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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a790803 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #55076 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/55076) diff --git a/old/55076-8.txt b/old/55076-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 8529487..0000000 --- a/old/55076-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,10576 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Bahama Bill, by T. Jenkins Hains - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Bahama Bill - Mate of the Wrecking Sloop Sea-Horse - -Author: T. Jenkins Hains - -Illustrator: H. R. Reuterdahl - -Release Date: July 9, 2017 [EBook #55076] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BAHAMA BILL *** - - - - -Produced by Graeme Mackreth and The Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - -BAHAMA BILL - - - - -Works of - -T. JENKINS HAINS - - -[Illustration] - - The Windjammers $1.50 - The Black Barque 1.50 - The Voyage of the Arrow 1.50 - Bahama Bill 1.50 - -[Illustration] - - - L.C. PAGE & COMPANY - New England Building - BOSTON MASS. - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration: "_The giant black stood gazing out to sea"_ - - (_See page 17_)] - - - - - BAHAMA BILL - - Mate of the Wrecking Sloop - _Sea-Horse_ - - - By - T. Jenkins Hains - - Author of "The Black Barque," "The Voyage - of the Arrow," "The Windjammers," etc. - - - _With a frontispiece in colour by_ - H.R. Reuterdahl - - [Illustration] - - - _Boston_: L.C. PAGE & - COMPANY _Mdccccviii_ - - - - - _Copyright, 1908_ - BY L.C. PAGE & COMPANY - (INCORPORATED) - - _All rights reserved_ - - - First Impression, January, 1908 - - - _COLONIAL PRESS_ - _Electrotyped and Printed by C.H. Simonds & Co. - Boston, U.S. A._ - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - I. BENEATH THE "BULLDOG'S" BILGE 1 - - II. THE WRECKER'S REWARD 18 - - III. THE MATE OF THE "SEA-HORSE" 35 - - IV. BARNEGAT MACREARY 50 - - V. AT THE END OF THE REEF 68 - - VI. THE SANCTIFIED MAN 88 - - VII. WHEN THE LIGHT FAILED AT CARYSFORT 116 - - VIII. THE TRIMMING OF MR. DUNN 129 - - IX. THE SURVIVOR 176 - - X. ON THE GREAT BAHAMA BANK 196 - - XI. THE ICONOCLAST 232 - - XII. JOURNEGAN'S GRAFT 266 - - XIII. SHANGHAING THE TONG 296 - - XIV. THE EDGE OF THE RONCADOR 323 - - XV. THE WRECKER 338 - - XVI. THE BARRATORS 350 - - - - -BAHAMA BILL - - - - -I - -Beneath the "Bulldog's" Bilge - - -The brig lay in four fathoms of water on the edge of the Great Bahama -Bank. She had been a solid little vessel, built for the fruit trade, -and she was about two hundred tons register. Her master had tried to -sight the "Isaacs," but owing to the darkness and the drift of the -Gulf Stream, he had miscalculated his distance in trying for the New -Providence channel. A "nigger-head," a sharp, projecting point of -coral, had poked a hole about four feet in diameter through her bottom, -and she had gone down before they could run her into the shoal water on -the bank. - -Down to the graveyard of good ships, Key West, the message was hurried, -and the wreckers of Florida Reef heard the news. A heavily built sloop -of thirty tons, manned by ten Spongers and Conchs, started up the -Florida channel and arrived upon the scene two days later. - -The _Bulldog_ had settled evenly upon her keel, but as she was sharp, -she had listed until her masts were leaning well to starboard, dipping -her yardarms deep in the clear water. She was submerged as far up as -her topsail yards. - -The captain of the wrecker was a Conch. His mate was a giant negro of -the Keys; young, powerful, and the best diver on the Florida Reef. -His chest measured forty-eight inches in circumference over his -lean pectoral muscles, and he often bent iron bars of one-half inch -to show the set of his vise-like grip. He was almost black, with a -sinister-looking leer upon his broad face, his eyes red and watery like -most of the divers of the Bank. He could remain under four fathoms for -at least three and a half minutes, and work with amazing force, and -continue this terrific strain for six hours on a stretch, with but -five minutes between dives. Half fish or alligator, and half human, -he looked as he lounged naked in the hot sunshine upon the sloop's -forecastle, his skin hard and callous as leather from long exposure to -a tropic sun and salt water. He was ready for the work ahead, for it -had been rumoured that the _Bulldog_ had not less than fifty thousand -dollars in silver aboard her. She was known to have been chartered by -agents of the Venezuelan revolutionists, and to have arms and money -aboard in abundance for their relief. - -The day was well advanced when the spars of the brig showed above the -sea. The sky was cloudless, and the little air there was stirring -scarcely rippled the ocean; the swell rolling with that long, -undulating sweep and peculiar slowness which characterizes calm weather -in the Gulf Stream. - -Far away the "Isaacs" showed above the horizon, and just the slightest -glint of white told of the nearest cay miles away on the Great Bank. -To the westward it was a trifle more than sixty miles to Florida -Cape across the channel, with the deep ocean current sweeping to the -northward between. The steady set of the Stream brought the wreckers -rapidly nearer the brig in spite of the calm, and they let go their -first anchor about fifty fathoms due south, and veered the cable to let -the sloop drift slowly down upon the wreck. Then, lowering all canvas, -they got out their kedges and moored the sloop just over the port rail -of the _Bulldog_ which could be distinctly seen about ten feet below -the surface of the sea. - -Three of the crew, all experienced divers, made ready while the mate -went slowly to the rail and gazed fixedly down into the clear water. -In calm weather the bottom on the Bank can be seen distinctly in -five fathoms, and often at much greater depth. The weather was ideal -now, and no one thought it necessary to use the "water-glass," the -glass-bottomed bucket into which the diver usually sticks his head and -gazes into the depths before making his plunge. - -"I reckon ye might as well make a try," said the captain, coming to -the mate's side. "Start here an' let the drift o' the current take ye -th' whole length." And as he spoke he hove a life-line overboard for -the men to grasp should the stream carry them too far. Coming to the -surface they would be tired and not want to swim back. A man stood by -to haul in and save the diver the exertion. - -The mate raised his eyes. He looked over the smooth sea and tilted his -nose into the air, sniffing the gentle breeze. - -"It might be a wery good day, Cap, but I sho' smells shurk. I ain't -much perticular about this smooth weather. It nearly always brings 'em -along 'bout dis time o' year. De season am mighty nigh done on de Bank. -Yo' knows dey is mighty peart when dey gits plentiful." - -"Are you feared?" asked the captain, looking at him scornfully. - -"Well, I smell him plain, an' dat's a fact," said the mate, "but here -goes." - -The giant mate fell slowly outboard, then putting his hands before him -he dropped straight down into the sea with hardly a splash. The captain -bent over the rail and watched him as he swam quickly down, his great -black form looking not unlike a turtle as it struck out vigorously with -both hands and feet. Down, down it went until the shimmering light -made it distorted and monstrous as the distance increased. Then it -disappeared under the bend of the _Bulldog's_ bilge. - -A second diver came to the side and looked out over the smooth swell. - -There was nothing in sight as far as the eye could reach save the glint -of white on the distant cay to the eastward. The Gulf Stream was -undisturbed by even a ripple. - -In a couple of minutes a loud snort astern told of the mate's -reappearance. He seized the life-line and was quickly hauled alongside. -He climbed leisurely to the deck. - -All hands were now assembled and waited for his report. - -"Tight as a drum. There ain't no way o' gettin' into her there," said -the mate after two or three long breaths. - -"Well, will you try the hatchway, then?" asked the captain. - -"I ain't perticular about workin' down hatchways," said the giant, with -a scowl. - -"Nor me either," said the man who had come to make the second trip. -"They said the stuff was aft under the cabin deck," said a tall man -with aquiline features, known as Sam. - -"Dynamite," whispered another, "what's the difference?" - -"Plenty, if the underwriters come along and find her blown up. She -ain't ours yet," said the captain sourly. - -"An' who's to tell?" asked the mate with a fierce menace. "Who'll know -what knocked a hole in her? They'll nebber float her. Bust her, says I." - -The captain looked about him. There was nothing in sight, save the -distant cay, ten miles or more to the eastward, which might harbour an -inquisitive person. And then the light-keeper himself was a wrecker. -He thought a moment while the mate stood looking at him, and then went -slowly down into the cabin and brought up a box of cartridges. Sam -immediately brought out some exploders and several fathoms of fuse. - -In a moment a large package was wrapped up and lashed with spun-yarn. -It contained five half-pound cartridges and an exploder, with a fathom -of fuse. A piece of iron was made fast to the whole to keep it upon the -bottom, and then the mate called for a match. The fuse would burn for -at least two minutes under water before the exploder was reached, and -give time for the diver to get clear. - -The captain scratched a light upon his trousers and held it to the -fuse. A spluttering fizzing followed. Then over the side went the mate -with the charge in his hand, and the men on the deck could see him -swimming furiously down through the clear depths, the dynamite held -before him and a thin spurt of bubbles trailing out from the end of the -burning fuse. - -He had little enough time to spare after he disappeared under the curve -of the bilge. Coming to the surface he was quickly dragged aboard by -the life-line, and then all hands waited a moment, which seemed an -hour, for the shock. - -A dull crash below followed by a peculiar ringing sound told of the -discharge. The water lifted a moment over the spot some twenty feet -astern, and then a storm of foam and bubbles surged to the surface. -The captain gazed apprehensively around the horizon again, and then -smiled. - -"I reckon that busted her," he said. - -Over the side plunged the mate, followed by two more men, and as they -went a great, dark shadow rose slowly to the surface in the disturbed -water. It was the body of a giant shark. - -The captain stood looking at it for a moment. - -"The harpoon, quick," he yelled. - -A man sprang for the iron, but the monster rolled slowly over upon his -belly, and opened his jaws with spasmodic jerks. A great hole was torn -in his side, and his dorsal fin was missing. He gave a few quick slaps -with his tail, and then sank slowly down before the harpoon could be -thrown. - -"He's as dead as salt-fish," said a sailor, "clean busted wide open." - -"He's a tiger," said the captain, "an' they never hunt alone. I c'ud -see his stripes." - -A diver called from the end of the life-line and was hauled up. One -after another they came up, the mate last. - -"What was the thing yo' dropped overboard?" he asked with a grin. "I -seen him sinking an' thought he ware alive." - -"It was a tiger," said the captain solemnly, looking askance at the big -man. - -"That settles it fer me," said one diver, "they always go in pairs." - -"Me, too," went the chorus from the rest. - -The mate said nothing. He had seen something below that made his eyes -flash in spite of their salty rheum. The dynamite had done its work -well, and with more daring than the others he had penetrated the hull -far enough to catch a glimpse of the treasure. The explosion had -scattered bright silver coins about the entrance of the hole, and he -had seen what they had missed in the roiled water. - -Here was a sore problem for the captain. He had the first chance at the -wreck without observers, and here the carcass of a huge tiger-shark had -upset everything. Within a few hours, the spars of other wreckers might -show above the horizon, and then farewell to treasure-hunting. He could -expect nothing but salvage at the most. If the owners decided to raise -her he could do nothing more than sell his claim upon her, and probably -lose most of that, for he was a poor man and dreaded the Admiralty -courts. It would be much better if he could get what money there was -in her, finding it in an abandoned hull. Having the whole of it in his -possession was much better than trying to get back from the owners his -share under the salvage law. Any delay for shark-hunting meant a heavy -loss. He looked askance at the big mate, but said nothing, knowing full -well that it lay with that black giant whether he would take the risk -of going below again or not. - -"I knew I smelt him plain enough," said the giant, sniffing the air -again, "dem big shurks is mighty rank." - -The shark which had met with the dynamite explosion was one of a pair -of the great "carcharodon" variety. They had come in on the edge of the -Bank at the beginning of the warm season, and one of them had slipped -up along the bottom to the wreck not a minute after the mate had placed -the charge. The package had attracted his attention, and it was while -nosing it the charge had exploded, tearing him almost to pieces. His -mate was but fifty fathoms away, and came slowly up to examine the -place where the crash occurred. - -The female was about twenty feet in length. She was lean and muscular -from long cruising at sea, and her hide was as hard as the toughest -leather. Vertical stripes upon her sides, black upon the dark gray of -her body, gave her the name of "tiger." Her jaws were a good eighteen -inches across, and her six rows of triangular teeth formed the most -perfect cutting machine for anything made of flesh. The long tapering -tail and huge fins told of enormous power, and her heavy frontal -development proclaimed her of that somewhat rare species of pelagic -monster which is very different in disposition to the thousands of -sharks that infest all tropical seas. - -She came upon the body of her mate as he sank slowly down, shattered -and torn from the explosion. He lay motionless upon the clean coral -bottom, and as she nosed him she came to the grisly wounds and knew he -was dead. The feeling that the floating object above was responsible -for his end took possession of her instinctively. He, her mate, had -travelled with her for months and over thousands of miles of ocean. -There was an attachment similar to that in evidence among the higher -animals, and sullen fury at her loss grew against the thing above. It -was like the implacable hatred of the cobra snake for the slayer of his -mate, the snake who will follow the slayer's trail for miles to wreak -vengeance. And as the monster's fury was growing, the black diver was -preparing to make a plunge for the money within the brig's bilge. - -"Gimme a line," said the black man. "If dere is another feller like de -one we busted down dere, yo' kin pull me back ef he don't git a good -hold o' my laig. De water is mighty roiled yit, en I'd like to see a -bit o' the bottom. 'Pears to me I seen something movin' astern dere." - -The captain passed a line, and he fastened it around his waist. The -rest of the crew stood looking on. Then taking a bag rolled tight in -one hand to open below and fill with the silver, he gazed anxiously -around the surrounding sea again. - -"Here goes," said the big mate, "but I reckon it's de debble himself -dat's waitin' fer me, I feels it sho'." - -He went down with a straight plunge without any splash, and they -watched him until he disappeared under the bends. - -The mate had his eyes in use as he swam swiftly towards the hole made -by the explosion. He watched the shadows upon the coral bottom in the -dim light that penetrated the depths. The huge shadow of the brig cast -a gloom over the white rock, and at the depth of her keel objects were -hard to distinguish, except out beyond where the sunshine filtered -down. He knew the location of the hole, and headed straight for it -until the black and ragged mouth of the opening showed before him. He -had just reached for it when a form shut off the light behind him. At -the same instant the dread of something horrible flashed through his -brain. He turned instantly to see the giant mouth of a monstrous shark -close aboard, the teeth showing white against the dark edge of the -throat cavity. - -There was but a moment to spare. He must get away in the fraction of a -second, and his quick mind, used to emergencies, seized upon the only -way possible. - -The line about his waist was still slack, and he dove headlong into the -black mouth of the hole in the brig's bilge. The opening was just large -enough to let him through, the splintered edges raking his back sorely -as he entered. Then he turned quickly, hoping to see the monster sweep -past. - -The outline of the hole showed dimly, a ragged green spot set in inky -blackness. He was ready to make a dash outboard, and swam to hold -himself close to it, for the tendency was to rise into the black depths -of the submerged hull. Inside was total darkness, and the unknown, -submerged passages to some possible open hatchway beneath his own -vessel's bottom were not to be thought of for safety. He could hold his -breath but for a very short time longer, and he was more than twenty -feet below the surface of the ocean. Even as he swam his foot struck -something solid above him. He watched the hole and had just about -decided that the monster had passed when the hole disappeared from view. - -He knew he had not moved, for he could feel the stillness of the water -about him. With a growing feeling of horror he groped for the opening. - -In the total darkness he thought he was losing the instinct of -direction. The danger of his position was so deadly that, in spite of -his iron nerves, a panic was taking possession of him. To be lost in -the hold of a sunken wreck appalled him for an instant. He must act -quickly and accurately if he would live. The precious moments were -passing, and his heart already was sending the blood with ringing -throbs through his head. He made a reach ahead, and as he did so the -greenish light of the hole in the bilge came again before him. He -struck out for it powerfully. Then it failed again, but as it did so -he made out the form that was closing it. The great head of the shark -was thrust into the opening, withdrawn again as though to try to get a -better position to force its way in, and then came total blackness. - -The mate was failing fast. He had been under water more than two -minutes. He saw that it was certain death to force the entrance. -Outside waited the monster who would cut him to pieces before he could -reach the surface and help from his vessel. It was a horrible end. -The thought of a mangled form being devoured into the bowels of such -a creature decided him. Any death but that. He hesitated no longer, -but with maddening haste he swam upward into the blackness, groping, -struggling through doors and passages, wildly, aimlessly trying for a -blind chance that he might at last come through the hatchway into the -sea above. - -He had cast off the line to his waist as soon as it came taut, and -instantly it flashed upon him that he had severed the last link between -himself and his men. On and on he struggled, the bright flashes of -light which now began to appear before his eyes, caused by the strain -and pressure, made him fight wildly forward, thinking that they came -from the light outside. He knew he was lost. The picture flitted before -him of the men hauling in the line. Then the silence of the deck in the -sunshine and the looks of his shipmates, the case of "lost man." He -had seen it before when he was upon the deck, and now it was his turn -below. A bulkhead brought him to a sudden stop. He reached upward and -found the solid deck. It was no use. He gave one last gigantic stroke -forward along the obstruction and started to draw in his breath, which -meant the end. Then his head suddenly came out of the water into air, -and his pulses leaped again into action. - -The pressure was not relieved upon his lungs, and it was some moments -before he recovered. Then his great strength came back to him and he -began to grope about in the blackness until his feet came in contact -with a step. He felt along this and found that it was evidently a -companionway leading to the deck above. He put forth his hands into -the space overhead and found a solid roof but a foot or less above the -surface of the water he was in. Then it dawned upon him that he was -beneath the coamings of the hatchway, and the air was that which had -been caught under the top as the brig had settled. She had only been -sunk about fifty-five hours, and the air had not found its way through -the tight cover overhead. It was compressed by the pressure of the -water above it. It was only about twelve feet to the surface from where -he now rested, and if he could get free he might yet get away safely. -The shark was probably below under the bilge, trying to get in the hole -and would not notice him if he came up through the hatchway. He could -make a dash for the surface, and call for a line before the monster -could locate him. The air within the small space was already getting -used up while he waited to recover. There were not more than half a -dozen cubic feet of it altogether, and he must work quickly if he would -be free. - -He now groped for the fastenings of the hatchway, hoping to seize -them and force the slide back. The covering was of peculiar pattern, -high-domed above the coamings, and it was for this reason that the air -had failed to find its way through the front of the opening. He felt -for the lock and finally found that the hasp was on the outside. He was -locked below. - -He had been away from the sloop for more than five minutes now, and -the men aboard had hauled in the line. It came fast enough, and some -leaned over the rail watching until the end came into view. Then they -knew, or fancied they knew, the story. - -"Gone, by God," came the exclamation from the captain--"he was -right--they always travel in couples--" Then he stood there with the -rest, all gazing steadfastly down into the clear water of the Gulf -Stream that now went past crystal-like and undisturbed. The dim forms -of the coral showed below, but nothing like the shape of either man -or shark was visible. The disturbed water from the blast had all gone -to the northward with the current, and they wondered. If there were a -monster lurking in the depths, he must be well under the brig's bilge -in the deep shadow. The line told the story the eye failed to reach. It -was not new, the story of a lost diver on the Bahama Bank. - -They hung over the side and spoke seldom: when they did, it was in a -low tone. There was nothing to do, for no one had the hardihood to -make the plunge to find out what had happened. They must wait for the -wrecking crew. Diving was not to be thought of again for hours. - -Meanwhile the mate was below in the dome of the hatchway. - -Finding that the slide was fastened on the outside, he put forth all -his giant strength to force it. Planting his feet upon the after end, -he managed to keep his mouth out of the water and get a grip upon the -hatch-carline. Then he strained away to burst the lock. - -In the little bubble of compressed air the exertion caused him to pant -for breath. He must hurry. The wood creaked dully. A jet of water -spurted in his face. The slide was giving way, letting in the ocean -from the outside, and in another moment the remaining space of air -would be gone. With one tremendous shove he tore the carline loose. -Then he clutched frantically at the splintering wood, and as the water -closed over him he wrenched the slide loose and drove himself blindly -through the opening. The next instant he shot upward, and in a moment -he saw the light above. He came to the surface under the sloop's port -quarter, bursting into the sunshine with a loud splash. - -The captain heard the noise and hurried over to look. The mate's black -head was just a fathom below him, and he quickly dropped him a line. -Then willing hands reached over and he was dragged on deck. He had been -below nearly a quarter of an hour. - -Staggering like a drunken man the great mate lounged forward, his -bloodshot eyes distended, and his breath coming in loud rasping gasps, -a little thin trickle of blood running from his nose and mingling with -the salt water pouring down his face. Men seized him and tried to hold -him up, but he plunged headlong upon the deck and lay still. - -It was nearly half an hour later before he opened his eyes and looked -about him. All hands were around him, some rubbing his huge limbs and -others standing looking on, waiting to do what the captain might -direct. Then he came slowly to and rose unsteadily to his feet. There -was a feeling of relief and the men talked. The captain asked questions -and plied his mate with whiskey. - -The giant black stood gazing out to sea, trying to realize what had -happened, and while he looked he saw a thin trail of smoke rising upon -the southern horizon. He pointed to it without saying anything, and all -hands saw it and stopped in their work to stare. - -"It's the wreckin' tug from Key West," said the captain. "No more -divin' to-day. Jest our bloomin' luck. Nothin' to hinder us from doin' -a bit o' bizness. No danged shurks nor nothin' to stop a man, an' here -we lose our chance." - -"I reckon it's all right, cap'n," said the big mate, speaking for the -first time. "I done quit divin' fer this season, ennyways. 'N' when I -says I smells shurk, I means _shurk_. 'N' the fust man what begs me toe -go under ag'in when I says that, I gwine toe break his haid." - - - - -II - -The Wrecker's Reward - - -"Ef I wassent er lady, I'd knock yo' blamed haid off, yo' black -rascal!" cried Julia. The big mate smiled at her softly, and made -another pass to seize her; but she struggled free, for he would not -hold her fast enough. "Don't yo' come 'round heah no mo'; I don't want -no dealin's wif no sailor man." - -"What' the good o' gettin' mad over a little squeeze, Sugar-plum?" -grinned the black giant. "I ain't done yo' no harm--an' wouldn't fo' -nothing Jule. Yo' knows I ain't got no gal but yo'self." - -"Youse a rascal, dat yo' is, 'n' ef I wassent a lady, I'd knock yo' -cocoanut off'n yo' ugly haid!" said the indignant Julia, whose dignity -had been ruffled by the sailor's amorous but powerful wooing. "I knows -yo', comin' around dis house an' tryin' to fool a pore gal like me." - -"No, Jule, I means everythin' I says, an' a lot mo' besides. I wants -yo' to marry me, sho' 'nuff," said the big sailor earnestly. - -Julia rapidly was soothing herself. There was something so strong and -pleading in the man's voice that she almost forgot the liberties he had -taken, and looked at him keenly. "Aw, gwine away, yo' black man; whar -yo' got money to marry a gal like me?" She was now smiling at him; but -edging away into the doorway of the little cabin which stood by the -coral roadway in Key West. She really did not dislike the sailor; for -Bahama Bill had a reputation for being a good money-getter and a most -excellent spender. As mate of the wrecking sloop _Sea-Horse_, he often -came in with a few English pounds sterling, or a pocketful of good -American dollars, earned in his business along the Great Bahama Bank. -Three days, however, always was the limit of his prosperity. - -Now he had been ashore for a week, and consequently was the possessor -of nothing more than a clasp-knife, a dirty pair of trousers and -jumper, and an old clay pipe. Shoes he had left at some friend's house -for a trivial debt for a handful of cigars, and head-gear he did not -need. He was more or less contented, and was entirely willing to enter -into the married state, feeling with the utmost confidence that money -was a plentiful article and easy for a man of parts to procure. His -wild excesses seemed vain in the sober light of the tropic sunshine, -and it manifestly was the time for him to settle down to a state of -quiet bliss with Julia. - -"I kin get plenty o' money, Jule," said he softly. - -"When yo' shows me, den yo' cain talk wif me, an' not befo'," said -Julia. "I ain't doin' no washin' 'n' ironin' for no one. I'se near -eighteen now, an' I ain't married no one yet." - -"But, Jule, I kin get money easy enough. Come here now an' let me tell -yo' how I kin." - -"No, sah, no monkeyin'," said Julia, edging farther into the -doorway. "Yo' get de money fust, 'n'--'n'--den--well, yo' -knows--'bout--'bout--dat." - -Then she softly but firmly shut the door. He caught a glimpse of her -through the kitchen window, and she smiled and waved her hand so that -he almost was tempted to force an entrance; but he remembered that -the Cuban who owned the house would likely hear him and perhaps fill -him with bird-shot. He gave one longing look, and strode toward the -harbour. The wrecking sloop was to sail that day, sponging to the -northward along the Keys. - -The first few days were hard on him. He was solemn and lonesome in -spite of himself, and his quiet behaviour was noticed by his shipmates. -They made the remarks usual among rough men of the forecastle, but Bill -took no notice. - -"Here's a chance for a feller to make good," cried a Conch to a stout -German sailor called Heldron: "Reward fer old man Sanches' boy who run -off to sea in one o' them fruit-ships," and he read from an old paper -as he lay in his bunk during the watch below. - -"I know dot poy: he pad poy; but him fader big sight worse," said the -German. "He make de worst seegar in Key West." - -"Well, if I was a mate o' a ship I might make good on that, hey?" said -Sam. - -"Blamed sight easier'n spongin', to catch a little boy," said another; -"but I hear the old man is going to the eastward--heard of something -down Fortune Island way." - -And the conversation turned to business, while the mate smoked on in -silence. That night they were speeding across the Florida Channel in -spite of the threatening weather and heavy sea. By morning they were -many miles off shore, and gradually had been forced to slow down. -The wind, while now slacking up and becoming heavy with moisture and -warmth, had been strong enough during the night to make the _Sea-Horse_ -shorten down to keep from forcing too heavily into the high, rolling -sea. - -It was dirty weather in the Gulf Stream. The flying scud streamed -away to the northwest in little whirling bits of vapour. They tore -along with the speed of an express train in a direction which seemed -at a sharp angle to the heavy, steel-blue bank which swept in a -mighty and majestic semicircle across the southern sky. High overhead -the sky had a distant appearance, something peculiar and weird, for -the storm-centre was advancing northward and gathering all straying -moisture in its grasp. It made dark streaks in the heavens at a -distance above the sea, and rays of the morning sun shone upon them -with a brassy glare, as though the whole universe was incased in a -colossal dome which darkened near the horizon. It seemed to absorb -the failing light less and less as the line of vision rose toward the -zenith. - -With a line of reef-points tied in from the second hoop on the -mainsail to the cringle on the leach, which raised only a couple of -fathoms in the air, the _Sea-Horse_ lay upon the starboard tack. A bit -of staysail forward hauled to the mast held her steady as she breasted -the sea, staggering to leeward with the heave that, increasing, told of -a mighty power behind it. The combing crests rolled white with a dull, -rattling snore, and the beautiful blue colour of the warm stream was -paling into a dark lead. - -The sloop would throw her forefoot high in the air as the rolling -crests would strike and sweep from under the now almost logy hulk. The -brown of the copper-painted under-body showed in strong contrast to -the dirty white above. Then she would drop with a sidewise, twisting -motion, a little bow-foremost into the trough, and back her snub nose -away from the onrushing hill before it, which sometimes would burst and -smother her out of sight to the mast in a storm of flying water. Then -she would drop again, sidewise and forward down the incline, the rush -of foam on the decks sweeping through the side ports in the bulwarks, -spurting and pouring over everything, and finally overboard, until the -action was repeated. - -Two men in their yellow oilskins were upon the quarter-deck; one lying -prone abaft the rise of the cabin, gazed sullenly at the menacing sky. -The other sat and held on the wheel, which was fast in a becket, with -relieving tackles on the gear heaving it hard down, and he tried to -get puffs of smoke from a pipe. The wind was getting too strong for -smoking, and he went into the companionway and called the mate to -relieve him. Bahama Bill came up, and the Captain went below. - -The big mate sat there watching the weather, and his face bore a -good-humoured expression. The conditions suited his frame of mind. Away -from the temptations of the beach, he was a different man from the -fracas-loving ruffian when full of cheap grog. Captain Bull Sanders -turned in for a short rest, knowing that the vessel was in good hands. - -Below in the bunks of the cuddy five men lay in all possible positions -to keep from being flung out. One read, or tried to read, the paper -which told of the running away to sea of the rich cigar-maker's son -and of the reward offered for his safe delivery into the bosom of his -family. Others lay and talked. Another slept, grasping even in his -slumbers at the bunk-boards, and mechanically bracing his knee to -hold himself during the wild plunges. The creaking and racking of the -straining sloop blended with the droning roar overhead, punctuated -now and then by a smashing crash as a sea would fall on deck; but the -resting men paid little attention to either the noise or motion, until -the Captain had finished his pipe. - -He suddenly threw down the magazine he had been trying to read for some -minutes, and glanced at the barometer on the bulkhead. "Goin' down all -the time. I reckon we'll catch it," he said. - -"Hurricane season began nigh a month ago," said a man significantly. - -"It don't got here alretty yet, maybe," said Heldron. - -"Must be," said a Swede. - -There was a general movement. All hands reached for oilskins and -without further orders followed the Captain on deck. - -"How's the wind now, Bill?" bawled the Captain. - -"Been easterly; but goin' toe th' s'uthard fast," said the mate. "Looks -a bit dirty." - -"Whew! Beginning to blow a bit, hey?" said the Captain, as a fierce -squall struck them and roared past, sending a blinding cloud of spray -and drift over them. The droning cry of the wind in the rigging -increased, and the straining cloth stretched until the blast passing -over it made a dull, booming, rushing sound of such volume that -conversation was deadened in the noise. - -It now was blowing with force. The sea was white under the steel-blue -bank, which had risen until a twilight darkness was upon the ocean. The -sky above was turning a dull gray, and the scud was darker against it, -whirling along in torn masses before the squalls, which were becoming -more frequent and violent. The wind was shifting southerly, and the -shifts in the squalls told plainly of the danger of the approaching -spot of low pressure, about which the squalls drew in with the spiral -movement common to tropical hurricanes. - -Bull Sanders looked anxiously at the lubber's mark. The sea was getting -worse, and the sudden hot blasts of wind were more vicious. He was too -old a sailor to be caught with loose gear. Everything already had been -done to snug the sloop down; but there was a limit to the strength of -spars and lines. The mainsail might hold; but some of those hurricane -squalls would blow away anything made of canvas, and he decided to take -no chances. He got out his sea-anchor, or drag, and let it go from -the weather quarter, passing the line forward with difficulty to the -windlass. Then, just after a squall, all hands handed in the bit of -canvas, rolled it up, and made it fast. The _Sea-Horse_ now was going -astern fast, pulling the drag with her which kept her head to the sea. -Nothing more could be done for the time, and Sanders crouched in the -wake of the cabin, watching ahead for the shift which would come. - -"What's that?" he bawled into the mate's ear, and pointed to the -eastward. - -Just as the sloop rose upon a high crest, a dark speck showed for a -moment on the eastern horizon. It was not far away; for it was too -thick to see any great distance. - -"Steamer," bawled the mate, "hove-to and going to the north'ard like -blazes!" - -"We're right in th' stream--if the wind holds southeast, he'll be all -right." - -"But it won't. It's shifting--be southwest in an hour--he'll be close -to the bank." - -"Gun Key?" - -"We ain't more'n twenty miles to the south'ard o' Gun Key--'bout -sou'west-b'-south." - -The squalls became fiercer and more frequent. They were like blasts -from an explosion, the wind roaring past with incredible power. Between -them it was blowing at the rate of sixty miles an hour; but when they -struck it was nearly double that velocity. The wrecking sloop sagged -away to leeward, and the dangerous sea swept upon her during those -rushes in a way that shook every bolt and fastening in the frame. -She was beginning to make water a little, and the bursting sea which -struck now and again sought out every crack and seam in the companion -doors and hatchway. The men on deck were submerged repeatedly. For -an hour and more they watched her making bad weather of it, and then -came a darker colour in the gray above. There was a sudden squall of -tremendous power. The vessel was hove almost on her beam ends as it -took her forward of the beam, and she swung up to the drag barely in -time to take the sea bow on. The lubber's mark swung slowly from left -to right until it reached southwest. - -"It's goin' fast," bawled the mate to Sanders alongside him. - -"See that feller now?" asked the Captain. - -The mate pointed to the eastward. - -The dark smudge of the steamer's hull showed through the flying drift. -While they looked a flash of white told of a heavy sea boarding her. -She disappeared in the foam. - -"Must have trouble with her engines," said Sanders. "She's goin' to -lor'ard as fast as we be." - -Bahama Bill was staring astern into the gray blank where all things -seemed to melt into chaos. Suddenly he called out, and all hands swung -about and stared in the same direction. - -"Gun Key light!" screamed Heldron, his eyes staring from their -salt-burned lids. - -"Will we go clear?" asked Sam, his voice steady, but his intense look -telling of the tale of life or death he wanted to hear. They stared -into the drift astern, and the squalls broke over them unheeded. The -sea was quick and heavy, and to strike meant certain loss of the -vessel. There was one chance in a thousand for any one to get ashore, -should she fetch up on the coral bank. Yet there she was going to -leeward fast in spite of the drag, and the tower of Gun Key light was -rising under the lee. To the northward was the Beminis. She was getting -jammed, and the chances were growing against her as the minutes flew by. - -The steamer was farther to leeward. She had sighted the edge of the -bank, and was trying to drive off into the Gulf Stream with the force -of her crippled engines. A cross-head bolt had started, and under the -terrific strain the starboard engine had broken down. She could not -keep head to the sea with the port wheel, and had placed a tarpaulin -in the mizzen-rigging to help hold; but it had forced her to leeward -also, and she now was close to the edge of the Great Bahama Bank. The -_Sea-Horse_ still had between twelve and fifteen miles between her and -the reef; but the ship had hardly ten, and was dropping back too fast -for any hope to clear unless the wind eased up suddenly. - -Squall after squall followed the shift. It blew harder, if anything, -and the Captain of the steamer, seeing that he must go on the bank, -made ready to pile his ship up as high as possible in the hope of -saving some of the passengers and crew. To go upon the submerged part -of the reef meant death to all hands. He must run upon the coral above -the surf, and get as high up as he could. Then if the outer edge was -steep, he might get his bow near enough to dry land to get the people -ashore. - -The crew of the _Sea-Horse_ watched him as he went slowly in. In an -hour after the westerly shift he was so close that the white coral -showed through the blinding clouds of spray thrown up by the sea on the -reef. Then, by hard work, he managed to get some head sail on the ship -and start in for Gun Key. - -She ran the half-mile between her and the beach at a tremendous pace. -Lifting upon a sea, she rushed shoreward and struck, swung, lifted -again, and then was hove solidly broadside into the surf. The men on -the wrecker saw her strike. When she stopped a great burst of white -told of a smashing sea going over. The slanting spars and funnel told -how high she had hit, and the huge, bursting clouds of white water -smothering her told of the rending power that she was exposed to -in that surf. The hundred yards between the bow and the sand was a -churning, boiling stretch of whiteness. - -"That's the end of her," said the mate. "Looks like we're in fer the -same thing." - -In silence the rest watched the wreck. They were going in themselves; -but the fate of the ship held their attention in spite of the death -that they knew lay in the white line to leeward. It had been blowing -now for four hours with hurricane force, and as they went in within -a mile of the surf the shifting squalls swung more and more to the -westward. Then it began to ease suddenly. Between gusts there was -not more than a stiff gale. It was growing brighter, and they knew -that they had missed the storm-centre, which must have passed to the -eastward. - -"Get the mainsail on her--we'll poke her to the s'uth'ard!" bawled -Sanders. - -Led by the mate, the men lay forward, and working for life raised the -balance-reefed mainsail. Bahama Bill lay flat on his stomach, knife in -hand, while they cleared the forestaysail and ran it up. Then he cut -clear the drag. A wave of the hand, and Sanders filled the vessel off -on the starboard tack, and as it went the dull booming thunder of the -surf came up against the gale. - -"If the wind keeps goin' we'll poke her off yet," said Sanders as the -mate came aft. - -"Ay, we'll poke her out to sea; but I could swim that surf good an' -easy," said the mate quietly. - -The Captain grinned, and looked at his giant form, its huge proportions -made all the larger by the loose-fitting oilskins. - -"Mebbe you'll git a chance yet," he said. "If it had blown half an hour -longer, you cud ha' tried." - -They worked off that afternoon, getting sail up as the wind slacked. At -night they kept the light in sight, and the next morning were standing -back for Gun Key under a single-reefed mainsail with a fine strong -northerly wind and clear sky. The steamship lay over on her side in the -surf, which broke over her in sheets of foam and spray. The sea had -gone down; but there still was enough to tear up the craft. The masts -and funnel and nearly all the superstructure had gone. Even the iron -sides were smashed, twisted and bent, the plates starting and ripping -clear of the rivets under the smashing blows of the sea. No sign of -life showed aboard; but as she was high up on the bank there was no -doubt that men could live. The _Sea-Horse_ ran close enough to give the -crew a chance to read the name _Orion_ on the stern. - -"One o' them new ships," said Bill. "She was in Key West last time we -ran sponges." - -They ran as close to the surf as they dared, and let go both anchors. -Paying out cable, the sloop soon came within fifty fathoms, and then -stopped; for the sea rose just under the stern, and burst a few fathoms -farther in. - -"Gimme a line," said the mate. - -Sam and Heldron brought forth a coil of whale line, and the black man -stripped for the plunge. He went over the side without a splash, and -they paid out fathom after fathom until his black head showed close to -the bow of the ship, which had settled inshore and lower. Then they saw -him disappear around it, and they waited. Five, ten, minutes passed, -and then a form showed upon the high stern. It was the mate, and he -waved to haul line. - -Heldron went over the taut line next, followed by a Swede and Sam. Then -the line was slacked off, and the big mate, taking a new one, plunged -to leeward and made his way ashore. Half-fish, the diver went through -the surf without accident and joined the light-keeper and his assistant -on the beach, where they were waiting to do what they could to save -those on the wreck. A line they had sent in on a buoy had parted, and -the man upon it had been drowned. - -The mate went back aboard, and managed to get the ten passengers -and rest of the crew ashore without accident. All had gone except -an uncouth-looking lad, the ship's galley-boy, in whom no one -took interest enough to care whether he got ashore or not. Dirty, -dishevelled and frightened beyond words, the lad crawled out of his -hiding-place and begged the big mate to take him in. - -As he had been calling and looking through the ship for disabled men, -the Captain having told him his crew, the mate seized the lad without -further words and plunged over the side. The boy was the last person -unaccounted for. - -"Seems to me I seen yo' befo', sonny," said the mate as he drew him -clear of the surf. "Don't yo' live in Key West?" - -"Oh, yes, I know you," said the lad, grinning. - -The mate held him out at arm's length. "Ain't yo' Jimmy Sanches?" - -The grin died away from the lad's face. "You won't take me back, will -you, Bill?" he said. - -"I reckon I'll have toe, Jimmy." - -The next day the _Sea-Horse_ sailed for Key West with the first claim -for salvage, and a small boy who tried to run away at the last minute, -causing the mate a chase to the lighthouse before he recaptured him. - -"You've hit it fair this trip," said Sanders. "I reckon as ye ain't -thinkin' about whackin' up on thet reward, hey Bill?" - -But the mate said nothing, his rheumy eyes looking far away toward the -southern horizon, where he expected to see the spars of the shipping in -Key West rise above the sea. He was thinking, and it caused his heavy -and seamed jaws to set and line up into a deep scowl. Julia worked for -the rich Sanches, and their reception of a ragged and half-sober seaman -had not been hospitable. Yet here was his chance. - -The next day the wrecking sloop rode at anchor close to the beach, -and Sanders made ready to get his load of perishable goods ashore and -notify the authorities of the disaster up the bank. - -"Don't take me back!" whispered Jimmy as Bill swung him into the small -boat, and the big mate was silent as the men rowed ashore. - -On the way up the street the mate walked slowly, holding the boy by the -hand. - -"You know what a feller my stepfather is, Bill. Don't take me back!" -pleaded Jimmy. - -A steamer was clearing at the coal dock, and the mate stopped to look -at it. Then he suddenly looked down at the boy. "Kin yo' make it, -sonny?" he asked, and he let go of the boy's hand. Like a flash the -lad ran to the string-piece, balanced a moment, and then sprang to -the rail of the ship astern without those on board noticing him. It -was gathering headway, and in a few moments was steaming out to sea, -leaving the big mate staring after her, and the few men who had cast -off her lines clearing up the rubbish in the wake of her gangway. - -"I come back toe tell yo', Jule, dat I ain't in the money racket," said -Bill, half an hour later. "I ain't no perliceman--I'm a sailor." - -"Whatcher mean, Bill?" asked the damsel, keeping inside the door. - -"Nothin'--only if yo' is sho' nuff goin' toe marry me, gal, yo'll have -toe take yo' chances--same as me." - -"Chances? Whatcher mean by chances, man?" - -"What I says," said Bill, solemnly. - -She saw that he was not in liquor. He sat silent and solemn for a long -time, until finally she opened the door a little wider. - -"I reckon I ain't scared o' takin'--usual risks--Bill." - -"I would like to borrow five dollars from ye, Bill," said Sanders when -the mate got back aboard. - -The giant black scowled at him. - -"Didn't ye git the money yet?" - -"I ain't naterally quarrelsome," said Bill; "but if I hears any mo' -erbout dat money, dere's likely toe be some daid men 'roun'." - - - - -III - -The Mate of the "Sea-Horse" - - -He stalked in behind the captain of the _Caliban_ to the desk in the -consul's office at Key West, where the clerk signed on the men. His -six feet three inches of solid frame almost filled the doorway as he -entered, and he scowled sourly at the group already there. His black -face was lined and wrinkled and bore traces of a debauch, but in spite -of his sinister expression his eyes told of a good-natured steadiness -of temper. The bloodshot whites and heavy lids told plainly that he -was a diver, and his peculiar accent, giant frame and general muscular -development proclaimed him a Fortune Islander, a Conch of the Great -Bahama Bank. - -"Nationality?" droned the clerk, in a dull monotone, as he came forward. - -"American," he answered, distinctly. - -The captain looked at him. - -"Where from?" droned the clerk, filling in the blank. - -"Jacksonville," he answered, in a deep tone, fixing his eyes upon the -man's face. - -The clerk smiled a little, but said nothing. It was not his business to -argue, and he knew the weakness of the reefer. He had signed the giant -on to more than six different vessels within the past two years and -each time he had solemnly sworn he was a native of a different country -from the last one named. He had now become a citizen of the United -States, having reserved this honor for the seventh and last time to -sign. - -The age of the giant fluctuated. Once he had had an indistinct -remembrance of being about twenty-five; now he had leaped suddenly to -forty. Something had evidently made him feel aged, and the clerk was -amused, for he felt that it must indeed have been a heavy debauch to -produce such an effect. - -The Islander, or rather the American now, glanced uneasily at the -ship's papers. He was signing on for a cruise in a yacht, and the -United States articles with their red spread-eagle upon their edges -attracted his attention. He could not read the announcement of the -government "whack," or ration, as prescribed by law, and he had -heretofore signed without looking. Now the papers interested him, and -he bade the clerk read them. His voice was low and gentle, but it had -nothing except command in each word, and this annoyed the clerk. He -read slowly and with bad grace, looking up now and then at the captain, -who stood waiting for his man and giving a glance which told plainly -that here was a pirate who would probably make no end of trouble -aboard his ship. But men like the Conch were extremely rare and he -would have him, so he waited impatiently while the clerk read and the -rest listened, hearing probably for the first time in their lives the -contents of a set of articles which they had always treated with the -high disdain existent in all sailors. When the clerk finished, the -giant took the pen in his fingers and scrawled "Bahama Bill" in large, -wabbly letters to his place on the list as second mate for a voyage to -some port north of New York, three months and discharge. - -"S'pose you write William Haskins under that?" said the clerk, sourly. -The giant growled out something, but did as told. Then the papers were -finished. - -The captain led the crew down to the vessel, the mainsail was hoisted, -and as the anchor broke clear and the head-sails were run up, the -little gun upon her quarter crashed a salute which echoed and reechoed -over the quiet harbour. Then the _Caliban_ stood out into the Gulf -Stream and was off, leaving the loafing Cubans and listless Conches -upon the docks, gazing after her over the heaving blue surface streaked -and darkened by the breath of the trade-wind. - -The _Caliban_ was a well-appointed yacht, and her master was a -yacht-captain. That is, he was not a navigator, but simply a Norwegian -sailor who had had the address to impress the owner favourably, and -consequently, there being no examination for a license necessary, the -owner had placed him in command in the usual manner. The chief mate -was a square-head like the master, the owner allowing the captain the -choice of officers, retaining only the cook and steward as his own -protégés for the comfort of the cabin. Under a schooner rig, the -vessel had cruised through the West Indian waters, and had lost her -second mate and crew the day she touched at Key West, the party making -the "pier-head" jump the day after being paid off. In disgust, the -owner left her and took passage for the fashionable hotel at Miami, -leaving his captain to find a crew and follow as soon as possible. - -The morning of the second day out, the yacht swung around Cape Florida, -and stood into Biscayne Bay, rounding to on the edge of the channel -near the large and fashionable hotel, and dropping her hook, the rattle -of her anchor-chain was drowned in the crash of her six-pounder. The -captain went ashore in full uniform, and the first officer turned in, -leaving the second mate in charge leaning easily upon the rail and -gazing after the vanishing form in gold braid. - -The uniform of the second mate was a misfit. There were no clothes -among the slops that would fit his frame, but he gloried in a cap with -braid stuck rakishly on his head, and while his legs were incased in -white ducks rolled to the knees, his huge torso was covered by no more -than a course linen shirt. This he wore split up the back and open in -front, and he was comfortably indifferent to the excellent ventilation -it afforded. - -It was early in the morning and few people were stirring near the great -hotel. The captain disappeared in the direction of the town, and while -the second mate gazed, he saw a boat pulling rapidly toward him from -the hotel dock. - -Soon a man, rowed by a boy, came alongside. - -"Is the owner aboard?" he asked, nervously. - -"No, sah," said Bill, squinting at him. - -"Who's in command?" he inquired. - -"Me, sah." - -"Well, don't fire that gun again. You scare all the invalids in the -hotel. We can't have our people frightened this way." - -"She goes agin at eight bells," drawled Bill. "Have to raise de colours -by him. If you don't like dat little gun, jest please move yer shack." - -"Don't you dare to talk to me like that! Do you know who I am?" bawled -the man, standing up. - -"Naw, I don't know yer--an' de wust is, yo' clean forgot me. Now don't -yo' git too noisy, Peter Snooks, er whatever yer name is--ef yer do, -I'll set on yer. If yer don't like de noise, move yo' shack. I ain't -got no orders to pull de hook." - -The man swore and threatened, but the second mate smiled -good-naturedly, until the man rowed away vowing vengeance. - -"That's the dockmaster, sir," said a sailor standing near. "He'll make -a lot o' trouble--I know him." - -"Fergit him," said the second mate, in a low tone, but in a manner -which closed the incident. - -At eight bells the gun crashed a salute, and, either by chance or -otherwise, it pointed directly at the windows of the huge edifice -filled with the rich Northern guests. The glass fairly rattled with the -shock. - -The day wore on without incident, until the captain came aboard, a bit -the worse for liquor and with the news that the owner had left for St. -Augustine, leaving orders for the yacht to follow. - -It was quiet, and the schooner rode at anchor in a bay of pond-like -smoothness. The men lounged about the decks or gazed over the side at -the bottom, which could be seen through the clear water. They would -stand out at sunrise, but the captain told no one of this intention, -and those ashore expected her to be a fixture of a week or more. The -sun went down in a bank to the westward and the semi-tropical night -came dark and quiet upon the sea. - -Through the deepening gloom, a shadow came stealing around the wooded -point of Cape Florida. With her mainsail well off to the gentle -southerly breeze, the wrecking-sloop _Sea-Horse_ slipped noiselessly -through the water, swinging around the channel buoy and standing like -a black phantom for the mouth of the Miami. She came without a sound, -not even a ripple gurgling from her forefoot; and not a ray of light -showed either from her rigging or from her cabin-house. At the wheel, -a figure stood silent in the night, a slight turn of the spokes now -and then being the only movement to show that the image was that of a -man steering. Strung along the deck-house and rail lay six other human -forms, but they were as quiet as though made of wood. Not even the -glow of a pipe relieved the silent gloom. The wrecker drew near the -yacht. The man at the wheel leaned slightly forward over the spokes -and peered long and searchingly at her from under the main-boom. Then -she drifted past, and as she did so eight bells struck, sounding clear -and musical from the forecastle. In the glare from her anchor-light, a -giant form showed upon the yacht's forecastle-head--the black second -mate, who was taking a look at the anchor-cable before settling himself -for a smoke. The wrecker passed and disappeared around the point, and -the second mate of the _Caliban_ stretched himself along the heel of -the bowsprit and watched the distant loom of the keys whence the low, -murmuring snore of the surf sounded. Two bells struck and aroused him -for a moment. The man on lookout asked permission to go below for a bit -of tobacco, and then after he had watched his figure vanish down the -hatchway, the mate turned toward the shore where the lights sparkled -over the bay. - -A slight rippling sound attracted his attention, and he looked over -the side. It sounded like a large fish of some kind making its way -clumsily along near the surface. The black water flared in places, -and a continuous flashing of phosphorus shone along the cheek of the -bow when the tide was shoved aside. Something dark showed at a little -distance, but it passed astern and the rippling sound died away. -Haskins, who was half-fish from habit and as watchful as a shark, went -to the taffrail and leaned over. The water seemed like ink in the -gloom, but he scanned it steadily and patiently. Nothing showed upon -the dark surface, and he smoked for half an hour, until his usually -alert senses began to wander. He was getting sleepy. Then the rippling -sound began again on the offshore side. He remained quiet and listened. -This time the rippling sounded like a fish going against the current, -and the glare of the disturbed water showed now and again as the body -approached. Suddenly it seemed as if the creature passed under the -yacht's bottom. The rippling died away, and the second mate stepped to -the side to see if it would rise again. Nothing showed in the blackness -under her counter, but from down there came a peculiar scraping sound. -It continued, and he peered over to see the cause. The raking stopped -instantly. He remained quiet and it began again, a peculiar scraping as -though something were scratching against the vessel's bilge. - -Suddenly a sound of heavy breathing came from the water. Haskins -started, drew himself down upon the rail and listened intently. Yes, he -recognized it now, distinctly. It was the breathing of a man. - -While he lay upon the rail listening, he was thinking rapidly. There -were few men who would swim out in the bay at night, and there was none -who would swim out there without some sinister object. He thought of -the dockmaster and his talk of revenge, but he knew the dockmaster was -not a diver. There could be only one or two men on the Florida Reefs -for wrecking, and these men were among the crew of the _Sea-Horse_, the -sloop in which he had been mate for the past season. Then he remembered -a phantom-like shadow which had drifted past in the earlier hours of -the evening, and he was satisfied he knew his man. It was the captain -of the wrecking-sloop, and his object was plain to the diver. It was an -old game, a game he had indulged in many times himself in the days gone -by. He knew the long, desperate swims through the dangerous waters of -West Indian and Florida reefs; the fierce struggle alongside to hold -the body silent in a tideway while with hook and bar the wrecker worked -at the oakum in the seams just a strake or two below the water-line; -then the inrushing flood and settling ship, and daylight finding a -panic-stricken captain and mutinous and half-dead crew with swollen -arms and aching backs from a night's hopeless work at the pump-brakes. -He could picture the approaching wrecking-sloop, with her apparently -amazed crew and the vulture-like descent upon the soon-abandoned -vessel whose only damage was really the working out of several pounds -of oakum from seams which were manifestly improperly calked. Then the -investigation and salvage, for even when the marks showed plain of -either bar or hook, there was never the slightest evidence against the -wrecker. - -Bahama Bill knew the game well, and he smiled a little as he listened. -Then he took off his cap with the gold braid and laid it upon the deck, -and leaned far out over the side. Suddenly, through the darkness, he -made out a face looking up at him from the water. There was nothing -said. He recognized the captain of the _Sea-Horse_, and he knew him -to be a man who seldom wasted words. There was only the long, hard -scrutiny, the study of man's mind by man; each trying to fathom the -other's thought, for the sudden resolve which always comes quickly to -men of action. - -While they gazed, a sudden noise from aft attracted attention. It was -the surly mutterings of the drunken yacht-captain, who had come on -deck for a breath of air. The sight of him annoyed the second mate. -It caused a revulsion of feeling within him he could not understand. -The responsibility of his position became apparent for the first time. -Among his kind the rigid law of superiority and control had always -obtained while afloat. Ashore it was different. There restraint was -cast to the winds, and he had often been one of the wildest and most -dangerous men in the seamen's resorts between Key West and Panama. -Here the sight of the drunken captain made him quiet and thoughtful. -Whatever relations he had intended should exist between himself and -the wrecker, it was now plain to him that he was an officer holding -a responsible position. It came to him suddenly at the sight of the -incapable commander. He would maintain his dignity and responsibility. - -This feeling was upon him before he was half aware of it, and he turned -again to the man overside. - -"Get away quick," he said, in a low tone. - -The wrecker knew his meaning, and his resolve was taken. He would -follow the game out. He had swum a full half-mile, and the stake he was -playing for was high. - -"It's a half share if you keep your mouth shut," said the wrecker. "I -thought you had some sense." - -"De dock-marshal tol' yo' I was heah," said Bill, "but he forgot to -tell yo' I ain't de mate o' de _Sea-Horse_. Yo' clean side-stepped dat." - -"If anything happens to me, the boys know you are aboard. Your friend -the dockmaster saw to that. They burnt a nigger to the stake last -week," said the wrecker, meaningly. - -"Yo' better go ashore, Cap'n. I ain't de mate o' de _Sea-Horse_." His -tone was low and measured, and it left no further room for argument. - -The tipsy yacht-master had gone below again, gurgling the words of a -ribald song. He had seen nothing. The deck was deserted by all save the -second mate. - -"Swim out," said Bill, decisively. - -"Well, I'll rest a minute first," said the wrecker. He made his way -forward and climbed upon the bobstay, the second mate going on the -forecastle to watch him. The man on the lookout had not come from below -yet, and the wrecker noticed it. He was furious at his former mate, and -his hand felt instinctively for the knife in his belt. The Conch dared -not hurt him, for the crew of the _Sea-Horse_ would surely make him pay -the penalty if he did. A call to the men aboard would put an end to -wrecking operations, but the giant disdained any help. He would settle -the matter quietly, as was best, and the men of the wrecking-sloop -would have no real cause for revenge. The second mate had no desire to -make unnecessary trouble for himself. He would have to return some day -for the reckoning. - -The legs of the wrecker shone white below his trunks, and were in sharp -contrast against the black water in which they were half submerged. The -man was thinking quickly, and waiting a few seconds before making the -desperate attack with his knife. Once rid of the mate, all would be -clear for action. Haskins knew his man and suspected something, but he -sat silent upon the knightheads and waited. - -Suddenly he saw a long flaming streak in the water. The man on the -bobstay swore furiously. There was a great splash, a hoarse cry, and -the second mate was forward alone. - -It was all so sudden, he had hardly time to realize its meaning. Then, -as the man who had gone below rushed up, he seized his sheathed knife -and plunged into the blackness ahead. A thrashing of the water to -starboard located the wrecker, who had been seized by a dog-shark and -was cutting and struggling wildly for liberty. His white legs, lying -motionless and half submerged, had tempted the fish to strike. In -motion and under water, the danger had been slight. Now the scavenger, -who was about five feet long, had seized hold, and with its natural -bulldog tenacity was pulling the wrecker steadily seaward in spite -of his struggles. He had used his knife freely, for the fish made -no attempt to draw him under. The small shark of the reef, for some -reason, fights upon the surface, sinking only after all resistance is -over. It was to this peculiarity that the wrecker owed his life. - -The big mate, Haskins, knew what had happened. He knew also the -chances, and he drove ahead through the black water, leaving a flaming -wake behind. The man on lookout, thinking the black giant had gone mad, -dived below with the news that he had plunged overboard and committed -suicide. At first, Haskins could only make out a slight disturbance -in the water, which was rapidly moving toward the entrance. Then, as -his eyes, long used to sea-water, made out the dark lump which was his -former captain's head, he half rose from the sea and with tremendous -overhand strokes fairly lifted himself forward, his knife grasped with -point in front. In a few moments he was up with the fracas. The wrecker -saw him coming, and called out. He seized him, and then all three went -below the surface with the force of the fish's tug. - -Reaching along the wrecker's leg, Haskins drove his knife with force -just behind the shark's jaw-socket. The blow abated the scavenger's -zeal, and they arose to the surface. A second lunge and the fish let -go and disappeared. Then the wrecker's body relaxed, and Haskins was -swimming upon the quiet surface of the bay, holding the sinking head -above water. - -Far away, the dark outlines of Virginia Key showed, a low black lump -on the horizon. Beyond it, the dull snore of the surf came over the -water. A good hundred yards against the tide, the anchor-light of the -yacht shone. It would be almost impossible to drag the insensible man -to her, even should he dare. There was only one way out of the scrape, -and Haskins with resolute mind saw it and began the struggle at once. -He headed for the mouth of the river, where he knew the _Sea-Horse_ lay -waiting, just behind the point. - -On through the blackness he swam. The first mile seemed endless, and -still the lifeless form of the wrecker dragged helplessly in his wake. -Another, and his teeth were shut like a vise and his breath was panting -loudly over the quiet water. He turned the point, and saw the loom of -the _Sea-Horse_ as she rose at anchor beyond the shadow of the trees -upon the banks. - -Suddenly a man hailed in a low tone. The mate made no answer, but -headed for the bobstays and grasped them. Then he rested. Half an hour -later, the captain of the wrecker came to in his bunk and viewed his -bandaged leg. A lamp burned dimly in the cabin, and he made out the -form of the black mate lying in a bunk, snoring loudly. Several of the -crew were sitting around waiting until he could give the details of -the affair, and now they crowded forward. The plot was a failure owing -to Haskins. He told of the huge mate's interference and of the stroke -of the dog-shark. Then they burst forth with imprecations so loud -that Haskins awoke. Knives glinted in the dim light and a half-dozen -sinister faces formed a crescent above him, but he was very tired. He -gazed for nearly a minute through half-closed lids at the threatening -men. He thought he heard the captain calling weakly for the men to let -him alone. What he had done for him was not entirely lost. Then he -gave a snort of contempt and turned his back to them and slept. - -Even the boldest held back. The conscious power of the man and his -disdain for them all were too much even for the most desperate. They -drew away sullenly and listened to their captain, and then as his -words, whispered low, began to have effect, they left the cuddy. -Silently they hoisted the mainsail and carefully drew in fathom after -fathom of the cable. The jib was hoisted and the _Sea-Horse_ stood out -and passed like a dark shadow from the harbour. As the sun rose and -gave colour to the sea, the deep blue of the wind-broken surface told -of the Gulf Stream. The land had disappeared astern. - -In the early morning, the yacht-master put sail on the _Caliban_ and -stood out for New York. He had a full crew lacking a second mate, -and they carried the story North how they had shipped a black giant -who had gone mad during the night and plunged to his death over the -knightheads. - - - - -IV - -Barnegat Macreary - - -"Put that fellow in the lee rigging and let him chuck the lead awhile," -said Captain Sanders. "Sink me, but he is a queer one. Where did ye say -he hailed from?" - -"Hey, Peter, where did yo' hatch?" asked the big black mate in a voice -deep and loud enough to be heard half a mile. The man he addressed was -standing near the mast explaining to the wrecking crew gathered about -him how he had once been quartermaster in a man-of-war. He looked aft -at the hail. - -"I'm from the Berhammers," said he. - -"Born there?" asked the captain. - -"No, I live on the Great Berhammer--I'm a sailor man, sir." - -"Put him in the lee rigging an' let him sound across the Bank. If he -knows half as much as he says he does, he'll see us across all right -enough. It's getting mighty shoal now. Look at that nigger head pokin' -up yander." And he pointed to a piece of coral that came within a few -feet of the surface of the clear blue water. The bottom was plainly -visible two fathoms below and the wrecking sloop, _Sea-Horse_, needed -at least one to go clear with the rise and fall of the sea. - -"Git to lor'ard there, quartermaster, an' heave the lead," bawled the -mate, looking the man squarely in the eyes. - -"But I shipped as a sailor----" - -"Git thar quick an' sudden," roared the black giant, rising from the -cuddy hatch coaming. He had heard the loud tone of the man forward -telling his latest yarn. - -A look of amazement and concern came over the face of the man from -"Berhammer," but he hesitated no longer. Seizing the lead which lay -always ready in a tub of line near the windlass, he made the lee side -and hove it far ahead. - -The _Sea-Horse_ was passing over the Great Bahama Bank near its extreme -northern end, and at a part where even the mate had never been. She had -stopped off the island a few hours before to take on the stranger for -pilot and continue her way to a wreck reported on the eastern edge of -the shoal water. - -"Plenty o' water here," he yelled, as the lead-line came perpendicular. - -"How much?" asked Sanders. - -The man hove again. - -"Not much water here," he cried, as the line suddenly stopped running -out. - -The mate started forward, looking over the side. - -"Not much water here," called the man again. - -There was a sudden jar, followed by a grinding, grating sound from -below. - -"Deedn't I tole yo' so," sang the fellow in an even tone, heaving the -lead again as though nothing had happened. A sounding slap from the -big mate's hand finished proceedings in the rigging, and a volley of -oaths from Sanders, coupled with orders to get a kedge anchor out to -windward, put new life in the scene upon the sloop's deck. - -Macreary, still smarting from the big black mate's blow upon his -stern-sheets, fell to with the rest, and by dint of much heaving upon a -new hawser bent to an anchor carried well to windward, the _Sea-Horse_ -was finally hove off the bank. They were materially helped in this by -the gentle heave of the swell, which lifted the wrecking sloop easily -and dropped her with a crash at each sea. - -When she floated there were several very discontented men aboard who -looked as though they would make it squally weather for the pilot -before they reached the wreck on the Bank. - -The wreck of the _Ramidor_, a small Brazilian bark bound for Rio, lay -upon the edge of the Bahama Bank in about a fathom of water. She had -been driven there in a heavy gale from the eastward and had gone in -upon the shoal about a quarter of a mile, lying upon her bilge where -the sea in calm weather just broke clear of her, the wash of foam -striking against her high black sides and spurting skywards. In a heavy -sea, the break was far to windward of her, and in consequence she was -in no immediate danger of going to pieces with the smash. She had been -sighted by several wreckers, and the _Sea-Horse_ and _Buccaneer_ were -on their way to her, each hurrying with all speed to claim the salvage. -The _Buccaneer_ was at work on the Caicos Bank, and the _Sea-Horse_ at -Cape Florida when the news reached them. The former manned by English -negroes and navigated by a long, lean Yankee skipper, had stood to the -eastward and northward, coming in sight of the wreck about the time the -_Sea-Horse_, picking her way across the shoals, raised the slanting -topmasts of the _Ramidor_ beyond a dry coral bank which forced her to -make a long détour to the southward. She had taken on the pilot to -save time and cut across the shoal places as close as possible, and he -had run them ashore most ignominiously when within ten miles of their -destination. - -Macreary finished coiling down the hawser after the kedge was hoisted -aboard, and then he joined the rest who sat upon the hatch. He was much -abashed at heart, but tried not to show it, swaggering with a careless -air among the men who glared at him. - -"Blamed fine quartermaster you make," snarled one; "must have been on -one o' them ten-foot sand barges wot takes offal to sea an' dumps it. I -once knowed a fellar like you wot was quartermaster o' one." - -"Capting, too, hey?" growled a Swede. "Crew were a yaller dawg?" - -"Where did yo' learn pilotin'?" asked a Conch, grinning and spitting -as close to the pilot's toes as he could without hitting them. - -"I'm learning it now," said Macreary, cheerfully, sitting down and -gazing over the sea to where the tiny speck of the bark's topmast -showed above the horizon. He was not going to show how absurd and -mean he felt to that crowd, so he sat and gazed apparently calm and -unruffled, without a sign of the burning shame which seemed to stifle -him. - -He was now silent and thinking. There was a short cut along a narrow -and tortuous channel which would let the vessel out to sea close to the -point of the dry coral bank, or end of Cay. He thought he might know -it, although he had only been through twice before. The wreck lay only -a few miles beyond, and even now the white glint of the rival wrecker's -sails showed plainly that he would board the prize first and claim the -salvage. But the memory of the big black mate's hand was too strong -upon him, and he kept silent. The _Sea-Horse_ was working up behind the -reef and it was noticeable how smooth and sheltered the sea was in its -lee. It would make a fine harbour for a vessel caught working upon the -wreck in a heavy easterly, if she could navigate the channel. But the -master of the _Sea-Horse_ knew nothing of the channel, and he would -have sooner thrown the pilot overboard than trusted him again. He stood -out behind the Cay and made a good offing, reaching well off into the -open ocean in spite of the fact that he would have ten miles further to -go. - -But Macreary sat silent and watched the horizon where the black speck -rose. He was not thinking about the wreck. To him it was nothing -whether a Conch or two should make a little money from the disaster -of a sailor. His thoughts were back with the strange men he had left -upon the Cay of the Great Bahama, the little band led by the tall and -muscular Jones, leader of the Sanctified people who sought refuge from -the strife of the world upon the sun-beaten reefs of the Bahama Bank. - -Jones had taught him to read. Jones had read to him from the Book of -all Books, the relic of an ancient literature, revised, rewritten and -put together in somewhat disconnected pieces, the Bible of the most -enlightened people upon the face of the world. And in it he had heard -the words of wisdom as set down by men who had gone before, men who -had lived their lives and who had learned from experience. And the -philosophy of these men he believed was true, for they had lived their -lives out and had left behind them the results of years of life. It -was not the one tale of a single man, which must necessarily be narrow -and worthless, but it was the gatherings of the teachings of many who -had been in positions to learn. Yes, what Jones had read him was the -philosophy of ages. And Jones had read to him, "Hide not thy light -under a bushel," and he had told him that it meant to use what talents -he possessed, to try to do what he thought he was able to--and not hang -back. He felt abashed and ashamed beyond expression at his failure, -for he had believed he was a fit pilot over the Bank. He founded his -belief upon the fact that he had gone fishing many times in a small -skiff in the vicinity of the island and had twice gone southward along -the edge of the Bank; he had noticed many times how the water shoaled -from the deep ocean to the white water of the coral reef. It was hard -to account for his failure, he thought, with men aboard who must have -seen the bottom as plainly as he, himself, could--and then the big -black man's mortifying stroke---- - -The vessels stood toward the wreck under the impetus of the easterly -breeze, the _Buccaneer_, a point free, raced up and let go her anchor -close under the bark's lee in just enough water to float. Then her -skipper putting forth in a small boat boarded the _Ramidor_ just as -the _Sea-Horse_ came through the breakers on the edge of the Bank. She -cleared the bottom by a few inches, although the wash of the sea swept -her decks and drenched the men standing by to take in the mainsail -and let go the hook. Sanders ran her well in behind the wreck and -rounded to, scraping up the sand with the keel, and anchored behind the -_Buccaneer_. It was close work and a heavy sea would drop both vessels -heavily upon the reef. They must make good use of the smooth water, and -Sanders hailed his lucky rival to get what he could. - -"See ye got a wrack there," said he, calling to the long Yankee -skipper, who smiled at him from the bark's quarter-deck. - -"Talk like ye never see it afore. Wonder ye didn't notice it bein' as -ye were headin' this way. Strange how these Dagoes pile up thar ships," -answered the skipper of the _Buccaneer_. - -"Don't suppose ye want to whack up, hey? An' have us turn to an' help -with the cargo?" - -The long skipper squirted a stream of tobacco juice over the side in -derision. - -"I reckon ye think we're out here fer our health, hey?" he roared. -"What d'ye think we're doin' around here anyways? I want to let ye know -right sudden that this wrack is mine--ye keep off. Ye know what will -happen if there's any monkey business. I won't stand any foolishness." - -"'Twouldn't do fo' toe nab him, hey?" asked the black mate of the -_Sea-Horse_, turning to his captain. "We kin take him, sho', an' make a -divide with it. We got here about the same time he did." - -"I'm afeard we better not," said Sanders. "Too many witnesses--they'll -swear they got here first--I've a notion to pitch that pilot overboard." - -The beaten sloop lay all that day off the wreck, her crew fuming and -her captain and mate trying to devise some means to get a hold upon the -bark. At dark Sanders rowed over to the _Buccaneer_ and tried every -means from bluff to bribery to get in a claim, but the _Buccaneer's_ -crew held out solidly. Finally they compromised matters by signing on -as labourers at a dollar and a half per day to help the _Buccaneer's_ -crew to work the wreck. It was the best they could do for the present -and they went sullenly to work with the hope something would turn up to -favour them. - -Two days passed and the bright summer weather held. The sea was smooth -as glass and the wreckers lay in safety. Far away to the northward the -glint of the dry coral bank showed at low water. Nothing else broke the -eternal blue line of the horizon. - -Macreary was not turned to with the rest but kept aboard the -_Sea-Horse_ as ship-keeper. He helped cook the meals and was kept -busy with cleaning. As he was alone a good deal, he spent much time -in gazing over the sea, figuring on the channel which led five or six -miles to the northward to the deep water behind the dry bank. If they -had only let him try it, he might have worked them through in time. -It was crooked, worse than a letter S to sail through, but the bark -was worth several thousand dollars to the salvors--and he had lost. He -would have been well paid if they had made her in time. - -The crew of the _Sea-Horse_ took some pains to tell the wreckers how it -was the fault of their pilot that they lost. The Conchs laughed at him -in derision whenever they boarded the sloop at meal times, and he was -so much set upon by both crews that he begged Sanders to put him aboard -the first vessel sighted. The third day two more wrecking vessels came -upon the scene, but as the bark was now pretty well stripped, the -salvors would have none of them. One of the strangers stood away, but -the other came to anchor, leaving her mainsail up ready to go at a -moment's notice. - -"Hey, don't ye want a pilot?" asked the long skipper of the -_Buccaneer_, calling to the stranger. His hail was the cause of much -amusement to the two working crews. They stopped and looked over at the -little vessel, whose three men sat in a row upon her rail watching the -wreck. - -"We've the best pilot on the bank," said Sanders, trying to hide his -sarcasm by a frown. "We thought maybe as ye ware goin' on ye might want -him." - -"I reckon I'll take him," said one of the three. "I ain't goin' no -farther'n th' Bahama, an' ef he don't mind he can take us across the -Bank." - -"Git him," said Sanders, "there he is," and he pointed to the -_Sea-Horse_ where Macreary sat fishing. Then all hands had a good laugh -and went on with their work, hiding their amusement from the strangers. -It would be a good joke. They would have the pleasure of seeing the -vessel piled up before she drew out of sight. - -The three men on the new arrival were in no hurry. They fished a little -while and finally one of them rowed across the twenty fathoms of -intervening water to Macreary, who had heard the conversation and was -ready. As he dropped into the small boat he looked to the southward and -noticed a heavy bank of cloud rising. He said nothing until aboard the -sloop and then asked to look at the glass. It was falling rapidly. - -"There'll be a bit o' dirty weather comin'," he said, as he came on -deck and joined the fishermen. - -"Is there air harbour round erbouts?" asked Captain James, baiting his -hook. He was in no hurry to get under way. - -"There's good water behind that cay up yander," said Macreary. - -"How fer?" - -"'Bout five mile." - -"All right, we'll start just afore dark--kin make it in thirty or fo'ty -minutes with a breeze, hey?" - -"I reckon," said Macreary, looking anxiously at the weather to the -southward. Then they hauled up fish for a couple of hours until the -sunshine turned a brassy colour and finally died away as the cloud bank -covered the western sky. - -The men aboard the bark began to get nervous. Sanders went aboard -the _Sea-Horse_ with his mate and they hoisted the mainsail close -reefed, making ready to get to sea in case of trouble. The skipper of -the _Buccaneer_ finally knocked off also, and soon the clanking of -windlasses broke the silence of the tropical evening. They were getting -ready to get away at the first shift to the eastward, for the sea would -break heavily where they lay in a strong wind. There was much to carry -away, but they would take no chances. The most valuable part of the -wreck's belongings were already on deck waiting to be transferred to -the _Buccaneer_, and she would lie by with a man aboard the bark to -watch and take charge. - -"I wouldn't be surprised if it blowed," said Captain James of the -little sloop _Seabird_. "I reckon we'll stop fishin' an' pull out afore -it's too hot. I wouldn't keer to be the man left in thet bark, hey?" - -"If they abandon her, it's fair play all over agin to the first man -what gets aboard," said one of his men. "I don't believe the wessel is -badly hurt, anyways." - -The heavy bank of cloud rose rapidly. A flash of lightning lit the -gloom of the evening and the edge of the pall swept past overhead. It -was travelling rapidly. To the southward the growing darkness seemed -to melt into the blackness above like a smooth black wall of mist. A -murmur of unrest came over the sea, a weird far-reaching cry vibrating -through the quiet atmosphere, rising and falling like the distant -voices of a vast host. - -Sanders, who had signed on his men as helpers, could gain nothing by -staying. He had signed away his future rights, therefore he lost no -time in getting up his anchor and standing out to sea with his canvas -shortened for trouble and everything being made snug. - -The _Buccaneer_ crew were struggling with as much gear as they could -carry to get it aboard their ship before the sea began to make if it -blew. All hands were overside hurrying the work, and even the two men -who were to remain aboard to take charge were helping and had left -the bark's deck when a line of white showed to the southward upon the -black sea. There was a puff of wind, cool and whirling as though it -had dropped from some great height in the realms of snow. The surface -of the heaving swell ruffled, a blinding flash of fire followed by a -crash; then a few moments of silence broken gradually by a deep-toned -roar growing louder and louder. The line of white bore down upon the -vessels, and as it came the darkness grew blacker. There was a fierce -rush of wind, and with a burst as though fired from a gun, the blast of -the squall struck the vessels and bore them prone with its sweep. - -The _Buccaneer's_ mainsail tore to bits as she lay upon her beam ends, -her anchor parted, and in a moment she was going out to sea, every -man aboard of her struggling with the flying strips of canvas. The -wind had come from the southward and with just enough slant to allow -her to clear the shoal water and make the open ocean. Macreary, with -nothing to do but watch the coming squall, let go the halliards of the -_Seabird's_ sail, and her crew had managed to get a line around it -before the weight of the wind struck. The captain reached the wheel and -managed to pay her off somehow, dragging the anchor which had been hove -short as though it were a bit of iron hanging to the line. Then handing -the spokes to his pilot, he pointed to the northward, where the dry -bank of the cay had just disappeared in the storm. - -"Git in--behind--harbour," he bawled, and as the words came brokenly -above the roar, Macreary knew he meant to run the crooked channel for -harbour behind the reef. - -The two men hove up the anchor while the _Seabird_ tore along ten -knots with nothing save her mast to pull with the wind. Macreary swung -her first this way and then that, blindly, stupidly, and unreasoning, -but with rising hopes as the wind beat down the sea into an almost -level plain of water white as milk. He held her north by west, making -as much westing as he could, blindly hoping to make enough inside the -reef to clear the end of the bank and gain the shelter beyond. All was -blackness ahead and there was no way of telling when he reached the -dry bank; no way of telling when he should round her to and drop both -anchors with every fathom bent on to hold them, but he kept on. - -"Hide not thy light under a bushel," came the words of the tall -preacher! They seemed to flit before his half-blinded vision. He who -must make a living at something would do it at what he thought he could -do best. He must surely know more about those waters than the Conchs -who lived to the southward, for he had fished upon them for two years. -His ideas about piloting were vague and absurd, but he did not know it. -It seemed to him that all he must do was to show the way the best he -could, and it was not in keeping with the teachings to hold back. It -would be more immodest to feign ignorance of the banks than to admit a -knowledge of them. He had known people who were so backward that they -always waited to be sought out by others and pressed to do things, -which by all nature they should have offered to do at once. To him -these people were truly immodest and their very quietness seemed to -savour of a tremendous egotism. They seemed so satisfied and complacent -in their knowledge, so superior that unless they were flattered by -being sought out and offered a handsome reward, they would rather carry -their wisdom to the grave than offer it. It was "hiding a light under a -bushel," in the sense the tall man of the Sanctified Band of pilgrims -taught it. - -The wind drove the little vessel wildly before it. The sea began to -make astern, and as he turned his face to look backward a spurt of -spray and foam half-choked him. The roar of the gale grew louder. The -captain's voice came brokenly to him through the gloom, and he saw him -standing close to the companion hatch gazing ahead and holding on with -both hands, his face thrust forward and his sou'wester pushed back as -though to aid him to see some mark to steer by to safety. - -Five, ten, fifteen minutes flew by. If they missed the shelter of the -reef and the deep water behind it, they would certainly pile up on the -shoals beyond, where the sea would fall with tremendous violence in -less than an hour. Already the lift astern was growing quicker and the -white plain of water was rolling up into a dangerous sea. He swung the -little vessel hard to port, thinking to find better water, and as he -did so she took the ground heavily, throwing her captain with force -against the coamings. - -"Keep her off--breakers--windward," came the cry as from a great -distance. - -He rolled the wheel up mechanically and she was tearing away again into -the darkness, going clear as though she had touched soft mud instead of -hard coral rock. - -A burst of wind tore over them with a droning roar. The little vessel -lay down to the pressure. Then gathering herself upon a sea she rushed -ahead. - -The blackness grew thicker. Macreary could hardly see the loom of the -mast forward. Then a flickering flare of lightning lit the storm and -right ahead showed a strip of dry yellow sand. It was a mile off yet, -but they were going fast. Macreary hove the wheel to port and kept it -there until the little ship buried her starboard deck-strake in the -foam. - -"Will--make--" came the voice of the captain. - -Macreary did not know whether she would or not, but he would try to, -and setting his teeth hard he gave up all thought of answer. The -minutes flew by. He knew they were going fast. They would go a mile in -five minutes even with the lessened headway of the reaching vessel. How -could he guess the time in that awful turmoil of roaring wind and sea? -He waited and waited. She must be nearly there. The strain was getting -awful. Would he go past? He must be up with the point now--but no, he -would hold her a minute longer. It must be made or lost in one throw -of that wheel, and to lose it meant death to all hands. The blackness -ahead was solid. No eye could penetrate it ten feet. Oh, for another -flash of lightning! - -"Will she--" came the voice of the captain, questioning, querulous, -borne back the few intervening feet through the flying atmosphere. He -did not know and it angered him to have such a question asked. - -How could he tell? - -He was panting with exertion and smothered with drift and spray. -Suddenly he hove the wheel to starboard. The little vessel leaped -forward, straightened out before the gale, then rounded with her head -to the eastward. It was done anyhow. If they were clear, all right. If -they had missed, they would strike within five minutes. - -"Get--anchors--all cable," came the voice of the captain. - -Macreary could see nothing forward, but he knew the men were doing what -they could to obey. Minutes passed, the vessel rose and fell, but she -had not struck yet. He held the wheel, and closed his eyes. The sea -seemed smoother. Ahead it was evidently smoother still. The great lift -of the outside sea was growing less and less. Five minutes more and -the _Seabird_ was in another foam-covered plain of water which had no -rolling sea. - -"Go," came a cry. It was echoed by a faint shriek somewhere. A shaking -of the vessel followed as the chain ran out. Suddenly she brought up -and swung right into the eye of the storm, the rush of wind striking -Macreary in the face and forcing his sou'wester back upon his head. -There was a quick but light rise and fall as the _Seabird_ headed the -sea, and Macreary lashed the wheel fast in the beckets. - -A form brushed against him and the captain yelled in his face: "She's -holdin'--both anchors with forty fathoms--can't get loose unless it -blows the water off the earth," and then he pushed the hatch-slide and -went below. - -In a few minutes all hands were in the little cabin and a light was -struck. It showed four men with streaming oilskins and soaking faces, -whose expressions still bore marks of extreme anxiety. Three of them -looked at each other and then cast glances at Macreary. - -"That was a pretty good job, pilot," said Captain James. "We had a -close call there once--suppose you got mixed with the steering gear, -hey?" - -Macreary said nothing. He was like a man who had suddenly awakened from -a horrible nightmare. - -"Well, you won't lose nothin' by this trip," went on the captain; "them -fellows will be blown off fifty miles before morning--and there ain't a -soul aboard the bark--she's ourn, and that's a fact." - - - - -V - -At the End of the Reef - - -The light-keeper at Fowey Rocks had been given a new assistant, and -the new man was Bahama Bill, the giant wrecker and mate of a sponging -sloop. He was a negro Conch, so-called on account of the diet upon -which many of the native Bankers were supposed to live, the Conch -proving an easy and nourishing meal for the lazy and incompetent -reefer. But the name soon applied to all alike, and the Conch, instead -of becoming a word of opprobrium, stood for all men who made the Reef -or Great Bahama Bank their home. - -William Haskins, otherwise known as Bahama Bill, was a Fortune -Islander, and his acceptance of the keeper's position was but -temporary, taking the place of the assistant who was absent on his -quarterly leave. The head keeper, an old man, seldom left the light. - -It was summer-time and the air was warm with the tropical heat of -the coast. The distance from the land kept the lighthouse cooler -than ordinary, but the hot Stream flowing past at a temperature -of eighty-three degrees gave no cooling effect. The days of the -assistant's absence dragged slowly along, the old keeper tending the -light with his usual care. Then came a season of frightful humidity and -glaring sunshine, lasting many days, the mercury standing always at -ninety-five or more. - -Bahama Bill spent the warm weather loafing about the town of Miami, -and as he was in no hurry to go back to the light, he took pains to -spend what money he possessed in whatever finery he thought befitted -his magnificent personal appearance best. Standing several inches over -six feet and being enormously solid and broad in proportion, he was an -object of admiration to the many black men who loafed along the Florida -shore. With the Seminoles he had nothing whatever to do, for these -Indians showed their distaste for negroes so plainly that it was with -difficulty trouble was avoided whenever the men of the Glades came to -town to trade their deerskins for ammunition. Bahama Bill stuck to his -class until it was past the time for him to return to the light, and -then started off, rigged out clean and shipshape in a small boat. - -The old keeper of the Fowey Rocks lighthouse came out upon the gallery -to take the morning air. The sun was shining and the warm wind from the -Gulf Stream blew lazily through the doorway into the lantern-room. The -blue sea sparkled in the sunshine, and the long, easy roll of the swell -told of calm weather offshore. It was a perfect day, a day of peace and -quiet, upon the end of the great Florida Reef, which stretched away -for miles to the southward. Eastward nothing rose above the blue rim -which compassed all. To the northward the low line of hummocks showed -where Virginia Key and Key Biscayne rose above the water some ten miles -distant. To the westward the little lump of Soldier Key showed where -there might be a solitary human within a dozen miles. And all about -the blue sea sparkled in the bright light, taking on the varicoloured -hues found above the coral banks. Near the lighthouse, in three feet of -water, the coral showed distinctly even from the height of the tower. -Old man Enau gazed down at it, watching the bright green tinge melt -to deeper colour until, in three fathoms, the pure limpid blue of the -great stream flowed past uncoloured and undefiled. Fish were swimming -around the iron piles of the lighthouse; great big bonito, sinuous -barracuda, and now and then a shark would drift up to the iron pillars -and bask a moment in the shade of the tall structure which rose above -the coral bank to the height of a hundred feet and more, standing like -a huge long-legged spider upon its iron feet in the shallow water. - -The quiet of the morning was oppressive to the keeper. Not a sound rose -from the reef save the low roll of the sea as it broke upon the edge of -the bank, not the cry of a single sea-bird to break the great stillness -and beautiful quiet of the day. The old man had been in the light for -three years. To him the world was that eternal sea bounded by the blue -rim and spotted in one or two places by the distant Keys. Whatever he -had seen of human life he left behind him when he took the position -as keeper. He had tried to forget. And now, as the years passed, his -memories were fading. The human struggle was over. The thought of what -he had seen and done was dimmed in the glare of the tropic sunshine, -and the shadow of his past had faded to nothing. - -He had a fine old face. Rugged and burned from the weather on the -reef, his features still bore traces of culture. His nose was straight -and small, and his eyes were bright and blue, the deep blue of the -surrounding sea, which had kept him apart from his fellow men so long. - -He leaned out over the rail and looked down. The heat and stillness -oppressed him, and as he gazed below at the white and green formations -he seemed to see again the inside of a court-room. The quiet and heat -were there, and the stillness was strained and intense, as he waited -for the word which meant his ruin. The faces of the jury who were -trying a murder case were before him, the man on the right looking hard -at him, and the foreman bowing his head gravely in that moment of utter -silence before he spoke the words which meant his end. It had been a -peculiar case, a case of great brutality and cruelty, apparently, from -the evidence produced. He, the master of a large square-rigged ship, -had been accused of a horrible crime, and the evidence of two witnesses -was there to prove it. He remembered the man whose evidence was the -strongest against him, a sailor whom he had befriended, and he could -see the look of pious resignation upon the fellow's face. He also -remembered the furtive gleam that came now and again from the corner of -his eye as he sat near the witness-box and waited his turn to tell of -the horror. - -Why was it? Was it the heat that brought back those scenes which -were fading, or was it the ominous silence of the torrid sunshine -upon the reef? The lines in the face of the old man grew rigid and -drawn, and he gazed stolidly into the blue water until the coral banks -took on new shapes. He saw a ship's deck with the long plank strakes -stretching hundreds of feet fore and aft; the low white deck-house, -with the galley smoke-pipe stretching across it and the boats upon the -strong-backs or booms atop of it; the solid coamings of the hatchways, -with the battened hatches as strong as the sides of the vessel itself; -the high topgallant-rail which shut off the view to windward, and the -rows of belaying-pins stuck beneath with the neatly coiled braces upon -them; the high head of the topgallant-forecastle and the long jibboom -pointing out over the sea; and, above all, the long, tapering spars -lifting upward into the blue above, with the white canvas bellying in -the breath of the trade-wind. It was all plain before him again. Then -it changed--the pampero off the River Plate, the great hurricane sea -which swept the ship and smashed her up, leaving her a wreck, leaking -and settling, six hundred miles from shore. The fracas was there before -him--the men struggling, trying to save her, until, tired out with -exertion and suffering, the man with the furtive eyes had refused to do -duty and managed to get the rest to back him. - -Then the days following, full of desperate endeavour: the fellow who -refused duty shirking and endangering the lives of all; the measures -he took, hanging the man by the hands and flogging him until he fell -in a faint; how he staggered to his feet and looked at the master--one -long look full of a purpose implacable, unrelenting, and then the quiet -manner he had when he obeyed. He had picked the fellow up starving upon -the streets, an outcast from some country and of a social sphere above -his own, taking him aboard his ship and providing food and clothing -with a fair wage--and this had been the outcome. - -They had left her in the one remaining boat two days after, crowding -the craft almost to the gunwales; but the sea was now smooth and the -wind gone, leaving a quiet strangely like that of the beautiful day -about him. The row westward over that oily, heaving ocean, day after -day, day after day! - -One by one they had dropped off, overboard, to float astern, and all -the time the _rip_, _rip_, _rip_ of a triangular fin above a great -shadow below the surface. - -He had done what he could, taking no more of the meagre food than the -rest. Then the last days--four of them left, the men who witnessed -against him and another, a stout fellow who had kept up better than the -rest. How he had discovered that the fellow had stolen the scant store -of food steadily and divided it with the man he had flogged. How, when -they had taken all, they had set upon him, and he had killed the stout -thief and wounded the other. There was nothing left to eat,--absolutely -nothing for five days,--and they had--ugh!