CHAPTER VIII
FROM ONE SHIP TO ANOTHER
"We struck something!"
"What is the matter?"
"Are we going down?"
These and a score of other cries rang out on board the steamer. Thethumping and bumping continued, followed by a crashing that couldmean but one thing--that the ship was being splintered, and that herseams were being laid wide open.
As soon as possible the Rover boys slipped into some clothing andwent on deck. They were quickly followed by the three girls, whoclung tight to them in terror.
"Oh, Dick, this is the worst yet!" came from Dora. "What will be theend?"
"The Tacoma is sinking!" was the cry from out of the darkness.
"Are we really sinking?" gasped Nellie as she clutched Tom.
"Yes, we are," came from Sam. "Can't you feel the deck settling?"
They could, only too plainly, and in a minute more the water seemedto be running all around them. The cries continued, but it was soblack they could see next to nothing.
What happened in the next few minutes the Rover boys could scarcelytell, afterward. An effort was made to get out a life-boat, and itdisappeared almost as soon as it left the side, carrying some sailorswith it. Then some red-fire blazed up, lighting up the tragic scene,and revealing a schooner standing close by the steamer. The sailingvessel had her bowsprit broken and part of her forward rail torn away.
"If we must die, let us die together!" said Dick, and they kept togetheras well as they could. Old Jerry was with them, and said he would doall he could for them. He had already passed around life-preservers,and these they put on with all possible speed.
Then followed a sudden plunge of the steamer and all found themselvesin the waves of the ocean. They went down together, each holding thehand of somebody else. When they came up, Tom was close to a life-linethrown from the sailing vessel and this he clutched madly.
"Haul us in!" he yelled. "Haul us in!" And the line was pulled inwith care, and after ten minutes of extreme peril the boys and thegirls and Captain Jerry found themselves on board of the sailingvessel, which proved to be a large three-masted schooner.
All of our friends were so exhausted that they had to be carried tothe cabin and here Dora and Grace fainted away completely, whileNellie was little better off. Tom had had his left arm bruised andDick was suffering from an ugly scratch on the forehead. It was fullyan hour before any of them felt like moving around.
In the meantime the two vessels had separated, and though red firewas burned twice, after that, and rockets sent up, nothing more wasseen or heard of the Tacoma or those left on board.
"But I don't think she went down," said Captain Jerry. "She was toowell built for that." And he was right, as events proved. Much crippledthe steamer two days later entered Honolulu harbor, where she waslaid up for repairs.
Worn out completely by what they had passed through, the boys sleptheavily for the rest of the night, not caring what ship they were onor where they were going. Everybody was busy with the wreckage, sothey were left almost entirely to themselves.
Tom was the first to get up, and going on deck found that the stormhad cleared away and that the sun was shining brightly. Without delayhe halted a sailor who happened to be passing.
"What ship is this?" he questioned.
"Dis ship da _Golden Wave_," replied the sailor, who was a Norwegian.
"And where are you bound?"
"Da ship sail for Australia."
"Great Scott! Australia!" gasped Tom. "This is the worst yet."
"What's up, Tom?" asked Sam, who had followed his brother.
"This sailor tells me this ship is bound for Australia."
"Why, that is thousands of miles away!"
"I know it."
"If we go to Australia, we'll never get back."
"Not quite as bad as that, Sam. But we certainly don't want to go toAustralia."
"Who is the captain?"
"Captain Blossom," replied the sailor. "Where is he?"
The sailor said he would take them to the captain and did so. Heproved to be a burly fellow with rather a sober-looking face.
"Got around at last, eh?" he said, eying Tom and Sam shrewdly.
"We have, and we must thank you for rescuing us," replied Tom.
"That's all right."
"One of your sailors tells me you are bound for Australia," put in Sam.
"He told you the truth."
"Won't you stop at some port in the Hawaiian Islands?"
"No."
"But you might put us off."
"Can't spare the time. As it is, this storm blew me away out of mycourse," answered Captain Blossom.
