Part 9 (1/2)
A whole hour had pa.s.sed since the message had been sent forth to seek and find help, but no help had come. Who shall attempt to record the history of that hour? At first hope, faint it is true but still hope, then increasing anxiety as the doomed vessel settled deeper and deeper in the water, then growing despair as all feared, what the captain and crew knew, that in a very little while would come the end. Even if a vessel should appear now, the captain feared that only a few could be saved, as it must be a work of time to transfer those hundreds of pa.s.sengers from one s.h.i.+p to another. As all the life-boats had been smashed and carried away, precious minutes must be lost awaiting a boat from the rescuing s.h.i.+p. But in order that all might be in readiness, the women and children were placed close to the rail to be taken first, and the other pa.s.sengers told off in squads for each succeeding embarkation so that there need be no confusion at the last moment.
To the poor unfortunates those long minutes of waiting, fraught with possibilities of life or death, had seemed like hours. A great quiet had fallen over them, the paralyzing stupor of despair. Nearly all had ceased to hope or look for rescue, but sat with bowed heads, awaiting the fate which could not now be long delayed.
Suddenly, through this silent despairing company ran an electric thrill.
Life pulsed in their veins, and hope that they had thought dead, sprang anew in their hearts. A sailor casting one despairing glance about him, had seen the smokestacks of a steamer gleaming red through the faint mist that still hung over the water. Springing to his feet, he began shouting, ”Sail ho! a sail! a sail!” For a moment all was wildest confusion, and it was with greatest difficulty that the captain, who had prepared for just this outbreak, could control these frantic people and restore discipline among them. By this time, the lookout on the _Fearless_ had made out the wreck and a heartening toot-toot from her steam whistle gladdened the waiting hundreds. But would she reach them in time? Already the captain had noticed the trembling of the s.h.i.+p that so surely foretells the coming plunge into the depths of the ocean. It is a miracle that Fate had so long stayed her hand. To be lost now, with life and safety almost within their grasp, would be doubly terrible.
Breathlessly they wait until the steamer moving at the very limit of her speed, comes nearer and nearer, till at last she slows and drifts only a few hundred feet away.
To the surprise of the _Fearless_, no attempt was made on board the sinking s.h.i.+p to lower her boats; and equal was the consternation on board the sinking steamer, when they saw that no boats were lowered from the other s.h.i.+p.
”Her boats are gone, too,” shouted Bert as the situation became plain to all. No sooner had the words left his lips than the _Fearless'_ carpenters were at work, and in an incredibly short s.p.a.ce of time, a rough life buoy was knocked together. They worked with a will for they knew that every second might mean a life. The buoy consisted of a rude platform with uprights at its four corners, to the top of each of which a pulley was securely fastened. Around the uprights ropes were wound making a rude but safe conveyance.
While this was doing, a ball with string attached was shot from a small cannon on board the _Fearless_. Whistling through the air, it landed just within the wrecked s.h.i.+p's rail. Eager hands prevent it from slipping and there is no lack of helpers to draw in the line to the deck. With deft but trembling hands the crew work to secure the cable which follows the line.
At last the life line is adjusted and secured between the two s.h.i.+ps, the life buoy comes speeding over the water to the doomed vessel, and as it rushed back toward the waiting _Fearless_, with its load of women and children, a great cheer goes up. A moment, and the forlorn creatures are lifted by tender hands to the _Fearless_, and the buoy swings back for a second load. The work of rescue has begun.
Back and forth swings the buoy until the women and children are all safe, and still the miracle holds; the wreck still floats. In less time than would have seemed possible, all the sufferers from the wreck have reached the rescuing s.h.i.+p except the captain and his first mate, and the life buoy is swung back for the last time. Hurry now, willing hands!
Already the bow of the sinking steamer is buried beneath the waves.
Another moment or two, and it will be too late. Only a few feet more.
Speed, speed, life buoy! She reaches the rail. Eager hands draw the two last voyagers over and cut the now useless life line. As the men step to the deck of the _Fearless_ the wreck, with one more convulsive s.h.i.+ver, plunges to her last resting place, but, thank G.o.d, with not one soul left upon her. All are saved, and Bert, overcome, bows his head upon his arms, and again thanks heaven for the wireless. Once more it has wrought a miracle and plucked a host of precious lives from the maw of the ravenous sea.
CHAPTER X
THE DERELICT
”Beat this if you can, fellows,” said Tom, as, next morning, lazily stretched in his steamer chair on the deck of the _Fearless_, his eyes took in with delight the broad expanse of the ocean, with its heaving, green billows, capped with feathery foam of dazzling whiteness; the arching blue of the heavens, across which floated soft, gray clouds, which, pierced through and through by the brilliant suns.h.i.+ne, seemed as transparent as a gossamer veil. A sea-gull, rising suddenly from the crest of a wave, soared high with gracefully waving wings; then suddenly turning, swooped downward with the speed of an arrow, disappearing for a moment beneath the wave, rose again, triumphant, with a fish in its talons, and swept majestically skyward.
Fountains of spray cast up by the swiftly moving s.h.i.+p gleamed and flashed in the suns.h.i.+ne and fell to the deck in myriad diamonds.
Tom's pleasure was fully shared by his comrades, and surely in contrast to the storm and stress and darkness of yesterday, the suns.h.i.+ne and calm and beauty of this matchless day was enough to fill them with keenest delight. The swift motion of the good s.h.i.+p that had so gallantly weathered the terrible storm, the sea air which, freighted with salt spray as it rushed against their faces made the flesh tingle, the brilliant suns.h.i.+ne,--all combined to make this one of the happiest mornings of their lives.
From sheer exuberance of joy d.i.c.k started singing
”A life on the ocean wave,”
in which the others joined. As the last notes died away they began to talk of yesterday's storm. Something that Tom said reminded d.i.c.k of an exciting sea story he had read, and, complying with Tom's eager ”Tell us about it,” he was soon in the midst of the yarn, the boys listening with eager delight. Others, seeing their absorbed interest, drifted up until d.i.c.k had quite an audience of interested listeners.
This story was followed by others, and one of the pa.s.sengers had just finished describing the very narrow escape of a boatload of sailors who were being drawn to destruction by the dying struggles of an enormous whale which they had harpooned, when Bert, who, while he listened, had been idly watching a sail which had appeared above the horizon, suddenly sprang to his feet in great excitement and drew everybody's attention.
”What is it? what is it?” cried Tom, catching the excitement and also springing to his feet.
”Why,” Bert answered, ”look at that s.h.i.+p to starboard. I've been watching her for some time and she acts differently from any s.h.i.+p I ever saw. At first she seemed to be sailing a little distance and then back again in a sort of zig-zag course, but just a minute ago she turned side-on toward us, and now she looks as if she were veering from one point of the compa.s.s to another without any attempt at steering.”
Following his gaze, all saw with intense surprise the s.h.i.+p, as Bert had said, apparently without guidance and drifting aimlessly.
After the first moments of startled silence, exclamations and questions broke forth on all sides.
”Well, well, what a most extraordinary thing!” ”What s.h.i.+p can she be?”