--it was too horrible; -and upon the seventh day they had been picked up with the evidences -of the horror too plain for their rescuers to make a mistake in the -matter, even without the two men, who openly accused him of the whole -wrong--accused him of not only killing his men, but--ugh! - -The trial had lasted a week and the evidence was most horrible. The -jury had convicted him upon that of the fellow who sat there with a -pious look and furtive glance; the other fellow had merely corroborated -his story, and, as it was two against him, his own tale was not -believed. He had received a life sentence for the crime, for he had -admitted killing the stout man who had stolen the last of the food. -He explained that it was his duty as captain to protect his life from -their combined assault. The jury had not believed him, for the man -who was against him was ready to show the falsity of his tale; he had -been sentenced for life. He had served seven years and had escaped by -cutting the bars of his cell and gaining a vessel which was wrecked on -the coast of Africa letting him get ashore unmolested. After drifting -about for a time he had come back to America and taken the position as -keeper in the tower, where his past was not open to inspection, for no -one knew him or whence he came. - -The sunshine was as quiet as before, but the blue Gulf Stream showed a -darkening far away on the horizon, where a breeze ruffled the surface. -He turned and gazed over the sea toward Florida, and a tiny black speck -showed upon the waters of the reef. It looked like a small boat coming -out through the Hawk's Channel, and he looked at it steadily for a -long time, trying to see if it might be Haskins, the assistant keeper, -returning. - -The sunshine was very hot on this side of the tower, and it dazzled him -for a little while as he gazed over the sparkling sea. The speck drew -nearer, and he saw that it was a boat. It came very slowly, sailing -with the light air, the bit of white canvas looking no larger than a -handkerchief in the distance. Soon the figure of a man could be seen -lying easily in the stern-sheets of the craft, and the old keeper saw -that the man's legs were bare and brown. Then the tiny shallop took -more definite form and showed to be a canoe, its occupant an Indian -from the Everglades, coming out to fish upon the reef. - -Indians seldom came so far away from land, and as the craft drew nearer -and nearer Enau watched it carefully. The Seminoles were friendly. -They were an unconquered tribe of Indians who had managed to evade all -efforts made by the United States to subdue them. They had retired -into the fastnesses of the great swamps, where no white soldier could -pursue with any hope to capture, and after years of peace had come -to the coast again with the understanding that they should not be -molested. The old man had heard of them from Haskins, the assistant, -and he had once or twice seen canoes skirting the edge of the great -bay in the distance, but he had never seen an Indian close enough to -recognize him. The canoe had now come within half a mile of the tower, -and was still heading straight for it. - -The breeze died away again and the sun shone straight down with an -intense heat. The tower cast no shadow either to east or west, and -the ship's clock in the kitchen struck off eight bells. Enau mopped -his streaming forehead and was about to turn into the galley to get -a drink of water. The heat made him reel with dizziness, but the man -in the boat made a movement, and he held his gaze fixed upon him. -The canoe was coming close to the tower, and it was evident that the -Indian would land there if the keeper allowed him. There was no way of -getting up to the light except by way of the long iron ladder which -reached from the gallery to the sea, a hundred feet below. It was an -easy path to dispute with any number of men, especially as they must -come through the heavy trap-door in the gallery at the top. There was -no way of getting up over the outside, unless one could climb the -long, smooth iron rods for a great distance and then reach out under -the sill to get a hand-grip upon the edge of the floor and swing out -over the gulf below. It would be a mere finger-grip at most, and a -tap upon the bare knuckles would send the fellow to his death below. A -good sailor might climb the smooth iron rods with great difficulty, but -no one could climb up a hundred feet and swing out on that finger-tip -hold with the hope of climbing to the rail above. The trap-door worked -with a five-hundred pound weight, and if any one tried to come up the -thin iron ladder the keeper could simply lower the door and the stout -three-inch planks would drop easily into place at will. Enau studied -it all out while he gazed below, and it amused him to think what a -surprised Indian it would be when he climbed up there to find the door -drop fast in his face. No; the keeper was as much his own master in -regard to human visitors as though he were a resident of some other -planet. A thousand men could not approach him if he did not wish it. He -could be all alone for an indefinite time, for he had provisions for -half a year and water enough for a lifetime. - -While he gazed at the approaching boat the man in her looked up. It -was but a glance, a mere look at the head upon the rail above. Enau -gasped. That one glance upward was enough for him. The fellow was not -an Indian, after all. The sun-tanned face, burned to a dark mahogany -colour, belonged to one he had not forgotten. That glance, furtive, -half-shrinking, animal-like, without the movement of a single feature, -belonged to--yes, there was no mistake. It was Robledo, the sailor who -had witnessed against him, the survivor of the horror, the man who had -compassed his ruin. - -Enau drew his breath quickly and stood up straight. The place seemed to -swing about in the sunshine, the tower to rock like a ship in a seaway. -Then he peered over again just as the craft came alongside one of the -iron pillars. He did not show his face,--just his eyes,--for fear the -fellow might recognize him and not come up the ladder. He would have -the trap-door ready for him, for it would never do to let that human -devil know he was upon the light. Yes; perhaps he would let him come -up, inside the gallery, but never go back. The sea would tell no tales. -There would be no marks of a struggle, no evidence of a fight--a quick -crack upon the head, and over the side, down a hundred feet to the -waters of the reef, where the sharks lay waiting. That would be all. -He could do it easily. But, then, the fellow might be missed, after -all. Some one might know he had gone out to the light, and then there -would be the investigation. That was what he did not want. There must -be no inquiries, no questions asked him about his past. He was an old -man now, and the memory of his terrible wrongs was fading. Let them die -out. He would let the enemy go as he came. The fellow could not know -he was in the tower, and there was no possibility of his recognizing -him, as he had not shown his whole face over the rail. Even if he had, -the hair and the beard of three years' growth would hide anything of -Captain William Jacobs that still existed in him. No; he would let no -one come up that ladder. He would live the rest of his life in peace -and quiet. He loved the bright sunshine and the beautiful sea, and he -could be satisfied where he was. His wife and daughter he had long -given up. They had bade him farewell at the end of that trial, holding -away from him, yet with tears streaming down their faces in the agony -and horror of it all. He must be alone. There must be no one to tell -him about them. - -He looked down again, and saw the man below drawing on his trousers -preparatory to climbing the ladder. Enau could see into the bottom of -the boat beneath, and he noticed a harpoon used for spearing crawfish. -Would the fellow take it with him? If so, it would be well not to let -him come too near, for it could be thrown and might be dangerous. The -man gave no hail, but turned his smooth-shaved face upward and began -to mount the ladder, Enau went to the trap-door and loosed the weight -softly. It creaked upon its hinges and settled slowly down until only -a crack remained. Here he stopped it, with the bolts in readiness to -shoot if necessary. He would watch the fellow and see if he showed -signs of recognition. Ten years was a long time; the end of the Florida -Reef was many thousand miles from where he had last seen him. - -The man climbed slowly up the iron ladder, stopping now and then to -look seaward. The current had swept his canoe to the northward of the -lighthouse, where it trailed at the end of a long line. There was -now nothing under him but the blue water. When he reached the first -platform he climbed on to it and rested. It was very hot, and the -climb made his mahogany-coloured face darker than before. His hair was -freshly parted, and looked as though it had been oiled or moistened. -His coat he had left in his boat below, and his shirt was open at the -neck, showing the strong, corded muscles of his throat and chest. His -hands were brown and powerful, and the keeper noticed how his fingers -closed with a light but certain grip upon the irons of the ladder. - -In a moment he came on again, and when within a few feet of the door -he looked upward and hailed. At that instant the old man closed the -door and shot the bolts. He was now cut off as completely as though he -had gone to the moon. The heat and excitement made his head whirl. He -staggered away from the closed door and went back to the gallery. The -sunshine danced upon the sea and all was quiet. Then he peered over the -rail. A string of muttered curses floated up to him and a drunken voice -called him many foul names, but he only smiled and stood gazing out to -sea. He could not see the man below now, for the fellow was too high up -under the platform, and he made his way to the kitchen and from there -higher up into the lantern, where the man's voice could not be heard -distinctly. - -Hours passed, and the sunshine began to slant sharply. The tower cast -a long shadow to the eastward, but the canoe was still swinging to her -painter, and the voice of the fellow below was still heard calling -forth curses upon him. The keeper was evidently not recognized, for -he heard the name "Enau" repeated over and over again, and this was -his name as light-keeper--Robert Enau, head keeper of the Fowey Rocks -lighthouse. If the fellow had recognized him he would have called him -Jacobs, and then he would have tried to kill him. It grew dark, but he -forgot to light his lantern, his whole mind taken with the one thought -of how to get rid of his visitor. If the lantern was not lighted, the -fellow might think that there was no one in the tower, after all, and -would go away. The idea flashed through his brain for an instant, and -then he centred his thoughts again on the fellow below and forgot the -darkness and quiet of the tropic night. Suddenly he thought of the -fellow's boat. If he could endanger it, the man might leave. He seized -a heavy piece of iron and dropped it at the dark shadow floating at -the end of the line. A dull crash told of the accuracy of his aim. -Then the shadow faded out, and he knew the boat had sunk. There was no -sound from the man upon the ladder below. Evidently he had gone down -to the first landing and gone to sleep or was waiting, not knowing -the damage done his craft. He could now neither go away nor come up, -and the idea worried the keeper greatly. He was very dizzy with the -heat and excitement, and his thoughts went again and again over the -scenes of that last voyage and the trial following. In the gray of -the early morning he was still sitting in the lantern, gazing out to -sea, waiting for the sun to rise and show him his enemy below. The day -dawned beautiful and clear, and the quiet heat continued. In a little -while a noise upon the ladder attracted the old man's attention. He -listened. What was the fellow saying? - -"For God's sake let me up!" - -Not he. No! Had the fellow shown him any mercy when he was at the end -of his liberty? Why should he show him any now? All he wanted was for -him to go away and let him be. He did not want to see the man. Go away! - -The pitiless sunshine streamed through the iron piling and upon the -man. His boat was gone. It had sunk during the night from the weight -Enau had thrown into it, and the current had torn it loose. There was -no way for the man to get off the light without swimming. He must stay -or die. He might cling for a long time to the iron ladder and rest -upon the landing, but he could not swim ten miles in that current with -sharks abounding. - -The day passed slowly, and the man upon the ladder raved and swore, -begged and cajoled, but Enau was silent and implacable. He went back -into the lantern, taking some bread with him. He was not hungry, but -the heat made his head swim, and he must eat something. The day drew to -a close and silence reigned below. The man had given up talking. Enau -lay prone upon his stomach and peeped over the edge of the platform. -He could see the man crouching upon the landing, lashed fast, to keep -from falling, by a line made of his clothes. Darkness came and the heat -abated a little, but no wind ruffled the surface of the Gulf Stream. - -With a heavy bar in his hand the keeper sat and waited for any signs -of fingers showing upon the edge of the platform. He would not let -the fellow up--no, not for anything. If he died there, it was not his -fault. He did not want him to come out to the light. He would not have -him know that he, Captain Jacobs, was keeper. - -The lantern remained unlighted. Now Enau was afraid to leave the -platform an instant, for fear the fellow, desperate from his position, -would climb over and kill him. He sat there during the hours of -darkness and waited. - -About three in the morning Enau saw two eyes staring at him. They -were far away in the Hawk's Channel, but as the moments flew by they -drew nearer. Soon a great shadow loomed up through the night, coming -straight for the lighthouse. Then there was a sudden crash close -aboard, the rattle and banging of ship's gear, followed by hoarse cries -and curses. Enau went inside to the trap-door in the gallery, and sat -there watching the bolts until daylight. - -In the early morning there was a great noise below. Men shouted and -called him by name, but he refused to answer. He peered over the edge -of the platform and he no sooner had done so than a perfect storm of -voices greeted him. Two ship's boats were tied to the piling of the -tower, and many men were crowding up the ladder. More were upon the -deck of the vessel, which had rammed her nose high and dry upon the -reef close to the light. They were coming to take possession of the -tower by force, and he saw that he must now be interviewed, perhaps -taken away bodily, for the fellow on the ladder had joined the rest, -and they were calling to him to open that door. - -The day passed without a disturbance. The men of the four-masted -schooner upon the reef spent their time rigging gear to heave the -vessel off, and the man had joined them. At dark Enau, seeing that no -one was upon the ironwork, lighted the lantern and then came back to -his post at the trap-door, holding his club in readiness to prevent any -trespassing. He sat there hour after hour, but there was no sign of an -attack from below. - -About midnight there was a slight noise upon the platform of the -gallery near the rail. The old man noticed it, but waited. Then some -one rapped sharply upon the door at his feet, and he stood ready for -the attack. Then all was quiet as before. - -The heat was intense inside the gallery, and Enau mopped his forehead -again and again. The whole lighthouse seemed to stagger, and the room -went round and round. He was dizzy and failed to see the fingers which -grasped the edge of the outside platform, or the form that swung out -over the gulf below. A man drew himself up until his head was level -with the floor. Then he put one foot up on the landing. He could not -get back. It was a sheer hundred feet and over to the sea below, and -the water was only three or four feet deep over the coral. He must gain -the platform or go down to his death. Gradually he drew his weight upon -the landing, clutching the rail with powerful fingers. Then he quickly -stood upright and sprang over. He was in the light. - -Enau saw him instantly and sprang at him. It was the same hated -face, the furtive eyes he had reason to hate with all his soul. They -clinched, and then began a struggle for life. And while they struggled -the old man's mind could no longer hold his pent-up despair. He called -out upon the scoundrel who had ruined him: - -"You villain! you have pursued me for revenge--I'll give you all you -want," he cried. "I know you; don't think I'll let you go." And, -snarling like a wild beast, he strove with enormous power to crush the -other against the rail, and so over into the sea. But the younger man -was powerful. His strong fingers clutched at the old keeper's throat -and closed upon it. - -"I know you--I know you--I know your look--you pious-faced scoundrel!" -gasped the old man. Then they fought on in silence. Suddenly those -below heard a heavy fall. There was a moment's pause. - -The room seemed to reel about the old keeper. He struggled wildly in -that frightful grip. His breath came in bits of gasps and finally -stopped under the awful pressure of those fingers. The scenes of his -earlier life flitted through his mind. He saw the life-boat again -riding the oily sea in the South Atlantic; the starving men, their -strained faces pinched and lined, their eager eyes staring about the -eternal horizon for a sight of a sail; the last few days and the -last survivors, the man with that look he would never forget--stars -shot through his brain and fire flared before his vision. Then came -blackness--a blank. - -Those below, hearing the sounds of struggle dying away, called loudly -to be let in. The man released his hold of the keeper's throat and -shot back the bolts in the trap-door, letting a crowd of seamen come -streaming into the light. - -"Get some water, quick!" called Haskins, standing back and panting -after the struggle. He was nearly exhausted, but still kept his gaze -fixed upon the fallen old man. - -"It's a touch of the sun," said the captain of the wrecked vessel, -bending over the old keeper. "We must get him cooled off and ice to his -head. Quick, John! jump aboard and tell the doctor to get a lump of ice -and bring it here--git!" - -"It's pretty bad; I've shuah been hanging on to the irons for two days, -and you lose your ship, on account of a poor devil giving way under -that sun; but it can't be helped. No, suh, it can't be helped," said -Bahama Bill. - -"If you hadn't shaved, fixed up and changed yourself so, and had come -back in your own boat, he might have recognized you in time," said the -captain; "but of course you didn't know." - -"I think I done all I could sah," said Bill, thinking of his climb over -that outer rail. - -"Yes, yes; I don't mean to find fault," said the captain; "but I lose -my ship by it." - - - - -VI - -The Sanctified Man - - -When Mr. Leonard Holbrook bought the fine yawl _Dartmoor_, he did so -with the clear understanding that his wife would accompany him on a -voyage through the inland waters of the eastern coast of the States to -Florida. The vessel was something over sixty feet on the water-line and -fitted up with as much magnificence as a small craft of that size could -well be. She had many trophies in solid silver, won in many hard-fought -races, which adorned her cabin, and when Mrs. Holbrook beheld her -interior she capitulated. - -Mrs. Holbrook belonged to what was termed an "exclusive set." She went -to church more than once a week, and the pastor of the million-dollar -edifice in New York had much to thank her for. - -"A poor person might be pious, but--ugh," he explained with a shrug -to the sexton one evening, and he made it his duty to keep alive the -fires of reverence which had been installed at an early age within Mrs. -Holbrook's gentle breast. - -It was with many misgivings that she finally became willing to trust -herself upon the _Dartmoor_, for although she had faith in abundance, -it was of the usual feminine variety which is best nurtured under -pleasantly artificial conditions. The dangers of the sea, however, were -shown to be very small indeed upon a fine craft, especially within -the confines of the sounds, and she had sailed as far down the coast -as Beaufort. Here it was decided to remain for a few days and enjoy -the rural life of the tar-heel, and while Holbrook fished and hunted -every minute of the too short days, Mrs. Holbrook passed the time -aboard in pious and profound repose. It was delightful to be able to -read the texts under the bright blue sky while sitting alone upon the -quarter-deck without being interrupted by talk of guns and fishing -lines. Then the small but cleanly kirk upon the shell-road could be -visited daily, and the good old man who attended to the religious -affairs of the fishing village was more than willing to be honoured by -so distinguished a visitor. Yachts were like manna, only they did not -drop from the sky, but were not the less appreciated for that fact. - -The fourth morning the _Dartmoor_ broke out her blue pennant on the -starboard spreader, showing that Holbrook had gone away for a day's -sport. John Bunyan came down to the dock and stepped aboard. Jubiter -John he was called among the pilots of the Core Bank, for he had lived -at the inlet just above the beginning of the Florida Reef. He sidled -aft and met the quartermaster, who stopped him, but as he was known -as a good pilot and had brought the vessel in behind the "bulkhead" -safely, he was allowed certain privileges. The master came forth to -meet him. - -"Mornin', Cap'n," said John, slouching up and pulling forth a rank -mullet roe from his pocket and nibbling the end. - -The master acknowledged the salutation with a grunt. - -"Youse don't take no passengers on a yacht, hey?" he ventured. - -"No," said the skipper, decisively, with the vision of the possible -passenger before him. - -"Youse ain't allowed to, hey?" - -"Exactly," said the Captain. - -"It's too bad!" exclaimed John. - -"Yes, it is," answered the Captain, heartily, his face expressing -nothing of the sorrow he might have felt at the limitations of his -license. - -There was a moment's silence during which the Captain looked aft at -the reclining form of Mrs. Holbrook. She sat reading in the shade of -the after awning with a rug over her feet to keep off the chill of the -autumn air. - -"Did youse ever hear of the sanctified people?" asked Jubiter John, -presently. - -The Captain had not. - -"Well, they live down near the Jubiter Inlet where I used to run. -There's one o' the fellers ashore here now an' he wants to go back -home. It would be a mighty big accommodation if youse could take him -with youse--don't youse think it could be done, hey? He'd pay a little." - -"How much?" asked the Captain, slightly interested. - -"Well, I can't say in money, but then his services air wuth somethin'. -He's an all round able man, an' he'll say the prayers fer yer." - -"I see," said the Captain, with a grunt. - -"There's nothin' doin'?" - -"Nix," said the Captain, shortly. - -"Well, naow, that's too bad. But think it over, Cap'n, think it over." - -The skipper edged to the rail and sniffed suspiciously. - -"If it's just the same to you, Jubiter, I'll thank ye to get to lor'ard -with that mullet roe. Whew!" said the Captain. - -Jubiter John looked pained. He put the rest of the fish roe into his -pocket and turned to go. At that instant the Captain started and looked -up the dock. A huge figure of a man hove in sight and came slowly down -the shell fill towards the yawl. - -The figure was dressed in black cloth of clerical cut, the broad -shoulders squared across and the hands folded behind. The stranger's -head was not visible owing to the fact that he bowed it over until -nothing but the top of a shiny tall hat showed in front of him, and he -looked almost like a huge turtle with his head drawn inside the shell. -The black tails of his coat flapped about his legs in the sea breeze -as he strode slowly down to where the _Dartmoor_ lay. - -Mrs. Holbrook noticed the man about the time the Captain started up -the gangplank to intercept him coming aboard. Visitors were not always -welcome to the skipper of the yacht, and it was his duty to see what -they wanted. The Captain had hardly started well up the narrow way, -when the stranger, who had reached the inshore end of it and was about -to proceed down its length, suddenly raised his head. The motion was -not unlike that of a turtle poking forth his nose, for it increased the -man's stature a full foot, and he stopped, looking at the Captain out -of eyes that seemed to hold both a challenge and a half-hidden fear. -His shaved chin had a stubble of black hair, but it failed to cover the -great square jaw except in spots. A line of white teeth showed between -the partly opened lips, and the Captain hesitated to take in the man's -appearance more fully before ordering him off the boat. The vessel gave -a tug at her moorings and the gangplank took a sudden slue to one side. -The next instant the Captain gave a spring for the string piece of the -wharf. He missed it by a fraction of an inch and fell heavily against -the timber and overboard, landing in the water with a rousing splash. - -The accident caused a cry of alarm from Mrs. Holbrook which brought -from the depths of the cabin her son Richard. He came bounding up the -companionway as rapidly as a boy of twelve could. Jubiter John stood -spellbound, looking over the side while the boy, the cook and a sailor -rushed to the rail to lend a hand and get the skipper back aboard. - -The tall stranger, however, had anticipated their arrival by a few -seconds and, jumping on deck, leaned over the side and reached a long -thin arm down to the Captain, who came spluttering to the surface. -He seized the collar of the coat as it came clear of the water and -without apparent effort raised the Captain to the deck. The motion -was one of such ease, the Captain being a short, heavy fellow, that a -close observer would have marvelled at the man's strength, but in the -excitement little notice was taken of it. The stranger had saved the -Captain from the sea, and Mrs. Holbrook, who had now advanced to the -rail, thanked him warmly for his services. - -The look of challenge died away from the man's eyes and one of fear -came in place. He shuffled uneasily under the woman's gaze, but finally -controlled himself. Then without a word he lifted his face heavenward -and clasped his hands before him. - -"The ways o' Providence air unbeknownst," said he, slowly, closing his -upturned eyes and standing like some huge statue carved in wood. His -voice was so soft and gentle that it brought a smile to the face of -the boy who stared at him insolently. But the rest were impressed by -the man's manner and stood silently watching him until he brought his -head back to its normal position with a jerk. Then the Captain muttered -something about inquisitive strangers and went below to change, for the -air was cool. - -"I am sure I should like to repay you for your bravery, Mr.--Mr.----" -began Mrs. Holbrook, "but I hardly know how to thank you, sir." - -"Mr. Jones is his name, ma'am," said Jubiter John, "an' youse kin repay -him at once." - -Mr. Jones looked somewhat abashed at this, and the stranger's look of -defiance came into his eyes again. - -"He's the sanctified man I ware tellin' the Cap'n of jest before he -fell overboard," went on Jubiter, "an' all he wants is a passage down -the coast a ways. The settlement is down near where I used to run." - -"Ah, a clergyman,--a country clergyman, I see," said Mrs. Holbrook. - -"I reckon that's about it," said Jubiter John. - -"Mr. Jones," said Mrs. Holbrook, "I should be very glad, indeed, to -aid you down the coast. You know the yacht is small and you might have -to sleep in the Captain's stateroom. If you would not object to that -arrangement, you are more than welcome to the voyage." - -"Ah, madam," said the tall man, solemnly, in a small voice hardly above -a whisper, "I should be glad to have the opportunities you speak of, -and if the bed be rough an' hard an' the grub poor, I know it will be -the hand o' Providence what makes it so, an' I kin stand it. The ways -o' Providence air unbeknownst." - -"Very well, then, we leave to-morrow morning at daylight. My husband -will be back before sundown and you may come aboard to-night," said -Mrs. Holbrook. "Won't you come aft? I am sure the walk must have tired -you. It is a long way to the village." - -The tall Mr. Jones glanced at Jubiter John and then followed the lady -to the quarter-deck, where he folded up like a huge jack-knife in a -deck chair, to listen to the somewhat vague but religious conversation -of his new patron. He sat there for a full hour, seldom even answering -questions which were put to him and not offering a single sentence -of his own volition. When he arose to go, he looked askance at Mrs. -Holbrook, then he raised his face heavenward and said, solemnly: "The -ways o' Providence air unbeknownst." - -He turned in a moment and went rapidly to the rail near the dock, -leaving Mrs. Holbrook staring at him. - -"Ain't he a long one, say," said young Richard, "an' them legs--Gee -whizz!" - -But at that instant the tall man sprang to the wharf and hurried off, -hearing nothing, and Richard received a severe rebuke. - -"My dear," said Mrs. Holbrook to her husband that evening, "I have -taken the liberty of inviting a country clergyman to accompany us down -the coast. He will be here this evening and I hope you will be civil to -him." - -"Huh," said Mr. Holbrook, and went on deck to smoke his cigar. - -"Is he really comin' to go with us?" asked Richard. - -"Yes, my dear, of course he is," answered his mother. - -"But ain't he long, say?" and he bounded up the companionway to join -his father. - -Before eight bells that evening the tall Mr. Jones made his appearance -and introduced himself to the Captain. As the latter had been -instructed to entertain the new arrival to the extent of giving up his -room, he received the tall man with scant ceremony. - -"What's the matter wid payin' yer passage on a steamboat?" growled the -mariner, as he jerked his belongings out of the berth. - -"My friend," observed the sanctified man, "it is not my wish to cause -trouble, an' I can't help it. If your bed be hard I make no complaint; -I'll try to sleep on it. If my grub is no good, I'll try to forget it. -The way o' Providence air unbeknownst." - -The short, stout skipper stood looking at him a moment, but the -sanctified man beamed down upon him until he turned with an exclamation -of a somewhat unconventional sort and left the room. Then the tall man -closed the door. - -In the early morning the _Dartmoor_ was cast loose from the dock and -her mainsail hoisted. Jubiter John stood near the wheel and piloted her -safely over the bar and out into the green waters of the Atlantic. Then -he left her and took to his dory to row back. - -The air was crisp with the tingle of a nor'wester and the sun rose -with a ruddy glow. The sea was smooth under the land, but the little -lumpy clouds which were running away from the northward, told of wind -behind. Before the sun was well above the horizon, Mr. Jones appeared -on deck. He was dressed in his black trousers with suspenders tied -about his waist in place of a belt. His once white shirt was open at -the neck displaying a deep and brawny chest. Two long white feet poked -themselves from beneath his trouser legs in most unpoetical fashion, -but showed he was ready for the washing down of the vessel's decks. He -tailed on to the gaff-topsail halliards and sweated up that piece of -canvas until the block nearly parted from the masthead with the strain. -Even the Captain, who had spent the night sleeping upon the galley -floor, felt that he had, indeed, an able seaman in the sanctified man -who hurled buckets of water along the snow-white planks or hustled the -squeegee along the deck until the wood and seams fairly oozed water -like a sponge. The three foremast hands hurried along in his wake. - -The _Dartmoor_ was fast making an offing. With all sail she was running -before the breeze which now began to get a heart in it, and the long -heave of the heavy sea coming around Cape Lookout told of something -behind it. There was a live kick and quick run to this swell that made -the skipper look anxiously to his lighter canvas, but it was his object -to get as far down the beach as possible while the wind lasted. A few -miserable hours of heavy weather and all might be well, but thrashing -down a nor'wester would cost him his job if he judged Mrs. Holbrook -correctly. - -The motion brought young Richard on deck, where he stood looking at the -tall man in amazement. - -"I thought you was a minister, say?" he ventured, as the sanctified man -came near with the squeegee, "an' ministers don't work." - -"Well, some kinds do, sonny. I ain't just what you might call a priest." - -"Naw, you look like you might be some good," said the boy. "But ain't -you a long one, say? When you get through I'll come forward and talk to -you. Ma won't care; she says she hates to have to sit around an' try to -talk to people she don't know nothin' about." - -"Did she say that?" - -"Sure, she don't know nothin' about you." - -The look of fear came into the tall man's eyes and he squeegeed the -deck vigorously. Then he went slowly forward and put the tool away. - -One of the sailors struck off six bells and the cook announced that -breakfast was ready for the Captain and the guest. As the saloon -was for the owner and his party, the meal was served in the galley, -the Captain and sanctified man sitting at the small table used to -manipulate the several ingredients which went to make a yacht's meal. - -"Do you think we'll have good weather, Captain?" asked the tall man, -starting in at a plate of prepared oats. - -"Naw," snapped the skipper, who still held vision of his night's rest -upon the galley floor. - -"D'ye mind me sayin' a thank ye fer the vittles, hey?" - -"Do yer prayin' to yerself," snapped the Captain. - -The long man raised his eyes and muttered something in his soft voice. - -"No matter if the vittles is bad--an' poor, I'm thankful. The ways o' -Providence air unbeknownst," he said as he finished. - -"What's the matter with the whack?" snarled the Captain. "Ain't it -good enough fer yer? I'll lay it's a sight better'n you been used to -gettin', an' that's a fact." - -"I didn't say it wasn't good," said the tall man, hastily, in a gentle -tone. "I only said I was thankful even if it wasn't any good." - -"Huh," snarled the Captain, "tryin' to sneak out of it, hey?" - -"A sanctified man never fights," said the big fellow in a small voice, -"for if he did I would break you up in little pieces." - -"Well, a sailor fights an' don't you fergit it," snarled the Captain. -"You want to try the breakin' game a bit aboard here, you long-legged -sky-pilot. What the thunder d'ye call a sanctified man anyways, hey?" - -"Don't ye know?" asked the tall man, mildly, his eyes taking again that -peculiar look of fear they often held. - -"Naw," answered the skipper. - -"Well, he's one what's been tried. A man that's been off the path an' -come back again. He's taken the oath to do no more harm--nothin' but -good. He's sanctified." - -"No more harm! What harm hev ye done, hey?" asked the Captain, sharply. - -"Well, I served my time out--all but three years," said the tall man, -fearfully. - -"What?" gasped the skipper. - -"I served my time out, nearly out. It was only fifteen years I got. I'm -all right and have papers to prove it. One of the men they thought I -killed got well again. The money was divided among my pals. I didn't -get a cent of it; no, not a cent. But the past is past. Let it die!" - -"An' you calls yourself a sanctified man, you bloomin' convict, hey? -Steward, set these things somewhere else. I may not be particular as to -friends aboard ship, but I draw the line at eatin' with jailbirds." - -"I never was in jail--only for a month. It was the penitentiary," -corrected the tall man, his small voice almost dying away. There was -something very sad in his tone; something so touching that even the -steward hesitated at obeying the skipper's orders. - -"An' to think," said the Captain, "that Jubiter John should play it so -badly on us." - -He ate his meal in silence on the other side of the little room, while -the vessel plunged and ran down the slopes of following seas, creaking -and straining so that he soon left for the deck. - -The sanctified man sat eating slowly, in spite of the motion and cries -from above, as the men shortened sail to ease the racing craft in the -sea. He was lost in thought. The memories of his sufferings were upon -him, and as the sad years rolled back, he seemed to stand again upon a -ship's deck giving orders to a crew who obeyed as only deep-water men -know how. His had been a long, hard road, indeed. The surly Captain was -forgotten and his insults were as though they had never been uttered. - -While he sat there eating slowly and thinking over the past, he became -aware that the door leading to the main saloon was open. Through it he -caught a glimpse of shining silver as the _Dartmoor_ rolled heavily -to starboard, letting in a flood of sunlight through her side ports. -A huge urn or cup weighing many pounds, and of solid silver, was -firmly planted upon a shelf near the end of the saloon. Upon it was an -engraving of a yacht under full sail with the legend "Dartmoor" with -"1898" beneath. Evidently the trophy of that season and probably the -greatest she had ever won. It was a superb piece of ware, and the man -looked at it for a long time, while his face gradually took on a hard -expression and the strange look of defiance and challenge came again -into his eyes. He had suffered much, but there was something within him -that was stirred by the glint of that silver. Twelve long years among a -certain class of men had implanted new weaknesses and developed those -he had already possessed. He was forgetting himself under the flashing -of that reflected sunlight. - -Suddenly he was aware of a small hand stealing within his own and he -turned with a cry of alarm. A look of despair came across his face and -his wide jaws set firm. - -"I didn't mean to scare you," said Richard, glancing backward at the -steward who was busy with the morning meal. "You don't look like you -scare easily. I heard what old square-head said to you. Don't you mind -him. He'll eat with you--an' afterwards you can tell me what you done." - -"Good God," murmured the man, and seized the boy in his arms. - -"Don't hug me; I ain't no girl" cried Richard, and the tall man sat him -on his knee and smilingly patted his head. - -"I reckon we'll go on deck," said the sanctified man, in a few minutes. -"They'll want some help reefin' the mainsail--pretty big sea to run her -under all lower canvas." And he took the lad's hand and went forward -through the forecastle to the scuttle and so on up to the sunlight -above. - -The morning was now well advanced. Eight bells struck off, and the head -of Mr. Holbrook appeared emerging from the cabin companionway. The sea -was sparkling in the sunshine and the quick combers running before the -freshening breeze were covering the surface with patches of white. -The topsail had been taken in and all hands were lowering down the -mainsail to close reef it. - -The sanctified man tailed on to the main sheet and soon had the boom -nearly amidships. Then the sail was lowered slowly, the men handing -in the canvas to ease it on the lazyjacks and toppinglift while the -_Dartmoor_ ran along under jigger and jib before a sea that was rapidly -shifting to the eastward. Mr. Holbrook came on deck and watched his -flying fabric, taking a hand and passing reef-points under the jackstay -along the boom, which were all carefully pulled out again and passed -under the foot-roping of the mainsail by the careful skipper. - -Mrs. Holbrook decided that as the motion was very great she would -remain where it affected her the least. It would be time enough to go -on deck after dinner, when the beauties of an afternoon at sea might be -appreciated. - -Mr. Holbrook soon went below to breakfast and took his son with him. -When they appeared again the mainsail was set close-reefed, and the -jigger rolled up, letting the yawl run easily with more head-sail. She -now rose on the following seas like a swan, and as she would reach the -crest she would rush wildly along the slanting side, her nose pointing -downward and the full weight of the gale in her canvas, until the sea -would run from under her, letting her sink slowly into the trough where -her canvas would flap in the almost calm spot between the seas. It was -a little thick to the westward, but although the land could not now be -seen there was a good stretch of water plainly visible. - -The sanctified man stood near the wheel, looking occasionally into the -binnacle where the compass card swung a good three points each side of -the lubber's mark, as the vessel broached or paid off in the sea. - -"D'ye ever adjust that compass?" he asked, mildly, of Mr. Holbrook. - -"Ever what?" asked the owner, contemptuously. - -"Do you ever see that the card swings true?" asked the sanctified man. - -Mr. Holbrook looked at the tall man with undisguised pity. What -should a clerical man know about navigation, he thought. The poor -country clergyman was evidently a bit ignorant concerning compasses, -although every schoolboy knew that the magnet swung north and south. -He attempted to explain the matter in a wearied tone, but when he had -finished the tall man only smiled and his expressive eyes showed traces -of amusement. He said nothing. Finally he ventured: - -"If I were you, I would let her head a little more to the eastward." - -Mr. Holbrook walked away giving a little grunt of disgust as though -he had been holding intercourse with a lunatic. As he never spoke to -his Captain except to tell him where he wanted to go, he had a rather -lonely time on deck and took to playing with his son by sitting at one -end of the cabin-house and throwing a line to him at the other and -then pulling upon it. - -The sea became rougher during the day, but in spite of it, dinner was -served in the saloon. Mrs. Holbrook appeared at last and bravely tried -to play the part of hostess to her guest. Holbrook had always shown an -aversion to piously inclined people, and a clergyman's presence gave -him extreme annoyance, as it prevented his picturesque flow of words. -As adjectives were a weakness of his, the conversation would have -lapsed into monosyllables, had not Mrs. Holbrook determined to do her -duty. - -"I suppose," said that lady, "you have many sailor men in your -congregation, Mr. Jones." - -The tall man looked at her sharply. He thought of his "congregation" -and wondered. Did the lady know what he was? He had not meant to -deceive any one. Jubiter John had simply asked for a passage for a -sanctified man and had not thought it necessary to go into the man's -history. His eyes held the strange look of alarm they had when he first -came aboard, and he answered in his thin voice. - -"Yes, ma'am, there's plenty of sailors get in, though they are no -worse'n landsmen. It don't make much difference what callin' a man -takes, there's bad ones in all." - -Mrs. Holbrook glanced at her husband, who smiled his approval. - -"Do you know Mr. Brown, the pastor in Beaufort?" asked the lady. - -"He must be a very excellent man--I never heard of him," said her -husband, with a touch of irony. - -"I asked Mr. Jones," said Mrs. Holbrook, sweetly. - -"No, ma'am, I never did," said the tall man, shooting his head upward -and looking at his host. "He never did time." - -"Never what?" asked the lady. - -A sharp kick upon the shin bone from young Richard caused the -sanctified man to raise a full foot higher in his seat. - -"What's the matter?" he asked quickly. - -"Aw, tumble," said the irreverent Richard. - -Mrs. Holbrook looked at her son sharply. - -"What did you do? Do you want to be sent from the table?" she said. - -The young man dropped his gaze into his plate and looked abashed. His -father smiled. The meal proceeded in silence until they had finished, -when Mr. Holbrook led the way on deck with a handful of cigars. - -"That wasn't a bad one on the country parson," ventured the yachtsman. -"You fellows so seldom joke, a man never knows just when you will break -out. Ha, ha, ha--'never did time'--Well, that wasn't half bad." And he -quite warmed to the tall man as he offered him a perfecto. - -"But you see----" - -"Yes, I see well enough. I don't blame you for kicking about such men. -Now _you_ can tail on to a sheet or pass a reef point like a _man_. -Will you have a good nip of grog before Mrs. Holbrook comes on deck?" - -The sanctified man thought he would. They repaired to the forehatch, -where the steward passed up the spirits unseen. - -The warmth of the liquor put new life in the tall man's great frame. He -had eaten very little for days and the effects of good food and strong -drink were very strengthening. The look of challenge took the place -of alarm in his large expressive eyes and his great square jaw seemed -to set firmer. Half of his cigar disappeared between his teeth, which -closed upon it with the set of a vise. - -They went aft again in time to meet Mrs. Holbrook coming on deck -assisted by the Captain, who placed rugs for her in a steamer chair in -the cockpit. It was getting thicker and the wind was now well to the -eastward of north, but there was no harbour nearer than Cape Fear, and -the Captain had many reasons for not wishing to stop there. He would -run along close to the land and after passing would be in Long Bay, -where he would have a fair wind to Charleston, one hundred and fifty -miles ahead, making a run of more than two hundred miles from Beaufort. -This would get the yacht well down the coast to where they might expect -good weather. - -"I think," said the tall Mr. Jones, during a break in the conversation, -"I would head the vessel offshore a couple of points. You know the -Frying Pan runs well off here. It will be breaking in three fathoms -with this breeze. The ways o' Providence air un---- - -"Never mind about Providence, Mr. Jones," said Holbrook, with a wave -of his hand. "The Captain will look out for the yacht. You needn't -be scared. Tell us about the sailors you get in your flock. How you -learned all about boats from them." - -Mr. Jones drew himself up a good foot. His head went up in the air and -the look of defiance came into his eyes. - -"The only fellows that got sent up with me were Jack Elwell and Bill -Haskins," said he. - -"How do you mean sent up with you?" asked Mrs. Holbrook. - -"Well, they were caught straight enough," said the tall man, sadly. - -"You mean they had to be caught and sent to you for spiritual -teaching?" asked Mrs. Holbrook with a smile. - -"Well, er--not exactly," said the tall man, in a voice which died away -to a whisper. - -"Ha, ha, ha, a good one on you, Mr. Jones," said Holbrook. - -"Well, you see," went on the tall man, slowly, "you don't seem to -understand just what I am." He looked at the Captain, who stood near at -the wheel, but whose face was like a mahogany mask. - -"Why, you are a clergyman, are you not?" asked Mrs. Holbrook. - -"A convict," said Mr. Jones, slowly. "I am Stormalong Journegan, -sailor, navigator, and was sent up for fifteen years. Bahama Bill an' -me got out." - -There was a long silence. Holbrook rose and went to the farther side of -the yacht. Mrs. Holbrook sat a few moments and looked out to sea. Then -she motioned to the steward, who was at the companionway, to take her -wraps below, and she disappeared down the steps without a word. - -Holbrook saw something forward and made his way toward the bow followed -by his son, who turned to look back at the tall man. - -"Serves her bloomin' well right fer turnin' me out," growled the -Captain into the ear of the helmsman. "Next time she'll be a bit more -careful about takin' passengers." - -Mr. Jones, or Journegan, sat looking out over the sea. The veil of -mist that hung over the land held many images for him. He saw how it -was aboard. His year of reformation had taught him many things, and -the lesson he was learning was not entirely new. He gazed sadly at -Holbrook. He had felt drawn toward the man, but after all, in spite of -his assumed contempt for holy men, he was more of a hypocrite than the -veriest village parson he had ever met. - -He arose slowly, unkinking his long frame like the opening of a -jack-knife. Then he tossed his cigar over the side and went to his -room. He was an outcast aboard that yacht and he knew it. The privacy -of his room was much better than the inhospitality of the deck. - -All the long afternoon he sat there thinking. He was not a strong man -save for his great muscular frame. He had fallen before and he was now -trying to do what he could to atone for it. The thought of the silver -in the after-cabin came to him and his vacillating spirit could not -quite get the glistening vision out of his brain, for after all, these -people were his enemies. They could never be anything else as long as -human vanity and conceit endured. Even the miserable little prig of an -owner who ridiculed clergymen need not be spared. It might do his small -soul good to have to part with some of his treasures. He pondered, -while the light failed and the look of challenge came into his eyes. -He had a powerful frame and had nothing to fear. And all the time the -_Dartmoor_ ran to leeward with the lift of the northeast sea behind her. - -It was just before eight bells, when a man who had gone forward on -lookout hailed the Captain. - -"Something white dead ahead, sir," he cried. - -The sanctified man heard and thought of the untrue compass. The next -instant there was a dull reverberating snore alongside as a giant -breaker burst into a white smother and rolled away in the darkness. It -was breaking in three fathoms, and the yacht was racing to her end. - -There was a rush of feet on deck. Wild cries came from aft, where -the Captain had rolled the wheel hard down and was struggling with -the sailor to get the jigger on her and force her offshore. She had -not touched yet, but as the yawl came to in the gale, she brought up -broadside in a sea that burst upon her with the weight of an avalanche, -heaving her on her lee beam and washing everything off her, fore and -aft. The water poured down the companionway and flooded the cabin. - -The sanctified man reached the deck by dint of a fierce struggle up -through the forward companion. The men who were below followed as -best they could; swashing, floundering through the flood and loosened -fittings, and they managed to get aft in time to get a line to the -sailor who had been at the wheel and who was now close alongside. The -Captain was gone. - -All the time the _Dartmoor_ was drifting to leeward and into the -breakers. She had swung off again under the pressure of her jib, and -just as the tall man seized the jigger halliards to get the after sail -upon her, she struck on the Frying Pan Shoals. The next sea rolled over -her and was the beginning of the end. - -Mr. Holbrook had been below all this time, and he now appeared at the -companion with his wife and boy. The sea that fell over the wrecked -craft nearly drowned them and washed Richard back into the cabin. Mr. -Jones roared out for the men to get the only small boat left alongside, -and his voice rose to a deep sonorous yell. He led the way himself to -the falls, where the small boat trailed to leeward, the davits having -been torn out bodily with the weight of the breaking seas. The hauling -part was still on deck and he handed in the line quickly, the three -sailors and steward taking heart at his example and helping all they -could. Mrs. Holbrook was placed in the small boat and her husband -waited not for an invitation to follow, but floundered in after her. -The three sailors sprang aboard. At that instant a giant sea rose to -windward. It showed for a second in the ghastly phosphorescent glare of -the surrounding foam. Then it thundered over the doomed yacht. - -When the sanctified man came up from the blackness below, he was just -aware of the vessel's outline some fifty feet away to windward, and he -struck out strongly for her. In a few minutes he was alongside. A great -sea broke over her again, but he held well under the rise of her bow -and managed to cling to the trailing débris. Then he climbed on deck. -There was nothing living left there. He looked for the boat, but it had -disappeared. Then he was suddenly aware of a bright light and as he -looked he remembered the Bald Head tower which marks the dreaded shoals -of Cape Fear. - -He knew he was a mile or more from the beach and all the way was the -rolling surf. It was a desperate swim at any time, but in a northeast -gale, with the sea rolling high, it was useless to think of anything -human attempting it without artificial aid. He clung to the stump of -the mainmast and tried to live through the torrents that swept over him -by getting directly in its lee. This was the only way he could stay -even a few moments aboard the vessel. She was lifting still with each -succeeding sea and driving higher and higher upon the bank, but she -had not broken up badly yet. Yachts like the _Dartmoor_ could stand a -tremendous pounding before going to pieces, but he knew that nothing -could stand the smashing long. Before daylight there would be not a -stick to show that a fine ship had gone ashore in the night. - -The cabin scuttle was open and he wondered if the cabin was full of -water yet. The silver was still there and belonged to the man who could -save it. There was a chance for him and he was already looking about in -the blackness for a proper spar or piece of wood to float him for the -struggle in. It might be just as well to try to take in a little extra -weight along with him, for he would not start until he could get his -float. - -In a smooth between two seas he made a dash for the companion, -springing along the coamings of the skylight to get a footing, for the -deck was at a high angle. He reached it and clung under its lee for -shelter. Then he peered down into the darkness below. The cabin was not -quite full of water and he climbed down, feeling for the magnificent -cup he had seen there the day before. His hand touched it, although he -was now almost shoulder deep in the water. A mattress floated against -him and he seized it. The cork within would float him and his prize. He -tried to find something else that would float, but just then a torrent -of sea water rushed below and he saw that if he would get away at all -he must soon start. He lugged his prize to the steps and started to -drag it clear. He reached down in the water to get a better grip of -it and his great fingers closed upon a human hand. Then he made out -the form of the boy with his head still above water, clinging to the -topmost step of the ladder. He peered into the child's face and saw -the frightened eyes open and look at him. Then he stopped and stood -motionless upon the ladder. - -In all his work he had only been a few minutes, but those few minutes -had been minutes of his old life, the life of a sailor. The late past -had been forgotten and he was now a shipwrecked mariner, getting ashore -as best he could, saving what he might from a wreck. But the touch -of the boy's hand brought him back again to the realization of his -condition. The hand of an enemy's son, but the hand of one who had -treated him kindly. The mattress would not hold all three. It would be -between the boy and the cup. He swore savagely at the piece of silver, -held it for an instant, then started to hurl it from him. In the -precious seconds he was making a desperate fight. He gripped it again -with both hands and held it before him. A sea roared over the wreck and -half smothered him, pouring down the open companion. - -He dropped the heavy cup, seized the half-fainting Richard and quickly -passed a lashing about him. Then he seized the cork mattress and boy -and plunged to leeward. - -In the dim gray of the early morning, the keeper of the Bald Head -Lighthouse saw the tall form of a man staggering up the beach carrying -something in his arms. He ran down the steps of the tower and met the -tall stranger and relieved him of his burden of a still living but -half-drowned boy. - -"His mother and father are crazy with grief," said the keeper. "The -woman is crying all the time that it was the will o' God, because she -had a convict aboard her yacht. If you are the Captain, you had better -bring the lad to her yourself. I reckon she'll be careful what kind o' -passengers she takes aboard again, and take your word for things aboard -her boats." - -"Does she think it was because a convict was aboard, the vessel went -ashore?" asked the tall man, drawing his half-naked figure up to its -full height. - -"Sure, she says the Captain didn't want him. A mighty fine religious -woman she is, too," said the keeper. - -"I reckon I won't bother her just now," said the tall man, in a voice -hardly above a whisper. "You take the little fellow to her--I'll go and -get some clothes on." - -The light-keeper strode away with the boy in his arms. The tall man -stood still for several minutes, looking after him. When the keeper -reached the dwelling he turned and saw the tall man still standing -there in his soaking trousers, his giant torso looking like the statue -of a sea-god. "The ways o' Providence air mighty strange," muttered the -sanctified man, slowly to himself----"But somehow I feel that I won." - - - - -VII - -When the Light Failed at Carysfort - - -The United States Lighthouse Establishment organized by Thornton -Jenkins, Rear-Admiral, United States Navy, had built many important -lighthouses upon the coast of the States. The appropriations admitted -the lighting of the dangerous coral banks of the Florida Reef, which -rose from the blue Gulf Stream many miles offshore and stretched away -from Cape Florida to Tortugas. - -From Fowey Rocks to Sand Key the high, long-legged towers, built of -iron piling driven into the rock and braced with rods, rose above the -shoal water, and at night their huge lenses flashed forth a warning -gleam for twenty miles or more over the sea. - -Carysfort was the second from the beginning the reef: a tall iron -structure, the lantern or lens mounted atop of a wooden house built -upon the platform at the end of the piling. - -Inside of the house were the two bedrooms of the keepers, the oil-room, -storerooms, and kitchen. Large tanks of iron held hundreds of gallons -of water caught from the roof. - -Outside the structure the platform extended six feet clear all around, -making a comfortable porch or piazza, with a high rail which hung out -over the sea at a height of about a hundred feet. - -A long iron ladder extended from a trap-door in the flooring to the -sea below, stopping at a landing about half-way, where the keepers had -a small woodpile, a flower-bed, and a few things which would stand -exposure to the weather. At the sides of the platform above were -davits, on which the two whale-boats hung. - -Altogether, the little house and platform offered some inducements to -men who were not particular about being alone for a long time. - -It was many miles to the nearest land, clear out of sight from even the -top of the tower; and to those who lived there it was like being at -sea upon a small vessel which neither pitched nor rolled in a seaway, -nor yet changed position in any manner. It was almost like living in -mid-air. - -It was a healthy life for the keepers. No germs of any known disease -ever reached the distant lighthouse, and no sickness had ever occurred -there. - -On shore, it was a well-established axiom that among the offshore -keepers none died--and few retired. - -Every few months each could get a leave of absence on full pay and -spend the time in any manner he pleased. The supply-ship stopped off -the reef twice each year, and the lighthouse tender traversed the -district as high as Cape Canaveral if anything was wanted. - -So at least three or four times a year the keepers would hold -communication with the outside world and converse with their fellow men. - -The ships passing up the Hawk's Channel from Key West went within a few -miles of the reef, and steamers going north outside sometimes stood in -close enough to be recognized: but the Carysfort and Alligator Reefs -were good places to keep away from, and no vessels except the spongers -remained long in sight. - -The spongers consisted of small sloops and schooners, which hailed from -Key West whose owners were the wreckers of the reef, and who spent the -best part of the good weather in summer hunting the growths upon the -coral which brought such good prices in the Northern drug-stores. - -Few wreckers are piously inclined, some less so than others, but the -outlying light was safe from thieves, for by hauling up the iron -ladder the keepers were shut off completely from the world below. No -one could, or would, climb those polished iron columns painted a dull -red and as slippery as glass, unless something valuable was to be had -at the top. So the keepers often left the trap-door open or unbolted, -knowing their security. - -Black Flanagan was the head keeper, a six-foot giant from Wisconsin, -who had found his way to Florida while evading a Michigan sheriff. The -work and confinement upon the light were not as irksome to him as might -be expected. - -His assistant was a preacher, a broken-down Methodist minister without -a flock, whose religious tendencies were of an order which brooked -solitude. - -He had the reputation of being the most blasphemous man upon the -Florida Reef, and his short sojourns ashore were marked by every excess -capable of being committed by a human being within the law. - -They called him "the howler," for, when he was drunk--which he -invariably was an hour after he came ashore--he would stop at the -village street corners and bellow for converts. - -Any one within a mile would know what was taking place, and many would -stop to listen. Failure to get responses brought forth such a torrent -of profanity that he would have to be locked up until sober--when he -would repeat the effort until his leave was over. - -Then, solemnly and with ponderous dignity, he would take himself back -to his home in the air over the blue Gulf Stream, and no one would see -him again for several months. Black Flanagan would greet him with a -grunt, and the two would take up the even life of lighting the lantern -and putting it out. - -Men were not struggling for their positions, and they took some comfort -from the fact. They would probably live so for a long time, drawing -good pay, with nothing whatever to do except clean and light the lamp. - -It was a hot and sultry morning in August, and the keepers were hanging -lazily over the rail of the platform, when they saw the wrecking-sloop -_Sea-Horse_ coming slowly up the Hawk's Channel. - -Her main-boom was well off to port, and she was fanning along before -a very light air from the southeast, going not more than two knots an -hour. - -Upon her deck lay the crew of half-naked Conchs, while at her wheel the -giant form of "Bahama Bill," the mate, stood leaning against the shaft, -smoking a short pipe. - -The fact that the black man now and then looked astern at a thin trail -of smoke caused Black Flanagan to notice him. - -"There goes the _Sea-Horse_," said he to his assistant; and they both -came to the side of the platform nearest the passing vessel. - -"Never seen thet big feller show so much consarn about what was astern -o' him, hey?" said the preacher. "Looks like they were from the -east'ard." And he nodded significantly. - -The sloop drew nearer, and the thin line of smoke rose blacker a -dozen miles astern. Then there seemed to be signs of life aboard. Two -men sprang up and began to drop large kegs overboard, making a great -splashing. They kept this up for some minutes, and the keepers went -inside the light for the telescope. - -Astern of the sloop they made out small, black objects, which floated -at intervals upon the swell, and were just discernible through the -powerful glass. - -For half an hour the men aboard the wrecking-vessel worked heaving -cargo overboard, and, as they went along, the long line of tiny specks -marked their wake. - -"Corks," said Flanagan; "I thought so." - -"They better hurry up," said the preacher; "the cutter's rising fast." -As he spoke, he looked toward the steamer, which was now coming along -in plain view, her hull rising slowly above the horizon, and her funnel -pouring out a black cloud, which hung over the sea. - -"They'll get caught fair enough. Half an hour, an' the officers'll be -aboard." - -"Well, they won't find anything. They'll never see them corks--she's -already heading out to get them clear of the wake. When they catch her, -she'll be an innocent sponger--an' we'll----" - -They looked at each other and smiled. - -An hour later the _Sea-Horse_ and revenue-cutter were upon the northern -horizon heading into Biscayne, and the keepers were lowering their -boats. - -It is an unwritten law of the reef that a man may steal as much as he -can from the United States, but he must not touch property belonging to -an individual. A smuggler is not by any means a common thief. - -Flanagan's ideas were different. He held that it was well to steal -whenever the opportunity offered without danger of getting caught; and -upon this principle he had little difficulty in converting his pious -assistant, whose thirst had not been slaked for three full months. - -Together they loaded three of the kegs into the boats by simply -pulling up the fishing-lines whose ends were floated by beer-bottle -corks. - -The lines anchoring the kegs were lying upon the bottom in six fathoms -of water, out of sight, and the small cotton cords were amply strong -enough to raise them. Once getting a grip of the anchoring-lines, they -had no difficulty in hauling the liquor aboard their whale-boats. - -The temptation to sample the goods was so strong that they desisted -after the third keg, and made straight away for the lighthouse to enjoy -the plunder. They could come back again and get the rest at their -leisure, for the corks would be in plain view during the calm weather. - -What transpired at the lighthouse during the next three days is -somewhat hazy. No light appeared at night, and the Key West steamer -almost ran ashore on her trip south. She reported the light out, and -the tender was despatched to see what had happened. - -The day was clear and bright, and the keepers were on the lookout, -seeing the steamer when fully fifteen miles away. Their liquor was -promptly put out of sight, and everything made snug to receive the -inspector. - -While there were evidences of drink in the faces of the men, they -showed a properly kept light, and swore solemnly that they had not left -the tower, and that the light had not failed at all. - -They mildly suggested that the captain of the Key steamer may have been -in a highly reprehensible condition to have accused two perfectly -sober and diligent light-keepers of neglect of duty. - -The pious one broke forth in prayer and exhortation for the delivery of -deluded pilots from the wiles of the devil, and soon the inspector was -glad to go aboard his vessel to return to Key West. - -The _Sea-Horse_, having been searched at Miami and found to be clear -of contraband, was allowed to go her way. She stood out to sea, and -headed down the Hawk's Channel just as the keepers lit the lantern for -the evening watch. Black Flanagan was just sober enough to do this, and -then turn in to continue his debauch with a pannikin of rum at his bed. - -The _Sea-Horse_ anchored near the light and waited for daylight to pick -up the floats. - -In the gray of early morning the black mate turned out the crew, -leaving the captain below, and, taking the small boat, put off. - -It was calm, and the corks were plainly visible. They were promptly -hauled aboard, and the sunken kegs stowed until the end of the line was -reached. - -Here the mate found three floats missing, and, being in a suspicious -frame of mind, he looked toward the light, which was still burning, -although the rays of the rising sun were colouring the eastern horizon -a rosy hue. - -"They've got 'em, all right," said he. "If we're quick enough, we might -catch 'em--give way hard." - -The small boat with three men was headed for the tower; and the -_Sea-Horse_, with her captain now thoroughly awake, lay by for -developments. - -The big mate lost no time gaining the tower. It was broad day now, and -Flanagan had just staggered up the steps into the lantern when the -small boat arrived alongside the piles below. - -In his befuddled state Flanagan saw nothing, until, after putting the -light out, he came stumbling back again. He arrived in the lower room -just in time to see the black head and shoulders of the mate emerging -upward through the trap-door in the floor. - -The mate was not in a good humour; moreover, he had turned out early -without eating his breakfast, and his great black head and giant arms -seemed supernatural in both vindictiveness and size. - -Flanagan thought he had taken too much, and that the horrors were upon -him at last. With a yell, he launched himself upon the seaman, taking -him at a disadvantage, and endeavoured to smash him back into the void -below. - -But the mate was strong. He had come to the light expecting trouble. -With a mighty effort he forced the keeper upward, and, amid a fierce -snarling and threshing about, he soon engaged in a desperate struggle. - -The "howler," hearing the uproar, sprang to the rescue, and joined in -the fray just as the sailors, following their trusty mate, climbed -through the door. In less than five minutes the keepers were lashed -fast, and were being lowered down through the door into the waiting -boat below. - -What remained of their spoil was also found and lowered after them; and -in the bright light of the tropic sunrise the _Sea-Horse_ put to sea, -leaving the great tower of the Carysfort light to the westward. - -For nearly a week no light was shown from the tower. Strangely enough, -no one reported the light out. - -The sixth day a sponger, sailing past at dark, noticed the absence of -light, and went to the tower to see what was wrong. - -He found it deserted, and, being a very poor man, he made his boat fast -to the piles and took possession, enjoying the fare and taking care of -the lantern in proper style for several days. - -All might have gone well with him for several months, but for the fact -that the supply-steamer was due, and arrived before he thought it time -to make a getaway. - -Finding the keepers missing, and no account made for them by the -inhabitant, the officers promptly accused him of murdering them, and -forthwith took him aboard the vessel to be carried ashore and tried. He -was promptly convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to imprisonment -for life. - -Meanwhile, the _Sea-Horse_, having made the Bahamas, put the thieving -keepers ashore to shift for themselves. After vainly trying to get -passage back to their home, they finally managed to get a small -boat and put to sea, to make the two hundred miles or more to the -lighthouse. - -They had been absent more than a month, and they arrived at Carysfort -one sunny morning in time to see the two new keepers who had been -appointed in their place take their whale-boat and start fishing along -the reef to the northward of the tower. - -Seizing the opportunity, they promptly gained the lighthouse and -climbed into the landing, dropping the trap-door fast behind them. - -The new keepers, seeing the strangers in possession of the tower, -hailed them lustily, and started back to inquire their business. - -For answer Flanagan leaned over the railing and gazed calmly down upon -them with a quizzical look. - -"What d'ye want?" inquired the tall keeper, in response to a hail. - -"What are you doing in that light?" asked the new keeper. - -"I am the keeper, and when you address me say 'sir,'" roared the tall -man in stentorian tones. "Tie that boat to the spiles and git away from -here, or I'll fall on top o' ye." - -But the new keepers were not made of easy stuff. They gained the lower -landing, and held forth under threats and persuasion for a day and -a half, when the "howler," getting tired of their proximity, began -attacking them with hot water and other missiles, which he hove or -dropped from the platform above. - -The new keepers could not get up, but they determined that the men -above should not get down, and they built a bomb-proof shelter to -protect themselves until help should arrive. - -After two days, they finally gave it up and started for Miami, where -they arrived and reported the state of affairs. - -The inspector came along, but found the two worthies sober, and -attending strictly to their duties. - -They explained how they had been attacked by a huge smuggling vessel -bound for the North, and how, after a desperate fight, they finally had -been overpowered, taken forcibly from their abode in the light, where -they had been attending to their duties, and put ashore in the Bahamas. - -They described how, after a tremendous exertion, they had managed to -get back again, only to find two strangers in possession of the tower. -Naturally, they treated them as trespassers and took charge. The light -had been kept regularly ever since, and they had no fault to find with -the job. - -After listening to their tale, there was nothing to do but to leave -them to their duties, for nothing could be found against them. - -Their absence from the light would have enabled the inspector to give -them their discharge, but they could prove they had not left of their -own accord. The forepart of their story would necessarily remain in the -dark, for they would not talk of it, and the crew of the _Sea-Horse_ -would rather have it kept quiet. Besides, it would be more than useless -to try to find the vessel from their description. The tender steamed -away for Miami to inform the authorities of the existence of the -keepers. - -"Virtue is usually triumphant," said the inspector to the judge, who -ordered the release of the convicted prisoner. "But in this case there -seems to be an exception." - -"There are exceptions to every rule," quoted the judge wisely. -"Light-keepers are rare birds--trouble will probably not happen -again--I would therefore sentence them to life imprisonment in--well, I -reckon there is no worse place than the Carysfort light." - -"I don't know but what you are right," said the inspector. - - - - -VIII - -The Trimming of Mr. Dunn - - -Mrs. Dunn sat under the awning stretched over the quarter-deck of the -yacht _Sayonara_ lying in the stream, off the government coal-dock, at -Key West. It was winter, but the air was warm, and white linen duck was -the most comfortable clothing. Even the six men who composed the crew -of the trim little schooner showed nothing but white in their garments, -save the black silk ties knotted rakishly, drawing together their wide -sailor-collars. Phenix Dunn was a broker, a gambler in the productions -of others, and because of this he was wealthy. He had bought and sold -certain commodities known as stocks, and they had proved profitable--so -profitable that he had decided to take a few months away from the -excitement of the game and buy a yacht and cruise. - -Mrs. Dunn was something of a beauty. That is, many men thought so. Some -women differed in opinions, especially those women whom she counted -as her friends. Anyhow, she possessed a dashing air, a figure beyond -criticism, and clothes that made Phenix say many bad words when the -bills came in. Also she had a disposition the gentle side of which had -not been overdeveloped. She was not quarrelsome. Far from it. She had -plenty of tact and ability, but the absence of children and household -cares had given her more time than necessary for the contemplation of -self, and this had not been satisfying. She worked it off by dint of -much outdoor exercise. - -Dunn joined her at the taffrail and flung himself into a chair with a -show of wrath. Something had gone wrong, as it always does upon yachts -of any size where the owner is not used to the sea or its peculiar -people. - -"The steward is gone, the cook is going, and here we are a thousand -miles from anywhere at all--anywhere at all, I say; and the commandant -of the yard will be aboard to-morrow with not less than twenty officers -and their wives. What'll we do about it?" he rapped out. - -"Why do you ask me?--I'm not good at riddles," answered his wife lazily. - -"Well, we've got to take on a couple of blacks--niggers they call 'em -here--and I don't like the idea of it. I've no use for 'em. What I -want is Japanese servants. Japanese are good. Good fighters make good -servants. You don't want a servant to think, and a good fighter never -thinks. If he did he would see something else besides glory in walking -up to a man with a gun. The Japs do that--and they are good servants. I -don't want any of these black people aboard this vessel." - -"Well, what are you going to do about it?" - -"I don't know," grumbled Dunn, "but when in doubt, take a drink--I'll -go and get one." - -While he was below, a dingy-looking vessel came slowly in the northwest -channel. She was a heavily built sloop, and upon her deck lounged -a rather numerous crew. They were picturesque, half-clothed in -nondescript rags, their bare arms and shoulders seeming impervious to -the rays of the torrid sunshine, for along the Florida reef, even in -winter, the sun is burning. - -The craft dropped anchor about twenty fathoms astern of the yacht, -and when Dunn came from below, bringing with him an odour of gin and -bitters, the crew of the sloop regarded him silently. - -"Hello, a wrecker!" exclaimed Dunn. - -His sailing-master had come to the taffrail and was gazing at the -stranger, while Mrs. Dunn, careless of nautical neighbours, read her -magazine. - -"Yes, seems like one of the wreckers," said Captain Smart; "an -ugly-looking crew, for a fact. They say these spongers divide their -time between wrecking and smuggling. Not that either's bad if indulged -in moderately, but they are apt to get loose after awhile and do queer -things." - -"There ought to be plenty of good in a wrecker, if he plied his trade -right--ought to save lives and property," said Dunn. "Let's have a look -through the glass." - -The men of the wrecking-sloop gazed back insolently at the yachtsman, -and a giant black man among them rose up, placed his fingers in line, -and applied the thumb of one hand to his big, flat nose, wiggling his -huge digits in derision. - -"That fellow is a corker," said Dunn, watching the wrecker -good-humouredly. - -"He's a big one, all right," assented Smart, "and I reckon they don't -like us looking so hard at 'em." - -"Lower a boat and send over for that fellow--I want him," said Dunn. - -The captain looked at him for a moment. "I go ashore for Miss Marion -Harsha in a few minutes," he said. "Mrs. Dunn gave the order. If you -say so, I'll let the gig go for the wrecker afterward--go myself in -her." - -The yacht skipper was about forty, and slightly grizzled, his tanned -face lined from work and exposure in more than one hard-run merchant -vessel. But he made a rather good-looking yacht captain when dressed in -his blue broadcloth coat with gold-braided cuffs, white duck trousers, -and white canvas shoes. His cap bore the flag of Mr. Dunn upon its -front, and was the only badge of dependence about him. - -"All right, go ahead when you're ready; I'm in no hurry," said the -owner. "Only I want to see that big nigger who was insolent enough -to poke his fingers at me. Seems like he'd make a good man aboard -here--steward, maybe, or even cook, if he knows how to do the work. -They say these Southern darkies know how to cook like a French -chef--and maybe his wife takes in washing. Get him, bring him -in--there's some one waving on the dock now." - -"Bring the gig to the starboard gangway," ordered Smart; and two men -swung into her from the boom-end and dropped her aft. In a moment the -captain was on his way to the dock. - -Miss Harsha was young, stout, pug-nosed, and short-haired, but she -dressed well and swung her parasol daintily as she walked down the -dock end beside a uniformed marine officer from the yard. At the -landing-steps the officer assisted her into the gig, talking so -interestedly that she failed to notice the yacht captain until he took -her hand and helped her into the cushions in the stern-sheets. She -suddenly dropped his hand, started, and stared at him a moment. - -"You--you--what are you doing here?" she stammered. - -"I'm to bring you aboard--Mrs. Dunn's orders," said Smart. - -"Er--yes, I suppose so. Oh, good-bye, Major Simson, we'll see you -to-morrow; you must come aboard, you know. Nice little boat--so -different from a ship, and Miss Jennings will be there. Good-bye." - -The officer bowed low, waved his helmet, and started back as the small -boat pulled away. - -"I thought you were still aboard the liner--the _Ampersand_," said Miss -Harsha casually, as she edged away to give the captain room to steer. - -"No, I left the next voyage. I was taught that a ship's officer was not -in the class I supposed him to be." - -"Please don't," interrupted the girl. "You know, or ought to know, -the difference between a common sailor--a mate of a transatlantic -steamer--and a naval officer. I hoped to spare your feelings, but you -would not listen to me. I am the daughter of a naval officer. You are -very little different from Mr. Dunn's butler, socially speaking. You -wear his livery----" - -"A very pretty uniform it is," suggested the skipper, interrupting and -smiling complacently at her. - -"You must pardon me if I hurt your feelings, but it seems necessary for -me to make myself plainly understood----" - -"Oh, I understand you thoroughly," said Captain Smart gently. "You are -away above me--high up. I know I'm only a sailor. So was my father. -But I'm not a bit ashamed of it. I work for my living. I have no kind -Uncle Sam to provide for me that I may loaf about in white duck and -seek diversion among the fairer sex. You'll excuse me if I cannot hold -a poorer opinion of myself than I do of many of those who wear the -country's livery and draw pay for it. They are mostly good fellows--but -there are others." - -"But you won't understand. It isn't that. It's the--well, we won't -discuss it any further. I know you are too much of a man to make me -uncomfortable aboard the yacht. If you do, I shall have to speak to -Mr. Dunn." - -Captain Smart chuckled softly. He seemed to enjoy the situation very -much, but he said no more, for the men rowing were beginning to listen -to the conversation. He swung the boat alongside with precision, and -assisted the girl up the companion. - -Aboard the wrecker the crew watched these proceedings with interest. -The big mate bit off a piece of tobacco and settled himself comfortably -in the sun upon the deck, with his head just above the rail. - -"Here comes the boat for us," grinned Captain Sanders, poking his head -out of the cuddy. The rest grinned silently in turn. - -Captain Smart came alongside, and the big mate rose to a sitting -position at the rail, squirting a stream of tobacco over the side, -barely missing the gig. - -"Mr. Dunn, the owner of the _Sayonara_, would like to see you aboard -the schooner," said Smart, addressing the black. - -"What fur?" growled the giant. - -"Oh, he has some business, I suppose--will you come?" - -Sanders winked at his mate, and a Dutchman named Heldron nudged him in -the ribs. - -"Sho', I'll come," said the mate. - -"Me, too," said Sanders, winking hard at the rest. "I'm the captain of -the wreckin'-sloop _Sea-Horse_, an' it's no more'n proper for me to pay -my respect to his nibs. This here little black boy"--pointing to the -black giant--"is my first officer. They calls him Bahama Bill. He's a -bad man to call out o' his name." - -Bahama Bill frowned and his ugly face leered for a moment at the crew -on deck. Then he swung easily over the side and dropped with a crash -into the small boat. Some of the men sniggered, but Sanders gave them a -look and followed. - -"Shove off," said Smart, and in a moment the gig was heading for the -yacht. - -Upon the deck of the schooner the captain and mate of the _Sea-Horse_ -seemed slightly out of place, but Bahama Bill swaggered aft with an -air that had little retirement or modesty about it, and his skipper -followed behind him. - -The giant mate was much amused by the immaculate decks, the new -rigging, and, above all, the spotless clothes of the crew. He knew -a good ship, and this toy, this playship of the rich Northerner was -much to his liking, for the _Sayonara_ was strongly built and had much -valuable material in her building. - -Dunn was sitting under the awning aft when the visitors were announced. -Sanders, hat in hand, stood awkwardly smiling and smirking at the -ladies, but his mate cocked his cap over his ear and leered savagely at -the owner. - -"You sent fur us, cap--an' here we is," said he. - -Dunn had been watching them for several seconds. - -"Yes, yes, my good man, I wanted to see you," he said. "Do you know of -any one who wants a job cooking aboard here? I heard there were some -good sea-cooks knocking about these keys, perhaps you're one--what?" - -"Does I look like a cook?" said Bahama Bill, staring at him. - -"Most certainly not, but appearances are sometimes deceptive. Maybe you -know of one--what?" - -"I does," said Bill. - -"Can you get him aboard here to-day?" asked Dunn. - -"I cayn't--nussur. I cayn't." - -"Why not? I'll give good pay--fifty dollars. Steady job, if they make -good." - -"Well, de onliest good cook I knows is 'Scrappy Jule,' dey calls -her----" - -"Oh, no, she won't do; we don't want any disrep----" - -"She's my wife," went on Bill, with a smoothness in his tone that made -his captain smile broader than ever, "an' don't reckon she'll come -abo'd no boat onless hit's me dat takes her." - -"Perhaps she'll do some washing for us, then?" - -Bill stared at the yachtsman for nearly a minute, and the smile died -away from Sanders' face. - -"Look here, yo' white man, did yo' send fur us to come ober heah to -listen to a lot ob nonsense?" said Bill solemnly. "What yo' takes me -fur, anyhow? We comes ober to take a drink an' pass de time o' day like -ship's officer, an' yo' begins wid a lot o' foolishness 'bout cooks -an' washerwomen. What yo' reckon I am?" - -"Good heavens! Captain Smart, come here a minute," called Mr. Dunn, -while the two ladies who were near enough to hear the last part of the -conversation sat staring at the wreckers in amazement. - -"Take these men forward and give 'em liquor," said Dunn, as his skipper -came aft, "and then send them back aboard their craft. They won't suit -us." - -"You men come with me," said Smart, motioning to Sanders and Bahama -Bill. His tone was quiet, but there was no mistaking its meaning. He -had seen enough of them, and would put them back aboard their craft. -He had known from the first that it was a mistake to have brought -them. They were a rough, independent type who respected no one, a type -that had furnished the worst class of buccaneers and pirates some -generations before. The West Indies had been infested with them for -years, and these wreckers, the descendants of the wild seamen of the -Spanish Main, were not the kind of men for a yacht. - -Bahama Bill glared sourly at the men forward as he made his way to the -gangway followed by Sanders. - -"I don't drink with no such po' white men as yo'," said the giant. "Yo' -kin put me back abo'd the _Sea-Horse_--sorry I came." - -"I'll take a pull afore I go," put in Sanders. "Bring out yer pizen -an' let's have a try at it. I seen more onsociable fellers than your -owner--but I can't quite call to mind jest where." - -"You ought to know yachtsmen, captain," said Smart. "There's a -difference between them and seamen. I'll drink with you, if you don't -mind." - -"Naw, yer needn't. I don't want nothin' more to do with yer--see? I -drinks alone." - -Smart took a bottle of liquor from the boy, who had brought it from the -cabin and poured a tumblerful, handing it to Sanders. - -"Drink, and make your getaway," he said. - -Sanders tossed off the glassful, and looked hard at him. - -"I'll go when I git good an' ready," he said. "Don't give me none o' -your slack, or I'll take it out o' yer." Then he flung the dregs of the -liquor into Smart's face. - -The sting of the fiery stuff blinded the captain for an instant, but it -also angered him enough to do a foolish thing. He brought the bottle -down upon the wrecker's head and stretched him upon the deck. The next -instant he was seized by the giant black man and flung like a coil of -rope into the scuppers. - -"Don't make no rough-house, or you'll be sorry. Put us abo'd the -_Sea-Horse_," said the big mate. - -Dunn had rushed for the cabin at the first signs of a fracas, and now -came forward with a rifle held in readiness. - -Smart saw that any further strain would result in bloodshed, and he was -used to handling men. With strong self-control he sprang to his feet -and held up his hand to Dunn. Then he called for the boat in a natural -tone, and the men who had witnessed the trouble obeyed. - -The yacht's deck was not the place for an affair of force. Captain -Smart knew it at once and deplored his action. In a second he could -precipitate a fight that would be fatal to at least one or more men, -for Dunn was an excellent shot and exceedingly quick. The mate of -the _Sea-Horse_ cared as little for the rifle as for a cane, if he -once broke loose. Even Sanders would not hesitate to face any kind of -weapon. The two wreckers were ushered over the side and rowed back to -their craft. - -Bahama Bill was sullenly silent all the afternoon. Something, an -indefinable something of refinement, of an air above what he had been -used to, had kept him from an outbreak aboard the yacht. He had many -times gone forth on the beach and made rough-house for the sport of -it, handling half a dozen tough longshoremen, armed and unarmed. On -the _Sayonara_ the presence of the ladies had kept him in check. He -could not quite understand it. Sanders had less control of himself, and -growled out vengeance during the hours of daylight. When it grew dark -he took his mate to one side. - -"When the tide turns we'll rake her--hey?" he said. - -"I dunno--I cayn't quite make up my mind," said Bill. - -"Feared?"--with a sneer. - -"Feared o' what?" asked the black man. - -"Oh, I dunno. I reckon the captain, or the owner--hey?" - -Bahama Bill spat disdainfully over the side into the dark water where -the phosphorus shone in the ripples. He sat for an hour upon the rail, -and the rest of the crew watched him, for they knew pretty well what -was coming. - -After supper the big mate went on deck. Heldron brought him a hook, a -powerful instrument with a long tooth that would reach well into the -seams of a vessel and pull out any calking that might be there. Sanders -took out a fine steel bar, a regular jimmy, and joined them. The rest -of the crew remained below and played checkers or cards, making no -comment whatever. - -The giant mate took the bar and hook and slid gently over the side, and -the next instant they saw a thin line of fire, his wake, leading toward -the yacht. - -Aboard the yacht the incident of the afternoon was almost forgotten. -Miss Harsha played the piano and Mrs. Dunn sang sea songs, while Dunn -smoked and applauded alternately. The men were all below, and only -Smart and his mate, a tall Yankee sailor from Maine, sat on deck, for -the air was chill. - -"Looks like we'll have a bit o' weather coming along soon," said the -mate to Smart; "heavy bank makin' to th' north'ard." - -The captain smoked in silence. He thought of the scene on deck that -day, and he felt more than ever that Miss Harsha had reason to feel -displeased at his attentions. He remembered the nights upon the liner -when he had taken the girl for walks against the rules of the company, -the usual ending of such affairs, and the cold-blooded manner in which -she had sent him off. He was occupied intensely with his thoughts and -keenly disgusted. In the dark water alongside a large fish seemed to -make considerable disturbance and attracted his attention. He went to -the rail and looked over, and instantly the creature, whatever it was, -sank below the surface. Then he went back and smoked. - -Bahama Bill, the wrecker, had reached the yacht and had started to work -her seams about three strakes below the water-line. It was his business -to drag out the oakum and spread the seam, leaving nothing but a bare -thread to keep the water from coming into the hull. - -It was an old game, but new to the vicinity and victims. When the -vessel filled and sank, which she would surely do if not docked at -once, the wreckers would be on hand to claim their salvage. As this -would amount to about one-third the value of the yacht, it would be -worth while. Even if the marks of bar and hook were discovered, no one, -unless an expert in the methods of the reefers, would suspect what had -caused the trouble. No one could possibly give any testimony of any -value against the wreckers. - -They would board her boldly at just the right moment, and, knowing her -condition, would have no rivals on hand. Her salvage would ease the -pain of the insults they had received at the hands of her owner. He -wouldn't drink with them--what? He would wish he had drunk many bottles -before they were through with him, the rich bum. Who was he to put on -airs to them? - -The giant black diver had raked the seam and then swung his weight -upon the bar. The two-inch planking of the small vessel gave to his -tremendous strength. His head, a foot beneath the surface, kept him out -of sight while he worked, but he had to raise it clear every little -while to breathe. At these times he turned his eyes upward and tried to -pierce the gloom, letting just his nose come out, and drawing breath -ready for instant disappearance should any one be looking over the side. - -It was desperate work, toiling there in the tideway, and, in spite of -his power, he found that he must rest after the first seam had been -raked to the bends. He jammed the bar fast in a seam and clung to it, -lying at full-length and letting his body float with the current. - -The night was quite still and very dark. The bank of cloud in the -north told of a heavy wind approaching, the uncomfortable norther -which sweeps at periods over the reef during the winter months. The -water, however, was always warm; the close proximity of the Gulf Stream -kept it near the temperature of eighty all through the year. While he -rested, he was aware of a movement in the sea near him, and he sniffed -the air uneasily. The smell of a shark was plain in his nostrils. - -To lie quietly in the sea at night with a shark in the vicinity was -to invite almost certain destruction. To thresh about aimlessly would -surely attract attention from the deck above, and bring death in the -shape of a rifle-bullet, or, worse yet, a boat, which would catch -him before he could gain the _Sea-Horse_. He left the bar in the -_Sayonara's_ side, and, grasping the hook, swam strongly to the bobstay. - -Silently the mighty black hauled himself clear of the water, just as -a long shadow, darker than the surrounding sea passed beneath him, -leaving a long line of fire to mark its passage. He had cleared with -about a second to spare. The sea-monster passed on down the tide toward -the open ocean, but Bahama Bill waited before slipping back again to -his task. - -In a short time he worked the next seam; then, taking the thin cotton -line he had fast about him as a belt, he unwound it, pulled the last of -the calking oakum out, and replaced it quickly with the line the entire -length of the destroyed seam, leaving the ends clear to be jerked forth -at a moment's notice. It would at once let a stream of water into the -hull of the yacht which would test her pumps to their fullest capacity, -and where he had worked there was hardly a trace of violence. A few -augur-holes would have accomplished the end more readily, but they -would remain as telltale evidence. The starting of a seam and butts -could not be proven against such careful work. - -At the right minute the wreckers would pull the cord, and then it would -be--stand by the pumps or run her ashore. All they would have to do -now would be to follow her about the reef until she arrived at a spot -conveniently far from a tugboat or dry dock, follow her like a shark -until, wounded and unable to keep the sea, they would fall upon her the -instant her crew and owner would leave her, or call for help. - -Bahama Bill had just put the finishing touches upon his excellent work, -and was resting, preparatory to swimming back to the _Sea-Horse_, -where he knew Sanders and the rest were awaiting his arrival with some -impatience. He had his bar jammed in a seam, and was hanging upon it, -when the mate of the _Sayonara_ happened to peer over the side. - -The wrecker saw him just in time, and sank from view. In doing so he -made a slight disturbance in the sea, and the phosphorus flared and -trailed from him, giving him the long shape beneath the surface common -to a fish of about his length. - -"I reckon I'll take a whack at them fellers swimmin' around us," said -the sailor to Smart, "seems to me there might be a barracuda, or -jew-fish, loafing about. I'm going to get the harpoon." - -Bill, instead of making good his getaway, at this moment, hung easily -on to his resting-place and poked his head clear about the time the -mate had ceased speaking. Seeing that the head over the rail had gone, -the wrecker started to pull his bar clear, and had just shoved off from -the yacht's side, when the mate arrived with the iron. - -The long Yankee had been accustomed to spearing sword-fish upon his -native coast in summer, and he hesitated not an instant, but hurled -the iron at the form below him. As he did so Bill saw the movement and -gave a mighty shoot ahead. It saved his life by a fraction of a second, -but the iron struck him fair upon the ankle and passed through between -his heel-cord, or tendon, and the bone. He was hung as securely as a -quarter of beef upon a hook. - -"I got him," yelled the mate. "Lend me a hand. Captain Smart." - -"Killed him outright," said the captain. "He makes no flurry for a -heavy fish. Must have struck his backbone." - -They put their weight upon the line, and it came in easily, hauling as -though a log were fastened to the iron. And in the meantime Bahama Bill -was whirling over, trying to think of some way to cut clear. - -Still holding to his bar, the giant wrecker came swashing alongside -the yacht, making a lot of foam and fire, which completely hid his -identity. By good luck the men above him stopped hauling just when his -great weight began to put a heavy strain upon the line. - -Captain Smart, not wishing to trust the thin runner, went for a heavy -line to make a bowline to slip over the fish's tail and heave him -aboard shipshape Bill jammed the jimmy into a seam and worked it -far enough in to get a strong hold. His head was half-submerged, but -he held on while the strain upon the harpoon lifted his leg clear of -the sea. His leg was numbed from the wound, and when they slipped the -bowline down upon it he knew there was no use of further resistance. - -The pain was intense when they put the line to a tackle, and he gave -up. Throwing the bar clear to make away with the last evidence of his -work, he let them haul him feet foremost into the air and hang him -dangling over the rail. - -"A nigger, by all that's holy!" exclaimed the long mate. "Now, how in -the name did----" - -"The mate of the wrecker," said Smart, slacking the giant down upon the -deck and gazing at him. "Hooked in the ankle, all right and seamanlike. -Is he drowned?" - -"Naw, I ain't drowned," said Bill, staggering to his feet, the iron -from the harpoon still transfixing his leg. "Yo' put a stopper on that -barb, and pull that iron out. Cayn't a man take a swim without you -fellows huntin' him like a bloody fish?" - -The mate offered his apologies, somewhat tinged with humour, for the -mistake, and, being entirely without suspicion, went below to get a -stiff drink for his victim. The giant black stood gazing down at the -yacht captain for a moment, and as the wound did not bleed to any -extent, he refused to have any further fuss made over it. - -"Aren't you afraid of sharks--to be swimming about this harbour in the -night?" asked Smart. - -"No, I ain't scared o' much," said Bill, "an' I takes it all in good -part, yo' ketchin' me the way yo' did. I don't mind the little hole in -mah laig, but I do mind bein' h'isted up feet fo'most. I don't allow no -liberties wid me body, 'n' ef yo' had dun it a purpose, I sho' would -have tu wake yo' up some--but I takes no offence." - -The long mate appeared with the liquor, and the wrecker drank it down. - -"Ah'm goin' now," said Bill, and without further ado he made a plunge -over the rail and was gone. A faint trail of fire showed his rapid -progress toward the _Sea-Horse_, and his captors were left alone again -on deck. - -"That was something strange--what?" said the mate. - -"'Twas a bit out of the ordinary," said Smart, thinking of the -strangeness of the scene, the dark night, the disturbed water, and -the sudden appearance of a giant negro hauled on deck feet foremost -by a bowline run over a whale-iron. "You better keep an anchor-watch -to-night. Some of those fellows might steal half our brasswork before -morning. I'm going to turn in. Good night." - - -II - -In the brisk wind of the failing norther, the _Sayonara_ hoisted -her snowy canvas. The mainsail, taut as a board and white as the -coral-beach, stood with luff cutting the wind and leach cracking gently -while the boom-tackles held it like a hound in leash. The foresail was -run up, and the word was passed aft that the ship was ready. - -Mr. Dunn stood near the companion and chatted to Miss Harsha, while -Mrs. Dunn entertained two marine officers from the yard with tales of -the yacht. The reception aboard the day before had been a success, and -these remaining guests were to spend a week cruising to the northward -as far as Boca Grande. - -Dunn was a keen fisherman, and would try for tarpon, the giant herring -of the reef. - -"I tell you, Miss Marion," said he, "it's a great sport. It takes skill -to land one of those fellows, skill to hook him, skill to play him, and -skill to kill 'em--are you a good fisherman?" - -Miss Marion, pug-nosed, fat, and not entirely good-natured, thought a -moment. Not upon fish, but concerning certain officers she had known -lately. - -"I--er--I really don't quite know, you know. I never tried it. It must -be something grand. It appeals to me, the idea of fishing. It must be -awfully exciting when you've hooked him." And her eyes roved just for a -moment in the direction of Mrs. Dunn and her friends. - -"She's hove short, sir," said Smart, coming near. "Shall we break her -out and let her go? The tide is just right, and the wind a close reach -up the Hawk's Channel." - -"Er--yes. I don't know. Well, yes, let her go. What's the odds?" -murmured Dunn, losing interest suddenly. "You'll excuse me, Miss -Marion." And he went down the companionway. "When in doubt, take a -drink," he repeated to himself. "Maybe I'll run into some people who -think of something besides their--their-----" but he left the sentence -unfinished as he drank off a dram of gin and lime-juice. Dunn was a bit -of a sport at bottom, and his wife's friends were not--not of the kind -he was used to. It was hard to run a yacht as big as his schooner for -the amusement of silly women, and even more silly men. - -Captain Smart hove up his anchor, hoisted both jib and staysail, and -while the trim little ship broke off to port, the white-ducked crew -neatly catted her hook and stretched up her topsails, sending out a -big balloon forward which bellied out and sent her racing through the -northwest passage. - -It was a beautiful day, and the sun shining upon the white hull made -a very pretty picture of the fabric rushing through a whitening path -upon the blue water. The solid-silver trophies in the saloon were made -fast in their places, for the vessel was leaning heavily away from the -breeze, and Dunn locked his little buffet and came on deck to join his -guests. - -The men of the _Sea-Horse_ watched the yacht until she was hull-down to -the northward, her canvas alone marking the spot of her whereabouts, -which was changing at the rate of ten knots an hour. But they were in -no particular hurry to follow. - -Sanders had found out where she was bound, and it was not until late in -the afternoon, when the sun was setting, that the _Sea-Horse_ hoisted -her dirty mainsail. Then she stood away for Cuba, passing out by the -Sand Key Light into the Gulf Stream. - -When darkness fell she was shortened down and allowed to drift along -slowly with the current, which took her many miles before the following -day. - -In the morning the _Sayonara_ stood in through the pass of Boca Grande. -It is here that the tarpon, the giant herring of the south sea, makes -his entrance to the shallow waters of the Florida reef. Dunn lost no -time engaging guides and preparing for the kill. In the waters of the -reef one does not catch fish; he kills them. A tarpon is not usually -eaten, and is caught solely for the excitement of the fight. Nearly all -the great game fish are equally unpalatable, therefore the sportsman -has long ceased to speak of his catch, which in other waters is useful, -and generally brought home for food. - -The small boats were gotten overboard, and the party, made up in pairs -with a guide to each, headed into the pass. Boats from the floating -hotel back among the keys joined them, and during the forenoon the fish -struck. - -Dunn managed to land two huge fellows, but the boat containing Miss -Harsha and the major of marines caught nothing. If there was an -attempted killing, it was only witnessed by the guide, and he, being -a discreet "Conch," had the good taste to remain silent for ever -afterward. - -Late in the evening, after the fish had stopped striking, the party -sat upon the deck of the _Sayonara_ enjoying the soft air of the -semi-tropical sea. Far away to the southward the sail of a single -vessel rose above the sapphire rim of the horizon. The air was warm, -and felt almost oppressive. There was evidently going to be a change in -the weather, and Smart noticed it at once. - -"The glass has fallen considerable since morning," said he to Dunn, -"and the pass is not the best anchorage in the world. I don't exactly -like the idea of lying so far off." - -"We'll stay as long as the fish bite," said Dunn. "Now that I've gotten -here you'll not scare me away until there's something happened. Give -her plenty of scope and let her ride it out, if it blows. A bit of -motion will do the party good, shake 'em up and put some sense into -them. Stay where you are." - -"All right, sir," said Captain Smart. "I don't want to cut out the -sport, but if I know anything of the weather by signs, it'll sure blow -some before this time to-morrow. The warm weather may make the fish -come in, but it means something back of it. It's too late in the season -for such warm air up here, or it's too early. We'll catch it from the -southeast, and we'll have a nasty sea where we are lying." - -"Let her blow," said Dunn, "but when in doubt, take a drink." He went -below. - -"I do so wish we would have a terrible storm--then you could have a -chance to show how superior a U.S. marine officer is in an emergency," -said Miss Harsha, smiling up at the major, who had noticed the -threatened weather and had heard part of the conversation between Dunn -and his captain. - -The major leered at her. He was trying to think how a pug-nose and -freckles would inspire him at the psychological moment. It seemed to -cause him an effort, for he spoke wearily in reply. - -"You remember what we did at Guantanamo?" he said. - -"Yes, but I have heard of nothing else since the Spanish War," said the -girl sweetly. "You surely have something else in the record of your -excellent corps, for I know personal bravery exists everywhere in it. I -love heroes--men who can do things. It's foolish, no doubt, but, then, -most women are foolish. What use would your beautiful uniform be to us -if we were not?" - -The major gazed out over the darkening sea and watched the tiny speck -of white where the single sail rose above the horizon. He was tired and -thirsty, and he had seen Dunn go below. - -"We are to have a fish-dinner--I must go and get out of these -fish-killing togs," said Miss Harsha, and she left him to follow his -inclinations. - -The night was dark and quiet, the sea murmuring distantly under the -black pall which crept up from the southward. The glass fell lower, and -Smart ranged twenty fathoms of cable to let out when the wind struck. -He also got his heavy anchor ready to let go, with sixty more, and made -ready with hemp-stoppers to take the strain off the bitts when she -surged. - -There were only four fathoms of water in the part of the pass where -they lay, and with a great scope to both anchors he felt certain that -he could hold on unless some accident happened. - -The sea would not break where he lay, on account of the formation -of the reef beyond, and if he could get all his line out before she -started to drag, he could hold her without great danger, although she -would do some lively jumping if it blew heavy. A man on watch would -report the first change for the worse. - -By midnight all was silent aboard. The anchor-light burned brightly, -and its rays fell upon the form of the man upon the forecastle, who -nodded drowsily. The calm continued, and the great flame from the -lighthouse at the pass sent long streaks into the darkness. - -Coming along with the flood-tide and just going fast enough to keep -steering-way upon her, a small vessel headed into the pass, burning no -lights and heading close to where the _Sayonara_ lay. At her helm a -giant negro sprawled, and upon her deck several men lay in attitudes of -great ease. - -"She lays still, like mit a ghost," said Heldron, peering at the yacht. - -"Good graft," said Sam, straining his eyes to catch every detail. - -"I reckon we'll git to work on her," said Sanders. "Lower down those -jibs and slack the anchor away easy when I luff her under the lee o' -that p'int yander. How is it, Bill? Do you feel like swimming to-night?" - -Bahama Bill, the mate of the wrecker, growled out an assent. His -leg was sore from his experience with the iron in the hands of the -_Sayonara's_ mate, and his feelings were exceedingly ruffled from -certain personal affronts he had endured from the yacht's owner. Could -he cook? Could his wife, the renowned Julia, wash? Well, he would ask a -few questions some day after settling his account with the yacht--maybe. - -At present the cotton line he had placed in the opened seam was ready -to haul out. Then he would witness some work upon that yacht's deck. -There would be something doing. - -He grinned as he thought of the trim white duck clothes. How they -would look after twenty-four hours' work at the pumps! Even the -yacht's captain, who seemed to be something of a sailor in spite of -his wonderful rig, would have something to do besides sitting about -like a well-dressed monkey. And as for those officers, the guests of -Dunn--well, he had already had dealings with them, and once spent the -night in the "cooler" for ruffling a couple of their Jap messmen. - -"Yo' kin lower down the starbo'd boat when we lets go," said Bahama -Bill; "'n' I wants one o' you fellers to drap to lor'ard toe pick me -up, fer I'll be comin' mighty fast--see?" - -Sam understood, and a few minutes later the _Sea-Horse_ had hooked the -reef close in the shelter of the key and about a mile distant from the -yacht. Her mainsail was left standing, in case of sudden need. They -could lower it any minute after the job was done. If anything happened -they could stand out in less time than it takes to tell of it, for the -head-sails were all ready to hoist and the anchor just holding. Six -strokes upon the brakes, and she would go clear. Then, with everything -drawing, she would stand through the pass. - -The mate dropped into the small boat, and Sam rowed him rapidly ahead -of the yacht. He would drop overboard and drift and swim quickly down -with the current, while the small boat would circle around at a great -distance and out of sight to pick him up after he had finished and -drifted astern. - -Swimming strongly with a deep breast-stroke which made no foam or -noise, Bill slipped through the black sea like a fish. In a short time -he gained the anchor-chain, which strained out ahead with the force of -the tide upon the hull. - -Resting for a few moments and listening