He had a twofold reason for not putting them ashore at or nearHonolulu. It would not only take time, but it might also lead toquestioning concerning the fate of the steamer, and he was afraid hewould be hauled into some marine court for running into the Tacoma,for that was what he had done.
"Do you know anything about the steamer?" asked Sam.
"No, she got away from us in the darkness, after we hauled seven ofyou aboard."
"The steamer lost some of her crew," said Tom, shuddering. "Did youlose any men?"
"One sailor, and one of my passengers got hurt in the leg by thecollision."
By this time Dick joined the party, followed by old Jerry and thethree girls.
"Will the captain carry us away to Australia?" asked Dora, when thesituation was explained.
"I suppose so," said Dick soberly. "If I had some money I might buyhim off, but I haven't a dollar. What little I did have I left onboard of the Tacoma."
The others were equally destitute, and when Captain Blossom heard ofthis his face grew dark. He was a close man, and his first mate, JackLesher, was no better.
"If you haven't any money, you'll have to work your passage," hegrowled. "I can't afford to carry you to Australia for nothing."
"Then let us off at some port in the Hawaiian Islands," said Tom.
"Can't do it, I told you," retorted Captain Blossom angrily. "Andyou'll either work while you are on board or starve."
"My, what a Tarter!" whispered Sam.
"Well, we'll work," said Dick. "But you must not force the youngladies to do anything."
"I'm a sailor and will do my full share," said old Jerry. But he didnot like the situation any better than did the Rovers.
The matter was talked over, and seeing that they were willing towork, Captain Blossom became a little milder in his manner. He saidhe would give the three girls one of the staterooms, but the boysand old Jerry would have to join the crew in the forecastle.
Fortunately the sailors on board the _Golden Wave_ were a fairly cleanlot, so the forecastle was not so dirty a place as it might otherwisehave been. The boys did not like to be separated from the girls,however, and Dick called the girls aside to talk the matter over.
"I want to know if anything goes wrong," said he. "If there is theleast thing out of the way, let us know at once," and the girlspromised to keep their eyes open.
Once in the forecastle the boys were given three rough suits ofclothes to wear while working. Then they were called out to workwithout delay, for the storm had left much to do on board the GoldenWave.
"We have only one passenger," said one of the sailors, in reply toa question from Tom.. "He is a young fellow named Robert Brown. Hewas hurt during the storm, but I reckon he's all right now."
Tom was set to coiling some rope and Sam and Dick had to scrub downthe deck. This was by no means an agreeable task, but nobody complained.
"We must take what comes," said Dick cheerfully. "So long as we getenough to eat and are not abused I shan't say a word."
The boys had been to work about an hour when Sam saw a young fellowlimping around the other end of the deck. There was somethingstrangely familiar about the party, and the youngest Rover drew closerto get a better look at him.
"Dan Baxter!" he cried in astonishment. "Dan Baxter!"
At this
cry the person turned and his lower jaw dropped in equalastonishment.
"Who--er--where did you come from?" he stammered.
"So this is the vessel you shipped on?" went on Sam. And then hecalled out: "Dick! Tom! Come here."
For a brief instant Dan Baxter's face was a study. Then a crafty lookcame into his eyes and he drew himself up.
"Excuse me, but you have made a mistake in your man," he said coldly.
"What's that?" came from Sam in bewilderment.
"I am not the party you just named. My name is Robert Brown."
"It is?" came from the youngest Rover. "If that is so, you lookexactly like somebody I know well."
By this time Dick and Tom came hurrying to the spot, followed byDora, who happened to be on deck.
"Dan Baxter!" came from Tom and Dick simultaneously.
"He says he isn't Dan Baxter," said Sam.
"Isn't Dan Baxter? Why, Baxter, you fraud, what new wrinkle is this?"said Dick, catching him by the arm.
"Let go of me!" came fiercely from Baxter. "Let go, I say, or it willbe the worse for you. You have made a mistake."
"No mistake about it," put in Tom. "He is Dan Baxter beyond a doubt."