CHAPTER III.
NASSAU.
A semi-tropical port in midsummer is by no means a pleasant placehowever diversified and picturesque the scenery may be, and when theboys awakened from their restless slumber the lassitude which beset themtold how great an effect the climate could exert.
Even Mr. Emery was disinclined to any severe exertion; but his businessmust be transacted, and, after a breakfast eaten on deck, he ordered theboat to be made ready.
"If possible I shall leave to-night," Neal and Teddy heard him say tothe sailing master, "therefore it will be well to get your ambergris onshore before noon."
Neither of the boys cared to see the town at the expense of walkingaround under the blazing sun, and when Mr. Emery was being rowed towardthe dock-yard they joined Jake who, in the coolest spot under theawning, was watching the fishermen near by.
The water was clear as crystal, and of a bright greenish tinge whichadmitted of their seeing very distinctly the tiny fish of silver andgolden hues as they darted to and fro; the violet and blue medusae, andthe cream-colored jelly-fish as big as a watermelon. There were angelfish of a bright blue tinge; yellow snappers; black and white sergeantmajors; pilot fish; puff fish which could inflate their bodies untilthey were round as a ball, or flatten themselves to the shape of agriddle cake.
The cow fish attracted the boys' attention more particularly, for it hadtwo horns, and its head was shaped exactly like a cow, and when onepassed with a "calf" as Teddy called it, swimming by her side, bothagreed that it was well worth suffering so much from the heat to seesuch a sight.
Fish of all colors and sizes swam around the yacht as if examining herhull, and the effect of such brilliant hues displayed through thecrystal-like water was actually startling because of the gorgeousness.
Before they were weary of admiring this aquatic panorama Jake calledtheir attention to a fisherman who, in a small canoe, was pursuing hisvocation in a very odd manner.
In his boat he had a hideous looking sucking fish, around the tail ofwhich was tied a long cord with a wooden float at one end. While theboys were watching him he dropped the monster overboard, and in aninstant it darted at a medium-sized Jew fish, attaching itself to thelatter by means of the sucking valve on the top of its head. Having donethis he remained motionless, his victim seeming to be literallyparalyzed, and there was nothing for the boatman to do but pull in onthe float, disengage his animated fishhook by a dextrous pressure on thesucker after both had been drawn aboard, and send the repulsive lookingservant out again.
Although the Jew fish must have weighed at least a hundred pounds, hewas landed without difficulty, and Jake gravely assured his companionsthat a sucking fish could "pull up the whole bottom of the oceanprovidin' the rope on his tail was strong enough to stand the strain."
Then the engineer told a story which did not bear quite so hard on theimagination since it was absolutely true, and began by saying as hepointed toward the little fortification known as Montague fort:
"That place has been the headquarters of at least a dozen pirates, theworst of which was called Black Beard, a bloodthirsty villain who sunktwo vessels right where we are anchored this blessed minute. Thefeller's real name was John Teach, an' that big banyan tree over thereis where he used to hold what he allowed was court martials.
"He was drunk about three-quarters of the time, an' allers had a greatspree when there were any prisoners on hand. He an' his men would getthe poor wretches to the tree, go through all the ceremony of a reg'lartrial, an' allers end by stringin' every blessed one of 'em up in such away as to prevent 'em from dyin' quick, when a fire'd be builtunderneath, so's to roast the whole lot.
"They do say he buried all the treasure among the roots of the banyan,an' many's the one who has dug for it; but so far as I ever heard, not asingle piece has been found. While he lived this wasn't a very pleasantharbor for them as cared about a livin' to make."
"What became of him finally?" Teddy asked.
"An English man-of-war got hold of him after awhile, an' he was strungon the yardarm to dry. If I'd been in command of the vessel he shouldhave found out how it felt to be roasted. Say, don't you boys want to goover to Potter's cay?"
"What is to be seen there?"
"The sponge yards, an' it's a great sight if you never visited one."
"It is too hot," Neal replied with a very decided shake of the head.
Jake did not urge the matter, for just at that moment the second portboat was lowered, and Mr. Walters made ready to go ashore with hisprecious bundle of aromatic ambergris.
Idly the boys watched the perspiring party, pressing handkerchiefs totheir faces meanwhile, since, despite the wrappings of canvas, thevaluable mass gave most decided proof of its being in the vicinity, andwhen the boat started for the shore Neal and Teddy clambered into thehammocks, for even leaning over the rail was an exertion in the sultryatmosphere.
During the middle of the day both the boys slept, for a siesta is asnecessary as food in hot climates, and when the light breeze of eveningcrept over the waters Mr. Emery came aboard with the welcomeintelligence that his business had been concluded.