to make sure the man on deck -had not seen him, he let himself drift along the vessel's side until he -reached the end of his line. This he pulled out of the seam and let go. - -It opened her for a length of thirty feet--a thin, nasty leak, which -would be hard to find and impossible to stop without docking. It was -the work of an expert wrecker, and he grinned to himself as he let the -current take him away. - -Not a mark had he made upon the beautiful white hull, and yet she was -even now filling rapidly through seams which had been carefully calked. - -Of course, if the weather remained calm enough for them to work a small -boat alongside and study her bilge a couple of feet below the water, -they would come upon the seam. But the weather was not going to remain -calm very long. He knew it would be blowing hard before daybreak, -before there would be any light to see her smooth side below the water -where the green of her copper paint had hardly been disturbed. - -He had passed his knife along the seam after the line was removed, and -it was open. His work was done. - -Sam picked him up half a mile astern, and they rowed silently back -aboard the _Sea-Horse_. All the others had turned in, and they did -likewise, after lowering down the mainsail and paying out enough cable -to hold the vessel should it blow before they awoke. The small boat -was towed astern, for they were well back behind the key, and quite -sheltered. - -In the still hours of the early morning Captain Smart was awakened -by the unusual sound of water washing about in the yacht's bilge. He -roused himself and listened. The first note of the rising wind droned -through the rigging, and the man on watch came to his door to call him. -In a moment he was on deck. - -The night was still dark, although it was nearly four o'clock. The wind -had come from the southeast, and it was freshening every moment. The -hands were called, and the cable given to the anchor while the heavy -bower was dropped, that she might set back upon them both. - -There was plenty of room, and she brought up nicely, riding easily to -the fast-increasing sea. She was heading it, and, therefore, had not -begun to plunge enough to wake the party aft. But every moment the -whistling snore aloft told of what was coming. - -After seeing that his ship was snug and safe for the time being, Smart -went below to get into his oilskins. It had not yet started to rain, -but it was coming, and he would not have time to leave the deck if -anything went wrong. - -While he sat upon his bunk-edge he again heard the washing sound from -below. It came loud and insistent, not to be confounded with the wash -from the sea outside. At that moment the mate came into his room. - -"What's the matter below, sir?" he asked. "Sounds like we've got water -in her. Shall I try the pumps?" - -"Well, if we do, it will frighten every one. It's going to blow a -regular snorter. There can't be any water in her--she's tight as a -bottle. You might sound her, but don't let any one see you do it." - -Before Smart had buttoned on his sou'wester, the mate came below again. -He had a naturally long face and seemed solemn even in his most happy -moment. Now he pulled a face as long as a rope-yarn. - -"Four feet of water in her, sir," he said, and he looked at Smart as -though that officer had said something to hurt him. - -Smart gazed at him for a moment-in perplexity. He saw his mate was -sober. He was too good a sailor to come aft with any silly story. He -knew there was something wrong, and he sprang up the companion. - -In the rush of the wind on deck all sounds from below were, of course, -silenced. The droning roar in the rigging as squall after squall tore -past made it evident that it was beginning to blow some. Forms appeared -aft, and Dunn came staggering along the rail to the mainmast followed -by his male guests. - -"Will she hold on all right?" called Dunn to his captain, who now stood -at the pump-well with the sounding-line in his hand. It was too dark -for the owner to notice the skipper's movements, but Smart put the line -out of sight. - -"Oh, yes, she'll hold all right," bawled the captain. "You better go -below for a bit, or else put on your rain-clothes; it's going to wet up -here soon." - -The men stood near the mast for a few moments, and, seeing that nothing -unusual was taking place, began edging aft again. A spurt of rain sent -them down the cabin companion, and Smart dropped his line into the -well. It showed a depth of four and a half feet of water below, or just -up to the cabin floor. - -Something must be done at once. All hands were called to the pumps, and -the clank of the brakes warned the owner that all was not well. He came -on deck with his guests, and as they were now in their rain-clothes, -Smart requested them to get busy. He would need all the men he could -get to keep her clear. - -Daylight dawned upon a wild sea to the eastward. The reef roared in a -deep thunder, but the heaviest sea was shut off from them. Streaming -scud fled past above them with the gale, and the mastheads seemed to -pierce a gray sky, which hurled itself to the northward at a terrific -rate. - -The sea that struck the _Sayonara_ was short, and had a great velocity, -but it was not high enough to make her plunge bows under. She rode it -with short jerks and leaps, smashing into it and sending a storm of -flying water as high as her crosstrees. This the wind hurled aft and -away in a heavy shower. - -She was holding to one hundred fathoms on one, and seventy fathoms upon -her largest anchor, and as the sea was shallow where she lay, the taut -chains stretched right out ahead, like two stiff bars of metal. - -"How did it happen--what is it?" Dunn kept asking; but his skipper -could give no response. All he knew was that she was filling fast, so -fast that they could just keep her about even with the leak. It was -three hours before it showed less than four feet of water below, and by -that time the men were getting tired. - -Smart told off the watches, and sent one below for a rest while the -makeshift cook tried to get all hands some coffee. They were going to -have plenty of work cut out for them, and they needed all the rest and -refreshment they could get. - -With only one watch at the pumps the water began to gain slowly upon -them, and by noon it was as high as ever again. The yacht plunged -heavily under this extra weight, and Smart gave her every link he had -aboard, afterward putting heavy stoppers upon both cables to take the -strain of the setback from the bitts. - -He had done all he could, and now waited with anxious eye upon the -glass, hoping for the shift which he knew must soon come. If he could -hang on for another twelve hours, he felt certain he would ride the -gale down safely; then--well, then it was up to Dunn to say whether to -risk a run to Key West or beach her. Just now the sea was too heavy to -think of going to leeward anywhere. She would go to pieces on the reef. - -Smart crouched under the lee of the foremast, watching men and anchors -alternately. Dunn joined him. - -"The women are getting a bit nervous, Smart," said the owner. "There's -no danger as long as she holds, is there?" - -"Not a bit," was the short answer. He was thinking how much easier it -would have been if Dunn had allowed him to make a good anchorage before -the blow began. - -"Well, I'll go below and tell 'em--when in doubt take a drink--come!" -And his two guests followed him. - -All that wild day the _Sayonara_ tugged and plunged at the end of her -cable, the water gaining slowly in her bilge; and when the darkness -with all its terrors came on, the men began to have some misgivings as -to what the yacht would do. - -Just as the wild night darkened the storm-torn sea, Smart wiped the -ends of his glasses to get them free from the flying salt water and -spume. He then took a last look around to see if anything was in sight. -Only the lighthouse showed above the waste of reef and white water to -the westward. Not a sign of humanity. Not a thing else from which to -expect human sympathy. - -Suddenly he noticed something like a mast rising from behind the end -of the key. Yes, it was a single vessel, snug and close in behind the -shelter. He could not make out her hull, or he would have at once -recognized the _Sea-Horse_, victor over many a hard-fought battle with -the elements of the Florida reef, now lying snug and safe as a house -with her crew below. He was not aware of it, but a pair of eyes were -at that moment gazing fixedly at his vessel, peering out of a dirty -port-hole. - -Bahama Bill had never ceased to watch the yacht from the first drone -of the storm, and all the night the giant mate had kept watch upon the -tiny star of his anchor-light as it rose and fell with each plunge. - -As the night wore on and the water had not gained sufficiently to make -it necessary to call all hands, Smart went below for the first time and -took a good meal, eating heartily of everything, and washing down the -food with two large cups of coffee. - -It was now nearly midnight, and the glass showed signs of rising. The -squalls were of less violence, and the captain hoped now to weather it -out safely before putting his ship upon the beach to get at the leak. - -While he ate he was aware of a sudden shock. The _Sayonara_ seemed to -shift her nose from dead into the sea, and then a peculiar trembling -of the hull told him of that thing all ship-masters dread. At the same -instant the rush of feet sounded upon the deck, and the mate poked his -head into the hatchway. - -"Starboard anchor's gone, sir--she's dragging back unto the reef inside -the light----" - -"Get the foresail on her--all hands!" roared Smart, tearing up the -ladder. - -The _Sayonara_ had carried too heavy a load. She was too deep with the -water in her, and had at last parted her steel cable to starboard. The -other anchor was not heavy enough to hold her with the extra tons of -water below; she had broken it clear, and was dragging it back--back -upon the coral bank, where she would soon be a wreck if she struck. - -One instant told Smart what he must do. He was too far in to try -to get to sea, and, even if he were not, he could not drive the -half-sunken vessel up against that sea and wind. To do so would be -certain destruction, for there would be no chance to keep the leak -under. He must run her in and beach her where it would be least -dangerous. - -In the blackness of midnight he might make a mistake and hit a bad -spot, but it was the only chance. If he could get her far enough in -behind the key to make a lee upon the bank beyond, he might save -her--at least save all hands. There was little room to work her, but -she was a stanch ship. - -"Cut the chain--break it with an axe!" he bawled. And the men sprang to -obey. - -The thunder of the close-reefed foresail brought Dunn from below, but -as he was no use forward he wisely remained aft. His two guests stood -near him. A feminine form appeared in the companionway. - -Smart was at the wheel, rolling it hard over to break the yacht off and -fill away the foresail, but he caught the words: - -"Oh, isn't it grand? A real storm! Oh, major, this is what you're used -to. I know you will bring us out of it all right. No, I don't need a -wrap, my dear Mrs. Dunn. Splendid!" - -The _Sayonara_ filled away, the chain was broken, and the dragging -anchor left behind. With the wind upon her quarter, she tore away -through the night, leaving a white path astern. - -Smart strained his eyes for the edge of the bank behind the lower key. -It was the most sheltered spot, but even in a sheltered spot to leeward -there would be a mighty sea breaking, with the wind blowing with -hurricane force. He would do the best he could. - -The whole uselessness of the affair lay upon him, and he swore, -muttering at the folly of his owner. A little shelter and the yacht -would have ridden down anything as long as she would float. The leak -would not have mattered so much had they been in out of that heavy sea -that made her surge so heavily upon her cables. He could have kept it -under easily enough, but now he was running the vessel to her end to -save those aboard. - -The light of the Boca Grande Pass showed him the direction of the reef. -The surrounding blackness showed nothing. He must make his landing by -the bearing of the lighthouse, and trusting that his distance would be -run right. - -A heavy squall snored over him, and the straining bit of foresail -responded to the furious rush, heeling the _Sayonara_ down to her deck. -All about them the water was snow-white with the sweep of the wind. He -heard a call from forward, and saw his mate running aft at full speed. -A heavier sea lifted the yacht, heeled her to leeward; then there was a -tremendous shock. - -A wild burst of sea tore over the yacht, the following sea had broken -against her side as she stopped in her run. The water was blinding, but -Smart could feel her swing up, and off from the wind. The wheel was -suddenly whirled out of his hands, and with a crash the _Sayonara_ set -her heel again into the coral of the reef. - -"Get below, every one," roared Smart, and the struggling Dunn, with the -major, who had been washed to leeward, fought their way back to the -companion. - -Smart shoved them roughly down and followed, closing the hatchway after -him. It was the only way. To remain on deck while the sea broke over -her would be to invite almost certain death. Again and again the yacht -rose and crashed down upon the coral bank beneath, the smashing crash -of her rending timbers making a deafening noise to those confined in -her. It was like being within a drum while it was being beaten by a -mighty stick. - -If they could remain below until the vessel drove well up on the bank, -it would be well. If the filling hold drove them on deck they would -have to face a whirling sea, which was breaking in a wild smother clear -across the wreck. Smart watched the water rising above the cabin floor, -and waited. - -Forward, the mate had got the crew below and closed all hatches. It -would be some time before she filled full enough to drive them on deck, -and all the time the stanch little craft was driving higher and higher -up the bank into shallow water. - -Smart took a look at the glass. It was rising. There would be three -more hours of inky darkness, and he hoped the little ship would last -it out. In the morning it would break clear, and there would be good -weather, a splendid chance to save not only the people aboard the -vessel, but much of her valuable fittings. - -Dunn tried to calm the fears of his guests. The major, white and -ghastly in the light of the cabin lamp, tried to put on an air of -unconcern. His companion tried to joke with Miss Harsha, but even that -young woman seemed to feel that the storm was entirely too real, the -end not quite in sight. - -"When in doubt, take a drink," suggested the owner, and proceeded to -fill three glasses. A sudden rise and smash of the yacht flung the -glasses to leeward, where they shivered into fragments upon the cabin -deck. Dunn saved his whiskey only by hanging on to it with one hand, -while he clung to the buffet with the other. - -The water rose rapidly in the cabin. It was over the floor two feet -deep by three o'clock, and the mate came through the bulkhead door and -announced that the yacht had stove amidships, and was hanging upon a -point of coral, which prevented her from driving farther in. - -As near as he could make out, there was still seven feet of water -alongside to leeward, the vessel now lying almost broadside to the sea, -which broke heavily over her. She had been drawing twelve feet, and had -driven up five feet, resting upon her starboard bilge, except when she -lifted with the sea. Something must be done, for the water would be too -deep below to remain there much longer. It would be at least five feet -deep in the cabin, and would swash about enough to drown any one. - -The roar of the wind was growing rapidly less, but the crash of the -seas prevented Smart from noting it definitely. He waited and watched -the rising flood. O for a little daylight, to see where he had struck! -Was there a chance to make a landing? To put off in that smother -in the small boats without knowing where he would bring up was too -disagreeable to contemplate until the last moment. - -The water gained steadily, and the women became panicky. The major no -longer jested, and Dunn was not in doubt. He had stopped drinking, for -the peril of the night was upon him now in earnest. - -Smart, with the mate, made his way on deck, closing the hatchway after -them. They crawled along the weather-rail and gained the waist, where -the whale-boat was snugly stowed under the shelter of the rail to -leeward. The water broke over them constantly, but the wind was going -down, and Smart decided to make ready to try to effect a landing. - -The whale-boat was in perfect order, and it would hold all hands, but -he decided that half of the crew should make the first attempt, in -order to see if there was any place to make the beach. They could bring -her back for the rest, and if they failed, there was the gig; it would -hold the women and the rest of the crew. - -When they had the boat over the side, it was all they could do in the -darkness to keep it from smashing back with the back-wash of the sea. -The mate managed to get four men into her, and sprang in himself. Smart -went aft and brought Dunn and some of the others, the major staying -with Mrs. Dunn and Miss Harsha. Ten men left the _Sayonara_, and were -instantly swallowed up in the gloom. Then Smart went back below to -await the mate's return. - -In the meantime the water below had risen so high that even the -transoms upon which the refugees perched were several inches under, and -at each surge it went all over them, roaring and washing about. The -cabin lamp was extinguished, and the black darkness which ensued lent -terror to the turmoil in that little cabin. - -An hour passed, and no boat came back. It looked ominous. The mate -would surely come back if he could. He was evidently lost or unable to -pull up against the heavy wind and sea. There was no use waiting any -longer. The water was still rising below, and the women must be taken -ashore if it were possible. - -Smart got the rest of the watch to work upon the gig, and by superhuman -efforts they finally swung her to leeward, and held her clear of the -side. Miss Harsha was lowered into her, and then Mrs. Dunn. The latter -seemed perfectly at ease, and scorned the assistance of the major, -who gallantly offered to go with her. The noise of the roaring water -precluded any attempt at conversation, and the darkness made all cling -close to the rail in a bunch, each helping the other as best they could. - -After all hands had jumped in, Smart followed, and gave the order to -shove clear, and, with the hope of striking the bank in a safe spot, -he headed out from under the lee of the wreck. The gray dawn of early -morning was breaking upon the scene, and the wind was falling rapidly. -It looked as though there would be no great trouble making the land. -But the sea was very heavy. - -From under the lee of the wrecked yacht a giant roller, which had -failed to burst upon the outer reef, foamed in a huge smother, and -swept down upon the small boat. Smart had kept her head to the sea, -and was allowing her to drift back very slowly, so that in case he saw -a bad place he could pull out and away without turning around. The -surge struck her and filled her half-full, but she rose again and rode -safely. Men bailed for dear life. - -In the growing light Smart saw the rise of the bank to leeward, and the -sea falling heavily upon it. It was a most dangerous surf for a small -boat. He stopped his craft, and lay heading the sea for half an hour, -waiting for a chance to run in, and in the meantime the dawn came to -reveal the desolate coral bank. - -Smart stood up and looked about him. Not a sign of the whale-boat -showed anywhere. His own craft was taking the sea heavily, and kept -every one not rowing busy bailing. He saw it was no use waiting any -longer, and began to go back into the surf. - -Steering with one of the oars, he managed to keep the craft's head to -the sea until they were in less than six feet of water. The bank being -flat for nearly a mile to leeward of the yacht, the seas rolled foaming -across it. He was within a quarter of a mile of the dry reef, which -showed in the growing light, when a rolling sea caught the small boat -and swerved her head a bit. - -The next instant the steering-oar broke, and before the men rowing -could swing her straight to the sea, she took the following one -broadside and rolled over in the smother. - -Smart had a vision of floundering men, women, and boat. The seas broke -over his head and blinded him, strangled him, and seemed to hold -him under. It was all white water, rolling foam, and it was almost -impossible to breathe in it. - -Then the sense of the danger dawned upon him with renewed force, and he -struggled to where the dress of Miss Harsha showed upon the surface. He -seized her, and dragged her to the upturned boat. - -The major was already holding on to the keel, assisted by two men. Mrs. -Dunn swam easily alongside, and grasped a line thrown her. The painter -was passed along the keel and made fast to a ring-bolt aft. Then all -hands held fast to this line, and waited for the sea to wash them in. - -After an hour of struggling it became apparent that the boat was not -nearing the shallow water fast enough. The tide was ebbing, and setting -her out to the deep water; carrying her to the heavy sea, when it -would soon be impossible to live. - -"If you will take Miss Harsha, major," said Smart, "you will be able to -make a landing. Take two men with you, and swim her ashore before it's -too late." - -"I think I'll stay by the boat," said the major. - -The girl was half-fainting. - -"It's my duty to stay by the boat, Mrs. Dunn," said Smart, "but unless -some one takes Miss Marion in, we'll lose her. I'm going to try for it." - -Taking the ablest man to help him, Smart fastened a couple of the oars -together, for an aid to float, and then started the struggle in through -the surf. - -It was a long, desperate fight through the broken water over the flat -coral bank. Sometimes they would be able to touch the bottom, and then -were swept from their feet again by the sea. Sometimes they would be -gaining, and then the current, sweeping strongly out, would set them -offshore until the fight seemed hopeless. - -With the girl's head resting upon his shoulder, and the oars under his -arms, Smart kept the struggle up. The sailor helped him, and finally -they managed to get into water shoal enough to stand. Then they were -aware of forms approaching along the shore, and the recognized the mate -and his men who had gone in the whale-boat. In a few minutes willing -hands dragged them to the dry land. - -The mate's boat had been stove in, and this had kept him from coming -back. He had made a successful landing, but had failed to notice the -other until a few minutes before he had sighted Smart in the breakers. - -A glimpse of sunlight shot through the flying scud. The wind was -slacking up and the sea going down very fast. The key they were upon -was separated from the one with the light by a broad sheet of water. -They were unable to reach any help from there. - -While they gazed at the speck of the upturned boat, Smart rubbed the -wrists of the fainting girl, and endeavoured to revive her. - -The mate spoke up. "Seems like I see a boat coming around the key to -the s'uthard," he said. - -From the masthead of the _Sea-Horse_, Bahama Bill had seen the accident -to the gig, and he was coming into the surf with a heavy boat, manned -by a full crew of men who knew the reef. They watched him, and saw him -pick up the survivors of the accident, one by one, and then row slowly -in to where the rest of the yachting-party stood. - -In a short time all were landed safely, and by the time they looked -about them they were aware of the wrecking-sloop getting under way and -running to leeward from her shelter. She rounded up to windward of the -_Sayonara_, and dropped both anchors, paying out cable until she was -close to the wreck. Then she signalled to the giant black, and he stood -ready to take passengers aboard. - -Dunn came forward and began to thank him for his heroism, but the black -man looked over his head, and just the faintest flicker of a sneer -seemed to show upon his ugly face. - -"Yo' think I make a good cook, eh?" he asked, with a leer. "I don't -believe yo' need no washin' done fer a day er two. Git inter that -boat wid de rest, an' thank me fer takin' yo', yo' gin-drinkin', -whiskey-swillin' good-fer-nothin' white man." And Dunn did as he was -bidden. - -Aboard the _Sea-Horse_ they were made as comfortable as possible. -That afternoon, when the sea went down and the wind sank to a gentle -breeze, the entire party were taken to the lighthouse in the pass, -and arrangements were made to send them to Key West. The major was -extremely cool and formal in his manner to all, but Mrs. Dunn cheered -them the best she could. - -Miss Marion Harsha paid some attention to Captain Smart, more than is -usual to a yacht captain; but Smart appeared tired and unresponsive. - -"You saved my life," said the girl indulgently, when they were alone -at the lighthouse. "You saved me from a very disagreeable death--and I -shall never be able to repay you. The major acted abominably. Won't you -forget what I said at Key West?" - -"Most certainly," said Smart, "but not what you meant. I was a -fool--and paid the penalty. I'll go back to the liner to-morrow. -There's a great difference between the way we've lived. It could never -be forgotten. I forgive you with all my heart, and if you'll allow me, -I'll kiss you good-bye." - -The next day Smart and his owner--owner no longer, for his vessel -was too badly wrecked to use again as a yacht--rowed out to get what -personal belongings they wanted before starting for Key West. Upon the -deck of the _Sayonara_ stood the giant mate of the _Sea-Horse_. - -"What yo' want abo'd here?" asked the black man, as they came alongside. - -"What d' you mean?" asked Dunn smartly. - -"Well, this here wessel was abandoned--left by her crew--an' I be here -to take charge," drawled the black. "Yo' cayn't take nothin' away from -her without my permission. Ef yo' want to make a deal wid the skipper, -he's abo'd de _Sea-Horse_. We generally claims two-third salvage. Yo' -kin make de deal wid him--see?" - -Dunn didn't see, but Smart finally convinced him of the truth. It was -humiliating, but there was no help for it--it was the law. - -"Right fine ship, cap'n," leered Bahama Bill to Smart, after things -were settled; "seems a shame to have to wrack her. Wouldn't yo' like a -job as cook till yo' git another berth?" - -Later they towed her hull into Key West. - - - - -IX - -The Survivor - - -"Light dead ahead and close aboard, sir," said the mate in a tone of -anxiety, as he poked his streaming sou'wester down the companionway. - -Captain Johnson was bending over his chart, his parallel ruler placed -firmly on east by south. The droning roar of the gale overhead and -the booming of the storm canvas and taut standing rigging made the -officer's voice sound strangely expressionless. The slight nervousness -evident in the lowness of the tone was the only thing that made the -master look up. - -The swinging lamp cast a strong light upon the articles of his room, -and as he took up his sou'wester and tied the strings under his chin, -he caught a momentary glimpse of a photograph pinned over his desk. The -wild rolling and plunging of the ship caused him to brace himself for -a moment, and he stood with legs apart, swaying, to keep his balance. -The picture was of his wife and children; those for whom he toiled at -sea, and he thought of them the moment he made ready to go on deck. He -was only a moment getting ready, for he had kept on his rubber boots -and coat, but in that moment his thoughts went to the home ashore. He -loved those children, and he adored the woman who was their mother. -They were all of his world ashore, and it was for that little world he -worked and strove at sea. - -In less than a minute after the mate had called he was on deck gazing -through his night glasses at the light ahead. He was almost in the -middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and the light was bright, the headlight -of some steamer. Her side lights had not yet appeared through the drift -and spume of the gale, but the headlight was bright and it was not -changing its bearings, which was the bad sign that had worried the mate. - -Johnson knew he had the right of way. Every man who knows anything of -the rules at sea knows the sailing ship has the right of way over a -steamer, and Johnson knew he was hove-to under storm canvas and must -not give way or change his course. For him to get out of the steamer's -way would put the burden of blame for anything that might happen upon -himself, for it might confuse the steamer, which would, of course, at -the right time shift her course and go clear. - -But the light ahead grew brighter, and the moments were flying like -the gale. The light was right over the jibboom end when the ship -fell downward into the sea. Then it would swing to leeward a little, -and then as the next sea swung her head off it would appear on the -weather bow. Yes, it bore almost dead ahead and it was not changing its -bearings. - -The mate was getting nervous. - -"Shall we keep her off, sir?" he asked. - -"No, hold your course," came the order. - -Ten men of the watch on deck had their eyes upon the light. They -gave it small attention, however, for they knew, of course, that the -steamer would sheer clear of them. The watch below and the passengers -were sleeping as well as the rolling and plunging of the vessel would -permit, and they were concerned not at all with lights. Those below in -a ship know nothing of the strenuous life of those on deck. - -"I can see his red light, sir," came the voice of the mate, strained -and hoarse with excitement, and raised to a loud cry. - -But Johnson could see the green light also, and he saw they were -equally distant on either side of and below the bright eye which was -bearing down upon them. The vessel was now close aboard, and of a -sudden he felt his heart give a great bound under his ribs. - -"Hard up the wheel," he roared. "Hard up, hard up--quick," and as he -roared out he sprang to the spanker sheet and cast it off, letting -the sail go to leeward with a thundering thrashing. Sharp cries came -from forward where the men on lookout saw the danger and passed the -word aft. And then as he turned, Johnson saw the giant bulk of a liner -showing dimly through the gloom of the stormy night. A hundred little -lights showed in her upper works. He even saw a man on her forecastle -head peering forward, and then the great black stem rose above him, -and with a thundering crash and rushing roar it tore its way through -his ship almost amidships. - -For a moment which seemed an age, the great black side of the hull rose -before his vision, grinding, smashing, tearing its irresistible way -past. Then the great black demon of destruction drew away and faded -into the gloom, leaving nothing but a boiling sea forward of where the -mainmast had been. The next minute the wild sea of the Western Ocean -closed over what had been a short time before a fine ship. - -Johnson found himself facing a living hill which rose against the -night sky. Above it a great comber roared and foamed down upon him as -the top of the sea broke and fell downward along the slope. He was in -the sea and the water was warm, warmer than the air had been when on -deck. He had on his rubber boots and oilskins, and he wondered why he -still floated. He had heard that men with boots on sank at once. He -remembered this distinctly and he struck out strongly as the foaming -crest of the comber swept over him and smothered him down into the -blackness beneath. He kept struggling and his head came out into the -night again. The wind swept over his face, driving the foam and spume -so that he could not see or breathe, but he knew he was still upon the -surface of the sea. He turned his back toward it and managed to get a -little breath. Then, half blinded and strangling with the brine, he -struck out again. - -It suddenly occurred to him that the steamer would stop and try to -pick up the wrecked crew, but then he knew it would be impossible to -lower a boat that night, and the masters of liners seldom stopped for -anything. Transatlantic express steamers hardly ever stopped in good -weather for a man overboard in daylight. Never unless they could see -him distinctly upon the surface. If those upon the steamer could not -see a four-masted schooner under storm canvas with her lights burning -brightly, they would hardly hope to see a floating man who could not be -seen ten fathoms distant by the sharpest eyes in that wind and sea. He -tried to raise himself to see if the hull of the vessel was still in -view, or if she were burning lights, but not even a Coston flare was -visible. There was nothing save the desolate storm-lashed sea. - -He had kicked off his rubber boots in a few moments, as they were -dragging him down, and being a powerful man he struggled steadily to -rid himself of his oilskins. Death had not made his appearance yet. -He could not come upon a strong man so quickly while that man had his -powers still left him to fight with. The very thought of the ending -made him exert more power and a sudden realization of his position -caused him to tear off his coat in a frantic effort. The faces of those -he had left at home came before his half-blinded vision. He knew he was -facing almost certain death, and that it would come quickly if no one -picked him up. He was apparently alone in the middle of the Atlantic -Ocean, and the steamer had kept on her course after completing the -destruction of his ship. The rest of his crew must also have gone -overboard. There were twenty-five souls all told, and he cursed the -men of the steamer who had caused their sudden end. It had been vile -carelessness. It had been more than brutal disregard for life. Their -callousness amazed him, and he had been to sea many years and knew its -heartlessness. - -What would his family do without him? He could see their amazed and -terrified looks when the news would be brought to them. His poor wife -who adored him and whose only thought had been for him and the little -ones. No, he could not die. No, no, by God, he would not die. He shook -the water from his face and dashed it out of his eyes with his hand, -and raised his head again for a look. The snoring roar of a comber -sounded near, but even as he noted it he thought he heard the surging -wash of something floating heavily in the sea. He knew there might be -pieces of wreck about him. It was a chance and he flung himself high -out of the water to see. The next instant the bursting wave fell over -him and bore him down again into the blackness below. It seemed a long -time it held him down, and he was exhausted when he got his head out -again and drew in a mixture of water and air. A few more heavy seas -and he would be very weak. The knowledge of it caused a terror within -him. His heart began to beat rapidly. The end was really approaching in -spite of his struggles. He was beginning to realize it, to realize that -death could win after all. - -But the thought of those ashore still steadied him. He must do his -utmost. Had he been alone in the world the futility of his exertions -would have been instantly apparent. He would have made a slight, -ordinary effort, the effort of the animal who instinctively fears -death, but his reason would have quickly told him that the sooner he -went under the better it would be for him. He would have died like the -twenty-five souls who had been in his care half an hour before. But he, -no, he could not go, he would swim on, and on, and on. - -He had been in the water half an hour now and he saw nothing but the -house where his family lived. The sun was shining bright and the grass -was green near the front gate. His wife stood upon the front steps and -smiled at him. He reached toward her, but she seemed to recede and -smile at him, leading him on, and on, and on. - -He was still swimming but did not know it. His breath had gone to -little choking gasps which hardly reached his half-filled lungs. His -jaws were working spasmodically, clinching under the strain and opening -to gasp out the briny mixture which he was forced to breathe. But -always before his vision, before his blinded eyes, was that picture of -his home. The whirling, choking blackness around him seemed to close -in upon him. He stopped time and again to drive the drowning spray and -spume from his face. He was drowning. The wind and sea were too heavy -for a man to face for any length of time. The great combing crests of -the seas swept over him, and it was only by that dogged, persistent -effort to reach the vision before him that he managed to keep himself -upon the surface after the smothering foam held him under. Once he -seemed to realize his hopeless surroundings and raised himself out to -the shoulders to try to see. He happened to be upon the lee slope of a -hill of water and he got a momentary glimpse of the turmoil about him. -All around was the gloom of the night, lit here and there by the white -flashes of foam. It dawned upon his fading senses that he had reached -the limit, he was going under, there was no hope. - -Like the lamp that flares up before it dies, the flame of his life rose -again in one more desperate resolve. He would keep on fighting, he -would not go. - -The pitiful futility of his struggle roused his expiring senses to a -strange fury. He struck out fiercely, driving himself ahead before the -wind and raising himself with each stroke. He sank into the hollow of -a great sea, the slopes on either hand raised high above him and he -was in a sheltered spot for a second. The surging wash of some heavy -floating thing again came to his half-filled ears, and as he rose upon -the crest he made a mighty effort. He raised himself and shook the -water from his face. Right alongside of him lay a black object outlined -by a white fringe of foam which now and then showed phosphorescent -flares. He had been swimming now for more than fifty minutes. - -With failing brain and cramping muscles he strove for it, swimming, -striking, reaching, the last expiring effort of a dying man who dies -hard in the full powers of his manhood. His headway through the water -was almost nothing. He was not a good swimmer. Few sailors can swim -at all. A sea hurled him close to the object, and another swept him -clear out of sight of it. Then one drove him against it heavily and he -clutched frantically for a hand-hold. - -When he set his fingers upon an edge about three feet above the -surface he hung and rested. His senses were failing and he fought -instinctively. Something within him seemed to tell him that he must -get upon that object, that he must get clear of the water about him, -and he rested before making the effort which must decide his fate. It -was a high lift for an exhausted man and he set his strength slowly -and persistently, hauling steadily with all his remaining energy. He -managed to get his face level with the edge, but here he stopped. His -head wobbled weakly with the surge of the sea. His eyes were closed and -his jaws set. The sunshine seemed to play upon the green grass before -him and the form of his wife stood beckoning. He sank an inch lower. A -sea washed over him and he was slipping slowly back as it went past. -He gave a choking cry, a strangling groan of despair and slipped down -again into the sea just as a hand reached over the edge and closed upon -his shirt collar. - -The sun was shining and the wind-swept sea presented a beautiful -aspect the following morning. The water broke over the lower edge -of the deck-house upon which he lay, but only reached to his feet, -foaming down the slant until it made a whirlpool in a mass of line -which floated in a tangle. A line about his waist was made fast to a -ring-bolt near him, and sitting alongside of him, with his head thrust -forward peering out over the sea, was Garfunkle, his second mate. - -An exclamation and their eyes met. Johnson raised himself to a sitting -posture, though the pain in his cramped limbs made him groan. - -"The forrad house, eh?" he said. - -"Yessir," said the mate. - -"You saved me?" - -"Yessir, I just heard your call in time. You were done for, but were -right within a foot of me. It was dark." - -"No one else but us two?" asked the captain. - -"All gone, sir, and it looks like we are going. There won't be another -ship this way in a week. That was the West India liner, _Hammersea_, -from Kingston to Liverpool, who ran us down. I saw the name on one of -her boats that was torn off her. It was smashed up and floating close -aboard us an hour ago." - -"To run a man down is carelessness, but to leave him afterwards is -murder," said Johnson with bitterness. - -They were about six hundred miles from the Bahamas and to the eastward -of the Stream. The water was warm and blue and the sea was going down. -The easterly weather was dying out and the semi-tropical warmth was -taking its place. Near them several dark objects showed now and again -upon the slopes of the seas, and they knew they must be débris from the -sunken ship. - -Johnson had probably not swam over twenty fathoms in the whole -desperate endeavour he had made the night before. The darkness had -prevented him from making any definite course and he had swum with the -drift of the house. Garfunkle had been swept overboard with the wreck -of the mainmast; the stem of the steamer had torn its way through the -forward house, knocking it overboard. It was the only thing that had -floated clear, for the spars were all stayed with steel rigging and the -lanyards of the lee rigging had held against the shock although the -mainmast had been driven out of her. The great spar had been dragged -down with the sinking ship, but the house had floated clear and was -resting upon its side. In the open doorway they could see clothes and -sea-chests which had remained in the forecastle and which had not been -washed out with the force of the sea. - -They were weak and exhausted from the night of effort, but they went to -work at a chest and dragged it through the door and upon the slanting -side of the house. It sent the float down a good foot in the sea, but -they persisted in the hope of finding something of value. The chest was -almost empty. It contained a few clothes, a Bible and a large revolver, -the cartridges still intact within the chambers. Johnson stuck the -weapon in his waist-band, and his mate placed the Bible and clothes -clear of the sea. Then he kicked the chest adrift. It floated off, -setting high upon the water and looking absurdly out of place. - -"Nothing to eat--nothing to drink--looks pretty bad," said Garfunkle. - -Johnson made no comment. He was grateful that he was still alive, and -being a sailor he felt that it was a long way between that floating -deck-house and drowning. He would get ashore again soon enough, and -would not let his wife or children know how near he had come to -passing. It would be simply a money loss. He had owned several shares -in the schooner, and she had been a fine ship, paying twenty per cent., -but he would get another and go on as before. If he ever caught up with -the pilot of that steamer, he would see that the fellow gave an account -of himself. His cargo had been insured fully, and the underwriters -would make things hot for the rascal who had so ruthlessly run him down. - -The first day passed without incident of importance. The pangs of -hunger were beginning to be felt keenly by both men upon the float. -Johnson was cheerful but Garfunkle was pessimistic and grumbled -continually. He stood up every now and then to scan the horizon, but -nothing broke the evenness of the dark blue rim. - -The second day it was hot and calm. Both men took off their clothes and -cooled themselves in the sea until a huge shadow rising alongside made -them hasten up the slanting side of their float. A great tiger shark -rose at the edge of the house, and taking a shove, sent his broad nose -up the slanting side until it almost touched their feet. Then he slid -back again into the sea and swam slowly around the house, coming back -again to the side that sloped into the water for another effort to get -his prey. The men were more amused than frightened at his attempts. -Garfunkle stripped a plank off the edge where it had been shattered, -and at the monster's third effort he drove the ragged sharpened point -deep into its eye. He floundered back into the sea and remained -motionless some ten fathoms distant upon the surface. A smaller denizen -of the same species came up and tried the same method, but he was -rapped sharply over the head and he kept away. But as the darkness came -on, the men realized that they must not relax their vigilance, for the -hungry fish made other attempts to get them. - -The morning of the third day Garfunkle was delirious. He raved about -water and stood up oftener to scan the sea. Johnson was very weak, -but kept his senses. He noticed a floating object near at hand and -soon made out the sunken small boat torn from the steamer's side. As -the morning wore on it drifted nearer and finally came alongside. He -grasped the painter and managed to get the mate to give him a hand. -Together they managed to drag the boat's bow up the slope of the float, -and they saw that the plank at the stem just below the water-line had -been smashed in. Weakened as he was, Johnson determined to patch it -and accordingly set to work. By placing a piece of the house planking -on the outside and lashing it fast with the line, he managed to get -the leak stopped sufficiently to allow the bailing of the craft. Then -by getting into the stern, they kept the leak clear of the sea and -the boat was safe enough. Searching through the locker aft, where -the food for emergency was kept, they came upon the case of biscuit, -water-soaked, to be sure, but still in partly solid shape. They ate -some and felt better for a time, but their thirst was aggravated. The -small water-breaker usually kept in lifeboats was missing. Under the -thwarts was a sail, and one oar was still fast in her bottom. Johnson -cut the lashings and drew the gear out. It would be of service to them -for a rudder. - -The hunger pains had died away by the fourth day, but their thirst was -terrible. A man may go for days upon water alone, but without it he can -last only a short time under a warm sun. By keeping their bodies wet -they eased themselves a little, but not much. The absorption through -the skin was insufficient to do them much good. Time and again, they -seemed to see a ship bearing down upon them and one or the other would -cry out, but after a while they desisted. The sea was a heaving plain -as far as the sight could reach, unbroken by a single object. The deep -blue turned to a deeper steel-gray nearer the horizon in the calm, -meeting the almost cloudless sky in a haze. There was no wind, but -they must get away. To remain any longer on the house was to invite a -terrible death. It might be the same thing in the boat, but they would -at least feel that they were going somewhere, getting nearer to help -and water. - -It was water, always water. The liquid around them made the madness of -thirst double. They had gazed down into the clear depths for hours, -seeing visions of streams of fresh water, craving to plunge into them, -the burning and all-consuming thirst in their throats waxing more and -more intense. They had no longer any idea of hunger. The ship's bread -they left untouched, for it was wet with salt water and the slightest -bit of that liquid made them frantic. They could have just as well -drunk pure alcohol. - -Garfunkle was for starting off at once. He had become rational again, -but his eyes held a certain light when they met the captain's that -told of the madness in his brain. He always lowered them when Johnson -looked at him, but he spoke always in a low, soft voice now, a sort of -purring, and Johnson knew it was the purring of the famished tiger. -Garfunkle was a big man and very powerful. He had risen to mate's berth -as much by his physical abilities as mental. He was stripped to the -waist, and his body, which he had kept wet, was burned to a bright -red by the sun. The patch of hair on his broad chest showed in marked -contrast to the surrounding skin. Johnson had kept his shirt on his -back and saved himself the extra annoyance of the sun. He preferred to -shiver a bit at night than to burn during the daytime. - -When they had stepped the mast and made all ready for a start, they -noticed some small fish swimming close to the edge of the float. -The dorsal fin of a large shark lay twenty fathoms distant upon the -surface of the sea, and they wondered at the carelessness of the fish -who ignored it. They seemed quite tame, and Johnson took the piece -of wood they had used to keep off the sharks, whittled the end into -a fresh point and lay at full length upon the house, his idea being -to spear a few of the small fry and take them along for food. He was -quite weak and his brain was dizzy. The exertion of mending the boat -was exhausting and he made many ineffectual attempts to strike the fish -without looking up. - -Suddenly he was aware of a feeling of danger. He turned and saw -Garfunkle stealthily coming upon him with the upraised oar. There was -a wild look in the mate's eyes, but he grinned when Johnson turned -and began a soft speech, half incoherent. Johnson was lying down, but -managed to draw the pistol he had kept in his belt. The mate smiled, -put the oar back into the boat and suddenly shoved her clear of the -house, springing into her and sitting down upon a thwart. - -Johnson looked at him, dazed, half understanding, his brain reeling in -the sunshine. - -"Come back," he said calmly. - -Garfunkle grinned at him and grasped the sheet, hauled it aft and put -the oar over the stern for a rudder. There was no wind and the boat -remained motionless. The mate began to scull away slowly. - -"Come back," said Johnson in a low tone. - -The mate turned his back upon him and as the boat's head payed off, -kept her on her course to the westward. - -"Come back," said Johnson again. - -The boat drew slowly off. She was ten fathoms before Johnson realized -that he was being deserted. Garfunkle sculled her slowly, the sail -slatting with the roll of the sea. - -Johnson still held the revolver. It came upon him suddenly that he was -being left, that he was lost. The vision of the home ashore flashed -before him, the green grass and white cottage, with his smiling wife -and romping children. He was being left to die. - -He drew the hammer of the revolver back and raised the weapon, letting -the front sight stop full upon the middle of Garfunkle's back between -the shoulders. He hesitated, and as he did so he remembered that the -man had saved his life but a few days before. He would have drowned -but for the rescuing grip which hauled him upon the house. He let the -weapon sink until its muzzle touched the planks, and he put his left -hand to his head to try to help his reeling brain to reason properly. -No, he could not die. The vision of the home ashore came stronger to -him. It was not for himself alone that he would live, but live he must, -and would. - -The sights of the pistol settled again upon the back of his mate. He -was twenty fathoms distant and drifting slowly away. Johnson pressed -the trigger. - -The report jarred him. The puff of smoke disappeared at once into the -air, and he saw Garfunkle look around and grin. Then the mate stood up, -reeled, staggered, and plunged headlong overboard. He saw him no more. - -Without waiting an instant Johnson swam toward the craft and managed to -gain her. He had forgotten about the sharks, but nothing struck him. He -took the oar the mate had dropped in the water alongside, and after he -climbed aboard he trimmed the sheet and settled himself in the stern, -making the oar fast in a becket. If he let go of it now he would not -lose it. The sun was in the west and he headed away, steering as near -as he could guess for the Bahamas. - -The wrecking sloop _Sea-Horse_ was coming along up the coast and the -captain, Sanders, of Key West, noticed something floating upon the -broad stretch of sea which looked like a small white boat. Boats were -not met with so far off shore, and the object sat so low in the water -and appeared without control that the skipper of the wrecker called his -mate. - -"What d'ye make of that, Bill?" said he, pointing to the white speck. - -Bahama Bill, the huge negro diver and wrecker, looked long and intently -at it. - -"'Pears to me like it was er wrack, cap--what? Looks to be a stove-in -boat, an' I reckon we might as well pick her up--maybe we kin fix her -to be ob use wid a little paint and putty. Ennyways, we kin sell her to -some dub in Miami en clar enough fo' de trouble--what yo' say, cap?" - -"Oh, let her head up to it if you want to," said Sanders. "I don't like -running out of my line when I'm in a hurry, but if you want her, get -her. I reckon we might pass her off for a few dollars--stand by the -main sheet." - -"Ship's boat--yassir, dat's a ship's boat fo' shuah, cap," said the -giant mate as the wrecking vessel drew nearer. "Must be some ob de -wrack hereabouts--we better lay by en take a look eround, yassir." - -"Let her luff a little," called Sanders to the man at the wheel. -"Steady--so, let her go, jest so--steady--Good God! What--There's a man -in her--" - -"Stand by de jib sheet," roared Bahama Bill. "Yo' kin let her come to -when yo' ready, sah--I'll stand by toe ketch him, sah." - -The huge mate leaned far over the side of the _Sea-Horse_ and with a -mighty grip seized the floating small craft by the gunwale. She was -half full of water, but he sprang into her and passed up her painter -to a man on deck while the wrecking sloop plunged and bucked into the -sea, her sails slatting and switching as she lay right in the wind. -In a moment the mate had lifted the body and passed it aboard and the -half-sunken small boat was dropped astern. - -They poured water between his sun-baked lips and upon his swollen, -livid tongue. In a few hours the corpse showed signs of life, but -the blue-black face was motionless for days, and they had reached -Jacksonville before the man's features relaxed enough for him to -speak. He could not make himself understood, and it was three weeks -later, when he was able to sit up in the cot at the seaman's hospital, -before he could tell of his affair. - -He was discharged as cured and went to his home. He had heard nothing -from his wife and supposed she had heard nothing concerning him. When -he entered the gate he noticed that all was silent about the place. A -neighbour accosted him and asked who he was, but he was put out at the -delay and refused to tell his business. Then the man told him how the -news had come in that he had gone down in his ship nearly a month ago -and that his wife had failed and died within a week. - -He listened silently, and when the man finished he went into the house. - -They found him dead that evening with a bullet-hole between the eyes. - -"Crazy with grief," said the neighbours who knew his home life. The -doctor who examined him thought differently. - -"There is absolutely nothing abnormal about him," said the physician. -"He looks like a man who has gotten tired out--clean exhausted with the -futility of some great effort--look at his face." - - - - -X - -On the Great Bahama Bank - - -Stormalong Journegan was a Conch, a native of the Bahamas. He stood six -feet four inches upon his thin spindle-shanks, and it is doubtful if he -ever weighed more than one hundred pounds; no, not even when soaking -wet. He was thin. - -He lit up for the night, wiped the bar free from the gin and bitters -spilled there by a drunken customer, and then turned to survey his -room, waiting for the whistle of the liner. It was the night the ship -was due, the giant New York mail liner, ten thousand tons and not less -than three hundred passengers. All of these would be thirsty, for the -weather is always warm in Key West in the early spring. - -Journegan was a "spouter." That is, he had been with a religious bunch -of reefers, and he was free to make use of the Scriptures--too free -entirely to suit the orthodox ecclesiastics of Key West. Over the sign -of "The Cayo Huesso" the legend ran thus: "As it was in the beginning, -it is now," showing that Journegan was not a reformer at all, but -believed in the Bible and the true creed. And the worst of it all -was that he was accurate in his quotations; not only accurate, but -invincible and gifted with that terrible weapon--an unfailing memory. - -"Why do you use such blasphemy?" asked a divine, shocked at the sign -and its motto. - -"I was taught that there creed by a better man than you, suh, and he -said: 'As it ware in the beginning, it is now, an' ever shall be, world -without end. Amen.' I heard ye say them same words onct when I 'tended -meetin'. What ye got agin' 'em, hey?" - -"Nothing at all--nothing at all." - -"Then cl'ar out. Git erlong. Don't come makin' no trouble fer me. I -don't ask ye to drink--git away." - -"Yes, sir," went on Journegan, turning to an approaching customer. -"It's the same now as it always ware--same as it ware in the -beginning--always shall be just the same--human nature never changes, -not at all. There'll always be the bad, and always be the good. The bad -are the strong gone wrong. The good are the weak tryin' to make good; -sometimes they're strong too, but very seldom. Strength and goodness -don't go together except in rare cases, but when a good man's strong, -he's sure nuff strong. - -"Ye see, we've all got a livin' to make. We hire men to study religion -for us and pay 'em to preach it out of pulpits--yes, sir, actually pay -'em to git up and preach about th' Gospel as if you or me couldn't -read or write! What's the sense? What's the sense of paying a man for -doing something you can do yourself just as well? If salvation depends -on a fellow's ability to translate the Gospel, then it's a mighty -poor Gospel for poor folk--but it don't. It's a good livin' they make -preachin', and I for one don't take no offense at a feller chargin' for -his talk; not that he knows any more than you or me--'cause he can't -know a blame bit more--but we've all got to live, an' the feller what -talks has to live, too. Let him live by talk. Let me live by sellin' -things. I don't ask no favours, but I don't want no guy what jest talks -an' talks fer money to come around an' bother me--that's all; yes, -that's erbout all, I reckon." - -You will see that Journegan was very popular with the strong men who -worked and very unpopular with the men who preached. - -"Your head is as long as your body," admitted Captain Smart, entering -the gilded hall. "What you say goes, Stormalong--gimme a drink." - -"Goin' to meet the ship?" asked Journegan. - -"Yep, I'm goin' back in her if I get the chance," said Smart. "I've -been on the beach here a week now. Dunn settled up his wrecking bill -with that fellow 'Bahama Bill' and Captain Sanders and their gang, and -that lets me out. I'm out a good berth. She was a fine yacht." - -"'Twasn't your fault you lost her, I heard tell," said Journegan, with -a leer. - -"I did all I could," admitted Smart, "but I lost her, just the same. -There is no excuse for the loser, you know." - -"Yep, I knows well enough," said Journegan slowly, as if thinking over -something. "'Peared to be leakin' badly all o' a sudden-like, hey?" - -"Yes, started to leak during the blow, or just before it. A bit of hard -luck you may say." - -"Well, you'll know more about the reef if you stay here a while." - -There was some strange meaning in Stormalong's tone, and it was not -lost on Smart. - -"You are the second man who has said something to that effect," said -the seaman. "Now, what the devil do you mean by it?" - -"Oh, nothing much. No use getting worked up by what I said. You don't -know much about the ways of folk along the reef and bank. That's -all--there goes the whistle of the liner." - -A deep-toned siren roared out over the quiet waters of the reef, -sounding far away to sea, and seemed to be coming from some distant -point to the southward. Smart recognized it as the call of his ship, -the ship he had left months before for the sake of a woman. - -He drank off his liquor and started for the dock, making his way along -the white roadway and joining the throng of Conchs who lazily walked -toward the shore to see the great liner make her landing. She was a new -ship, a ship of huge tonnage for a Southern liner, and it was a treat -to watch her officers dock her. Slowly she came drifting in toward the -land, her mighty engines sending the white coral water moving gently -from her stern. - -Her giant bows came near the landing. A tiny figure flung a filmy line -through the air, a line so small in proportion to her great bulk that -it seemed but a spider-web. But behind it followed a great hawser, -and a dozen lazy black men hauled it ashore and threw the loop over a -pile-end. - -Then a shrill whistle sounded, and the deep rumble of the engines told -of the backing strain. She swung alongside the wharf finally and made -fast her stern and spring-lines. Then a gangway shot out, and the -captain came quickly down, followed by a swarm of passengers. - -As the ship was to stop only a half-hour at Key West, her commander had -to make a quick clearance and entry, taking on some fifty passengers -who were in the cigar business and who made Key West an important stop -on that account. They were all through first-class to New York. Smart -joined Captain Flanagan while he walked briskly toward the customhouse. -The skipper shook his hand warmly, and asked how he came to be down -there. Then followed the story of the wreck of a yacht, and the tale -of an officer out of a berth, all of which Flanagan listened to with -waning interest. The old, old story was uncommonly dull to him. He was -powerless to do anything, and he spoke forth. - -"It's no use of talking about it any more, Smart. You know the rules -of the company as well as I do. You know there are other men waiting -to step into berths, and when a man steps out like you did it's up to -him to stay out and give the rest a chance. How would you like to have -a man come back into a ship and block you for perhaps twenty years? No, -it won't do, even if I could do it. You are out. Stay out, unless you -want to start in again at the foot, as a third mate." - -"No, I can't drop to that position at my age," said Smart sadly. "I'm -holding a master's ticket, and if you can't take me on as a second at -least, why, all right, I'll have to ship somewhere else." - -"I'm mighty sorry, old man," said Flanagan, "but you know it's not my -fault. It's the rules of the company, and if I took you on to New York -you would be dropped as soon as we landed. I can give you a passage up, -if you want it. Here's a key to the stateroom--take it." - -"No, you don't. If I stay ashore, I stay right here. Don't worry about -me. I'll try to make good. I know I was a fool, but sometimes we all -play the fool. Good-bye, and good luck. How does the ship run?" - -Flanagan was gone. The light of Stormalong's shone out brightly in -the distance. Smart kept his eyes upon them for a long time, and -wandered about the streets. The warning whistle of the liner blew for a -farewell, and as the sound roared out upon the night the seaman turned -away and went up the street. - - -II - -Captain Smart was in a particularly uncomfortable mood. He had left -the liner for a woman, a woman whom he desired and whom he thought -worth any sacrifice. Later he discovered that she was selfish to the -core. He had expected companionship, love, and sympathy. He had found -cold, calculating animalism: a brutality all the more horrible for its -refinement, for its servitude to wealth and position. Yes, she had -told him plainly just how she felt about it, and had made it perfectly -plain that she would mate only with some one who could place her in -surroundings which she desired, not what she would get as the wife of -a seaman, a captain of a ship. And he could not blame her. No, it was -manifestly not her fault. It was the fault of the society in which she -had been brought up. It had stifled the woman in her and developed the -snob to an extent that would admit of no choice on the part of either. - -He had seen his mistake, and the loss of the yacht upon which she was a -guest had given him a chance to complete the affair, to get away from -all the familiar surroundings. Now he was "on the beach." - -"On the beach," to a sailor means without a ship and without money. -Smart had neither ship nor money, but he had a strong constitution -and high spirits, and the lights of Stormalong's were still burning -brightly down the long, smooth road. - -He entered and noticed that the tables were full. A company of men were -playing cards at the farthest end of the saloon, and he made his way -toward them. A game of poker always fascinated him, and he hung over -the back of a player, watching his cards and noting the manner he -threw away a high pair to fill a flush. - -"Would ye like to set in?" asked Stormalong, who had come over to get -an order for drinks. - -"I wouldn't mind setting in for a short time," Smart nodded. "No -all-night séance for me, and quit when you want to." - -"Gents," began the saloon-keeper, "this is Captain Smart, of the -schooner--ah, well, never mind that, hey? Well, Smart was chief officer -of the ship just gone out. He's got the dough, and kin play a keard or -two, if you give him a chance." - -"Set right in here, cap," said a thick-set, sunburnt man whose calling -was manifest in his face. "I'm a reefer, an' run a sponger, but I -reckon I kin play with yer." - -"You make five--just right for luck," was the greeting of another, a -thin, eagle-nosed fellow who declared that his name was Smith--Wilson -Smith. - -A man with a thick growth of beard nodded to him across the board, and -a squat, twinkling-eyed little fellow, with the hue of the tobacco -factory upon him, held out his hand. "My name's Jacobs--traveller for -the Garcias'--glad to meet you." - -The cards were dealt round afresh, and Smart took up his hand. For some -time nothing occurred to distract the attention of the players from -the game, but gradually their talk and the clink of money as they made -change attracted the crowd. - -Smart was aware of a huge form just behind him, and, glancing up, -he looked right into the face of Bahama Bill, the black mate of the -wrecking-sloop _Sea-Horse_. A huge grin was upon the black man's ugly -face, and he laid his enormous hand upon Smart's shoulder. "Huh, how -yo' is, cap? Thought you'd gone away fo' sho. Stopped to teach 'em how -toe play de game, huh? Yah, yah, ya-a-a!" - -"Stormalong," broke in Wilson Smith, "I don't want to appear rude, but -I draw the colour line sometimes, especially at keards. If the big -nigger standing behind us will sit down or move along, it'll facilitate -the game some." - -Bahama Bill heard the remarks, but, being in a white man's saloon, -he said nothing. He showed his teeth in a mirthless smile, a smile -which boded no good for the man who had spoken and who was evidently a -stranger to him. - -Stormalong motioned to the wrecker to sit down, and Bill did so without -comment. He was well known and fairly well liked, and his record -allowed him some privileges which were not accorded to men of his -race. Being part owner as well as mate of the wrecking-sloop made him -a person of more or less note. Therefore Stormalong furnished him with -unlimited rum, which he paid for from a wad of bills which made the -observers gaze with surprise. Mr. Dunn, the owner of the yacht which -Smart had lost, had been trimmed very cleanly. The salvage on her had -been large for so small a vessel, owing to the valuable silverware, -furnishings, and other fittings. - - -III - -The game progressed slowly, but Wilson Smith began to win little by -little. Smart suddenly found he held three aces. He raised the limit -before drawing, and discarded two cards, hoping to draw another ace. -Jacobs, the cigar man, came in, and Smith raised it one better, which -Smart made good, the other two men dropping out. - -Bahama Bill had drunk several glasses of rum by this time, and he again -appeared to fix his attention upon the game, but not so as to attract -attention, standing well back of all but keeping his eyes fixed in a -steady gaze upon the thin-faced man's cards. - -The cards were dealt, and Smart drew a pair of queens, filling, and -thus holding a strong hand. Jacobs drew one card, and quietly slipped -it into his hand. His face was emotionless, and he puffed lazily at his -cigar, complacently cocked up at a high angle in his jaws. Smith drew -four cards, and, after conning his hand carefully, bet a dollar. - -Jacobs raised, and Captain Smart came upon him for the limit. Wilson -Smith, to the surprise of all, raised back the limit. The cigar man was -game, and came again. Smart holding an ace-full, could not, of course, -let it pass him, so he again raised it. - -"We all bein' so mighty peart about our hands--let's throw the limit -off," suggested Smith. - -"I'm more'n willin'," agreed Jacobs. "What d'ye say, cap?" - -"I haven't much money"--Smart hesitated--"and just came in the game to -pass the time, but if the rest are willing, I'll stay." - -Wilson Smith looked around approvingly. "I'll make it fifty dollars -better than what there's in it." He drew a cigar from his pocket and -lit it with an easy air. - -"I'll have to make it two hundred better," Jacobs protested grimly. "I -hate to gamble, but I can't let a hand like this pass me." - -"Oh, I haven't any money like that." Captain Smart's brows were raised -in surprise. "Fifty is all I can show." - -"Well, I'm sorry about that," said Jacobs. "Of course we'll give you a -show, but the limit was put off on purpose to let us play keards." - -Smart was aware of a heavy hand upon his shoulder. He turned, and found -Bahama Bill standing close to him. - -"Take dis hear, cap." And Bill thrust an enormous roll of bills unto -his pile upon the table. "I'll stand by toe see yo' through." - -Wilson Smith looked up again, and then called for Stormalong Journegan. - -"Journegan," said he, "this is the second time I have had to speak to -you about being annoyed. If it happens again there'll be trouble." - -"Play poker," came a voice from the crowd. - -Smart gazed about him for a moment. It was evident that the mate of the -_Sea-Horse_ had an object in putting up his cash. He was quick-witted -enough to see that it was best to go ahead without making any comment. -He could stop after this hand. - -Bahama Bill drew back at a sign from Journegan, but still fixed his -gaze upon Smith's hand. It seemed as though he had seen the hands of -the men, and was betting upon the best. Smart could think of no other -reason for the money being left him, and he felt certain that he would -win. Bill was just backing the hand he had seen to be the winner. - -As long as that was the case he would go the limit. He counted out five -hundred dollars and laid it upon the table. Then he picked up his cards -again and skimmed over the squeezers, waiting for the end. - -Jacobs drew out the amount to make good, and the thin-faced man felt -in his pocket for his roll. He bent over in doing this, and as he did -so he held his cards close to his breast in his left hand. He was -still fumbling in his trousers pocket with his right when a black hand -suddenly reached over his shoulder and drew forth a complete "hold-out" -from under his waistcoat where his hand pressed. The movement was so -quick, so powerful, and so disconcerting, that for an instant there was -a silence, and the fellow threw up his head. The next moment he had -drawn his gun, a long, blue-barrelled revolver of heavy pattern, and -had swung it up over his shoulder and fired like a flash of lightning -into Bahama Bill. - -Instantly there was an uproar, and above the noise of the struggling -mass of men there sounded the bull-like bass of the mate of the -_Sea-Horse_: "I got yo' fer sho, Skinny Ike--I got yo'." - - -IV - -Captain Smart grabbed what money he could get hands upon, and while -thus engaged the cigar man dealt him a powerful blow over the shoulders -with a chair. It had been meant for his head, but instead it landed -upon the heavy muscles Smart had earned by hard work hauling lines. -He gave a yell, and sprang upon his assailant. Just then Stormalong -Journegan opened with his gun, and the quick firing drowned all other -sounds. - -Through the smoke of the fight Smart saw his man, and smote him with -all his power upon the jaw. The fellow went down and out. Many of the -bystanders had been with the crooks, probably a gang of six or more, -and these fell upon Smart and Bahama Bill. - -Smart found himself fighting two quick, agile fellows who struck at him -with weapons he could not distinguish. The rest piled upon the giant -mate while Journegan fired upon the bunch, taking care not to hit any -one, for he had no desire to ruin his business. His lead, however, -went so close that one man got a clip that knocked him over. The room -filled with smoke, and the uproar was loud enough, but suddenly Smart -was aware of the giant Conch struggling to his feet and swinging out -right and left with two mighty fists, sending men tumbling about like -chips before a storm. Just beneath him the thin-faced man, Wilson -Smith--dubbed "Skinny Ike" by Bill--lay in a heap. - -"Come on, yo' muckers, come on an' git yo' medicine," he bawled. Then -he picked up the prostrate man, and, taking him by the shoulders, used -him as a flail, swinging him about his head and knocking every one -in his path into a state of submission. The men around Smart fled in -confusion, and in a moment Bahama Bill and the captain stood alone in -the end of the room, the rest of the onlookers making good their escape -to the street. Journegan stood behind his bar and grinned down the -barrel of his empty gun. - -"Air ye hurted much, Bill?" he asked. - -"Hurt!" roared the giant mate. "What'd hurt me here, anyway, 'cept yo' -blamed rum, hey?" - -"Well, if you want to make a gitaway now's the time, I reckon, for this -place'll be pulled to-night sure--an' that in a mighty few minutes." - -Bahama Bill dropped the limp form of Wilson Smith. The man was not -seriously hurt, only horribly bruised. The rest were either insensible -from blows or unable to rise from the smash of the thin fellow's body -upon them, for the mate had stove them hard enough to break ribs and -arms with his human whip. Some of the gang essayed to sit up and take -notice after the mate ceased to speak. One had the temerity to draw a -gun, which Bill unceremoniously kicked out of his hand. - -"I reckon we'd better be goin' 'long, cap," said the big black. "This -place'll be pulled by the marshal inside o' ten minutes. Take up w'at -dough you sees; I'll kerlect it off'n you later." - -"Didn't you git a plug?" asked Journegan. - -"Oh, yas; jest a little hole in de shoulder--dat's nothin'. Come on, -cap." - -Smart hesitated a minute. "Where do we go?" he asked. - -"Aboa'd de _Sea-Horse_--an' to sea as fast as we kin git her movin'. -Ought toe been gone befo' dis, but when I see dat Skinny settin' in to -skin yo' I jest naterally had toe take a hand. Whatcher s'pose I handed -yo' dat money fer?" - -"But I haven't done anything wrong--nothing to run for," said Smart. - -"Yo' try an' think straight a minute, cap. Yo' ain't got many friends -here. Take my advice an' don't git pulled. De clink is mighty mean -here. I don't know why I should take a shine toe yo' cap, but yo' shore -did set in dat game ter win--an' yo' kin hit pretty straight, too." - -"Gwan, before it's too late," said Journegan. - -A rush of feet sounded in the street, followed by the hoarse voices -of men nearing "The Cayo Huesso." The door of the saloon was suddenly -burst open, and the marshal, with a posse of twenty men behind him, -came into view. - -"De window, cap," yelled Bahama Bill, and without waiting a moment he -sprang through, carrying the sash and glass, shutters, and all with -him. Through the opening Smart plunged instinctively, and as he did so -he heard the sharp command to halt, followed by the crack of a gun. He -had managed to get clear by a fraction of a second, and, landing upon -his feet, started after the dark shadow which he knew was the black -sailor making for the beach. - - -V - -Down the road Captain Smart ran as fast as he could go, trying vainly -to reach the tall form of the mate, who kept the lead easily until the -lights of the harbour came into view. Then he slacked up and Smart came -up with him. - -"Dat sho was fun, hey?" laughed the mate, not the least winded from his -dash for liberty. "Cost yo' a hundred dollars to git clear ef dey catch -yo'. Dey don't run yo' in fer fun down here. Dat's de _Sea-Horse_. Git -inter dat small boat--so." - -"How about Journegan? Will they fine him for the fracas?" - -"Oh, no. He stands in wid de gang--pays fer de trouble he makes. -Journegan is a good man--he's all right." - -"He was with the crooks, was he?" asked Smart. - -"Oh, yes, he thought you had money--he has to stand in wid de gang. -He was mad as er hornet at me buttin' in, but jest couldn't help it. -I'll square him some day, an' he knows it. If he didn't know it, he'd -'a' plugged me when dey jumped me. I reckon he c'u'd 'a' done it, all -right, for he's a mighty fine shot, dat Journegan. But I sho had it in -fer Skinny Ike--he done me onct." - -"Seems like a pretty tough bunch of men along the bank here, don't it?" -said Smart. "Journegan hinted that there was something done wrong to -Mr. Dunn's yacht--he said she must have leaked--what?" - -Bahama Bill stopped rowing the small boat. They were half-way to the -_Sea-Horse_, and lights were already showing along the shore, telling -plainly that pursuit would be made in short order. The tide set them -toward the vessel, but Bill gazed steadily at Smart through the -darkness. - -"Did Journegan say dat?" he asked quietly. - -"Yes, and I would like to know what he meant by it." - -"You know why he did all dat shootin'--all dat firin' to hit nobody? -Dat was jest to get the place pulled--pulled before you made a gitaway, -toe git your money. He knowed you an' me were enemies--knowed dat yo' -had it in fer me, knowed dat I wrecked Mr. Dunn's yacht, an' dat yo' -sho had no claim wid me--an' dat's where he made a mistake----" - -"You wrecked the schooner?" cried Smart. - -"Sho, cap, I dun wrecked her. Don't yo' remember de day--de night--I -came abo'd, harpooned by a fool Yankee mate? Well, I was pullin' a seam -dat night--dat's what made her leak----" - -"You are a devil--the blackest rascal I ever met. You can take me -ashore, I won't have anything more to do with you--turn about." - -"Not a bit--no, suh. Yo' goes wid me dis trip, sho." - -Smart hesitated not a moment, but sprang overboard and struck out for -the shore, calling loudly for help. - -Bahama Bill sat gazing after him for a moment, swearing deeply. Then -he carefully shipped the oars, stood up, and the next moment plunged -over the side after him. In a few rapid strokes he came up to the -sailor. With one mighty arm he circled the swimmer, holding his arms to -his sides as easily as though he were a child. With his other hand he -struck out lustily for the sloop and gained her side, where two heads -peered over looking at him. - -"Pass a line, quick," he called. - -A line dropped instantly over the side and fell within reach. Smart was -quickly trussed and hoisted aboard and the mate climbed up after him. - -"Put de mains'l on her--heave her short--jump!" bellowed Bahama Bill, -at the same time casting off the gaskets from the boom and throwing the -beckets off the wheel. - -A Dutchman, Heldron by name, and a Conch called Sam, sprang to obey. -The sail went quickly up with a clucking of blocks and snapping of -canvas. Then in came the anchor, the three men hauling line with a -will. One man loosed the jib while another sent it up with a rush, and -just as the sweeping strokes of a pursuing oar fell upon their ears -the _Sea-Horse_ stood out the nor'west passage and to sea. - -"Where's Sanders?" asked the mate. - -"Oh, de cap'n, he dun take de mon' he get an' go to Tampa on de steamer -this night. He say he goin' to do somet'in' to dem big hotels Mr. -Flagler builds--dem dat run de gamblin'-houses. Won't be back fer a -week." - -"Cap," said Bahama Bill, casting Smart adrift, "yo' kin go below an' -put dat money in de co'ner of de right-han' locker--no use yo' tryin' -to swim away wid it. Yo' an' me is goin' to the Bank fer a bit o' -work--dat's it, Sam, hook de boat as we come past--pass de painter aft, -an' let her tow." - -Smart saw that he was caught fair enough. To resist was only to make -more trouble. He was broke, anyway, and without a berth. He might just -as well try wrecking for a change--why not? Yes, he would go below and -turn in without more ado. He had forgotten the money he had taken from -the game at Journegan's, the money which belonged to the mate of the -_Sea-Horse_. No wonder Bahama Bill had jumped in after him and brought -him aboard. It was easy to see that in spite of all Bill's apparent -carelessness he took no chances as he saw them. The _Sea-Horse_ was -standing out, and there was no chance of spending the night in the -lockup. After all, it was pleasanter out here in the brisk sea air, -even in the company of such men. He went slowly below. - -"Turn in the po't bunk, cap," came the mate's big voice down the cuddy. - -Smart did so, and he fell asleep while the wrecking-sloop rose and -plunged into the short sea. - - -VI - -"I reckon we're about dar, cap. Dem masts stickin' up yander air de fo' -an' main' o' de brig _Bulldog_. We skinned her clean, took a share ob -de salvage, an' cleared fo' town." Thus spoke Bahama Bill, resting one -hand upon the wheel-spokes to hold the _Sea-Horse_ and sprawling upon -the deck. The sloop was approaching the edge of the Great Bahama Bank, -and the shoaling water told of the coral bottom. - -"Well, what are you going to stop here for, then?" asked Smart. -Although he had decided to cast in his lot with Bahama Bill temporarily -he was averse to wandering about on the old _Sea-Horse_ for any length -of time. He was anxious to hunt a berth as navigator upon some ship of -size. Nassau was close at hand, not fifty miles away, and there were -many ships stopping there. - -"I'll tell yo', cap--I'll tell yo' jest what I want yo' to do fer me," -said the big black. He rounded the sloop to, and Sam let go the anchor, -while the Dutchman Heldron hauled down the jib. - -The _Sea-Horse_ dropped back with the sweep of the current and wind, -until she lay just over the mainmast of a sunken brig, which stuck out -of the water at a slant, the top coming clear some twenty feet to port -of her. The wreck was lying upon her bilge and heeled over at a sharp -angle, the partners of the mainmast being about ten feet below the -surface. - -"I heard yo' tell Stormalong Journegan you'd been down in a -diving-suit, de kind dey use in de No'th--hey? Yo' know about rubber -suits an' pumps?" He looked keenly at Captain Smart while the seaman -told him that he had heard aright. He had been in suits, and helped -others diving in them. He thought he knew something about air-pumps. - -The mate went below forward, and shortly came on deck with a complete -rubber diving-suit, helmet, and weighted shoes. - -"I don't go in much fer dis kind ob divin'," said he, "but I dun paid -a fellow a hundred dollars fer de whole suit. Show me how to work it, -an' show me how dat pump works. Ef yo' do, we'll go halves--break -even--on what I think is below in dis hear wrack. I knowed yo' must -know something erbout divin'--dat is, erbout rubber divin', which ain't -divin' at all, but dat's what I want ter know." - -"I thought you said the wreck was finished with?" Smart commented. - -"All de money, all de coin was got out ob her, yas, suh, dat's all -straight, but dishar wrack ain't been under water more'n a few months, -an' I been thinkin' dat maybe some hard work would tell on some cases -of ammunition left in her." - -"What did she have?" - -"Rifles, money, and provisions for Vensuela--some ob dem -revolutionists had de charter. Dey took up de rifles, and dey took up -de money, but dey left a lot ob ammunition in her, sayin' it ain't no -good. Well, suh, I got a hole in mah shoulder where one ob dem bullets -came troo--yo mind de little fracas at Stormalong's. I dun sold a -feller a dozen boxes ob dem ca'tridges, de onliest .45's in Key West. -Dat's de reason I cum to know somethin' about dem. Ef dey kin mak' a -hole in me, dey kin mak' a hole in mos' enny one, I reckon--hey, what?" - -"I see," said Smart. "And that's the reason you wanted me to help you -out? You want me to help dive for the goods. How much is there--and how -were they put up? They won't stay for ever any good under water, you -know." - -"Dey were put up in tins too big to handle, goin' naked like I dives. -De cases were mighty big, an' I don't care much erbout smashin' 'em up -wid de 'tarnal things ready to go off. I knows where dey is--way back -in de lazarette 'way back aft, an' I knows dat dere's erbout a millun -ob dem." - -Smart had been overhauling the suit and found it to be in fair -condition. Evidently some hard-up diver had sold out to Bahama Bill, -who always went naked as deep as three or four fathoms, and could stay -long enough under to do the ordinary work required of divers upon -vessels on the reef. He could make two or three minutes' work at short -intervals, and being a mighty man, the strain told upon him very little -indeed. - -The rubber part of the suit was just about right for a man of Smart's -build. It would not begin to go upon the giant frame of Bahama Bill. -The great mate of the wrecker very well knew it, and he knew also that -he could never get any of his men to go down in it. They knew nothing -about such gear, and the very sight of it filled them with dread. It -was up to Captain Smart to make the effort, if effort there was to be -made. - -In the meantime Bahama Bill would go down once or twice to locate the -place in the wreck to work upon. It would require careful work not to -explode the cases in blowing out a hole in the bilge to make an entry; -further, it was impossible to think of going down the hatchway aft, for -the distance was too great. - -It was upon this vessel that the mate of the _Sea-Horse_ had had -trouble before, being chased into her by a shark and barely escaping -with his life. He knew her pretty well, and could locate the ammunition -in a couple of dives. After that Smart could take his time in four -fathoms and work the stuff out to hoist aboard, using as little -dynamite as possible. - -"How about the pump?" asked Smart, after he had overhauled the suit. - -The machine was brought on deck. It was dirty and much out of order, -but after an hour's work he had it so it could be relied upon for the -shallow water. For greater pressure than four fathoms he would not have -cared to test it with himself upon the bottom. - -While he was refitting it the mate stripped and stood upon the rail -ready for the plunge. The water was clear and the bottom could plainly -be seen, the varicoloured marine growths making it most beautiful. - -Bahama Bill dropped outboard, and went down with a plunge so light that -he hardly disturbed the surface. The others, watching, saw him swim -rapidly down under the bends of the wrecked ship, leaving a thin trail -of bubbles. - -He was only down a few moments this dive, and came rising rapidly to -the surface, his ugly face showing through the clear liquid, his eyes -wide open and gazing upward. - -"Gimme a piece ob chalk, Sam," he said, as he came into the air again. - -A piece was handed him, and he went below again and marked the spot -where the hole would be blown in the vessel's side, and in the meantime -Smart donned the diving-suit. - -The Dutchman Heldron had never even seen a suit of this kind before, -and his messmate Sam gazed at it with a sort of superstitious dread. - -"Yo' sure ain't goin' under in that outfit, cap?" he protested, as -Smart put on the shoes weighing fully twenty pounds apiece. "Man, them -slippers will sure hold you to the bottom!" - -"I guess you dummies will have sense enough to haul me up when I pull -the line and signal," remarked Smart. "Now, give me the helmet and -screw down these bolts." He had the head-piece on by the time Bahama -Bill came on deck and surveyed the proceedings. - -"I'll have to trust you to tend the lines," said Smart to the black -giant. "Remember, now, one strong pull and you haul me up--not quickly -unless I give three quick pulls afterward. Two pulls is to slack away, -one on the hose is to give me more air, and two to give me less. -Understand?" - -Bahama Bill wiped the water out of his bleary eyes and nodded. He -apparently had some misgivings about the concern, but he was far too -careless of human life to express them. He coupled up the air-hose and -started the pump, and the whistling inside the helmet told of the wind -coming in behind the diver's head. - -Smart held the front glass ready, and after being satisfied that the -machine was working, he had Sam screw it on and Captain Smart was cut -off from the wrecker's crew, his face showing dimly through the thick -glass plate. The heavy leaden belt was fastened tightly about his -waist and he stepped over the rail on to the little side ladder, and -so overboard, letting himself slowly down until he swung clear of the -sloop's side. Then he was lowered away and went to the bottom, Bahama -Bill slacking off the life-line and hose until he saw him standing upon -the coral bank some twenty-five feet below the wrecker's deck. - -Heldron turned the air-pump and Sam made fast the charge of dynamite, -fixing the wires of a "Farmer's Machine" into the mercury-exploder and -wrapping the whole tightly in canvas made fast with marline, the whole -weighted so that it would sink quickly. - -He lowered the charge, and saw Smart's hand go out and receive it. Then -the diver disappeared under the bilge of the wreck, leaving a thin -trail of boiling water just over his head to tell of the escapement of -the air. - - -VII - -Having fixed the charge where the mate had marked the surface of the -wreck, Smart started to walk away. The light was strong in the clear -water, and he gazed about him at the beautiful coral formations. The -heavy growths took on many-coloured hues, and he walked out among them -to admire them as one would the scenery on shore. - -An albacore darted past like a flash of silver light. In the shadow of -a huge sponge an enormous grouper took shelter, his eyes sticking out -and gazing unwinkingly at the apparition of the man upon the bottom. - -Smart went toward him and gave him a gentle poke, and in doing so gave -the lines a sudden jerk. Instantly he was lifted off his feet and drawn -upward, for Bahama Bill had felt the pull, and lost no time hauling his -man aboard. Luckily the depth was not great, or the sudden change of -pressure would have hurt. - -Smart came to the side gesticulating wildly, and the more he waved his -hands the quicker he was yanked up. In a moment the mate had him on -deck, and was unscrewing the front glass. - -"What's de matter, cap?" he asked anxiously, when the diver's face -appeared. - -"Nothing; you fellows make me tired!" said Smart. "Go ahead and fire -the charge." - -The spark was sent along the wire, and a dull crack sounded from below. -The water rose in a boiling mass astern, and spread out, churning and -bubbling. It was not a large charge, and it had not been necessary to -move the sloop. - -Smart started Heldron again at the pump, and screwed on the glass. -Then, taking his tools and a line, he went back to the work below. - -The hole blown in the wrecked hull was quite large for the amount of -powder used, but the splintered edges made it necessary to be careful -on entering, on account of the air-hose and line. A swirling of -disturbed water still made the light bad, but Smart, feeling the edges -with his hand, stepped within the darkness, and proceeded to explore -the interior of the lost ship. - -He climbed slowly upward, dragging his lines after him, and stumbling -over a mass of timber which obstructed the way. He was in the -after-part of the brig, the part where the dead wood, narrowing toward -the stern-post, made a difficult passage to go through. He went along -carefully, feeling for dangerous projections which might entangle his -air-hose. The ammunition was supposed to be in the lazarette, under -the cabin flooring, and he made his way in this direction. - -Owing to the darkness, he was some time locating anything in the way -of cases. Finally, however, he felt the square ends of boxes, and made -haste to break one open. There were cans of tomatoes, or some kind of -food, in the first one, and he felt along farther. Then he came in -contact with a bulkhead. As it was inky dark below in the bilge of the -sunken ship, he had to do all his work by means of the sense of touch -alone. He couldn't see his own hand upon the glass of his helmet. - -Something brushed against him and nearly upset him. It gave him an -uncomfortable feeling, and a longing for the sunshine upon the sea -floor of the Bank. He was not of a nervous temperament, and he knew -that some sea denizen had evidently made the brig his home. Perhaps -some spawning grouper or huge jew-fish. - -Feeling along the bulkhead, he came upon a lot of small boxes. One -of these he took under his arm and backed slowly out of the hole -and into the clear water of the Bank. He laid the box upon the sea -floor, and broke the covering with his hammer, hitting it lightly, the -resisting power of the surrounding medium making it difficult even to -strike at all. He tore away the fragments of the lid, and saw rows of -cartridge-clips, the whole fixed and packed carefully. Making fast a -line to the case, he signalled to hoist away, and brought his find to -the surface. - -The stuff proved to be all right. On breaking open a cartridge, the -powder appeared dry, in spite of the long submergence, showing how -carefully the ammunition had been put up. The dipping of the bullets -into tallow had made the cartridges absolutely airtight, and they were -as good as new. - -The usual cost of ammunition was about two cents per cartridge -wholesale. Half a million rounds would make quite a fortune, or -something in the neighbourhood of ten thousand dollars to divide -between himself and the black mate. Yes, it had been worth while, after -all. Wrecking was not such a bad thing, if there was anything worth -wrecking, and he wondered how the salvors of the brig had overlooked -such a valuable asset. Even if he had to divide with the former -owners--which he probably would not--he would have something worth -going below for. - -"Git de stuff--we'll ship him to Noo York," said Bill. "Ought to cl'ar -a bit on dis hear deal. Dey's got de Winchester mark on dem, an' dat -goes wid de agents, so do de Union ca'tridge. Git de stuff outen her, -cap, fo' we cayn't stay here long--it's comin' on bad befo' dark, an' -dere'll be too much sea to work ag'in fer a week." - -Smart lost no time getting back to the lazarette of the brig. He took -his line with him, and, after fastening it to some of the cases, he -signalled to haul away. - -Case after case he removed in this manner, and, after being below -nearly an hour, he began to feel the effects of the pressure. He -concluded to go up and rest for a short time before finishing the job. -He hauled a lot of boxes together and lashed them firmly with a line, -and signalled to haul away. He felt the pull, the tautening of the -rope, and the cases slipped from under his hand. He straightened up and -started to follow. - -Then he felt the whole side of the ship suddenly fall toward him. It -seemed like a mass of stuff, chest upon chest, toppling down upon him, -and, before he could make even the slightest movement to get away, the -whole pile of cases rolled over him like a great wave. - -He was thrown upon his back, and a heavy weight rested upon the lower -part of his body. He tried to move, and found himself jammed fast. -Feeling nervously for his life-line and hose, he saw they were clear. -He would not suffocate for awhile, anyway. He pulled lustily upon his -life-line, and felt the strain of Bill's strength upon it, but it -failed to move him. He was afraid the line would cut into his suit with -the enormous strain. - -He pulled the signal to slack away, but the men above were evidently -excited, and they pulled all the harder. Then came a sudden slacking. -He reached up and drew in the end of the life-line. It had parted near -his helmet. - -In the blackness of the sunken wreck Smart felt his nerve going. It was -a bad place to have trouble. There was no other suit, no other machine -or outfit for a man to go to his assistance. He might live for an hour -longer, or perhaps even two, but the end seemed certain unless he could -free himself from the mass of cargo which had so suddenly piled down -upon him. - -It had been one of those accidents which are likely to happen to any -one working in the darkness of a ship's hold where the cargo is not -known, or not located by previous knowledge of the ship's loading. - -He had evidently unshipped some of the ammunition-cases, and brought -a mass of boxes of both provisions and cartridges upon him like an -avalanche. His right arm was free, but his left was crushed under some -mighty weight, and hurt him painfully. The air still whistled into his -head-piece, showing that Heldron was working the pump steadily. - -Bahama Bill was a cool hand, a man used to desperate emergencies, and -Smart felt that the giant mate of the _Sea-Horse_ would do what he -could to set him free. He knew the black diver to be a mighty swimmer. -He had cause to remember that fact, but it was far away from the -surface where he now lay, and it looked as if he would have to pass in, -to die the terrible death of the lost diver. - -His imagination held him thinking, in spite of the pain and weight upon -him. He could breathe easily, and the numbing effect of the pressure -made his sufferings less than otherwise. He tried again and again to -shift some of the cases, straining until the stars flashed into the -darkness before him. It was useless. He could not budge anything. - -The minutes seemed hours, and he began at last to feel the drowsy -effect of the air too long driven into his lungs. He saw the beach, the -white coral sand--then he was again at Key West. - - -VIII - -Upon the deck of the _Sea-Horse_ the men gazed blankly at each other -when Bahama Bill hauled up the life-line, parted far below. Heldron -stopped pumping, and Sam gave an exclamation. - -"Keep dat pump workin'; keep it goin', I tell yo'," snapped the black -mate, turning upon his man. - -Heldron instantly turned away again, rapidly, sending the air below. - -"Name ob de Lord--now whatcher make wid dat?" said Bill, looking at Sam. - -"Gone fer sure," said Sam. "I wouldn't go down in them lead shoes for -no money. I done knowed something like this would happen." - -"I t'ink I don't need to give no more air, den," said Heldron. - -"You turn dat pump, yo' blamed Dutchman, or I'll turn yo' hide -wrong-side out, yo' hear me," snarled the mate. "Gimme a heavy line, -Sam; gimme something I can't break--jump, yo' Conch!" - -"Goin' after him?" asked Sam, hauling the end of the mainsheet clear to -the rail. "I don't think you kin get him. Better leave him down; them -shoes is enough to hold him. I'd hate to lose the cap'n, but he's gone -for sure!" - -The huge form of the mate balanced for an instant upon the rail. He -cleared enough line to take to the bottom, and had Sam stand with -coils of it ready to pay out. Then down he went with the end of it, -swimming strongly for the hole in the bilge of the brig. The opening -showed before him, but he hesitated not a moment. He swam straight -into the black hole, butting his head against the carlines under the -half-deck, but keeping straight as he could for the diver by following -the air-hose with his hand. - -It was a long swim to the place where Smart lay. A full minute had -been taken up before the mate felt the contact of the metal helmet. He -passed the heavy line under it, but found his wind giving way under the -strain. Quickly following the air-hose out, he struggled for the clear -water, and came to the surface with a blow like a grampus. He had been -down two minutes and a half. - -Sam seized his hand and helped him aboard, where he lay upon the deck, -bleeding, a slight trickle from the corner of his ugly mouth and from -his nose. - -"You can't make it, Bill," Sam declared. "Let the poor devil go. You -done the best you could." - -"I stop now wid de air, hey? Wat you says, Mr. Bill?" - -Heldron's query aroused Bahama Bill. "If you slack up on dat pump, yo' -dies a wuss death 'n Cap'n Smart," he said wearily, and in an even -tone. It was evident that the strain had been hard on him, but he was -game. - -In a minute he sat up. - -"I get him dis hear time," he growled, shaking himself and standing -upon the rail again. - -His giant black body twitched, the huge muscles under the ebony skin -worked, flowing, contracting, and slacking up, making a wavelike -motion, but showing the mighty power which lay in his frame. He was -getting worked up to a nervous pitch, and the trembling was not from -weakness. It was the gathering power in his thews which was beginning -to work. - -He flung far out, and dropped straight downward with a pitch-pole -plunge, going furiously down like some monstrous sea-demon. Only a -flash of his black body showed before he had turned the bend, and was -following the air-hose into the hole. - -This time he saved many seconds. He reached the form of Smart, and -caught the end of the mainsheet about him, quickly slipping a hitch. -Then he hauled himself out into the sunshine again, and came rising -like a fish to the surface. In a moment he was back aboard the -_Sea-Horse_, and then he spoke. - -"Git on to dat line, yo', Sam ... git hold quick ... I got him ... give -him de air, yo' Dutchman. ... An' now fer a heave what is a heave." - -With a mighty effort the two men threw their whole weight upon the -line. It held. Nothing gave for a moment. Bahama Bill, bracing his -naked feet upon the rail, bent his mighty loins, and took a deep -breath. - -"Heave-ho!" he bellowed, and set his muscles to the strain. - -Sam lifted with all his force. Almost instantly the two of them plunged -backward, and fell over each other on deck. The line became slack, but -before they could get to their feet, Heldron had left the pump and was -hauling in hand-over-hand, and in a moment the form of Smart showed -below the surface. - -The black mate sprang to his feet and gave the Dutchman a cuff which -sent him over the side, and, seizing the line, he hauled the limp form -of the diver on deck quicker than it takes to tell it. In a moment he -had the glass off the helmet, and was staring into the white face of -the insensible seaman. - -"Get somethin' to drink--quick," he said. - -Sam rushed for a dipper of water, and, upon bringing it, was knocked -over the head with it for his pains. - -"Yo' bring me somethin'--quick--yo' understand," roared the mate. "I -knows yo' got some forrads--now, then, jump!" - -Sam quickly brought a bottle of gin, half-full. Smart had some of the -fiery liquid poured between his lips. Then Heldron, who had scrambled -back aboard, cursing and spluttering, came aft, and helped them to get -off the suit. - -It was half an hour afterward before the captain came around enough to -tell what had happened. His left arm was badly mashed, but not broken. -The heavy suit had not been cut through, and to this fact he owed his -life. His legs were stiff and sore from the heavy weight which had lain -upon them, but he was otherwise uninjured. - -"I reckon yo'll be able to go down ag'in in a little while," said the -mate. "We got most of the stuff, I reckon, but we might as well take -all dat's dere." - -"How many cases have we?" asked Smart. - -"'Bout fifty--nearly a million rounds, an' all good." - -"Well, that's all we'll get to-day," said Smart, "unless you want to -take a try at it." - -"Toe bad, toe bad," muttered Bahama Bill. "I'se sho sorry you's sech -a puny little man, cap, but de wedder is gittin' bad, ennyways, an' I -reckon we might as well make a slant fer Nassau." - -"That'll about suit me, all right," said Smart. - - - - -XI - -The Iconoclast - - -The wrecking-sloop _Sea-Horse_ came smashing the seas headlong past -Fowey Rocks, heading for the channel over the reef into Bay Biscayne. -She had left Nassau the day before, and had made a record run across -the Gulf Stream, carrying sail through a heavy head sea, which flew -in a storm of white water over her bows and weather-rail all day, -making the deck almost uninhabitable. Bahama Bill, otherwise known -as Bill Haskins, wrecker and sponger, mate and half-owner, held the -wheel-spokes, and sat back upon the edge of the wheel-gear, bracing one -foot to leeward. Sam, a Conch, and Heldron, a Dutchman, both sailors -and able seamen, lounged in the lee of the cabin-scuttle and smoked, -their oilskins streaming water, but loosened on account of the warmth -of the air. Captain Smart, late of the Dunn schooner wrecked just -below Carysfort Reef, on a cruise to Boca Grande Pass for tarpon, sat -in the doorway of the companionway and watched the giant mate of the -_Sea-Horse_ hold the flying sloop on her course with one powerful hand, -while with the other he shielded his pipe from the spray. - -Smart was thinking over the strange events which happened to bring him -in contact with the wreckers: the loss of his schooner caused by the -leak made by Bahama Bill; the loss of his position as officer on the -liner he had left to take command of the yacht, and the strange fight -in the saloon at Key West, which ended in his going with the giant -black to keep out of trouble. - -They had now just ridden out a bad spell of weather in Nassau, where -they had laid up with cartridge-cases taken from the brig _Bulldog_, -wrecked on the Great Bahama Bank, and they were hurrying to the nearest -American port to discharge them to some dealer, and realize what -profits they could. The ammunition was perfectly good and sound, in -spite of being submerged under the sea for a long time, for the cases -had been put up for tropical weather and made perfectly water-proof. -They had several thousand dollars' worth aboard, and it would only be -necessary to prove their fitness for use to realize upon them. To Miami -they laid their course without delay, to get in touch with the express -and railroad. - -"Seems like we got to git thar to-night, sure," said the mate, sucking -at his pipe. - -"Looks like we'll make it easily," assented Smart. "I suppose you know -the reef well enough to go in any time, hey?" - -"Jest as well at night as daytime," said the mate. - -"And when we get in--what then? Do you know any one who'll deal with -us? Do you know who'll buy ammunition from you even at a twenty per -cent discount?" asked Smart. - -"I reckon we won't have to burn any of them ca'tridges, cap; not by a -blamed sight. We might have to wait a spell fo' suah, but we kin sell -'em, all right." - -"Got enough money to live on while we wait, hey?" asked Smart. - -Bahama Bill scowled. Then he gave the captain a queer look. - -"See here, cap," he said. "Yo' know Bull Sanders is skipper an' -half-owner of this here sloop? Well, he's on a tear up the beach. -If he comes back broke he'll want toe borrow off'n me--see? Well, I -knows what that means. I jest naturally sent all the money abo'd to my -Jule--yo' ain't married, cap, or you'd know what a wife means. 