigorously on the quid of tobacco in his cheek. "Aint never seen nosech storm here afore. Puts me in mind o' a blow I stood out in onctoff the coast o' Alaska when I was in a whaler. Thet storm caught ussame time as this an' ripped our mast out in a jiffy and drowned twoo' the sailors."
"I hope nothing like that happens to us," said Dick, with a shudder.He was not thinking of himself, but of the three girls in the cabin.
"Well, lad, it aint goin' to be no easy blow, I kin tell ye that,"responded Captain Jerry.
Soon the wind began to whistle shril
ly through the air, and the skybecame so black they could scarcely see a hundred yards in anydirection, Then came some distant flashes of lightning and rollingthunder, and soon the patter of rain.
"Now we are going to catch it," said Tom, and he was right. Tenminutes later it was pouring in torrents, and the rain continued tokeep coming down as if there was to be no end of it.
"Boys, aren't you most drowned?" asked Nellie, peeping out of thecabin door.
"No, but you'll be if you come out here," called back Tom.
"We can't stand up and we can't sit still," came from Grace.
"Sorry, but you'll have to make the best of it," answered Sam.
"Oh, we won't mind, if only we reach shore in safety," put in Dora,and then the door was closed again.
On and on swept the Old Glory, through the wind, the rain, and thedarkness. As there was no land near, Captain Jerry paid his wholeattention to making the yacht ride easily, an almost impossible taskin such a sea as was now raging.
Suddenly from somewhere out of the air came a humming sound. It grewlouder and louder, and the boys felt a strange suction of wind whichmade them hold tightly to the rail for fear of being pulled overboardby some uncanny force. There followed a loud snap and a crash, andthe mast began to come down.
"Look out for the mast!" screamed Captain Jerry, and all jumped justin the nick of time. Down came the stick, to strike the rail andshatter it like a pipe stem, and then lay over the deck and over thewaves beyond.