"We will get under way again before midnight," he said as he steppedover the rail, and was received by Mr. Walters. "Now that a breeze hasset in it should be cool enough to permit of the men's working withoutfear of prostration."
"It would use me up to walk fore and aft twice," Neal said in anundertone to Teddy; "but it isn't for us to complain of the heat if wecan get out of this furnace."
Jake was nowhere to be seen. It was as if after his invitation to go onshore had been declined he betook himself to some other portion of theyacht, where he could perspire without allowing the others to see hissuffering, and the boys swung to and fro until the hour came when thesinging of steam told that preparations for departure were being made.
There could be no doubt but that Nassau would be a pleasant place inwhich to spend the winter months; but it was by no means desirableduring the summer, and when the Sea Dream left the little harbor wherethe water was hardly more than sufficient to float her, both Neal andTeddy gave vent to a sigh of relief.
"We are to run south until it is possible to give the banks a clearberth, and then stand straight up the coast for home," the former saidas the yacht glided almost noiselessly over the phosphorescent lightedwaters down the eastern side of the shoals. "If a good head of steam iskept on we should be in a colder latitude very soon."
"We can't get there any too soon to please me," Teddy replied, as hewaved the palm-leaf fan languidly. "I believe it would be a positivecomfort to have my nose frost-bitten."
"It isn't possible you will have such comfort as that for some time tocome; but we may be able to make your teeth chatter in a few days," Nealreplied laughingly, and then as the breeze caused by the movement ofthe yacht over the water fanned his face, he added sleepily, "Goodnight; I don't believe I shall open my eyes until after sunriseto-morrow."
As a matter of fact this prediction was not verified; before evening awind had come out of the sea which caused the yacht to bow before itlike a reed in a storm, and the hammocks that, a few hours previous, hadseemed so rest-inviting, were swinging at a rate that threatened tothrow their occupants to the deck.
"I fancy it is time we went below," Neal said, as he awakened his friendby a series of vigorous shakes. "If we stay here half an hour longer itwill be doubtful whether we're on board or in the water."
The Sea Dream's lee rail was already so near the surface that the greenwaves curled over it now and then, and before the boys could reach thecabin they were thoroughly drenched.
It was the greatest possible relief to crawl into the bunk and pull upthe bed-clothes to defend themselves against the cold wind which camethrough the port-hole, and so delicious was this sense of being chillythat they failed to realize the cause of the sudden change in theweather, until they heard the sailing master in the cabin reply to Mr.Emery's question:
"You are getting your fi
rst taste of what is known as a norther; butthere isn't the slightest danger if we can crawl away from the land, andwe shall have no trouble in doing that so long as there is a full headof steam on."
"What does he mean by a norther?" Teddy asked of Neal, who had shown, byrising on his elbow, that he was awake.
"A wind coming from the north, more frequently met in the Gulf ofMexico, when the temperature falls very suddenly, as was the case thisevening, and a furious gale is often the result."
"So long as it holds cold I don't see that we have any cause tocomplain," was the sleepy rejoinder; but before the night came to aclose he had good reason for changing his mind on the subject.
It was about midnight, as near as the boys could judge without lookingat a watch, when the yacht was flung on her beam ends with a suddenforce which threw both out of the berth, and before the port-hole couldbe fastened, flooded the state-room with water.
Teddy might well be excused for the shrill cry of alarm which escapedfrom his lips, for at that moment even an experienced sailor would havefancied the little craft had struck upon a reef, more particularlysince it was known they were in a dangerous locality.
"We are sinking!" he cried frantically as he tried in vain to open thedoor, and Neal was of the same opinion.
After what seemed to be a very long while although in reality it couldhave been but a few seconds, the Sea Dream slowly righted, and then itwas possible for the boys to gain the cabin.
Here they were met by Mr. Emery, who had just succeeded in leaving hisown room, and before any conversation could be indulged in the steamerbegan pitching and rolling about in a manner that showed she was not onthe reef even if the first shock had been the result of striking one.
It was only by holding with all their strength to the immovable articlesof furniture that they avoided being flung from one end of the cabin tothe other, as the yacht plunged and tossed, throwing violently to andfro everything which had not been securely fastened.
The cabin lamp was burning dimly, and the faint light only served toreveal more clearly the general confusion.
Once amid the tumult the boys heard Mr. Emery shout:
"Don't be frightened; if there was any immediate danger Mr. Walterswould warn us."
"He may not be able to come where we are," Teddy thought; but herefrained from giving words to such a dismal foreboding, and in silentfear waited for--he knew not what.