'Scrappy -Jule' kin take keer of all de money I gets, an' yo' needn't make no -moan toe dat. Jule is all right, an' if yo' got a right good memory, -yo' suah remember she don't do no washin' fo' po' white folks." - -"I suppose that means that the ten-spot I saved from the fracas in -Journegan's barroom is all the cash aboard, then," said Smart. - -He was thinking how strange it was for him to be associating with a -self-confessed wrecker of the old school, the type which waited not for -the elements, but made events happen with a rapidity which put even a -stormy season to shame. - -He would have liked to get away from the whole business, get away -from men of Bahama Bill's class, but he could not help thinking that -the giant black man had some cause, according to his way of looking at -things, to do as he had done. - -The yacht owner had insulted him, had made it an open question of -hostility between them, and the wrecker had simply gone ahead and -regarded the owner's feeling not at all, but caused by indirect means -the loss of his vessel. - -Bill had many good points. He had helped Smart out of a difficult -situation in Key West, where the land-sharks had set out to trim him -clean. He had put him in the way, almost in spite of himself, of making -a few thousand dollars within a week or two, and had saved his life by -diving into a dangerous wreck after him when caught in her shifting -cargo. - -Smart was in a strange position, almost dead broke, with several -thousand dollars' worth of salvage due him from his efforts. He would -be tied up with the sloop for several weeks, perhaps several months, -until the sales were made and the salvage divided. To leave her would -risk losing the share due him, for Bahama Bill would hardly stand for -desertion until the affair was settled, no matter what the provocation. - -They beat in over the reef, up the crooked, shallow channel into -Biscayne Bay, and laid their course for the docks at Miami, where they -arrived during daylight. - -Two days were spent trying to make the sales of the cargo, but the -dealers insisted on testing the powder from each and every case before -paying, or taking it on, so there was a delay of at least two weeks -staring them in the face. The crew having enough to eat minded the -waiting not the least. The mate cared nothing as long as the ultimate -end was in sight, for he had enough hog and hominy aboard to last twice -as long. - -The sloop lay off the docks in a scant seven feet of water, her keel -just grazing the coral bottom, which was as plainly visible beneath -her as though she were surrounded by clear air instead of the clearer -water of the bay. The huge, fashionable hotel loomed high against the -background of palms and cocoanuts, making an impressive sight, and also -a comfortable abode for the rich tourists who filled it during this end -of the season. Prices were high, and Smart spent much time watching the -idle rich wandering about the beautiful gardens. - -Several gambling-joints were in full blast, for it was always the -policy of the eminent Florida philanthropist who owned the tourist -accommodations on the east coast to build a church upon one side of his -dominions, and then a gambling-hell upon the other. Both were necessary -to draw the lazy rich. - -Smart noticed several of the sporting gentry wandering about, but, -having nothing to gamble with, he was forced to look on with little -interest. - -On the third day of their stay in harbour, a man sauntered down to -the dock close aboard, and stood gazing at the _Sea-Horse_. He was -perfectly dressed in the height of fashion, and he swung a light cane -lazily while he gazed at the wrecker. He wore a thin moustache, and -his high, straight nose seemed to hook over it to an abnormal extent. -His eyes were a very light blue, so pale that they appeared to be -colourless, but he had an altogether well-fed, well-satisfied look; -one of seeming benevolence and kindliness, which attracted Smart's -attention. Smart and the mate of the _Sea-Horse_ were sitting upon the -cabin-house in the shade of a drying trysail, and the stranger spoke to -them. - -"Sloop for charter?" he asked abruptly, in a high voice, which carried -over the short distance of water with some force. - -"What fo'?" asked Bahama Bill, without moving. - -"Oh, we want to fish and shoot. I don't care for the yachts for hire; -their owners don't seem to know where to go to get sport. I'd rather -charter from a man who knows something of the reef to the southward, -and you look as if you belong around here." - -"Yo' sho' got a bad guesser in yo' haid, Mister Yankee," said the mate. -"What make yo' think we belongs around here?" - -Smart studied the man carefully while he was talking. He was a close -observer, but he failed to place this suave, well-groomed gentleman in -his vocation. He might be a gambler, a sport, or just a rich fellow -wanting amusement. The latter seemed most likely, so Smart spoke -up, hoping to land a few dollars while waiting for his share of the -salvage. - -"We'll charter for thirty dollars a day," he said reluctantly, and, as -he did so, the black mate gave a grunt and grinned insultingly at the -shore. - -"Will you go anywhere we want?" asked the man. - -"Sho' we will dat, perfesser," broke in Bahama Bill, unable to restrain -himself at the thought of the graft. The idea of thirty dollars per day -was good, and he slapped Smart a terrific blow upon the back in high -good nature at the thought of it. "Sho', perfesser, we'll carry yo' toe -hell--an' half-way back, fer thirty a day. Are yo' on?" - -There was a slight sneer on the man's face when he heard the mate's -manner, but he answered quietly, in the same far-reaching voice, that -he would consider the vessel his, and that if one of them would come -ashore for the money, he would bind the bargain by pay for the first -day at once. - -At the instant he stopped speaking Heldron the Dutchman came aft to -where the mate sat. Bahama Bill at once seized him about the waist and -hove him far out over the side. - -"Git that money, yo' beggar," he laughed, as the sailor landed in the -water with a tremendous splash. Sam, the Conch, snickered. "Yo' go -after him, toe see he comes back," said Bill, and, making a pass at the -man, sent him over also. They swam the distance in a few moments, much -to the amusement of the gentleman on the wharf, who seemed to like the -mate's energetic manner of doing things. The money was paid, and the -men swam back aboard, climbing into the small boat towing astern, and -coming over the taffrail none the worse in temper. There was good money -for all in the deal, and they were pleased. - - -II - -In about an hour the man returned with a friend, both of them loaded -with fishing-rods and other parts of a gentleman's sporting outfit. -They were rowed aboard by the mate, and announced that they were ready -at once to get to sea. The mainsail was hoisted, and in a few minutes -the wrecking-sloop was ready to stand down the channel. - -Just at this moment the gentlemen, who had been arranging their -fishing-rods and clothes upon the transoms in the cabin, came on deck -and said that they had forgotten to bring any provisions for the -cruise. The second man declared he had ordered a large box sent aboard, -and asked with some anxiety if it had arrived. - -"There ain't nothing come abo'd sence yo' left," said Bill surlily, -annoyed at the delay. "We's got good grub abo'd here, an' enough fer a -week." - -"You will pardon me, my good fellow," said the second man, who was -very tall and thin, with a lined face. "You know, or should know, I'm -an invalid, and cannot eat the ordinary food which I love so well. It -is for this that we have taken the boat. Won't you allow me the use of -your crew to help carry the provisions aboard? We expect to be out for -several weeks, and must have plenty of the kind of food I am forced to -eat." - -"Yo' don't look so very puny," said Bill; "but, o' co'se, if youse an -invalid, yo' sho'ly wants toe git some soft feed. We eats hoag an' -hominy abo'd here, an' I tells yo' it's mighty good hoag; costs me -seven cents a pound." - -The small boat was called away, and, with Sam and Heldron to help carry -the provisions, the two gentlemen went ashore again. - -Half an hour passed, and Bill was getting surly. The tide was -falling, and the chances of hitting the reef were good. The wind -dropped, and the surface of the bay was just ruffled by it. Far away -to the southward the little hump of Soldier Key stood out above the -surrounding reef, and the tall palms of Florida Cape seemed to be -motionless. - -"What the name o' sin d'ye think dem folks is doin'?" said Bahama Bill -finally, rising from the quarter and gazing toward the shore. "I sho' -likes toe make money easy, but when I gits de sail on dis hear ship, I -likes toe see her go. Gittin' hot, an' de wind's dropped. I hate to run -that channel on a fallin' tide without wind enough to drive her good -an' strong over dem shoal places. Hello! what's dat?" - -Smart looked up, and followed the direction of the man's gaze. A wagon -was tearing down the street at a breakneck pace, and upon it were the -two gentlemen who had chartered the sloop. Sam and Heldron sprang up -from the dock to meet them as the vehicle drew up, and with a great -show of haste all four men were struggling with a small but apparently -very heavy box. - -In a few moments, in spite of its weight, it was being lowered into the -small boat, and Smart noticed that when all hands sprang in, she was -nearly gunwale down with the cargo. The men rowed as though urged to -their utmost, and in a few minutes the boat was alongside. - -"Didn't want to keep you waiting," cried the tall, thin-faced man. - -"No," said the man who had chartered the sloop, "we knew you would hate -to be delayed, so we hurried." His benevolent expression beamed up at -the mate, but Smart noted that every now and then his pale eyes shifted -uneasily toward the dock, where the wagon was still standing unattended. - -A line was cast over the side, and Bill took hold to hoist the box on -deck. He gave a tug, and then stopped suddenly. - -"What in thunder yo' got toe eat in dere?" he growled. "Dat's lead, -sho' 'nuff lead, an' no mistake. We got sinkers enough abo'd here fer -all de fishin' yo'll do dis spring. Sam! Heldron, yo' Dutchman! Cap'n, -come, all hands git a hold an' h'ist away. Man, I nigh broke my pore -ole back wid de heft ob dat box." - -They all tailed on to the line, and hoisted the box on deck. - -"Get it below," said the man with the moustache and pale eyes; "we'll -give you a hand." - -In a few minutes the weighty box, which appeared to be of wood, was -landed safely below in the cabin. The gentleman opened a small bottle -of liquor, and offered a drink all around. It passed until Bahama Bill -came to it, and he silently uptilted the bottle and drained it to the -last drop, flinging it up the companionway and overboard. - -"Good!" cried the gentlemen together. "Now for the open sea. Let's try -to find out how quick we can get from here to the end of the reef." -And suiting the action to the words, they sprang up the companionway, -followed by the mate, who was now in a better frame of mind. - -"Git de hook off'n de groun'," bawled Bill. "H'ist de jib." And he -hauled flat the mainsheet, and rolled the wheel over as the short cable -came in and the anchor broke clear. - -Smart hoisted the head-sails, and they filled away for the open sea. - -Smart sat aft upon the taffrail, and the two guests settled themselves -upon boxes which Sam brought out in place of chairs. Bill held the -wheel, heading the _Sea-Horse_ down the narrow channel. She moved -slowly in the light air, and the thin-faced man stretched out his long -frame and looked her over critically. - -"Seems like she isn't very fast," he remarked to his pale-eyed -companion. - -Bahama Bill looked at him a moment, but said nothing. - -"Pretty dirty sort of ship, hey?" said the thin fellow again, in a low -tone. - -The mate was about to make some reply, but Smart nudged him, and he -relaxed into a scowl. - -"Aw, well, I reckon we'll make it all right," said the pale-eyed man, -his face beaming satisfaction and his high nose sniffing the salt air. - -"With a decent boat, yes," said the other, "but this one's mighty -rough. I never saw a more poorly rigged affair. Seems like she's rigged -from the wrecks of other vessels. Don't look like she'll make six -knots." - -Bahama Bill grunted, but Smart nudged him again, and he said nothing. -The yacht captain knew that gentlemen would not stand for rough talk -from men of Bahama Bill's type, and he did not want to lose the -charter. It meant plenty of money and comfortable living until he could -get his salvage. - -"Let them talk--don't butt in--say nothing," he admonished Bill, in a -whisper. - -The big mate heard, but seemed resentful. "What dey want toe knock my -ship fo'?" growled the giant. "Ain't she a good sloop? Ain't she done -her work all right every time? She's paid me good money, me an' Bull -Sanders--no, I don't like no knockin' goin' on abo'd here." - -"Cut it out, keep quiet--we get the money if you do," said Smart. "What -good will it do you to get them angry, so they won't want to charter us -again? Man! it's good money, thirty dollars a day--let it go at that." - -The pale-eyed man looked at the mate. "It's about dinner-time, isn't -it?" he asked. "We're mighty hungry, and if you can let the cook get to -work, we'll be ready." - -"Where's the soft grub fo' dat invalid?" growled Bahama Bill. "I -thought he couldn't eat hoag an' hominy--Heldron, yo' Dutchman, git the -fire started an' let the perfessers eat as soon as yo' kin." - -They were well down the channel now, but Smart, on looking back, saw a -small schooner making sail hastily. She started off, heading in their -wake, and about a mile astern. - -The passenger with the pale eyes watched her sharply for some moments, -and the benevolent expression faded from his face. The thin man, the -invalid, started up and gazed at her, but was pulled down again by his -companion. - -"That fellow astern," said the charterer, his high nose sniffing -sneeringly at the schooner, "thinks he has a smart vessel, and bet us -this morning that he could beat this old sloop to the Fowey Rocks. -Don't let him come up on us whatever you do. I'll give you ten dollars -extra to-day if you run him out of sight before dark." - -"Looks like a smart vessel," said Bahama Bill, gazing aft. "I ain't -much at racing, but give this sloop a good breeze, an' maybe you'll -land yo' money." - -The passengers ate their meal, and to the credit of the invalid be it -said that he ate more of the "hoag" than his companion. He also put -away an immense portion of the hominy, and his thin face seemed less -wrinkled when he appeared on deck to take a look at the schooner. - -Smart watched the following vessel, and saw that she was gaining. The -expression of the pale-eyed man was even more sinister than before, and -the quiet, urbane look gave way to one of ferocity. The high, thin nose -seemed like the beak of some bird of prey, and the moustache bristled -with anxiety and apparent vexation. The thin-faced invalid's expression -was also one of evident concern, the lines of his face drawing tighter -as the distance lessened between the two ships. - -"Who's that fellow that looks like the marshal abo'd the schooner?" -asked the mate. - -"Oh, that's a friend of mine. He dresses up like that when he goes -hunting or fishing. He used to be in the army, and he likes to wear the -clothes like a uniform," said the thin-faced man. - -"Speaking of the army," said the pale-eyed one, "that puts me in mind -of that little Colt automatic-gun I have. They use them now in the -service, and say they carry like a rifle. I believe I'll take a pop at -Charlie just to scare him, hey? It won't hurt him at this distance, -anyway." - -"By all means," laughed the thin-faced man, "take a try at him. It'll -scare him to death, I bet you." - -Bahama Bill eyed the men curiously, but as it appeared to be none of -his business whether they indulged in rough play, he said nothing. -Smart was too engrossed to notice that the pale-eyed man had drawn -a large automatic pistol, and was resting it upon the rail, until -he had pulled the trigger. The sharp, whiplike report without any -smoke startled him. The shrill whine of the projectile whistled over -the water, and the man who stood upon the schooner's deck quickly -disappeared. In a few moments the "cheep" of a rifle-bullet cut the -air, and "spanged" with a thud into the mainmast, followed by a faint -crack sounding over the sea. - -The pale-eyed man fired six shots in answer now, and they came so -quickly that there was hardly a second between the reports. - -"What yo' doin', havin' a gun fight?" roared Bill. "What yo' mean by -shootin' a fellow up what ain't doin' nothin' but sailin' after yo'? -What's de lay? Sing out." - -The pale-eyed man turned his gaze upon the giant mate, and, as he did -so, he shoved another clip of cartridges into his weapon. - -"Don't get excited," he said calmly. "My friend here is an iconoclast, -a knocker. He objects to the simplicity of your ship, to her rigging, -to her going qualities. He objected to the perfection of that schooner, -also. He speaks out, and consequently gets into trouble. Now it's for -you to show him that he's right; that, after all, racing is a game -between men, not between ships, I'll make it fifty dollars if you keep -that schooner just where she belongs." - -"I'll run her out of sight befo' night, if de wind comes--hit looks -like it's coming now, by the shake outside the reef--but dat's de -United States marshal youse fired on, perfesser. I knows him of old, -an' I got no use fer him. But watcher got in de box? Speak up, or I -throws her into the wind." - -"If you so much as alter the course of this sloop one point," said the -thin-faced man quietly, from a place to leeward, where he had gone -unobserved, "I'll fill you so full of lead that you'll make a hole in -the bottom where you'll strike. Head her out over the reef, and then -due east, until further orders." - -While he spoke he rested a long-barrelled six-shooter of the heaviest -pattern in the hollow of his arm, with its muzzle pointing directly at -the heart of the giant mate. The man with the pale eyes sat upon the -taffrail with his Colt automatic in readiness, and looked Smart and the -two men over without a word. Speech was unnecessary. The iconoclast -had done all that was needed to bring about a perfect understanding, -and, as both men were armed with guns that admitted of some respect, -the _Sea-Horse_ held her way over the reef under all sail, while the -freshening breeze heeled her gradually over until she fairly tore along -through a calm sea, leaving a snowy, boiling wake astern. - - -III - -Bahama Bill looked his men over. He feared neither gun nor knife when -the time came for a fracas, but there was another consideration which -moved him deeper than the threat of the thin-faced invalid. The marshal -had libelled his vessel upon an occasion, for the payment of a small -bill. Here he was forced, at the point of a gun, to run away, to carry -the evident prey with him. It would exonerate him if caught, for he -could prove that it was a matter he had no discretion in. He could, -with all safety, put as much space between the two vessels as possible. -All hands would swear that he was forced to do so. - -The idea tickled him, and his huge, ugly mouth broadened out into a -sinister grin as the _Sea-Horse_, racing along through the choppy water -of the edge of the Gulf Stream, poked her short horn out over the foam, -and tore away to windward. - -The box in the cabin excited his curiosity, but he felt sure that it -was of value, and that the men were trying to make a getaway with it. -Smart was sitting quietly watching the affair, and being, like the -mate, under the guns of the passengers, there was nothing to do but -obey orders, or take the consequences. - -"Seems like your health has improved wonderfully since you dined on the -ship's grub," said the yacht captain, addressing the invalid, who held -the revolver. - -"The sea air is good for the health," assented that gentleman, his thin -face lining up into something resembling a smile. "It'll be healthy -for all of us out here in the broad ocean, free from all cares. Oh, -the life on the bounding wave for me--isn't that so, Jim?" said he, -referring to his companion. - -The sharp "ping" of a bullet interrupted the answer, and it was found -that to be perfectly safe it was necessary to remain under cover. - -"Those bullets would go through the ship both ways and back again," -said the invalid, as the rest snuggled down, "but of course it's well -to keep out of sight. Better put everything you can on her, skipper," -he added, addressing the mate, "if you want to keep clear. Let her go. -Don't stop on our account. When we get an offing, I'll trust you to -steer without trouble, and I'll put out a line to catch some supper. -There ought to be fine fishing off the reef this time of year." - -"Oh, I'm mighty feared ob those guns," said Bahama Bill, in a deep -voice, which he tried to raise to a frightened treble. "I'll steer her -all right toe any place yo' wants toe go. Lay de co'se, says me. I'll -take youse dere if the hooker'll go." - -"It's a pity you haven't some decent canvas aboard her," said the -invalid. - -"If you had some decent gear, we might show that fellow a clean wake. -You seem to know your business, all right." - -"If you want to make a getaway, you better stop knocking this sloop," -said Smart. - -"Dat's right, cap'n, ef dese perfessers want toe make good, dey -better quit hittin' de _Sea-Horse_. I won't stand fer much ob dat -foolishing," said Bahama Bill. - -"The invalid is a regular image-breaker," said the pale-eyed man -sympathetically; "don't mind the knocks, my good fellow. Tell me what -other cloth you can put on the ship, and I'll see that it's spread. -They're getting out everything that will hold wind astern of us." - -This was the case aboard the schooner. The United States marshal, Tom -Fields, had been told of the successful onslaught of "Thin Jim" and -Dick Nichols, sometimes known as "the Owl" on account of his colourless -eyes, upon the safe of the gambling establishment. This contained seven -thousand dollars in cash, and nearly as much more in jewelry that had -been accepted for gambling debts. - -The two crooks, a pair of the most desperate and notorious cracksmen, -had made good the haul in broad daylight, having first arranged to -have the sloop ready and waiting for the reception of the valuables. -The ignorance of her crew was rightly depended upon, and the plot had -so far been fairly successful. If they could once get to sea, the rest -would be easy, for they could land anywhere upon the Bahamas, from -Nassau a thousand miles down to the Great Inagua Bank. It would be next -to impossible to catch them. It all depended upon the vessel and her -manoeuvring. - -Fields recognized the _Sea-Horse_ at once, and, knowing her peculiar -character, and also that of her owners, he at once came to the -conclusion that the giant mate of the wrecker was in the game with the -other two experts from the North. He at once pressed the yacht _Silver -Bar_ into service, and making sail about the time the _Sea-Horse_ was -standing out the channel, came along in pursuit, with the conviction -that he would soon run the heavier working vessel down under his gun -and force her to surrender. - -Armed with a modern rifle of small bore and great range, he had -returned the fire of the burglars at once, in the hope that he might -cripple some one, even at the range of half a mile. His ammunition -consisted of hardly more than a handful of cartridges, and he was -forced to use these sparingly, depending now upon the seamanship of his -crew and the seaworthiness of the _Silver Bar_ to make his catch. - -With all sail he stood down the channel, and was beginning to haul -up on the _Sea-Horse_, when she took the first of the southerly wind -coming over the reef. This had given her a good start, and she was now -about a mile to windward, and going like mad to the eastward, across -the Gulf Stream. - -"Clap everything you can on her," begged the marshal; "put out the -awning, tarpaulins, anything that will drive us. It's a thousand -dollars reward if we land them, and I'll split even with you if we do." - -The captain of the _Silver Bar_ needed no urging. He wanted that -five hundred. He would have to go, anyway, and here was the chance -of the season. He broke out jib-topsails, stretched his mainsail -to the utmost, and trimmed his canvas for the struggle, setting a -club-topsail aft and a working one forward, with a big maintopmast -staysail. He was soon making the most of the lively breeze, and -plunging through the blue water to the tune of ten knots, heading right -into the wake of the flying _Sea-Horse_. - -The wrecking-sloop, leaning well down to the now freshening gale, tore -a way through the Gulf Stream, sending the spray flying over her in a -constant shower. She headed well up, a trifle closer than the schooner, -and she waded through it like a live thing. Her rough gear, meant for -work and hard usage, stood her in good stead in the heavy water off -shore. - -All the lines stretching taut as bow-strings to the pressure made a -musical humming which sounded pleasantly upon the ears of the listening -men aft. They still held their weapons in readiness, but it was evident -that Bahama Bill was going to send his favourite through to a finish in -a style fitting her record. - -With one hand upon the wheel-spokes, he lounged upon the steering-gear, -nor ducked nor winced as the rifle projectiles now and again sang past. -The range was getting too great to be dangerous, and the ammunition -of the marshal was getting low. Finally the fire astern ceased, and -the two vessels raced silently across the Stream, each striving to the -utmost for the objective point, the Great Bahama Bank, seventy miles -away, due east. - -Once upon the shoal, the wrecker would have the advantage, for he knew -the Bank well, and could follow channels which the heavier schooner -would almost certainly fetch up in. The marshal knew this, and urged -the schooner to the limit of her powers. - -Away they went across the Stream. The _Silver Bar_ was rooting deeply -into the choppy sea, caused by the strong northerly current which flows -eternally between the Florida Reef and the Great Bahama Bank. She would -plunge headlong, and bury her bows clear to the knightheads, ramming -the water so heavily that it burst into a great comber from both sides. -Then she would raise her dripping forefoot clear, until one could -see under her body aft to the heel of the foremast, rearing up like -a spirited horse under the spur. Down she would plunge again with a -forward lunge, and every line of standing rigging would set like a bar -with the strain. - -Fields, the marshal, was getting all he could out of her, and she was -gradually hauling up in the wake of the wrecker. Before the sun sank -in the west she was less than half a mile astern, and coming along -handsomely. - -Smart, on the _Sea-Horse_, trimmed his canvas, stretched the peak of -the mainsail, and sweated the topsail sheet and tack until the lines -would stand no more. The _Sea-Horse_ was literally flying through it, -and her heavy build caused her to strike the seas with a smash which -flung the spray in showers. - -Bahama Bill glanced astern, and saw that he would soon be alongside the -pursuer, and the anxious faces of the passengers told of a nervousness -which could not be concealed. Both Sam and Heldron were aware that -they were making a getaway, but they had no choice in the matter, and -they would obey the mate to the last. - -Smart studied out several wild propositions which occurred to him to -disable the sloop and be overhauled, but, as there was every prospect -of getting shot for any attempt, he wisely kept on, feeling sure that -the marshal would soon be alongside and force surrender. - -They had run all the afternoon, and had gone many miles, but now that -they were really at sea, the schooner would have the advantage. - -Darkness came on, and the thin man holding the revolver appeared to -tire. "You might get dinner ready," said he, "I'm about ready to eat -again." - -"I don't got noddings but pork, cold an' fat," said Heldron, who acted -as cook. - -"Bring it on deck," said the invalid. "It's a shame you fellows live -the way you do." - -He bolted a full pound of the greasy meat, and seemed to enjoy it. - -"Does me good to see how you've improved under the salt air," said -Smart. - -"The more he eats the thinner he gets," said the pale-eyed man, -shifting his automatic pistol into his left hand. "You can let me have -a try at it now." - -After all hands had eaten, the darkness had grown to the blackness of a -tropic night. The _Sea-Horse_ kept along without lights, but those of -the schooner soon showed close astern, and appeared exceedingly near. -No shots had been fired, although the range was now close, and there -was every opportunity, could the marshal see, of hitting a man, but -the plunging of the vessels evidently made his aim uncertain, and he -reserved his fire, feeling sure that he would soon be close enough to -force matters to a satisfactory conclusion without bloodshed. - -"Dere ain't but one chanct in fo'ty ob our makin' de gitaway," said -Bill, gazing astern at the approaching vessel, "but I'll do the bes' -I kin to shoo fly dat ornery marshal. Dere's a bit ob a squall makin' -ah'ad, an' ef we kin hold on till it comes up, I'll try to fluke him -when it's thick." - -"My black friend, if your boat was any good you could make a getaway -without trouble, but this craft is surely on the bum," said the -thin-faced invalid ruefully. "I've no doubt you think her all right in -her way, but her way is not that of those who expect to make either -comfort or time when afloat--she's rotten." - -"Look here," said Bahama Bill. "Yo' better take my advice an' not hit -this sloop any more. If yo' don't think she's any good, why yo' come -abo'd her? Why yo' want to run off with her, hey?" - -"Why, indeed?" sighed the invalid, shifting his gun and gazing ahead -at the gathering blackness of the squall, which was just one of -those little puffs of smudge, a bit of breeze and drizzle, common to -southerly wind in the Stream. - -"Shall I run her off an' make the try fo' it?" asked the mate. - -"Yes, do the best you can," said the iconoclast, nursing the barrel -of the six-shooter. "Looks like we're up against it," he added to his -pale-eyed partner, who seemed to grow more and more anxious as the -pursuing schooner drew up in the wake of the _Sea-Horse_. - -"Stand by to haul down the jib an' fo'sta's'l," ordered the mate, and -just then the first puff of the squall heeled the sloop over slightly, -and gave her greater speed. The rain came with the breeze, and for a -moment the vessel fairly tore along with the increased pressure. It -gave them considerable advantage over the schooner, for it struck them -first. - -Just as it began to show signs of slacking up, Bahama Bill gave his -final orders. The head-sails were run down so as not to show against -the sky, and the mainsail run off until the leech was on edge to the -pursuing vessel, the _Sea-Horse_ squaring away and running off at -nearly right angles to her course. In this manner she presented little -besides her mast to be seen in the darkness, her white canvas being now -almost if not quite out of sight. - -"Stan' up an' look astern, now," said Bahama Bill to the thin-faced man. - -The request was complied with, both men standing up and gazing back -into the blackness, which now showed only the port, or red, light of -the schooner, telling plainly that she had not discovered their ruse, -and was holding on with the freshening breeze, confident that when it -let up she would be close aboard the sloop. - -The course of the _Sea-Horse_ was almost due north, while that of the -pursuing vessel was east. Before the thickness of the rain was over, -the wrecker would be safely out of sight to the northward, and the -marshal would hold on only to find he was chasing nothing. They watched -her pass on toward the Bahamas, and her lights fade out, and then the -thin-faced passenger spoke. - -"For a bum old boat, this did the trick, all right," said he to his -partner. "I didn't think we'd make it, but I guess we will, all right, -now--what?" - -"Looks like we're off for fair," said the pale-eyed man. "We'll make -a landing without delay, and let the marshal go hunting the town of -Nassau for two well--but not favourably--known gentlemen. That's a -strong shooting rifle he carries, hey?" - -While they talked, interested in the chase, the mate of the _Sea-Horse_ -had begun to think of his part in the affair. Both he and Smart had now -to face a serious charge, and the prospect was not pleasant, especially -as they had not chosen to take part in the escape of the two men who -now had shown that they were fugitives from the law and the marshal. - -The mate had outwitted his old enemy, and, as the success of his -seamanship became evident, he began to realize that the game was now -up to him. Smart stood near, and was about to say something to that -effect, when he caught the glint of the black man's eye, shining white -in the darkness. - -It conveyed a meaning to the yacht captain, for he was well versed in -tricks of the sea, and he at once spoke to the passengers, calling -their attention to the vanishing ship. He did not know just what Bahama -Bill would do, but he knew from that look he would act, and act at once. - -Almost instantly the mate pushed the wheel-spokes slowly over, doing it -so gently, so gradually, that only Smart was aware that the wind was -hauling to the lee, and that the mainsail would soon be taken aback. He -spoke again, and the men gazed a moment more at the shadow passing out -across the Stream. Then the mainsail took the wind to port, and swung -with a quick jibe to starboard. - -The sheet well off came over in a bight, and, while the two gentlemen -of fortune had agility enough to dodge the main boom, the line caught -the tall, thin-faced invalid, and jerked him quickly over the side into -the sea. - -The other man sprang out of the way, but almost instantly recovered -himself, and covered the mate with his weapon. He seemed to realize -that some trick had been played, but just what he failed to understand. -He hesitated to fire, and that instant cost him the game. Bahama Bill -made a quick plunge over the taffrail, and disappeared in the white -wake astern. The pale-eyed man held his pistol in readiness to shoot, -but he was warned again by Smart's voice. - -"Don't fire, you fool, he'll save your friend," cried the captain. -"They'll hear the shot aboard the schooner--put up your gun." - -The quickness of events seemed to cause even the cool-headed burglar -to hesitate as to what course to pursue. The mate had gone overboard -evidently to save his companion. It was certain death to be left out -there in the ocean, and Smart was even now swinging the _Sea-Horse_ -around in a great circle, heading well to the westward, to make it -farthest from the disappearing schooner. - -Heldron and Sam had sprung to the sheet, and were rapidly hauling it in -hand over hand, while Smart bawled out orders for them, regardless of -the saturnine passenger with the gun, who seemed undecided whether to -shoot some of them or not. - -He sat down and gazed astern at the place where the two men had -vanished. He knew his companion was a strong swimmer, but he knew -nothing of the black man's giant strength, his remarkable staying -powers, and fishlike ability in the sea. - -Smart hauled the sloop up on her port tack, and slowly circled, knowing -almost exactly where he would pick up the mate. He would not go too -fast, for fear of overrunning him, and he felt certain that he need not -hurry on his account. - -The pale-eyed man appeared to think there was little use hunting for -men in the darkness, and his knowledge of his whereabouts was evidently -completely lost. - -"What's the use, now?" he asked finally. "You can't find a man in the -ocean on a dark night. Better give it up. Let's make a run back for the -Keys." - -"With Bill trying to save your partner?" asked Smart, in feigned -disgust. - -"Oh, well, my friend, if there was any use of hunting for them, I would -stay as long as the next man." - -"I'm not exactly what you might call your friend," said Smart coldly, -"but I'm going to stay around here a little while. Don't try to force -matters, because I won't leave this part of the Atlantic until I'm -satisfied both are gone for good." - -"See here, Mr. Sailor-man," said the pale-eyed one. "I hold the -decision just now. I don't want to make rough-house on board of your -excellent yacht, but you must do as I say. I'm not a knocker. I don't -want to say anything against you. But you take my orders, and make a -getaway from here in about two minutes. I want to land that box before -daybreak--you understand?" - -Smart was about to argue the matter further, but desisted for a few -minutes while he had the forestaysail run up and the jib hoisted. He -was swinging around in a large circle, and was now ready to carry -head-sail and have his vessel manageable. In the meantime, Bahama Bill -was busy some two hundred fathoms distant. - - -IV - -When the mate plunged overboard after the thin-faced gentleman, he had -a very definite idea of what he must do. To attempt to retake his ship -under the guns of two armed men who were expert at the use of firearms -would have been suicide. They would have shot him before he could have -taken charge. - -He knew Smart to be a good sailor, and had considerable faith in his -ability to handle himself properly in an emergency. He felt certain -that the captain understood the game, and gave him merely a look to -signify that he was ready. Then he had gone over the side for the man -who had the six-shooter, feeling sure that the fellow would not let go -of the weapon until he had to. - -He swam quickly along in the swirl of the wake, keeping his eyes open -for the head of the passenger to appear upon the whitened surface. In a -moment he saw him. - -The thin-faced rogue was a strong swimmer. He was also a powerful man, -spare and muscular, capable of taking care of himself in that smooth -sea for a long time. He had suddenly found himself flung far over the -side by the jibing sheet, but he clutched his pistol firmly, knowing -that his partner would take charge until he was safe aboard again. - -The weapon was heavy, but he jammed it into his waist-belt and struck -out slowly, meaning to swim along easily until the sloop returned to -pick him up. He could see her plainly, and he saw Smart start to swing -her around to return. - -Then he was suddenly aware of a black head and face close aboard him, -the head sticking out of the sea and coming along at a smart pace. At -first the sight startled him. He hardly knew what had happened. Then he -surmised that the mate had been swept overboard also, and was swimming -near for company. - -"You got it, too?" he asked, as the head of Bahama Bill came nearer. -The answer was a terrific blow between the eyes, which sent the stars -sailing through his brain. Then he felt the powerful hands of the -giant black closing upon him, and he fought with furious energy to -keep free. They clutched and clinched, the mate getting a firm hold of -the man's right hand, which he twisted around behind him. The struggle -caused them to sink below the surface, and the straining made breathing -necessary. - -The giant mate swam fiercely to regain the surface, dragging his -antagonist along with him. He finally got his head clear, and breathed -deeply the salt air of the ocean, spitting out a quantity of salt water. - -The thin-faced man had swallowed much brine, and he came up weakly. -He still struggled, but he was no match for the black diver. In a few -minutes Bahama Bill had his hands secured behind him, and then rolling -easily over upon his back, he grasped the fellow by the collar, and -proceeded to swim with him in the direction of the _Sea-Horse_, turning -his head now and then to keep her whereabouts certain. - -He lost her several times in the splash and froth of little seas, which -broke again and again over his head, for he swam low and saved his -strength, but he knew that Smart would stand by. Soon he made her out -coming along smartly right for him, and he suddenly raised himself and -called out loudly: - -"Get the small boat over--don't yo' try to pick me up from de sloop," -he bawled, in his bull-like tones. - -Smart understood, and threw the _Sea-Horse_ into the wind, Sam and -Heldron heaving the small boat upon the rail, and waiting for her -headway to slacken before launching her. Then they dropped her over and -sprang aboard. - -Somewhere off in the darkness they stopped and pulled the men from -the water, but neither Smart nor his passenger could see in just what -condition they were rescued. The boat seemed to take a long time over -the matter, and when she finally started back the pair on board the -_Sea-Horse_ saw only the two men, Sam and Heldron, rowing as they had -started out. - -As the boat came alongside, the pale-eyed man peered over to see if his -partner had been rescued. He still held his weapon in readiness for -enforcing his orders, intending to push matters rapidly the moment the -men were aboard again. - -The first intimation he received of anything wrong was a spurt of -fire issuing from the bottom of the small boat, accompanied by a loud -explosion. - -At the same instant a heavy bullet struck him just below the -collar-bone, slewing him around and causing his pistol to fall from his -hand. The next instant Smart was upon him, and bore him to the deck. - -The men clambered aboard, Bahama Bill leading, and in less than -five minutes they had the two worthies triced up in a shipshape and -seamanlike manner, lying upon the after-deck. - -The giant mate gave a grunt of approval as he glanced at Smart. - -"Yo' suah did de right thing, cap--I reckoned yo' might--but dat was a -bad place toe jump a man, out dere in de water; it was dat, fer a fact. -Now, yo' Dutchman, yo' Sam, git de grub from de box ob dat invalid, -I'm mighty hungry, I kin suah eat a tid-bit--then we'll see how long -it takes us toe git in behind Floridy Cape. I s'pose yo' wouldn't mind -a bite ob dat good grub yo' brought abo'd, hey, perfesser?" he asked, -addressing the reclining invalid. - -"Don't rub it in, cap'n; don't rub it in," said the thin-faced man from -his place upon the planks. "You take my advice and let that box alone. -It'll take a stick of dynamite to bust it, being as it is made of steel -under the outside wood cover. It's a very good safe, and strong. Better -let that Dutchman get us a few pounds of that salt pig you have aboard, -and some boiled corn. I'll risk the indigestion--and let it go at that." - -Before daylight they had landed their prisoners and the safe upon the -dock at Miami, and Sam had gone up-town to notify the authorities that -the marshal was taking a cruise for his health to the Great Bahama Bank. - -"If the vessel had been any good," muttered the thin-faced, as he -was led away, "we'd have made good easily enough. She was a bum ship, -mighty poor, and that was what caused the trouble." - -"I still has a lot ob faith in her," said Bahama Bill. - - - - -XII - -Journegan's Graft - - -When Stormalong Journegan found that running a saloon in coöperation -with the police had its draw-backs, he turned his attention to more -lucrative fields. - -"It's no use fooling with such fellows as you," he said one day, "you -are sharks, pure blood-sucking sharks, you don't give a fellow half -a show to make a living. I'm through with you. I'm done. I sell out -to-day. Shanahan might be able to stand you off, he's rough, rough as a -file and ready to get into trouble. I'm past that stage of the game. I -want to live quietly without so much fuss, so much fracas and so much -blackmail. I'm going where brains count for as much as trickery and -downright rascality. I'm going where there are some educated Yankees, -some Northern men of means who can tell a man when they see him--yes, -I'm through with you Conchs and crabs." - -After delivering himself he spent several days winding up his affairs -at the Cayo Huesso, the beautiful white bar at Key West, converted his -belongings into cash and took the steamer for Miami, where he arrived -in due course of time. He stood upon the deck of the steamer one -morning and watched the rising of the Florida Cape to the northward, -stood and gazed at the beautiful bay of Biscayne, where the Northern -tourists had been flocking during the cold weather to fish and hunt -in the bright sunshine of the reef. The bay was full of small craft, -yachts of all descriptions thronged the dredged harbour and small boats -came and went over the bright coral banks which shone varicoloured a -few feet beneath the surface in the glare of the torrid sun. Yes, there -was some life here, something more than the dull and sullen Conchs, the -voracious grafters of the reef city and the straying ship's passenger. -Here was Northern capital, Northern progress. - -"It looks very good to me," mused Mr. Journegan as he gazed serenely -down from the hurricane deck of the Key West steamer. - -They passed several vessels he knew. There was the wrecking-sloop, -_Sea-Horse_ of Key West, the _Silver Bar_, schooner-yacht for charter, -and several others. Upon the deck of the wrecker he saw the big black -mate, Bahama Bill, sitting smoking his pipe, his muscular shoulders -shining like coal in the sunlight, while he rubbed his rheumy eyes, the -red-rimmed eyes of a diver in salt water, to see better as he watched -the approaching ship. Yes, and there was Captain Smart of the lost Dunn -schooner, sitting upon the taffrail fishing. He waved his hand to them -as the steamer swung past, the thudding of her paddles drowning his -hail of welcome which he called out when abreast. - -He landed and made his way to the hotel. He had plenty of money and -would live right while he felt like it. There was no reason why he -should stint himself in any worldly pleasure. Several thousand dollars -would last him some time, and after it was spent--well, he seldom went -broke. It was not men of his ability who went broke. Oh, no, money was -too easy. He never could see why some people found it hard to get. Get, -why it seemed to come to him. He couldn't keep it away. After all, he -figured that he must be something of a man to make it so easily when so -many strove so hard. Yes, it was brains that made money, brains, not -brawn, not toil--foolishness. Well, he was here to see, to watch, to -take notice. If there was anything floating about, it was most likely -he would pick it up. He couldn't help it. - -The gambling-place allowed by the management of the hotel was very -well kept. It was surrounded by palms and flowers, and its green -tables were made as enticing as human ingenuity allowed. Mr. Journegan -found them much to his taste, and as the days slipped by he found that -instead of a few thousand dollars in his pockets he had but a scant -hundred. He also had a hotel bill running up at something like twenty -dollars per day. He awoke slowly to the realization that he must quit -the game and hustle for cash. It was about this time that he made the -acquaintance of a gentleman from New York who had read much and studied -more, deeming the human race a fit problem to devote his mind upon. Mr. -Smithe, who insisted that he had an "e" to his name, found the yarns -of Journegan much to his liking. The two met upon the hotel verandas -and also at the gaming-tables, and after a few days they began to spar -for an opening for personal confidences. - -"You know," said the studious Smithe, "that there is an enormous waste -of material here. Just look at all that water, that magnificent bay. -Don't you know, my dear Journegan, that every pint of sea-water holds a -small per cent. of gold, yes, real gold, gold that we are playing for -every night, gold that we need to pay our bills with--gold--" - -"Are you stung, too?" asked Journegan irrelevantly, interrupting the -flow of wisdom. - -Mr. Smithe eyed him a moment with some concern. - -"You interrupted me--I don't understand you," he said. - -"Come down. Is that straight, that gold business? Are you stringing me, -or is that a chemical fact?" said Journegan. - -"I am not in the habit of lying, my friend. That gold remark is a -chemical fact, a truth which can be proven by any one familiar with -analytical chemistry--" - -"And you're stung,--broke, or whatever you choose to call it--same as -me, same as some more of the crowd what follows the spinning-wheel. -Smithe, you are the goods, you are the real thing, if you're telling -the truth. If that gold yarn of yours is true, we win--see?" -interrupted the irrepressible Journegan, upon whose mind a great light -was dawning, a vast glare of an intellectual day. - -"You seem a bit nutty," spake the learned Smithe, breaking at last into -the speech of his youth. "What the hell has gold in the sea-water to do -with us, hey?" - -"It grieves me to hear a learned man speak hastily," said the now calm -Journegan, "but you are like many learned ones, perfectly helpless -when it comes to applying your knowledge to some purpose, to some real -use besides that of entertaining a few half-drunken admirers about a -table. Man, we're as good as made if you are straight about that gold -business. You're known here as the real thing in chemistry, you're -something of a 'Smart Alec' among the push. If you can prove that gold -is in that sea-water--it's all to the good--leave it all to me--don't -waste time asking questions a babykins would laugh at--come away--come -away with your uncle, I want to talk with you--come." - -It was only two days later that the announcement was made that the -celebrated chemist, Mr. Smithe, and his friend and manager, Mr. -Journegan, were buying property along the shore for the purpose of -establishing a plant for converting the free gold held in solution in -the clear water of the reef to a commercial commodity in the shape -of gold dust, which same being worth about twenty dollars per ounce -in the coin of the realm. The announcement created some surprise, -and also some curious comment coupled with amusement, but the two -gentlemen maintained such a dignified silence concerning the affair, -and declined with such natural modesty to discuss it in any manner or -form, that the idle rich, from at first laughing, came to regard them -with respect, then with awe, and finally with a desire to a better -acquaintance. Mr. Smithe condescended to shake hands with some of -the most curious, told them many interesting yarns and anecdotes to -hold their attention, and all the time kept his method a mystery, his -discovery a thing which was of far too great importance to talk about -to strangers. - -Journegan with commendable activity secured a small frontage a short -distance down the shore. Here he bought a small wharf running out into -the bay until a depth of six or seven feet was reached. With some haste -he had a small enclosure made, a sort of fish-pound built of small -piling and decked over across the middle so that a man could walk -upon the boards and gaze down into the liquid depths where the gold -undoubtedly was. The whole was screened from the curious gaze by high -boarding, and a small door was let into the fish-pound for allowing -free access of the tide. It was necessary, he explained, to have -the water change freely as it was quickly exhausted of its valuable -qualities by the process of electrolysis. The naming of the mysterious -current as part of the outfit caused more and more favourable comment -upon the part of the curious. Electricity, electricity, oh, how many -things unknown and mysterious are relegated to your strange power. -Yes, Journegan had heard of electric combs, electric shoes, electric -belts, electric--well, pretty much anything which an honest dealer -could not sell upon its merits alone. It sounded well to have the plant -run by electricity, convincing, undeniable. Who knew that electricity -would not do anything its master might bid it? It was a force in its -infancy, a giant unknown, undeveloped. It moved the carriages of the -rich. It might just as well separate them from some of their wealth. It -depended-- - -A set of wires was run from the plant furnishing the lights for the -town, and they were kept in exaggerated evidence all along the little -dock and building at its end. A few bulbs lit the scene at night and -caused more comment by those who passed the place after dark, when the -noise of workmen within could be heard plainly by the curious. It was -Journegan's lay to have the place operated solely at night. He gave it -out finally that the night tides were most favourable for work, and -also that it was a time when for certain mysterious reasons they could -work to better advantage. - -In a very few days Mr. Smithe began to let slip a few secrets -concerning the plant. It was now working all right, he assured his -listeners, and he would not only tell them how the thing was done but -would go so far as to show some of the more worthy the entire process. -If Mr. Jones, who was a millionaire furniture dealer suffering with -tuberculosis, would do him the honour, and Mr. Jackson, a millionaire -iron producer with gout, would also go along, he would show how he -produced gold from sea-water, precipitated it, he said, precipitated -it upon the end of an electric wire under the surface. They would have -refreshments served at the dock, and a negro would carry their things -for them. It might take several minutes to wait for the precipitation, -and as the night was warm, but damp, he would have their comforts -provided for. When this news was spread broadcast it created almost -a panic among the people of the town. When two such men of undoubted -wealth and position as Mr. Jones and Mr. Jackson were to see the thing -in operation it was no longer a thing to doubt, it must certainly be -a success. They had been living all their lives upon the very edge of -a vast gold mine without knowing it, and now these two strangers were -going to enlighten them to the real things of life. It was wonderful, -great, they might even get a chance to go into the thing later on. What -was the use of toiling when gold could be gotten for the trouble of -picking it from the end of a wire. - -Mr. Smithe having made this announcement with a confidential air and a -manner urbanity itself, sought at once Mr. Journegan. - -"I've invited the gents," he announced with warmth, spitting fluently -at a spider crawling along the veranda, "but it's up to you to make -good. How the thunder we're going to get that piece of gold stuck to -the end of that wire while the current is playing upon it, beats me. -It took two twenties hammered into a passable nugget to make the bait. -Now it's you to land the men, and fix that bait on the wire. Mind you, -it's got to be done right there in that bullpen, right there under -their eyes. When the current is turned on it has got to form and become -attached to the end of the pole in the water." - -"It'll be dead easy, Bo, dead easy. Go take a drink and sleep the -afternoon away. You trust in father Bullinger--an' he will see you -through. Beat it, I say, and don't come worrying me with such trifles -as making gold form on the ends of wires. Gimme somethin' dead easy. -If you want to hold my attention explain the philosophy of love, or -something like that, but say, don't come around me, you a full-grown -man, talking about not being able to make gold form on the end of a -wire. Man, you are a strange thing. You know some real facts, but -after that you're at sea, clean plumb out to sea without a chart or -compass. You've done your share, the hard part, getting the yaps into -the game. Hell! that's the whole thing, don't you know it. Getting -the yaps interested. After that the game is like stealing taffy from -a kid, robbing a babe of its milk. You're on. Go take a snooze. I'll -finish this cigar and then attend to the details. I promise to see to -the details and if that gold don't form on that wire you may strike -me dead for a galoot too drunk to know his name. Git out, Bo. Go take -a snooze and leave the rest to your Uncle Rube. Man, I haven't seen -such easy graft for years. Why, we'll be rich if we can hold it two -months. Rich, I say. Money to burn. Why, half a hundred yaps will be -frantic to cast their bread upon the waters, cast their money into our -pockets--and then what--and then--well, the boat leaves here daily for -Nassau--thence to--Oh, well, anywhere at all. What's the difference -where you are if you have the coin in your clothes. Say, Bo, you're all -right. You know a thing or two that's worth knowing, the only thing I -can't understand is how you grew up without becoming a millionaire. -Can't fathom it, old man, can't fathom it. Say, if I knew as much -of the books as you do I'd be in the Standard class all right--very -well--So long, sneak." - -Mr. Smithe went back into the hotel. He was a bit nervous for one -who had spent much time and great trouble ascertaining the value -of his fellow men. The scheme seemed now to be futile, for how any -one could finish with any hope of success appeared impossible. He -gathered together his belongings, made them into a bundle easy for -transportation, locked his new and somewhat aggressive trunk after -screwing it firmly to the floor, and having finished these necessary -preparations for a hurried departure, betook himself to the flowing -bowl, which in his case was nothing more or less than a bottle of very -bad whiskey furnished by the management of the hotel at two hundred -per cent. profit. The draught of alcohol gave him new courage. It -warmed the cockles of his heart, a heart that was none too rigorous in -its action, but under the influence of the stimulant he drowsed and -thought, dreamed and wondered at the versatility of his friend Mr. -Stormalong Journegan. - - -II - -"Hello, Stormy," growled the mate of the _Sea-Horse_, who was sitting -upon the deck of his sloop watching the shore, "seems like you struck -it rich fer a fact. Must be a wise one dat guy you goes with." - -Journegan had reached the edge of the dock about twenty feet distant -from the _Sea-Horse_ which was lying off. - -"Oh, yes, we make a few thousand dollars a day at that gold plant. -'Tain't much, but it goes," said he. - -"Don't suppose you'd chin with such fellers as me no more," said Bill, -squirting a stream of tobacco into the sea with a vehemence that told -of his opinion of those who became stuck up at success, "but I ain't -forgot that last deal you played. I'm glad we got clear with our coin, -not as you meant we should, but it goes dat way," and Bahama Bill -looked thoughtfully into the distance. He had not forgotten the game -at Stormalong's bar at the Cayo Huesso when Captain Smart had been -fleeced by the gang of Havana crooks, of which "Skinny Ike" had been -the leader. He had reason to remember that night, for it had made -it necessary for both him and Smart to get to sea without delay, he -himself getting a sore shoulder from the six-shooter of the head crook -for his interference. But he had cleaned up the entire crowd, with -Smart to help, and the memory was evidently pleasant, for he smiled as -he looked into the distance. - -"Come abo'd, Stormy, if you don't mind yo' good clothes. Yo' shuah is -gittin' toe be a dude--how you come by dem duds, hey?" he said still -smiling. "I don't need toe make yo' acquainted with Cap Smart--yo' -remember him--what?" - -Journegan remembered Smart very well indeed. He looked at him a moment -askance, for he had set out to do up the captain that night in Key -West, and would have succeeded but for the interference of the giant -mate. He, however, saw the point at once and never alluded to the past, -but grasped Smart's hand with vigour and assured him that of all people -in the world he was most glad to see the captain doing so well. Smart -eyed him coldly, but waited for events to shape themselves, knowing -full well that the Conch was not there for idle pastime, but had some -ultimate purpose in view which was probably of importance. - -Journegan was not long in getting down to business. He had plenty of -time, but the anxiety of his accomplice caused him to hurry matters and -settle the affair at once. - -"I want to get a good diver, Bill," said he, finally. "I want a man -who will work for twenty dollars an hour in shallow water. Yes, I want -a man who can work at a little depth of six or seven feet and do what -he's told without asking questions--do you know of any one?" - -"Yep, there's Sam--he kin work at that depth, an' I reckon he'll do it -for twenty an hour, an' not squeal," said the mate of the _Sea-Horse_, -his ugly face wrinkling into a strange smile and his rheumy eyes -turning slowly upon Journegan, fixing him with a curious squinting look -which seemed to go clear through him. - -"Don't you think you could do the trick for me?" asked Journegan -pointedly. - -"Nix, not fo' dat little money. Why, man, we're just waitin' fo' a few -thousand dollars on some ammunition we salved from the wreck ob de -_Bulldog_, brig--out on de Bank two weeks ago. No, if yo' kin pay a -man's wages I might get toe work fo' yo', but don't come around heah, -Mr. Journegan, with them clothes on an' ask me, me, Bahama Bill, toe -work fo' nothin'--Nix, I say nix--don't keep up de conversation--I -don't want toe hear no mo'." - -The mate of the _Sea-Horse_ had received a lesson in regard to pay -only a short time before from Smart when they had been chartered by -a stranger. He was not slow to learn, and he knew that if Journegan -would pay twenty dollars an hour he would pay a hundred--if he had it. -There must be some necessity for urgent work--some work perhaps upon -the gold plant down the bay which needed repair at once, or there might -be a corresponding loss of metal. He had heard of the outfit, and had -laughed when he found out it was Stormalong Journegan who was mixed -up in it. The name of the chemist was unknown to him, but he thought -it might well be that the Northerner had really found something worth -working. - -"I'll make it fifty an hour--only working one hour a night--how's -that?" asked Journegan. "Work one hour and do as you're told and you -get fifty--get the money in advance--what?" - -"Yo' make me tired, Stormy. I knows yo' fo' a good business man, I seen -dat at de Cayo Huesso, but don't come abo'd heah an' begin fool talk. -Cap'n Smart heah is my partner, jest now,--he wouldn't let me work fo' -dat price." And the big mate rose as though to go below. - -Smart looked at Journegan with a cold eye. He knew the fellow, but he -knew also that they were both dead broke, that their money from the -salved cargo was no nearer than it had been the day they arrived in -port. It might be a month or two before they received anything on their -diving. The ammunition had to be tested and there was no use hurrying -matters. That it would be good, there was not the least doubt, but it -had been in the hold of the brig completely submerged for some time, -so long in fact that it had been abandoned by the first wrecking crew, -composed of the _Sea-Horse_ men and the steam tug from Key West. Yes, -fifty dollars an hour might get something to eat while they waited the -leisure of the agents of the ammunition house buying the stuff. Fifty -dollars was good pay, and he knew he could not afford to let the mate -pass it for any personal matter that might exist between himself and -Journegan. He watched the pair steadily and when Bahama Bill showed -signs of giving it up he spoke out. - -"Better take it on, Bill," he said, as the giant stretched himself at -the companionway. "I know you're worth more'n that to Mr. Journegan, -but I think you might take it on for a few days." - -"De hell yo' do," quoth the mate, glaring at him. - -"I'll make it seventy-five," said Journegan, "that's as high as I'll -go." - -"Well, so long as Cap'n Smart say do it, I'll jest take it on dat -figure," said the mate. "What's de lay?" - -"The process of extracting gold from sea-water is a secret one, my -dear Bill," said Mr. Journegan. "I really don't quite know the manner -of doing it myself. You will come up to the hotel in about an hour -and a half, or before sundown, and Mr. Smithe, the chemist, the -brains of the plant, will give you your instructions. You had better -come alone, and before you make the deal I want you, of course, to -promise that you will not tell of anything--not a thing you see in the -plant--understand. The process is patented, but if every one knew it -there would be no reason in the world why anybody couldn't get money -the same way." - -"Dat seems fair enough," assented Bill. "Ob co'se I kin see somethings -dere, but I promise not toe tell de neighbours--yep, it goes at -dat--I'll be up toe de swell shack befo' dark--so-long." - -Mr. Journegan stepped into the small boat and a moment later was -walking leisurely up the road to his rooms at the hotel. He could -count on the success of Mr. Smithe's scheme to a certainty and the -knowledge gave him much pleasure. It had been quite easy, only -that shark of the reef, Bahama Bill, had robbed him. He cursed the -avaricious mate, cursed him freely and fluently for his greed, but -in the end he laughed, for was not the gold plant to be a great -success. Bah, a few hundred dollars one way or the other was not to -be considered. He and his partner had enough for a few days yet, and -by then they would be rich men. He made his way to the rooms of Mr. -Smithe, knocked at the door and was confronted with a six-shooter held -in that brainy gentleman's hand. - -"Aw, gwan--put it up," said Journegan. - -Mr. Smithe quickly did so. The knock had aroused him from pleasant -reveries to an acute appreciation of the present. He saw the form -of the marshal at his door and with trembling fingers he seized his -gun for a last stand. It had been something of a relief to find his -accomplice standing there with a complacent smile upon his face, his -long six feet three of skin and bone fairly shaking with laughter. - -Journegan entered unbidden and quickly closed the door. - -"It's all right, Bo, the deed is done. I have the means at hand. They -will be here shortly. Let's have a drink?" he said. - -Mr. Smithe acquiesced, and over the liquor the plan was gone over to -the mutual satisfaction of both. - -"Gad, but you're not so bad, Mr. Journegan," said the brainy Smithe. -"You have executive ability to a marked degree. You have imagination, a -thoughtful mind--oh, if it had only been trained in its youth--" - -"Skin it, Bo," said Journegan, "don't make me feel badly. I have seen -things in my day, things just as instructive as anything you get out -of text-books, even chemistry. Have another drink. My man will be here -very soon. Don't go around packing that light artillery. It won't do -if we're caught up suddenly. What would the Muldoons think if they -found us going around this peaceful hostelry armed with Gatlings of -forty-five calibre. No, put on your best duds and come away. We've -won--mark what I say--we've won. I have the best diver on the Great -Bahama Bank to do the trick, the best and biggest man on the reef--see. -It's all right. Now, then, I hear his gentle footsteps on the veranda -and I think we had better get him in here without delay--what?" - -Half an hour later the mate of the _Sea-Horse_ emerged from the room -with a faint smile upon his ugly face. He strode forth quickly and made -his way to the water-front, getting into a small boat waiting for him -and starting down the bay in the direction of the gold plant. - -It was about eight in the evening, after supper at the hotel, that the -party set out in a gasoline launch for the dock where the gold plant -was located. The evening was fine and the western sky still showed -the last faint tints of the setting sun. Darkness came apace and the -cool sea-breeze made the ride very pleasant, the boat rushing through -the water leaving a long, bright wake, flaring here and there with -phosphorescence where the screw turned the water and sent it whirling -astern. By the time they reached the dock it was quite dark, so dark -in fact that the shadow of the wharf loomed dimly above the tide. The -launch was made fast at the steps and the party climbed up into the -enclosure. - -"It is an ideal evening for our work," said Mr. Smithe to Mr. Jackson. -"The tide is right and there seems to be no sea, no extraordinary -commotion which might interfere with the chemical result. It is -generally best to work on calm nights, but the process will obtain -under each and every condition the weather permits. Allow me to light -up." So saying he switched on the electric lights and the enclosure lit -up dimly. - -"Seems like you might have had a few more lamps," said Mr. Jones -a little testily. "It'll be hard to see anything with just two -sixteen-candle bulbs." - -"I shall have that attended to at once," said Mr. Journegan. "You see -we have been so busy with the results that we seldom miss the lights -to any extent. The same current that lights up the place is used for -forming the precipitate upon the wire--the gold precipitate, you -understand." - -"Well, let her commence," said Mr. Jackson, a little unfavourably -impressed at the stillness and peculiar surroundings of the outfit. -"I'll sit here on this box and wait--I hope it won't be long, but I -must say that if you men can do this thing, you certainly can do -something no one else has ever attempted in history--mind you, I don't -say you won't do it, but I say commence, I want to see with my own -eyes." - -Mr. Smithe, with great deliberation and some complex manoeuvring, took -up a wire and wrapped it in a cloth. He then fastened it with a small -piece of copper wire and dipped the whole into a strong solution of -something that had a most offensive odour. - -"You see, gentlemen," said he, "the contents of this basin,"--here he -pointed to the mixture which had such a terrific odour. "This is the -secret part of the whole process, it produces the electrolysis which -causes the gold to form upon the positive pole of the current. I shall -now toss it overboard and we will await results." - -He threw the wire over the edge of the enclosure and it disappeared at -once in the black depths below. The white cloth tied to the end still -showed faintly at a depth of six feet below the surface. - -"I now shall start the current," he said, and taking up a hammer he -struck savagely upon the flooring of the dock several time. There was -a faint sound from shoreward, the sound of a gentle splashing, but -this soon subsided. Suddenly a commotion in the water below attracted -the attention of Mr. Jones. A large fish appeared to break water at -the entrance of the enclosure. Then it disappeared, and Mr. Journegan -remarked that the small sharks of the reef were most numerous at this -season. - -Mr. Smithe watched the surface of the water carefully. A huge dark -shadow glided beneath him towards the end of the wire which held the -white cloth. - -"I must have more current," he called petulantly to Mr. Journegan, -"give me more current for a few minutes, this wire is cold." - -For answer Journegan switched off the lights for few seconds. Mr. Jones -and Mr. Jackson watched the water steadily, but nothing broke its now -black surface. - -"It's getting warm now," called Mr. Smithe, and on the instant -Journegan switched on the lights again. They all sat there for some -minutes awaiting the result but the water gave no token save that now -the cloth had disappeared from the end of the wire and as the minutes -dragged by Mr. Smithe called attention to this fact. - -"You see, it has begun to work," he called, pointing below at the -invisible wire. "In a moment I shall pull it up--a few dollars worth -of metal is all we need wait for to-night. I have an engagement at the -Casino at ten." - -Suddenly he pulled up the wire. Upon its end, fixed fast and apparently -imbedded, was a small mass of a peculiar metal, bright, shiny and -unmistakably gold. Yes, he had done it. He had made the sea give up -its own. There it was, gold, pure gold in an ingot Worth about forty -dollars. The astounded Mr. Jones gazed in wonder. The skeptical Mr. -Jackson let his eyes open wide. It was certainly the wonder of the -era. It was tremendous. - -"You can take this specimen and have it assayed," said Mr. Smithe, -handing the nugget to Mr. Jackson; "you can return it at your -convenience." - -When Mr. Smithe struck the blows with the hammer, thereby causing the -current to flow, it roused Bahama Bill from his drowsing in the bottom -of a small boat close to the shore. He grinned and arose. He had been -told just what to do and paid heavily for keeping his mouth shut about -doing it. It was none of his business why they did these things, it -was his business to dive for money, no matter what the affair. He was -well paid and he saw no reason why he should not take the money. A man -of more refined mind would have possibly refused the work, but Bahama -Bill was brought up in the school where it was necessary to live, -necessary to have the means to live without going too far outside the -rules of the game. It was Journegan's business to make gold out of -sea-water. It was his to do a bit of diving for him and perform certain -feats which might or might not affect the pockets of the gentlemen now -waiting to see the result. There were so many questionable ways of -separating folks from their coin that he was amused at the graft of -these two. At the gambling house kept by the pious and strict manager -of the hotel, there were many ways of separating folks from their -cash. It had the sanction of the "Boss"--that was the only difference -he could see in the matter. He was a plain wrecker, a man who made -his living from the misfortunes of others. Yet it was a legitimate -business, and he generally played fair. He was simply a big, powerful -man, a giant diver of the Bank. He dropped his trousers and stood forth -naked in the darkness as the last banging of the hammer died away. It -was the signal agreed upon and without a moment's hesitation he made -a long clean dive into the dark water. Coming to the surface he swam -quickly and noiselessly toward the end of the dock where the gate, or -opening in the piling, would allow him to get within the enclosure. He -was a little doubtful of finding the end of the wire, as he had been -instructed to, but he thought the white cloth might make it visible, -for the water was very clear. - -He never fancied swimming at night over the coral banks, for there -were always many denizens of the ocean that came in and either rested -or fed during the hours of darkness. Many a big shark lay log-wise in -the waters of the reef during the night, waiting for a rush upon the -feeding mullet or other small fry. He had found sharks always dangerous -at this season of the year, and he was now without even a knife. -However, he managed to reach opposite the opening without mishap. Then -he floated silently and took a few deep breaths for the work in hand. - -He could hear the voices of the men within the enclosure and he heard -Mr. Smithe announce that the wire was ready. He was just about to -dive when a disturbance in the sea close to him made him hesitate -and turn. A triangular fin cut the surface not two fathoms distant. -It was that of a gigantic shark. Instantly the diver went under and -strove with mighty strokes to gain the opening in the piling. He felt -instinctively that the monster would follow him, but it was the nearest -place of refuge. Guided solely by memory of direction, he fairly tore -through the water, struck the opening with his hand and with a mighty -effort swung himself within, remaining under and shooting ahead with -the momentum of his flight. A commotion, a sweep of a strong current -at the gate told of a passing heavy body, but nothing touched him. He -could not hold his breath much longer on account of the sudden effort, -and he was sworn not to come to the surface within the piles. It was -at this moment that Mr. Smithe, seeing something of what had occurred -by the shadows beneath the surface, called for more electricity, and -Journegan with his rare presence of mind switched off the lights. -Bahama Bill came to the surface gently, and had it not been for the -noisy conversation of Smithe, his deep breathing would surely have made -his presence known to all. As it was he lay upon his back, close within -the shadow of the piling and just let his nose come into the air. In a -few moments he had regained his wind and sank downward to the end of -the wire. Then Mr. Smithe switched on the light and announced that the -wire was warm. It was a close call, close in more ways than one, but -the mate had made good, he had done his part. He saw the white cloth -without difficulty and attached the piece of gold. Then he fled for -the open with a courage which might have called forth the admiration of -the watchers had they known his danger. - -Once clear, he swam silently and with all his strength for the small -boat. The feeling that something was pursuing him kept him nerved to -the utmost. He fairly tore through the sea, but only raised his head -every twenty to thirty feet to breathe. He swam almost all the way -under water. This he knew was the safest, for the predatory denizens of -the coral banks depend as much on hearing, or a sense akin to it, as on -sight. The feeling that something still followed drove him along at his -top speed, but he could see nothing, know nothing of its shape or form. -It was just the instinctive fear, or nerve straining one feels in the -dark where danger lurks. He gained the small boat quickly and at that -instant a great shadow swept past leaving a trail of phosphorescent -fire in its wake. - -"If you gentlemen are satisfied, we will now go back to the hotel," -said Mr. Smithe with his most urbane manner. "If at any other time you -would like a renewal of the test, we shall be only too glad to give it, -provided of course, neither you nor your guests talk of the process and -thus set curious people at work to find out our secret." - -Amid murmurs of approval and congratulations, the party broke up and -started back in the launch, Mr. Journegan especially active in getting -away from the dock and explaining vehemently the reason that the -extraction had not been made before was that it took a man with brains -and one with executive ability to work a thing like that together, to a -successful conclusion. - -Before twenty-four hours had elapsed there had been a company formed -with Mr. Smithe at its head, and there had been twenty-five thousand -dollars in ready cash put at its disposal in the town bank for the -purpose of carrying on the experiments and continuing the production of -gold from the waters of the Bay of Biscayne. - -Twice during the week following the experiment was repeated with equal -success. The cloth disappeared from the wire and the gold was found -upon the pole. It was astounding, but there was no way of contradicting -the evidence of the senses. There was the gold. That was enough for -many--gold, gold, gold. The thing took like wild-fire. The news was -spread broadcast, and Bahama Bill sat in the mornings reading the -papers with a grin of derision upon his big ugly face. - -"Of course, it's none of my business," said Smart, "but if you're wise -you'll not go into any crooked game. It's all well enough to repair -their outfit, but if you're in anything crooked, you're not playing -fair with me." - -"Yo' wanted me toe go into it," growled the mate. - -"I dun promised not to gib way nuthin'--fo' a big stake. Yous livin' -high on fresh beef and good whack, Sam and Heldron is paid off and -everythin' seems all right 'Tain't none of mah business what those -fellows do--I'm jest doin' what I agreed to--jest divin'--divin'--see." - -"Better quit it when you've got enough to lay by with until we make our -deal," said Smart. "Of course you can't tell me what you do, what your -lay is down at the plant?" - -"I dun passed mah word," said Bahama Bill gravely. "I ain't playin' -straight, but I dun passed mah word--" - -"Could you give an exhibition of the part you play?" asked the sailor. - -The big mate thought a moment. He did not seem to like the idea, it was -not fair according to his standpoint of honour. He had his limitations, -but he generally did what he said he would. At the same time he knew he -was getting into a game which would cause him trouble in the end if he -did not get out quickly. The thing was too good to last. - -"Yep,--I--might," he finally said, grinning. - -"I'll get some of the gentlemen down to the plant in the small boat and -let them see, for I for one don't take much stock in that fellow who -tried to skin me in his barroom to the southward," said Smart. - -"Git 'em any time yo' see fit--I'll do the part I generally does," said -the mate. - -Smart dressed and went to the hotel. It was afternoon and the two -partners in the gold plant were at the tables playing heavily. They -were somewhat at ease as to their finances, for the thing was a -veritable gold mine in fact. They knew nothing of the departure of Mr. -Jones and Mr. Jackson in company with Smart and Bahama Bill, rowing -down the shore in the small boat of the _Sea-Horse_. Reaching the dock, -Smart had little difficulty in effecting a landing at the enclosure -and of making an entrance. There was no lock upon the door, for there -was nothing to secure, and the four men were soon within the sacred -precincts of the gold plant. - -"Which is the wire?" asked Smart of Mr. Jones. The gentleman explained. - -"Was there anything on it?" he asked. - -Mr. Jones said there was something like a bit of cloth. Smart tied a -piece to it. - -"Now, Bill, do what you generally do," said the captain. - -The big mate grinned. He was undecided as to whether he was acting -fairly with those who had employed him. Then he sprang into the small -boat and rowed away a short distance. The three within the place waited. - -Suddenly Smart called attention to a shadow approaching under the -surface of the water. It came quickly within the gate of the pound, -and although it was deep below the surface all had no difficulty in -recognizing the giant form of Bahama Bill. The great black diver swam -quickly to the end of the wire, pulled off the cloth and attached -something in its place, going away instantly with powerful strokes. -He was within the enclosure but a minute altogether and as he went -rapidly through the water-gate into the open bay, he broke the surface -just a little with one huge ham-like foot. - -"As a swimming feat, that was the best exhibition I ever saw," said -Jones to his friend. "In the night time it was wonderful. That white -cloth was there for an excellent purpose, but even in that clear water -it must have been hard to have picked it up to a certainty in the dark. -I suppose the sooner we get the news to the marshal the better it will -be for all hands. I for one am not very much ashamed of myself." - -"Nor I," said Mr. Jackson. - -"You will understand," said Smart, "that neither my mate nor myself had -anything to do with the game further than to obey orders and accept pay -for diving." - -"You will neither be mentioned nor asked to appear--no matter what -happens," assured Mr. Jones. "We will make this discovery ourselves. -It is due us as intelligent men--eh?" he added to Mr. Jackson. That -gentleman agreed with vigour. - -Stormalong Journegan had lost heavily at the wheel, the seductive -roulette. He said very little, but arose before his accomplice and -going to the bank drew out nearly the whole amount to the credit of the -company. As it happened the whistle of the Nassau steamer was blowing -its first warning blast for the people to get ashore who were not going -to sea within a few minutes. Journegan noticed it and walked along -the water-front. As he went his way he noticed the small boat of the -_Sea-Horse_ with Mr. Jones, Mr. Jackson, Smart and--yes, there was no -mistake--Bahama Bill. The giant mate was rowing and sending the craft -along with sweeping strokes. Stormalong Journegan looked but for a -moment more. Then he ran with all the speed his long legs could give -for the steamer. He reached her just as she was pulling out from the -wharf and managed to make the jump aboard without creating comment. He -instantly made his way to the lavatory, where he remained for at least -an hour, washing and rewashing his hands. When he appeared on deck the -steamer was well down the channel standing for the open sea. He was -never seen again after landing the next morning at Nassau. - -Mr. Smithe was aroused by a knock at his door some time that afternoon -and he called out affably to the person to enter, thinking it his -energetic partner, Mr. Journegan, whom he had missed for several hours. -The marshal entered, and Mr. Smithe had the satisfaction of seeing his -trusty gun lying safe and snug in his bureau drawer. - -"You can raise your hands, Mr. Smithe," said the officer of the law. - -Mr. Jones waited not very long before paying his hotel bill. He -proceeded to the writing-room and wrote a short note home, telling of -his marked improvement, his ability to travel alone, and that he would -soon be North again. "I have been taking the gold cure," said he as he -ended his letter, leaving his family very much disturbed. - -Mr. Jackson found urgent business calling him North the next day. He -declined to be interviewed. "In the interest of science, I shall keep -the secret of the chemical precipitation of gold in sea-water," he -said. "It is a wonderful discovery." - -Bahama Bill sat and grinned in the morning as he read the news in the -daily paper. Captain Smart felt easier in his mind. - -"That man, Journegan, surely was a fellow of ability," he said. "He has -cleared--gone clean away on the ship for Nassau--but I don't think he -will ever come back." - -"'Tain't likely," grunted Bahama Bill. "No, it won't do for him toe -come along dis way agin--if yo' don't mind, cap, I'll git yo' toe write -me a letter to my wife--fightin' Jule--I reckon I better be gittin' -some ob dishear money down toe her, or she'll be a-coming along up -heah fo' toe take a look at things.--I see dat Mr. Smithe has been let -go--no one to prosecute him--toe bad, toe bad." - - - - -XIII - -Shanghaing the Tong - - -Captain Smart sat upon the deck of the wrecking-sloop _Sea-Horse_, -and read a letter from the agents of the cartridge company which had -furnished the ammunition to the _Bulldog_, brig, wrecked some time -before upon the Great Bahama Bank. It caused him some uneasiness, for -he scowled and wrinkled his brow, read and re-read it until the giant -black mate, Bahama Bill, could keep back his curiosity no longer. - -"What is it, cap? What dat guy say? No use keepin' bad news back. I kin -stan' it, I reckon. Let's have his lay--ain't dat cartridge case no -good?" - -"He says," began Smart, "that the samples are good, that the cases are -all right, and he will take the ten tons, about three hundred thousand -rounds, at a cent and a half, the cartridges retailing at three cents, -or thirty dollars per thousand. That nets us four thousand five -hundred, or a little over two thousand dollars apiece for our day's -work----" - -"Well, dat ain't so bad--no, dat's all toe de good, hey?" - -"So far, yes," said Smart, "but the railroad won't carry them under -three hundred dollars, and won't give any guarantee that they'll be -delivered on time; won't insure them--in fact, won't do anything but -carry them at an exorbitant rate, and they say they must have the goods -within one week from the eighth of this month, or upon the fifteenth. -Otherwise they won't fill the order, they don't want them. It's now the -tenth--that's the rub. How are we going to make good? Shall we trust -to the railroad? It never does what it agrees to, and in this case we -look like bad ones. That's what's worrying me. What do you say? You're -half-partner--it's up to you, Bill." - -The big black mate sat looking at the shore for some minutes. His -ugly face was wrinkled and his rheumy eyes were puckered in thought, -his huge shoulders hunching up, and giving him the air of one who has -struck a problem too great to solve. Finally he spoke. - -"Jule will be along on the morning boat," said he solemnly. - -"Who is Jule?" asked Smart. - -"Jule? Why, I thought you knew, cap--why, Jule is my wife. 'Fightin' -Jule' deys calls her, an' I reckon dat's a good name. She got dat -letter you wrote, and de money I sent from de diving at de gold plant. -She dun heard ob dat gold plant, an' she's comin' on up. She'll be here -in about an hour." - -"You think she can give us good advice--is that it?" suggested Smart, -eying the big mate keenly. - -"Er--er--dat ain't exactly what I was thinkin'--no, sah, cap," said -Bahama Bill, with a sickly grin. - -"I'm not a mind-reader, Bill," said Smart. - -"Well, sah, cap--seein' as it's you, well, sah--er--er--well, I don't -know but what we better make de run toe Noo York ourselves. Or else -back toe Key West, an' ketch de Noo York steamer. She kin make de run -in three days; dat'll do de trick, hey?" - -"Has your wife brought her children with her?" asked Smart. - -"Oh, no, cap, she always leaves dem with her ma when she starts off on -de rampage----" - -"I see; you're afraid of her," said Smart, smiling. - -"Not eggzactly dat, cap; not eggzactly--I ain't afeared ob nothin'; -no, sah, dat I ain't, but she shuah do make me nervous; she shuah -do make me feel--well, I jest don't know how, but it'll be best fo' -you--fo' you, cap--if we start fo' Noo York before she gits here. Yo' -understand?" - -Captain Smart thought a moment. He had heard of Bahama Bill's wife, -the well but not favourably known "Fighting Jule," of Key West. On the -whole, it was worth considering. They might make the run in five or six -days. It had been done before, but not often. The _Sea-Horse_ was an -able sloop, but that was testing her too much. The great six-masters -had made the run to Havana in five days, two hundred miles farther on, -but they seldom did it in ten. It was a great risk; a risk which might -end up in the loss of the entire consignment, for they might not be -able to get another chance for a sale. - -On the other hand, there was _Key West_, the New York steamer, which -would be due the next morning, and she would take the freight at proper -prices, and be sure to land it in town--she couldn't help it, making -the run North in three days to a certainty. The Key West run seemed to -be the best one, but there were certain other considerations which had -to be thought of. - -"How about Key West?" asked Smart. "Do you think we could run in after -that fracas at Journegan's bar? Won't the police want us pretty bad if -they think they can shake us down for a thousand dollars?" - -"I shuah think dey will dat," assented the mate, "if dey think we got -anything. Dey certainly trim de folks right smart down dere. I reckon -you're right, 'tain't no place fo' us wid a cargo of ca'tridges. I -reckon you're wise; I reckon we'd better be gittin' farther No'th." - -"There's the New York ship from Jacksonville--how's that?" asked Smart. -"We can make that run in two days with a good wind----" - -"Git de mainsail on her--Sam, Heldron--lay aft, yo fellers," said -Bahama Bill, springing to action. "We'll catch de Saturday ship, an' -git de stuff in town in plenty o' time--dat's de lay--Jacksonville--an' -dere's de smoke o' de _Key West_ comin' up de Hawk's Channel--see him?" -And he pointed to the southward. - -"I'll go ashore and get my clothes. They're at the Chinese laundry," -said Smart, jumping into the small boat. - -"Yo' want toe hurry up--we ain't got no time toe lose. Git my shirts, -too, cap. I dun left 'em with de Chink las' week--an' git a five-poun' -ham on de way back, we'll need a bit o' grub----" - -Smart was already rowing briskly toward the shore, where he landed and -made his way rapidly up the street. Wah Lee, the Chinaman who ran the -laundry, stood within his doorway and gazed with mild amazement at the -unwonted gait of the seaman. Fast walking was not the habit of the -Florida cracker, and to see a man sprint along at Smart's gait aroused -the suspicion that he was either making a "getaway" from some one or -something, or was bent upon most important business. - -"He allee samee good mans," said Wah Lee, to one of his numerous -brothers ironing a shirt. "Wachee mee skinee him--allee samee bunk. Him -sailor fell! Him gotee mon, mon, mon. Me con mans, allee samee bunk. -Ha! ha! You see." - -Smart stepped into the shanty with a brisk step. - -"Get the clothes up, John. Get 'em tied fast right away--all, Bahama -Bill's and mine both--hurry, you savvy? Hurry." And the sailor handed -over his slip. - -"You go to sea to-day?" asked the active Lee, scurrying around behind -his counter and trying to match the slip of paper with its strange -characters to one of the many bundles already tied fast with white -twine, and laid carefully upon the shelves along the walls. - -"Yes; sail in a minute--hurry up. Got to get to sea before the steamer -gets in----" - -"Ah! Allee same good--you take him. Two dolla' fiftee cent." - -"What! For just three shirts and two ducks? You are a robber." - -"Two dolla' fiftee cent, allee right--you pay him--no shirt, no pay -him," said the usurious Lee, lowering truculently at the skipper. One -of his brothers sniggered. - -When a Celestial sniggers at a white man it is bad. Especially if the -white man happens to be a sailor--and in a hurry. Just what makes the -Easterner an inferior is not quite definite, not quite clear to the -socialistic mind, but that he is inferior is generally conceded--among -white men. Among the Orientals there is a quite different opinion -based upon their point of view, which, when discussed from its ethical -standpoint, is not illogical or unreasonable. Sailors seldom are -analytical, seldom go into the reason of things; they are content to -accept them as they are, or as they appear to be. Therefore, Smart was -much wroth at the sniggering Chink, the more so because he knew he was -being cheated by Wah Lee in his wash bill. - -But Wah Lee was a hatchetman. He was a leader of the Hip Sing Tong, and -a very bad Chinese to fool with. He was in Florida only for his health, -not for gain; and the fact that gain came his way was incidental. He -took advantage of it. His little ratlike eyes glinted strangely as he -spoke his soft sing-song speech. - -"Two dolla' fiftee cent--no shirt, no pay--you savvy?" he drawled. - -"Come, come, John, be quick about it, and don't put up any -foolishness--I haven't time to play this morning," said Smart quickly. -"Get the clothes or I'll wade in and take charge of some of those on -the shelves." - -"You pay two dolla' fiftee cent--you no' pay right off you pay tlee -dolla' slixty cent," sang Mr. Wah Lee, his eyes still narrowing, and -his hands feeling softly in among his sleeves, where he kept his -weapons; "I no time to foolish mans." - -"You're on the 'bunk,' then," said Smart; "is that it?" - -"Two dolla' fiftee cent, or----" - -His answer was quickly given. Smart swung for his jaw, and landed -full upon the Oriental chin. Wah Lee went to the floor with a crash, -bringing down an ironing-board with him; the flat-irons, clothes, and -other gear rolling in a mess. He drew a huge, blue-barrelled gun from -his sleeve, and, while he lay supine, levelled it at the sailor. Smart -missed getting the shot by a hair, and managed to land a kick upon -Lee's pistol-arm before the furious Chink could fire, whereupon not -less than four powerful hatchetmen, trained athletes from the Orient, -sprang upon him at once. - -The seaman was dumfounded at the assault. A Chink was beneath -contempt, and to find oneself beset by several powerful Orientals, who -were more than his match, was simply heart-breaking, pride-destroying. -He swung right and left, furiously clinched, and the five of them -rolled with a surging smash against the counter, breaking it down -in a mass of splinters, sending clothes, boards, and other laundry -paraphernalia in all directions. - -One of the men let out a shrill yell, and the two not fighting sprang -to the doors and slammed them fast. It would not do to let the populace -of the town see the fracas. A Chinaman never advertises the fact that -he is a fighter, and is never glad to have it found out, especially -among Americans. Besides, had not the foreign pig struck down their -leader, the most high Wah Lee, and had not the august Lee essayed to -kill the pig--was he not doomed? - -Yet none of them wished to act as executioner without direct and -explicit orders from the chief. This was a poor country to kill a man -in, his friends always made such a fuss; and the police with clubs -always made it bad, impossible to hide for a very long time. A rope and -a neighbouring tree were the usual finishing touches if they failed to -find the lost one. - -Smart fought with a fury born of broken pride, lost self-esteem. He was -degraded, lowered to the level of common Chinks, and he gave short-arm -jolts with amazing lifting power begotten of many years' hard hauling -upon lines. - -With both hands and feet he strove wildly to free himself from the -tangle of baggy sleeves, cotton trousers, and yellow arms. The mass of -struggling men rolled and surged over the floor. Smart raised himself -again and again to his knees, striking, punching, clinching, using -elbows, feet, and knees; and the tide of struggling forms flowed across -the room, demolishing everything in its path. - -Wah Lee tried in vain to use his gun, and a fellow ruffian tried to -strike with the deadly little hatchet used for such occasions, but ever -and again the pile of struggling arms, legs, and bodies prevented. -The noise of the struggle was drowned in the shrill curses of the -contestants, while the sailor fought silently like a bulldog, gripping, -smashing, kicking, and flinging the mass about in the vain hope to -throw them off enough to get in a full arm-stroke from his fists. If -he could but strike a full swing once or twice he felt sure of the -outcome, for a Chinaman will seldom stand to a full-arm stroke upon the -jaw. - -Wah Lee, seeing that to shoot was to endanger his men, dropped his gun -into his cash-drawer, and fell foul of the bunch to try to do his share -in overcoming the foreign pig. His remaining followers seeing him, -flung themselves into the pile, and the mass of men was increased. - -Smart began to feel the extra weight of numbers. He was growing -tired, and, in spite of his excellent wind, was panting hoarsely, his -breathing hampered considerably by gripping fingers he was forced to -tear time and again from his throat. He raised himself to his knee -for the last giant effort. His heart was breaking. He smashed wildly, -furiously; plunged, bucked, threw himself about, twisting, turning, -striving with the last remnant of his dying strength. Then he gradually -gave way, growing weaker, fighting slower, sinking gradually down, -while the pile of men fastened their grips upon him for the finish. In -a few moments he was lying limp, and the panting Celestials rose, one -after the other, to their feet, while Wah Lee passed a line about the -sailor's arms and legs, making him secure. - -It had been a most excellent affair; a most magnificent affray worthy -of a sailor striving for his rights; and Wah Lee gazed with narrowing -eye at the form while he panted out his losses to the surrounding -brothers of his Tong. The entire front of the laundry was swept bare, -the ironing-boards smashed, the clothes in masses of rags; bundles and -papers rolled and mixed in confusion. Flat-irons, holders, chairs, -and shelves arranged themselves in piles as though an earthquake had -swept through the place; and, while Lee looked sadly at the wreck, he -murmured: "Two dolla' fiftee cent." - -It had been a bad business for the Chinaman. He had made another -mistake, but he would wreak his vengeance at will now upon the helpless -Smart. Hot irons, melted lead, and quicklime were some of the items -running through his furious mind, and just when and how he would use -them upon his victim. He would have to wait to see if the white pig -had many friends, who might make a thorough search, but sailors, as a -rule, had no friends at all; they were soon forgotten--then he would go -to work. - -In the meantime he would place the seaman where the mosquitoes would -not trouble him, after first relieving him of any unnecessary valuables -he might have upon his despicable person. - -Into a filthy den he carried the now insensible Smart, casting him into -a foul bunk, which had been used by a smoker of the drug common to the -Chinese coolie, and carefully covering him, so that no one would notice -the form even should the retreat be discovered. Then he set about with -his helpers to straighten up the shop. - - -PART II - -During the period of time Smart spent in serious argument with the -august Lee, Bahama Bill fretted and fumed about the deck of the -wrecking-sloop, _Sea-Horse_. Sam and Heldron both came in for a -dressing, and both narrowly escaped getting a morning bath, for the -big black mate was in a passion at the delay. The steamer from Key -West came to the dock, and a form--the unmistakable form of "Fightin' -Jule"--stepped ashore, and moved with no uncertain stride in the -direction of the _Sea-Horse_. - -Bahama Bill grunted forth anathemas, and sprang into the small boat to -gain the wharf before his spouse could intercept him. He felt there -might be something doing. When he arrived at the landing he looked up, -and gazed right into the eyes of his partner. - -"Huccum yo' toe git heah, Jule?" asked Bahama Bill. - -"I come wid de boat, shuah, nigger. How yo' think I come--swim? I come -toe see just what yo' doin'; why yo' don't come home. I knows yo', -Bill, yo' been runnin' wid some trashy nigger gal up heah----" - -"It ain't so, Jule----" - -"Don't yo' contradict me, nigger. I _knows_ you. You ain't sent me all -dat money fer nothin'; yo' ain't done it fo' no reason 'cept toe try -toe make me think yo' keers fo' me. Don't yo' make me mad." - -"But, Jule, I got ter git toe sea right away. I ain't done nothin' -but gib up de dough fast as I makes it. Got a cargo ob ca'tridges now -abo'd, an' got toe git dem No'th right away. I jest come heah toe see -you an' git de partner I got in de deal. I sho' nuff glad toe see yo', -Jule." - -"Don' yo' gib me none o' yo' foolishness, Bill. I knows yo'. I tells -yo' I _knows_ yo', an' I'll set right heah tel yo' gits de partner an' -gits ready toe go abo'd dat sloop--I wants to see de kind o' partner -yo' has. Don' talk toe me. Ef I wasn't a lady, I'd knock yo' blame' -haid off. Gwan!" - -Bahama Bill was much disturbed, and he went up the street in no -pleasant frame of mind. His wife he knew would stay right in sight of -the sloop until the sloop sailed, and the indications were she'd want -to go along with him. It was very disturbing to a man of the mate's -temperament. He went along as a man much occupied with his thoughts, -and looked neither to the right nor left until he reached the main -street. Here he met a sailor from a yacht lying in the harbour, and he -asked him if he had seen anything of Smart. - -"Yo' knows a yacht feller when yo' see him, I reckon; have yo' seen dat -Cap'n Smart?" he said. - -"I saw your captain going toward the laundry about an hour ago," said -the sailor. - -Bahama Bill went into a saloon and took a drink. Where could Smart -have gone, except on a drunk, after going to the laundry. He eyed the -barkeeper sourly, and asked him if he had seen his sailor partner. - -"Sure," said the man of drinks, handing out a square-faced bottle and a -glass. "He stopped over across the way to the Chink's--heard something -of a fracas going on over in that direction--shouldn't wonder if he -beat up the heathen, only that Wah Lee is a corker; a sure winner for a -yaller skin." - -"What yo' mean?" asked Bill. - -"I means that the Chink is a scrapper--kin do 'em up; carries a Gatling -gun in his sleeve. He's only here for a few months in the winter. -Belongs to the Hip Sing Tong, or some secret society in New York. He's -something like Fat Duck, or Bill Puck, or some sech Chink I reads of in -th' papers what does up whole theatres full o' them yaller bellies." - -"Gimme another drink," said Bahama Bill, meditatively gazing into his -empty glass. "It ain't likely Cap'n Smart stayed wid no Chinks, but I -goes over dere an' takes a peek, jest fer luck, sah. I shuah ain't got -nothing agin' no Chink, but I reckon I makes de yaller boy tell what he -knows." And as he finished the gin, he put the glass down carefully and -strode forth. - -He walked to the door of the laundry, and looked in where the men were -now hard at work again ironing, their outfit temporarily repaired, and -business going ahead as usual. - -Bill looked at the place for a moment, and his trained eye saw marks of -combat still upon the walls and shelves, which showed in spite of the -new arrangements made. - -"Seen a friend ob mine, a sailor man?" asked the mate, peering into the -door. - -"No see no ones--heap workee, velly busy," replied Wah Lee. - -Bahama Bill entered and stuck forth his big, ugly head right close to -the Chinaman's. - -"You tell me where Cap'n Smart went after cleaning yo' place up, yo' -heah?" he said menacingly. - -The memory of the fracas was heavy upon Wah Lee. He backed away and -drew his big, blue-barrelled gun. - -"You getee 'way velly quick--see?" he said fiercely. - -Bahama Bill reached over like lightning and grasped a Chinaman by the -slack of his pigtail, jerking him in front of himself, and seizing -him with his left hand, to keep him in place. An iron lay handy, and -instantly it was sailing straight for the head of the belligerent Lee. - -It caught him full in the neck, propelled with the power of the giant -mate's arm, and the Chinaman spun clear across the room, landing limp -and insensible. - -The big gun failed to explode, and went clattering upon the floor. -Instantly Bill sprang for it, and seized its barrel just as a powerful -heathen grabbed it by the stock. The mate wrenched it free with a quick -jerk, and struck the fellow twice upon the top of his shaved head. -Then the whole crowd piled upon him, swarmed up against him, grasping, -clinging, gripping for his throat, while a hatchetman made a pass with -his weapon, which reached the black man's skull. - -Bahama Bill was tough and hard, his head was thick of bone, and, -although the hatchet struck him hard enough to kill an ordinary man, -the blade glanced off, and cut only a big gash in his scalp. The stars -danced before his eyes, and he staggered for an instant, and in that -instant the whole gang closed upon him. Then the realization of his -predicament dawned upon him, and he let forth a mighty yell, tore loose -from the strangling holds upon his neck, and then smashed right into -the crowd with the fury of a wounded tiger, the blood from his head -pouring over him. - -There was a wild mixture of huge black arms, flying forms of pajamaed -Chinamen going through the air, and with yell after yell he grabbed and -smashed the first that came in his path, tearing up the whole place -with the struggle. - -He seized an ironing-board and swung it about his head, yelling -hoarsely. Then he struck right and left with it, knocking Chinese, -gear, and clothes indiscriminately about the room, until there was not -the slightest movement to denote life anywhere but in his own mighty -frame. - -Upon the floor the forms lay about--smashed, stunned, insensible. Then -his fury abating, he stopped for a moment to gaze through the haze of -blood and dust of conflict. He grinned hideously at the sight, his -wound making him grotesquely horrible. Then he was suddenly taken with -an idea. - -He grasped the cue of a Chink and drew it across the room to that -of another, making them fast with a bend. Then he dragged the rest, -the whole six, and fastened them to Wah Lee's cue. It made a pile of -Chinese aggregating about a thousand pounds in dead weight; and he -scanned the mass to contemplate. As he stopped, he was aware of a -sound in the partition. He listened for a moment, and thought he heard -his name called in a low voice--a voice which sounded far away and -indistinct. He roared out a reply, and listened again. Yes, it was the -voice of Captain Smart. - -The captain was begging him to hurry and get him out of somewhere, and -the mate roared out in reply: - -"Where is yo'? Where is yo'? How I get thar?" And he ran along the -partition, trying to discover a door or other opening. Nothing showed, -and, losing patience, he caught up an iron and began smashing the -planks. In a few minutes he had broken through into a dark recess, into -which he crawled without delay. Something smote him heavily upon the -head, and he fell sprawling, lying helpless and half-insensible, while -a shrill voice cried out in defiance. - - * * * * * - -Bahama Bill lay dazed and dizzy for a long time; probably ten minutes. -Then he was aware of Smart's voice cursing furiously and calling for -help. The huge mate slowly gathered himself, managed to rise to his -knees, and, as he did so, the light which now shone through the gap in -the partition showed him a slight girl standing over him with an axe. -She had evidently struck him as he came through the bulkhead, and only -her youth and frailness had prevented the blow from finishing him. He -now saw she was about to repeat the operation, and he quickly snatched -the weapon from her, and drew her to him. - -"What fo' yo' hit me?" he asked, angrily. - -"You velly bad mans--go away!" screamed the child. - -Bill searched the surrounding gloom with a quick, comprehensive glance, -and noticed a form lying in a bunk covered with a cloth. He made his -way to it, and uncovered the prostrate form of Smart, securely bound, -but not securely gagged. The sailor could only use his tongue, but he -did use that member to its fullest extent, while he told quickly of the -way he had run up against Wah Lee. Then the sight of Bahama Bill's head -caught his gaze, and he made a wry face. The giant mate was like a -black fury with his marks of combat upon him. - -"This child is a wife of that rascal," said Smart, explaining the -little girl's presence in such a place. "She's about twelve years old, -and his property--his slave, I suppose you would call it. He keeps her -in here, where no one can ever see her, and she thought you were some -fellow going to harm her when she struck you with the axe. I tried -to tell you as you came through, but couldn't make you hear--that's -better, now cut loose my feet." And the mate passed his knife through -the cords, setting him free. - -"I sho' feel some ashamed toe think yo' dun up by dese Chinks," said -Bill, as Smart rose from the filthy bunk. "Yo' ain't much hurt?" - -"Not hurt at all--not like you," said Smart impatiently. - -"Dat clip was jest accident--shuah, shuah. Dey ain't hurt me none toe -speak of--only a little blood. But dat kid gal cum near killin' me wid -dat axe. I ain't quite through yet. Come along into the room where dey -lays." - -They took the child with them, and crawled through the bulkhead. One of -the wounded men upon the floor had recovered his senses, and was busily -at work trying to loosen his cue as Bahama Bill stepped up. A jolt with -his foot stopped operations for the time, and Smart stood contemplating -the victory. - -"What'll we do about it?" asked the yachtsman. - -"Do? I jest reckon we'll take de whole bunch abo'd de ship. We'll need -some extra hands toe make de passage quick. We got toe git a move on, -fo' we got the git dat stuff up toe catch de steamer at Jacksonville. -Dere's a cyart right in dat co'ner, sah. Help me pile 'em in." - -Smart, still furious from the treatment he had received, lent a willing -hand, and in a few minutes they had the whole bunch of Celestials -dumped in the cart and made secure. - -"What'll we do wif dat little gal?" asked Bill, eying the child. "She -ain't all Chink, by de looks; reckon she's a half-breed." - -"We'll have to take her with us," said Smart, and so they started out -of the shop, pushing the cart with the Chinese before them; and they -attracted no attention for some minutes, for the affrays had been -little noticed, as there had been no gun-fire. - -"Hold on, let's get the clothes," said Smart, running back into the -doorway and grabbing what bundles he could reach handily, and which had -still been left intact from the whirlwind passage of the giant mate. He -tossed them into the cart, and they went rapidly down to the dock. - -Some small boys and one or two loafers followed, wishing to see the -fun, but no one molested them or inquired their purpose. They reached -the water-side without mishap. Fighting Jule was sitting there waiting -for her lord to show up, and she was in anything but a sweet humour. -The sight of the little Chinese girl made her alter her purpose to -assault her huge partner, and she inquired briskly into details. - -"Yo' take de kid an' keep her till we git de crew abo'd," said Bill, -with the first approach at gentleness in his voice. - -Jule took the child. She was motherly, matronly, and affectionate, -though a fighter. Her own progeny were safe at Key West, and this -little yellow girl, this Chinese, appealed to her curiosity and -motherhood alike. She gathered her in her arms and looked her over in -wonder, while the men lowered their victims into the small boat. - -"Huccum yo' toe be wif dem Chinks--is yo' de little pickaninny ob dat -Wah Lee man?" she asked. - -"Me Wah Lee's wife," said the child, crying. - -"Yo' stop tellin' me lies, lil' gal; yo' ain't nothin' but a baby." - -"Me Wah Lee's wife. He bought me last moon. Velly bad mans takee Wah -Lee away; velly bad mans takee me." The child spoke remarkably well for -a Chinese. - -A crowd of loafers had now been attracted by the unusual proceedings, -and, in spite of the apathy of the Florida cracker, they managed to -excite some wonder as to what the men of the _Sea-Horse_ were about. -In less time than it takes to tell it, Bahama Bill and Smart had the -Mongolians aboard, where Sam and Heldron were instructed to look after -them, and see that they went to work as soon as they were recovered -sufficiently to do duty. - -"Ef yo' boys don't want toe work dis trip, yo' kin make de Chinks work -fo' yo'. Dey owes us a bit ob work. Break out dat hook an' git dat jib -on her." - -In less than five minutes the _Sea-Horse_ was standing down the channel -out to sea, Sam and Heldron lost in amazement at the turn of affairs. -Some of the loafers on the dock shouted out something, but they made no -reply, and in a few minutes were beyond hailing. - -"De boat leaves fo' home at six--I reckon you'll hab toe cum wif me," -said Jule, leading the little girl away and gazing angrily after the -_Sea-Horse_. "Ef I wasn't a lady I'd shuah knock dat coon in de haid," -she added. "I dun paid er dollar an' a half fo' toe git heah, an' now I -got toe go home--cum." - - * * * * * - -"I reckon I'll change mah clothes en clean up er bit," said the mate, -after they rounded the point and stood away northward. - -"So will I," said Smart. "Better open up the clothes I brought and get -some clean ones." - -Several of the shanghaied men were now able to get about, and Sam took -them in charge. Wah Lee gazed about him dizzily, but made no comment. -Heldron had passed his knife through his cue, cutting it off close to -his head, in order to loose him from the bunch. He looked angrily at -the sailor, and felt his strange-looking pate with a rueful hand. - -"You heap sabbee work," said Sam. "Git busy, you dam' Chink." And -he helped the truculent Tong leader to his feet with the toe of his -sea-boot. - -The fight was pretty well worked out of Wah Lee, for he obeyed as best -he could, glancing with narrowing, wicked eyes at the sailor. Lines -were coiled up at the direction of the two men, and in less than half -an hour Sam and Heldron were lying at ease, hurling directions at the -bunch of Celestials, who endeavoured to obey orders. - -Bahama Bill washed his wounded head, which ached sorely. Then he sought -clean clothes from the bundles brought from the laundry. By some chance -Smart had gotten hold of nothing save female apparel, but one bundle -happened to contain several pairs of pajamas; and, as the weather was -quite warm, he donned a suit and came on deck. Bahama Bill had no -recourse but to do likewise. He jammed his huge limbs into a pair of -the loose trousers, which came to his knees. This appeared not so bad, -for he was used to going barefooted. The loose coat covered him, the -sleeves reaching to his elbows; and thus attired he, also, came on deck -to take a look around. - -The recalcitrant Wah Lee looked lugubriously at the black mate. - -"Where you takee me?" he asked. "Where you go?" - -"Toe China, toe de land ob Chinks," said Bahama Bill lugubriously, -scowling at his former adversary. "Git out de shears, Sam; an' yo', -Heldron, git out de line toe make de Chinks fast." - -"What for you do?" asked Wah Lee. - -"Me showee you, me showee you," snarled Bahama Bill. "Is yo' good -barber, cap'n?" - -"I reckon I can cut the hair fairly well," assented Smart. - -"De razzer ob mine is in de locker, toe de right," suggested Bill. - -Wah Lee was quickly tied fast and his hair cut close. Then a lather was -made, and before many minutes his head was shaved as clean as a fairly -good razor could shave it. - -"Next!" called Bahama Bill, in the tone of a barber. - -All went through the same operation, two of the pigtails being kept as -souvenirs of the occasion. The débris was thrown overboard. - -"Now yo' Chinks git out de soap an' de water--show 'em where dey -is kept, Heldron--an' I wants toe see dishear ship washed fo' an' -aft--see? Heap sabbee? I wants toe see dishear ship come inter -Jacksonville lookin' like a yacht; lookin' like she was something toe -be proud ob. Git toe work." - -The wind held fair, and for two days the _Sea-Horse_ ran up the coast, -making six or seven knots, raising the jetty off the bar the third -day out. The sloop had been scrubbed alow and aloft, her decks rubbed -white, her spare sails even scrubbed clean, and she looked good to a -nautical eye as she rounded the sea-buoy and stood up the St. John's -River for town. - -The inhabitants of Mayport and Pilotown were treated to the novel -sight of a heavily built sloop manned by a crew large enough for -a four-master, the officers uniformed in bright-coloured pajamas, -which fitted not at all, and the larger part of the hands distinctly -Mongolian. The customs officer stopped her and boarded her without -delay. - -"Where do you come from--China?" asked the official, in amazement. - -"Yo' surely ain't forgot de ole _Sea-Horse_, Marse Hennery," said -Bahama Bill, coming on deck and recognizing an old acquaintance in -the boarding officer. "We got a consignment ob ca'tridges--American -ammunition--here's de papers, an' de crew we shipped in a hurry, -without gittin' time toe sign 'em on in regular shape; but dey is all -right; dey belongs right in dishear State." - -As it is not necessary to sign on hands in small vessels coasting -unless there is especial reason for it, the officer left without -further remark, and the _Sea-Horse_ proceeded on her way. - -The steamer for New York was at the dock, and would not sail until -after dark. There was plenty of time to make the consignment and get -the bill of sale through. The unruly crew were kept at work hoisting -out cases of ammunition until all was aboard the steamer. Then the -ship was washed down and gear put in place, and the _Sea-Horse_ looked -almost like a pleasure craft. - -"I will give you a thousand dollars for her," said a shipper who had -been attracted by the strange uniforms and crew. - -"Make it fifteen hundred," said Bahama Bill. - -"She will never be in better condition to sell," cautioned Smart, who -felt as though losing an old friend. - -They finally compromised on twelve hundred, and, as Captain Sanders -showed up before dark, dead broke and very thirsty, he was more than -willing to get cash for his share. The deal was made, the money paid, -and the Celestial crew were at last allowed to go ashore. - -Wah Lee made for the depot with his followers. He had no thought for -seeking redress by the aid of the authorities, for, with the Tong men, -the foreign pigs are always dealt with personally. There were plenty of -Chinese who ran laundries in Jacksonville who could be levied upon to -produce the railroad fare to get him and his gang back to their place -of business. - -With new clothes and rigged out splendidly, all hands left the dock -long before darkness set in. Smart had a receipt for his share of the -salvaged ammunition, and the feeling that he had several thousand -dollars was not distasteful to him. His cruise on the wrecking-sloop -had been successful, and it was with a somewhat mixed feeling he said -good-bye to the big black mate. - -"Good-bye, cap," said Bahama Bill. "I shuah like yo', an' yo' shuah -done well wif me--good-bye. Mebbe we kin make a new deal some day. -Dere's plenty ob money wracking, ef yo' know how toe wrack right. -Mebbe Sanders an' us kin go inter de business right, and git a bigger -ship. Let me heah from yo'." - -"I certainly will," said Smart. "Good-bye." And the giant fingers of -the mate of the _Sea-Horse_ closed upon his own with their firm, solid -grip. - -Late that night a sheriff came rapidly down the dock to where the -steamer was just pulling out. - -"Seen anything of the sloop _Sea-Horse_?" he asked several bystanders. - -"Thar she lays--right at the dock," said the watchman of the wharf. - -"Ah!" He smiled grimly. - -"You want the crew?" asked the watchman. - -"I certainly do that," said the sheriff. "There's a bit of a charge of -kidnapping against the mate and captain. Ran off with a whole lot of -Chinks from below. They are aboard, I suppose?" - -"That sloop was sold out hours ago, the crew gone, and the whole thing -settled before five o'clock. It ain't likely you'll come up with the -men you're after in this town. No, sir, they don't belong here--good -night." And the watchman grinned as the sheriff, after gazing down at -the deserted vessel, sadly went his way. - -At the station Bahama Bill looked up to the window where Smart sat in -the train. He felt the parting with the keenness often developed in the -African character, and he was loath to leave until the train pulled -out. - -"Good-bye ag'in, cap; good-bye," he called up to him as the train -gathered headway slowly. - -Sanders stood near, and, not knowing the friendship between the two, -was a little disconcerted at the mate's warmth. - -"Come on, we take the train going the other way, Bill," he said, as the -mate waved his hand. - -"Shuah, shuah. Good-bye, cap----He was all right, Sanders; dat yacht -feller was all toe de good. I ain't got but one t'ing agin' him." - -"What's that?" asked Captain Sanders. - -"Well--er--er, well, I cayn't hab de highest regyard fo' his--well, -sah, I don't know jest how toe say it, but he sho' never ought toe been -dun up by dem Chinks--dat's all." - -He put his hand into his pocket and drew forth two handsomely braided -queues. - -"Yo' see dese heah? Well, I'se gwine toe make a nice dog-whip ob dem -fo' mah little boy Will toe play wif." And he stroked their satin -length approvingly as he boarded the cars for home. - - - - -XIV - -The Edge of the Roncador - - -"The Canal needs men to dig," said Booker, the head of the firm of -shippers at Kingston, "it's up to us to get 'em and it's up to you to -take 'em to Colon--" - -"But I'm not running a slaver, I'm a merchantman, by George, an' you -can go to--" - -"Hold on, Captain James," broke in the man of affairs, "if you can't -run the _Enos_, a little five hundred ton steamer the way she should be -run, it'll be about time for me to look for another skipper." - -"But, Mr. Booker, she's as rotten as punk--there ain't a plate in her -thicker'n a sheet of blotting paper, an' blame little stronger. She -really ain't fit to run passengers even if you bribe the inspectors to -let us. I ain't kickin' about the way you've treated me, it ain't that -at all, but to ram that ship full o' niggers and send her out is mighty -nigh murder, an', that's a fact." - -Captain James was a shifty, fat and altogether sodden specimen of the -tropical white islander. He had lost a fine vessel, and being unable -to get another had drifted about the West Indies handling whatever -he could command. Booker, Benson & Co. had found use for him in one -of their old ships which had seen her best days running bananas to -New Orleans. She had made money, paid for herself ten times over, and -now she was just able to stagger along with leaky boilers and scaled -plates to the tune of seven knots, heading, as James always thought, -for the port of missing ships. Each voyage seemed to be her last, but -she somehow drifted in to her port of destination with pumps working -and crew mutinous, to discharge and stagger home again. James could not -afford to give her up. To do so would have meant ruin for him, and as -long as her owners paid him his seventy-five dollars per month--enough -to pay for his rum and clothes--he stuck to her with the sullenness -of a hungry bulldog gripping a dry bone. How he hated her. He cursed -her daily, he swore at her free and fluently whenever she dipped her -dull gray sides into the beautiful blue water of the Caribbean at each -roll, and when he brought her to her dock, which he did with much care -and concern, his exclamations at her perverseness to minding the helm -were marvels of linguistic art. His mate, a tall, thin, saturnine -Scotchman with bleary eyes from rum and cola, would sometimes deign -to look at him with a languid interest during these moments of loud -speech, and once--only once--he had allowed himself to be so absorbed -in contemplating his master, that he forgot to cast the bowline from -the drum of the donkey engine which was winding it in, and by so doing -pulled and tore out an iron cleat upon the dock end. Then pandemonium -had reigned and the silent mate soon retired to the privacy of his room -to still his quaking conscience and steady his shaking nerves with -potations of his favourite beverage, rum and cola. - -"You will proceed to Boddertown, and then to Georgetown in the Great -Cayman, and after seeing Jones there, who will see to clearing you all -right, you will run the crowd to Colon, do you understand," said Mr. -Booker to his ship-master. - -"How many will there be?" asked James sullenly, after finding that his -argument was of no avail. - -"As many as she will carry--how many do you say, five hundred?" - -"Good Lord, Mr. Booker--what? Five hundred niggers in that bit of a -ship? Man, think a little." - -"She has her ventilators--has both holds well-ventilated, a fruiter -is as comfortable below as on deck, has as much ventilation with her -blowers as a liner--" - -"Make it three hundred at the limit," said James with more decision -than his employer had ever given him credit for. - -"Er--er, well, let it go at that, then. You'll attend to stowing 'em, -give 'em plenty of grub--it's only a couple of days with good weather, -and they can stand on deck for that time." - -"All right, then," said the sailor with a sigh. He was not a bad man, -only weakened by misfortune. Had he lived a little differently, had -better luck and governed his thirst, he would have compared favourably -with many of the best skippers in the West India trade. He arose, -clapped on his grass hat and mopped his red face, squared his fat -shoulders under his dirty white linen coat, and strode forth into the -glaring sunshine. He went down the street, stopped at a saloon, took -several drinks, and after that went aboard, rousing the chief engineer -and ordering steam for five o'clock that afternoon. - -"We will get to sea before dark," said he to the mate Mr. McDuff. -"Don't get too drunk, we've got a big job--I'll tell you later." - -A week later the _Enos_ was steaming over the calm and beautiful -Caribbean. The sky was a tropical blue dotted with the lumpy trade -clouds, and the sea was that beautiful tint only seen during perfect -weather. She was running along smoothly down past the Quita-suena Bank, -between it and the Serrano Cays, and so far all had gone well. Jones -had proved an agent worthy of Mr. Booker's best expectations. He had -managed to get together three hundred and ten strapping fellows who -were destined to dig for the good of maritime commerce, and he had held -out inducements which, while models of veracity, were also works of -art. He had made even the most sordid details of life upon the Isthmus -appear in the garb of most attractive romance, and money--why, money -was the thing the Canal cared less for than anything in the world. -Three hundred and ten men were destined to be rich in this world's -goods. He had convinced even the most skeptical of this, and the only -thing that kept the rest of the population upon the Cayman was the size -of the _Enos_. He wished to ship five hundred, but James was sturdy -enough to stop him. Under the influence of six copious drinks of rum -and cola, he had managed to put up a determined opposition. He finally -threatened to go ashore and get very drunk if another man was sent him, -and Jones knowing him to be quite capable of keeping his word in this -respect, desisted at three hundred and ten. - -"You fat sea-scutt, I'd fry the grease out o' you if I could get -another man to take the ship," said Jones in a fury. "I get a dollar -a head for those niggers, an' you've done me to the tune of two -hundred--but you can bet I won't forget you, you lobster, you blamed -fat lobster--" - -Captain James contented himself with calling the agent every name he -could remember that carried disgrace or disrespect along with it, and -after that stood upon the bridge storming and fuming, every now and -then bursting forth when some new and especially choice adjective -happened to reach his memory. - -By the time the _Enos_ reached the vicinity of Quita-suena Bank, the -skipper had cooled both mentally and physically, the evaporation of the -rum with which he supplied himself producing a revivifying effect only -to be appreciated by one who is addicted to rum and cola. His wrath had -subsided until he scarcely mumbled his disdain for the energetic Jones, -and his face, always red and swollen from both the fierce sunshine and -his diet, now took on a more natural hue. - -"Let her go well to the westward of the Roncador," said he to McDuff as -the mate came on the bridge that evening. "The current is very strong, -and I ain't quite certain of the rate of our chronometer. Got a jolt -last voyage and seems to be going wrong ever since. Get your lights -burning brightly to-night--there'll be some ships passing and there's -no use saving five cents' worth of oil for that buzzard, Booker--and -tell the chief to hustle her along, toss in the coals, and if the -second is drunk, turn the hose on him, for we'll have to drive her -through. The niggers will have to go below at eight bells; can't have -'em lying about the deck all night getting in the way. It's cool enough -with the blowers on--keep 'em turned to the wind, that's your business. -South five east by Standard, and that'll be about south two by the -binnacle--keep your eye peeled. That's all." - -Captain James retired to his room while the _Enos_ rolled slowly down -the Caribbean, dipping her gray sides alternately into the smooth sea -which rolled lazily. The gathering darkness still showed the forms of -many big coloured men lying upon the now silent deck, but when eight -bells struck off they were told to go below, and after that the deck -was deserted save by the men of the watch. - -Below in the 'tween-decks, where the banana racks had been removed, the -islanders were grouped in hot and uncomfortable groups. The blowers -made ventilation sufficient, but the air was warm and the odour from -three hundred hot bodies made it far from pleasant. The bo'sn who had -herded the crowd below stood near the hatchway in conversation with a -huge islander. - -"Yes, I know it's yo' orders, but I don't see why the captain makes us -stay below. I am a sailor man, sare, and I will not be in the way if -yo' let me go on deck for the night," said the negro. - -"I ain't got nothin' to do with it," answered the bo'sn, "my orders is -you stay here below--an' here you stays." - -"But if I give you my word as a sailor man to help on deck, don' yo' -think yo' can allow me?" persisted the giant good-naturedly. "Look at -me, sare, I very warm." And he showed his bare chest running water. - -"Aw, you niggers ain't satisfied wid anything," said the bo'sn -impatiently. "You'll get to a hotter place 'n this before you -leave Panama. Get your crowd to sleep, fer I'm goin' to fasten the -hatch--there's water a-plenty in them barrels, you kin drink all you -want, an' if you get short holler for the second to start the donkey -an' pump some more in." - -"Very well, I reckon I must do as yo' say," and the giant negro -settled himself among his followers, who gradually made the best of -circumstances and went to sleep. - -Midnight found the _Enos_ ploughing along over the smooth swell, a -bright moon shining upon the sea and making it almost as light as day. -McDuff on the bridge walked to and fro trying to keep awake, while -the hiss and tinkle of the side-wash was the only sound that broke -the stillness. The slight vibrations from the worn-out engines barely -reached the forward part of the ship, and only the low noise of the -foam told of the ship's headway. She might almost have been at anchor, -rolling slowly from side to side as she took the long easy swell upon -her beam. The chief mate was warm and dry. He had been without liquid -refreshment for nearly four hours, and he saw a long vista ahead of -him into which the nose of the old ship pointed. He speculated a few -moments. He might go below for a drink, for there was nothing in sight, -and although it was against even the orders of James to drink while on -duty, there was no reason to suppose any one would be the wiser should -he do so. He went down the steps from the bridge and entered his room, -pouring forth from a bottle a good, nifty drink, and fizzing it well up -with the sparkling cola--ah, was there ever such refreshment anywhere -else in the world--what was that? Hark,--a jolt ran through the ship, -a slight jar, causing her to tremble. It seemed to McDuff as if the -engines stopped for a few moments--but no, they were going again, for -he could feel the vibration. He hurried on deck. - -When he reached the bridge he looked about the horizon, and for a few -minutes saw nothing save the dim line where the night met the sea. Then -he gradually took in an outline close aboard to port. It was white, -and while he gazed he heard the low snore of the surf of the Roncador. -Almost instantly the chief engineer called up from below through the -tube. - -"What's wrong?" he asked. "Seemed to hit something an' knock the engine -out a bit, but she's goin' all right now--if there's anything wrong -let's have it." - -"Nothin' the matter I know of--port, hard a port," he whispered to -the man at the wheel--"nothing wrong here," he went on to the chief, -speaking through the tube. "If the engine is all right let her go, -ram the coal into her and wake her up." Then to the man at the -wheel--"Steady, steady as she goes--how does she head now?" - -"Sout' b' west, half west, sur," said the sleepy helmsman. - -Five minutes later the chief called up the tube. - -"Water comin' in by the jump--must have hit something--started both -pumps, but she'll be over the fire-room floor in ten minutes--for God's -sake tell me what has happened." - -McDuff stood petrified, irresolute. Then he drew a deep breath and -looked out over the sea and the ship. All was quiet, there was no sign -of panic or trouble below. Gazing aft he saw the two small boats in -their chocks with their canvas covers, and while he looked he knew it -would be but a few moments before the struggle to take possession of -them would begin. Three hundred and thirty men, or all hands, including -the extra messmen, would have to take to the boats, which would hold -at the most but forty of them. Nearly three hundred were doomed. Before -dawn they would be in the sea unless he ran the _Enos_ upon the bank. -But he could not do this without calling the captain. It was his ship, -or rather his command, and he knew his duty. He went quickly to the -master's room. - -"What, hit the Roncador? How the--" but James was enough of a seaman -to spring on deck without wasting words. He was a bit groggy, but the -sight of the quiet ship steadied him. There was nothing to fear just -yet. He rang off the engines and the dull boom of the gong sounded -strangely loud through the quiet night, reverberating through the hull -and making those awake curious. - -"For God's sake don't waste any time. Call the chief and second from -below--let 'em keep the pumps going, but we must get those small boats -over and away before the niggers get wind of what is happening. Lord, -if they knew we'd be goners--quick, get the watch quietly and lower -away." - -"But ain't we going to run her ashore, sir?" asked McDuff. - -"Lord, yes, we'll start her fair for the surf, but we must get away if -we want to live. She won't hold together half an hour, an' we'll be a -good mile from solid land--man, man, hurry for your life--those niggers -will take charge of everything--hurry--" - -McDuff needed little urging. He called the watch quietly while the -captain spoke down the tube to the chief, telling him to get his crowd -up as quickly as he could. In less than two minutes men were working -like mad in the moonlight. Straps were cut and lashings cut, while -the low fierce oaths and half-whispered threats of the frantic men -told of their furious haste. The selfish brute was in supreme control, -and it showed in each strained face and trembling hand. The fire-crew -came tumbling from below, cursing each other as they came out of the -hatches, some vowing to take the lives of those who obstructed their -path, all panting, gasping, rushing about with the wild panic of men -who are suddenly forced to face their end. James swore fiercely at them -and struck right and left with a belaying-pin, threatening, begging -them not to alarm the cargo. It was their only chance. - -The boats dropped noiselessly over the side, the men sliding down the -tackles, clambering down along the lines, all getting into them as -quickly as possible. The half-naked fire-crew with their bare bodies -shoved and pushed for places, and if there had been even a little sea -on they would have swamped the small craft. - -James had run to the bridge intending to point the vessel for the edge -of the reef. He ran the wheel over, but at that moment the second -engineer, who had been told to start the ship ahead, not understanding, -or caring for the cargo, shut off steam and climbed over the side into -the boat below him. There was nothing for the captain to do but go -or be left behind, and he hesitated not an instant, but followed the -second over the side just as the men were pushing off. They rowed -rapidly away from the horrible vicinity, heading due west. Few cared -even to look back at what they felt must become a scene of slaughter, -and only now and then did some conscience-smitten seaman fix his eyes -upon the hull which now rolled silently upon the sea. - -By daylight the boat in charge of McDuff sighted the liner bound for -Colon, and in a few moments their hail was answered. Signals were -made and within an hour the entire outfit was aboard the big ship and -heading for their port of destination. - -It was a terrible tale the men told, a tale of a foundering ship which -had sprung a leak--how the crowd of negroes had fought for the boats -and how the crew, after desperate efforts, had driven them back. There -were many little deficiencies in the tales which their kind-hearted -rescuers essayed to fill, allowing that the stress and excitement had -made the imaginations of many quite acute. James landed the second day -afterwards and reported his vessel lost in mid-ocean, having suddenly -sprung a leak which all efforts failed to stop. She was somewhere in -the vicinity of the Roncador Bank. - -Two days later, while he was standing upon the clock at Colon waiting -for passage on the steamer to Kingston, he noticed a strange-looking -ship coming into the harbour. She was lying on one side until her deck -was awash and she was slowly steaming at the rate of about four knots -an hour. Deep she was in the water, so deep that her plimsoll mark -was several feet under, but she was working slowly in. Upon her decks -were a crowd of negroes. As the ship drew near he noticed a huge black -fellow upon the bridge who walked athwart-ships with a determined -stride. The ship was the _Enos_, there was no mistake about it, his -ship afloat and coming to dock, and the man who walked the bridge and -commanded her was the giant islander, the foreman of the working gang. - -"Yes, Ah'm a sailor man," said the good-natured giant an hour later, -after the tugs had gotten to work pumping the flooded bilge. "Ah'm a -sailor man, an' I brought the Captain James his vessel. I sho'd like to -know if he is still alive, fo' I've reason to think he must hab been -lost in de small boats--has yo' heard anything about him? Yo' kin tell -him Bahama Bill would like to see him!" - -"Yes, he's here all right," announced the inspector. - -"Well, I'd like to have a minute's talk with him, just a moment's -little talk," said the man gently in his musical voice. - -"I'll send for him at once," said the official, "but how did you save -the ship? He said she foundered." - -"Ah, yes, it was a small matter, a matter of a mattress and some -lines--we drew it over the side and under the bilge whar she hit the -edge of de Roncador--oh, yes, it soon stopped and wid the pumps we kep' -her goin', hundreds of us, sare, passin' the water over the side in -barrels and buckets,--yo' think I kin see de captain soon,--Ah'm very -anxious toe speak with him; I sho' is--yo' reckon I kin?" - -Before the ship was properly docked the steamer for Kingston had pulled -out, and upon her decks a crowd of men gazed at the strange vessel -which had just come in. Captain James and McDuff stood side by side -at the rail, and as the ship passed they noticed the giant black man -coming forth from the pilot-house of the _Enos_. He gazed at them long -and intently. - -"Come, it's all over with us," said McDuff sullenly, "let's go get a -drink." - -The islander stood long in the sunshine, shading his eyes with his -hand, until the steamer was a mere speck out at sea. - -"I sho'd like to hab spoken to Captain James," he said to an agent who -had come to see him about the men to work on the Canal. "Yes, I sho' -feel that he missed somethin'--My name is Bahama Bill." - -"Well, well, never mind him now. Let's get down to business. Let's see -what we can do with this gang. He'll be back after he has seen his -owners and straightened out this affair. He says you acted pretty rough -about trying to take his boats and he had to drive you off. He'll be -back all right an' you can talk with him--" - -"No, he will never come back. No sah. I shall miss dat little talk with -him, but--well, as you say, I'll check off the cargo of men, they're -all good fellows every one. Come--" - -"They're a good gang," said the agent to the engineer of the local -work that afternoon; "they're as good a set of men as we'll get. Lazy? -Of course they're lazy, did you ever see a black man who wasn't lazy? -Fight? No, they're not much on a fight, but I believe there is one -fellow, the foreman, a Fortune Islander, who is set upon killing--he -has a way of asking after a fellow, the captain of the ship that -brought 'em here, that makes me a bit nervous, he's so blamed gentle -and insistent about seein' him--but he never will, so what's the -difference. I'll turn 'em to in the morning." - - - - -XV - -The Wrecker - - -On the edge of the Great Bahama, near the turn of the Caicos bank, -the hull of the _Stella Polare_ lay high on the coral reef. She was a -passenger steamer, and had made the run many times between Havana and -the Mediterranean ports. She had run with an easy company, and many -passengers had changed their countries in her; for she had been a crack -packet in her day; and her day had passed, joining the vast host in -limitless time. - -From a distance the black hull loomed large and sinister, a long iron -mass standing out clearly in the surrounding whiteness of coral and -foam. Closer observation showed the rusty plates, the paintless cabin -houses, and the weather-worn woodwork that still remained. Her two -rakish funnels stood slantwise, holding their places by the aid of -rusty guys, the chains and all valuable metal work having long ago -been stripped from her. And so she lay as the _Buccaneer_, a wrecking -schooner from Nassau, came slowly across the bank. - -The rays of the setting sun shone strongly upon the iron hull, and -the crew of the schooner gazed at her from various positions of ease -and lassitude; for the day had been hot and sultry and the air filled -with a brassy coloured humidity that was as thick as a heavy haze on -the horizon. The master of the wrecker was an American named Sanders, -formerly master of the _Sea-Horse_, and his mate was William Haskins, -known as "Bahama Bill." He was a good-looking fellow, bronzed and fine -featured, and his black hair was streaked with gray. Heavy lines in his -face suggested suffering rather than exposure, although his vocation -was rigorous enough. - -The master had gazed for fully a quarter of an hour at the wreck as the -vessel fanned along before the light breeze, when his mate addressed -him. - -"Shall we get the gear ready, cap? I got a box ob Atlas powder and -twenty fathom of fuse with exploders. Dat's enough, hey?" - -"Yes, get what you need in the small boat," said the master absently. -"You can haul down the jib and let go when you're ready. Give her not -more than four fathoms; for we won't stay here long--looks like it's -coming on bad, and the glass is falling. The bank isn't safe this time -of year. We ought to get into some pocket and tie up." The master spoke -absently, still gazing at the wreck, and the mate noted it. - -"She shuah don' look much like what she do when yo' had her, Cap," said -Bahama Bill. - -"What, the _Stella Polare_?" - -"Yes, sare, an' it warn't so long ago neither. A few years on de reef -make a lot o' difference in her. Seems like yesterday you run her into -Havana fer de last voyage in de old charter. It shuah do, Cap." - -"When you're ready with the small boat I'll go with you," said the -Captain, still gazing at the black hull. - -Anchoring with the fore and mainsails still up, the small boat went -slowly into the bay. There was little or no surf on the lee of the -bank, and the party landed without difficulty. Then they began carrying -their outfit to the wreck. They would break her up, stripping the -plates from her sides for old iron and tearing apart the most valuable -portion of her engines to sell at Key West. It was a job that the men -who had been there before them had declined as unprofitable, for it -required considerable work to strip the plates, and the engines were -well rusted in the half-submerged hull. At high water there was little -of value uncovered in her hold; but the wrecking crew had not been -successful that season, and it was a case of getting what they could. -Wrecks had been few, and the sponging industry, which all wreckers of -the bank usually follow during the summer and hurricane season, had -paid small returns. Dynamite was expensive to use; but it was just as -well to explode a part of it as to have it spoil on their hands. They -could still keep enough for a few loads of fish, for the law of the -reef and bank was never enforced in regard to high explosives, and they -were far away from any prying eyes. - -The crew carried sledges and hydraulic jacks, with a spare tackle or -two, and the mate carried the explosive. They reached the high side -where the dry sand had banked against it, and one by one mounted to the -deck, the Captain going aft, still gazing at the old hulk in an absent -manner. She was a long ship, and he walked the entire length of her -deck until he reached the taffrail. Then he turned and looked at the -cabin house. His mind was far away from the work he intended. He saw -that deck as it had been in the days gone by, the days of his youth, -and as he looked a strange feeling of loneliness came upon him. - -The deck was there before him, and upon it he saw the faces of the -people who had walked or sat upon it. Even a blistered bit of paint -on the deck-house recalled a certain day in the time gone when he sat -there with the one woman he had lived for, the wife of his youth. A -soft voice called to him and spoke the words he remembered so well. He -almost started, and a choking feeling came in his throat. Yes, he had -sat near that particular spot many times and listened to that voice; -now still, but which seemed to call again. There were the stitches -in the canvas deck covering she used to rub with her foot while -talking, sitting there as they used to do in the old days when the -company allowed him to take his wife with him on the run across. The -deck seemed to slant away and roll from side to side, and he balanced -himself to meet the roll of the ship. The stillness about him was -unbroken save by the distant murmur of the sea and the low voices of -the men waiting forward for the work to begin; but he heard nothing -save the voice of the past. - -He went into the deck-house. There was the old settee, now without the -red upholstered cushions. He remembered how many times he had sat there -in the evenings after the voyage was run, and how for years they had -chatted under the light of the saloon lamp when the passengers had all -gone ashore and the ship was deserted by all save the crew. About him -were the signs of wreck and ruin, and he stood for some minutes gazing -about the cabin. A woman's shoe lay mouldy and green upon the floor -near a stateroom door, and it brought a dull pain in his heart as he -noted it. The owner was dead, long dead, probably lost in the hurricane -when the vessel went into her last resting-place. Far away in Nassau -was a mound, grass grown and storm swept, the resting-place of the one -who had made life worth living for him. Soon the sand would bank up -and cover the old hull, and the long beach grass would grow over it, -blotting out all. - -He looked into a deserted room. The door was broken and hung slantwise -upon its one rusty hinge. Then he stepped softly back into the middle -of the saloon and listened. A thousand little things brought back -memories, and he raised his head. "Oh, God! the loneliness of it all!" -he cried. - -In the stillness he thought he heard the laughter of a woman's voice. -No, it was the sobbing, and he started. A land crab scuttled across the -floor of the cabin, making a disagreeable rattling as it went. In the -ghastly stillness of the lost ship a thousand sounds seemed to fall -upon his listening ears. He saw the table set and the people sitting -about it, the stewards getting the dinner, and the old questions asked -him of the day's run; but foremost and always was the form of one woman -whose bright smile welcomed him from the table end. He stole forward -and went into his room, the Captain's room of the liner. The wreck and -confusion here were even greater than aft; but he saw nothing now save -the time when they used to sit there, she sewing upon some piece of -woman's work and he poring over the chart which held his course. - -His heart seemed bursting. The ghastly wreck was awful,--it was the -wreck of his hopes,--and he bowed his head and covered his face with -his hands as he sat upon the edge of the bunk. The light was fading; -but he failed to note it. Fifteen, twenty, thirty minutes he sat there, -and the mate, who had returned with the rest of the gear left in the -boat, was searching for him. The sun sank below the sea before that -officer broke into the room and saw him sitting there. - -"It's dun gitting too late toe do enny mo' this evenin', Cap," said he -with a tone of complaint. - -"All right. Go aboard, I'll stay here awhile," said Sanders. - -There was something in the seaman's face that caused the big mate to -forget his temper at the delay. - -"De men want dere grub, sare," he said quietly, "but I reckon I ken -wait. Shall I send de boat in fo' yo', sare?" - -"Good Lord! let me alone!" he cried. "Go! Leave a boat for me. I'll row -out aboard myself when I'm ready." - -The mate went forward, and the men followed him in the small boat. They -went aboard the schooner for the evening meal, and afterward turned in -for the night. A small boat was towed in by a man in the craft they had -used, and it was left upon the sand. - -Comment was made forward at the Captain's absence. No one understood. -Even the mate, who had an idea, did not think it of enough real -importance to dwell upon it; and so the tropic night fell over the -reef, the haze deepened, and the darkness grew intense. - -In the dull, heated quiet of the early night the Captain sat upon -the ship's rail. He could not stand the oppressive stillness of the -blackness in the cabin. The outline of the surf upon the sea side of -the wreck shone in a line of phosphorus, but the dull glare failed to -outline the vast bulk of the hull. The wind had all died away and the -warmth of the air was felt, being heavy with a moisture and sultriness -that bespoke of a falling glass. But he sat and wandered through the -memories of a past life which was all the more bitter because of the -happiness that would never return. - -"She will never come back--never!" he whispered into the void about -him. "I'm so tired--tired of it all!" and he groaned aloud in his -anguish. He would not break up the ship. In the morning he would find -some excuse to tell the mate and crew. He could not tell them the real -one. They would not understand. How could they--poor devils? What had -they known of life, life as he had known it? No, he would weigh his -anchor and sail away over the tropic seas to live out his existence -as Fate had demanded of him. He might kill himself; but there were -others dependent upon him for a living, and he would not do a cowardly -thing, would not cause them suffering to alleviate his own. He must -live on--just on and on to help the few who trusted in his strength -to provide for them. It was no pleasure save to ease their burden. It -would be to-morrow--and to-morrow--and to-morrow--a broken life of -unending work and hardship. - -"God grant I'll not have to make it too long! Let me go to a long--a -long, an unending rest! I want to sleep, to sleep for ever; for I'm -tired out!" - -His voice was deep and vibrant; but it fell upon the empty air, and he -more than ever noted the silence. He gazed to the southward. There was -nothing upon the dark sea. To the eastward it seemed a little blacker; -but over the desolate ocean there came no sound of even a breaking wave -top. For several hours he sat there gazing out into the blackness, and -then sometimes watching the riding light of his vessel as it flickered -upon the oily sea. All was quiet upon the schooner. The tired men were -sleeping, for they expected heavy work on the morrow. - -A low murmur came from the sea. It seemed to come from some distant -point, and rose and fell faintly. Then a flash of lightning lit the -inky darkness to the southeast. He waited to hear the following -thunder; but none came. Minutes afterward the murmur rose again. - -In the sultry air even his breathing oppressed him, and he turned to -fix his limbs in a more comfortable posture. He sat easily now and -waited. Over the sea from the southeast came a low rushing sound, the -sound of a mighty wind, and as he gazed toward it he felt the first -puff in his face. The noise of the surf on the outside of the bank grew -louder. A spurt of sand whistled up against the steel side beneath him. -Then came a fiercer blast, and the storm burst over the reef with a -wild, swirling roar of wind and rain. - -He stood up and faced it. It relieved his feelings, this fury of the -elements, and he seemed to be again upon his ship at sea facing the -hurricane of the West Indies. The dry sand of the upper bank struck the -sides of the wreck with great force, and flying over it cut his face -so that he could not see any longer. He made his way to the lee of the -deck-house and looked out over the water to see how his vessel stood -the strain. The riding light was still showing in the same place; but -a faint rattling told plainly that both anchors were now on the bottom, -and that the mate, with the instinct of the true sailor, was giving -them chain as fast as he could, with the hope of holding on. How it -blew! The wind came in fierce gusts, rushing, tearing, over the lost -ship. - -The sails of the anchored schooner had been lowered just after dark. He -had heard the creaking of the halliards. There would be no great sea -where she lay, but enough to test the strength of the ground tackle she -possessed. He wished vaguely that he had gone aboard. It was the place -for him, upon the deck of his ship. - -He watched the riding light for some minutes. It was jumping now with -the rise and fall of the schooner. It was a desperate undertaking to -row a small boat out to her; but the struggle appealed to him strongly. -He should have gone aboard. He would go, and let himself down over -the side of the wreck, with no concern save for the safety of the -schooner and the crew aboard her. If he failed to make her, it was of -no particular matter. - -The small boat was made fast on the shore, and he reached her easily. -The oars were in her, and she was all ready to row out, for the inside -of the bank was partly sheltered, and there was no sea there yet. It -would be a row across the wind with it a little astern, and he was a -strong man. The wildness of the night seemed to stir something within -him, and he grasped the oars eagerly for the struggle. He sent the -small boat's head out into the night and across that hurricane swept -reef with a feeling of something akin to exhilaration. A blast of wind -flung a sea over her, and the salt sea flew in his face, taking his -breath for the instant; but he spat out the brine and drove the boat -ahead. - -The riding light appeared to get nearer. He was making good headway, -although the water was flying over the boat and tossing her about -like a cork. All around and about him the sea was white with a -phosphorescent light from the breaking seas; but it failed to outline -the hull of his vessel. He headed for the riding light, and he must -make it, or-- - -He turned his head now and again to keep the course. The light did not -draw closer very fast, and he knew he was rowing furiously. Then he -noticed that it drew more and more to leeward. He was rowing with the -wind now well aft. He knew what it meant: that his vessel was dragging -her anchors and that there was little or no hope that he would board -her. She might strike, or she might make the open sea. The mate was -an able seaman and would get some canvas on her if he could to try -to fight her off. Out on the wild, storm-swept ocean there might be -safety. To leeward lay certain death. - -He rowed now with increased vigour. He would endeavour to get close -enough to hail her at least, even though he could not board her. Over -the tops of the breaking seas the small boat fairly flew. She was -gaining upon the receding light. The Captain turned his head and saw -he was almost alongside. He made out the voices of the men calling to -each other as they close reefed the mainsail. He could hear the mate's -orders, howled into a shriek, sounding faintly but unintelligible above -the roar of the wind and sea. He now made out the hull of the vessel. -He was close aboard. Then the riding light went out. - -He knew he had seen the ending; for they had put the forestaysail on -her and were driving her out to sea. As for himself, he was a lost man. -He was so close to her now that he stood up and hailed. - -"Keep her east southeast!" he roared out. - -A questioning hail came through the night, a wild, terrified cry. - -"Keep her east southeast! Good-bye!" he answered. - -"Ay, ay, sir! Good-bye, sir!" came the voice of the mate booming -hoarsely above the gale. - -The _Buccaneer_ fought her way out that night. She lost her foresail -and half her other canvas before the finish; but she went to sea safely. - -Three days later she came in and anchored near the wreck of the -steamer. The mate and two men went ashore and searched the reef for -signs of their Captain. The boat was gone, and so was he. This told -the story. Two hours later they were tearing up the rusted hulk of the -_Stella Polare_, and they carried tons of her to Key West in the little -schooner, with the mate in command. - - - - -XVI - -The Barrators - - -Mr. Booker, of the firm of Booker, Benson & Co., closed the door of the -inner office. - -"Now, Captain Johns, let's have an understanding at once," said he -in a low tone, "let's make no mistake about this thing. You know we -represent the best there is in the shipping business. You know I've -stood by you. You know how long you'd have been inspector of hulls if -I hadn't fixed it for you with the commissioner. Now, we want James's -certificate returned. He's been master of the _Enos_ for years, and we -can't afford to lose him----" - -"But he abandoned his ship in mid-ocean with passengers aboard," -snapped Captain Johns. "How can we give him a certificate after that, -hey? How'll I get around the fact---- What? I know what I owe you. I -know I'm inspector, but I don't owe you any such rascality as that--no, -sir. I'll lose my place if I do give it to him--you know that--and if I -don't you threaten me----" - -"I threaten no man," interrupted Mr. Booker solemnly. "I simply put it -to you as a business proposition. Captain James is our man. We want -him. Now will you give him back his certificate or not?" - -The inspector thought a minute. He was a big man, big, strong, capable -of filling the office of inspector of hulls perfectly. He had been -to sea for more than twenty years and was a first-class navigator, a -first-class seaman. He knew the duties of inspector, and he knew the -law. Upon him rested the responsibility of issuing masters' and mates' -certificates, and he had generally conducted the examinations without -fear or favour. He prided himself upon this point, for it was generally -understood that a Board of Trade license was good. It meant something. -But he knew Mr. Booker and he knew his man, Captain James, who had -abandoned his vessel in mid-ocean. - -"As far as the taking his license away from him is concerned," said he, -looking straight at the head of the firm, "I had no more to do with it -than others. We did the only thing we could do under the evidence." He -seated himself in a chair and crossed a leg, rubbing his knee as though -to gain time for the struggle he knew would take place. Mr. Booker was -a leading shipper and also a politician of note. It was he who had -swung the party, he who had practically made the inspectors. It would -not do to act hastily. Booker was an able and deadly foe to any one who -blocked his trade. He was unscrupulous when it came to acting against -an enemy of the firm. - -"I don't want to tie your vessel up," he went on, "and if I can do -anything in reason I'll do it. Why not let the mate come up? There's -nothing that can't be argued away about him. He had to obey orders. -I'll give him a ticket all right." - -A strange light shone in Mr. Booker's eyes. He saw his man was -weakening. It was what he wanted, this mate's ticket, but to state it -openly would have meant ruin to his scheme. He held out strongly for -his captain, but not strong enough to carry his point. If the inspector -chose to promote his mate, it was not Mr. Booker's fault. That would -lie entirely and healthily with others. After a futile struggle lasting -half an hour he gave in. - -"Very well, then. If you'll give Mr. McDuff a master's license and let -him take the _Enos_ out, it'll have to go. I don't stand for him, you -know, and I want that distinctly understood. But I'll compromise on -that--and not a little bit less. You know what she's carrying?" - -The inspector did not. It was not his business to keep track of all -cargoes before they were shipped. He felt irritated. His victory had at -first seemed a good thing, a fine thing to get out of the hole yawning -before him. Now there seemed to be some complications. - -"It's dynamite," went on Mr. Booker indulgently. "Dynamite for the -Canal, and while it's all right, you want a man who's mighty careful -to carry it through the tropics along with the mercury exploders. -Climate affects mercury, and it don't need much to send the whole kit -to kingdom come. But let it go. I'll pay a premium the underwriters -can't refuse. We'll have to stand a heavy insurance with a man like -McDuff--but of course, if you say so, let it go at that. James might go -as mate. You won't take away his living, will you? You'll let him go as -mate--on his old ticket? You know we've got to have men aboard a ship. -A vessel won't run herself." - -He arose to show the inspector that further conversation meant a loss -of valuable time to the head of the firm. Captain Johns knew it and -put on his hat. He had certain misgivings about granting McDuff a -certificate, but he had passed his word. To break it would mean almost -loss of position to himself, for Mr. Booker would do what he could to -make him trouble, and he knew that trouble with Booker was trouble -indeed. The inspector before him had cause to know this. There was no -necessity for history repeating itself. - -"I'll send McDuff down to you--good morning," said Mr. Booker, bowing -him out. - -Captain James and Mr. McDuff were staying at St Lucia. It had been -convenient for them both to keep well away from the curious gaze of the -government officials after the supposed loss of the _Enos_, and St. -Lucia was a beautiful, far-removed spot. Upon the crumbling ramparts of -the fort near the entrance Mr. McDuff sat cogitating a few days after -Mr. Booker had made his little deal with the inspector, and when a -small black lad handed him an envelope bearing the firm's name in the -corner the taciturn mate trembled. It was so beautiful, so far removed -from modern business, so restful at St. Lucia. The trade-wind blew -steadily across the point and the Caribbean sparkled in the sunshine. -The harbour, devoid of shipping save when the week-end steamer from -the States came to load bananas, lay like a deep azure pool unruffled -by the lively breeze outside. It made a picture of quiet repose, and -even the old dismounted guns used hundreds of years before to repel -the buccaneers before Morgan's day seemed to have sunk into attitudes -of profound peace. Then this letter from the world of business and -strife. McDuff hesitated about opening it. It was probably a scouring, -scathing, blistering sheet, edited in the cutting language of the head -of the firm. "Ah, what's the use?" sighed McDuff. He held the missive -in his hand and was about to fling it over the rock and watch it go -fluttering to the sea beneath. Then curiosity came to his aid. - -"Might as well open it; if there's any hot stuff in it, I don't have to -read it," he muttered. "Here, boy--here's a tuppence--git out." - -He tore the paper, pulled the letter out and read it carefully, and as -he did so his fingers clinched and his back straightened. He was wanted -to go as skipper of the old ship. Would he? Well, he would do almost -anything except eat bananas. He walked swiftly to the town and stopped -only long enough to drink three high-balls of rum and cola. Ah, the -sparkling cola! He must have that. Then he took the train for Kingston. - -"The _Enos_ is lying at the dock at Port Antonio," said Mr. Booker, -after he had greeted his man coldly and formally. "You will proceed -there and take command. Go down at once and see Johns. He'll give you -your examination at once. Get your ticket and go. Then wait for further -orders. James will be mate." - -McDuff grinned. - -"Ah, weel, I ken he'll be a noddy wan--ah, man, man, but I'll fair -dress him down into shape," he said, shifting his watery gaze over the -room. - -"You can dress him all you want," said Mr. Booker. "If I were you, -however, I would not tempt Providence too far. James will not stand too -much foolishness. He can lick you." - -"Ah, na fear, me laddie, na fear--do I fergit th' times he gie me? Na, -na. Wait till I trim him--my mate--at last, at last," said McDuff with -unction. - -"Well, we'll let that go," said Booker; "you're carrying dynamite and -it won't do to get too frivolous. Do you know anything about carrying -dynamite?" - -"Na, an' I'm that old to learn," said McDuff, eying the owner -quizzically. All his Scotch canniness was alert. - -"Oh, it's all right," said Booker; "only you don't want to make -rough-house aboard your ship the first time you take her out as master. -You're chartered for Colon again, carrying supplies for the Canal." - -"Ah, weel," said the mate. - -"I reckon that's about all, Captain McDuff. Do your duty like a man. -If you do we'll forget some of your past--understand?" - -"I ken it, I'll do it," said the man, dropping his eyes to the floor. -His past was not a thing to speak lightly upon. - -"Drink as much cola and good rum as you think you need. It doesn't hurt -a man used to it, like yourself." - -McDuff gave the owner a long searching look. The idea tickled him. He -threw back his head and laughed, showing his yellow fangs. - -"Good day, Captain McDuff," said Booker, bowing him out. - -The new master of the little cargo carrier _Enos_ had hardly arrived -aboard his vessel when James came slinking into the office. He had been -laying up at Montego Bay, well up the hills, where the natives took -care of him for sixpence a day. Booker appeared to have expected the -visit. He closed the door of the inner office as the former skipper of -the ship entered and they were alone. - -"You know why I sent for you?" began Booker. - -"I'm a good guesser," snarled the captain, his bloodshot eyes roving -furtively about. "Make it short, don't cut in too deep. I'm here for -orders." - -"I haven't sent you up for life for desertion, have I?" asked the calm -owner, eying him with a cold look. - -"No, an' what's more you ain't going to," growled the captain. - -"Lord, what a man!" sneered the owner. "You don't think I'm afraid to, -do you?" - -"There's mighty little you fear, Mr. Booker," said Captain James -sourly, "but I understand you're not trading in morals--not yet. If you -were, you might. If there's anything you've got to say, say it and let -me go. I didn't come here for any lecture." - -"How would you like to get your ticket back again--on some other -vessel?" James eyed his former employer steadily. The effects of -debauch made his swollen features seem grotesque in their red ugliness, -but he was sober enough for business. He had dreaded the meeting. He -knew his owner's moral tone, but he had not expected a reward where -punishment was plainly indicated. He had given the ship a bad name. - -"Let's have it fair and square--out with it," said the seaman. - -"You know the ship is old--fit only to carry supplies," said Booker. -"We're chartered to carry one hundred tons of blasting powder with -exploders to Colon--enough to blow the whole Canal through. Can you see -the point?" - -"You don't want the stuff to get there--is that it?" asked James -bluntly. - -"If you can help us in the matter you shall be treated properly--your -past forgotten," said Booker solemnly, eying him with a strangely -insistent look. - -"How much?" asked the practical navigator in a whisper. - -"You'll get a thousand straight--my personal recommendation for any -ship you wish. Perhaps in New York you'll find employment. We do a -heavy business there----" - -"Anything in writing?" asked James, without moving. - -"Nothing," said Booker carelessly. - -"Is McDuff wise?" - -"He is not--some men you can't trust when drunk--some you can." - -"How'll I manage? How'll I make him understand? I can't blow the ship -under him--kill all hands for a paltry thousand dollars," hissed James. - -There was a long silence. Booker lit a cigar with a steady hand and -puffed slowly. He was in no hurry. James gazed at him fixedly for a -long time. He shifted uneasily in his chair. - -"Suppose I refuse?" he said. - -"You know the consequences," said Booker quite calmly. - -"Try to hang me for deserting my ship, hey?" snarled the seaman. "Want -me to do a dirty job for the insurance--won't even tell me how you want -it done." - -"It's up to you. You are a seaman--a captain. That's what I've been -hiring you for. If I were a sailor I might give you directions. I'm -not. Will you do it or not? Let's have it." - -"Yes, I'll do it, you devil," snarled James. "I'll do it--somehow. Good -day." - -"Good day, Captain--Mr. James," said Booker without enthusiasm. He -opened the door and the fat form of the disreputable seaman slouched -out. A clerk met him at the door and handed him a note. It was -permission to draw a hundred dollars for travelling expenses. James -took it to the cashier and handed it in. - -"Thought you were in jail," sneered the cashier as he took the paper. - -"You are a liar," murmured James smoothly. - -The official made no further comment. The glare from the old seaman's -eyes did not justify it. He handed the money through the window with -the air of one handing a bone to a starving dog. James stuffed it away -in his clothes and pulling his hat over his eyes, went his way down the -street to his favourite haunt when in town. No one appeared to notice -him. He was not recognized. - -"You can get me a bottle of rum," said he to the waiter. - -"What kind, sare--three or six?" - -"I'll drink somethin' about ten shillin's a bottle," said James. "Wake -up!" - -The waiter brought a bottle and drew the cork. The odour filled the -air. It caused James to smack his lips and he drained four glasses in -as many minutes. Then he sat back in his chair and seemed to study the -negro's face. - -"Do you know whether Mr. Jackson--firm of Wells & Jackson, -underwriters--is in town?" he asked. - -"Yo' mean de insurance company, sare--yes, sare, he's here. Seen to-day -on de street," answered the waiter. "He took a drink with Mr. Booker -befo' closing time." - -"Thank you, you can wrap up that bottle--I'll go along now," said the -sailor. - -It was plain to him that there had been a special deal, that Booker was -carrying an extra heavy risk on his cargo. What if he should tackle -Mr. Jackson? Jackson might listen to him, might even believe there -was something in his warning, but he was a pariah and Mr. Booker was -a gentleman. Then he had nothing whatever to offer as proof. His word -against that of the owner? No, that wouldn't do at all. - -He thought the matter over and finished off the bottle of rum while -doing so. The more he drank the more he became convinced that the only -thing to do was to follow Mr. Booker's wishes. The only thing was how -would he do the job. How was it possible to sink a ship, blow her up, -without killing all hands? He would not kill any one. No, he would not -stoop to that. He must have time to think over the matter. It would -require some nice adjustment to carry off the affair properly and not -land in prison for life. He wondered whether McDuff knew anything of -the deal. It was not likely; Mr. Booker had never made a confidant of -the Scotchman, though the fellow had a close head and never talked, -drunk or sober. James slept over it and took the train for Port -Antonio, arriving there in the afternoon. He at once made his way to -the docks and boarded the _Enos_ without being quizzed, though several -persons seemed to show surprise at his presence. The story of his -deserting his ship was now public property. - -"I'm rare glad to see ye," said McDuff. "I'd na take ye for th' sneak -they say ye are, Mr.--Mister James. I've been told ye wanted a place as -mate wid the ould hooker. How is it?" - -"Yes, I'll go as mate for you, Scotty," said James, thinking of the -peculiar accent his former mate laid upon the word Mister. It was just -as well to let the fellow know at once how much respect he felt for -him. Then there would be no trouble in the future. He had served under -him for several years, and it would swell his head, of course, to have -command. - -"I'm thinkin'--Mister--Meester James, that'll be about time ye took a -reef in your tongue-lashin's. When ye have th' honour to speak to me, -ye canna call me out of me name--that's Captain McDuff, sir--don't -forget the SIR." - -"No, Mack, I won't forgit it, an' don't you forgit who's talkin' to you -either. If you do we'll have trouble--and Mr. Booker don't want any -more of it in his ships--see? Let's have a drink, for the sake of old -times?" - -McDuff appeared to think a moment. It would hardly do to dress his mate -now while at the dock. James would not stand it. He would drink--and -wait. - -"They handle that stuff mighty careless like," suggested James, gazing -out of the stateroom door at the men loading cargo. "Seems to me if -that's dynamite there's apt to be trouble--but then you only have it -once," he added reflectively. - -"That's the cargo, but not all dynamite. I dinna ken how much--but we -pull out before dark. See to the gear aft--Meester James--an' remember -the trouble I had with that old stern line last voyage. Ye wouldna gie -me a new wan." - -"Where do we go?" asked James. - -"To New Orleans--git the cargo there, the rest of it. D'ye think, -Meester James, that the British will furnish the powder? 'Tis good -Yankee stuff we'll take wi' us, good New Orleans powder. Also we'll -take a bit o' men, I'm thinkin', some o' that Dago gang for blasters. -They make fine blasters, do Dagoes; an' if ye lift a few o' them to -heaven, it makes little difference--there's plenty more. But they are -an ugly lot to handle, all armed with pistols or knives, ready to shoot -or stab any one." - -"It's the Dago nature to go heeled," said James, drinking his rum and -pondering over his scheme. The run to New Orleans offered nothing new -in the way of developing his plans. He arose, went aft and made ready -to get to sea. He was in an ugly mood, but all who knew him addressed -him as "Captain," and the "Mister" was forgotten in the usual turmoil -of getting the _Enos_ under weigh. - -A few days later in New Orleans the dynamite was aboard and the gangs -of labourers who were to mine came down to the dock. James had studied -many ways of getting the ship into trouble, but each one seemed too -dangerous. It would not do to kill the crew. He would not do that, but -to fire the cargo without almost certain death to all aboard appeared -impossible. Then a thing occurred which seemed to be like the hand of -Fate helping him on his way. - -"'Tis a light cargo--an' she'll sit high, roll like a log," quoth -McDuff the day after the powder had been safely stowed. "We've cleared -and the insurance agent has had his claim settled. We're all ready for -sea--Meester James--and we'll gie along; but I must ha' a wee bit o' -drink first. Will ye coom along up the town, or will ye bide here till -I come back?" - -It still gave him pleasure to address his former captain in a -patronizing manner with an emphasis upon "Meester." - -James looked at him sourly and declined. - -"Go on, Scotty," said he; "I'll stay by the ship. No drink for me until -we get clear of this foul river. The stinks would spoil the taste of -any kind of poison you'd put aboard ye." - -"Weel, have a bit of a care, an' don't let them Dagoes get scuffling on -the lower deck. There's a bit o' powder up there in them boxes," and -McDuff went his way up the levee. - -Sengali, the foreman of the gang, stood upon the string-piece of the -wharf and glowered at the small ship. He was not a sailor, but he knew -she would be a dirty and lively vessel in a blow. He had brought his -wife with him, and together they surveyed the scene. - -"We will go aboard and look--see," said he to his stout spouse, and -they forthwith stepped upon the ship's deck. As nearly everybody had -gone ashore as soon as McDuff's back had been seen upon the levee, -they met no one and wandered over the _Enos_ at will. Finally Sengali -sat upon the boxes of powder and, lighting his pipe, began to smoke -placidly. He was aware of the contents of the cases, but being an old -hand at the handling of dynamite, he had developed that serenity and -carelessness which is one of their distinguishing qualities. He feared -not either fire or shock. - -Mrs. Sengali wandered over the apparently deserted ship and finally -found her way into McDuff's room in the rear of the pilot-house. Here -she made herself comfortable. - -It happened that Cellini, a young and amorous Dago, saw her. He had -been drinking heavily, and as the coast appeared clear he made his way -to the forward part of the ship, hoping to entertain the stout and -rosy Mrs. Sengali in a manner common to drunken Dagoes. He saw no one -forward and made his way to the captain's room. Then he quickly entered -and swiftly closed the door. - -Sengali, smoking and pondering upon the future to be had in the world -at Panama, was aroused from pleasant dreams by the shrill screams of -his wife. He sprang up the companionway and rushed for the vicinity of -the noise. The cries seemed to come from the captain's room, and he -hesitated. It was a terrible crime to assault a captain upon his own -ship. But his wife. She was in terrible danger, her shrieks were now -being half muffled, showing that the person who had caused them was -stifling them as best he could. The Dago waited no longer; he crashed -against the door. - -It gave way with the impact and Sengali landed in the room. Cellini was -holding his wife, but let her go instantly, and drawing a revolver, -fired at Sengali. The latter raced for the companionway, hoping to gain -his bundle, in which reposed his trusty knife. The bundle was lying -where he had sat smoking upon the cases of dynamite, and he tore it -apart, seized his weapon and turned to mete out a just revenge upon his -assailant. - -"I keel you now," he roared and rushed at Cellini, who had come -floundering down the stairs after him, but who, being drunk, had -tripped and had thus lost valuable time. - -Cellini, lying upon one elbow, took deliberate aim at the enraged -husband. A fireman, who had seen the fracas, fled up the levee shouting -for the police, and James, who had been drowsing in his room, rolled -out of his bunk and went to the scene of the trouble, intending to -quell it, as a mate should. Cellini's first shot from his position -where he had fallen tore through Sengali's uplifted hand. He gave a -yell and drew it down, staggering and flinging the blood about. Then he -rushed again at his prostrate enemy, his knife upraised, ready for the -finishing stroke. - -James gained the vicinity just as Cellini raised his weapon for the -last shot. Drunk and furious at the interruption of Sengali, he -appeared not to care for the retribution the husband was going to wreak -upon him. He aimed carefully at the foreman's head and pulled the -trigger. Just then James kicked the pistol aside and it exploded. - -A man on the levee at some distance vouched for this much of the final -act. He saw James kick the weapon, saw it explode. The next instant the -forward part of the _Enos_ disappeared in a mass of flame. - -Men came running from all directions at the sound of the detonating -thunder. The rolling roar reverberated along the river-front for miles. -People at a distance saw a huge waterspout rise from where the ship had -been a moment before. Splinters, ironwork, rigging, spars and a piece -of her smoke-pipe rose to an appalling height. Then the scene settled -itself under a pall of dust and smoke. - -The levee was destroyed for a distance of fifty fathoms. The dock had -melted into the surrounding air. Trees, fences, and houses, everything -at a distance of a quarter of a mile was razed flat. Men were knocked -stunned and senseless who had been within this radius and the whole -place seemed to have been shaved as with a mighty razor. Only a bit of -the ship's stern, a tiny piece of her turtle-back, floated awash to -show that there had ever been anything like a ship in the vicinity. The -_Enos_, loaded with dynamite, had blown up with all on board and had -almost totally disappeared. - -A few hours later McDuff came lurching down to his ship. He was -comfortably drunk and was in high good humour. - -"I'll trim Meester James--ah, yes, I'll trim him guid an' fine before -we gie th' dock at Colon. 'Tis a fine thing to be th' boss---- What, am -I drunk, or has the knave run away wid me ship? He has run away--yes, -yes, he has run away. Ah, weel, what'll I do-- The rascal has stolen me -ship," said McDuff, looking about him and seeing nothing to indicate -the whereabouts of the _Enos_. "Ah, weel, it was not my ship--but I -will have the police after him. I will have him in th' calaboose. I'm -fair drunk, I'm fair drunk--but na sa drunk I canna see a ship." - -Mr. Booker read the cable despatch and handed it to his partner. - -"That man James was certainly a genius," said he. "I'm half sorry for -him. I guess he must have been too zealous--'twasn't like him, yet he -must have been too anxious to please me." - -"He'll turn up in time," quoth his partner, the amiable Mr. Benson. -"The fact that he was aboard of her does seem a bit out of the -ordinary, but there's probably some mistake about it. It'll straighten -itself out later. He'll be here to see you, or I'm clean disappointed -in him." - -"I reckon we might as well attend to the underwriters without waiting -for any complications," suggested Mr. Booker. - -"Oh, yes, get the insurance. We've had a bit of luck--that's all." - - -THE END. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Bahama Bill, by T. 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Jenkins Hains - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Bahama Bill - Mate of the Wrecking Sloop Sea-Horse - -Author: T. Jenkins Hains - -Illustrator: H. R. Reuterdahl - -Release Date: July 9, 2017 [EBook #55076] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BAHAMA BILL *** - - - - -Produced by Graeme Mackreth and The Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - - - - - -<p class="ph1" style= "margin-bottom: 5em;">BAHAMA BILL</p> - - - -<div class="bbox" style="margin-Left: 25%; margin-right:25%;"> -<p class="ph5">Works of</p> - -<p class="ph4">T. JENKINS HAINS</p> -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illus01.jpg" alt=" mark" /> -</p> - -<table summary="works" width="55%"> -<tr> -<td align="left">The Windjammers -</td> -<td align="right">$1.50 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="left">The Black Barque -</td> -<td align="right">1.50 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="left">The Voyage of the Arrow -</td> -<td align="right">1.50 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="left">Bahama Bill -</td> -<td align="right">1.50 -</td> -</tr> -</table> - - -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illus01.jpg" alt=" mark" /> -</p> - - - - - - -<p class="ph5">L.C. PAGE & COMPANY</p> -<p class="ph5">New England Building</p> -<p class="ph6">BOSTON . . . . MASS</p> - -</div> - - -<p class="center" style="margin-top: 5em;"> -<img src="images/illus02.jpg" alt="black" /> -</p> - -<p class="caption"><i>The giant black stood gazing out to sea"</i><br /> - - -(<i>See page 17</i>) -</p> - - - - -<div class="bbox" style="margin-Left: 25%; margin-right:25%; margin-top:5em;"> -<div class="bbox1"> -<p class="ph2"> -BAHAMA BILL</p> - - -<p class="ph3">Mate of the Wrecking Sloop<br /> -<i>Sea-Horse</i></p> -</div> -<div class="bbox1"> -<p class="ph6">By</p> - -<p class="ph4">T. Jenkins Hains</p> - -<p class="ph5">Author of "The Black Barque," "The Voyage -of the Arrow," "The Windjammers," etc.</p> - -<p class="ph6"><i>With a frontispiece in colour by</i></p> -<p class="ph5">H.R. Reuterdahl</p> -</div> -<div class="bbox1"> -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/illus03.jpg" alt=" mark" /> -</p> - - -</div> -<div class="bbox1"> -<p class="ph5"><small><i>Boston</i></small>: L.C. PAGE &<br /> -COMPANY <i>Mdccccviii</i></p> -</div> -</div> - - -<p class="ph6" style="margin-top: 5em;"> -<i>Copyright, 1908</i><br /> -<span class="smcap">By L.C. Page & Company</span><br /> -(INCORPORATED)<br /> -<br /> -<i>All rights reserved</i><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -First Impression, January, 1908<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<i>COLONIAL PRESS</i><br /> -<i>Electrotyped and Printed by C.H. Simonds & Co.<br /> -Boston, U.S. A.</i> -</p> - - - - -<p class="ph2" style="margin-top:5em;">CONTENTS</p> - - - -<table summary="toc" width="60%"> -<tr> -<td> -</td> -<td> -</td> -<td align="right">PAGE -</td> -</tr> -<tr > -<td align="right">I. -</td> -<td><span class="smcap" style="margin-left:2em;"><a href="#I">Beneath the "Bulldog's" Bilge</a></span> -</td> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_1">1</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right">II. -</td> -<td><span class="smcap" style="margin-left:2em;"><a href="#II">The Wrecker's Reward</a></span> -</td> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_18">18</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right">III. -</td> -<td><span class="smcap" style="margin-left:2em;"><a href="#III">The Mate of the "Sea-Horse"</a></span> -</td> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_35">35</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right">IV. -</td> -<td><span class="smcap" style="margin-left:2em;"><a href="#IV">Barnegat Macreary</a></span> -</td> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_50">50</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right">V. -</td> -<td><span class="smcap" style="margin-left:2em;"><a href="#V">At the End of the Reef</a></span> -</td> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_68">68</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right">VI. -</td> -<td><span class="smcap" style="margin-left:2em;"><a href="#VI">The Sanctified Man</a></span> -</td> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_88">88</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right">VII. -</td> -<td><span class="smcap" style="margin-left:2em;"><a href="#VII">When the Light Failed at Carysfort</a></span> -</td> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_116">116</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right">VIII. -</td> -<td><span class="smcap" style="margin-left:2em;"><a href="#VIII">The Trimming of Mr. Dunn</a></span> -</td> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_129">129</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right">IX. -</td> -<td><span class="smcap" style="margin-left:2em;"><a href="#IX">The Survivor</a></span> -</td> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_176">176</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right">X. -</td> -<td><span class="smcap" style="margin-left:2em;"><a href="#X">On the Great Bahama Bank</a></span> -</td> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_196">196</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right">XI. -</td> -<td><span class="smcap" style="margin-left:2em;"><a href="#XI">The Iconoclast</a></span> -</td> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_232">232</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right">XII. -</td> -<td><span class="smcap" style="margin-left:2em;"><a href="#XII">Journegan's Graft</a></span> -</td> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_266">266</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right">XIII. -</td> -<td><span class="smcap" style="margin-left:2em;"><a href="#XIII">Shanghaing the Tong</a></span> -</td> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_296">296</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right">XIV. -</td> -<td><span class="smcap" style="margin-left:2em;"><a href="#XIV">The Edge of the Roncador</a></span> -</td> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_323">323</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right">XV. -</td> -<td><span class="smcap" style="margin-left:2em;"><a href="#XV">The Wrecker</a></span> -</td> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_338">338</a> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td align="right">XVI. -</td> -<td><span class="smcap" style="margin-left:2em;"><a href="#XVI">The Barrators</a></span> -</td> -<td align="right"><a href="#Page_350">350</a> -</td> -</tr> -</table> - - - - - - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">BAHAMA BILL</p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="I" id="I">I</a></p> - -<p class="center">Beneath the "Bulldog's" Bilge</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> brig lay in four fathoms of water on the edge of the Great Bahama -Bank. She had been a solid little vessel, built for the fruit trade, -and she was about two hundred tons register. Her master had tried to -sight the "Isaacs," but owing to the darkness and the drift of the -Gulf Stream, he had miscalculated his distance in trying for the New -Providence channel. A "nigger-head," a sharp, projecting point of -coral, had poked a hole about four feet in diameter through her bottom, -and she had gone down before they could run her into the shoal water on -the bank.</p> - -<p>Down to the graveyard of good ships, Key West, the message was hurried, -and the wreckers of Florida Reef heard the news. A heavily built sloop -of thirty tons, manned by ten Spongers and Conchs, started up the -Florida channel and arrived upon the scene two days later.</p> - -<p>The <i>Bulldog</i> had settled evenly upon her keel, but as she was sharp, -she had listed until her masts were leaning well to starboard, dipping -her yardarms deep<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span> in the clear water. She was submerged as far up as -her topsail yards.</p> - -<p>The captain of the wrecker was a Conch. His mate was a giant negro of -the Keys; young, powerful, and the best diver on the Florida Reef. -His chest measured forty-eight inches in circumference over his -lean pectoral muscles, and he often bent iron bars of one-half inch -to show the set of his vise-like grip. He was almost black, with a -sinister-looking leer upon his broad face, his eyes red and watery like -most of the divers of the Bank. He could remain under four fathoms for -at least three and a half minutes, and work with amazing force, and -continue this terrific strain for six hours on a stretch, with but -five minutes between dives. Half fish or alligator, and half human, -he looked as he lounged naked in the hot sunshine upon the sloop's -forecastle, his skin hard and callous as leather from long exposure to -a tropic sun and salt water. He was ready for the work ahead, for it -had been rumoured that the <i>Bulldog</i> had not less than fifty thousand -dollars in silver aboard her. She was known to have been chartered by -agents of the Venezuelan revolutionists, and to have arms and money -aboard in abundance for their relief.</p> - -<p>The day was well advanced when the spars of the brig showed above the -sea. The sky was cloudless, and the little air there was stirring -scarcely rippled the ocean; the swell rolling with that long, -undulating sweep and peculiar slowness which characterizes calm weather -in the Gulf Stream.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span></p> - -<p>Far away the "Isaacs" showed above the horizon, and just the slightest -glint of white told of the nearest cay miles away on the Great Bank. -To the westward it was a trifle more than sixty miles to Florida -Cape across the channel, with the deep ocean current sweeping to the -northward between. The steady set of the Stream brought the wreckers -rapidly nearer the brig in spite of the calm, and they let go their -first anchor about fifty fathoms due south, and veered the cable to let -the sloop drift slowly down upon the wreck. Then, lowering all canvas, -they got out their kedges and moored the sloop just over the port rail -of the <i>Bulldog</i> which could be distinctly seen about ten feet below -the surface of the sea.</p> - -<p>Three of the crew, all experienced divers, made ready while the mate -went slowly to the rail and gazed fixedly down into the clear water. -In calm weather the bottom on the Bank can be seen distinctly in -five fathoms, and often at much greater depth. The weather was ideal -now, and no one thought it necessary to use the "water-glass," the -glass-bottomed bucket into which the diver usually sticks his head and -gazes into the depths before making his plunge.</p> - -<p>"I reckon ye might as well make a try," said the captain, coming to -the mate's side. "Start here an' let the drift o' the current take ye -th' whole length." And as he spoke he hove a life-line overboard for -the men to grasp should the stream carry them too far. Coming to the -surface they would be tired and not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span> want to swim back. A man stood by -to haul in and save the diver the exertion.</p> - -<p>The mate raised his eyes. He looked over the smooth sea and tilted his -nose into the air, sniffing the gentle breeze.</p> - -<p>"It might be a wery good day, Cap, but I sho' smells shurk. I ain't -much perticular about this smooth weather. It nearly always brings 'em -along 'bout dis time o' year. De season am mighty nigh done on de Bank. -Yo' knows dey is mighty peart when dey gits plentiful."</p> - -<p>"Are you feared?" asked the captain, looking at him scornfully.</p> - -<p>"Well, I smell him plain, an' dat's a fact," said the mate, "but here -goes."</p> - -<p>The giant mate fell slowly outboard, then putting his hands before him -he dropped straight down into the sea with hardly a splash. The captain -bent over the rail and watched him as he swam quickly down, his great -black form looking not unlike a turtle as it struck out vigorously with -both hands and feet. Down, down it went until the shimmering light -made it distorted and monstrous as the distance increased. Then it -disappeared under the bend of the <i>Bulldog's</i> bilge.</p> - -<p>A second diver came to the side and looked out over the smooth swell.</p> - -<p>There was nothing in sight as far as the eye could reach save the glint -of white on the distant cay to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> eastward. The Gulf Stream was -undisturbed by even a ripple.</p> - -<p>In a couple of minutes a loud snort astern told of the mate's -reappearance. He seized the life-line and was quickly hauled alongside. -He climbed leisurely to the deck.</p> - -<p>All hands were now assembled and waited for his report.</p> - -<p>"Tight as a drum. There ain't no way o' gettin' into her there," said -the mate after two or three long breaths.</p> - -<p>"Well, will you try the hatchway, then?" asked the captain.</p> - -<p>"I ain't perticular about workin' down hatchways," said the giant, with -a scowl.</p> - -<p>"Nor me either," said the man who had come to make the second trip. -"They said the stuff was aft under the cabin deck," said a tall man -with aquiline features, known as Sam.</p> - -<p>"Dynamite," whispered another, "what's the difference?"</p> - -<p>"Plenty, if the underwriters come along and find her blown up. She -ain't ours yet," said the captain sourly.</p> - -<p>"An' who's to tell?" asked the mate with a fierce menace. "Who'll know -what knocked a hole in her? They'll nebber float her. Bust her, says I."</p> - -<p>The captain looked about him. There was nothing in sight, save the -distant cay, ten miles or more to the eastward, which might harbour an -inquisitive person.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> And then the light-keeper himself was a wrecker. -He thought a moment while the mate stood looking at him, and then went -slowly down into the cabin and brought up a box of cartridges. Sam -immediately brought out some exploders and several fathoms of fuse.</p> - -<p>In a moment a large package was wrapped up and lashed with spun-yarn. -It contained five half-pound cartridges and an exploder, with a fathom -of fuse. A piece of iron was made fast to the whole to keep it upon the -bottom, and then the mate called for a match. The fuse would burn for -at least two minutes under water before the exploder was reached, and -give time for the diver to get clear.</p> - -<p>The captain scratched a light upon his trousers and held it to the -fuse. A spluttering fizzing followed. Then over the side went the mate -with the charge in his hand, and the men on the deck could see him -swimming furiously down through the clear depths, the dynamite held -before him and a thin spurt of bubbles trailing out from the end of the -burning fuse.</p> - -<p>He had little enough time to spare after he disappeared under the curve -of the bilge. Coming to the surface he was quickly dragged aboard by -the life-line, and then all hands waited a moment, which seemed an -hour, for the shock.</p> - -<p>A dull crash below followed by a peculiar ringing sound told of the -discharge. The water lifted a moment over the spot some twenty feet -astern, and then a storm of foam and bubbles surged to the surface.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> -The captain gazed apprehensively around the horizon again, and then -smiled.</p> - -<p>"I reckon that busted her," he said.</p> - -<p>Over the side plunged the mate, followed by two more men, and as they -went a great, dark shadow rose slowly to the surface in the disturbed -water. It was the body of a giant shark.</p> - -<p>The captain stood looking at it for a moment.</p> - -<p>"The harpoon, quick," he yelled.</p> - -<p>A man sprang for the iron, but the monster rolled slowly over upon his -belly, and opened his jaws with spasmodic jerks. A great hole was torn -in his side, and his dorsal fin was missing. He gave a few quick slaps -with his tail, and then sank slowly down before the harpoon could be -thrown.</p> - -<p>"He's as dead as salt-fish," said a sailor, "clean busted wide open."</p> - -<p>"He's a tiger," said the captain, "an' they never hunt alone. I c'ud -see his stripes."</p> - -<p>A diver called from the end of the life-line and was hauled up. One -after another they came up, the mate last.</p> - -<p>"What was the thing yo' dropped overboard?" he asked with a grin. "I -seen him sinking an' thought he ware alive."</p> - -<p>"It was a tiger," said the captain solemnly, looking askance at the big -man.</p> - -<p>"That settles it fer me," said one diver, "they always go in pairs."</p> - -<p>"Me, too," went the chorus from the rest.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span></p> - -<p>The mate said nothing. He had seen something below that made his eyes -flash in spite of their salty rheum. The dynamite had done its work -well, and with more daring than the others he had penetrated the hull -far enough to catch a glimpse of the treasure. The explosion had -scattered bright silver coins about the entrance of the hole, and he -had seen what they had missed in the roiled water.</p> - -<p>Here was a sore problem for the captain. He had the first chance at the -wreck without observers, and here the carcass of a huge tiger-shark had -upset everything. Within a few hours, the spars of other wreckers might -show above the horizon, and then farewell to treasure-hunting. He could -expect nothing but salvage at the most. If the owners decided to raise -her he could do nothing more than sell his claim upon her, and probably -lose most of that, for he was a poor man and dreaded the Admiralty -courts. It would be much better if he could get what money there was -in her, finding it in an abandoned hull. Having the whole of it in his -possession was much better than trying to get back from the owners his -share under the salvage law. Any delay for shark-hunting meant a heavy -loss. He looked askance at the big mate, but said nothing, knowing full -well that it lay with that black giant whether he would take the risk -of going below again or not.</p> - -<p>"I knew I smelt him plain enough," said the giant, sniffing the air -again, "dem big shurks is mighty rank."</p> - -<p>The shark which had met with the dynamite ex<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span>plosion was one of a pair -of the great "carcharodon" variety. They had come in on the edge of the -Bank at the beginning of the warm season, and one of them had slipped -up along the bottom to the wreck not a minute after the mate had placed -the charge. The package had attracted his attention, and it was while -nosing it the charge had exploded, tearing him almost to pieces. His -mate was but fifty fathoms away, and came slowly up to examine the -place where the crash occurred.</p> - -<p>The female was about twenty feet in length. She was lean and muscular -from long cruising at sea, and her hide was as hard as the toughest -leather. Vertical stripes upon her sides, black upon the dark gray of -her body, gave her the name of "tiger." Her jaws were a good eighteen -inches across, and her six rows of triangular teeth formed the most -perfect cutting machine for anything made of flesh. The long tapering -tail and huge fins told of enormous power, and her heavy frontal -development proclaimed her of that somewhat rare species of pelagic -monster which is very different in disposition to the thousands of -sharks that infest all tropical seas.</p> - -<p>She came upon the body of her mate as he sank slowly down, shattered -and torn from the explosion. He lay motionless upon the clean coral -bottom, and as she nosed him she came to the grisly wounds and knew he -was dead. The feeling that the floating object above was responsible -for his end took possession of her instinctively. He, her mate, had -travelled with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> her for months and over thousands of miles of ocean. -There was an attachment similar to that in evidence among the higher -animals, and sullen fury at her loss grew against the thing above. It -was like the implacable hatred of the cobra snake for the slayer of his -mate, the snake who will follow the slayer's trail for miles to wreak -vengeance. And as the monster's fury was growing, the black diver was -preparing to make a plunge for the money within the brig's bilge.</p> - -<p>"Gimme a line," said the black man. "If dere is another feller like de -one we busted down dere, yo' kin pull me back ef he don't git a good -hold o' my laig. De water is mighty roiled yit, en I'd like to see a -bit o' the bottom. 'Pears to me I seen something movin' astern dere."</p> - -<p>The captain passed a line, and he fastened it around his waist. The -rest of the crew stood looking on. Then taking a bag rolled tight in -one hand to open below and fill with the silver, he gazed anxiously -around the surrounding sea again.</p> - -<p>"Here goes," said the big mate, "but I reckon it's de debble himself -dat's waitin' fer me, I feels it sho'."</p> - -<p>He went down with a straight plunge without any splash, and they -watched him until he disappeared under the bends.</p> - -<p>The mate had his eyes in use as he swam swiftly towards the hole made -by the explosion. He watched the shadows upon the coral bottom in the -dim light that penetrated the depths. The huge shadow of the brig cast -a gloom over the white rock, and at the depth<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> of her keel objects were -hard to distinguish, except out beyond where the sunshine filtered -down. He knew the location of the hole, and headed straight for it -until the black and ragged mouth of the opening showed before him. He -had just reached for it when a form shut off the light behind him. At -the same instant the dread of something horrible flashed through his -brain. He turned instantly to see the giant mouth of a monstrous shark -close aboard, the teeth showing white against the dark edge of the -throat cavity.</p> - -<p>There was but a moment to spare. He must get away in the fraction of a -second, and his quick mind, used to emergencies, seized upon the only -way possible.</p> - -<p>The line about his waist was still slack, and he dove headlong into the -black mouth of the hole in the brig's bilge. The opening was just large -enough to let him through, the splintered edges raking his back sorely -as he entered. Then he turned quickly, hoping to see the monster sweep -past.</p> - -<p>The outline of the hole showed dimly, a ragged green spot set in inky -blackness. He was ready to make a dash outboard, and swam to hold -himself close to it, for the tendency was to rise into the black depths -of the submerged hull. Inside was total darkness, and the unknown, -submerged passages to some possible open hatchway beneath his own -vessel's bottom were not to be thought of for safety. He could hold his -breath but for a very short time longer, and he was more than twenty -feet below the surface of the ocean.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> Even as he swam his foot struck -something solid above him. He watched the hole and had just about -decided that the monster had passed when the hole disappeared from view.</p> - -<p>He knew he had not moved, for he could feel the stillness of the water -about him. With a growing feeling of horror he groped for the opening.</p> - -<p>In the total darkness he thought he was losing the instinct of -direction. The danger of his position was so deadly that, in spite of -his iron nerves, a panic was taking possession of him. To be lost in -the hold of a sunken wreck appalled him for an instant. He must act -quickly and accurately if he would live. The precious moments were -passing, and his heart already was sending the blood with ringing -throbs through his head. He made a reach ahead, and as he did so the -greenish light of the hole in the bilge came again before him. He -struck out for it powerfully. Then it failed again, but as it did so -he made out the form that was closing it. The great head of the shark -was thrust into the opening, withdrawn again as though to try to get a -better position to force its way in, and then came total blackness.</p> - -<p>The mate was failing fast. He had been under water more than two -minutes. He saw that it was certain death to force the entrance. -Outside waited the monster who would cut him to pieces before he could -reach the surface and help from his vessel. It was a horrible end. -The thought of a mangled form being devoured into the bowels of such -a creature decided<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> him. Any death but that. He hesitated no longer, -but with maddening haste he swam upward into the blackness, groping, -struggling through doors and passages, wildly, aimlessly trying for a -blind chance that he might at last come through the hatchway into the -sea above.</p> - -<p>He had cast off the line to his waist as soon as it came taut, and -instantly it flashed upon him that he had severed the last link between -himself and his men. On and on he struggled, the bright flashes of -light which now began to appear before his eyes, caused by the strain -and pressure, made him fight wildly forward, thinking that they came -from the light outside. He knew he was lost. The picture flitted before -him of the men hauling in the line. Then the silence of the deck in the -sunshine and the looks of his shipmates, the case of "lost man." He -had seen it before when he was upon the deck, and now it was his turn -below. A bulkhead brought him to a sudden stop. He reached upward and -found the solid deck. It was no use. He gave one last gigantic stroke -forward along the obstruction and started to draw in his breath, which -meant the end. Then his head suddenly came out of the water into air, -and his pulses leaped again into action.</p> - -<p>The pressure was not relieved upon his lungs, and it was some moments -before he recovered. Then his great strength came back to him and he -began to grope about in the blackness until his feet came in contact -with a step. He felt along this and found that it was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> evidently a -companionway leading to the deck above. He put forth his hands into -the space overhead and found a solid roof but a foot or less above the -surface of the water he was in. Then it dawned upon him that he was -beneath the coamings of the hatchway, and the air was that which had -been caught under the top as the brig had settled. She had only been -sunk about fifty-five hours, and the air had not found its way through -the tight cover overhead. It was compressed by the pressure of the -water above it. It was only about twelve feet to the surface from where -he now rested, and if he could get free he might yet get away safely. -The shark was probably below under the bilge, trying to get in the hole -and would not notice him if he came up through the hatchway. He could -make a dash for the surface, and call for a line before the monster -could locate him. The air within the small space was already getting -used up while he waited to recover. There were not more than half a -dozen cubic feet of it altogether, and he must work quickly if he would -be free.</p> - -<p>He now groped for the fastenings of the hatchway, hoping to seize -them and force the slide back. The covering was of peculiar pattern, -high-domed above the coamings, and it was for this reason that the air -had failed to find its way through the front of the opening. He felt -for the lock and finally found that the hasp was on the outside. He was -locked below.</p> - -<p>He had been away from the sloop for more than five minutes now, and -the men aboard had hauled in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> the line. It came fast enough, and some -leaned over the rail watching until the end came into view. Then they -knew, or fancied they knew, the story.</p> - -<p>"Gone, by God," came the exclamation from the captain—"he was -right—they always travel in couples—" Then he stood there with the -rest, all gazing steadfastly down into the clear water of the Gulf -Stream that now went past crystal-like and undisturbed. The dim forms -of the coral showed below, but nothing like the shape of either man -or shark was visible. The disturbed water from the blast had all gone -to the northward with the current, and they wondered. If there were a -monster lurking in the depths, he must be well under the brig's bilge -in the deep shadow. The line told the story the eye failed to reach. It -was not new, the story of a lost diver on the Bahama Bank.</p> - -<p>They hung over the side and spoke seldom: when they did, it was in a -low tone. There was nothing to do, for no one had the hardihood to -make the plunge to find out what had happened. They must wait for the -wrecking crew. Diving was not to be thought of again for hours.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile the mate was below in the dome of the hatchway.</p> - -<p>Finding that the slide was fastened on the outside, he put forth all -his giant strength to force it. Planting his feet upon the after end, -he managed to keep his mouth out of the water and get a grip upon the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> -hatch-carline. Then he strained away to burst the lock.</p> - -<p>In the little bubble of compressed air the exertion caused him to pant -for breath. He must hurry. The wood creaked dully. A jet of water -spurted in his face. The slide was giving way, letting in the ocean -from the outside, and in another moment the remaining space of air -would be gone. With one tremendous shove he tore the carline loose. -Then he clutched frantically at the splintering wood, and as the water -closed over him he wrenched the slide loose and drove himself blindly -through the opening. The next instant he shot upward, and in a moment -he saw the light above. He came to the surface under the sloop's port -quarter, bursting into the sunshine with a loud splash.</p> - -<p>The captain heard the noise and hurried over to look. The mate's black -head was just a fathom below him, and he quickly dropped him a line. -Then willing hands reached over and he was dragged on deck. He had been -below nearly a quarter of an hour.</p> - -<p>Staggering like a drunken man the great mate lounged forward, his -bloodshot eyes distended, and his breath coming in loud rasping gasps, -a little thin trickle of blood running from his nose and mingling with -the salt water pouring down his face. Men seized him and tried to hold -him up, but he plunged headlong upon the deck and lay still.</p> - -<p>It was nearly half an hour later before he opened his eyes and looked -about him. All hands were around him, some rubbing his huge limbs and -others standing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> looking on, waiting to do what the captain might -direct. Then he came slowly to and rose unsteadily to his feet. There -was a feeling of relief and the men talked. The captain asked questions -and plied his mate with whiskey.</p> - -<p>The giant black stood gazing out to sea, trying to realize what had -happened, and while he looked he saw a thin trail of smoke rising upon -the southern horizon. He pointed to it without saying anything, and all -hands saw it and stopped in their work to stare.</p> - -<p>"It's the wreckin' tug from Key West," said the captain. "No more -divin' to-day. Jest our bloomin' luck. Nothin' to hinder us from doin' -a bit o' bizness. No danged shurks nor nothin' to stop a man, an' here -we lose our chance."</p> - -<p>"I reckon it's all right, cap'n," said the big mate, speaking for the -first time. "I done quit divin' fer this season, ennyways. 'N' when I -says I smells shurk, I means <i>shurk</i>. 'N' the fust man what begs me toe -go under ag'in when I says that, I gwine toe break his haid."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="II" id="II">II</a></p> - -<p class="center">The Wrecker's Reward</p> - - -<p>"<span class="smcap">Ef</span> I wassent er lady, I'd knock yo' blamed haid off, yo' black -rascal!" cried Julia. The big mate smiled at her softly, and made -another pass to seize her; but she struggled free, for he would not -hold her fast enough. "Don't yo' come 'round heah no mo'; I don't want -no dealin's wif no sailor man."</p> - -<p>"What' the good o' gettin' mad over a little squeeze, Sugar-plum?" -grinned the black giant. "I ain't done yo' no harm—an' wouldn't fo' -nothing Jule. Yo' knows I ain't got no gal but yo'self."</p> - -<p>"Youse a rascal, dat yo' is, 'n' ef I wassent a lady, I'd knock yo' -cocoanut off'n yo' ugly haid!" said the indignant Julia, whose dignity -had been ruffled by the sailor's amorous but powerful wooing. "I knows -yo', comin' around dis house an' tryin' to fool a pore gal like me."</p> - -<p>"No, Jule, I means everythin' I says, an' a lot mo' besides. I wants -yo' to marry me, sho' 'nuff," said the big sailor earnestly.</p> - -<p>Julia rapidly was soothing herself. There was something so strong and -pleading in the man's voice that she almost forgot the liberties he had -taken, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> looked at him keenly. "Aw, gwine away, yo' black man; whar -yo' got money to marry a gal like me?" She was now smiling at him; but -edging away into the doorway of the little cabin which stood by the -coral roadway in Key West. She really did not dislike the sailor; for -Bahama Bill had a reputation for being a good money-getter and a most -excellent spender. As mate of the wrecking sloop <i>Sea-Horse</i>, he often -came in with a few English pounds sterling, or a pocketful of good -American dollars, earned in his business along the Great Bahama Bank. -Three days, however, always was the limit of his prosperity.</p> - -<p>Now he had been ashore for a week, and consequently was the possessor -of nothing more than a clasp-knife, a dirty pair of trousers and -jumper, and an old clay pipe. Shoes he had left at some friend's house -for a trivial debt for a handful of cigars, and head-gear he did not -need. He was more or less contented, and was entirely willing to enter -into the married state, feeling with the utmost confidence that money -was a plentiful article and easy for a man of parts to procure. His -wild excesses seemed vain in the sober light of the tropic sunshine, -and it manifestly was the time for him to settle down to a state of -quiet bliss with Julia.</p> - -<p>"I kin get plenty o' money, Jule," said he softly.</p> - -<p>"When yo' shows me, den yo' cain talk wif me, an' not befo'," said -Julia. "I ain't doin' no washin' 'n' ironin' for no one. I'se near -eighteen now, an' I ain't married no one yet."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span></p> - -<p>"But, Jule, I kin get money easy enough. Come here now an' let me tell -yo' how I kin."</p> - -<p>"No, sah, no monkeyin'," said Julia, edging farther into the -doorway. "Yo' get de money fust, 'n'—'n'—den—well, yo' -knows—'bout—'bout—dat."</p> - -<p>Then she softly but firmly shut the door. He caught a glimpse of her -through the kitchen window, and she smiled and waved her hand so that -he almost was tempted to force an entrance; but he remembered that -the Cuban who owned the house would likely hear him and perhaps fill -him with bird-shot. He gave one longing look, and strode toward the -harbour. The wrecking sloop was to sail that day, sponging to the -northward along the Keys.</p> - -<p>The first few days were hard on him. He was solemn and lonesome in -spite of himself, and his quiet behaviour was noticed by his shipmates. -They made the remarks usual among rough men of the forecastle, but Bill -took no notice.</p> - -<p>"Here's a chance for a feller to make good," cried a Conch to a stout -German sailor called Heldron: "Reward fer old man Sanches' boy who run -off to sea in one o' them fruit-ships," and he read from an old paper -as he lay in his bunk during the watch below.</p> - -<p>"I know dot poy: he pad poy; but him fader big sight worse," said the -German. "He make de worst seegar in Key West."</p> - -<p>"Well, if I was a mate o' a ship I might make good on that, hey?" said -Sam.</p> - -<p>"Blamed sight easier'n spongin', to catch a little<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> boy," said another; -"but I hear the old man is going to the eastward—heard of something -down Fortune Island way."</p> - -<p>And the conversation turned to business, while the mate smoked on in -silence. That night they were speeding across the Florida Channel in -spite of the threatening weather and heavy sea. By morning they were -many miles off shore, and gradually had been forced to slow down. -The wind, while now slacking up and becoming heavy with moisture and -warmth, had been strong enough during the night to make the <i>Sea-Horse</i> -shorten down to keep from forcing too heavily into the high, rolling -sea.</p> - -<p>It was dirty weather in the Gulf Stream. The flying scud streamed -away to the northwest in little whirling bits of vapour. They tore -along with the speed of an express train in a direction which seemed -at a sharp angle to the heavy, steel-blue bank which swept in a -mighty and majestic semicircle across the southern sky. High overhead -the sky had a distant appearance, something peculiar and weird, for -the storm-centre was advancing northward and gathering all straying -moisture in its grasp. It made dark streaks in the heavens at a -distance above the sea, and rays of the morning sun shone upon them -with a brassy glare, as though the whole universe was incased in a -colossal dome which darkened near the horizon. It seemed to absorb -the failing light less and less as the line of vision rose toward the -zenith.</p> - -<p>With a line of reef-points tied in from the second<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> hoop on the -mainsail to the cringle on the leach, which raised only a couple of -fathoms in the air, the <i>Sea-Horse</i> lay upon the starboard tack. A bit -of staysail forward hauled to the mast held her steady as she breasted -the sea, staggering to leeward with the heave that, increasing, told of -a mighty power behind it. The combing crests rolled white with a dull, -rattling snore, and the beautiful blue colour of the warm stream was -paling into a dark lead.</p> - -<p>The sloop would throw her forefoot high in the air as the rolling -crests would strike and sweep from under the now almost logy hulk. The -brown of the copper-painted under-body showed in strong contrast to -the dirty white above. Then she would drop with a sidewise, twisting -motion, a little bow-foremost into the trough, and back her snub nose -away from the onrushing hill before it, which sometimes would burst and -smother her out of sight to the mast in a storm of flying water. Then -she would drop again, sidewise and forward down the incline, the rush -of foam on the decks sweeping through the side ports in the bulwarks, -spurting and pouring over everything, and finally overboard, until the -action was repeated.</p> - -<p>Two men in their yellow oilskins were upon the quarter-deck; one lying -prone abaft the rise of the cabin, gazed sullenly at the menacing sky. -The other sat and held on the wheel, which was fast in a becket, with -relieving tackles on the gear heaving it hard down, and he tried to -get puffs of smoke from a pipe. The wind was getting too strong for -smoking, and he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> went into the companionway and called the mate to -relieve him. Bahama Bill came up, and the Captain went below.</p> - -<p>The big mate sat there watching the weather, and his face bore a -good-humoured expression. The conditions suited his frame of mind. Away -from the temptations of the beach, he was a different man from the -fracas-loving ruffian when full of cheap grog. Captain Bull Sanders -turned in for a short rest, knowing that the vessel was in good hands.</p> - -<p>Below in the bunks of the cuddy five men lay in all possible positions -to keep from being flung out. One read, or tried to read, the paper -which told of the running away to sea of the rich cigar-maker's son -and of the reward offered for his safe delivery into the bosom of his -family. Others lay and talked. Another slept, grasping even in his -slumbers at the bunk-boards, and mechanically bracing his knee to -hold himself during the wild plunges. The creaking and racking of the -straining sloop blended with the droning roar overhead, punctuated -now and then by a smashing crash as a sea would fall on deck; but the -resting men paid little attention to either the noise or motion, until -the Captain had finished his pipe.</p> - -<p>He suddenly threw down the magazine he had been trying to read for some -minutes, and glanced at the barometer on the bulkhead. "Goin' down all -the time. I reckon we'll catch it," he said.</p> - -<p>"Hurricane season began nigh a month ago," said a man significantly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span></p> - -<p>"It don't got here alretty yet, maybe," said Heldron.</p> - -<p>"Must be," said a Swede.</p> - -<p>There was a general movement. All hands reached for oilskins and -without further orders followed the Captain on deck.</p> - -<p>"How's the wind now, Bill?" bawled the Captain.</p> - -<p>"Been easterly; but goin' toe th' s'uthard fast," said the mate. "Looks -a bit dirty."</p> - -<p>"Whew! Beginning to blow a bit, hey?" said the Captain, as a fierce -squall struck them and roared past, sending a blinding cloud of spray -and drift over them. The droning cry of the wind in the rigging -increased, and the straining cloth stretched until the blast passing -over it made a dull, booming, rushing sound of such volume that -conversation was deadened in the noise.</p> - -<p>It now was blowing with force. The sea was white under the steel-blue -bank, which had risen until a twilight darkness was upon the ocean. The -sky above was turning a dull gray, and the scud was darker against it, -whirling along in torn masses before the squalls, which were becoming -more frequent and violent. The wind was shifting southerly, and the -shifts in the squalls told plainly of the danger of the approaching -spot of low pressure, about which the squalls drew in with the spiral -movement common to tropical hurricanes.</p> - -<p>Bull Sanders looked anxiously at the lubber's mark. The sea was getting -worse, and the sudden hot blasts of wind were more vicious. He was too -old a sailor to be caught with loose gear. Everything already had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> been -done to snug the sloop down; but there was a limit to the strength of -spars and lines. The mainsail might hold; but some of those hurricane -squalls would blow away anything made of canvas, and he decided to take -no chances. He got out his sea-anchor, or drag, and let it go from -the weather quarter, passing the line forward with difficulty to the -windlass. Then, just after a squall, all hands handed in the bit of -canvas, rolled it up, and made it fast. The <i>Sea-Horse</i> now was going -astern fast, pulling the drag with her which kept her head to the sea. -Nothing more could be done for the time, and Sanders crouched in the -wake of the cabin, watching ahead for the shift which would come.</p> - -<p>"What's that?" he bawled into the mate's ear, and pointed to the -eastward.</p> - -<p>Just as the sloop rose upon a high crest, a dark speck showed for a -moment on the eastern horizon. It was not far away; for it was too -thick to see any great distance.</p> - -<p>"Steamer," bawled the mate, "hove-to and going to the north'ard like -blazes!"</p> - -<p>"We're right in th' stream—if the wind holds southeast, he'll be all -right."</p> - -<p>"But it won't. It's shifting—be southwest in an hour—he'll be close -to the bank."</p> - -<p>"Gun Key?"</p> - -<p>"We ain't more'n twenty miles to the south'ard o' Gun Key—'bout -sou'west-b'-south."</p> - -<p>The squalls became fiercer and more frequent.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> They were like blasts -from an explosion, the wind roaring past with incredible power. Between -them it was blowing at the rate of sixty miles an hour; but when they -struck it was nearly double that velocity. The wrecking sloop sagged -away to leeward, and the dangerous sea swept upon her during those -rushes in a way that shook every bolt and fastening in the frame. -She was beginning to make water a little, and the bursting sea which -struck now and again sought out every crack and seam in the companion -doors and hatchway. The men on deck were submerged repeatedly. For -an hour and more they watched her making bad weather of it, and then -came a darker colour in the gray above. There was a sudden squall of -tremendous power. The vessel was hove almost on her beam ends as it -took her forward of the beam, and she swung up to the drag barely in -time to take the sea bow on. The lubber's mark swung slowly from left -to right until it reached southwest.</p> - -<p>"It's goin' fast," bawled the mate to Sanders alongside him.</p> - -<p>"See that feller now?" asked the Captain.</p> - -<p>The mate pointed to the eastward.</p> - -<p>The dark smudge of the steamer's hull showed through the flying drift. -While they looked a flash of white told of a heavy sea boarding her. -She disappeared in the foam.</p> - -<p>"Must have trouble with her engines," said Sanders. "She's goin' to -lor'ard as fast as we be."</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill was staring astern into the gray blank<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> where all things -seemed to melt into chaos. Suddenly he called out, and all hands swung -about and stared in the same direction.</p> - -<p>"Gun Key light!" screamed Heldron, his eyes staring from their -salt-burned lids.</p> - -<p>"Will we go clear?" asked Sam, his voice steady, but his intense look -telling of the tale of life or death he wanted to hear. They stared -into the drift astern, and the squalls broke over them unheeded. The -sea was quick and heavy, and to strike meant certain loss of the -vessel. There was one chance in a thousand for any one to get ashore, -should she fetch up on the coral bank. Yet there she was going to -leeward fast in spite of the drag, and the tower of Gun Key light was -rising under the lee. To the northward was the Beminis. She was getting -jammed, and the chances were growing against her as the minutes flew by.</p> - -<p>The steamer was farther to leeward. She had sighted the edge of the -bank, and was trying to drive off into the Gulf Stream with the force -of her crippled engines. A cross-head bolt had started, and under the -terrific strain the starboard engine had broken down. She could not -keep head to the sea with the port wheel, and had placed a tarpaulin -in the mizzen-rigging to help hold; but it had forced her to leeward -also, and she now was close to the edge of the Great Bahama Bank. The -<i>Sea-Horse</i> still had between twelve and fifteen miles between her and -the reef; but the ship had hardly ten, and was dropping back too<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> fast -for any hope to clear unless the wind eased up suddenly.</p> - -<p>Squall after squall followed the shift. It blew harder, if anything, -and the Captain of the steamer, seeing that he must go on the bank, -made ready to pile his ship up as high as possible in the hope of -saving some of the passengers and crew. To go upon the submerged part -of the reef meant death to all hands. He must run upon the coral above -the surf, and get as high up as he could. Then if the outer edge was -steep, he might get his bow near enough to dry land to get the people -ashore.</p> - -<p>The crew of the <i>Sea-Horse</i> watched him as he went slowly in. In an -hour after the westerly shift he was so close that the white coral -showed through the blinding clouds of spray thrown up by the sea on the -reef. Then, by hard work, he managed to get some head sail on the ship -and start in for Gun Key.</p> - -<p>She ran the half-mile between her and the beach at a tremendous pace. -Lifting upon a sea, she rushed shoreward and struck, swung, lifted -again, and then was hove solidly broadside into the surf. The men on -the wrecker saw her strike. When she stopped a great burst of white -told of a smashing sea going over. The slanting spars and funnel told -how high she had hit, and the huge, bursting clouds of white water -smothering her told of the rending power that she was exposed to -in that surf. The hundred yards between the bow and the sand was a -churning, boiling stretch of whiteness.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span></p> - -<p>"That's the end of her," said the mate. "Looks like we're in fer the -same thing."</p> - -<p>In silence the rest watched the wreck. They were going in themselves; -but the fate of the ship held their attention in spite of the death -that they knew lay in the white line to leeward. It had been blowing -now for four hours with hurricane force, and as they went in within -a mile of the surf the shifting squalls swung more and more to the -westward. Then it began to ease suddenly. Between gusts there was -not more than a stiff gale. It was growing brighter, and they knew -that they had missed the storm-centre, which must have passed to the -eastward.</p> - -<p>"Get the mainsail on her—we'll poke her to the s'uth'ard!" bawled -Sanders.</p> - -<p>Led by the mate, the men lay forward, and working for life raised the -balance-reefed mainsail. Bahama Bill lay flat on his stomach, knife in -hand, while they cleared the forestaysail and ran it up. Then he cut -clear the drag. A wave of the hand, and Sanders filled the vessel off -on the starboard tack, and as it went the dull booming thunder of the -surf came up against the gale.</p> - -<p>"If the wind keeps goin' we'll poke her off yet," said Sanders as the -mate came aft.</p> - -<p>"Ay, we'll poke her out to sea; but I could swim that surf good an' -easy," said the mate quietly.</p> - -<p>The Captain grinned, and looked at his giant form, its huge proportions -made all the larger by the loose-fitting oilskins.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Mebbe you'll git a chance yet," he said. "If it had blown half an hour -longer, you cud ha' tried."</p> - -<p>They worked off that afternoon, getting sail up as the wind slacked. At -night they kept the light in sight, and the next morning were standing -back for Gun Key under a single-reefed mainsail with a fine strong -northerly wind and clear sky. The steamship lay over on her side in the -surf, which broke over her in sheets of foam and spray. The sea had -gone down; but there still was enough to tear up the craft. The masts -and funnel and nearly all the superstructure had gone. Even the iron -sides were smashed, twisted and bent, the plates starting and ripping -clear of the rivets under the smashing blows of the sea. No sign of -life showed aboard; but as she was high up on the bank there was no -doubt that men could live. The <i>Sea-Horse</i> ran close enough to give the -crew a chance to read the name <i>Orion</i> on the stern.</p> - -<p>"One o' them new ships," said Bill. "She was in Key West last time we -ran sponges."</p> - -<p>They ran as close to the surf as they dared, and let go both anchors. -Paying out cable, the sloop soon came within fifty fathoms, and then -stopped; for the sea rose just under the stern, and burst a few fathoms -farther in.</p> - -<p>"Gimme a line," said the mate.</p> - -<p>Sam and Heldron brought forth a coil of whale line, and the black man -stripped for the plunge. He went over the side without a splash, and -they paid out fathom after fathom until his black head showed close<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> to -the bow of the ship, which had settled inshore and lower. Then they saw -him disappear around it, and they waited. Five, ten, minutes passed, -and then a form showed upon the high stern. It was the mate, and he -waved to haul line.</p> - -<p>Heldron went over the taut line next, followed by a Swede and Sam. Then -the line was slacked off, and the big mate, taking a new one, plunged -to leeward and made his way ashore. Half-fish, the diver went through -the surf without accident and joined the light-keeper and his assistant -on the beach, where they were waiting to do what they could to save -those on the wreck. A line they had sent in on a buoy had parted, and -the man upon it had been drowned.</p> - -<p>The mate went back aboard, and managed to get the ten passengers -and rest of the crew ashore without accident. All had gone except -an uncouth-looking lad, the ship's galley-boy, in whom no one -took interest enough to care whether he got ashore or not. Dirty, -dishevelled and frightened beyond words, the lad crawled out of his -hiding-place and begged the big mate to take him in.</p> - -<p>As he had been calling and looking through the ship for disabled men, -the Captain having told him his crew, the mate seized the lad without -further words and plunged over the side. The boy was the last person -unaccounted for.</p> - -<p>"Seems to me I seen yo' befo', sonny," said the mate as he drew him -clear of the surf. "Don't yo' live in Key West?"</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, I know you," said the lad, grinning.</p> - -<p>The mate held him out at arm's length. "Ain't yo' Jimmy Sanches?"</p> - -<p>The grin died away from the lad's face. "You won't take me back, will -you, Bill?" he said.</p> - -<p>"I reckon I'll have toe, Jimmy."</p> - -<p>The next day the <i>Sea-Horse</i> sailed for Key West with the first claim -for salvage, and a small boy who tried to run away at the last minute, -causing the mate a chase to the lighthouse before he recaptured him.</p> - -<p>"You've hit it fair this trip," said Sanders. "I reckon as ye ain't -thinkin' about whackin' up on thet reward, hey Bill?"</p> - -<p>But the mate said nothing, his rheumy eyes looking far away toward the -southern horizon, where he expected to see the spars of the shipping in -Key West rise above the sea. He was thinking, and it caused his heavy -and seamed jaws to set and line up into a deep scowl. Julia worked for -the rich Sanches, and their reception of a ragged and half-sober seaman -had not been hospitable. Yet here was his chance.</p> - -<p>The next day the wrecking sloop rode at anchor close to the beach, -and Sanders made ready to get his load of perishable goods ashore and -notify the authorities of the disaster up the bank.</p> - -<p>"Don't take me back!" whispered Jimmy as Bill swung him into the small -boat, and the big mate was silent as the men rowed ashore.</p> - -<p>On the way up the street the mate walked slowly, holding the boy by the -hand.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span></p> - -<p>"You know what a feller my stepfather is, Bill. Don't take me back!" -pleaded Jimmy.</p> - -<p>A steamer was clearing at the coal dock, and the mate stopped to look -at it. Then he suddenly looked down at the boy. "Kin yo' make it, -sonny?" he asked, and he let go of the boy's hand. Like a flash the -lad ran to the string-piece, balanced a moment, and then sprang to -the rail of the ship astern without those on board noticing him. It -was gathering headway, and in a few moments was steaming out to sea, -leaving the big mate staring after her, and the few men who had cast -off her lines clearing up the rubbish in the wake of her gangway.</p> - -<p>"I come back toe tell yo', Jule, dat I ain't in the money racket," said -Bill, half an hour later. "I ain't no perliceman—I'm a sailor."</p> - -<p>"Whatcher mean, Bill?" asked the damsel, keeping inside the door.</p> - -<p>"Nothin'—only if yo' is sho' nuff goin' toe marry me, gal, yo'll have -toe take yo' chances—same as me."</p> - -<p>"Chances? Whatcher mean by chances, man?"</p> - -<p>"What I says," said Bill, solemnly.</p> - -<p>She saw that he was not in liquor. He sat silent and solemn for a long -time, until finally she opened the door a little wider.</p> - -<p>"I reckon I ain't scared o' takin'—usual risks—Bill."</p> - -<p>"I would like to borrow five dollars from ye, Bill," said Sanders when -the mate got back aboard.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span></p> - -<p>The giant black scowled at him.</p> - -<p>"Didn't ye git the money yet?"</p> - -<p>"I ain't naterally quarrelsome," said Bill; "but if I hears any mo' -erbout dat money, dere's likely toe be some daid men 'roun'."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="III" id="III">III</a></p> - -<p class="center">The Mate of the "Sea-Horse"</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">He</span> stalked in behind the captain of the <i>Caliban</i> to the desk in the -consul's office at Key West, where the clerk signed on the men. His -six feet three inches of solid frame almost filled the doorway as he -entered, and he scowled sourly at the group already there. His black -face was lined and wrinkled and bore traces of a debauch, but in spite -of his sinister expression his eyes told of a good-natured steadiness -of temper. The bloodshot whites and heavy lids told plainly that he -was a diver, and his peculiar accent, giant frame and general muscular -development proclaimed him a Fortune Islander, a Conch of the Great -Bahama Bank.</p> - -<p>"Nationality?" droned the clerk, in a dull monotone, as he came forward.</p> - -<p>"American," he answered, distinctly.</p> - -<p>The captain looked at him.</p> - -<p>"Where from?" droned the clerk, filling in the blank.</p> - -<p>"Jacksonville," he answered, in a deep tone, fixing his eyes upon the -man's face.</p> - -<p>The clerk smiled a little, but said nothing. It was not his business to -argue, and he knew the weakness<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> of the reefer. He had signed the giant -on to more than six different vessels within the past two years and -each time he had solemnly sworn he was a native of a different country -from the last one named. He had now become a citizen of the United -States, having reserved this honor for the seventh and last time to -sign.</p> - -<p>The age of the giant fluctuated. Once he had had an indistinct -remembrance of being about twenty-five; now he had leaped suddenly to -forty. Something had evidently made him feel aged, and the clerk was -amused, for he felt that it must indeed have been a heavy debauch to -produce such an effect.</p> - -<p>The Islander, or rather the American now, glanced uneasily at the -ship's papers. He was signing on for a cruise in a yacht, and the -United States articles with their red spread-eagle upon their edges -attracted his attention. He could not read the announcement of the -government "whack," or ration, as prescribed by law, and he had -heretofore signed without looking. Now the papers interested him, and -he bade the clerk read them. His voice was low and gentle, but it had -nothing except command in each word, and this annoyed the clerk. He -read slowly and with bad grace, looking up now and then at the captain, -who stood waiting for his man and giving a glance which told plainly -that here was a pirate who would probably make no end of trouble -aboard his ship. But men like the Conch were extremely rare and he -would have him, so he waited impatiently while the clerk read and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> -rest listened, hearing probably for the first time in their lives the -contents of a set of articles which they had always treated with the -high disdain existent in all sailors. When the clerk finished, the -giant took the pen in his fingers and scrawled "Bahama Bill" in large, -wabbly letters to his place on the list as second mate for a voyage to -some port north of New York, three months and discharge.</p> - -<p>"S'pose you write William Haskins under that?" said the clerk, sourly. -The giant growled out something, but did as told. Then the papers were -finished.</p> - -<p>The captain led the crew down to the vessel, the mainsail was hoisted, -and as the anchor broke clear and the head-sails were run up, the -little gun upon her quarter crashed a salute which echoed and reechoed -over the quiet harbour. Then the <i>Caliban</i> stood out into the Gulf -Stream and was off, leaving the loafing Cubans and listless Conches -upon the docks, gazing after her over the heaving blue surface streaked -and darkened by the breath of the trade-wind.</p> - -<p>The <i>Caliban</i> was a well-appointed yacht, and her master was a -yacht-captain. That is, he was not a navigator, but simply a Norwegian -sailor who had had the address to impress the owner favourably, and -consequently, there being no examination for a license necessary, the -owner had placed him in command in the usual manner. The chief mate -was a square-head like the master, the owner allowing the captain the -choice of officers, retaining only the cook and steward as his own -protégés for the comfort of the cabin.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> Under a schooner rig, the -vessel had cruised through the West Indian waters, and had lost her -second mate and crew the day she touched at Key West, the party making -the "pier-head" jump the day after being paid off. In disgust, the -owner left her and took passage for the fashionable hotel at Miami, -leaving his captain to find a crew and follow as soon as possible.</p> - -<p>The morning of the second day out, the yacht swung around Cape Florida, -and stood into Biscayne Bay, rounding to on the edge of the channel -near the large and fashionable hotel, and dropping her hook, the rattle -of her anchor-chain was drowned in the crash of her six-pounder. The -captain went ashore in full uniform, and the first officer turned in, -leaving the second mate in charge leaning easily upon the rail and -gazing after the vanishing form in gold braid.</p> - -<p>The uniform of the second mate was a misfit. There were no clothes -among the slops that would fit his frame, but he gloried in a cap with -braid stuck rakishly on his head, and while his legs were incased in -white ducks rolled to the knees, his huge torso was covered by no more -than a course linen shirt. This he wore split up the back and open in -front, and he was comfortably indifferent to the excellent ventilation -it afforded.</p> - -<p>It was early in the morning and few people were stirring near the great -hotel. The captain disappeared in the direction of the town, and while -the second mate gazed, he saw a boat pulling rapidly toward him from -the hotel dock.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span></p> - -<p>Soon a man, rowed by a boy, came alongside.</p> - -<p>"Is the owner aboard?" he asked, nervously.</p> - -<p>"No, sah," said Bill, squinting at him.</p> - -<p>"Who's in command?" he inquired.</p> - -<p>"Me, sah."</p> - -<p>"Well, don't fire that gun again. You scare all the invalids in the -hotel. We can't have our people frightened this way."</p> - -<p>"She goes agin at eight bells," drawled Bill. "Have to raise de colours -by him. If you don't like dat little gun, jest please move yer shack."</p> - -<p>"Don't you dare to talk to me like that! Do you know who I am?" bawled -the man, standing up.</p> - -<p>"Naw, I don't know yer—an' de wust is, yo' clean forgot me. Now don't -yo' git too noisy, Peter Snooks, er whatever yer name is—ef yer do, -I'll set on yer. If yer don't like de noise, move yo' shack. I ain't -got no orders to pull de hook."</p> - -<p>The man swore and threatened, but the second mate smiled -good-naturedly, until the man rowed away vowing vengeance.</p> - -<p>"That's the dockmaster, sir," said a sailor standing near. "He'll make -a lot o' trouble—I know him."</p> - -<p>"Fergit him," said the second mate, in a low tone, but in a manner -which closed the incident.</p> - -<p>At eight bells the gun crashed a salute, and, either by chance or -otherwise, it pointed directly at the windows of the huge edifice -filled with the rich Northern guests. The glass fairly rattled with the -shock.</p> - -<p>The day wore on without incident, until the captain<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> came aboard, a bit -the worse for liquor and with the news that the owner had left for St. -Augustine, leaving orders for the yacht to follow.</p> - -<p>It was quiet, and the schooner rode at anchor in a bay of pond-like -smoothness. The men lounged about the decks or gazed over the side at -the bottom, which could be seen through the clear water. They would -stand out at sunrise, but the captain told no one of this intention, -and those ashore expected her to be a fixture of a week or more. The -sun went down in a bank to the westward and the semi-tropical night -came dark and quiet upon the sea.</p> - -<p>Through the deepening gloom, a shadow came stealing around the wooded -point of Cape Florida. With her mainsail well off to the gentle -southerly breeze, the wrecking-sloop <i>Sea-Horse</i> slipped noiselessly -through the water, swinging around the channel buoy and standing like -a black phantom for the mouth of the Miami. She came without a sound, -not even a ripple gurgling from her forefoot; and not a ray of light -showed either from her rigging or from her cabin-house. At the wheel, -a figure stood silent in the night, a slight turn of the spokes now -and then being the only movement to show that the image was that of a -man steering. Strung along the deck-house and rail lay six other human -forms, but they were as quiet as though made of wood. Not even the -glow of a pipe relieved the silent gloom. The wrecker drew near the -yacht. The man at the wheel leaned slightly forward over the spokes -and peered long and searchingly at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> her from under the main-boom. Then -she drifted past, and as she did so eight bells struck, sounding clear -and musical from the forecastle. In the glare from her anchor-light, a -giant form showed upon the yacht's forecastle-head—the black second -mate, who was taking a look at the anchor-cable before settling himself -for a smoke. The wrecker passed and disappeared around the point, and -the second mate of the <i>Caliban</i> stretched himself along the heel of -the bowsprit and watched the distant loom of the keys whence the low, -murmuring snore of the surf sounded. Two bells struck and aroused him -for a moment. The man on lookout asked permission to go below for a bit -of tobacco, and then after he had watched his figure vanish down the -hatchway, the mate turned toward the shore where the lights sparkled -over the bay.</p> - -<p>A slight rippling sound attracted his attention, and he looked over -the side. It sounded like a large fish of some kind making its way -clumsily along near the surface. The black water flared in places, -and a continuous flashing of phosphorus shone along the cheek of the -bow when the tide was shoved aside. Something dark showed at a little -distance, but it passed astern and the rippling sound died away. -Haskins, who was half-fish from habit and as watchful as a shark, went -to the taffrail and leaned over. The water seemed like ink in the -gloom, but he scanned it steadily and patiently. Nothing showed upon -the dark surface, and he smoked for half an hour, until his usually -alert senses began to wander. He was getting sleepy.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> Then the rippling -sound began again on the offshore side. He remained quiet and listened. -This time the rippling sounded like a fish going against the current, -and the glare of the disturbed water showed now and again as the body -approached. Suddenly it seemed as if the creature passed under the -yacht's bottom. The rippling died away, and the second mate stepped to -the side to see if it would rise again. Nothing showed in the blackness -under her counter, but from down there came a peculiar scraping sound. -It continued, and he peered over to see the cause. The raking stopped -instantly. He remained quiet and it began again, a peculiar scraping as -though something were scratching against the vessel's bilge.</p> - -<p>Suddenly a sound of heavy breathing came from the water. Haskins -started, drew himself down upon the rail and listened intently. Yes, he -recognized it now, distinctly. It was the breathing of a man.</p> - -<p>While he lay upon the rail listening, he was thinking rapidly. There -were few men who would swim out in the bay at night, and there was none -who would swim out there without some sinister object. He thought of -the dockmaster and his talk of revenge, but he knew the dockmaster was -not a diver. There could be only one or two men on the Florida Reefs -for wrecking, and these men were among the crew of the <i>Sea-Horse</i>, the -sloop in which he had been mate for the past season. Then he remembered -a phantom-like shadow which had drifted past in the earlier hours of -the evening, and he was satisfied he knew his man.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> It was the captain -of the wrecking-sloop, and his object was plain to the diver. It was an -old game, a game he had indulged in many times himself in the days gone -by. He knew the long, desperate swims through the dangerous waters of -West Indian and Florida reefs; the fierce struggle alongside to hold -the body silent in a tideway while with hook and bar the wrecker worked -at the oakum in the seams just a strake or two below the water-line; -then the inrushing flood and settling ship, and daylight finding a -panic-stricken captain and mutinous and half-dead crew with swollen -arms and aching backs from a night's hopeless work at the pump-brakes. -He could picture the approaching wrecking-sloop, with her apparently -amazed crew and the vulture-like descent upon the soon-abandoned -vessel whose only damage was really the working out of several pounds -of oakum from seams which were manifestly improperly calked. Then the -investigation and salvage, for even when the marks showed plain of -either bar or hook, there was never the slightest evidence against the -wrecker.</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill knew the game well, and he smiled a little as he listened. -Then he took off his cap with the gold braid and laid it upon the deck, -and leaned far out over the side. Suddenly, through the darkness, he -made out a face looking up at him from the water. There was nothing -said. He recognized the captain of the <i>Sea-Horse</i>, and he knew him -to be a man who seldom wasted words. There was only the long, hard -scrutiny, the study of man's mind by man; each try<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span>ing to fathom the -other's thought, for the sudden resolve which always comes quickly to -men of action.</p> - -<p>While they gazed, a sudden noise from aft attracted attention. It was -the surly mutterings of the drunken yacht-captain, who had come on -deck for a breath of air. The sight of him annoyed the second mate. -It caused a revulsion of feeling within him he could not understand. -The responsibility of his position became apparent for the first time. -Among his kind the rigid law of superiority and control had always -obtained while afloat. Ashore it was different. There restraint was -cast to the winds, and he had often been one of the wildest and most -dangerous men in the seamen's resorts between Key West and Panama. -Here the sight of the drunken captain made him quiet and thoughtful. -Whatever relations he had intended should exist between himself and -the wrecker, it was now plain to him that he was an officer holding -a responsible position. It came to him suddenly at the sight of the -incapable commander. He would maintain his dignity and responsibility.</p> - -<p>This feeling was upon him before he was half aware of it, and he turned -again to the man overside.</p> - -<p>"Get away quick," he said, in a low tone.</p> - -<p>The wrecker knew his meaning, and his resolve was taken. He would -follow the game out. He had swum a full half-mile, and the stake he was -playing for was high.</p> - -<p>"It's a half share if you keep your mouth shut," said the wrecker. "I -thought you had some sense."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span></p> - -<p>"De dock-marshal tol' yo' I was heah," said Bill, "but he forgot to -tell yo' I ain't de mate o' de <i>Sea-Horse</i>. Yo' clean side-stepped dat."</p> - -<p>"If anything happens to me, the boys know you are aboard. Your friend -the dockmaster saw to that. They burnt a nigger to the stake last -week," said the wrecker, meaningly.</p> - -<p>"Yo' better go ashore, Cap'n. I ain't de mate o' de <i>Sea-Horse</i>." His -tone was low and measured, and it left no further room for argument.</p> - -<p>The tipsy yacht-master had gone below again, gurgling the words of a -ribald song. He had seen nothing. The deck was deserted by all save the -second mate.</p> - -<p>"Swim out," said Bill, decisively.</p> - -<p>"Well, I'll rest a minute first," said the wrecker. He made his way -forward and climbed upon the bobstay, the second mate going on the -forecastle to watch him. The man on the lookout had not come from below -yet, and the wrecker noticed it. He was furious at his former mate, and -his hand felt instinctively for the knife in his belt. The Conch dared -not hurt him, for the crew of the <i>Sea-Horse</i> would surely make him pay -the penalty if he did. A call to the men aboard would put an end to -wrecking operations, but the giant disdained any help. He would settle -the matter quietly, as was best, and the men of the wrecking-sloop -would have no real cause for revenge. The second mate had no desire to -make unnecessary trouble<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> for himself. He would have to return some day -for the reckoning.</p> - -<p>The legs of the wrecker shone white below his trunks, and were in sharp -contrast against the black water in which they were half submerged. The -man was thinking quickly, and waiting a few seconds before making the -desperate attack with his knife. Once rid of the mate, all would be -clear for action. Haskins knew his man and suspected something, but he -sat silent upon the knightheads and waited.</p> - -<p>Suddenly he saw a long flaming streak in the water. The man on the -bobstay swore furiously. There was a great splash, a hoarse cry, and -the second mate was forward alone.</p> - -<p>It was all so sudden, he had hardly time to realize its meaning. Then, -as the man who had gone below rushed up, he seized his sheathed knife -and plunged into the blackness ahead. A thrashing of the water to -starboard located the wrecker, who had been seized by a dog-shark and -was cutting and struggling wildly for liberty. His white legs, lying -motionless and half submerged, had tempted the fish to strike. In -motion and under water, the danger had been slight. Now the scavenger, -who was about five feet long, had seized hold, and with its natural -bulldog tenacity was pulling the wrecker steadily seaward in spite -of his struggles. He had used his knife freely, for the fish made -no attempt to draw him under. The small shark of the reef, for some -reason, fights upon the surface, sinking only<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> after all resistance is -over. It was to this peculiarity that the wrecker owed his life.</p> - -<p>The big mate, Haskins, knew what had happened. He knew also the -chances, and he drove ahead through the black water, leaving a flaming -wake behind. The man on lookout, thinking the black giant had gone mad, -dived below with the news that he had plunged overboard and committed -suicide. At first, Haskins could only make out a slight disturbance -in the water, which was rapidly moving toward the entrance. Then, as -his eyes, long used to sea-water, made out the dark lump which was his -former captain's head, he half rose from the sea and with tremendous -overhand strokes fairly lifted himself forward, his knife grasped with -point in front. In a few moments he was up with the fracas. The wrecker -saw him coming, and called out. He seized him, and then all three went -below the surface with the force of the fish's tug.</p> - -<p>Reaching along the wrecker's leg, Haskins drove his knife with force -just behind the shark's jaw-socket. The blow abated the scavenger's -zeal, and they arose to the surface. A second lunge and the fish let -go and disappeared. Then the wrecker's body relaxed, and Haskins was -swimming upon the quiet surface of the bay, holding the sinking head -above water.</p> - -<p>Far away, the dark outlines of Virginia Key showed, a low black lump -on the horizon. Beyond it, the dull snore of the surf came over the -water. A good hundred yards against the tide, the anchor-light of the -yacht shone. It would be almost impossible to drag<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> the insensible man -to her, even should he dare. There was only one way out of the scrape, -and Haskins with resolute mind saw it and began the struggle at once. -He headed for the mouth of the river, where he knew the <i>Sea-Horse</i> lay -waiting, just behind the point.</p> - -<p>On through the blackness he swam. The first mile seemed endless, and -still the lifeless form of the wrecker dragged helplessly in his wake. -Another, and his teeth were shut like a vise and his breath was panting -loudly over the quiet water. He turned the point, and saw the loom of -the <i>Sea-Horse</i> as she rose at anchor beyond the shadow of the trees -upon the banks.</p> - -<p>Suddenly a man hailed in a low tone. The mate made no answer, but -headed for the bobstays and grasped them. Then he rested. Half an hour -later, the captain of the wrecker came to in his bunk and viewed his -bandaged leg. A lamp burned dimly in the cabin, and he made out the -form of the black mate lying in a bunk, snoring loudly. Several of the -crew were sitting around waiting until he could give the details of -the affair, and now they crowded forward. The plot was a failure owing -to Haskins. He told of the huge mate's interference and of the stroke -of the dog-shark. Then they burst forth with imprecations so loud -that Haskins awoke. Knives glinted in the dim light and a half-dozen -sinister faces formed a crescent above him, but he was very tired. He -gazed for nearly a minute through half-closed lids at the threatening -men. He thought he heard the captain calling weakly for the men to let -him alone. What he had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> done for him was not entirely lost. Then he -gave a snort of contempt and turned his back to them and slept.</p> - -<p>Even the boldest held back. The conscious power of the man and his -disdain for them all were too much even for the most desperate. They -drew away sullenly and listened to their captain, and then as his -words, whispered low, began to have effect, they left the cuddy. -Silently they hoisted the mainsail and carefully drew in fathom after -fathom of the cable. The jib was hoisted and the <i>Sea-Horse</i> stood out -and passed like a dark shadow from the harbour. As the sun rose and -gave colour to the sea, the deep blue of the wind-broken surface told -of the Gulf Stream. The land had disappeared astern.</p> - -<p>In the early morning, the yacht-master put sail on the <i>Caliban</i> and -stood out for New York. He had a full crew lacking a second mate, -and they carried the story North how they had shipped a black giant -who had gone mad during the night and plunged to his death over the -knightheads.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="IV" id="IV">IV</a></p> - -<p class="center">Barnegat Macreary</p> - - -<p>"<span class="smcap">Put</span> that fellow in the lee rigging and let him chuck the lead awhile," -said Captain Sanders. "Sink me, but he is a queer one. Where did ye say -he hailed from?"</p> - -<p>"Hey, Peter, where did yo' hatch?" asked the big black mate in a voice -deep and loud enough to be heard half a mile. The man he addressed was -standing near the mast explaining to the wrecking crew gathered about -him how he had once been quartermaster in a man-of-war. He looked aft -at the hail.</p> - -<p>"I'm from the Berhammers," said he.</p> - -<p>"Born there?" asked the captain.</p> - -<p>"No, I live on the Great Berhammer—I'm a sailor man, sir."</p> - -<p>"Put him in the lee rigging an' let him sound across the Bank. If he -knows half as much as he says he does, he'll see us across all right -enough. It's getting mighty shoal now. Look at that nigger head pokin' -up yander." And he pointed to a piece of coral that came within a few -feet of the surface of the clear blue water. The bottom was plainly -visible two fathoms<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> below and the wrecking sloop, <i>Sea-Horse</i>, needed -at least one to go clear with the rise and fall of the sea.</p> - -<p>"Git to lor'ard there, quartermaster, an' heave the lead," bawled the -mate, looking the man squarely in the eyes.</p> - -<p>"But I shipped as a sailor——"</p> - -<p>"Git thar quick an' sudden," roared the black giant, rising from the -cuddy hatch coaming. He had heard the loud tone of the man forward -telling his latest yarn.</p> - -<p>A look of amazement and concern came over the face of the man from -"Berhammer," but he hesitated no longer. Seizing the lead which lay -always ready in a tub of line near the windlass, he made the lee side -and hove it far ahead.</p> - -<p>The <i>Sea-Horse</i> was passing over the Great Bahama Bank near its extreme -northern end, and at a part where even the mate had never been. She had -stopped off the island a few hours before to take on the stranger for -pilot and continue her way to a wreck reported on the eastern edge of -the shoal water.</p> - -<p>"Plenty o' water here," he yelled, as the lead-line came perpendicular.</p> - -<p>"How much?" asked Sanders.</p> - -<p>The man hove again.</p> - -<p>"Not much water here," he cried, as the line suddenly stopped running -out.</p> - -<p>The mate started forward, looking over the side.</p> - -<p>"Not much water here," called the man again.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span></p> - -<p>There was a sudden jar, followed by a grinding, grating sound from -below.</p> - -<p>"Deedn't I tole yo' so," sang the fellow in an even tone, heaving the -lead again as though nothing had happened. A sounding slap from the -big mate's hand finished proceedings in the rigging, and a volley of -oaths from Sanders, coupled with orders to get a kedge anchor out to -windward, put new life in the scene upon the sloop's deck.</p> - -<p>Macreary, still smarting from the big black mate's blow upon his -stern-sheets, fell to with the rest, and by dint of much heaving upon a -new hawser bent to an anchor carried well to windward, the <i>Sea-Horse</i> -was finally hove off the bank. They were materially helped in this by -the gentle heave of the swell, which lifted the wrecking sloop easily -and dropped her with a crash at each sea.</p> - -<p>When she floated there were several very discontented men aboard who -looked as though they would make it squally weather for the pilot -before they reached the wreck on the Bank.</p> - -<p>The wreck of the <i>Ramidor</i>, a small Brazilian bark bound for Rio, lay -upon the edge of the Bahama Bank in about a fathom of water. She had -been driven there in a heavy gale from the eastward and had gone in -upon the shoal about a quarter of a mile, lying upon her bilge where -the sea in calm weather just broke clear of her, the wash of foam -striking against her high black sides and spurting skywards. In a heavy -sea, the break was far to windward of her, and in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> consequence she was -in no immediate danger of going to pieces with the smash. She had been -sighted by several wreckers, and the <i>Sea-Horse</i> and <i>Buccaneer</i> were -on their way to her, each hurrying with all speed to claim the salvage. -The <i>Buccaneer</i> was at work on the Caicos Bank, and the <i>Sea-Horse</i> at -Cape Florida when the news reached them. The former manned by English -negroes and navigated by a long, lean Yankee skipper, had stood to the -eastward and northward, coming in sight of the wreck about the time the -<i>Sea-Horse</i>, picking her way across the shoals, raised the slanting -topmasts of the <i>Ramidor</i> beyond a dry coral bank which forced her to -make a long détour to the southward. She had taken on the pilot to -save time and cut across the shoal places as close as possible, and he -had run them ashore most ignominiously when within ten miles of their -destination.</p> - -<p>Macreary finished coiling down the hawser after the kedge was hoisted -aboard, and then he joined the rest who sat upon the hatch. He was much -abashed at heart, but tried not to show it, swaggering with a careless -air among the men who glared at him.</p> - -<p>"Blamed fine quartermaster you make," snarled one; "must have been on -one o' them ten-foot sand barges wot takes offal to sea an' dumps it. I -once knowed a fellar like you wot was quartermaster o' one."</p> - -<p>"Capting, too, hey?" growled a Swede. "Crew were a yaller dawg?"</p> - -<p>"Where did yo' learn pilotin'?" asked a Conch,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> grinning and spitting -as close to the pilot's toes as he could without hitting them.</p> - -<p>"I'm learning it now," said Macreary, cheerfully, sitting down and -gazing over the sea to where the tiny speck of the bark's topmast -showed above the horizon. He was not going to show how absurd and -mean he felt to that crowd, so he sat and gazed apparently calm and -unruffled, without a sign of the burning shame which seemed to stifle -him.</p> - -<p>He was now silent and thinking. There was a short cut along a narrow -and tortuous channel which would let the vessel out to sea close to the -point of the dry coral bank, or end of Cay. He thought he might know -it, although he had only been through twice before. The wreck lay only -a few miles beyond, and even now the white glint of the rival wrecker's -sails showed plainly that he would board the prize first and claim the -salvage. But the memory of the big black mate's hand was too strong -upon him, and he kept silent. The <i>Sea-Horse</i> was working up behind the -reef and it was noticeable how smooth and sheltered the sea was in its -lee. It would make a fine harbour for a vessel caught working upon the -wreck in a heavy easterly, if she could navigate the channel. But the -master of the <i>Sea-Horse</i> knew nothing of the channel, and he would -have sooner thrown the pilot overboard than trusted him again. He stood -out behind the Cay and made a good offing, reaching well off into the -open ocean in spite of the fact that he would have ten miles further to -go.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span></p> - -<p>But Macreary sat silent and watched the horizon where the black speck -rose. He was not thinking about the wreck. To him it was nothing -whether a Conch or two should make a little money from the disaster -of a sailor. His thoughts were back with the strange men he had left -upon the Cay of the Great Bahama, the little band led by the tall and -muscular Jones, leader of the Sanctified people who sought refuge from -the strife of the world upon the sun-beaten reefs of the Bahama Bank.</p> - -<p>Jones had taught him to read. Jones had read to him from the Book of -all Books, the relic of an ancient literature, revised, rewritten and -put together in somewhat disconnected pieces, the Bible of the most -enlightened people upon the face of the world. And in it he had heard -the words of wisdom as set down by men who had gone before, men who -had lived their lives and who had learned from experience. And the -philosophy of these men he believed was true, for they had lived their -lives out and had left behind them the results of years of life. It -was not the one tale of a single man, which must necessarily be narrow -and worthless, but it was the gatherings of the teachings of many who -had been in positions to learn. Yes, what Jones had read him was the -philosophy of ages. And Jones had read to him, "Hide not thy light -under a bushel," and he had told him that it meant to use what talents -he possessed, to try to do what he thought he was able to—and not hang -back. He felt abashed and ashamed beyond expression at his failure, -for he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> had believed he was a fit pilot over the Bank. He founded his -belief upon the fact that he had gone fishing many times in a small -skiff in the vicinity of the island and had twice gone southward along -the edge of the Bank; he had noticed many times how the water shoaled -from the deep ocean to the white water of the coral reef. It was hard -to account for his failure, he thought, with men aboard who must have -seen the bottom as plainly as he, himself, could—and then the big -black man's mortifying stroke——</p> - -<p>The vessels stood toward the wreck under the impetus of the easterly -breeze, the <i>Buccaneer</i>, a point free, raced up and let go her anchor -close under the bark's lee in just enough water to float. Then her -skipper putting forth in a small boat boarded the <i>Ramidor</i> just as -the <i>Sea-Horse</i> came through the breakers on the edge of the Bank. She -cleared the bottom by a few inches, although the wash of the sea swept -her decks and drenched the men standing by to take in the mainsail -and let go the hook. Sanders ran her well in behind the wreck and -rounded to, scraping up the sand with the keel, and anchored behind the -<i>Buccaneer</i>. It was close work and a heavy sea would drop both vessels -heavily upon the reef. They must make good use of the smooth water, and -Sanders hailed his lucky rival to get what he could.</p> - -<p>"See ye got a wrack there," said he, calling to the long Yankee -skipper, who smiled at him from the bark's quarter-deck.</p> - -<p>"Talk like ye never see it afore. Wonder ye didn't<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> notice it bein' as -ye were headin' this way. Strange how these Dagoes pile up thar ships," -answered the skipper of the <i>Buccaneer</i>.</p> - -<p>"Don't suppose ye want to whack up, hey? An' have us turn to an' help -with the cargo?"</p> - -<p>The long skipper squirted a stream of tobacco juice over the side in -derision.</p> - -<p>"I reckon ye think we're out here fer our health, hey?" he roared. -"What d'ye think we're doin' around here anyways? I want to let ye know -right sudden that this wrack is mine—ye keep off. Ye know what will -happen if there's any monkey business. I won't stand any foolishness."</p> - -<p>"'Twouldn't do fo' toe nab him, hey?" asked the black mate of the -<i>Sea-Horse</i>, turning to his captain. "We kin take him, sho', an' make a -divide with it. We got here about the same time he did."</p> - -<p>"I'm afeard we better not," said Sanders. "Too many witnesses—they'll -swear they got here first—I've a notion to pitch that pilot overboard."</p> - -<p>The beaten sloop lay all that day off the wreck, her crew fuming and -her captain and mate trying to devise some means to get a hold upon the -bark. At dark Sanders rowed over to the <i>Buccaneer</i> and tried every -means from bluff to bribery to get in a claim, but the <i>Buccaneer's</i> -crew held out solidly. Finally they compromised matters by signing on -as labourers at a dollar and a half per day to help the <i>Buccaneer's</i> -crew to work the wreck. It was the best they could do for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> the present -and they went sullenly to work with the hope something would turn up to -favour them.</p> - -<p>Two days passed and the bright summer weather held. The sea was smooth -as glass and the wreckers lay in safety. Far away to the northward the -glint of the dry coral bank showed at low water. Nothing else broke the -eternal blue line of the horizon.</p> - -<p>Macreary was not turned to with the rest but kept aboard the -<i>Sea-Horse</i> as ship-keeper. He helped cook the meals and was kept -busy with cleaning. As he was alone a good deal, he spent much time -in gazing over the sea, figuring on the channel which led five or six -miles to the northward to the deep water behind the dry bank. If they -had only let him try it, he might have worked them through in time. -It was crooked, worse than a letter S to sail through, but the bark -was worth several thousand dollars to the salvors—and he had lost. He -would have been well paid if they had made her in time.</p> - -<p>The crew of the <i>Sea-Horse</i> took some pains to tell the wreckers how it -was the fault of their pilot that they lost. The Conchs laughed at him -in derision whenever they boarded the sloop at meal times, and he was -so much set upon by both crews that he begged Sanders to put him aboard -the first vessel sighted. The third day two more wrecking vessels came -upon the scene, but as the bark was now pretty well stripped, the -salvors would have none of them. One of the strangers stood away, but -the other came to anchor,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> leaving her mainsail up ready to go at a -moment's notice.</p> - -<p>"Hey, don't ye want a pilot?" asked the long skipper of the -<i>Buccaneer</i>, calling to the stranger. His hail was the cause of much -amusement to the two working crews. They stopped and looked over at the -little vessel, whose three men sat in a row upon her rail watching the -wreck.</p> - -<p>"We've the best pilot on the bank," said Sanders, trying to hide his -sarcasm by a frown. "We thought maybe as ye ware goin' on ye might want -him."</p> - -<p>"I reckon I'll take him," said one of the three. "I ain't goin' no -farther'n th' Bahama, an' ef he don't mind he can take us across the -Bank."</p> - -<p>"Git him," said Sanders, "there he is," and he pointed to the -<i>Sea-Horse</i> where Macreary sat fishing. Then all hands had a good laugh -and went on with their work, hiding their amusement from the strangers. -It would be a good joke. They would have the pleasure of seeing the -vessel piled up before she drew out of sight.</p> - -<p>The three men on the new arrival were in no hurry. They fished a little -while and finally one of them rowed across the twenty fathoms of -intervening water to Macreary, who had heard the conversation and was -ready. As he dropped into the small boat he looked to the southward and -noticed a heavy bank of cloud rising. He said nothing until aboard the -sloop and then asked to look at the glass. It was falling rapidly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span></p> - -<p>"There'll be a bit o' dirty weather comin'," he said, as he came on -deck and joined the fishermen.</p> - -<p>"Is there air harbour round erbouts?" asked Captain James, baiting his -hook. He was in no hurry to get under way.</p> - -<p>"There's good water behind that cay up yander," said Macreary.</p> - -<p>"How fer?"</p> - -<p>"'Bout five mile."</p> - -<p>"All right, we'll start just afore dark—kin make it in thirty or fo'ty -minutes with a breeze, hey?"</p> - -<p>"I reckon," said Macreary, looking anxiously at the weather to the -southward. Then they hauled up fish for a couple of hours until the -sunshine turned a brassy colour and finally died away as the cloud bank -covered the western sky.</p> - -<p>The men aboard the bark began to get nervous. Sanders went aboard -the <i>Sea-Horse</i> with his mate and they hoisted the mainsail close -reefed, making ready to get to sea in case of trouble. The skipper of -the <i>Buccaneer</i> finally knocked off also, and soon the clanking of -windlasses broke the silence of the tropical evening. They were getting -ready to get away at the first shift to the eastward, for the sea would -break heavily where they lay in a strong wind. There was much to carry -away, but they would take no chances. The most valuable part of the -wreck's belongings were already on deck waiting to be transferred to -the <i>Buccaneer</i>, and she would lie by with a man aboard the bark to -watch and take charge.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I wouldn't be surprised if it blowed," said Captain James of the -little sloop <i>Seabird</i>. "I reckon we'll stop fishin' an' pull out afore -it's too hot. I wouldn't keer to be the man left in thet bark, hey?"</p> - -<p>"If they abandon her, it's fair play all over agin to the first man -what gets aboard," said one of his men. "I don't believe the wessel is -badly hurt, anyways."</p> - -<p>The heavy bank of cloud rose rapidly. A flash of lightning lit the -gloom of the evening and the edge of the pall swept past overhead. It -was travelling rapidly. To the southward the growing darkness seemed -to melt into the blackness above like a smooth black wall of mist. A -murmur of unrest came over the sea, a weird far-reaching cry vibrating -through the quiet atmosphere, rising and falling like the distant -voices of a vast host.</p> - -<p>Sanders, who had signed on his men as helpers, could gain nothing by -staying. He had signed away his future rights, therefore he lost no -time in getting up his anchor and standing out to sea with his canvas -shortened for trouble and everything being made snug.</p> - -<p>The <i>Buccaneer</i> crew were struggling with as much gear as they could -carry to get it aboard their ship before the sea began to make if it -blew. All hands were overside hurrying the work, and even the two men -who were to remain aboard to take charge were helping and had left -the bark's deck when a line of white showed to the southward upon the -black sea. There was a puff of wind, cool and whirling as though it -had dropped from some great height in the realms<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> of snow. The surface -of the heaving swell ruffled, a blinding flash of fire followed by a -crash; then a few moments of silence broken gradually by a deep-toned -roar growing louder and louder. The line of white bore down upon the -vessels, and as it came the darkness grew blacker. There was a fierce -rush of wind, and with a burst as though fired from a gun, the blast of -the squall struck the vessels and bore them prone with its sweep.</p> - -<p>The <i>Buccaneer's</i> mainsail tore to bits as she lay upon her beam ends, -her anchor parted, and in a moment she was going out to sea, every -man aboard of her struggling with the flying strips of canvas. The -wind had come from the southward and with just enough slant to allow -her to clear the shoal water and make the open ocean. Macreary, with -nothing to do but watch the coming squall, let go the halliards of the -<i>Seabird's</i> sail, and her crew had managed to get a line around it -before the weight of the wind struck. The captain reached the wheel and -managed to pay her off somehow, dragging the anchor which had been hove -short as though it were a bit of iron hanging to the line. Then handing -the spokes to his pilot, he pointed to the northward, where the dry -bank of the cay had just disappeared in the storm.</p> - -<p>"Git in—behind—harbour," he bawled, and as the words came brokenly -above the roar, Macreary knew he meant to run the crooked channel for -harbour behind the reef.</p> - -<p>The two men hove up the anchor while the <i>Seabird</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> tore along ten -knots with nothing save her mast to pull with the wind. Macreary swung -her first this way and then that, blindly, stupidly, and unreasoning, -but with rising hopes as the wind beat down the sea into an almost -level plain of water white as milk. He held her north by west, making -as much westing as he could, blindly hoping to make enough inside the -reef to clear the end of the bank and gain the shelter beyond. All was -blackness ahead and there was no way of telling when he reached the -dry bank; no way of telling when he should round her to and drop both -anchors with every fathom bent on to hold them, but he kept on.</p> - -<p>"Hide not thy light under a bushel," came the words of the tall -preacher! They seemed to flit before his half-blinded vision. He who -must make a living at something would do it at what he thought he could -do best. He must surely know more about those waters than the Conchs -who lived to the southward, for he had fished upon them for two years. -His ideas about piloting were vague and absurd, but he did not know it. -It seemed to him that all he must do was to show the way the best he -could, and it was not in keeping with the teachings to hold back. It -would be more immodest to feign ignorance of the banks than to admit a -knowledge of them. He had known people who were so backward that they -always waited to be sought out by others and pressed to do things, -which by all nature they should have offered to do at once. To him -these people were truly immodest and their very<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> quietness seemed to -savour of a tremendous egotism. They seemed so satisfied and complacent -in their knowledge, so superior that unless they were flattered by -being sought out and offered a handsome reward, they would rather carry -their wisdom to the grave than offer it. It was "hiding a light under a -bushel," in the sense the tall man of the Sanctified Band of pilgrims -taught it.</p> - -<p>The wind drove the little vessel wildly before it. The sea began to -make astern, and as he turned his face to look backward a spurt of -spray and foam half-choked him. The roar of the gale grew louder. The -captain's voice came brokenly to him through the gloom, and he saw him -standing close to the companion hatch gazing ahead and holding on with -both hands, his face thrust forward and his sou'wester pushed back as -though to aid him to see some mark to steer by to safety.</p> - -<p>Five, ten, fifteen minutes flew by. If they missed the shelter of the -reef and the deep water behind it, they would certainly pile up on the -shoals beyond, where the sea would fall with tremendous violence in -less than an hour. Already the lift astern was growing quicker and the -white plain of water was rolling up into a dangerous sea. He swung the -little vessel hard to port, thinking to find better water, and as he -did so she took the ground heavily, throwing her captain with force -against the coamings.</p> - -<p>"Keep her off—breakers—windward," came the cry as from a great -distance.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span></p> - -<p>He rolled the wheel up mechanically and she was tearing away again into -the darkness, going clear as though she had touched soft mud instead of -hard coral rock.</p> - -<p>A burst of wind tore over them with a droning roar. The little vessel -lay down to the pressure. Then gathering herself upon a sea she rushed -ahead.</p> - -<p>The blackness grew thicker. Macreary could hardly see the loom of the -mast forward. Then a flickering flare of lightning lit the storm and -right ahead showed a strip of dry yellow sand. It was a mile off yet, -but they were going fast. Macreary hove the wheel to port and kept it -there until the little ship buried her starboard deck-strake in the -foam.</p> - -<p>"Will—make—" came the voice of the captain.</p> - -<p>Macreary did not know whether she would or not, but he would try to, -and setting his teeth hard he gave up all thought of answer. The -minutes flew by. He knew they were going fast. They would go a mile in -five minutes even with the lessened headway of the reaching vessel. How -could he guess the time in that awful turmoil of roaring wind and sea? -He waited and waited. She must be nearly there. The strain was getting -awful. Would he go past? He must be up with the point now—but no, he -would hold her a minute longer. It must be made or lost in one throw -of that wheel, and to lose it meant death to all hands. The blackness -ahead was solid. No eye could penetrate it ten feet. Oh, for another -flash of lightning!</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Will she—" came the voice of the captain, questioning, querulous, -borne back the few intervening feet through the flying atmosphere. He -did not know and it angered him to have such a question asked.</p> - -<p>How could he tell?</p> - -<p>He was panting with exertion and smothered with drift and spray. -Suddenly he hove the wheel to starboard. The little vessel leaped -forward, straightened out before the gale, then rounded with her head -to the eastward. It was done anyhow. If they were clear, all right. If -they had missed, they would strike within five minutes.</p> - -<p>"Get—anchors—all cable," came the voice of the captain.</p> - -<p>Macreary could see nothing forward, but he knew the men were doing what -they could to obey. Minutes passed, the vessel rose and fell, but she -had not struck yet. He held the wheel, and closed his eyes. The sea -seemed smoother. Ahead it was evidently smoother still. The great lift -of the outside sea was growing less and less. Five minutes more and -the <i>Seabird</i> was in another foam-covered plain of water which had no -rolling sea.</p> - -<p>"Go," came a cry. It was echoed by a faint shriek somewhere. A shaking -of the vessel followed as the chain ran out. Suddenly she brought up -and swung right into the eye of the storm, the rush of wind striking -Macreary in the face and forcing his sou'wester back upon his head. -There was a quick but light rise<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> and fall as the <i>Seabird</i> headed the -sea, and Macreary lashed the wheel fast in the beckets.</p> - -<p>A form brushed against him and the captain yelled in his face: "She's -holdin'—both anchors with forty fathoms—can't get loose unless it -blows the water off the earth," and then he pushed the hatch-slide and -went below.</p> - -<p>In a few minutes all hands were in the little cabin and a light was -struck. It showed four men with streaming oilskins and soaking faces, -whose expressions still bore marks of extreme anxiety. Three of them -looked at each other and then cast glances at Macreary.</p> - -<p>"That was a pretty good job, pilot," said Captain James. "We had a -close call there once—suppose you got mixed with the steering gear, -hey?"</p> - -<p>Macreary said nothing. He was like a man who had suddenly awakened from -a horrible nightmare.</p> - -<p>"Well, you won't lose nothin' by this trip," went on the captain; "them -fellows will be blown off fifty miles before morning—and there ain't a -soul aboard the bark—she's ourn, and that's a fact."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="V" id="V">V</a></p> - -<p class="center">At the End of the Reef</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> light-keeper at Fowey Rocks had been given a new assistant, and -the new man was Bahama Bill, the giant wrecker and mate of a sponging -sloop. He was a negro Conch, so-called on account of the diet upon -which many of the native Bankers were supposed to live, the Conch -proving an easy and nourishing meal for the lazy and incompetent -reefer. But the name soon applied to all alike, and the Conch, instead -of becoming a word of opprobrium, stood for all men who made the Reef -or Great Bahama Bank their home.</p> - -<p>William Haskins, otherwise known as Bahama Bill, was a Fortune -Islander, and his acceptance of the keeper's position was but -temporary, taking the place of the assistant who was absent on his -quarterly leave. The head keeper, an old man, seldom left the light.</p> - -<p>It was summer-time and the air was warm with the tropical heat of -the coast. The distance from the land kept the lighthouse cooler -than ordinary, but the hot Stream flowing past at a temperature -of eighty-three degrees gave no cooling effect. The days of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> the -assistant's absence dragged slowly along, the old keeper tending the -light with his usual care. Then came a season of frightful humidity and -glaring sunshine, lasting many days, the mercury standing always at -ninety-five or more.</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill spent the warm weather loafing about the town of Miami, -and as he was in no hurry to go back to the light, he took pains to -spend what money he possessed in whatever finery he thought befitted -his magnificent personal appearance best. Standing several inches over -six feet and being enormously solid and broad in proportion, he was an -object of admiration to the many black men who loafed along the Florida -shore. With the Seminoles he had nothing whatever to do, for these -Indians showed their distaste for negroes so plainly that it was with -difficulty trouble was avoided whenever the men of the Glades came to -town to trade their deerskins for ammunition. Bahama Bill stuck to his -class until it was past the time for him to return to the light, and -then started off, rigged out clean and shipshape in a small boat.</p> - -<p>The old keeper of the Fowey Rocks lighthouse came out upon the gallery -to take the morning air. The sun was shining and the warm wind from the -Gulf Stream blew lazily through the doorway into the lantern-room. The -blue sea sparkled in the sunshine, and the long, easy roll of the swell -told of calm weather offshore. It was a perfect day, a day of peace and -quiet, upon the end of the great Florida Reef, which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> stretched away -for miles to the southward. Eastward nothing rose above the blue rim -which compassed all. To the northward the low line of hummocks showed -where Virginia Key and Key Biscayne rose above the water some ten miles -distant. To the westward the little lump of Soldier Key showed where -there might be a solitary human within a dozen miles. And all about -the blue sea sparkled in the bright light, taking on the varicoloured -hues found above the coral banks. Near the lighthouse, in three feet of -water, the coral showed distinctly even from the height of the tower. -Old man Enau gazed down at it, watching the bright green tinge melt -to deeper colour until, in three fathoms, the pure limpid blue of the -great stream flowed past uncoloured and undefiled. Fish were swimming -around the iron piles of the lighthouse; great big bonito, sinuous -barracuda, and now and then a shark would drift up to the iron pillars -and bask a moment in the shade of the tall structure which rose above -the coral bank to the height of a hundred feet and more, standing like -a huge long-legged spider upon its iron feet in the shallow water.</p> - -<p>The quiet of the morning was oppressive to the keeper. Not a sound rose -from the reef save the low roll of the sea as it broke upon the edge of -the bank, not the cry of a single sea-bird to break the great stillness -and beautiful quiet of the day. The old man had been in the light for -three years. To him the world was that eternal sea bounded by the blue -rim and spotted in one or two places by the distant Keys.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> Whatever he -had seen of human life he left behind him when he took the position -as keeper. He had tried to forget. And now, as the years passed, his -memories were fading. The human struggle was over. The thought of what -he had seen and done was dimmed in the glare of the tropic sunshine, -and the shadow of his past had faded to nothing.</p> - -<p>He had a fine old face. Rugged and burned from the weather on the -reef, his features still bore traces of culture. His nose was straight -and small, and his eyes were bright and blue, the deep blue of the -surrounding sea, which had kept him apart from his fellow men so long.</p> - -<p>He leaned out over the rail and looked down. The heat and stillness -oppressed him, and as he gazed below at the white and green formations -he seemed to see again the inside of a court-room. The quiet and heat -were there, and the stillness was strained and intense, as he waited -for the word which meant his ruin. The faces of the jury who were -trying a murder case were before him, the man on the right looking hard -at him, and the foreman bowing his head gravely in that moment of utter -silence before he spoke the words which meant his end. It had been a -peculiar case, a case of great brutality and cruelty, apparently, from -the evidence produced. He, the master of a large square-rigged ship, -had been accused of a horrible crime, and the evidence of two witnesses -was there to prove it. He remembered the man whose evidence was the -strongest against him, a sailor whom<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> he had befriended, and he could -see the look of pious resignation upon the fellow's face. He also -remembered the furtive gleam that came now and again from the corner of -his eye as he sat near the witness-box and waited his turn to tell of -the horror.</p> - -<p>Why was it? Was it the heat that brought back those scenes which -were fading, or was it the ominous silence of the torrid sunshine -upon the reef? The lines in the face of the old man grew rigid and -drawn, and he gazed stolidly into the blue water until the coral banks -took on new shapes. He saw a ship's deck with the long plank strakes -stretching hundreds of feet fore and aft; the low white deck-house, -with the galley smoke-pipe stretching across it and the boats upon the -strong-backs or booms atop of it; the solid coamings of the hatchways, -with the battened hatches as strong as the sides of the vessel itself; -the high topgallant-rail which shut off the view to windward, and the -rows of belaying-pins stuck beneath with the neatly coiled braces upon -them; the high head of the topgallant-forecastle and the long jibboom -pointing out over the sea; and, above all, the long, tapering spars -lifting upward into the blue above, with the white canvas bellying in -the breath of the trade-wind. It was all plain before him again. Then -it changed—the pampero off the River Plate, the great hurricane sea -which swept the ship and smashed her up, leaving her a wreck, leaking -and settling, six hundred miles from shore. The fracas was there before -him—the men struggling, trying to save her, until,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> tired out with -exertion and suffering, the man with the furtive eyes had refused to do -duty and managed to get the rest to back him.</p> - -<p>Then the days following, full of desperate endeavour: the fellow who -refused duty shirking and endangering the lives of all; the measures -he took, hanging the man by the hands and flogging him until he fell -in a faint; how he staggered to his feet and looked at the master—one -long look full of a purpose implacable, unrelenting, and then the quiet -manner he had when he obeyed. He had picked the fellow up starving upon -the streets, an outcast from some country and of a social sphere above -his own, taking him aboard his ship and providing food and clothing -with a fair wage—and this had been the outcome.</p> - -<p>They had left her in the one remaining boat two days after, crowding -the craft almost to the gunwales; but the sea was now smooth and the -wind gone, leaving a quiet strangely like that of the beautiful day -about him. The row westward over that oily, heaving ocean, day after -day, day after day!</p> - -<p>One by one they had dropped off, overboard, to float astern, and all -the time the <i>rip</i>, <i>rip</i>, <i>rip</i> of a triangular fin above a great -shadow below the surface.</p> - -<p>He had done what he could, taking no more of the meagre food than the -rest. Then the last days—four of them left, the men who witnessed -against him and another, a stout fellow who had kept up better than the -rest. How he had discovered that the fellow had stolen the scant store -of food steadily and divided<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> it with the man he had flogged. How, when -they had taken all, they had set upon him, and he had killed the stout -thief and wounded the other. There was nothing left to eat,—absolutely -nothing for five days,—and they had—ugh!—it was too horrible; -and upon the seventh day they had been picked up with the evidences -of the horror too plain for their rescuers to make a mistake in the -matter, even without the two men, who openly accused him of the whole -wrong—accused him of not only killing his men, but—ugh!</p> - -<p>The trial had lasted a week and the evidence was most horrible. The -jury had convicted him upon that of the fellow who sat there with a -pious look and furtive glance; the other fellow had merely corroborated -his story, and, as it was two against him, his own tale was not -believed. He had received a life sentence for the crime, for he had -admitted killing the stout man who had stolen the last of the food. -He explained that it was his duty as captain to protect his life from -their combined assault. The jury had not believed him, for the man -who was against him was ready to show the falsity of his tale; he had -been sentenced for life. He had served seven years and had escaped by -cutting the bars of his cell and gaining a vessel which was wrecked on -the coast of Africa letting him get ashore unmolested. After drifting -about for a time he had come back to America and taken the position as -keeper in the tower, where his past was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> not open to inspection, for no -one knew him or whence he came.</p> - -<p>The sunshine was as quiet as before, but the blue Gulf Stream showed a -darkening far away on the horizon, where a breeze ruffled the surface. -He turned and gazed over the sea toward Florida, and a tiny black speck -showed upon the waters of the reef. It looked like a small boat coming -out through the Hawk's Channel, and he looked at it steadily for a -long time, trying to see if it might be Haskins, the assistant keeper, -returning.</p> - -<p>The sunshine was very hot on this side of the tower, and it dazzled him -for a little while as he gazed over the sparkling sea. The speck drew -nearer, and he saw that it was a boat. It came very slowly, sailing -with the light air, the bit of white canvas looking no larger than a -handkerchief in the distance. Soon the figure of a man could be seen -lying easily in the stern-sheets of the craft, and the old keeper saw -that the man's legs were bare and brown. Then the tiny shallop took -more definite form and showed to be a canoe, its occupant an Indian -from the Everglades, coming out to fish upon the reef.</p> - -<p>Indians seldom came so far away from land, and as the craft drew nearer -and nearer Enau watched it carefully. The Seminoles were friendly. -They were an unconquered tribe of Indians who had managed to evade all -efforts made by the United States to subdue them. They had retired -into the fastnesses of the great swamps, where no white soldier could -pursue<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> with any hope to capture, and after years of peace had come -to the coast again with the understanding that they should not be -molested. The old man had heard of them from Haskins, the assistant, -and he had once or twice seen canoes skirting the edge of the great -bay in the distance, but he had never seen an Indian close enough to -recognize him. The canoe had now come within half a mile of the tower, -and was still heading straight for it.</p> - -<p>The breeze died away again and the sun shone straight down with an -intense heat. The tower cast no shadow either to east or west, and -the ship's clock in the kitchen struck off eight bells. Enau mopped -his streaming forehead and was about to turn into the galley to get -a drink of water. The heat made him reel with dizziness, but the man -in the boat made a movement, and he held his gaze fixed upon him. -The canoe was coming close to the tower, and it was evident that the -Indian would land there if the keeper allowed him. There was no way of -getting up to the light except by way of the long iron ladder which -reached from the gallery to the sea, a hundred feet below. It was an -easy path to dispute with any number of men, especially as they must -come through the heavy trap-door in the gallery at the top. There was -no way of getting up over the outside, unless one could climb the -long, smooth iron rods for a great distance and then reach out under -the sill to get a hand-grip upon the edge of the floor and swing out -over the gulf below. It would be a mere finger-grip<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> at most, and a -tap upon the bare knuckles would send the fellow to his death below. A -good sailor might climb the smooth iron rods with great difficulty, but -no one could climb up a hundred feet and swing out on that finger-tip -hold with the hope of climbing to the rail above. The trap-door worked -with a five-hundred pound weight, and if any one tried to come up the -thin iron ladder the keeper could simply lower the door and the stout -three-inch planks would drop easily into place at will. Enau studied -it all out while he gazed below, and it amused him to think what a -surprised Indian it would be when he climbed up there to find the door -drop fast in his face. No; the keeper was as much his own master in -regard to human visitors as though he were a resident of some other -planet. A thousand men could not approach him if he did not wish it. He -could be all alone for an indefinite time, for he had provisions for -half a year and water enough for a lifetime.</p> - -<p>While he gazed at the approaching boat the man in her looked up. It -was but a glance, a mere look at the head upon the rail above. Enau -gasped. That one glance upward was enough for him. The fellow was not -an Indian, after all. The sun-tanned face, burned to a dark mahogany -colour, belonged to one he had not forgotten. That glance, furtive, -half-shrinking, animal-like, without the movement of a single feature, -belonged to—yes, there was no mistake. It was Robledo, the sailor who -had witnessed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> against him, the survivor of the horror, the man who had -compassed his ruin.</p> - -<p>Enau drew his breath quickly and stood up straight. The place seemed to -swing about in the sunshine, the tower to rock like a ship in a seaway. -Then he peered over again just as the craft came alongside one of the -iron pillars. He did not show his face,—just his eyes,—for fear the -fellow might recognize him and not come up the ladder. He would have -the trap-door ready for him, for it would never do to let that human -devil know he was upon the light. Yes; perhaps he would let him come -up, inside the gallery, but never go back. The sea would tell no tales. -There would be no marks of a struggle, no evidence of a fight—a quick -crack upon the head, and over the side, down a hundred feet to the -waters of the reef, where the sharks lay waiting. That would be all. -He could do it easily. But, then, the fellow might be missed, after -all. Some one might know he had gone out to the light, and then there -would be the investigation. That was what he did not want. There must -be no inquiries, no questions asked him about his past. He was an old -man now, and the memory of his terrible wrongs was fading. Let them die -out. He would let the enemy go as he came. The fellow could not know -he was in the tower, and there was no possibility of his recognizing -him, as he had not shown his whole face over the rail. Even if he had, -the hair and the beard of three years' growth would hide anything of -Captain William Jacobs that still existed in him.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> No; he would let no -one come up that ladder. He would live the rest of his life in peace -and quiet. He loved the bright sunshine and the beautiful sea, and he -could be satisfied where he was. His wife and daughter he had long -given up. They had bade him farewell at the end of that trial, holding -away from him, yet with tears streaming down their faces in the agony -and horror of it all. He must be alone. There must be no one to tell -him about them.</p> - -<p>He looked down again, and saw the man below drawing on his trousers -preparatory to climbing the ladder. Enau could see into the bottom of -the boat beneath, and he noticed a harpoon used for spearing crawfish. -Would the fellow take it with him? If so, it would be well not to let -him come too near, for it could be thrown and might be dangerous. The -man gave no hail, but turned his smooth-shaved face upward and began -to mount the ladder, Enau went to the trap-door and loosed the weight -softly. It creaked upon its hinges and settled slowly down until only -a crack remained. Here he stopped it, with the bolts in readiness to -shoot if necessary. He would watch the fellow and see if he showed -signs of recognition. Ten years was a long time; the end of the Florida -Reef was many thousand miles from where he had last seen him.</p> - -<p>The man climbed slowly up the iron ladder, stopping now and then to -look seaward. The current had swept his canoe to the northward of the -lighthouse, where it trailed at the end of a long line. There was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> -now nothing under him but the blue water. When he reached the first -platform he climbed on to it and rested. It was very hot, and the -climb made his mahogany-coloured face darker than before. His hair was -freshly parted, and looked as though it had been oiled or moistened. -His coat he had left in his boat below, and his shirt was open at the -neck, showing the strong, corded muscles of his throat and chest. His -hands were brown and powerful, and the keeper noticed how his fingers -closed with a light but certain grip upon the irons of the ladder.</p> - -<p>In a moment he came on again, and when within a few feet of the door -he looked upward and hailed. At that instant the old man closed the -door and shot the bolts. He was now cut off as completely as though he -had gone to the moon. The heat and excitement made his head whirl. He -staggered away from the closed door and went back to the gallery. The -sunshine danced upon the sea and all was quiet. Then he peered over the -rail. A string of muttered curses floated up to him and a drunken voice -called him many foul names, but he only smiled and stood gazing out to -sea. He could not see the man below now, for the fellow was too high up -under the platform, and he made his way to the kitchen and from there -higher up into the lantern, where the man's voice could not be heard -distinctly.</p> - -<p>Hours passed, and the sunshine began to slant sharply. The tower cast -a long shadow to the eastward, but the canoe was still swinging to her -painter,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> and the voice of the fellow below was still heard calling -forth curses upon him. The keeper was evidently not recognized, for -he heard the name "Enau" repeated over and over again, and this was -his name as light-keeper—Robert Enau, head keeper of the Fowey Rocks -lighthouse. If the fellow had recognized him he would have called him -Jacobs, and then he would have tried to kill him. It grew dark, but he -forgot to light his lantern, his whole mind taken with the one thought -of how to get rid of his visitor. If the lantern was not lighted, the -fellow might think that there was no one in the tower, after all, and -would go away. The idea flashed through his brain for an instant, and -then he centred his thoughts again on the fellow below and forgot the -darkness and quiet of the tropic night. Suddenly he thought of the -fellow's boat. If he could endanger it, the man might leave. He seized -a heavy piece of iron and dropped it at the dark shadow floating at -the end of the line. A dull crash told of the accuracy of his aim. -Then the shadow faded out, and he knew the boat had sunk. There was no -sound from the man upon the ladder below. Evidently he had gone down -to the first landing and gone to sleep or was waiting, not knowing -the damage done his craft. He could now neither go away nor come up, -and the idea worried the keeper greatly. He was very dizzy with the -heat and excitement, and his thoughts went again and again over the -scenes of that last voyage and the trial following. In the gray of -the early morning he was still sitting in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> the lantern, gazing out to -sea, waiting for the sun to rise and show him his enemy below. The day -dawned beautiful and clear, and the quiet heat continued. In a little -while a noise upon the ladder attracted the old man's attention. He -listened. What was the fellow saying?</p> - -<p>"For God's sake let me up!"</p> - -<p>Not he. No! Had the fellow shown him any mercy when he was at the end -of his liberty? Why should he show him any now? All he wanted was for -him to go away and let him be. He did not want to see the man. Go away!</p> - -<p>The pitiless sunshine streamed through the iron piling and upon the -man. His boat was gone. It had sunk during the night from the weight -Enau had thrown into it, and the current had torn it loose. There was -no way for the man to get off the light without swimming. He must stay -or die. He might cling for a long time to the iron ladder and rest -upon the landing, but he could not swim ten miles in that current with -sharks abounding.</p> - -<p>The day passed slowly, and the man upon the ladder raved and swore, -begged and cajoled, but Enau was silent and implacable. He went back -into the lantern, taking some bread with him. He was not hungry, but -the heat made his head swim, and he must eat something. The day drew to -a close and silence reigned below. The man had given up talking. Enau -lay prone upon his stomach and peeped over the edge of the platform. -He could see the man crouching upon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> the landing, lashed fast, to keep -from falling, by a line made of his clothes. Darkness came and the heat -abated a little, but no wind ruffled the surface of the Gulf Stream.</p> - -<p>With a heavy bar in his hand the keeper sat and waited for any signs -of fingers showing upon the edge of the platform. He would not let -the fellow up—no, not for anything. If he died there, it was not his -fault. He did not want him to come out to the light. He would not have -him know that he, Captain Jacobs, was keeper.</p> - -<p>The lantern remained unlighted. Now Enau was afraid to leave the -platform an instant, for fear the fellow, desperate from his position, -would climb over and kill him. He sat there during the hours of -darkness and waited.</p> - -<p>About three in the morning Enau saw two eyes staring at him. They -were far away in the Hawk's Channel, but as the moments flew by they -drew nearer. Soon a great shadow loomed up through the night, coming -straight for the lighthouse. Then there was a sudden crash close -aboard, the rattle and banging of ship's gear, followed by hoarse cries -and curses. Enau went inside to the trap-door in the gallery, and sat -there watching the bolts until daylight.</p> - -<p>In the early morning there was a great noise below. Men shouted and -called him by name, but he refused to answer. He peered over the edge -of the platform and he no sooner had done so than a perfect storm of -voices greeted him. Two ship's boats were tied<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> to the piling of the -tower, and many men were crowding up the ladder. More were upon the -deck of the vessel, which had rammed her nose high and dry upon the -reef close to the light. They were coming to take possession of the -tower by force, and he saw that he must now be interviewed, perhaps -taken away bodily, for the fellow on the ladder had joined the rest, -and they were calling to him to open that door.</p> - -<p>The day passed without a disturbance. The men of the four-masted -schooner upon the reef spent their time rigging gear to heave the -vessel off, and the man had joined them. At dark Enau, seeing that no -one was upon the ironwork, lighted the lantern and then came back to -his post at the trap-door, holding his club in readiness to prevent any -trespassing. He sat there hour after hour, but there was no sign of an -attack from below.</p> - -<p>About midnight there was a slight noise upon the platform of the -gallery near the rail. The old man noticed it, but waited. Then some -one rapped sharply upon the door at his feet, and he stood ready for -the attack. Then all was quiet as before.</p> - -<p>The heat was intense inside the gallery, and Enau mopped his forehead -again and again. The whole lighthouse seemed to stagger, and the room -went round and round. He was dizzy and failed to see the fingers which -grasped the edge of the outside platform, or the form that swung out -over the gulf below. A man drew himself up until his head was level -with the floor. Then he put one foot up on the landing.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> He could not -get back. It was a sheer hundred feet and over to the sea below, and -the water was only three or four feet deep over the coral. He must gain -the platform or go down to his death. Gradually he drew his weight upon -the landing, clutching the rail with powerful fingers. Then he quickly -stood upright and sprang over. He was in the light.</p> - -<p>Enau saw him instantly and sprang at him. It was the same hated -face, the furtive eyes he had reason to hate with all his soul. They -clinched, and then began a struggle for life. And while they struggled -the old man's mind could no longer hold his pent-up despair. He called -out upon the scoundrel who had ruined him:</p> - -<p>"You villain! you have pursued me for revenge—I'll give you all you -want," he cried. "I know you; don't think I'll let you go." And, -snarling like a wild beast, he strove with enormous power to crush the -other against the rail, and so over into the sea. But the younger man -was powerful. His strong fingers clutched at the old keeper's throat -and closed upon it.</p> - -<p>"I know you—I know you—I know your look—you pious-faced scoundrel!" -gasped the old man. Then they fought on in silence. Suddenly those -below heard a heavy fall. There was a moment's pause.</p> - -<p>The room seemed to reel about the old keeper. He struggled wildly in -that frightful grip. His breath came in bits of gasps and finally -stopped under the awful pressure of those fingers. The scenes of his -earlier life flitted through his mind. He saw the life-<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span>boat again -riding the oily sea in the South Atlantic; the starving men, their -strained faces pinched and lined, their eager eyes staring about the -eternal horizon for a sight of a sail; the last few days and the -last survivors, the man with that look he would never forget—stars -shot through his brain and fire flared before his vision. Then came -blackness—a blank.</p> - -<p>Those below, hearing the sounds of struggle dying away, called loudly -to be let in. The man released his hold of the keeper's throat and -shot back the bolts in the trap-door, letting a crowd of seamen come -streaming into the light.</p> - -<p>"Get some water, quick!" called Haskins, standing back and panting -after the struggle. He was nearly exhausted, but still kept his gaze -fixed upon the fallen old man.</p> - -<p>"It's a touch of the sun," said the captain of the wrecked vessel, -bending over the old keeper. "We must get him cooled off and ice to his -head. Quick, John! jump aboard and tell the doctor to get a lump of ice -and bring it here—git!"</p> - -<p>"It's pretty bad; I've shuah been hanging on to the irons for two days, -and you lose your ship, on account of a poor devil giving way under -that sun; but it can't be helped. No, suh, it can't be helped," said -Bahama Bill.</p> - -<p>"If you hadn't shaved, fixed up and changed yourself so, and had come -back in your own boat, he might have recognized you in time," said the -captain; "but of course you didn't know."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I think I done all I could sah," said Bill, thinking of his climb over -that outer rail.</p> - -<p>"Yes, yes; I don't mean to find fault," said the captain; "but I lose -my ship by it."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="VI" id="VI">VI</a></p> - -<p class="center">The Sanctified Man</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">When</span> Mr. Leonard Holbrook bought the fine yawl <i>Dartmoor</i>, he did so -with the clear understanding that his wife would accompany him on a -voyage through the inland waters of the eastern coast of the States to -Florida. The vessel was something over sixty feet on the water-line and -fitted up with as much magnificence as a small craft of that size could -well be. She had many trophies in solid silver, won in many hard-fought -races, which adorned her cabin, and when Mrs. Holbrook beheld her -interior she capitulated.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Holbrook belonged to what was termed an "exclusive set." She went -to church more than once a week, and the pastor of the million-dollar -edifice in New York had much to thank her for.</p> - -<p>"A poor person might be pious, but—ugh," he explained with a shrug -to the sexton one evening, and he made it his duty to keep alive the -fires of reverence which had been installed at an early age within Mrs. -Holbrook's gentle breast.</p> - -<p>It was with many misgivings that she finally became willing to trust -herself upon the <i>Dartmoor</i>, for al<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span>though she had faith in abundance, -it was of the usual feminine variety which is best nurtured under -pleasantly artificial conditions. The dangers of the sea, however, were -shown to be very small indeed upon a fine craft, especially within -the confines of the sounds, and she had sailed as far down the coast -as Beaufort. Here it was decided to remain for a few days and enjoy -the rural life of the tar-heel, and while Holbrook fished and hunted -every minute of the too short days, Mrs. Holbrook passed the time -aboard in pious and profound repose. It was delightful to be able to -read the texts under the bright blue sky while sitting alone upon the -quarter-deck without being interrupted by talk of guns and fishing -lines. Then the small but cleanly kirk upon the shell-road could be -visited daily, and the good old man who attended to the religious -affairs of the fishing village was more than willing to be honoured by -so distinguished a visitor. Yachts were like manna, only they did not -drop from the sky, but were not the less appreciated for that fact.</p> - -<p>The fourth morning the <i>Dartmoor</i> broke out her blue pennant on the -starboard spreader, showing that Holbrook had gone away for a day's -sport. John Bunyan came down to the dock and stepped aboard. Jubiter -John he was called among the pilots of the Core Bank, for he had lived -at the inlet just above the beginning of the Florida Reef. He sidled -aft and met the quartermaster, who stopped him, but as he was known -as a good pilot and had brought the vessel in behind the "bulkhead" -safely, he was allowed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> certain privileges. The master came forth to -meet him.</p> - -<p>"Mornin', Cap'n," said John, slouching up and pulling forth a rank -mullet roe from his pocket and nibbling the end.</p> - -<p>The master acknowledged the salutation with a grunt.</p> - -<p>"Youse don't take no passengers on a yacht, hey?" he ventured.</p> - -<p>"No," said the skipper, decisively, with the vision of the possible -passenger before him.</p> - -<p>"Youse ain't allowed to, hey?"</p> - -<p>"Exactly," said the Captain.</p> - -<p>"It's too bad!" exclaimed John.</p> - -<p>"Yes, it is," answered the Captain, heartily, his face expressing -nothing of the sorrow he might have felt at the limitations of his -license.</p> - -<p>There was a moment's silence during which the Captain looked aft at -the reclining form of Mrs. Holbrook. She sat reading in the shade of -the after awning with a rug over her feet to keep off the chill of the -autumn air.</p> - -<p>"Did youse ever hear of the sanctified people?" asked Jubiter John, -presently.</p> - -<p>The Captain had not.</p> - -<p>"Well, they live down near the Jubiter Inlet where I used to run. -There's one o' the fellers ashore here now an' he wants to go back -home. It would be a mighty big accommodation if youse could take him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> -with youse—don't youse think it could be done, hey? He'd pay a little."</p> - -<p>"How much?" asked the Captain, slightly interested.</p> - -<p>"Well, I can't say in money, but then his services air wuth somethin'. -He's an all round able man, an' he'll say the prayers fer yer."</p> - -<p>"I see," said the Captain, with a grunt.</p> - -<p>"There's nothin' doin'?"</p> - -<p>"Nix," said the Captain, shortly.</p> - -<p>"Well, naow, that's too bad. But think it over, Cap'n, think it over."</p> - -<p>The skipper edged to the rail and sniffed suspiciously.</p> - -<p>"If it's just the same to you, Jubiter, I'll thank ye to get to lor'ard -with that mullet roe. Whew!" said the Captain.</p> - -<p>Jubiter John looked pained. He put the rest of the fish roe into his -pocket and turned to go. At that instant the Captain started and looked -up the dock. A huge figure of a man hove in sight and came slowly down -the shell fill towards the yawl.</p> - -<p>The figure was dressed in black cloth of clerical cut, the broad -shoulders squared across and the hands folded behind. The stranger's -head was not visible owing to the fact that he bowed it over until -nothing but the top of a shiny tall hat showed in front of him, and he -looked almost like a huge turtle with his head drawn inside the shell. -The black tails of his coat<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> flapped about his legs in the sea breeze -as he strode slowly down to where the <i>Dartmoor</i> lay.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Holbrook noticed the man about the time the Captain started up -the gangplank to intercept him coming aboard. Visitors were not always -welcome to the skipper of the yacht, and it was his duty to see what -they wanted. The Captain had hardly started well up the narrow way, -when the stranger, who had reached the inshore end of it and was about -to proceed down its length, suddenly raised his head. The motion was -not unlike that of a turtle poking forth his nose, for it increased the -man's stature a full foot, and he stopped, looking at the Captain out -of eyes that seemed to hold both a challenge and a half-hidden fear. -His shaved chin had a stubble of black hair, but it failed to cover the -great square jaw except in spots. A line of white teeth showed between -the partly opened lips, and the Captain hesitated to take in the man's -appearance more fully before ordering him off the boat. The vessel gave -a tug at her moorings and the gangplank took a sudden slue to one side. -The next instant the Captain gave a spring for the string piece of the -wharf. He missed it by a fraction of an inch and fell heavily against -the timber and overboard, landing in the water with a rousing splash.</p> - -<p>The accident caused a cry of alarm from Mrs. Holbrook which brought -from the depths of the cabin her son Richard. He came bounding up the -companionway as rapidly as a boy of twelve could. Jubiter John stood -spellbound, looking over the side while the boy,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> the cook and a sailor -rushed to the rail to lend a hand and get the skipper back aboard.</p> - -<p>The tall stranger, however, had anticipated their arrival by a few -seconds and, jumping on deck, leaned over the side and reached a long -thin arm down to the Captain, who came spluttering to the surface. -He seized the collar of the coat as it came clear of the water and -without apparent effort raised the Captain to the deck. The motion -was one of such ease, the Captain being a short, heavy fellow, that a -close observer would have marvelled at the man's strength, but in the -excitement little notice was taken of it. The stranger had saved the -Captain from the sea, and Mrs. Holbrook, who had now advanced to the -rail, thanked him warmly for his services.</p> - -<p>The look of challenge died away from the man's eyes and one of fear -came in place. He shuffled uneasily under the woman's gaze, but finally -controlled himself. Then without a word he lifted his face heavenward -and clasped his hands before him.</p> - -<p>"The ways o' Providence air unbeknownst," said he, slowly, closing his -upturned eyes and standing like some huge statue carved in wood. His -voice was so soft and gentle that it brought a smile to the face of -the boy who stared at him insolently. But the rest were impressed by -the man's manner and stood silently watching him until he brought his -head back to its normal position with a jerk. Then the Captain muttered -something about inquisitive strangers and went below to change, for the -air was cool.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I am sure I should like to repay you for your bravery, Mr.—Mr.——" -began Mrs. Holbrook, "but I hardly know how to thank you, sir."</p> - -<p>"Mr. Jones is his name, ma'am," said Jubiter John, "an' youse kin repay -him at once."</p> - -<p>Mr. Jones looked somewhat abashed at this, and the stranger's look of -defiance came into his eyes again.</p> - -<p>"He's the sanctified man I ware tellin' the Cap'n of jest before he -fell overboard," went on Jubiter, "an' all he wants is a passage down -the coast a ways. The settlement is down near where I used to run."</p> - -<p>"Ah, a clergyman,—a country clergyman, I see," said Mrs. Holbrook.</p> - -<p>"I reckon that's about it," said Jubiter John.</p> - -<p>"Mr. Jones," said Mrs. Holbrook, "I should be very glad, indeed, to -aid you down the coast. You know the yacht is small and you might have -to sleep in the Captain's stateroom. If you would not object to that -arrangement, you are more than welcome to the voyage."</p> - -<p>"Ah, madam," said the tall man, solemnly, in a small voice hardly above -a whisper, "I should be glad to have the opportunities you speak of, -and if the bed be rough an' hard an' the grub poor, I know it will be -the hand o' Providence what makes it so, an' I kin stand it. The ways -o' Providence air unbeknownst."</p> - -<p>"Very well, then, we leave to-morrow morning at daylight. My husband -will be back before sundown and you may come aboard to-night," said -Mrs. Hol<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span>brook. "Won't you come aft? I am sure the walk must have tired -you. It is a long way to the village."</p> - -<p>The tall Mr. Jones glanced at Jubiter John and then followed the lady -to the quarter-deck, where he folded up like a huge jack-knife in a -deck chair, to listen to the somewhat vague but religious conversation -of his new patron. He sat there for a full hour, seldom even answering -questions which were put to him and not offering a single sentence -of his own volition. When he arose to go, he looked askance at Mrs. -Holbrook, then he raised his face heavenward and said, solemnly: "The -ways o' Providence air unbeknownst."</p> - -<p>He turned in a moment and went rapidly to the rail near the dock, -leaving Mrs. Holbrook staring at him.</p> - -<p>"Ain't he a long one, say," said young Richard, "an' them legs—Gee -whizz!"</p> - -<p>But at that instant the tall man sprang to the wharf and hurried off, -hearing nothing, and Richard received a severe rebuke.</p> - -<p>"My dear," said Mrs. Holbrook to her husband that evening, "I have -taken the liberty of inviting a country clergyman to accompany us down -the coast. He will be here this evening and I hope you will be civil to -him."</p> - -<p>"Huh," said Mr. Holbrook, and went on deck to smoke his cigar.</p> - -<p>"Is he really comin' to go with us?" asked Rich<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span>ard.</p> - -<p>"Yes, my dear, of course he is," answered his mother.</p> - -<p>"But ain't he long, say?" and he bounded up the companionway to join -his father.</p> - -<p>Before eight bells that evening the tall Mr. Jones made his appearance -and introduced himself to the Captain. As the latter had been -instructed to entertain the new arrival to the extent of giving up his -room, he received the tall man with scant ceremony.</p> - -<p>"What's the matter wid payin' yer passage on a steamboat?" growled the -mariner, as he jerked his belongings out of the berth.</p> - -<p>"My friend," observed the sanctified man, "it is not my wish to cause -trouble, an' I can't help it. If your bed be hard I make no complaint; -I'll try to sleep on it. If my grub is no good, I'll try to forget it. -The way o' Providence air unbeknownst."</p> - -<p>The short, stout skipper stood looking at him a moment, but the -sanctified man beamed down upon him until he turned with an exclamation -of a somewhat unconventional sort and left the room. Then the tall man -closed the door.</p> - -<p>In the early morning the <i>Dartmoor</i> was cast loose from the dock and -her mainsail hoisted. Jubiter John stood near the wheel and piloted her -safely over the bar and out into the green waters of the Atlantic. Then -he left her and took to his dory to row back.</p> - -<p>The air was crisp with the tingle of a nor'wester and the sun rose -with a ruddy glow. The sea was smooth under the land, but the little -lumpy clouds<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> which were running away from the northward, told of wind -behind. Before the sun was well above the horizon, Mr. Jones appeared -on deck. He was dressed in his black trousers with suspenders tied -about his waist in place of a belt. His once white shirt was open at -the neck displaying a deep and brawny chest. Two long white feet poked -themselves from beneath his trouser legs in most unpoetical fashion, -but showed he was ready for the washing down of the vessel's decks. He -tailed on to the gaff-topsail halliards and sweated up that piece of -canvas until the block nearly parted from the masthead with the strain. -Even the Captain, who had spent the night sleeping upon the galley -floor, felt that he had, indeed, an able seaman in the sanctified man -who hurled buckets of water along the snow-white planks or hustled the -squeegee along the deck until the wood and seams fairly oozed water -like a sponge. The three foremast hands hurried along in his wake.</p> - -<p>The <i>Dartmoor</i> was fast making an offing. With all sail she was running -before the breeze which now began to get a heart in it, and the long -heave of the heavy sea coming around Cape Lookout told of something -behind it. There was a live kick and quick run to this swell that made -the skipper look anxiously to his lighter canvas, but it was his object -to get as far down the beach as possible while the wind lasted. A few -miserable hours of heavy weather and all might be well, but thrashing -down a nor'wester would cost him his job if he judged Mrs. Holbrook -correctly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span></p> - -<p>The motion brought young Richard on deck, where he stood looking at the -tall man in amazement.</p> - -<p>"I thought you was a minister, say?" he ventured, as the sanctified man -came near with the squeegee, "an' ministers don't work."</p> - -<p>"Well, some kinds do, sonny. I ain't just what you might call a priest."</p> - -<p>"Naw, you look like you might be some good," said the boy. "But ain't -you a long one, say? When you get through I'll come forward and talk to -you. Ma won't care; she says she hates to have to sit around an' try to -talk to people she don't know nothin' about."</p> - -<p>"Did she say that?"</p> - -<p>"Sure, she don't know nothin' about you."</p> - -<p>The look of fear came into the tall man's eyes and he squeegeed the -deck vigorously. Then he went slowly forward and put the tool away.</p> - -<p>One of the sailors struck off six bells and the cook announced that -breakfast was ready for the Captain and the guest. As the saloon -was for the owner and his party, the meal was served in the galley, -the Captain and sanctified man sitting at the small table used to -manipulate the several ingredients which went to make a yacht's meal.</p> - -<p>"Do you think we'll have good weather, Captain?" asked the tall man, -starting in at a plate of prepared oats.</p> - -<p>"Naw," snapped the skipper, who still held vision of his night's rest -upon the galley floor.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span></p> - -<p>"D'ye mind me sayin' a thank ye fer the vittles, hey?"</p> - -<p>"Do yer prayin' to yerself," snapped the Captain.</p> - -<p>The long man raised his eyes and muttered something in his soft voice.</p> - -<p>"No matter if the vittles is bad—an' poor, I'm thankful. The ways o' -Providence air unbeknownst," he said as he finished.</p> - -<p>"What's the matter with the whack?" snarled the Captain. "Ain't it -good enough fer yer? I'll lay it's a sight better'n you been used to -gettin', an' that's a fact."</p> - -<p>"I didn't say it wasn't good," said the tall man, hastily, in a gentle -tone. "I only said I was thankful even if it wasn't any good."</p> - -<p>"Huh," snarled the Captain, "tryin' to sneak out of it, hey?"</p> - -<p>"A sanctified man never fights," said the big fellow in a small voice, -"for if he did I would break you up in little pieces."</p> - -<p>"Well, a sailor fights an' don't you fergit it," snarled the Captain. -"You want to try the breakin' game a bit aboard here, you long-legged -sky-pilot. What the thunder d'ye call a sanctified man anyways, hey?"</p> - -<p>"Don't ye know?" asked the tall man, mildly, his eyes taking again that -peculiar look of fear they often held.</p> - -<p>"Naw," answered the skipper.</p> - -<p>"Well, he's one what's been tried. A man that's<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> been off the path an' -come back again. He's taken the oath to do no more harm—nothin' but -good. He's sanctified."</p> - -<p>"No more harm! What harm hev ye done, hey?" asked the Captain, sharply.</p> - -<p>"Well, I served my time out—all but three years," said the tall man, -fearfully.</p> - -<p>"What?" gasped the skipper.</p> - -<p>"I served my time out, nearly out. It was only fifteen years I got. I'm -all right and have papers to prove it. One of the men they thought I -killed got well again. The money was divided among my pals. I didn't -get a cent of it; no, not a cent. But the past is past. Let it die!"</p> - -<p>"An' you calls yourself a sanctified man, you bloomin' convict, hey? -Steward, set these things somewhere else. I may not be particular as to -friends aboard ship, but I draw the line at eatin' with jailbirds."</p> - -<p>"I never was in jail—only for a month. It was the penitentiary," -corrected the tall man, his small voice almost dying away. There was -something very sad in his tone; something so touching that even the -steward hesitated at obeying the skipper's orders.</p> - -<p>"An' to think," said the Captain, "that Jubiter John should play it so -badly on us."</p> - -<p>He ate his meal in silence on the other side of the little room, while -the vessel plunged and ran down the slopes of following seas, creaking -and straining so that he soon left for the deck.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span></p> - -<p>The sanctified man sat eating slowly, in spite of the motion and cries -from above, as the men shortened sail to ease the racing craft in the -sea. He was lost in thought. The memories of his sufferings were upon -him, and as the sad years rolled back, he seemed to stand again upon a -ship's deck giving orders to a crew who obeyed as only deep-water men -know how. His had been a long, hard road, indeed. The surly Captain was -forgotten and his insults were as though they had never been uttered.</p> - -<p>While he sat there eating slowly and thinking over the past, he became -aware that the door leading to the main saloon was open. Through it he -caught a glimpse of shining silver as the <i>Dartmoor</i> rolled heavily -to starboard, letting in a flood of sunlight through her side ports. -A huge urn or cup weighing many pounds, and of solid silver, was -firmly planted upon a shelf near the end of the saloon. Upon it was an -engraving of a yacht under full sail with the legend "Dartmoor" with -"1898" beneath. Evidently the trophy of that season and probably the -greatest she had ever won. It was a superb piece of ware, and the man -looked at it for a long time, while his face gradually took on a hard -expression and the strange look of defiance and challenge came again -into his eyes. He had suffered much, but there was something within him -that was stirred by the glint of that silver. Twelve long years among a -certain class of men had implanted new weaknesses and developed those -he had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> already possessed. He was forgetting himself under the flashing -of that reflected sunlight.</p> - -<p>Suddenly he was aware of a small hand stealing within his own and he -turned with a cry of alarm. A look of despair came across his face and -his wide jaws set firm.</p> - -<p>"I didn't mean to scare you," said Richard, glancing backward at the -steward who was busy with the morning meal. "You don't look like you -scare easily. I heard what old square-head said to you. Don't you mind -him. He'll eat with you—an' afterwards you can tell me what you done."</p> - -<p>"Good God," murmured the man, and seized the boy in his arms.</p> - -<p>"Don't hug me; I ain't no girl" cried Richard, and the tall man sat him -on his knee and smilingly patted his head.</p> - -<p>"I reckon we'll go on deck," said the sanctified man, in a few -minutes. "They'll want some help reefin' the mainsail—pretty big sea -to run her under all lower canvas." And he took the lad's hand and -went forward through the forecastle to the scuttle and so on up to the -sunlight above.</p> - -<p>The morning was now well advanced. Eight bells struck off, and the head -of Mr. Holbrook appeared emerging from the cabin companionway. The sea -was sparkling in the sunshine and the quick combers running before the -freshening breeze were covering the surface with patches of white. -The topsail had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> been taken in and all hands were lowering down the -mainsail to close reef it.</p> - -<p>The sanctified man tailed on to the main sheet and soon had the boom -nearly amidships. Then the sail was lowered slowly, the men handing -in the canvas to ease it on the lazyjacks and toppinglift while the -<i>Dartmoor</i> ran along under jigger and jib before a sea that was rapidly -shifting to the eastward. Mr. Holbrook came on deck and watched his -flying fabric, taking a hand and passing reef-points under the jackstay -along the boom, which were all carefully pulled out again and passed -under the foot-roping of the mainsail by the careful skipper.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Holbrook decided that as the motion was very great she would -remain where it affected her the least. It would be time enough to go -on deck after dinner, when the beauties of an afternoon at sea might be -appreciated.</p> - -<p>Mr. Holbrook soon went below to breakfast and took his son with him. -When they appeared again the mainsail was set close-reefed, and the -jigger rolled up, letting the yawl run easily with more head-sail. She -now rose on the following seas like a swan, and as she would reach the -crest she would rush wildly along the slanting side, her nose pointing -downward and the full weight of the gale in her canvas, until the sea -would run from under her, letting her sink slowly into the trough where -her canvas would flap in the almost calm spot between the seas. It was -a little thick to the westward, but although the land<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> could not now be -seen there was a good stretch of water plainly visible.</p> - -<p>The sanctified man stood near the wheel, looking occasionally into the -binnacle where the compass card swung a good three points each side of -the lubber's mark, as the vessel broached or paid off in the sea.</p> - -<p>"D'ye ever adjust that compass?" he asked, mildly, of Mr. Holbrook.</p> - -<p>"Ever what?" asked the owner, contemptuously.</p> - -<p>"Do you ever see that the card swings true?" asked the sanctified man.</p> - -<p>Mr. Holbrook looked at the tall man with undisguised pity. What -should a clerical man know about navigation, he thought. The poor -country clergyman was evidently a bit ignorant concerning compasses, -although every schoolboy knew that the magnet swung north and south. -He attempted to explain the matter in a wearied tone, but when he had -finished the tall man only smiled and his expressive eyes showed traces -of amusement. He said nothing. Finally he ventured:</p> - -<p>"If I were you, I would let her head a little more to the eastward."</p> - -<p>Mr. Holbrook walked away giving a little grunt of disgust as though -he had been holding intercourse with a lunatic. As he never spoke to -his Captain except to tell him where he wanted to go, he had a rather -lonely time on deck and took to playing with his son by sitting at one -end of the cabin-house and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> throwing a line to him at the other and -then pulling upon it.</p> - -<p>The sea became rougher during the day, but in spite of it, dinner was -served in the saloon. Mrs. Holbrook appeared at last and bravely tried -to play the part of hostess to her guest. Holbrook had always shown an -aversion to piously inclined people, and a clergyman's presence gave -him extreme annoyance, as it prevented his picturesque flow of words. -As adjectives were a weakness of his, the conversation would have -lapsed into monosyllables, had not Mrs. Holbrook determined to do her -duty.</p> - -<p>"I suppose," said that lady, "you have many sailor men in your -congregation, Mr. Jones."</p> - -<p>The tall man looked at her sharply. He thought of his "congregation" -and wondered. Did the lady know what he was? He had not meant to -deceive any one. Jubiter John had simply asked for a passage for a -sanctified man and had not thought it necessary to go into the man's -history. His eyes held the strange look of alarm they had when he first -came aboard, and he answered in his thin voice.</p> - -<p>"Yes, ma'am, there's plenty of sailors get in, though they are no -worse'n landsmen. It don't make much difference what callin' a man -takes, there's bad ones in all."</p> - -<p>Mrs. Holbrook glanced at her husband, who smiled his approval.</p> - -<p>"Do you know Mr. Brown, the pastor in Beaufort?" asked the lady.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span></p> - -<p>"He must be a very excellent man—I never heard of him," said her -husband, with a touch of irony.</p> - -<p>"I asked Mr. Jones," said Mrs. Holbrook, sweetly.</p> - -<p>"No, ma'am, I never did," said the tall man, shooting his head upward -and looking at his host. "He never did time."</p> - -<p>"Never what?" asked the lady.</p> - -<p>A sharp kick upon the shin bone from young Richard caused the -sanctified man to raise a full foot higher in his seat.</p> - -<p>"What's the matter?" he asked quickly.</p> - -<p>"Aw, tumble," said the irreverent Richard.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Holbrook looked at her son sharply.</p> - -<p>"What did you do? Do you want to be sent from the table?" she said.</p> - -<p>The young man dropped his gaze into his plate and looked abashed. His -father smiled. The meal proceeded in silence until they had finished, -when Mr. Holbrook led the way on deck with a handful of cigars.</p> - -<p>"That wasn't a bad one on the country parson," ventured the yachtsman. -"You fellows so seldom joke, a man never knows just when you will break -out. Ha, ha, ha—'never did time'—Well, that wasn't half bad." And he -quite warmed to the tall man as he offered him a perfecto.</p> - -<p>"But you see——"</p> - -<p>"Yes, I see well enough. I don't blame you for kicking about such men. -Now <i>you</i> can tail on to a sheet or pass a reef point like a <i>man</i>. -Will you have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> a good nip of grog before Mrs. Holbrook comes on deck?"</p> - -<p>The sanctified man thought he would. They repaired to the forehatch, -where the steward passed up the spirits unseen.</p> - -<p>The warmth of the liquor put new life in the tall man's great frame. He -had eaten very little for days and the effects of good food and strong -drink were very strengthening. The look of challenge took the place -of alarm in his large expressive eyes and his great square jaw seemed -to set firmer. Half of his cigar disappeared between his teeth, which -closed upon it with the set of a vise.</p> - -<p>They went aft again in time to meet Mrs. Holbrook coming on deck -assisted by the Captain, who placed rugs for her in a steamer chair in -the cockpit. It was getting thicker and the wind was now well to the -eastward of north, but there was no harbour nearer than Cape Fear, and -the Captain had many reasons for not wishing to stop there. He would -run along close to the land and after passing would be in Long Bay, -where he would have a fair wind to Charleston, one hundred and fifty -miles ahead, making a run of more than two hundred miles from Beaufort. -This would get the yacht well down the coast to where they might expect -good weather.</p> - -<p>"I think," said the tall Mr. Jones, during a break in the conversation, -"I would head the vessel offshore a couple of points. You know the -Frying Pan runs well off here. It will be breaking in three fathoms<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> -with this breeze. The ways o' Providence air un——</p> - -<p>"Never mind about Providence, Mr. Jones," said Holbrook, with a wave -of his hand. "The Captain will look out for the yacht. You needn't -be scared. Tell us about the sailors you get in your flock. How you -learned all about boats from them."</p> - -<p>Mr. Jones drew himself up a good foot. His head went up in the air and -the look of defiance came into his eyes.</p> - -<p>"The only fellows that got sent up with me were Jack Elwell and Bill -Haskins," said he.</p> - -<p>"How do you mean sent up with you?" asked Mrs. Holbrook.</p> - -<p>"Well, they were caught straight enough," said the tall man, sadly.</p> - -<p>"You mean they had to be caught and sent to you for spiritual -teaching?" asked Mrs. Holbrook with a smile.</p> - -<p>"Well, er—not exactly," said the tall man, in a voice which died away -to a whisper.</p> - -<p>"Ha, ha, ha, a good one on you, Mr. Jones," said Holbrook.</p> - -<p>"Well, you see," went on the tall man, slowly, "you don't seem to -understand just what I am." He looked at the Captain, who stood near at -the wheel, but whose face was like a mahogany mask.</p> - -<p>"Why, you are a clergyman, are you not?" asked Mrs. Holbrook.</p> - -<p>"A convict," said Mr. Jones, slowly. "I am<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> Stormalong Journegan, -sailor, navigator, and was sent up for fifteen years. Bahama Bill an' -me got out."</p> - -<p>There was a long silence. Holbrook rose and went to the farther side of -the yacht. Mrs. Holbrook sat a few moments and looked out to sea. Then -she motioned to the steward, who was at the companionway, to take her -wraps below, and she disappeared down the steps without a word.</p> - -<p>Holbrook saw something forward and made his way toward the bow followed -by his son, who turned to look back at the tall man.</p> - -<p>"Serves her bloomin' well right fer turnin' me out," growled the -Captain into the ear of the helmsman. "Next time she'll be a bit more -careful about takin' passengers."</p> - -<p>Mr. Jones, or Journegan, sat looking out over the sea. The veil of -mist that hung over the land held many images for him. He saw how it -was aboard. His year of reformation had taught him many things, and -the lesson he was learning was not entirely new. He gazed sadly at -Holbrook. He had felt drawn toward the man, but after all, in spite of -his assumed contempt for holy men, he was more of a hypocrite than the -veriest village parson he had ever met.</p> - -<p>He arose slowly, unkinking his long frame like the opening of a -jack-knife. Then he tossed his cigar over the side and went to his -room. He was an outcast aboard that yacht and he knew it. The privacy -of his room was much better than the inhospitality of the deck.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span></p> - -<p>All the long afternoon he sat there thinking. He was not a strong man -save for his great muscular frame. He had fallen before and he was now -trying to do what he could to atone for it. The thought of the silver -in the after-cabin came to him and his vacillating spirit could not -quite get the glistening vision out of his brain, for after all, these -people were his enemies. They could never be anything else as long as -human vanity and conceit endured. Even the miserable little prig of an -owner who ridiculed clergymen need not be spared. It might do his small -soul good to have to part with some of his treasures. He pondered, -while the light failed and the look of challenge came into his eyes. -He had a powerful frame and had nothing to fear. And all the time the -<i>Dartmoor</i> ran to leeward with the lift of the northeast sea behind her.</p> - -<p>It was just before eight bells, when a man who had gone forward on -lookout hailed the Captain.</p> - -<p>"Something white dead ahead, sir," he cried.</p> - -<p>The sanctified man heard and thought of the untrue compass. The next -instant there was a dull reverberating snore alongside as a giant -breaker burst into a white smother and rolled away in the darkness. It -was breaking in three fathoms, and the yacht was racing to her end.</p> - -<p>There was a rush of feet on deck. Wild cries came from aft, where -the Captain had rolled the wheel hard down and was struggling with -the sailor to get the jigger on her and force her offshore. She had -not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> touched yet, but as the yawl came to in the gale, she brought up -broadside in a sea that burst upon her with the weight of an avalanche, -heaving her on her lee beam and washing everything off her, fore and -aft. The water poured down the companionway and flooded the cabin.</p> - -<p>The sanctified man reached the deck by dint of a fierce struggle up -through the forward companion. The men who were below followed as -best they could; swashing, floundering through the flood and loosened -fittings, and they managed to get aft in time to get a line to the -sailor who had been at the wheel and who was now close alongside. The -Captain was gone.</p> - -<p>All the time the <i>Dartmoor</i> was drifting to leeward and into the -breakers. She had swung off again under the pressure of her jib, and -just as the tall man seized the jigger halliards to get the after sail -upon her, she struck on the Frying Pan Shoals. The next sea rolled over -her and was the beginning of the end.</p> - -<p>Mr. Holbrook had been below all this time, and he now appeared at the -companion with his wife and boy. The sea that fell over the wrecked -craft nearly drowned them and washed Richard back into the cabin. Mr. -Jones roared out for the men to get the only small boat left alongside, -and his voice rose to a deep sonorous yell. He led the way himself to -the falls, where the small boat trailed to leeward, the davits having -been torn out bodily with the weight of the breaking seas. The hauling -part was still on deck and he handed in the line quickly, the three -sailors<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> and steward taking heart at his example and helping all they -could. Mrs. Holbrook was placed in the small boat and her husband -waited not for an invitation to follow, but floundered in after her. -The three sailors sprang aboard. At that instant a giant sea rose to -windward. It showed for a second in the ghastly phosphorescent glare of -the surrounding foam. Then it thundered over the doomed yacht.</p> - -<p>When the sanctified man came up from the blackness below, he was just -aware of the vessel's outline some fifty feet away to windward, and he -struck out strongly for her. In a few minutes he was alongside. A great -sea broke over her again, but he held well under the rise of her bow -and managed to cling to the trailing débris. Then he climbed on deck. -There was nothing living left there. He looked for the boat, but it had -disappeared. Then he was suddenly aware of a bright light and as he -looked he remembered the Bald Head tower which marks the dreaded shoals -of Cape Fear.</p> - -<p>He knew he was a mile or more from the beach and all the way was the -rolling surf. It was a desperate swim at any time, but in a northeast -gale, with the sea rolling high, it was useless to think of anything -human attempting it without artificial aid. He clung to the stump of -the mainmast and tried to live through the torrents that swept over him -by getting directly in its lee. This was the only way he could stay -even a few moments aboard the vessel. She was lifting still with each -succeeding sea and driving<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> higher and higher upon the bank, but she -had not broken up badly yet. Yachts like the <i>Dartmoor</i> could stand a -tremendous pounding before going to pieces, but he knew that nothing -could stand the smashing long. Before daylight there would be not a -stick to show that a fine ship had gone ashore in the night.</p> - -<p>The cabin scuttle was open and he wondered if the cabin was full of -water yet. The silver was still there and belonged to the man who could -save it. There was a chance for him and he was already looking about in -the blackness for a proper spar or piece of wood to float him for the -struggle in. It might be just as well to try to take in a little extra -weight along with him, for he would not start until he could get his -float.</p> - -<p>In a smooth between two seas he made a dash for the companion, -springing along the coamings of the skylight to get a footing, for the -deck was at a high angle. He reached it and clung under its lee for -shelter. Then he peered down into the darkness below. The cabin was not -quite full of water and he climbed down, feeling for the magnificent -cup he had seen there the day before. His hand touched it, although he -was now almost shoulder deep in the water. A mattress floated against -him and he seized it. The cork within would float him and his prize. He -tried to find something else that would float, but just then a torrent -of sea water rushed below and he saw that if he would get away at all -he must soon start. He lugged his prize to the steps and started to -drag it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> clear. He reached down in the water to get a better grip of -it and his great fingers closed upon a human hand. Then he made out -the form of the boy with his head still above water, clinging to the -topmost step of the ladder. He peered into the child's face and saw -the frightened eyes open and look at him. Then he stopped and stood -motionless upon the ladder.</p> - -<p>In all his work he had only been a few minutes, but those few minutes -had been minutes of his old life, the life of a sailor. The late past -had been forgotten and he was now a shipwrecked mariner, getting ashore -as best he could, saving what he might from a wreck. But the touch -of the boy's hand brought him back again to the realization of his -condition. The hand of an enemy's son, but the hand of one who had -treated him kindly. The mattress would not hold all three. It would be -between the boy and the cup. He swore savagely at the piece of silver, -held it for an instant, then started to hurl it from him. In the -precious seconds he was making a desperate fight. He gripped it again -with both hands and held it before him. A sea roared over the wreck and -half smothered him, pouring down the open companion.</p> - -<p>He dropped the heavy cup, seized the half-fainting Richard and quickly -passed a lashing about him. Then he seized the cork mattress and boy -and plunged to leeward.</p> - -<p>In the dim gray of the early morning, the keeper of the Bald Head -Lighthouse saw the tall form of a man staggering up the beach carrying -something in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> his arms. He ran down the steps of the tower and met the -tall stranger and relieved him of his burden of a still living but -half-drowned boy.</p> - -<p>"His mother and father are crazy with grief," said the keeper. "The -woman is crying all the time that it was the will o' God, because she -had a convict aboard her yacht. If you are the Captain, you had better -bring the lad to her yourself. I reckon she'll be careful what kind o' -passengers she takes aboard again, and take your word for things aboard -her boats."</p> - -<p>"Does she think it was because a convict was aboard, the vessel went -ashore?" asked the tall man, drawing his half-naked figure up to its -full height.</p> - -<p>"Sure, she says the Captain didn't want him. A mighty fine religious -woman she is, too," said the keeper.</p> - -<p>"I reckon I won't bother her just now," said the tall man, in a voice -hardly above a whisper. "You take the little fellow to her—I'll go and -get some clothes on."</p> - -<p>The light-keeper strode away with the boy in his arms. The tall man -stood still for several minutes, looking after him. When the keeper -reached the dwelling he turned and saw the tall man still standing -there in his soaking trousers, his giant torso looking like the statue -of a sea-god. "The ways o' Providence air mighty strange," muttered the -sanctified man, slowly to himself——"But somehow I feel that I won."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="VII" id="VII">VII</a></p> - -<p class="center">When the Light Failed at Carysfort</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> United States Lighthouse Establishment organized by Thornton -Jenkins, Rear-Admiral, United States Navy, had built many important -lighthouses upon the coast of the States. The appropriations admitted -the lighting of the dangerous coral banks of the Florida Reef, which -rose from the blue Gulf Stream many miles offshore and stretched away -from Cape Florida to Tortugas.</p> - -<p>From Fowey Rocks to Sand Key the high, long-legged towers, built of -iron piling driven into the rock and braced with rods, rose above the -shoal water, and at night their huge lenses flashed forth a warning -gleam for twenty miles or more over the sea.</p> - -<p>Carysfort was the second from the beginning the reef: a tall iron -structure, the lantern or lens mounted atop of a wooden house built -upon the platform at the end of the piling.</p> - -<p>Inside of the house were the two bedrooms of the keepers, the oil-room, -storerooms, and kitchen. Large tanks of iron held hundreds of gallons -of water caught from the roof.</p> - -<p>Outside the structure the platform extended six feet<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> clear all around, -making a comfortable porch or piazza, with a high rail which hung out -over the sea at a height of about a hundred feet.</p> - -<p>A long iron ladder extended from a trap-door in the flooring to the -sea below, stopping at a landing about half-way, where the keepers had -a small woodpile, a flower-bed, and a few things which would stand -exposure to the weather. At the sides of the platform above were -davits, on which the two whale-boats hung.</p> - -<p>Altogether, the little house and platform offered some inducements to -men who were not particular about being alone for a long time.</p> - -<p>It was many miles to the nearest land, clear out of sight from even the -top of the tower; and to those who lived there it was like being at -sea upon a small vessel which neither pitched nor rolled in a seaway, -nor yet changed position in any manner. It was almost like living in -mid-air.</p> - -<p>It was a healthy life for the keepers. No germs of any known disease -ever reached the distant lighthouse, and no sickness had ever occurred -there.</p> - -<p>On shore, it was a well-established axiom that among the offshore -keepers none died—and few retired.</p> - -<p>Every few months each could get a leave of absence on full pay and -spend the time in any manner he pleased. The supply-ship stopped off -the reef twice each year, and the lighthouse tender traversed the -district as high as Cape Canaveral if anything was wanted.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span></p> - -<p>So at least three or four times a year the keepers would hold -communication with the outside world and converse with their fellow men.</p> - -<p>The ships passing up the Hawk's Channel from Key West went within a few -miles of the reef, and steamers going north outside sometimes stood in -close enough to be recognized: but the Carysfort and Alligator Reefs -were good places to keep away from, and no vessels except the spongers -remained long in sight.</p> - -<p>The spongers consisted of small sloops and schooners, which hailed from -Key West whose owners were the wreckers of the reef, and who spent the -best part of the good weather in summer hunting the growths upon the -coral which brought such good prices in the Northern drug-stores.</p> - -<p>Few wreckers are piously inclined, some less so than others, but the -outlying light was safe from thieves, for by hauling up the iron -ladder the keepers were shut off completely from the world below. No -one could, or would, climb those polished iron columns painted a dull -red and as slippery as glass, unless something valuable was to be had -at the top. So the keepers often left the trap-door open or unbolted, -knowing their security.</p> - -<p>Black Flanagan was the head keeper, a six-foot giant from Wisconsin, -who had found his way to Florida while evading a Michigan sheriff. The -work and confinement upon the light were not as irksome to him as might -be expected.</p> - -<p>His assistant was a preacher, a broken-down Meth<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span>odist minister without -a flock, whose religious tendencies were of an order which brooked -solitude.</p> - -<p>He had the reputation of being the most blasphemous man upon the -Florida Reef, and his short sojourns ashore were marked by every excess -capable of being committed by a human being within the law.</p> - -<p>They called him "the howler," for, when he was drunk—which he -invariably was an hour after he came ashore—he would stop at the -village street corners and bellow for converts.</p> - -<p>Any one within a mile would know what was taking place, and many would -stop to listen. Failure to get responses brought forth such a torrent -of profanity that he would have to be locked up until sober—when he -would repeat the effort until his leave was over.</p> - -<p>Then, solemnly and with ponderous dignity, he would take himself back -to his home in the air over the blue Gulf Stream, and no one would see -him again for several months. Black Flanagan would greet him with a -grunt, and the two would take up the even life of lighting the lantern -and putting it out.</p> - -<p>Men were not struggling for their positions, and they took some comfort -from the fact. They would probably live so for a long time, drawing -good pay, with nothing whatever to do except clean and light the lamp.</p> - -<p>It was a hot and sultry morning in August, and the keepers were hanging -lazily over the rail of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> platform, when they saw the wrecking-sloop -<i>Sea-Horse</i> coming slowly up the Hawk's Channel.</p> - -<p>Her main-boom was well off to port, and she was fanning along before -a very light air from the southeast, going not more than two knots an -hour.</p> - -<p>Upon her deck lay the crew of half-naked Conchs, while at her wheel the -giant form of "Bahama Bill," the mate, stood leaning against the shaft, -smoking a short pipe.</p> - -<p>The fact that the black man now and then looked astern at a thin trail -of smoke caused Black Flanagan to notice him.</p> - -<p>"There goes the <i>Sea-Horse</i>," said he to his assistant; and they both -came to the side of the platform nearest the passing vessel.</p> - -<p>"Never seen thet big feller show so much consarn about what was astern -o' him, hey?" said the preacher. "Looks like they were from the -east'ard." And he nodded significantly.</p> - -<p>The sloop drew nearer, and the thin line of smoke rose blacker a -dozen miles astern. Then there seemed to be signs of life aboard. Two -men sprang up and began to drop large kegs overboard, making a great -splashing. They kept this up for some minutes, and the keepers went -inside the light for the telescope.</p> - -<p>Astern of the sloop they made out small, black objects, which floated -at intervals upon the swell, and were just discernible through the -powerful glass.</p> - -<p>For half an hour the men aboard the wrecking-vessel worked heaving -cargo overboard, and, as they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> went along, the long line of tiny specks -marked their wake.</p> - -<p>"Corks," said Flanagan; "I thought so."</p> - -<p>"They better hurry up," said the preacher; "the cutter's rising fast." -As he spoke, he looked toward the steamer, which was now coming along -in plain view, her hull rising slowly above the horizon, and her funnel -pouring out a black cloud, which hung over the sea.</p> - -<p>"They'll get caught fair enough. Half an hour, an' the officers'll be -aboard."</p> - -<p>"Well, they won't find anything. They'll never see them corks—she's -already heading out to get them clear of the wake. When they catch her, -she'll be an innocent sponger—an' we'll——"</p> - -<p>They looked at each other and smiled.</p> - -<p>An hour later the <i>Sea-Horse</i> and revenue-cutter were upon the northern -horizon heading into Biscayne, and the keepers were lowering their -boats.</p> - -<p>It is an unwritten law of the reef that a man may steal as much as he -can from the United States, but he must not touch property belonging to -an individual. A smuggler is not by any means a common thief.</p> - -<p>Flanagan's ideas were different. He held that it was well to steal -whenever the opportunity offered without danger of getting caught; and -upon this principle he had little difficulty in converting his pious -assistant, whose thirst had not been slaked for three full months.</p> - -<p>Together they loaded three of the kegs into the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> boats by simply -pulling up the fishing-lines whose ends were floated by beer-bottle -corks.</p> - -<p>The lines anchoring the kegs were lying upon the bottom in six fathoms -of water, out of sight, and the small cotton cords were amply strong -enough to raise them. Once getting a grip of the anchoring-lines, they -had no difficulty in hauling the liquor aboard their whale-boats.</p> - -<p>The temptation to sample the goods was so strong that they desisted -after the third keg, and made straight away for the lighthouse to enjoy -the plunder. They could come back again and get the rest at their -leisure, for the corks would be in plain view during the calm weather.</p> - -<p>What transpired at the lighthouse during the next three days is -somewhat hazy. No light appeared at night, and the Key West steamer -almost ran ashore on her trip south. She reported the light out, and -the tender was despatched to see what had happened.</p> - -<p>The day was clear and bright, and the keepers were on the lookout, -seeing the steamer when fully fifteen miles away. Their liquor was -promptly put out of sight, and everything made snug to receive the -inspector.</p> - -<p>While there were evidences of drink in the faces of the men, they -showed a properly kept light, and swore solemnly that they had not left -the tower, and that the light had not failed at all.</p> - -<p>They mildly suggested that the captain of the Key steamer may have been -in a highly reprehensible<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> condition to have accused two perfectly -sober and diligent light-keepers of neglect of duty.</p> - -<p>The pious one broke forth in prayer and exhortation for the delivery of -deluded pilots from the wiles of the devil, and soon the inspector was -glad to go aboard his vessel to return to Key West.</p> - -<p>The <i>Sea-Horse</i>, having been searched at Miami and found to be clear -of contraband, was allowed to go her way. She stood out to sea, and -headed down the Hawk's Channel just as the keepers lit the lantern for -the evening watch. Black Flanagan was just sober enough to do this, and -then turn in to continue his debauch with a pannikin of rum at his bed.</p> - -<p>The <i>Sea-Horse</i> anchored near the light and waited for daylight to pick -up the floats.</p> - -<p>In the gray of early morning the black mate turned out the crew, -leaving the captain below, and, taking the small boat, put off.</p> - -<p>It was calm, and the corks were plainly visible. They were promptly -hauled aboard, and the sunken kegs stowed until the end of the line was -reached.</p> - -<p>Here the mate found three floats missing, and, being in a suspicious -frame of mind, he looked toward the light, which was still burning, -although the rays of the rising sun were colouring the eastern horizon -a rosy hue.</p> - -<p>"They've got 'em, all right," said he. "If we're quick enough, we might -catch 'em—give way hard."</p> - -<p>The small boat with three men was headed for the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> tower; and the -<i>Sea-Horse</i>, with her captain now thoroughly awake, lay by for -developments.</p> - -<p>The big mate lost no time gaining the tower. It was broad day now, and -Flanagan had just staggered up the steps into the lantern when the -small boat arrived alongside the piles below.</p> - -<p>In his befuddled state Flanagan saw nothing, until, after putting the -light out, he came stumbling back again. He arrived in the lower room -just in time to see the black head and shoulders of the mate emerging -upward through the trap-door in the floor.</p> - -<p>The mate was not in a good humour; moreover, he had turned out early -without eating his breakfast, and his great black head and giant arms -seemed supernatural in both vindictiveness and size.</p> - -<p>Flanagan thought he had taken too much, and that the horrors were upon -him at last. With a yell, he launched himself upon the seaman, taking -him at a disadvantage, and endeavoured to smash him back into the void -below.</p> - -<p>But the mate was strong. He had come to the light expecting trouble. -With a mighty effort he forced the keeper upward, and, amid a fierce -snarling and threshing about, he soon engaged in a desperate struggle.</p> - -<p>The "howler," hearing the uproar, sprang to the rescue, and joined in -the fray just as the sailors, following their trusty mate, climbed -through the door. In less than five minutes the keepers were lashed -fast, and were being lowered down through the door into the waiting -boat below.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span></p> - -<p>What remained of their spoil was also found and lowered after them; and -in the bright light of the tropic sunrise the <i>Sea-Horse</i> put to sea, -leaving the great tower of the Carysfort light to the westward.</p> - -<p>For nearly a week no light was shown from the tower. Strangely enough, -no one reported the light out.</p> - -<p>The sixth day a sponger, sailing past at dark, noticed the absence of -light, and went to the tower to see what was wrong.</p> - -<p>He found it deserted, and, being a very poor man, he made his boat fast -to the piles and took possession, enjoying the fare and taking care of -the lantern in proper style for several days.</p> - -<p>All might have gone well with him for several months, but for the fact -that the supply-steamer was due, and arrived before he thought it time -to make a getaway.</p> - -<p>Finding the keepers missing, and no account made for them by the -inhabitant, the officers promptly accused him of murdering them, and -forthwith took him aboard the vessel to be carried ashore and tried. He -was promptly convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to imprisonment -for life.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, the <i>Sea-Horse</i>, having made the Bahamas, put the thieving -keepers ashore to shift for themselves. After vainly trying to get -passage back to their home, they finally managed to get a small -boat and put to sea, to make the two hundred miles or more to the -lighthouse.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span></p> - -<p>They had been absent more than a month, and they arrived at Carysfort -one sunny morning in time to see the two new keepers who had been -appointed in their place take their whale-boat and start fishing along -the reef to the northward of the tower.</p> - -<p>Seizing the opportunity, they promptly gained the lighthouse and -climbed into the landing, dropping the trap-door fast behind them.</p> - -<p>The new keepers, seeing the strangers in possession of the tower, -hailed them lustily, and started back to inquire their business.</p> - -<p>For answer Flanagan leaned over the railing and gazed calmly down upon -them with a quizzical look.</p> - -<p>"What d'ye want?" inquired the tall keeper, in response to a hail.</p> - -<p>"What are you doing in that light?" asked the new keeper.</p> - -<p>"I am the keeper, and when you address me say 'sir,'" roared the tall -man in stentorian tones. "Tie that boat to the spiles and git away from -here, or I'll fall on top o' ye."</p> - -<p>But the new keepers were not made of easy stuff. They gained the lower -landing, and held forth under threats and persuasion for a day and -a half, when the "howler," getting tired of their proximity, began -attacking them with hot water and other missiles, which he hove or -dropped from the platform above.</p> - -<p>The new keepers could not get up, but they determined that the men -above should not get down, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> they built a bomb-proof shelter to -protect themselves until help should arrive.</p> - -<p>After two days, they finally gave it up and started for Miami, where -they arrived and reported the state of affairs.</p> - -<p>The inspector came along, but found the two worthies sober, and -attending strictly to their duties.</p> - -<p>They explained how they had been attacked by a huge smuggling vessel -bound for the North, and how, after a desperate fight, they finally had -been overpowered, taken forcibly from their abode in the light, where -they had been attending to their duties, and put ashore in the Bahamas.</p> - -<p>They described how, after a tremendous exertion, they had managed to -get back again, only to find two strangers in possession of the tower. -Naturally, they treated them as trespassers and took charge. The light -had been kept regularly ever since, and they had no fault to find with -the job.</p> - -<p>After listening to their tale, there was nothing to do but to leave -them to their duties, for nothing could be found against them.</p> - -<p>Their absence from the light would have enabled the inspector to give -them their discharge, but they could prove they had not left of their -own accord. The forepart of their story would necessarily remain in the -dark, for they would not talk of it, and the crew of the <i>Sea-Horse</i> -would rather have it kept quiet. Besides, it would be more than useless -to try to find the vessel from their description. The tender steamed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span> -away for Miami to inform the authorities of the existence of the -keepers.</p> - -<p>"Virtue is usually triumphant," said the inspector to the judge, who -ordered the release of the convicted prisoner. "But in this case there -seems to be an exception."</p> - -<p>"There are exceptions to every rule," quoted the judge wisely. -"Light-keepers are rare birds—trouble will probably not happen -again—I would therefore sentence them to life imprisonment in—well, I -reckon there is no worse place than the Carysfort light."</p> - -<p>"I don't know but what you are right," said the inspector.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="VIII" id="VIII">VIII</a></p> - -<p class="center">The Trimming of Mr. Dunn</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Mrs. Dunn</span> sat under the awning stretched over the quarter-deck of the -yacht <i>Sayonara</i> lying in the stream, off the government coal-dock, at -Key West. It was winter, but the air was warm, and white linen duck was -the most comfortable clothing. Even the six men who composed the crew -of the trim little schooner showed nothing but white in their garments, -save the black silk ties knotted rakishly, drawing together their wide -sailor-collars. Phenix Dunn was a broker, a gambler in the productions -of others, and because of this he was wealthy. He had bought and sold -certain commodities known as stocks, and they had proved profitable—so -profitable that he had decided to take a few months away from the -excitement of the game and buy a yacht and cruise.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Dunn was something of a beauty. That is, many men thought so. Some -women differed in opinions, especially those women whom she counted -as her friends. Anyhow, she possessed a dashing air, a figure beyond -criticism, and clothes that made Phenix say many bad words when the -bills came in. Also she had a disposition the gentle side of which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> had -not been overdeveloped. She was not quarrelsome. Far from it. She had -plenty of tact and ability, but the absence of children and household -cares had given her more time than necessary for the contemplation of -self, and this had not been satisfying. She worked it off by dint of -much outdoor exercise.</p> - -<p>Dunn joined her at the taffrail and flung himself into a chair with a -show of wrath. Something had gone wrong, as it always does upon yachts -of any size where the owner is not used to the sea or its peculiar -people.</p> - -<p>"The steward is gone, the cook is going, and here we are a thousand -miles from anywhere at all—anywhere at all, I say; and the commandant -of the yard will be aboard to-morrow with not less than twenty officers -and their wives. What'll we do about it?" he rapped out.</p> - -<p>"Why do you ask me?—I'm not good at riddles," answered his wife lazily.</p> - -<p>"Well, we've got to take on a couple of blacks—niggers they call 'em -here—and I don't like the idea of it. I've no use for 'em. What I -want is Japanese servants. Japanese are good. Good fighters make good -servants. You don't want a servant to think, and a good fighter never -thinks. If he did he would see something else besides glory in walking -up to a man with a gun. The Japs do that—and they are good servants. I -don't want any of these black people aboard this vessel."</p> - -<p>"Well, what are you going to do about it?"</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I don't know," grumbled Dunn, "but when in doubt, take a drink—I'll -go and get one."</p> - -<p>While he was below, a dingy-looking vessel came slowly in the northwest -channel. She was a heavily built sloop, and upon her deck lounged -a rather numerous crew. They were picturesque, half-clothed in -nondescript rags, their bare arms and shoulders seeming impervious to -the rays of the torrid sunshine, for along the Florida reef, even in -winter, the sun is burning.</p> - -<p>The craft dropped anchor about twenty fathoms astern of the yacht, -and when Dunn came from below, bringing with him an odour of gin and -bitters, the crew of the sloop regarded him silently.</p> - -<p>"Hello, a wrecker!" exclaimed Dunn.</p> - -<p>His sailing-master had come to the taffrail and was gazing at the -stranger, while Mrs. Dunn, careless of nautical neighbours, read her -magazine.</p> - -<p>"Yes, seems like one of the wreckers," said Captain Smart; "an -ugly-looking crew, for a fact. They say these spongers divide their -time between wrecking and smuggling. Not that either's bad if indulged -in moderately, but they are apt to get loose after awhile and do queer -things."</p> - -<p>"There ought to be plenty of good in a wrecker, if he plied his trade -right—ought to save lives and property," said Dunn. "Let's have a look -through the glass."</p> - -<p>The men of the wrecking-sloop gazed back insolently at the yachtsman, -and a giant black man among<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> them rose up, placed his fingers in line, -and applied the thumb of one hand to his big, flat nose, wiggling his -huge digits in derision.</p> - -<p>"That fellow is a corker," said Dunn, watching the wrecker -good-humouredly.</p> - -<p>"He's a big one, all right," assented Smart, "and I reckon they don't -like us looking so hard at 'em."</p> - -<p>"Lower a boat and send over for that fellow—I want him," said Dunn.</p> - -<p>The captain looked at him for a moment. "I go ashore for Miss Marion -Harsha in a few minutes," he said. "Mrs. Dunn gave the order. If you -say so, I'll let the gig go for the wrecker afterward—go myself in -her."</p> - -<p>The yacht skipper was about forty, and slightly grizzled, his tanned -face lined from work and exposure in more than one hard-run merchant -vessel. But he made a rather good-looking yacht captain when dressed in -his blue broadcloth coat with gold-braided cuffs, white duck trousers, -and white canvas shoes. His cap bore the flag of Mr. Dunn upon its -front, and was the only badge of dependence about him.</p> - -<p>"All right, go ahead when you're ready; I'm in no hurry," said the -owner. "Only I want to see that big nigger who was insolent enough -to poke his fingers at me. Seems like he'd make a good man aboard -here—steward, maybe, or even cook, if he knows how to do the work. -They say these Southern darkies know how to cook like a French -chef—and maybe<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> his wife takes in washing. Get him, bring him -in—there's some one waving on the dock now."</p> - -<p>"Bring the gig to the starboard gangway," ordered Smart; and two men -swung into her from the boom-end and dropped her aft. In a moment the -captain was on his way to the dock.</p> - -<p>Miss Harsha was young, stout, pug-nosed, and short-haired, but she -dressed well and swung her parasol daintily as she walked down the -dock end beside a uniformed marine officer from the yard. At the -landing-steps the officer assisted her into the gig, talking so -interestedly that she failed to notice the yacht captain until he took -her hand and helped her into the cushions in the stern-sheets. She -suddenly dropped his hand, started, and stared at him a moment.</p> - -<p>"You—you—what are you doing here?" she stammered.</p> - -<p>"I'm to bring you aboard—Mrs. Dunn's orders," said Smart.</p> - -<p>"Er—yes, I suppose so. Oh, good-bye, Major Simson, we'll see you -to-morrow; you must come aboard, you know. Nice little boat—so -different from a ship, and Miss Jennings will be there. Good-bye."</p> - -<p>The officer bowed low, waved his helmet, and started back as the small -boat pulled away.</p> - -<p>"I thought you were still aboard the liner—the <i>Ampersand</i>," said Miss -Harsha casually, as she edged away to give the captain room to steer.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span></p> - -<p>"No, I left the next voyage. I was taught that a ship's officer was not -in the class I supposed him to be."</p> - -<p>"Please don't," interrupted the girl. "You know, or ought to know, -the difference between a common sailor—a mate of a transatlantic -steamer—and a naval officer. I hoped to spare your feelings, but you -would not listen to me. I am the daughter of a naval officer. You are -very little different from Mr. Dunn's butler, socially speaking. You -wear his livery——"</p> - -<p>"A very pretty uniform it is," suggested the skipper, interrupting and -smiling complacently at her.</p> - -<p>"You must pardon me if I hurt your feelings, but it seems necessary for -me to make myself plainly understood——"</p> - -<p>"Oh, I understand you thoroughly," said Captain Smart gently. "You are -away above me—high up. I know I'm only a sailor. So was my father. -But I'm not a bit ashamed of it. I work for my living. I have no kind -Uncle Sam to provide for me that I may loaf about in white duck and -seek diversion among the fairer sex. You'll excuse me if I cannot hold -a poorer opinion of myself than I do of many of those who wear the -country's livery and draw pay for it. They are mostly good fellows—but -there are others."</p> - -<p>"But you won't understand. It isn't that. It's the—well, we won't -discuss it any further. I know you are too much of a man to make me -uncomfortable<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> aboard the yacht. If you do, I shall have to speak to -Mr. Dunn."</p> - -<p>Captain Smart chuckled softly. He seemed to enjoy the situation very -much, but he said no more, for the men rowing were beginning to listen -to the conversation. He swung the boat alongside with precision, and -assisted the girl up the companion.</p> - -<p>Aboard the wrecker the crew watched these proceedings with interest. -The big mate bit off a piece of tobacco and settled himself comfortably -in the sun upon the deck, with his head just above the rail.</p> - -<p>"Here comes the boat for us," grinned Captain Sanders, poking his head -out of the cuddy. The rest grinned silently in turn.</p> - -<p>Captain Smart came alongside, and the big mate rose to a sitting -position at the rail, squirting a stream of tobacco over the side, -barely missing the gig.</p> - -<p>"Mr. Dunn, the owner of the <i>Sayonara</i>, would like to see you aboard -the schooner," said Smart, addressing the black.</p> - -<p>"What fur?" growled the giant.</p> - -<p>"Oh, he has some business, I suppose—will you come?"</p> - -<p>Sanders winked at his mate, and a Dutchman named Heldron nudged him in -the ribs.</p> - -<p>"Sho', I'll come," said the mate.</p> - -<p>"Me, too," said Sanders, winking hard at the rest. "I'm the captain of -the wreckin'-sloop <i>Sea-Horse</i>, an' it's no more'n proper for me to pay -my respect to his nibs. This here little black boy"—pointing to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> -black giant—"is my first officer. They calls him Bahama Bill. He's a -bad man to call out o' his name."</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill frowned and his ugly face leered for a moment at the crew -on deck. Then he swung easily over the side and dropped with a crash -into the small boat. Some of the men sniggered, but Sanders gave them a -look and followed.</p> - -<p>"Shove off," said Smart, and in a moment the gig was heading for the -yacht.</p> - -<p>Upon the deck of the schooner the captain and mate of the <i>Sea-Horse</i> -seemed slightly out of place, but Bahama Bill swaggered aft with an -air that had little retirement or modesty about it, and his skipper -followed behind him.</p> - -<p>The giant mate was much amused by the immaculate decks, the new -rigging, and, above all, the spotless clothes of the crew. He knew -a good ship, and this toy, this playship of the rich Northerner was -much to his liking, for the <i>Sayonara</i> was strongly built and had much -valuable material in her building.</p> - -<p>Dunn was sitting under the awning aft when the visitors were announced. -Sanders, hat in hand, stood awkwardly smiling and smirking at the -ladies, but his mate cocked his cap over his ear and leered savagely at -the owner.</p> - -<p>"You sent fur us, cap—an' here we is," said he.</p> - -<p>Dunn had been watching them for several seconds.</p> - -<p>"Yes, yes, my good man, I wanted to see you," he said. "Do you know of -any one who wants a job<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> cooking aboard here? I heard there were some -good sea-cooks knocking about these keys, perhaps you're one—what?"</p> - -<p>"Does I look like a cook?" said Bahama Bill, staring at him.</p> - -<p>"Most certainly not, but appearances are sometimes deceptive. Maybe you -know of one—what?"</p> - -<p>"I does," said Bill.</p> - -<p>"Can you get him aboard here to-day?" asked Dunn.</p> - -<p>"I cayn't—nussur. I cayn't."</p> - -<p>"Why not? I'll give good pay—fifty dollars. Steady job, if they make -good."</p> - -<p>"Well, de onliest good cook I knows is 'Scrappy Jule,' dey calls -her——"</p> - -<p>"Oh, no, she won't do; we don't want any disrep——"</p> - -<p>"She's my wife," went on Bill, with a smoothness in his tone that made -his captain smile broader than ever, "an' don't reckon she'll come -abo'd no boat onless hit's me dat takes her."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps she'll do some washing for us, then?"</p> - -<p>Bill stared at the yachtsman for nearly a minute, and the smile died -away from Sanders' face.</p> - -<p>"Look here, yo' white man, did yo' send fur us to come ober heah to -listen to a lot ob nonsense?" said Bill solemnly. "What yo' takes me -fur, anyhow? We comes ober to take a drink an' pass de time o' day like -ship's officer, an' yo' begins wid a lot o' fool<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span>ishness 'bout cooks -an' washerwomen. What yo' reckon I am?"</p> - -<p>"Good heavens! Captain Smart, come here a minute," called Mr. Dunn, -while the two ladies who were near enough to hear the last part of the -conversation sat staring at the wreckers in amazement.</p> - -<p>"Take these men forward and give 'em liquor," said Dunn, as his skipper -came aft, "and then send them back aboard their craft. They won't suit -us."</p> - -<p>"You men come with me," said Smart, motioning to Sanders and Bahama -Bill. His tone was quiet, but there was no mistaking its meaning. He -had seen enough of them, and would put them back aboard their craft. -He had known from the first that it was a mistake to have brought -them. They were a rough, independent type who respected no one, a type -that had furnished the worst class of buccaneers and pirates some -generations before. The West Indies had been infested with them for -years, and these wreckers, the descendants of the wild seamen of the -Spanish Main, were not the kind of men for a yacht.</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill glared sourly at the men forward as he made his way to the -gangway followed by Sanders.</p> - -<p>"I don't drink with no such po' white men as yo'," said the giant. "Yo' -kin put me back abo'd the <i>Sea-Horse</i>—sorry I came."</p> - -<p>"I'll take a pull afore I go," put in Sanders. "Bring out yer pizen -an' let's have a try at it. I seen more onsociable fellers than your -owner—but I can't quite call to mind jest where."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span></p> - -<p>"You ought to know yachtsmen, captain," said Smart. "There's a -difference between them and seamen. I'll drink with you, if you don't -mind."</p> - -<p>"Naw, yer needn't. I don't want nothin' more to do with yer—see? I -drinks alone."</p> - -<p>Smart took a bottle of liquor from the boy, who had brought it from the -cabin and poured a tumblerful, handing it to Sanders.</p> - -<p>"Drink, and make your getaway," he said.</p> - -<p>Sanders tossed off the glassful, and looked hard at him.</p> - -<p>"I'll go when I git good an' ready," he said. "Don't give me none o' -your slack, or I'll take it out o' yer." Then he flung the dregs of the -liquor into Smart's face.</p> - -<p>The sting of the fiery stuff blinded the captain for an instant, but it -also angered him enough to do a foolish thing. He brought the bottle -down upon the wrecker's head and stretched him upon the deck. The next -instant he was seized by the giant black man and flung like a coil of -rope into the scuppers.</p> - -<p>"Don't make no rough-house, or you'll be sorry. Put us abo'd the -<i>Sea-Horse</i>," said the big mate.</p> - -<p>Dunn had rushed for the cabin at the first signs of a fracas, and now -came forward with a rifle held in readiness.</p> - -<p>Smart saw that any further strain would result in bloodshed, and he was -used to handling men. With strong self-control he sprang to his feet -and held up his hand to Dunn. Then he called for the boat in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> a natural -tone, and the men who had witnessed the trouble obeyed.</p> - -<p>The yacht's deck was not the place for an affair of force. Captain -Smart knew it at once and deplored his action. In a second he could -precipitate a fight that would be fatal to at least one or more men, -for Dunn was an excellent shot and exceedingly quick. The mate of -the <i>Sea-Horse</i> cared as little for the rifle as for a cane, if he -once broke loose. Even Sanders would not hesitate to face any kind of -weapon. The two wreckers were ushered over the side and rowed back to -their craft.</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill was sullenly silent all the afternoon. Something, an -indefinable something of refinement, of an air above what he had been -used to, had kept him from an outbreak aboard the yacht. He had many -times gone forth on the beach and made rough-house for the sport of -it, handling half a dozen tough longshoremen, armed and unarmed. On -the <i>Sayonara</i> the presence of the ladies had kept him in check. He -could not quite understand it. Sanders had less control of himself, and -growled out vengeance during the hours of daylight. When it grew dark -he took his mate to one side.</p> - -<p>"When the tide turns we'll rake her—hey?" he said.</p> - -<p>"I dunno—I cayn't quite make up my mind," said Bill.</p> - -<p>"Feared?"—with a sneer.</p> - -<p>"Feared o' what?" asked the black man.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Oh, I dunno. I reckon the captain, or the owner—hey?"</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill spat disdainfully over the side into the dark water where -the phosphorus shone in the ripples. He sat for an hour upon the rail, -and the rest of the crew watched him, for they knew pretty well what -was coming.</p> - -<p>After supper the big mate went on deck. Heldron brought him a hook, a -powerful instrument with a long tooth that would reach well into the -seams of a vessel and pull out any calking that might be there. Sanders -took out a fine steel bar, a regular jimmy, and joined them. The rest -of the crew remained below and played checkers or cards, making no -comment whatever.</p> - -<p>The giant mate took the bar and hook and slid gently over the side, and -the next instant they saw a thin line of fire, his wake, leading toward -the yacht.</p> - -<p>Aboard the yacht the incident of the afternoon was almost forgotten. -Miss Harsha played the piano and Mrs. Dunn sang sea songs, while Dunn -smoked and applauded alternately. The men were all below, and only -Smart and his mate, a tall Yankee sailor from Maine, sat on deck, for -the air was chill.</p> - -<p>"Looks like we'll have a bit o' weather coming along soon," said the -mate to Smart; "heavy bank makin' to th' north'ard."</p> - -<p>The captain smoked in silence. He thought of the scene on deck that -day, and he felt more than ever that Miss Harsha had reason to feel -displeased at his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> attentions. He remembered the nights upon the liner -when he had taken the girl for walks against the rules of the company, -the usual ending of such affairs, and the cold-blooded manner in which -she had sent him off. He was occupied intensely with his thoughts and -keenly disgusted. In the dark water alongside a large fish seemed to -make considerable disturbance and attracted his attention. He went to -the rail and looked over, and instantly the creature, whatever it was, -sank below the surface. Then he went back and smoked.</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill, the wrecker, had reached the yacht and had started to work -her seams about three strakes below the water-line. It was his business -to drag out the oakum and spread the seam, leaving nothing but a bare -thread to keep the water from coming into the hull.</p> - -<p>It was an old game, but new to the vicinity and victims. When the -vessel filled and sank, which she would surely do if not docked at -once, the wreckers would be on hand to claim their salvage. As this -would amount to about one-third the value of the yacht, it would be -worth while. Even if the marks of bar and hook were discovered, no one, -unless an expert in the methods of the reefers, would suspect what had -caused the trouble. No one could possibly give any testimony of any -value against the wreckers.</p> - -<p>They would board her boldly at just the right moment, and, knowing her -condition, would have no<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> rivals on hand. Her salvage would ease the -pain of the insults they had received at the hands of her owner. He -wouldn't drink with them—what? He would wish he had drunk many bottles -before they were through with him, the rich bum. Who was he to put on -airs to them?</p> - -<p>The giant black diver had raked the seam and then swung his weight -upon the bar. The two-inch planking of the small vessel gave to his -tremendous strength. His head, a foot beneath the surface, kept him out -of sight while he worked, but he had to raise it clear every little -while to breathe. At these times he turned his eyes upward and tried to -pierce the gloom, letting just his nose come out, and drawing breath -ready for instant disappearance should any one be looking over the side.</p> - -<p>It was desperate work, toiling there in the tideway, and, in spite of -his power, he found that he must rest after the first seam had been -raked to the bends. He jammed the bar fast in a seam and clung to it, -lying at full-length and letting his body float with the current.</p> - -<p>The night was quite still and very dark. The bank of cloud in the -north told of a heavy wind approaching, the uncomfortable norther -which sweeps at periods over the reef during the winter months. The -water, however, was always warm; the close proximity of the Gulf Stream -kept it near the temperature of eighty all through the year. While he -rested, he was aware of a movement in the sea near him, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> he sniffed -the air uneasily. The smell of a shark was plain in his nostrils.</p> - -<p>To lie quietly in the sea at night with a shark in the vicinity was -to invite almost certain destruction. To thresh about aimlessly would -surely attract attention from the deck above, and bring death in the -shape of a rifle-bullet, or, worse yet, a boat, which would catch -him before he could gain the <i>Sea-Horse</i>. He left the bar in the -<i>Sayonara's</i> side, and, grasping the hook, swam strongly to the bobstay.</p> - -<p>Silently the mighty black hauled himself clear of the water, just as -a long shadow, darker than the surrounding sea passed beneath him, -leaving a long line of fire to mark its passage. He had cleared with -about a second to spare. The sea-monster passed on down the tide toward -the open ocean, but Bahama Bill waited before slipping back again to -his task.</p> - -<p>In a short time he worked the next seam; then, taking the thin cotton -line he had fast about him as a belt, he unwound it, pulled the last of -the calking oakum out, and replaced it quickly with the line the entire -length of the destroyed seam, leaving the ends clear to be jerked forth -at a moment's notice. It would at once let a stream of water into the -hull of the yacht which would test her pumps to their fullest capacity, -and where he had worked there was hardly a trace of violence. A few -augur-holes would have accomplished the end more readily, but they -would remain as telltale evidence. The starting of a seam<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> and butts -could not be proven against such careful work.</p> - -<p>At the right minute the wreckers would pull the cord, and then it would -be—stand by the pumps or run her ashore. All they would have to do -now would be to follow her about the reef until she arrived at a spot -conveniently far from a tugboat or dry dock, follow her like a shark -until, wounded and unable to keep the sea, they would fall upon her the -instant her crew and owner would leave her, or call for help.</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill had just put the finishing touches upon his excellent work, -and was resting, preparatory to swimming back to the <i>Sea-Horse</i>, -where he knew Sanders and the rest were awaiting his arrival with some -impatience. He had his bar jammed in a seam, and was hanging upon it, -when the mate of the <i>Sayonara</i> happened to peer over the side.</p> - -<p>The wrecker saw him just in time, and sank from view. In doing so he -made a slight disturbance in the sea, and the phosphorus flared and -trailed from him, giving him the long shape beneath the surface common -to a fish of about his length.</p> - -<p>"I reckon I'll take a whack at them fellers swimmin' around us," said -the sailor to Smart, "seems to me there might be a barracuda, or -jew-fish, loafing about. I'm going to get the harpoon."</p> - -<p>Bill, instead of making good his getaway, at this moment, hung easily -on to his resting-place and poked his head clear about the time the -mate had ceased speaking. Seeing that the head over the rail had gone,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> -the wrecker started to pull his bar clear, and had just shoved off from -the yacht's side, when the mate arrived with the iron.</p> - -<p>The long Yankee had been accustomed to spearing sword-fish upon his -native coast in summer, and he hesitated not an instant, but hurled -the iron at the form below him. As he did so Bill saw the movement and -gave a mighty shoot ahead. It saved his life by a fraction of a second, -but the iron struck him fair upon the ankle and passed through between -his heel-cord, or tendon, and the bone. He was hung as securely as a -quarter of beef upon a hook.</p> - -<p>"I got him," yelled the mate. "Lend me a hand. Captain Smart."</p> - -<p>"Killed him outright," said the captain. "He makes no flurry for a -heavy fish. Must have struck his backbone."</p> - -<p>They put their weight upon the line, and it came in easily, hauling as -though a log were fastened to the iron. And in the meantime Bahama Bill -was whirling over, trying to think of some way to cut clear.</p> - -<p>Still holding to his bar, the giant wrecker came swashing alongside -the yacht, making a lot of foam and fire, which completely hid his -identity. By good luck the men above him stopped hauling just when his -great weight began to put a heavy strain upon the line.</p> - -<p>Captain Smart, not wishing to trust the thin runner, went for a heavy -line to make a bowline to slip over the fish's tail and heave him -aboard shipshape<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> Bill jammed the jimmy into a seam and worked it -far enough in to get a strong hold. His head was half-submerged, but -he held on while the strain upon the harpoon lifted his leg clear of -the sea. His leg was numbed from the wound, and when they slipped the -bowline down upon it he knew there was no use of further resistance.</p> - -<p>The pain was intense when they put the line to a tackle, and he gave -up. Throwing the bar clear to make away with the last evidence of his -work, he let them haul him feet foremost into the air and hang him -dangling over the rail.</p> - -<p>"A nigger, by all that's holy!" exclaimed the long mate. "Now, how in -the name did——"</p> - -<p>"The mate of the wrecker," said Smart, slacking the giant down upon the -deck and gazing at him. "Hooked in the ankle, all right and seamanlike. -Is he drowned?"</p> - -<p>"Naw, I ain't drowned," said Bill, staggering to his feet, the iron -from the harpoon still transfixing his leg. "Yo' put a stopper on that -barb, and pull that iron out. Cayn't a man take a swim without you -fellows huntin' him like a bloody fish?"</p> - -<p>The mate offered his apologies, somewhat tinged with humour, for the -mistake, and, being entirely without suspicion, went below to get a -stiff drink for his victim. The giant black stood gazing down at the -yacht captain for a moment, and as the wound did not bleed to any -extent, he refused to have any further fuss made over it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Aren't you afraid of sharks—to be swimming about this harbour in the -night?" asked Smart.</p> - -<p>"No, I ain't scared o' much," said Bill, "an' I takes it all in good -part, yo' ketchin' me the way yo' did. I don't mind the little hole in -mah laig, but I do mind bein' h'isted up feet fo'most. I don't allow no -liberties wid me body, 'n' ef yo' had dun it a purpose, I sho' would -have tu wake yo' up some—but I takes no offence."</p> - -<p>The long mate appeared with the liquor, and the wrecker drank it down.</p> - -<p>"Ah'm goin' now," said Bill, and without further ado he made a plunge -over the rail and was gone. A faint trail of fire showed his rapid -progress toward the <i>Sea-Horse</i>, and his captors were left alone again -on deck.</p> - -<p>"That was something strange—what?" said the mate.</p> - -<p>"'Twas a bit out of the ordinary," said Smart, thinking of the -strangeness of the scene, the dark night, the disturbed water, and -the sudden appearance of a giant negro hauled on deck feet foremost -by a bowline run over a whale-iron. "You better keep an anchor-watch -to-night. Some of those fellows might steal half our brasswork before -morning. I'm going to turn in. Good night."</p> - - -<p class="center">II</p> - -<p>In the brisk wind of the failing norther, the <i>Sayonara</i> hoisted -her snowy canvas. The mainsail, taut<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> as a board and white as the -coral-beach, stood with luff cutting the wind and leach cracking gently -while the boom-tackles held it like a hound in leash. The foresail was -run up, and the word was passed aft that the ship was ready.</p> - -<p>Mr. Dunn stood near the companion and chatted to Miss Harsha, while -Mrs. Dunn entertained two marine officers from the yard with tales of -the yacht. The reception aboard the day before had been a success, and -these remaining guests were to spend a week cruising to the northward -as far as Boca Grande.</p> - -<p>Dunn was a keen fisherman, and would try for tarpon, the giant herring -of the reef.</p> - -<p>"I tell you, Miss Marion," said he, "it's a great sport. It takes skill -to land one of those fellows, skill to hook him, skill to play him, and -skill to kill 'em—are you a good fisherman?"</p> - -<p>Miss Marion, pug-nosed, fat, and not entirely good-natured, thought a -moment. Not upon fish, but concerning certain officers she had known -lately.</p> - -<p>"I—er—I really don't quite know, you know. I never tried it. It must -be something grand. It appeals to me, the idea of fishing. It must be -awfully exciting when you've hooked him." And her eyes roved just for a -moment in the direction of Mrs. Dunn and her friends.</p> - -<p>"She's hove short, sir," said Smart, coming near. "Shall we break her -out and let her go? The tide is just right, and the wind a close reach -up the Hawk's Channel."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Er—yes. I don't know. Well, yes, let her go. What's the odds?" -murmured Dunn, losing interest suddenly. "You'll excuse me, Miss -Marion." And he went down the companionway. "When in doubt, take a -drink," he repeated to himself. "Maybe I'll run into some people who -think of something besides their—their——-" but he left the sentence -unfinished as he drank off a dram of gin and lime-juice. Dunn was a bit -of a sport at bottom, and his wife's friends were not—not of the kind -he was used to. It was hard to run a yacht as big as his schooner for -the amusement of silly women, and even more silly men.</p> - -<p>Captain Smart hove up his anchor, hoisted both jib and staysail, and -while the trim little ship broke off to port, the white-ducked crew -neatly catted her hook and stretched up her topsails, sending out a -big balloon forward which bellied out and sent her racing through the -northwest passage.</p> - -<p>It was a beautiful day, and the sun shining upon the white hull made -a very pretty picture of the fabric rushing through a whitening path -upon the blue water. The solid-silver trophies in the saloon were made -fast in their places, for the vessel was leaning heavily away from the -breeze, and Dunn locked his little buffet and came on deck to join his -guests.</p> - -<p>The men of the <i>Sea-Horse</i> watched the yacht until she was hull-down to -the northward, her canvas alone marking the spot of her whereabouts, -which was changing at the rate of ten knots an hour. But they were in -no particular hurry to follow.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span></p> - -<p>Sanders had found out where she was bound, and it was not until late in -the afternoon, when the sun was setting, that the <i>Sea-Horse</i> hoisted -her dirty mainsail. Then she stood away for Cuba, passing out by the -Sand Key Light into the Gulf Stream.</p> - -<p>When darkness fell she was shortened down and allowed to drift along -slowly with the current, which took her many miles before the following -day.</p> - -<p>In the morning the <i>Sayonara</i> stood in through the pass of Boca Grande. -It is here that the tarpon, the giant herring of the south sea, makes -his entrance to the shallow waters of the Florida reef. Dunn lost no -time engaging guides and preparing for the kill. In the waters of the -reef one does not catch fish; he kills them. A tarpon is not usually -eaten, and is caught solely for the excitement of the fight. Nearly all -the great game fish are equally unpalatable, therefore the sportsman -has long ceased to speak of his catch, which in other waters is useful, -and generally brought home for food.</p> - -<p>The small boats were gotten overboard, and the party, made up in pairs -with a guide to each, headed into the pass. Boats from the floating -hotel back among the keys joined them, and during the forenoon the fish -struck.</p> - -<p>Dunn managed to land two huge fellows, but the boat containing Miss -Harsha and the major of marines caught nothing. If there was an -attempted killing, it was only witnessed by the guide, and he, being<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> -a discreet "Conch," had the good taste to remain silent for ever -afterward.</p> - -<p>Late in the evening, after the fish had stopped striking, the party -sat upon the deck of the <i>Sayonara</i> enjoying the soft air of the -semi-tropical sea. Far away to the southward the sail of a single -vessel rose above the sapphire rim of the horizon. The air was warm, -and felt almost oppressive. There was evidently going to be a change in -the weather, and Smart noticed it at once.</p> - -<p>"The glass has fallen considerable since morning," said he to Dunn, -"and the pass is not the best anchorage in the world. I don't exactly -like the idea of lying so far off."</p> - -<p>"We'll stay as long as the fish bite," said Dunn. "Now that I've gotten -here you'll not scare me away until there's something happened. Give -her plenty of scope and let her ride it out, if it blows. A bit of -motion will do the party good, shake 'em up and put some sense into -them. Stay where you are."</p> - -<p>"All right, sir," said Captain Smart. "I don't want to cut out the -sport, but if I know anything of the weather by signs, it'll sure blow -some before this time to-morrow. The warm weather may make the fish -come in, but it means something back of it. It's too late in the season -for such warm air up here, or it's too early. We'll catch it from the -southeast, and we'll have a nasty sea where we are lying."</p> - -<p>"Let her blow," said Dunn, "but when in doubt, take a drink." He went -below.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I do so wish we would have a terrible storm—then you could have a -chance to show how superior a U.S. marine officer is in an emergency," -said Miss Harsha, smiling up at the major, who had noticed the -threatened weather and had heard part of the conversation between Dunn -and his captain.</p> - -<p>The major leered at her. He was trying to think how a pug-nose and -freckles would inspire him at the psychological moment. It seemed to -cause him an effort, for he spoke wearily in reply.</p> - -<p>"You remember what we did at Guantanamo?" he said.</p> - -<p>"Yes, but I have heard of nothing else since the Spanish War," said the -girl sweetly. "You surely have something else in the record of your -excellent corps, for I know personal bravery exists everywhere in it. I -love heroes—men who can do things. It's foolish, no doubt, but, then, -most women are foolish. What use would your beautiful uniform be to us -if we were not?"</p> - -<p>The major gazed out over the darkening sea and watched the tiny speck -of white where the single sail rose above the horizon. He was tired and -thirsty, and he had seen Dunn go below.</p> - -<p>"We are to have a fish-dinner—I must go and get out of these -fish-killing togs," said Miss Harsha, and she left him to follow his -inclinations.</p> - -<p>The night was dark and quiet, the sea murmuring distantly under the -black pall which crept up from the southward. The glass fell lower, and -Smart ranged<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> twenty fathoms of cable to let out when the wind struck. -He also got his heavy anchor ready to let go, with sixty more, and made -ready with hemp-stoppers to take the strain off the bitts when she -surged.</p> - -<p>There were only four fathoms of water in the part of the pass where -they lay, and with a great scope to both anchors he felt certain that -he could hold on unless some accident happened.</p> - -<p>The sea would not break where he lay, on account of the formation -of the reef beyond, and if he could get all his line out before she -started to drag, he could hold her without great danger, although she -would do some lively jumping if it blew heavy. A man on watch would -report the first change for the worse.</p> - -<p>By midnight all was silent aboard. The anchor-light burned brightly, -and its rays fell upon the form of the man upon the forecastle, who -nodded drowsily. The calm continued, and the great flame from the -lighthouse at the pass sent long streaks into the darkness.</p> - -<p>Coming along with the flood-tide and just going fast enough to keep -steering-way upon her, a small vessel headed into the pass, burning no -lights and heading close to where the <i>Sayonara</i> lay. At her helm a -giant negro sprawled, and upon her deck several men lay in attitudes of -great ease.</p> - -<p>"She lays still, like mit a ghost," said Heldron, peering at the yacht.</p> - -<p>"Good graft," said Sam, straining his eyes to catch every detail.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I reckon we'll git to work on her," said Sanders. "Lower down those -jibs and slack the anchor away easy when I luff her under the lee o' -that p'int yander. How is it, Bill? Do you feel like swimming to-night?"</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill, the mate of the wrecker, growled out an assent. His -leg was sore from his experience with the iron in the hands of the -<i>Sayonara's</i> mate, and his feelings were exceedingly ruffled from -certain personal affronts he had endured from the yacht's owner. Could -he cook? Could his wife, the renowned Julia, wash? Well, he would ask a -few questions some day after settling his account with the yacht—maybe.</p> - -<p>At present the cotton line he had placed in the opened seam was ready -to haul out. Then he would witness some work upon that yacht's deck. -There would be something doing.</p> - -<p>He grinned as he thought of the trim white duck clothes. How they -would look after twenty-four hours' work at the pumps! Even the -yacht's captain, who seemed to be something of a sailor in spite of -his wonderful rig, would have something to do besides sitting about -like a well-dressed monkey. And as for those officers, the guests of -Dunn—well, he had already had dealings with them, and once spent the -night in the "cooler" for ruffling a couple of their Jap messmen.</p> - -<p>"Yo' kin lower down the starbo'd boat when we lets go," said Bahama -Bill; "'n' I wants one o' you<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> fellers to drap to lor'ard toe pick me -up, fer I'll be comin' mighty fast—see?"</p> - -<p>Sam understood, and a few minutes later the <i>Sea-Horse</i> had hooked the -reef close in the shelter of the key and about a mile distant from the -yacht. Her mainsail was left standing, in case of sudden need. They -could lower it any minute after the job was done. If anything happened -they could stand out in less time than it takes to tell of it, for the -head-sails were all ready to hoist and the anchor just holding. Six -strokes upon the brakes, and she would go clear. Then, with everything -drawing, she would stand through the pass.</p> - -<p>The mate dropped into the small boat, and Sam rowed him rapidly ahead -of the yacht. He would drop overboard and drift and swim quickly down -with the current, while the small boat would circle around at a great -distance and out of sight to pick him up after he had finished and -drifted astern.</p> - -<p>Swimming strongly with a deep breast-stroke which made no foam or -noise, Bill slipped through the black sea like a fish. In a short time -he gained the anchor-chain, which strained out ahead with the force of -the tide upon the hull.</p> - -<p>Resting for a few moments and listening to make sure the man on deck -had not seen him, he let himself drift along the vessel's side until he -reached the end of his line. This he pulled out of the seam and let go.</p> - -<p>It opened her for a length of thirty feet—a thin,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> nasty leak, which -would be hard to find and impossible to stop without docking. It was -the work of an expert wrecker, and he grinned to himself as he let the -current take him away.</p> - -<p>Not a mark had he made upon the beautiful white hull, and yet she was -even now filling rapidly through seams which had been carefully calked.</p> - -<p>Of course, if the weather remained calm enough for them to work a small -boat alongside and study her bilge a couple of feet below the water, -they would come upon the seam. But the weather was not going to remain -calm very long. He knew it would be blowing hard before daybreak, -before there would be any light to see her smooth side below the water -where the green of her copper paint had hardly been disturbed.</p> - -<p>He had passed his knife along the seam after the line was removed, and -it was open. His work was done.</p> - -<p>Sam picked him up half a mile astern, and they rowed silently back -aboard the <i>Sea-Horse</i>. All the others had turned in, and they did -likewise, after lowering down the mainsail and paying out enough cable -to hold the vessel should it blow before they awoke. The small boat -was towed astern, for they were well back behind the key, and quite -sheltered.</p> - -<p>In the still hours of the early morning Captain Smart was awakened -by the unusual sound of water washing about in the yacht's bilge. He -roused himself and listened. The first note of the rising wind droned<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span> -through the rigging, and the man on watch came to his door to call him. -In a moment he was on deck.</p> - -<p>The night was still dark, although it was nearly four o'clock. The wind -had come from the southeast, and it was freshening every moment. The -hands were called, and the cable given to the anchor while the heavy -bower was dropped, that she might set back upon them both.</p> - -<p>There was plenty of room, and she brought up nicely, riding easily to -the fast-increasing sea. She was heading it, and, therefore, had not -begun to plunge enough to wake the party aft. But every moment the -whistling snore aloft told of what was coming.</p> - -<p>After seeing that his ship was snug and safe for the time being, Smart -went below to get into his oilskins. It had not yet started to rain, -but it was coming, and he would not have time to leave the deck if -anything went wrong.</p> - -<p>While he sat upon his bunk-edge he again heard the washing sound from -below. It came loud and insistent, not to be confounded with the wash -from the sea outside. At that moment the mate came into his room.</p> - -<p>"What's the matter below, sir?" he asked. "Sounds like we've got water -in her. Shall I try the pumps?"</p> - -<p>"Well, if we do, it will frighten every one. It's going to blow a -regular snorter. There can't be any<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span> water in her—she's tight as a -bottle. You might sound her, but don't let any one see you do it."</p> - -<p>Before Smart had buttoned on his sou'wester, the mate came below again. -He had a naturally long face and seemed solemn even in his most happy -moment. Now he pulled a face as long as a rope-yarn.</p> - -<p>"Four feet of water in her, sir," he said, and he looked at Smart as -though that officer had said something to hurt him.</p> - -<p>Smart gazed at him for a moment-in perplexity. He saw his mate was -sober. He was too good a sailor to come aft with any silly story. He -knew there was something wrong, and he sprang up the companion.</p> - -<p>In the rush of the wind on deck all sounds from below were, of course, -silenced. The droning roar in the rigging as squall after squall tore -past made it evident that it was beginning to blow some. Forms appeared -aft, and Dunn came staggering along the rail to the mainmast followed -by his male guests.</p> - -<p>"Will she hold on all right?" called Dunn to his captain, who now stood -at the pump-well with the sounding-line in his hand. It was too dark -for the owner to notice the skipper's movements, but Smart put the line -out of sight.</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, she'll hold all right," bawled the captain. "You better go -below for a bit, or else put on your rain-clothes; it's going to wet up -here soon."</p> - -<p>The men stood near the mast for a few moments, and, seeing that nothing -unusual was taking place,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> began edging aft again. A spurt of rain sent -them down the cabin companion, and Smart dropped his line into the -well. It showed a depth of four and a half feet of water below, or just -up to the cabin floor.</p> - -<p>Something must be done at once. All hands were called to the pumps, and -the clank of the brakes warned the owner that all was not well. He came -on deck with his guests, and as they were now in their rain-clothes, -Smart requested them to get busy. He would need all the men he could -get to keep her clear.</p> - -<p>Daylight dawned upon a wild sea to the eastward. The reef roared in a -deep thunder, but the heaviest sea was shut off from them. Streaming -scud fled past above them with the gale, and the mastheads seemed to -pierce a gray sky, which hurled itself to the northward at a terrific -rate.</p> - -<p>The sea that struck the <i>Sayonara</i> was short, and had a great velocity, -but it was not high enough to make her plunge bows under. She rode it -with short jerks and leaps, smashing into it and sending a storm of -flying water as high as her crosstrees. This the wind hurled aft and -away in a heavy shower.</p> - -<p>She was holding to one hundred fathoms on one, and seventy fathoms upon -her largest anchor, and as the sea was shallow where she lay, the taut -chains stretched right out ahead, like two stiff bars of metal.</p> - -<p>"How did it happen—what is it?" Dunn kept asking; but his skipper -could give no response. All he knew was that she was filling fast, so -fast that they could just keep her about even with the leak. It was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> -three hours before it showed less than four feet of water below, and by -that time the men were getting tired.</p> - -<p>Smart told off the watches, and sent one below for a rest while the -makeshift cook tried to get all hands some coffee. They were going to -have plenty of work cut out for them, and they needed all the rest and -refreshment they could get.</p> - -<p>With only one watch at the pumps the water began to gain slowly upon -them, and by noon it was as high as ever again. The yacht plunged -heavily under this extra weight, and Smart gave her every link he had -aboard, afterward putting heavy stoppers upon both cables to take the -strain of the setback from the bitts.</p> - -<p>He had done all he could, and now waited with anxious eye upon the -glass, hoping for the shift which he knew must soon come. If he could -hang on for another twelve hours, he felt certain he would ride the -gale down safely; then—well, then it was up to Dunn to say whether to -risk a run to Key West or beach her. Just now the sea was too heavy to -think of going to leeward anywhere. She would go to pieces on the reef.</p> - -<p>Smart crouched under the lee of the foremast, watching men and anchors -alternately. Dunn joined him.</p> - -<p>"The women are getting a bit nervous, Smart," said the owner. "There's -no danger as long as she holds, is there?"</p> - -<p>"Not a bit," was the short answer. He was think<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span>ing how much easier it -would have been if Dunn had allowed him to make a good anchorage before -the blow began.</p> - -<p>"Well, I'll go below and tell 'em—when in doubt take a drink—come!" -And his two guests followed him.</p> - -<p>All that wild day the <i>Sayonara</i> tugged and plunged at the end of her -cable, the water gaining slowly in her bilge; and when the darkness -with all its terrors came on, the men began to have some misgivings as -to what the yacht would do.</p> - -<p>Just as the wild night darkened the storm-torn sea, Smart wiped the -ends of his glasses to get them free from the flying salt water and -spume. He then took a last look around to see if anything was in sight. -Only the lighthouse showed above the waste of reef and white water to -the westward. Not a sign of humanity. Not a thing else from which to -expect human sympathy.</p> - -<p>Suddenly he noticed something like a mast rising from behind the end -of the key. Yes, it was a single vessel, snug and close in behind the -shelter. He could not make out her hull, or he would have at once -recognized the <i>Sea-Horse</i>, victor over many a hard-fought battle with -the elements of the Florida reef, now lying snug and safe as a house -with her crew below. He was not aware of it, but a pair of eyes were -at that moment gazing fixedly at his vessel, peering out of a dirty -port-hole.</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill had never ceased to watch the yacht<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> from the first drone -of the storm, and all the night the giant mate had kept watch upon the -tiny star of his anchor-light as it rose and fell with each plunge.</p> - -<p>As the night wore on and the water had not gained sufficiently to make -it necessary to call all hands, Smart went below for the first time and -took a good meal, eating heartily of everything, and washing down the -food with two large cups of coffee.</p> - -<p>It was now nearly midnight, and the glass showed signs of rising. The -squalls were of less violence, and the captain hoped now to weather it -out safely before putting his ship upon the beach to get at the leak.</p> - -<p>While he ate he was aware of a sudden shock. The <i>Sayonara</i> seemed to -shift her nose from dead into the sea, and then a peculiar trembling -of the hull told him of that thing all ship-masters dread. At the same -instant the rush of feet sounded upon the deck, and the mate poked his -head into the hatchway.</p> - -<p>"Starboard anchor's gone, sir—she's dragging back unto the reef inside -the light——"</p> - -<p>"Get the foresail on her—all hands!" roared Smart, tearing up the -ladder.</p> - -<p>The <i>Sayonara</i> had carried too heavy a load. She was too deep with the -water in her, and had at last parted her steel cable to starboard. The -other anchor was not heavy enough to hold her with the extra tons of -water below; she had broken it clear, and was dragging it back—back -upon the coral bank, where she would soon be a wreck if she struck.</p> - -<p>One instant told Smart what he must do. He was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> too far in to try -to get to sea, and, even if he were not, he could not drive the -half-sunken vessel up against that sea and wind. To do so would be -certain destruction, for there would be no chance to keep the leak -under. He must run her in and beach her where it would be least -dangerous.</p> - -<p>In the blackness of midnight he might make a mistake and hit a bad -spot, but it was the only chance. If he could get her far enough in -behind the key to make a lee upon the bank beyond, he might save -her—at least save all hands. There was little room to work her, but -she was a stanch ship.</p> - -<p>"Cut the chain—break it with an axe!" he bawled. And the men sprang to -obey.</p> - -<p>The thunder of the close-reefed foresail brought Dunn from below, but -as he was no use forward he wisely remained aft. His two guests stood -near him. A feminine form appeared in the companionway.</p> - -<p>Smart was at the wheel, rolling it hard over to break the yacht off and -fill away the foresail, but he caught the words:</p> - -<p>"Oh, isn't it grand? A real storm! Oh, major, this is what you're used -to. I know you will bring us out of it all right. No, I don't need a -wrap, my dear Mrs. Dunn. Splendid!"</p> - -<p>The <i>Sayonara</i> filled away, the chain was broken, and the dragging -anchor left behind. With the wind upon her quarter, she tore away -through the night, leaving a white path astern.</p> - -<p>Smart strained his eyes for the edge of the bank<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> behind the lower key. -It was the most sheltered spot, but even in a sheltered spot to leeward -there would be a mighty sea breaking, with the wind blowing with -hurricane force. He would do the best he could.</p> - -<p>The whole uselessness of the affair lay upon him, and he swore, -muttering at the folly of his owner. A little shelter and the yacht -would have ridden down anything as long as she would float. The leak -would not have mattered so much had they been in out of that heavy sea -that made her surge so heavily upon her cables. He could have kept it -under easily enough, but now he was running the vessel to her end to -save those aboard.</p> - -<p>The light of the Boca Grande Pass showed him the direction of the reef. -The surrounding blackness showed nothing. He must make his landing by -the bearing of the lighthouse, and trusting that his distance would be -run right.</p> - -<p>A heavy squall snored over him, and the straining bit of foresail -responded to the furious rush, heeling the <i>Sayonara</i> down to her deck. -All about them the water was snow-white with the sweep of the wind. He -heard a call from forward, and saw his mate running aft at full speed. -A heavier sea lifted the yacht, heeled her to leeward; then there was a -tremendous shock.</p> - -<p>A wild burst of sea tore over the yacht, the following sea had broken -against her side as she stopped in her run. The water was blinding, but -Smart could feel her swing up, and off from the wind. The wheel<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> was -suddenly whirled out of his hands, and with a crash the <i>Sayonara</i> set -her heel again into the coral of the reef.</p> - -<p>"Get below, every one," roared Smart, and the struggling Dunn, with the -major, who had been washed to leeward, fought their way back to the -companion.</p> - -<p>Smart shoved them roughly down and followed, closing the hatchway after -him. It was the only way. To remain on deck while the sea broke over -her would be to invite almost certain death. Again and again the yacht -rose and crashed down upon the coral bank beneath, the smashing crash -of her rending timbers making a deafening noise to those confined in -her. It was like being within a drum while it was being beaten by a -mighty stick.</p> - -<p>If they could remain below until the vessel drove well up on the bank, -it would be well. If the filling hold drove them on deck they would -have to face a whirling sea, which was breaking in a wild smother clear -across the wreck. Smart watched the water rising above the cabin floor, -and waited.</p> - -<p>Forward, the mate had got the crew below and closed all hatches. It -would be some time before she filled full enough to drive them on deck, -and all the time the stanch little craft was driving higher and higher -up the bank into shallow water.</p> - -<p>Smart took a look at the glass. It was rising. There would be three -more hours of inky darkness, and he hoped the little ship would last -it out. In the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> morning it would break clear, and there would be good -weather, a splendid chance to save not only the people aboard the -vessel, but much of her valuable fittings.</p> - -<p>Dunn tried to calm the fears of his guests. The major, white and -ghastly in the light of the cabin lamp, tried to put on an air of -unconcern. His companion tried to joke with Miss Harsha, but even that -young woman seemed to feel that the storm was entirely too real, the -end not quite in sight.</p> - -<p>"When in doubt, take a drink," suggested the owner, and proceeded to -fill three glasses. A sudden rise and smash of the yacht flung the -glasses to leeward, where they shivered into fragments upon the cabin -deck. Dunn saved his whiskey only by hanging on to it with one hand, -while he clung to the buffet with the other.</p> - -<p>The water rose rapidly in the cabin. It was over the floor two feet -deep by three o'clock, and the mate came through the bulkhead door and -announced that the yacht had stove amidships, and was hanging upon a -point of coral, which prevented her from driving farther in.</p> - -<p>As near as he could make out, there was still seven feet of water -alongside to leeward, the vessel now lying almost broadside to the sea, -which broke heavily over her. She had been drawing twelve feet, and had -driven up five feet, resting upon her starboard bilge, except when she -lifted with the sea. Something must be done, for the water would be too -deep below to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> remain there much longer. It would be at least five feet -deep in the cabin, and would swash about enough to drown any one.</p> - -<p>The roar of the wind was growing rapidly less, but the crash of the -seas prevented Smart from noting it definitely. He waited and watched -the rising flood. O for a little daylight, to see where he had struck! -Was there a chance to make a landing? To put off in that smother -in the small boats without knowing where he would bring up was too -disagreeable to contemplate until the last moment.</p> - -<p>The water gained steadily, and the women became panicky. The major no -longer jested, and Dunn was not in doubt. He had stopped drinking, for -the peril of the night was upon him now in earnest.</p> - -<p>Smart, with the mate, made his way on deck, closing the hatchway after -them. They crawled along the weather-rail and gained the waist, where -the whale-boat was snugly stowed under the shelter of the rail to -leeward. The water broke over them constantly, but the wind was going -down, and Smart decided to make ready to try to effect a landing.</p> - -<p>The whale-boat was in perfect order, and it would hold all hands, but -he decided that half of the crew should make the first attempt, in -order to see if there was any place to make the beach. They could bring -her back for the rest, and if they failed, there was the gig; it would -hold the women and the rest of the crew.</p> - -<p>When they had the boat over the side, it was all<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> they could do in the -darkness to keep it from smashing back with the back-wash of the sea. -The mate managed to get four men into her, and sprang in himself. Smart -went aft and brought Dunn and some of the others, the major staying -with Mrs. Dunn and Miss Harsha. Ten men left the <i>Sayonara</i>, and were -instantly swallowed up in the gloom. Then Smart went back below to -await the mate's return.</p> - -<p>In the meantime the water below had risen so high that even the -transoms upon which the refugees perched were several inches under, and -at each surge it went all over them, roaring and washing about. The -cabin lamp was extinguished, and the black darkness which ensued lent -terror to the turmoil in that little cabin.</p> - -<p>An hour passed, and no boat came back. It looked ominous. The mate -would surely come back if he could. He was evidently lost or unable to -pull up against the heavy wind and sea. There was no use waiting any -longer. The water was still rising below, and the women must be taken -ashore if it were possible.</p> - -<p>Smart got the rest of the watch to work upon the gig, and by superhuman -efforts they finally swung her to leeward, and held her clear of the -side. Miss Harsha was lowered into her, and then Mrs. Dunn. The latter -seemed perfectly at ease, and scorned the assistance of the major, -who gallantly offered to go with her. The noise of the roaring water -precluded any attempt at conversation, and the darkness made<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> all cling -close to the rail in a bunch, each helping the other as best they could.</p> - -<p>After all hands had jumped in, Smart followed, and gave the order to -shove clear, and, with the hope of striking the bank in a safe spot, -he headed out from under the lee of the wreck. The gray dawn of early -morning was breaking upon the scene, and the wind was falling rapidly. -It looked as though there would be no great trouble making the land. -But the sea was very heavy.</p> - -<p>From under the lee of the wrecked yacht a giant roller, which had -failed to burst upon the outer reef, foamed in a huge smother, and -swept down upon the small boat. Smart had kept her head to the sea, -and was allowing her to drift back very slowly, so that in case he saw -a bad place he could pull out and away without turning around. The -surge struck her and filled her half-full, but she rose again and rode -safely. Men bailed for dear life.</p> - -<p>In the growing light Smart saw the rise of the bank to leeward, and the -sea falling heavily upon it. It was a most dangerous surf for a small -boat. He stopped his craft, and lay heading the sea for half an hour, -waiting for a chance to run in, and in the meantime the dawn came to -reveal the desolate coral bank.</p> - -<p>Smart stood up and looked about him. Not a sign of the whale-boat -showed anywhere. His own craft was taking the sea heavily, and kept -every one not rowing busy bailing. He saw it was no use waiting any -longer, and began to go back into the surf.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span></p> - -<p>Steering with one of the oars, he managed to keep the craft's head to -the sea until they were in less than six feet of water. The bank being -flat for nearly a mile to leeward of the yacht, the seas rolled foaming -across it. He was within a quarter of a mile of the dry reef, which -showed in the growing light, when a rolling sea caught the small boat -and swerved her head a bit.</p> - -<p>The next instant the steering-oar broke, and before the men rowing -could swing her straight to the sea, she took the following one -broadside and rolled over in the smother.</p> - -<p>Smart had a vision of floundering men, women, and boat. The seas broke -over his head and blinded him, strangled him, and seemed to hold -him under. It was all white water, rolling foam, and it was almost -impossible to breathe in it.</p> - -<p>Then the sense of the danger dawned upon him with renewed force, and he -struggled to where the dress of Miss Harsha showed upon the surface. He -seized her, and dragged her to the upturned boat.</p> - -<p>The major was already holding on to the keel, assisted by two men. Mrs. -Dunn swam easily alongside, and grasped a line thrown her. The painter -was passed along the keel and made fast to a ring-bolt aft. Then all -hands held fast to this line, and waited for the sea to wash them in.</p> - -<p>After an hour of struggling it became apparent that the boat was not -nearing the shallow water fast enough. The tide was ebbing, and setting -her out to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span> the deep water; carrying her to the heavy sea, when it -would soon be impossible to live.</p> - -<p>"If you will take Miss Harsha, major," said Smart, "you will be able to -make a landing. Take two men with you, and swim her ashore before it's -too late."</p> - -<p>"I think I'll stay by the boat," said the major.</p> - -<p>The girl was half-fainting.</p> - -<p>"It's my duty to stay by the boat, Mrs. Dunn," said Smart, "but unless -some one takes Miss Marion in, we'll lose her. I'm going to try for it."</p> - -<p>Taking the ablest man to help him, Smart fastened a couple of the oars -together, for an aid to float, and then started the struggle in through -the surf.</p> - -<p>It was a long, desperate fight through the broken water over the flat -coral bank. Sometimes they would be able to touch the bottom, and then -were swept from their feet again by the sea. Sometimes they would be -gaining, and then the current, sweeping strongly out, would set them -offshore until the fight seemed hopeless.</p> - -<p>With the girl's head resting upon his shoulder, and the oars under his -arms, Smart kept the struggle up. The sailor helped him, and finally -they managed to get into water shoal enough to stand. Then they were -aware of forms approaching along the shore, and the recognized the mate -and his men who had gone in the whale-boat. In a few minutes willing -hands dragged them to the dry land.</p> - -<p>The mate's boat had been stove in, and this had kept him from coming -back. He had made a success<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span>ful landing, but had failed to notice the -other until a few minutes before he had sighted Smart in the breakers.</p> - -<p>A glimpse of sunlight shot through the flying scud. The wind was -slacking up and the sea going down very fast. The key they were upon -was separated from the one with the light by a broad sheet of water. -They were unable to reach any help from there.</p> - -<p>While they gazed at the speck of the upturned boat, Smart rubbed the -wrists of the fainting girl, and endeavoured to revive her.</p> - -<p>The mate spoke up. "Seems like I see a boat coming around the key to -the s'uthard," he said.</p> - -<p>From the masthead of the <i>Sea-Horse</i>, Bahama Bill had seen the accident -to the gig, and he was coming into the surf with a heavy boat, manned -by a full crew of men who knew the reef. They watched him, and saw him -pick up the survivors of the accident, one by one, and then row slowly -in to where the rest of the yachting-party stood.</p> - -<p>In a short time all were landed safely, and by the time they looked -about them they were aware of the wrecking-sloop getting under way and -running to leeward from her shelter. She rounded up to windward of the -<i>Sayonara</i>, and dropped both anchors, paying out cable until she was -close to the wreck. Then she signalled to the giant black, and he stood -ready to take passengers aboard.</p> - -<p>Dunn came forward and began to thank him for his heroism, but the black -man looked over his head,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> and just the faintest flicker of a sneer -seemed to show upon his ugly face.</p> - -<p>"Yo' think I make a good cook, eh?" he asked, with a leer. "I don't -believe yo' need no washin' done fer a day er two. Git inter that -boat wid de rest, an' thank me fer takin' yo', yo' gin-drinkin', -whiskey-swillin' good-fer-nothin' white man." And Dunn did as he was -bidden.</p> - -<p>Aboard the <i>Sea-Horse</i> they were made as comfortable as possible. -That afternoon, when the sea went down and the wind sank to a gentle -breeze, the entire party were taken to the lighthouse in the pass, -and arrangements were made to send them to Key West. The major was -extremely cool and formal in his manner to all, but Mrs. Dunn cheered -them the best she could.</p> - -<p>Miss Marion Harsha paid some attention to Captain Smart, more than is -usual to a yacht captain; but Smart appeared tired and unresponsive.</p> - -<p>"You saved my life," said the girl indulgently, when they were alone -at the lighthouse. "You saved me from a very disagreeable death—and I -shall never be able to repay you. The major acted abominably. Won't you -forget what I said at Key West?"</p> - -<p>"Most certainly," said Smart, "but not what you meant. I was a -fool—and paid the penalty. I'll go back to the liner to-morrow. -There's a great difference between the way we've lived. It could never -be forgotten. I forgive you with all my heart, and if you'll allow me, -I'll kiss you good-bye."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span></p> - -<p>The next day Smart and his owner—owner no longer, for his vessel -was too badly wrecked to use again as a yacht—rowed out to get what -personal belongings they wanted before starting for Key West. Upon the -deck of the <i>Sayonara</i> stood the giant mate of the <i>Sea-Horse</i>.</p> - -<p>"What yo' want abo'd here?" asked the black man, as they came alongside.</p> - -<p>"What d' you mean?" asked Dunn smartly.</p> - -<p>"Well, this here wessel was abandoned—left by her crew—an' I be here -to take charge," drawled the black. "Yo' cayn't take nothin' away from -her without my permission. Ef yo' want to make a deal wid the skipper, -he's abo'd de <i>Sea-Horse</i>. We generally claims two-third salvage. Yo' -kin make de deal wid him—see?"</p> - -<p>Dunn didn't see, but Smart finally convinced him of the truth. It was -humiliating, but there was no help for it—it was the law.</p> - -<p>"Right fine ship, cap'n," leered Bahama Bill to Smart, after things -were settled; "seems a shame to have to wrack her. Wouldn't yo' like a -job as cook till yo' git another berth?"</p> - -<p>Later they towed her hull into Key West.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="IX" id="IX">IX</a></p> - -<p class="center">The Survivor</p> - - -<p>"<span class="smcap">Light</span> dead ahead and close aboard, sir," said the mate in a tone of -anxiety, as he poked his streaming sou'wester down the companionway.</p> - -<p>Captain Johnson was bending over his chart, his parallel ruler placed -firmly on east by south. The droning roar of the gale overhead and -the booming of the storm canvas and taut standing rigging made the -officer's voice sound strangely expressionless. The slight nervousness -evident in the lowness of the tone was the only thing that made the -master look up.</p> - -<p>The swinging lamp cast a strong light upon the articles of his room, -and as he took up his sou'wester and tied the strings under his chin, -he caught a momentary glimpse of a photograph pinned over his desk. The -wild rolling and plunging of the ship caused him to brace himself for -a moment, and he stood with legs apart, swaying, to keep his balance. -The picture was of his wife and children; those for whom he toiled at -sea, and he thought of them the moment he made ready to go on deck. He -was only a moment getting ready, for he had kept on his rubber boots -and coat, but in that moment his thoughts went<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span> to the home ashore. He -loved those children, and he adored the woman who was their mother. -They were all of his world ashore, and it was for that little world he -worked and strove at sea.</p> - -<p>In less than a minute after the mate had called he was on deck gazing -through his night glasses at the light ahead. He was almost in the -middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and the light was bright, the headlight -of some steamer. Her side lights had not yet appeared through the drift -and spume of the gale, but the headlight was bright and it was not -changing its bearings, which was the bad sign that had worried the mate.</p> - -<p>Johnson knew he had the right of way. Every man who knows anything of -the rules at sea knows the sailing ship has the right of way over a -steamer, and Johnson knew he was hove-to under storm canvas and must -not give way or change his course. For him to get out of the steamer's -way would put the burden of blame for anything that might happen upon -himself, for it might confuse the steamer, which would, of course, at -the right time shift her course and go clear.</p> - -<p>But the light ahead grew brighter, and the moments were flying like -the gale. The light was right over the jibboom end when the ship -fell downward into the sea. Then it would swing to leeward a little, -and then as the next sea swung her head off it would appear on the -weather bow. Yes, it bore almost dead ahead and it was not changing its -bearings.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span></p> - -<p>The mate was getting nervous.</p> - -<p>"Shall we keep her off, sir?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"No, hold your course," came the order.</p> - -<p>Ten men of the watch on deck had their eyes upon the light. They -gave it small attention, however, for they knew, of course, that the -steamer would sheer clear of them. The watch below and the passengers -were sleeping as well as the rolling and plunging of the vessel would -permit, and they were concerned not at all with lights. Those below in -a ship know nothing of the strenuous life of those on deck.</p> - -<p>"I can see his red light, sir," came the voice of the mate, strained -and hoarse with excitement, and raised to a loud cry.</p> - -<p>But Johnson could see the green light also, and he saw they were -equally distant on either side of and below the bright eye which was -bearing down upon them. The vessel was now close aboard, and of a -sudden he felt his heart give a great bound under his ribs.</p> - -<p>"Hard up the wheel," he roared. "Hard up, hard up—quick," and as he -roared out he sprang to the spanker sheet and cast it off, letting -the sail go to leeward with a thundering thrashing. Sharp cries came -from forward where the men on lookout saw the danger and passed the -word aft. And then as he turned, Johnson saw the giant bulk of a liner -showing dimly through the gloom of the stormy night. A hundred little -lights showed in her upper works. He even saw a man on her forecastle -head peering forward, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span> then the great black stem rose above him, -and with a thundering crash and rushing roar it tore its way through -his ship almost amidships.</p> - -<p>For a moment which seemed an age, the great black side of the hull rose -before his vision, grinding, smashing, tearing its irresistible way -past. Then the great black demon of destruction drew away and faded -into the gloom, leaving nothing but a boiling sea forward of where the -mainmast had been. The next minute the wild sea of the Western Ocean -closed over what had been a short time before a fine ship.</p> - -<p>Johnson found himself facing a living hill which rose against the -night sky. Above it a great comber roared and foamed down upon him as -the top of the sea broke and fell downward along the slope. He was in -the sea and the water was warm, warmer than the air had been when on -deck. He had on his rubber boots and oilskins, and he wondered why he -still floated. He had heard that men with boots on sank at once. He -remembered this distinctly and he struck out strongly as the foaming -crest of the comber swept over him and smothered him down into the -blackness beneath. He kept struggling and his head came out into the -night again. The wind swept over his face, driving the foam and spume -so that he could not see or breathe, but he knew he was still upon the -surface of the sea. He turned his back toward it and managed to get a -little breath. Then, half blinded and strangling with the brine, he -struck out again.</p> - -<p>It suddenly occurred to him that the steamer would<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> stop and try to -pick up the wrecked crew, but then he knew it would be impossible to -lower a boat that night, and the masters of liners seldom stopped for -anything. Transatlantic express steamers hardly ever stopped in good -weather for a man overboard in daylight. Never unless they could see -him distinctly upon the surface. If those upon the steamer could not -see a four-masted schooner under storm canvas with her lights burning -brightly, they would hardly hope to see a floating man who could not be -seen ten fathoms distant by the sharpest eyes in that wind and sea. He -tried to raise himself to see if the hull of the vessel was still in -view, or if she were burning lights, but not even a Coston flare was -visible. There was nothing save the desolate storm-lashed sea.</p> - -<p>He had kicked off his rubber boots in a few moments, as they were -dragging him down, and being a powerful man he struggled steadily to -rid himself of his oilskins. Death had not made his appearance yet. -He could not come upon a strong man so quickly while that man had his -powers still left him to fight with. The very thought of the ending -made him exert more power and a sudden realization of his position -caused him to tear off his coat in a frantic effort. The faces of those -he had left at home came before his half-blinded vision. He knew he was -facing almost certain death, and that it would come quickly if no one -picked him up. He was apparently alone in the middle of the Atlantic -Ocean, and the steamer had kept on her course after completing the -destruc<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span>tion of his ship. The rest of his crew must also have gone -overboard. There were twenty-five souls all told, and he cursed the -men of the steamer who had caused their sudden end. It had been vile -carelessness. It had been more than brutal disregard for life. Their -callousness amazed him, and he had been to sea many years and knew its -heartlessness.</p> - -<p>What would his family do without him? He could see their amazed and -terrified looks when the news would be brought to them. His poor wife -who adored him and whose only thought had been for him and the little -ones. No, he could not die. No, no, by God, he would not die. He shook -the water from his face and dashed it out of his eyes with his hand, -and raised his head again for a look. The snoring roar of a comber -sounded near, but even as he noted it he thought he heard the surging -wash of something floating heavily in the sea. He knew there might be -pieces of wreck about him. It was a chance and he flung himself high -out of the water to see. The next instant the bursting wave fell over -him and bore him down again into the blackness below. It seemed a long -time it held him down, and he was exhausted when he got his head out -again and drew in a mixture of water and air. A few more heavy seas -and he would be very weak. The knowledge of it caused a terror within -him. His heart began to beat rapidly. The end was really approaching in -spite of his struggles. He was beginning to realize it, to realize that -death could win after all.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span></p> - -<p>But the thought of those ashore still steadied him. He must do his -utmost. Had he been alone in the world the futility of his exertions -would have been instantly apparent. He would have made a slight, -ordinary effort, the effort of the animal who instinctively fears -death, but his reason would have quickly told him that the sooner he -went under the better it would be for him. He would have died like the -twenty-five souls who had been in his care half an hour before. But he, -no, he could not go, he would swim on, and on, and on.</p> - -<p>He had been in the water half an hour now and he saw nothing but the -house where his family lived. The sun was shining bright and the grass -was green near the front gate. His wife stood upon the front steps and -smiled at him. He reached toward her, but she seemed to recede and -smile at him, leading him on, and on, and on.</p> - -<p>He was still swimming but did not know it. His breath had gone to -little choking gasps which hardly reached his half-filled lungs. His -jaws were working spasmodically, clinching under the strain and opening -to gasp out the briny mixture which he was forced to breathe. But -always before his vision, before his blinded eyes, was that picture of -his home. The whirling, choking blackness around him seemed to close -in upon him. He stopped time and again to drive the drowning spray and -spume from his face. He was drowning. The wind and sea were too heavy -for a man to face for any length of time. The great comb<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span>ing crests of -the seas swept over him, and it was only by that dogged, persistent -effort to reach the vision before him that he managed to keep himself -upon the surface after the smothering foam held him under. Once he -seemed to realize his hopeless surroundings and raised himself out to -the shoulders to try to see. He happened to be upon the lee slope of a -hill of water and he got a momentary glimpse of the turmoil about him. -All around was the gloom of the night, lit here and there by the white -flashes of foam. It dawned upon his fading senses that he had reached -the limit, he was going under, there was no hope.</p> - -<p>Like the lamp that flares up before it dies, the flame of his life rose -again in one more desperate resolve. He would keep on fighting, he -would not go.</p> - -<p>The pitiful futility of his struggle roused his expiring senses to a -strange fury. He struck out fiercely, driving himself ahead before the -wind and raising himself with each stroke. He sank into the hollow of -a great sea, the slopes on either hand raised high above him and he -was in a sheltered spot for a second. The surging wash of some heavy -floating thing again came to his half-filled ears, and as he rose upon -the crest he made a mighty effort. He raised himself and shook the -water from his face. Right alongside of him lay a black object outlined -by a white fringe of foam which now and then showed phosphorescent -flares. He had been swimming now for more than fifty minutes.</p> - -<p>With failing brain and cramping muscles he strove<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> for it, swimming, -striking, reaching, the last expiring effort of a dying man who dies -hard in the full powers of his manhood. His headway through the water -was almost nothing. He was not a good swimmer. Few sailors can swim -at all. A sea hurled him close to the object, and another swept him -clear out of sight of it. Then one drove him against it heavily and he -clutched frantically for a hand-hold.</p> - -<p>When he set his fingers upon an edge about three feet above the -surface he hung and rested. His senses were failing and he fought -instinctively. Something within him seemed to tell him that he must -get upon that object, that he must get clear of the water about him, -and he rested before making the effort which must decide his fate. It -was a high lift for an exhausted man and he set his strength slowly -and persistently, hauling steadily with all his remaining energy. He -managed to get his face level with the edge, but here he stopped. His -head wobbled weakly with the surge of the sea. His eyes were closed and -his jaws set. The sunshine seemed to play upon the green grass before -him and the form of his wife stood beckoning. He sank an inch lower. A -sea washed over him and he was slipping slowly back as it went past. -He gave a choking cry, a strangling groan of despair and slipped down -again into the sea just as a hand reached over the edge and closed upon -his shirt collar.</p> - -<p>The sun was shining and the wind-swept sea presented a beautiful -aspect the following morning. The water broke over the lower edge -of the deck-house<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span> upon which he lay, but only reached to his feet, -foaming down the slant until it made a whirlpool in a mass of line -which floated in a tangle. A line about his waist was made fast to a -ring-bolt near him, and sitting alongside of him, with his head thrust -forward peering out over the sea, was Garfunkle, his second mate.</p> - -<p>An exclamation and their eyes met. Johnson raised himself to a sitting -posture, though the pain in his cramped limbs made him groan.</p> - -<p>"The forrad house, eh?" he said.</p> - -<p>"Yessir," said the mate.</p> - -<p>"You saved me?"</p> - -<p>"Yessir, I just heard your call in time. You were done for, but were -right within a foot of me. It was dark."</p> - -<p>"No one else but us two?" asked the captain.</p> - -<p>"All gone, sir, and it looks like we are going. There won't be another -ship this way in a week. That was the West India liner, <i>Hammersea</i>, -from Kingston to Liverpool, who ran us down. I saw the name on one of -her boats that was torn off her. It was smashed up and floating close -aboard us an hour ago."</p> - -<p>"To run a man down is carelessness, but to leave him afterwards is -murder," said Johnson with bitterness.</p> - -<p>They were about six hundred miles from the Bahamas and to the eastward -of the Stream. The water was warm and blue and the sea was going down. -The easterly weather was dying out and the semi-tropical<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span> warmth was -taking its place. Near them several dark objects showed now and again -upon the slopes of the seas, and they knew they must be débris from the -sunken ship.</p> - -<p>Johnson had probably not swam over twenty fathoms in the whole -desperate endeavour he had made the night before. The darkness had -prevented him from making any definite course and he had swum with the -drift of the house. Garfunkle had been swept overboard with the wreck -of the mainmast; the stem of the steamer had torn its way through the -forward house, knocking it overboard. It was the only thing that had -floated clear, for the spars were all stayed with steel rigging and the -lanyards of the lee rigging had held against the shock although the -mainmast had been driven out of her. The great spar had been dragged -down with the sinking ship, but the house had floated clear and was -resting upon its side. In the open doorway they could see clothes and -sea-chests which had remained in the forecastle and which had not been -washed out with the force of the sea.</p> - -<p>They were weak and exhausted from the night of effort, but they went to -work at a chest and dragged it through the door and upon the slanting -side of the house. It sent the float down a good foot in the sea, but -they persisted in the hope of finding something of value. The chest was -almost empty. It contained a few clothes, a Bible and a large revolver, -the cartridges still intact within the chambers. Johnson stuck the -weapon in his waist-band, and his mate<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span> placed the Bible and clothes -clear of the sea. Then he kicked the chest adrift. It floated off, -setting high upon the water and looking absurdly out of place.</p> - -<p>"Nothing to eat—nothing to drink—looks pretty bad," said Garfunkle.</p> - -<p>Johnson made no comment. He was grateful that he was still alive, and -being a sailor he felt that it was a long way between that floating -deck-house and drowning. He would get ashore again soon enough, and -would not let his wife or children know how near he had come to -passing. It would be simply a money loss. He had owned several shares -in the schooner, and she had been a fine ship, paying twenty per cent., -but he would get another and go on as before. If he ever caught up with -the pilot of that steamer, he would see that the fellow gave an account -of himself. His cargo had been insured fully, and the underwriters -would make things hot for the rascal who had so ruthlessly run him down.</p> - -<p>The first day passed without incident of importance. The pangs of -hunger were beginning to be felt keenly by both men upon the float. -Johnson was cheerful but Garfunkle was pessimistic and grumbled -continually. He stood up every now and then to scan the horizon, but -nothing broke the evenness of the dark blue rim.</p> - -<p>The second day it was hot and calm. Both men took off their clothes and -cooled themselves in the sea until a huge shadow rising alongside made -them hasten up the slanting side of their float. A great tiger<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> shark -rose at the edge of the house, and taking a shove, sent his broad nose -up the slanting side until it almost touched their feet. Then he slid -back again into the sea and swam slowly around the house, coming back -again to the side that sloped into the water for another effort to get -his prey. The men were more amused than frightened at his attempts. -Garfunkle stripped a plank off the edge where it had been shattered, -and at the monster's third effort he drove the ragged sharpened point -deep into its eye. He floundered back into the sea and remained -motionless some ten fathoms distant upon the surface. A smaller denizen -of the same species came up and tried the same method, but he was -rapped sharply over the head and he kept away. But as the darkness came -on, the men realized that they must not relax their vigilance, for the -hungry fish made other attempts to get them.</p> - -<p>The morning of the third day Garfunkle was delirious. He raved about -water and stood up oftener to scan the sea. Johnson was very weak, -but kept his senses. He noticed a floating object near at hand and -soon made out the sunken small boat torn from the steamer's side. As -the morning wore on it drifted nearer and finally came alongside. He -grasped the painter and managed to get the mate to give him a hand. -Together they managed to drag the boat's bow up the slope of the float, -and they saw that the plank at the stem just below the water-line had -been smashed in. Weakened as he was, Johnson determined to patch it -and accordingly set to work. By placing a piece of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span> the house planking -on the outside and lashing it fast with the line, he managed to get -the leak stopped sufficiently to allow the bailing of the craft. Then -by getting into the stern, they kept the leak clear of the sea and -the boat was safe enough. Searching through the locker aft, where -the food for emergency was kept, they came upon the case of biscuit, -water-soaked, to be sure, but still in partly solid shape. They ate -some and felt better for a time, but their thirst was aggravated. The -small water-breaker usually kept in lifeboats was missing. Under the -thwarts was a sail, and one oar was still fast in her bottom. Johnson -cut the lashings and drew the gear out. It would be of service to them -for a rudder.</p> - -<p>The hunger pains had died away by the fourth day, but their thirst was -terrible. A man may go for days upon water alone, but without it he can -last only a short time under a warm sun. By keeping their bodies wet -they eased themselves a little, but not much. The absorption through -the skin was insufficient to do them much good. Time and again, they -seemed to see a ship bearing down upon them and one or the other would -cry out, but after a while they desisted. The sea was a heaving plain -as far as the sight could reach, unbroken by a single object. The deep -blue turned to a deeper steel-gray nearer the horizon in the calm, -meeting the almost cloudless sky in a haze. There was no wind, but -they must get away. To remain any longer on the house was to invite a -terrible death. It might be the same thing in the boat, but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span> they would -at least feel that they were going somewhere, getting nearer to help -and water.</p> - -<p>It was water, always water. The liquid around them made the madness of -thirst double. They had gazed down into the clear depths for hours, -seeing visions of streams of fresh water, craving to plunge into them, -the burning and all-consuming thirst in their throats waxing more and -more intense. They had no longer any idea of hunger. The ship's bread -they left untouched, for it was wet with salt water and the slightest -bit of that liquid made them frantic. They could have just as well -drunk pure alcohol.</p> - -<p>Garfunkle was for starting off at once. He had become rational again, -but his eyes held a certain light when they met the captain's that -told of the madness in his brain. He always lowered them when Johnson -looked at him, but he spoke always in a low, soft voice now, a sort of -purring, and Johnson knew it was the purring of the famished tiger. -Garfunkle was a big man and very powerful. He had risen to mate's berth -as much by his physical abilities as mental. He was stripped to the -waist, and his body, which he had kept wet, was burned to a bright -red by the sun. The patch of hair on his broad chest showed in marked -contrast to the surrounding skin. Johnson had kept his shirt on his -back and saved himself the extra annoyance of the sun. He preferred to -shiver a bit at night than to burn during the daytime.</p> - -<p>When they had stepped the mast and made all ready for a start, they -noticed some small fish swimming<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span> close to the edge of the float. -The dorsal fin of a large shark lay twenty fathoms distant upon the -surface of the sea, and they wondered at the carelessness of the fish -who ignored it. They seemed quite tame, and Johnson took the piece -of wood they had used to keep off the sharks, whittled the end into -a fresh point and lay at full length upon the house, his idea being -to spear a few of the small fry and take them along for food. He was -quite weak and his brain was dizzy. The exertion of mending the boat -was exhausting and he made many ineffectual attempts to strike the fish -without looking up.</p> - -<p>Suddenly he was aware of a feeling of danger. He turned and saw -Garfunkle stealthily coming upon him with the upraised oar. There was -a wild look in the mate's eyes, but he grinned when Johnson turned -and began a soft speech, half incoherent. Johnson was lying down, but -managed to draw the pistol he had kept in his belt. The mate smiled, -put the oar back into the boat and suddenly shoved her clear of the -house, springing into her and sitting down upon a thwart.</p> - -<p>Johnson looked at him, dazed, half understanding, his brain reeling in -the sunshine.</p> - -<p>"Come back," he said calmly.</p> - -<p>Garfunkle grinned at him and grasped the sheet, hauled it aft and put -the oar over the stern for a rudder. There was no wind and the boat -remained motionless. The mate began to scull away slowly.</p> - -<p>"Come back," said Johnson in a low tone.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span></p> - -<p>The mate turned his back upon him and as the boat's head payed off, -kept her on her course to the westward.</p> - -<p>"Come back," said Johnson again.</p> - -<p>The boat drew slowly off. She was ten fathoms before Johnson realized -that he was being deserted. Garfunkle sculled her slowly, the sail -slatting with the roll of the sea.</p> - -<p>Johnson still held the revolver. It came upon him suddenly that he was -being left, that he was lost. The vision of the home ashore flashed -before him, the green grass and white cottage, with his smiling wife -and romping children. He was being left to die.</p> - -<p>He drew the hammer of the revolver back and raised the weapon, letting -the front sight stop full upon the middle of Garfunkle's back between -the shoulders. He hesitated, and as he did so he remembered that the -man had saved his life but a few days before. He would have drowned -but for the rescuing grip which hauled him upon the house. He let the -weapon sink until its muzzle touched the planks, and he put his left -hand to his head to try to help his reeling brain to reason properly. -No, he could not die. The vision of the home ashore came stronger to -him. It was not for himself alone that he would live, but live he must, -and would.</p> - -<p>The sights of the pistol settled again upon the back of his mate. He -was twenty fathoms distant and drifting slowly away. Johnson pressed -the trigger.</p> - -<p>The report jarred him. The puff of smoke disap<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span>peared at once into the -air, and he saw Garfunkle look around and grin. Then the mate stood up, -reeled, staggered, and plunged headlong overboard. He saw him no more.</p> - -<p>Without waiting an instant Johnson swam toward the craft and managed to -gain her. He had forgotten about the sharks, but nothing struck him. He -took the oar the mate had dropped in the water alongside, and after he -climbed aboard he trimmed the sheet and settled himself in the stern, -making the oar fast in a becket. If he let go of it now he would not -lose it. The sun was in the west and he headed away, steering as near -as he could guess for the Bahamas.</p> - -<p>The wrecking sloop <i>Sea-Horse</i> was coming along up the coast and the -captain, Sanders, of Key West, noticed something floating upon the -broad stretch of sea which looked like a small white boat. Boats were -not met with so far off shore, and the object sat so low in the water -and appeared without control that the skipper of the wrecker called his -mate.</p> - -<p>"What d'ye make of that, Bill?" said he, pointing to the white speck.</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill, the huge negro diver and wrecker, looked long and intently -at it.</p> - -<p>"'Pears to me like it was er wrack, cap—what? Looks to be a stove-in -boat, an' I reckon we might as well pick her up—maybe we kin fix her -to be ob use wid a little paint and putty. Ennyways, we kin sell her to -some dub in Miami en clar enough fo' de trouble—what yo' say, cap?"</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Oh, let her head up to it if you want to," said Sanders. "I don't like -running out of my line when I'm in a hurry, but if you want her, get -her. I reckon we might pass her off for a few dollars—stand by the -main sheet."</p> - -<p>"Ship's boat—yassir, dat's a ship's boat fo' shuah, cap," said the -giant mate as the wrecking vessel drew nearer. "Must be some ob de -wrack hereabouts—we better lay by en take a look eround, yassir."</p> - -<p>"Let her luff a little," called Sanders to the man at the wheel. -"Steady—so, let her go, jest so—steady—Good God! What—There's a man -in her—"</p> - -<p>"Stand by de jib sheet," roared Bahama Bill. "Yo' kin let her come to -when yo' ready, sah—I'll stand by toe ketch him, sah."</p> - -<p>The huge mate leaned far over the side of the <i>Sea-Horse</i> and with a -mighty grip seized the floating small craft by the gunwale. She was -half full of water, but he sprang into her and passed up her painter -to a man on deck while the wrecking sloop plunged and bucked into the -sea, her sails slatting and switching as she lay right in the wind. -In a moment the mate had lifted the body and passed it aboard and the -half-sunken small boat was dropped astern.</p> - -<p>They poured water between his sun-baked lips and upon his swollen, -livid tongue. In a few hours the corpse showed signs of life, but -the blue-black face was motionless for days, and they had reached -Jacksonville before the man's features relaxed enough for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span> him to -speak. He could not make himself understood, and it was three weeks -later, when he was able to sit up in the cot at the seaman's hospital, -before he could tell of his affair.</p> - -<p>He was discharged as cured and went to his home. He had heard nothing -from his wife and supposed she had heard nothing concerning him. When -he entered the gate he noticed that all was silent about the place. A -neighbour accosted him and asked who he was, but he was put out at the -delay and refused to tell his business. Then the man told him how the -news had come in that he had gone down in his ship nearly a month ago -and that his wife had failed and died within a week.</p> - -<p>He listened silently, and when the man finished he went into the house.</p> - -<p>They found him dead that evening with a bullet-hole between the eyes.</p> - -<p>"Crazy with grief," said the neighbours who knew his home life. The -doctor who examined him thought differently.</p> - -<p>"There is absolutely nothing abnormal about him," said the physician. -"He looks like a man who has gotten tired out—clean exhausted with the -futility of some great effort—look at his face."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="X" id="X">X</a></p> - -<p class="center">On the Great Bahama Bank</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Stormalong</span> Journegan was a Conch, a native of the Bahamas. He stood six -feet four inches upon his thin spindle-shanks, and it is doubtful if he -ever weighed more than one hundred pounds; no, not even when soaking -wet. He was thin.</p> - -<p>He lit up for the night, wiped the bar free from the gin and bitters -spilled there by a drunken customer, and then turned to survey his -room, waiting for the whistle of the liner. It was the night the ship -was due, the giant New York mail liner, ten thousand tons and not less -than three hundred passengers. All of these would be thirsty, for the -weather is always warm in Key West in the early spring.</p> - -<p>Journegan was a "spouter." That is, he had been with a religious bunch -of reefers, and he was free to make use of the Scriptures—too free -entirely to suit the orthodox ecclesiastics of Key West. Over the sign -of "The Cayo Huesso" the legend ran thus: "As it was in the beginning, -it is now," showing that Journegan was not a reformer at all, but -believed in the Bible and the true creed. And the worst of it all -was that he was accurate in his quotations; not only<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> accurate, but -invincible and gifted with that terrible weapon—an unfailing memory.</p> - -<p>"Why do you use such blasphemy?" asked a divine, shocked at the sign -and its motto.</p> - -<p>"I was taught that there creed by a better man than you, suh, and he -said: 'As it ware in the beginning, it is now, an' ever shall be, world -without end. Amen.' I heard ye say them same words onct when I 'tended -meetin'. What ye got agin' 'em, hey?"</p> - -<p>"Nothing at all—nothing at all."</p> - -<p>"Then cl'ar out. Git erlong. Don't come makin' no trouble fer me. I -don't ask ye to drink—git away."</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir," went on Journegan, turning to an approaching customer. -"It's the same now as it always ware—same as it ware in the -beginning—always shall be just the same—human nature never changes, -not at all. There'll always be the bad, and always be the good. The bad -are the strong gone wrong. The good are the weak tryin' to make good; -sometimes they're strong too, but very seldom. Strength and goodness -don't go together except in rare cases, but when a good man's strong, -he's sure nuff strong.</p> - -<p>"Ye see, we've all got a livin' to make. We hire men to study religion -for us and pay 'em to preach it out of pulpits—yes, sir, actually pay -'em to git up and preach about th' Gospel as if you or me couldn't -read or write! What's the sense? What's the sense of paying a man for -doing something you can do yourself just as well? If salvation depends -on a fellow's<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span> ability to translate the Gospel, then it's a mighty -poor Gospel for poor folk—but it don't. It's a good livin' they make -preachin', and I for one don't take no offense at a feller chargin' for -his talk; not that he knows any more than you or me—'cause he can't -know a blame bit more—but we've all got to live, an' the feller what -talks has to live, too. Let him live by talk. Let me live by sellin' -things. I don't ask no favours, but I don't want no guy what jest talks -an' talks fer money to come around an' bother me—that's all; yes, -that's erbout all, I reckon."</p> - -<p>You will see that Journegan was very popular with the strong men who -worked and very unpopular with the men who preached.</p> - -<p>"Your head is as long as your body," admitted Captain Smart, entering -the gilded hall. "What you say goes, Stormalong—gimme a drink."</p> - -<p>"Goin' to meet the ship?" asked Journegan.</p> - -<p>"Yep, I'm goin' back in her if I get the chance," said Smart. "I've -been on the beach here a week now. Dunn settled up his wrecking bill -with that fellow 'Bahama Bill' and Captain Sanders and their gang, and -that lets me out. I'm out a good berth. She was a fine yacht."</p> - -<p>"'Twasn't your fault you lost her, I heard tell," said Journegan, with -a leer.</p> - -<p>"I did all I could," admitted Smart, "but I lost her, just the same. -There is no excuse for the loser, you know."</p> - -<p>"Yep, I knows well enough," said Journegan<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span> slowly, as if thinking over -something. "'Peared to be leakin' badly all o' a sudden-like, hey?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, started to leak during the blow, or just before it. A bit of hard -luck you may say."</p> - -<p>"Well, you'll know more about the reef if you stay here a while."</p> - -<p>There was some strange meaning in Stormalong's tone, and it was not -lost on Smart.</p> - -<p>"You are the second man who has said something to that effect," said -the seaman. "Now, what the devil do you mean by it?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, nothing much. No use getting worked up by what I said. You don't -know much about the ways of folk along the reef and bank. That's -all—there goes the whistle of the liner."</p> - -<p>A deep-toned siren roared out over the quiet waters of the reef, -sounding far away to sea, and seemed to be coming from some distant -point to the southward. Smart recognized it as the call of his ship, -the ship he had left months before for the sake of a woman.</p> - -<p>He drank off his liquor and started for the dock, making his way along -the white roadway and joining the throng of Conchs who lazily walked -toward the shore to see the great liner make her landing. She was a new -ship, a ship of huge tonnage for a Southern liner, and it was a treat -to watch her officers dock her. Slowly she came drifting in toward the -land, her mighty engines sending the white coral water moving gently -from her stern.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span></p> - -<p>Her giant bows came near the landing. A tiny figure flung a filmy line -through the air, a line so small in proportion to her great bulk that -it seemed but a spider-web. But behind it followed a great hawser, -and a dozen lazy black men hauled it ashore and threw the loop over a -pile-end.</p> - -<p>Then a shrill whistle sounded, and the deep rumble of the engines told -of the backing strain. She swung alongside the wharf finally and made -fast her stern and spring-lines. Then a gangway shot out, and the -captain came quickly down, followed by a swarm of passengers.</p> - -<p>As the ship was to stop only a half-hour at Key West, her commander had -to make a quick clearance and entry, taking on some fifty passengers -who were in the cigar business and who made Key West an important stop -on that account. They were all through first-class to New York. Smart -joined Captain Flanagan while he walked briskly toward the customhouse. -The skipper shook his hand warmly, and asked how he came to be down -there. Then followed the story of the wreck of a yacht, and the tale -of an officer out of a berth, all of which Flanagan listened to with -waning interest. The old, old story was uncommonly dull to him. He was -powerless to do anything, and he spoke forth.</p> - -<p>"It's no use of talking about it any more, Smart. You know the rules -of the company as well as I do. You know there are other men waiting -to step into berths, and when a man steps out like you did it's up<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span> to -him to stay out and give the rest a chance. How would you like to have -a man come back into a ship and block you for perhaps twenty years? No, -it won't do, even if I could do it. You are out. Stay out, unless you -want to start in again at the foot, as a third mate."</p> - -<p>"No, I can't drop to that position at my age," said Smart sadly. "I'm -holding a master's ticket, and if you can't take me on as a second at -least, why, all right, I'll have to ship somewhere else."</p> - -<p>"I'm mighty sorry, old man," said Flanagan, "but you know it's not my -fault. It's the rules of the company, and if I took you on to New York -you would be dropped as soon as we landed. I can give you a passage up, -if you want it. Here's a key to the stateroom—take it."</p> - -<p>"No, you don't. If I stay ashore, I stay right here. Don't worry about -me. I'll try to make good. I know I was a fool, but sometimes we all -play the fool. Good-bye, and good luck. How does the ship run?"</p> - -<p>Flanagan was gone. The light of Stormalong's shone out brightly in -the distance. Smart kept his eyes upon them for a long time, and -wandered about the streets. The warning whistle of the liner blew for a -farewell, and as the sound roared out upon the night the seaman turned -away and went up the street.</p> - - -<p class="center">II</p> - -<p>Captain Smart was in a particularly uncomfortable mood. He had left -the liner for a woman, a woman<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span> whom he desired and whom he thought -worth any sacrifice. Later he discovered that she was selfish to the -core. He had expected companionship, love, and sympathy. He had found -cold, calculating animalism: a brutality all the more horrible for its -refinement, for its servitude to wealth and position. Yes, she had -told him plainly just how she felt about it, and had made it perfectly -plain that she would mate only with some one who could place her in -surroundings which she desired, not what she would get as the wife of -a seaman, a captain of a ship. And he could not blame her. No, it was -manifestly not her fault. It was the fault of the society in which she -had been brought up. It had stifled the woman in her and developed the -snob to an extent that would admit of no choice on the part of either.</p> - -<p>He had seen his mistake, and the loss of the yacht upon which she was a -guest had given him a chance to complete the affair, to get away from -all the familiar surroundings. Now he was "on the beach."</p> - -<p>"On the beach," to a sailor means without a ship and without money. -Smart had neither ship nor money, but he had a strong constitution -and high spirits, and the lights of Stormalong's were still burning -brightly down the long, smooth road.</p> - -<p>He entered and noticed that the tables were full. A company of men were -playing cards at the farthest end of the saloon, and he made his way -toward them. A game of poker always fascinated him, and he hung over -the back of a player, watching his cards and not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span>ing the manner he -threw away a high pair to fill a flush.</p> - -<p>"Would ye like to set in?" asked Stormalong, who had come over to get -an order for drinks.</p> - -<p>"I wouldn't mind setting in for a short time," Smart nodded. "No -all-night séance for me, and quit when you want to."</p> - -<p>"Gents," began the saloon-keeper, "this is Captain Smart, of the -schooner—ah, well, never mind that, hey? Well, Smart was chief officer -of the ship just gone out. He's got the dough, and kin play a keard or -two, if you give him a chance."</p> - -<p>"Set right in here, cap," said a thick-set, sunburnt man whose calling -was manifest in his face. "I'm a reefer, an' run a sponger, but I -reckon I kin play with yer."</p> - -<p>"You make five—just right for luck," was the greeting of another, a -thin, eagle-nosed fellow who declared that his name was Smith—Wilson -Smith.</p> - -<p>A man with a thick growth of beard nodded to him across the board, and -a squat, twinkling-eyed little fellow, with the hue of the tobacco -factory upon him, held out his hand. "My name's Jacobs—traveller for -the Garcias'—glad to meet you."</p> - -<p>The cards were dealt round afresh, and Smart took up his hand. For some -time nothing occurred to distract the attention of the players from -the game, but gradually their talk and the clink of money as they made -change attracted the crowd.</p> - -<p>Smart was aware of a huge form just behind him,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span> and, glancing up, -he looked right into the face of Bahama Bill, the black mate of the -wrecking-sloop <i>Sea-Horse</i>. A huge grin was upon the black man's ugly -face, and he laid his enormous hand upon Smart's shoulder. "Huh, how -yo' is, cap? Thought you'd gone away fo' sho. Stopped to teach 'em how -toe play de game, huh? Yah, yah, ya-a-a!"</p> - -<p>"Stormalong," broke in Wilson Smith, "I don't want to appear rude, but -I draw the colour line sometimes, especially at keards. If the big -nigger standing behind us will sit down or move along, it'll facilitate -the game some."</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill heard the remarks, but, being in a white man's saloon, -he said nothing. He showed his teeth in a mirthless smile, a smile -which boded no good for the man who had spoken and who was evidently a -stranger to him.</p> - -<p>Stormalong motioned to the wrecker to sit down, and Bill did so without -comment. He was well known and fairly well liked, and his record -allowed him some privileges which were not accorded to men of his -race. Being part owner as well as mate of the wrecking-sloop made him -a person of more or less note. Therefore Stormalong furnished him with -unlimited rum, which he paid for from a wad of bills which made the -observers gaze with surprise. Mr. Dunn, the owner of the yacht which -Smart had lost, had been trimmed very cleanly. The salvage on her had -been large for so small a vessel, owing to the valuable silverware, -furnishings, and other fittings.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span></p> - - -<p class="center">III</p> - -<p>The game progressed slowly, but Wilson Smith began to win little by -little. Smart suddenly found he held three aces. He raised the limit -before drawing, and discarded two cards, hoping to draw another ace. -Jacobs, the cigar man, came in, and Smith raised it one better, which -Smart made good, the other two men dropping out.</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill had drunk several glasses of rum by this time, and he again -appeared to fix his attention upon the game, but not so as to attract -attention, standing well back of all but keeping his eyes fixed in a -steady gaze upon the thin-faced man's cards.</p> - -<p>The cards were dealt, and Smart drew a pair of queens, filling, and -thus holding a strong hand. Jacobs drew one card, and quietly slipped -it into his hand. His face was emotionless, and he puffed lazily at his -cigar, complacently cocked up at a high angle in his jaws. Smith drew -four cards, and, after conning his hand carefully, bet a dollar.</p> - -<p>Jacobs raised, and Captain Smart came upon him for the limit. Wilson -Smith, to the surprise of all, raised back the limit. The cigar man was -game, and came again. Smart holding an ace-full, could not, of course, -let it pass him, so he again raised it.</p> - -<p>"We all bein' so mighty peart about our hands—let's throw the limit -off," suggested Smith.</p> - -<p>"I'm more'n willin'," agreed Jacobs. "What d'ye say, cap?"</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I haven't much money"—Smart hesitated—"and just came in the game to -pass the time, but if the rest are willing, I'll stay."</p> - -<p>Wilson Smith looked around approvingly. "I'll make it fifty dollars -better than what there's in it." He drew a cigar from his pocket and lit -it with an easy air.</p> - -<p>"I'll have to make it two hundred better," Jacobs protested grimly. "I -hate to gamble, but I can't let a hand like this pass me."</p> - -<p>"Oh, I haven't any money like that." Captain Smart's brows were raised -in surprise. "Fifty is all I can show."</p> - -<p>"Well, I'm sorry about that," said Jacobs. "Of course we'll give you a -show, but the limit was put off on purpose to let us play keards."</p> - -<p>Smart was aware of a heavy hand upon his shoulder. He turned, and found -Bahama Bill standing close to him.</p> - -<p>"Take dis hear, cap." And Bill thrust an enormous roll of bills unto -his pile upon the table. "I'll stand by toe see yo' through."</p> - -<p>Wilson Smith looked up again, and then called for Stormalong Journegan.</p> - -<p>"Journegan," said he, "this is the second time I have had to speak to -you about being annoyed. If it happens again there'll be trouble."</p> - -<p>"Play poker," came a voice from the crowd.</p> - -<p>Smart gazed about him for a moment. It was evident that the mate of the -<i>Sea-Horse</i> had an object in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> putting up his cash. He was quick-witted -enough to see that it was best to go ahead without making any comment. -He could stop after this hand.</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill drew back at a sign from Journegan, but still fixed his -gaze upon Smith's hand. It seemed as though he had seen the hands of -the men, and was betting upon the best. Smart could think of no other -reason for the money being left him, and he felt certain that he would -win. Bill was just backing the hand he had seen to be the winner.</p> - -<p>As long as that was the case he would go the limit. He counted out five -hundred dollars and laid it upon the table. Then he picked up his cards -again and skimmed over the squeezers, waiting for the end.</p> - -<p>Jacobs drew out the amount to make good, and the thin-faced man felt -in his pocket for his roll. He bent over in doing this, and as he did -so he held his cards close to his breast in his left hand. He was -still fumbling in his trousers pocket with his right when a black hand -suddenly reached over his shoulder and drew forth a complete "hold-out" -from under his waistcoat where his hand pressed. The movement was so -quick, so powerful, and so disconcerting, that for an instant there was -a silence, and the fellow threw up his head. The next moment he had -drawn his gun, a long, blue-barrelled revolver of heavy pattern, and -had swung it up over his shoulder and fired like a flash of lightning -into Bahama Bill.</p> - -<p>Instantly there was an uproar, and above the noise of the struggling -mass of men there sounded the bull-<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span>like bass of the mate of the -<i>Sea-Horse</i>: "I got yo' fer sho, Skinny Ike—I got yo'."</p> - - -<p class="center">IV</p> - -<p>Captain Smart grabbed what money he could get hands upon, and while -thus engaged the cigar man dealt him a powerful blow over the shoulders -with a chair. It had been meant for his head, but instead it landed -upon the heavy muscles Smart had earned by hard work hauling lines. -He gave a yell, and sprang upon his assailant. Just then Stormalong -Journegan opened with his gun, and the quick firing drowned all other -sounds.</p> - -<p>Through the smoke of the fight Smart saw his man, and smote him with -all his power upon the jaw. The fellow went down and out. Many of the -bystanders had been with the crooks, probably a gang of six or more, -and these fell upon Smart and Bahama Bill.</p> - -<p>Smart found himself fighting two quick, agile fellows who struck at him -with weapons he could not distinguish. The rest piled upon the giant -mate while Journegan fired upon the bunch, taking care not to hit any -one, for he had no desire to ruin his business. His lead, however, -went so close that one man got a clip that knocked him over. The room -filled with smoke, and the uproar was loud enough, but suddenly Smart -was aware of the giant Conch struggling to his feet and swinging out -right and left with two mighty fists, sending men tumbling about like -chips before a storm. Just beneath him the thin-faced man, Wilson<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span> -Smith—dubbed "Skinny Ike" by Bill—lay in a heap.</p> - -<p>"Come on, yo' muckers, come on an' git yo' medicine," he bawled. Then -he picked up the prostrate man, and, taking him by the shoulders, used -him as a flail, swinging him about his head and knocking every one -in his path into a state of submission. The men around Smart fled in -confusion, and in a moment Bahama Bill and the captain stood alone in -the end of the room, the rest of the onlookers making good their escape -to the street. Journegan stood behind his bar and grinned down the -barrel of his empty gun.</p> - -<p>"Air ye hurted much, Bill?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"Hurt!" roared the giant mate. "What'd hurt me here, anyway, 'cept yo' -blamed rum, hey?"</p> - -<p>"Well, if you want to make a gitaway now's the time, I reckon, for this -place'll be pulled to-night sure—an' that in a mighty few minutes."</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill dropped the limp form of Wilson Smith. The man was not -seriously hurt, only horribly bruised. The rest were either insensible -from blows or unable to rise from the smash of the thin fellow's body -upon them, for the mate had stove them hard enough to break ribs and -arms with his human whip. Some of the gang essayed to sit up and take -notice after the mate ceased to speak. One had the temerity to draw a -gun, which Bill unceremoniously kicked out of his hand.</p> - -<p>"I reckon we'd better be goin' 'long, cap," said the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span> big black. "This -place'll be pulled by the marshal inside o' ten minutes. Take up w'at -dough you sees; I'll kerlect it off'n you later."</p> - -<p>"Didn't you git a plug?" asked Journegan.</p> - -<p>"Oh, yas; jest a little hole in de shoulder—dat's nothin'. Come on, -cap."</p> - -<p>Smart hesitated a minute. "Where do we go?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"Aboa'd de <i>Sea-Horse</i>—an' to sea as fast as we kin git her movin'. -Ought toe been gone befo' dis, but when I see dat Skinny settin' in to -skin yo' I jest naterally had toe take a hand. Whatcher s'pose I handed -yo' dat money fer?"</p> - -<p>"But I haven't done anything wrong—nothing to run for," said Smart.</p> - -<p>"Yo' try an' think straight a minute, cap. Yo' ain't got many friends -here. Take my advice an' don't git pulled. De clink is mighty mean -here. I don't know why I should take a shine toe yo' cap, but yo' shore -did set in dat game ter win—an' yo' kin hit pretty straight, too."</p> - -<p>"Gwan, before it's too late," said Journegan.</p> - -<p>A rush of feet sounded in the street, followed by the hoarse voices -of men nearing "The Cayo Huesso." The door of the saloon was suddenly -burst open, and the marshal, with a posse of twenty men behind him, -came into view.</p> - -<p>"De window, cap," yelled Bahama Bill, and without waiting a moment he -sprang through, carrying the sash and glass, shutters, and all with -him.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> Through the opening Smart plunged instinctively, and as he did so -he heard the sharp command to halt, followed by the crack of a gun. He -had managed to get clear by a fraction of a second, and, landing upon -his feet, started after the dark shadow which he knew was the black -sailor making for the beach.</p> - - -<p class="center">V</p> - -<p>Down the road Captain Smart ran as fast as he could go, trying vainly -to reach the tall form of the mate, who kept the lead easily until the -lights of the harbour came into view. Then he slacked up and Smart came -up with him.</p> - -<p>"Dat sho was fun, hey?" laughed the mate, not the least winded from his -dash for liberty. "Cost yo' a hundred dollars to git clear ef dey catch -yo'. Dey don't run yo' in fer fun down here. Dat's de <i>Sea-Horse</i>. Git -inter dat small boat—so."</p> - -<p>"How about Journegan? Will they fine him for the fracas?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, no. He stands in wid de gang—pays fer de trouble he makes. -Journegan is a good man—he's all right."</p> - -<p>"He was with the crooks, was he?" asked Smart.</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, he thought you had money—he has to stand in wid de gang. -He was mad as er hornet at me buttin' in, but jest couldn't help it. -I'll square him some day, an' he knows it. If he didn't know it, he'd -'a' plugged me when dey jumped me. I reckon he c'u'd 'a' done it, all -right, for he's a mighty fine shot,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> dat Journegan. But I sho had it in -fer Skinny Ike—he done me onct."</p> - -<p>"Seems like a pretty tough bunch of men along the bank here, don't it?" -said Smart. "Journegan hinted that there was something done wrong to -Mr. Dunn's yacht—he said she must have leaked—what?"</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill stopped rowing the small boat. They were half-way to the -<i>Sea-Horse</i>, and lights were already showing along the shore, telling -plainly that pursuit would be made in short order. The tide set them -toward the vessel, but Bill gazed steadily at Smart through the -darkness.</p> - -<p>"Did Journegan say dat?" he asked quietly.</p> - -<p>"Yes, and I would like to know what he meant by it."</p> - -<p>"You know why he did all dat shootin'—all dat firin' to hit nobody? -Dat was jest to get the place pulled—pulled before you made a gitaway, -toe git your money. He knowed you an' me were enemies—knowed dat yo' -had it in fer me, knowed dat I wrecked Mr. Dunn's yacht, an' dat yo' -sho had no claim wid me—an' dat's where he made a mistake——"</p> - -<p>"You wrecked the schooner?" cried Smart.</p> - -<p>"Sho, cap, I dun wrecked her. Don't yo' remember de day—de night—I -came abo'd, harpooned by a fool Yankee mate? Well, I was pullin' a seam -dat night—dat's what made her leak——"</p> - -<p>"You are a devil—the blackest rascal I ever met.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span> You can take me -ashore, I won't have anything more to do with you—turn about."</p> - -<p>"Not a bit—no, suh. Yo' goes wid me dis trip, sho."</p> - -<p>Smart hesitated not a moment, but sprang overboard and struck out for -the shore, calling loudly for help.</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill sat gazing after him for a moment, swearing deeply. Then -he carefully shipped the oars, stood up, and the next moment plunged -over the side after him. In a few rapid strokes he came up to the -sailor. With one mighty arm he circled the swimmer, holding his arms to -his sides as easily as though he were a child. With his other hand he -struck out lustily for the sloop and gained her side, where two heads -peered over looking at him.</p> - -<p>"Pass a line, quick," he called.</p> - -<p>A line dropped instantly over the side and fell within reach. Smart was -quickly trussed and hoisted aboard and the mate climbed up after him.</p> - -<p>"Put de mains'l on her—heave her short—jump!" bellowed Bahama Bill, -at the same time casting off the gaskets from the boom and throwing the -beckets off the wheel.</p> - -<p>A Dutchman, Heldron by name, and a Conch called Sam, sprang to obey. -The sail went quickly up with a clucking of blocks and snapping of -canvas. Then in came the anchor, the three men hauling line with a -will. One man loosed the jib while another sent it up with a rush, and -just as the sweeping strokes of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span> a pursuing oar fell upon their ears -the <i>Sea-Horse</i> stood out the nor'west passage and to sea.</p> - -<p>"Where's Sanders?" asked the mate.</p> - -<p>"Oh, de cap'n, he dun take de mon' he get an' go to Tampa on de steamer -this night. He say he goin' to do somet'in' to dem big hotels Mr. -Flagler builds—dem dat run de gamblin'-houses. Won't be back fer a -week."</p> - -<p>"Cap," said Bahama Bill, casting Smart adrift, "yo' kin go below an' -put dat money in de co'ner of de right-han' locker—no use yo' tryin' -to swim away wid it. Yo' an' me is goin' to the Bank fer a bit o' -work—dat's it, Sam, hook de boat as we come past—pass de painter aft, -an' let her tow."</p> - -<p>Smart saw that he was caught fair enough. To resist was only to make -more trouble. He was broke, anyway, and without a berth. He might just -as well try wrecking for a change—why not? Yes, he would go below and -turn in without more ado. He had forgotten the money he had taken from -the game at Journegan's, the money which belonged to the mate of the -<i>Sea-Horse</i>. No wonder Bahama Bill had jumped in after him and brought -him aboard. It was easy to see that in spite of all Bill's apparent -carelessness he took no chances as he saw them. The <i>Sea-Horse</i> was -standing out, and there was no chance of spending the night in the -lockup. After all, it was pleasanter out here in the brisk sea air, -even in the company of such men. He went slowly below.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Turn in the po't bunk, cap," came the mate's big voice down the cuddy.</p> - -<p>Smart did so, and he fell asleep while the wrecking-sloop rose and -plunged into the short sea.</p> - - -<p class="center">VI</p> - -<p>"I reckon we're about dar, cap. Dem masts stickin' up yander air de fo' -an' main' o' de brig <i>Bulldog</i>. We skinned her clean, took a share ob -de salvage, an' cleared fo' town." Thus spoke Bahama Bill, resting one -hand upon the wheel-spokes to hold the <i>Sea-Horse</i> and sprawling upon -the deck. The sloop was approaching the edge of the Great Bahama Bank, -and the shoaling water told of the coral bottom.</p> - -<p>"Well, what are you going to stop here for, then?" asked Smart. -Although he had decided to cast in his lot with Bahama Bill temporarily -he was averse to wandering about on the old <i>Sea-Horse</i> for any length -of time. He was anxious to hunt a berth as navigator upon some ship of -size. Nassau was close at hand, not fifty miles away, and there were -many ships stopping there.</p> - -<p>"I'll tell yo', cap—I'll tell yo' jest what I want yo' to do fer me," -said the big black. He rounded the sloop to, and Sam let go the anchor, -while the Dutchman Heldron hauled down the jib.</p> - -<p>The <i>Sea-Horse</i> dropped back with the sweep of the current and wind, -until she lay just over the mainmast of a sunken brig, which stuck out -of the water at a slant, the top coming clear some twenty feet to port<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span> -of her. The wreck was lying upon her bilge and heeled over at a sharp -angle, the partners of the mainmast being about ten feet below the -surface.</p> - -<p>"I heard yo' tell Stormalong Journegan you'd been down in a -diving-suit, de kind dey use in de No'th—hey? Yo' know about rubber -suits an' pumps?" He looked keenly at Captain Smart while the seaman -told him that he had heard aright. He had been in suits, and helped -others diving in them. He thought he knew something about air-pumps.</p> - -<p>The mate went below forward, and shortly came on deck with a complete -rubber diving-suit, helmet, and weighted shoes.</p> - -<p>"I don't go in much fer dis kind ob divin'," said he, "but I dun paid -a fellow a hundred dollars fer de whole suit. Show me how to work it, -an' show me how dat pump works. Ef yo' do, we'll go halves—break -even—on what I think is below in dis hear wrack. I knowed yo' must -know something erbout divin'—dat is, erbout rubber divin', which ain't -divin' at all, but dat's what I want ter know."</p> - -<p>"I thought you said the wreck was finished with?" Smart commented.</p> - -<p>"All de money, all de coin was got out ob her, yas, suh, dat's all -straight, but dishar wrack ain't been under water more'n a few months, -an' I been thinkin' dat maybe some hard work would tell on some cases -of ammunition left in her."</p> - -<p>"What did she have?"</p> - -<p>"Rifles, money, and provisions for Vensuela—<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span>some ob dem -revolutionists had de charter. Dey took up de rifles, and dey took up -de money, but dey left a lot ob ammunition in her, sayin' it ain't no -good. Well, suh, I got a hole in mah shoulder where one ob dem bullets -came troo—yo mind de little fracas at Stormalong's. I dun sold a -feller a dozen boxes ob dem ca'tridges, de onliest .45's in Key West. -Dat's de reason I cum to know somethin' about dem. Ef dey kin mak' a -hole in me, dey kin mak' a hole in mos' enny one, I reckon—hey, what?"</p> - -<p>"I see," said Smart. "And that's the reason you wanted me to help you -out? You want me to help dive for the goods. How much is there—and how -were they put up? They won't stay for ever any good under water, you -know."</p> - -<p>"Dey were put up in tins too big to handle, goin' naked like I dives. -De cases were mighty big, an' I don't care much erbout smashin' 'em up -wid de 'tarnal things ready to go off. I knows where dey is—way back -in de lazarette 'way back aft, an' I knows dat dere's erbout a millun -ob dem."</p> - -<p>Smart had been overhauling the suit and found it to be in fair -condition. Evidently some hard-up diver had sold out to Bahama Bill, -who always went naked as deep as three or four fathoms, and could stay -long enough under to do the ordinary work required of divers upon -vessels on the reef. He could make two or three minutes' work at short -intervals, and being a mighty man, the strain told upon him very little -indeed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span></p> - -<p>The rubber part of the suit was just about right for a man of Smart's -build. It would not begin to go upon the giant frame of Bahama Bill. -The great mate of the wrecker very well knew it, and he knew also that -he could never get any of his men to go down in it. They knew nothing -about such gear, and the very sight of it filled them with dread. It -was up to Captain Smart to make the effort, if effort there was to be -made.</p> - -<p>In the meantime Bahama Bill would go down once or twice to locate the -place in the wreck to work upon. It would require careful work not to -explode the cases in blowing out a hole in the bilge to make an entry; -further, it was impossible to think of going down the hatchway aft, for -the distance was too great.</p> - -<p>It was upon this vessel that the mate of the <i>Sea-Horse</i> had had -trouble before, being chased into her by a shark and barely escaping -with his life. He knew her pretty well, and could locate the ammunition -in a couple of dives. After that Smart could take his time in four -fathoms and work the stuff out to hoist aboard, using as little -dynamite as possible.</p> - -<p>"How about the pump?" asked Smart, after he had overhauled the suit.</p> - -<p>The machine was brought on deck. It was dirty and much out of order, -but after an hour's work he had it so it could be relied upon for the -shallow water. For greater pressure than four fathoms he would not have -cared to test it with himself upon the bottom.</p> - -<p>While he was refitting it the mate stripped and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span> stood upon the rail -ready for the plunge. The water was clear and the bottom could plainly -be seen, the varicoloured marine growths making it most beautiful.</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill dropped outboard, and went down with a plunge so light that -he hardly disturbed the surface. The others, watching, saw him swim -rapidly down under the bends of the wrecked ship, leaving a thin trail -of bubbles.</p> - -<p>He was only down a few moments this dive, and came rising rapidly to -the surface, his ugly face showing through the clear liquid, his eyes -wide open and gazing upward.</p> - -<p>"Gimme a piece ob chalk, Sam," he said, as he came into the air again.</p> - -<p>A piece was handed him, and he went below again and marked the spot -where the hole would be blown in the vessel's side, and in the meantime -Smart donned the diving-suit.</p> - -<p>The Dutchman Heldron had never even seen a suit of this kind before, -and his messmate Sam gazed at it with a sort of superstitious dread.</p> - -<p>"Yo' sure ain't goin' under in that outfit, cap?" he protested, as -Smart put on the shoes weighing fully twenty pounds apiece. "Man, them -slippers will sure hold you to the bottom!"</p> - -<p>"I guess you dummies will have sense enough to haul me up when I pull -the line and signal," remarked Smart. "Now, give me the helmet and -screw down these bolts." He had the head-piece on by the time<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span> Bahama -Bill came on deck and surveyed the proceedings.</p> - -<p>"I'll have to trust you to tend the lines," said Smart to the black -giant. "Remember, now, one strong pull and you haul me up—not quickly -unless I give three quick pulls afterward. Two pulls is to slack away, -one on the hose is to give me more air, and two to give me less. -Understand?"</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill wiped the water out of his bleary eyes and nodded. He -apparently had some misgivings about the concern, but he was far too -careless of human life to express them. He coupled up the air-hose and -started the pump, and the whistling inside the helmet told of the wind -coming in behind the diver's head.</p> - -<p>Smart held the front glass ready, and after being satisfied that the -machine was working, he had Sam screw it on and Captain Smart was cut -off from the wrecker's crew, his face showing dimly through the thick -glass plate. The heavy leaden belt was fastened tightly about his -waist and he stepped over the rail on to the little side ladder, and -so overboard, letting himself slowly down until he swung clear of the -sloop's side. Then he was lowered away and went to the bottom, Bahama -Bill slacking off the life-line and hose until he saw him standing upon -the coral bank some twenty-five feet below the wrecker's deck.</p> - -<p>Heldron turned the air-pump and Sam made fast the charge of dynamite, -fixing the wires of a "Farmer's Machine" into the mercury-exploder and -wrap<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span>ping the whole tightly in canvas made fast with marline, the whole -weighted so that it would sink quickly.</p> - -<p>He lowered the charge, and saw Smart's hand go out and receive it. Then -the diver disappeared under the bilge of the wreck, leaving a thin -trail of boiling water just over his head to tell of the escapement of -the air.</p> - - -<p class="center">VII</p> - -<p>Having fixed the charge where the mate had marked the surface of the -wreck, Smart started to walk away. The light was strong in the clear -water, and he gazed about him at the beautiful coral formations. The -heavy growths took on many-coloured hues, and he walked out among them -to admire them as one would the scenery on shore.</p> - -<p>An albacore darted past like a flash of silver light. In the shadow of -a huge sponge an enormous grouper took shelter, his eyes sticking out -and gazing unwinkingly at the apparition of the man upon the bottom.</p> - -<p>Smart went toward him and gave him a gentle poke, and in doing so gave -the lines a sudden jerk. Instantly he was lifted off his feet and drawn -upward, for Bahama Bill had felt the pull, and lost no time hauling his -man aboard. Luckily the depth was not great, or the sudden change of -pressure would have hurt.</p> - -<p>Smart came to the side gesticulating wildly, and the more he waved his -hands the quicker he was yanked<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span> up. In a moment the mate had him on -deck, and was unscrewing the front glass.</p> - -<p>"What's de matter, cap?" he asked anxiously, when the diver's face -appeared.</p> - -<p>"Nothing; you fellows make me tired!" said Smart. "Go ahead and fire -the charge."</p> - -<p>The spark was sent along the wire, and a dull crack sounded from below. -The water rose in a boiling mass astern, and spread out, churning and -bubbling. It was not a large charge, and it had not been necessary to -move the sloop.</p> - -<p>Smart started Heldron again at the pump, and screwed on the glass. -Then, taking his tools and a line, he went back to the work below.</p> - -<p>The hole blown in the wrecked hull was quite large for the amount of -powder used, but the splintered edges made it necessary to be careful -on entering, on account of the air-hose and line. A swirling of -disturbed water still made the light bad, but Smart, feeling the edges -with his hand, stepped within the darkness, and proceeded to explore -the interior of the lost ship.</p> - -<p>He climbed slowly upward, dragging his lines after him, and stumbling -over a mass of timber which obstructed the way. He was in the -after-part of the brig, the part where the dead wood, narrowing toward -the stern-post, made a difficult passage to go through. He went along -carefully, feeling for dangerous projections which might entangle his -air-hose. The ammunition was supposed to be in the lazarette, under<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span> -the cabin flooring, and he made his way in this direction.</p> - -<p>Owing to the darkness, he was some time locating anything in the way -of cases. Finally, however, he felt the square ends of boxes, and made -haste to break one open. There were cans of tomatoes, or some kind of -food, in the first one, and he felt along farther. Then he came in -contact with a bulkhead. As it was inky dark below in the bilge of the -sunken ship, he had to do all his work by means of the sense of touch -alone. He couldn't see his own hand upon the glass of his helmet.</p> - -<p>Something brushed against him and nearly upset him. It gave him an -uncomfortable feeling, and a longing for the sunshine upon the sea -floor of the Bank. He was not of a nervous temperament, and he knew -that some sea denizen had evidently made the brig his home. Perhaps -some spawning grouper or huge jew-fish.</p> - -<p>Feeling along the bulkhead, he came upon a lot of small boxes. One -of these he took under his arm and backed slowly out of the hole -and into the clear water of the Bank. He laid the box upon the sea -floor, and broke the covering with his hammer, hitting it lightly, the -resisting power of the surrounding medium making it difficult even to -strike at all. He tore away the fragments of the lid, and saw rows of -cartridge-clips, the whole fixed and packed carefully. Making fast a -line to the case, he signalled to hoist away, and brought his find to -the surface.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span></p> - -<p>The stuff proved to be all right. On breaking open a cartridge, the -powder appeared dry, in spite of the long submergence, showing how -carefully the ammunition had been put up. The dipping of the bullets -into tallow had made the cartridges absolutely airtight, and they were -as good as new.</p> - -<p>The usual cost of ammunition was about two cents per cartridge -wholesale. Half a million rounds would make quite a fortune, or -something in the neighbourhood of ten thousand dollars to divide -between himself and the black mate. Yes, it had been worth while, after -all. Wrecking was not such a bad thing, if there was anything worth -wrecking, and he wondered how the salvors of the brig had overlooked -such a valuable asset. Even if he had to divide with the former -owners—which he probably would not—he would have something worth -going below for.</p> - -<p>"Git de stuff—we'll ship him to Noo York," said Bill. "Ought to cl'ar -a bit on dis hear deal. Dey's got de Winchester mark on dem, an' dat -goes wid de agents, so do de Union ca'tridge. Git de stuff outen her, -cap, fo' we cayn't stay here long—it's comin' on bad befo' dark, an' -dere'll be too much sea to work ag'in fer a week."</p> - -<p>Smart lost no time getting back to the lazarette of the brig. He took -his line with him, and, after fastening it to some of the cases, he -signalled to haul away.</p> - -<p>Case after case he removed in this manner, and, after being below -nearly an hour, he began to feel the effects of the pressure. He -concluded to go up and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span> rest for a short time before finishing the job. -He hauled a lot of boxes together and lashed them firmly with a line, -and signalled to haul away. He felt the pull, the tautening of the -rope, and the cases slipped from under his hand. He straightened up and -started to follow.</p> - -<p>Then he felt the whole side of the ship suddenly fall toward him. It -seemed like a mass of stuff, chest upon chest, toppling down upon him, -and, before he could make even the slightest movement to get away, the -whole pile of cases rolled over him like a great wave.</p> - -<p>He was thrown upon his back, and a heavy weight rested upon the lower -part of his body. He tried to move, and found himself jammed fast. -Feeling nervously for his life-line and hose, he saw they were clear. -He would not suffocate for awhile, anyway. He pulled lustily upon his -life-line, and felt the strain of Bill's strength upon it, but it -failed to move him. He was afraid the line would cut into his suit with -the enormous strain.</p> - -<p>He pulled the signal to slack away, but the men above were evidently -excited, and they pulled all the harder. Then came a sudden slacking. -He reached up and drew in the end of the life-line. It had parted near -his helmet.</p> - -<p>In the blackness of the sunken wreck Smart felt his nerve going. It was -a bad place to have trouble. There was no other suit, no other machine -or outfit for a man to go to his assistance. He might live for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span> an hour -longer, or perhaps even two, but the end seemed certain unless he could -free himself from the mass of cargo which had so suddenly piled down -upon him.</p> - -<p>It had been one of those accidents which are likely to happen to any -one working in the darkness of a ship's hold where the cargo is not -known, or not located by previous knowledge of the ship's loading.</p> - -<p>He had evidently unshipped some of the ammunition-cases, and brought -a mass of boxes of both provisions and cartridges upon him like an -avalanche. His right arm was free, but his left was crushed under some -mighty weight, and hurt him painfully. The air still whistled into his -head-piece, showing that Heldron was working the pump steadily.</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill was a cool hand, a man used to desperate emergencies, and -Smart felt that the giant mate of the <i>Sea-Horse</i> would do what he -could to set him free. He knew the black diver to be a mighty swimmer. -He had cause to remember that fact, but it was far away from the -surface where he now lay, and it looked as if he would have to pass in, -to die the terrible death of the lost diver.</p> - -<p>His imagination held him thinking, in spite of the pain and weight upon -him. He could breathe easily, and the numbing effect of the pressure -made his sufferings less than otherwise. He tried again and again to -shift some of the cases, straining until the stars flashed into the -darkness before him. It was useless. He could not budge anything.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span></p> - -<p>The minutes seemed hours, and he began at last to feel the drowsy -effect of the air too long driven into his lungs. He saw the beach, the -white coral sand—then he was again at Key West.</p> - - -<p class="center">VIII</p> - -<p>Upon the deck of the <i>Sea-Horse</i> the men gazed blankly at each other -when Bahama Bill hauled up the life-line, parted far below. Heldron -stopped pumping, and Sam gave an exclamation.</p> - -<p>"Keep dat pump workin'; keep it goin', I tell yo'," snapped the black -mate, turning upon his man.</p> - -<p>Heldron instantly turned away again, rapidly, sending the air below.</p> - -<p>"Name ob de Lord—now whatcher make wid dat?" said Bill, looking at Sam.</p> - -<p>"Gone fer sure," said Sam. "I wouldn't go down in them lead shoes for -no money. I done knowed something like this would happen."</p> - -<p>"I t'ink I don't need to give no more air, den," said Heldron.</p> - -<p>"You turn dat pump, yo' blamed Dutchman, or I'll turn yo' hide -wrong-side out, yo' hear me," snarled the mate. "Gimme a heavy line, -Sam; gimme something I can't break—jump, yo' Conch!"</p> - -<p>"Goin' after him?" asked Sam, hauling the end of the mainsheet clear to -the rail. "I don't think you kin get him. Better leave him down; them -shoes is enough to hold him. I'd hate to lose the cap'n, but he's gone -for sure!"</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span></p> - -<p>The huge form of the mate balanced for an instant upon the rail. He -cleared enough line to take to the bottom, and had Sam stand with -coils of it ready to pay out. Then down he went with the end of it, -swimming strongly for the hole in the bilge of the brig. The opening -showed before him, but he hesitated not a moment. He swam straight -into the black hole, butting his head against the carlines under the -half-deck, but keeping straight as he could for the diver by following -the air-hose with his hand.</p> - -<p>It was a long swim to the place where Smart lay. A full minute had -been taken up before the mate felt the contact of the metal helmet. He -passed the heavy line under it, but found his wind giving way under the -strain. Quickly following the air-hose out, he struggled for the clear -water, and came to the surface with a blow like a grampus. He had been -down two minutes and a half.</p> - -<p>Sam seized his hand and helped him aboard, where he lay upon the deck, -bleeding, a slight trickle from the corner of his ugly mouth and from -his nose.</p> - -<p>"You can't make it, Bill," Sam declared. "Let the poor devil go. You -done the best you could."</p> - -<p>"I stop now wid de air, hey? Wat you says, Mr. Bill?"</p> - -<p>Heldron's query aroused Bahama Bill. "If you slack up on dat pump, yo' -dies a wuss death 'n Cap'n Smart," he said wearily, and in an even -tone. It was evident that the strain had been hard on him, but he was -game.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span></p> - -<p>In a minute he sat up.</p> - -<p>"I get him dis hear time," he growled, shaking himself and standing -upon the rail again.</p> - -<p>His giant black body twitched, the huge muscles under the ebony skin -worked, flowing, contracting, and slacking up, making a wavelike -motion, but showing the mighty power which lay in his frame. He was -getting worked up to a nervous pitch, and the trembling was not from -weakness. It was the gathering power in his thews which was beginning -to work.</p> - -<p>He flung far out, and dropped straight downward with a pitch-pole -plunge, going furiously down like some monstrous sea-demon. Only a -flash of his black body showed before he had turned the bend, and was -following the air-hose into the hole.</p> - -<p>This time he saved many seconds. He reached the form of Smart, and -caught the end of the mainsheet about him, quickly slipping a hitch. -Then he hauled himself out into the sunshine again, and came rising -like a fish to the surface. In a moment he was back aboard the -<i>Sea-Horse</i>, and then he spoke.</p> - -<p>"Git on to dat line, yo', Sam ... git hold quick ... I got him ... give -him de air, yo' Dutchman. ... An' now fer a heave what is a heave."</p> - -<p>With a mighty effort the two men threw their whole weight upon the -line. It held. Nothing gave for a moment. Bahama Bill, bracing his -naked feet upon the rail, bent his mighty loins, and took a deep -breath.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Heave-ho!" he bellowed, and set his muscles to the strain.</p> - -<p>Sam lifted with all his force. Almost instantly the two of them plunged -backward, and fell over each other on deck. The line became slack, but -before they could get to their feet, Heldron had left the pump and was -hauling in hand-over-hand, and in a moment the form of Smart showed -below the surface.</p> - -<p>The black mate sprang to his feet and gave the Dutchman a cuff which -sent him over the side, and, seizing the line, he hauled the limp form -of the diver on deck quicker than it takes to tell it. In a moment he -had the glass off the helmet, and was staring into the white face of -the insensible seaman.</p> - -<p>"Get somethin' to drink—quick," he said.</p> - -<p>Sam rushed for a dipper of water, and, upon bringing it, was knocked -over the head with it for his pains.</p> - -<p>"Yo' bring me somethin'—quick—yo' understand," roared the mate. "I -knows yo' got some forrads—now, then, jump!"</p> - -<p>Sam quickly brought a bottle of gin, half-full. Smart had some of the -fiery liquid poured between his lips. Then Heldron, who had scrambled -back aboard, cursing and spluttering, came aft, and helped them to get -off the suit.</p> - -<p>It was half an hour afterward before the captain came around enough to -tell what had happened. His left arm was badly mashed, but not broken. -The heavy suit had not been cut through, and to this fact<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span> he owed his -life. His legs were stiff and sore from the heavy weight which had lain -upon them, but he was otherwise uninjured.</p> - -<p>"I reckon yo'll be able to go down ag'in in a little while," said the -mate. "We got most of the stuff, I reckon, but we might as well take -all dat's dere."</p> - -<p>"How many cases have we?" asked Smart.</p> - -<p>"'Bout fifty—nearly a million rounds, an' all good."</p> - -<p>"Well, that's all we'll get to-day," said Smart, "unless you want to -take a try at it."</p> - -<p>"Toe bad, toe bad," muttered Bahama Bill. "I'se sho sorry you's sech -a puny little man, cap, but de wedder is gittin' bad, ennyways, an' I -reckon we might as well make a slant fer Nassau."</p> - -<p>"That'll about suit me, all right," said Smart.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="XI" id="XI">XI</a></p> - -<p class="center">The Iconoclast</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> wrecking-sloop <i>Sea-Horse</i> came smashing the seas headlong past -Fowey Rocks, heading for the channel over the reef into Bay Biscayne. -She had left Nassau the day before, and had made a record run across -the Gulf Stream, carrying sail through a heavy head sea, which flew -in a storm of white water over her bows and weather-rail all day, -making the deck almost uninhabitable. Bahama Bill, otherwise known -as Bill Haskins, wrecker and sponger, mate and half-owner, held the -wheel-spokes, and sat back upon the edge of the wheel-gear, bracing one -foot to leeward. Sam, a Conch, and Heldron, a Dutchman, both sailors -and able seamen, lounged in the lee of the cabin-scuttle and smoked, -their oilskins streaming water, but loosened on account of the warmth -of the air. Captain Smart, late of the Dunn schooner wrecked just -below Carysfort Reef, on a cruise to Boca Grande Pass for tarpon, sat -in the doorway of the companionway and watched the giant mate of the -<i>Sea-Horse</i> hold the flying sloop on her course with one powerful hand, -while with the other he shielded his pipe from the spray.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span></p> - -<p>Smart was thinking over the strange events which happened to bring him -in contact with the wreckers: the loss of his schooner caused by the -leak made by Bahama Bill; the loss of his position as officer on the -liner he had left to take command of the yacht, and the strange fight -in the saloon at Key West, which ended in his going with the giant -black to keep out of trouble.</p> - -<p>They had now just ridden out a bad spell of weather in Nassau, where -they had laid up with cartridge-cases taken from the brig <i>Bulldog</i>, -wrecked on the Great Bahama Bank, and they were hurrying to the nearest -American port to discharge them to some dealer, and realize what -profits they could. The ammunition was perfectly good and sound, in -spite of being submerged under the sea for a long time, for the cases -had been put up for tropical weather and made perfectly water-proof. -They had several thousand dollars' worth aboard, and it would only be -necessary to prove their fitness for use to realize upon them. To Miami -they laid their course without delay, to get in touch with the express -and railroad.</p> - -<p>"Seems like we got to git thar to-night, sure," said the mate, sucking -at his pipe.</p> - -<p>"Looks like we'll make it easily," assented Smart. "I suppose you know -the reef well enough to go in any time, hey?"</p> - -<p>"Jest as well at night as daytime," said the mate.</p> - -<p>"And when we get in—what then? Do you know any one who'll deal with -us? Do you know who'll<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span> buy ammunition from you even at a twenty per -cent discount?" asked Smart.</p> - -<p>"I reckon we won't have to burn any of them ca'tridges, cap; not by a -blamed sight. We might have to wait a spell fo' suah, but we kin sell -'em, all right."</p> - -<p>"Got enough money to live on while we wait, hey?" asked Smart.</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill scowled. Then he gave the captain a queer look.</p> - -<p>"See here, cap," he said. "Yo' know Bull Sanders is skipper an' -half-owner of this here sloop? Well, he's on a tear up the beach. -If he comes back broke he'll want toe borrow off'n me—see? Well, I -knows what that means. I jest naturally sent all the money abo'd to my -Jule—yo' ain't married, cap, or you'd know what a wife means. 'Scrappy -Jule' kin take keer of all de money I gets, an' yo' needn't make no -moan toe dat. Jule is all right, an' if yo' got a right good memory, -yo' suah remember she don't do no washin' fo' po' white folks."</p> - -<p>"I suppose that means that the ten-spot I saved from the fracas in -Journegan's barroom is all the cash aboard, then," said Smart.</p> - -<p>He was thinking how strange it was for him to be associating with a -self-confessed wrecker of the old school, the type which waited not for -the elements, but made events happen with a rapidity which put even a -stormy season to shame.</p> - -<p>He would have liked to get away from the whole<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span> business, get away -from men of Bahama Bill's class, but he could not help thinking that -the giant black man had some cause, according to his way of looking at -things, to do as he had done.</p> - -<p>The yacht owner had insulted him, had made it an open question of -hostility between them, and the wrecker had simply gone ahead and -regarded the owner's feeling not at all, but caused by indirect means -the loss of his vessel.</p> - -<p>Bill had many good points. He had helped Smart out of a difficult -situation in Key West, where the land-sharks had set out to trim him -clean. He had put him in the way, almost in spite of himself, of making -a few thousand dollars within a week or two, and had saved his life by -diving into a dangerous wreck after him when caught in her shifting -cargo.</p> - -<p>Smart was in a strange position, almost dead broke, with several -thousand dollars' worth of salvage due him from his efforts. He would -be tied up with the sloop for several weeks, perhaps several months, -until the sales were made and the salvage divided. To leave her would -risk losing the share due him, for Bahama Bill would hardly stand for -desertion until the affair was settled, no matter what the provocation.</p> - -<p>They beat in over the reef, up the crooked, shallow channel into -Biscayne Bay, and laid their course for the docks at Miami, where they -arrived during daylight.</p> - -<p>Two days were spent trying to make the sales of the cargo, but the -dealers insisted on testing the powder<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span> from each and every case before -paying, or taking it on, so there was a delay of at least two weeks -staring them in the face. The crew having enough to eat minded the -waiting not the least. The mate cared nothing as long as the ultimate -end was in sight, for he had enough hog and hominy aboard to last twice -as long.</p> - -<p>The sloop lay off the docks in a scant seven feet of water, her keel -just grazing the coral bottom, which was as plainly visible beneath -her as though she were surrounded by clear air instead of the clearer -water of the bay. The huge, fashionable hotel loomed high against the -background of palms and cocoanuts, making an impressive sight, and also -a comfortable abode for the rich tourists who filled it during this end -of the season. Prices were high, and Smart spent much time watching the -idle rich wandering about the beautiful gardens.</p> - -<p>Several gambling-joints were in full blast, for it was always the -policy of the eminent Florida philanthropist who owned the tourist -accommodations on the east coast to build a church upon one side of his -dominions, and then a gambling-hell upon the other. Both were necessary -to draw the lazy rich.</p> - -<p>Smart noticed several of the sporting gentry wandering about, but, -having nothing to gamble with, he was forced to look on with little -interest.</p> - -<p>On the third day of their stay in harbour, a man sauntered down to -the dock close aboard, and stood gazing at the <i>Sea-Horse</i>. He was -perfectly dressed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span> in the height of fashion, and he swung a light cane -lazily while he gazed at the wrecker. He wore a thin moustache, and -his high, straight nose seemed to hook over it to an abnormal extent. -His eyes were a very light blue, so pale that they appeared to be -colourless, but he had an altogether well-fed, well-satisfied look; -one of seeming benevolence and kindliness, which attracted Smart's -attention. Smart and the mate of the <i>Sea-Horse</i> were sitting upon the -cabin-house in the shade of a drying trysail, and the stranger spoke to -them.</p> - -<p>"Sloop for charter?" he asked abruptly, in a high voice, which carried -over the short distance of water with some force.</p> - -<p>"What fo'?" asked Bahama Bill, without moving.</p> - -<p>"Oh, we want to fish and shoot. I don't care for the yachts for hire; -their owners don't seem to know where to go to get sport. I'd rather -charter from a man who knows something of the reef to the southward, -and you look as if you belong around here."</p> - -<p>"Yo' sho' got a bad guesser in yo' haid, Mister Yankee," said the mate. -"What make yo' think we belongs around here?"</p> - -<p>Smart studied the man carefully while he was talking. He was a close -observer, but he failed to place this suave, well-groomed gentleman in -his vocation. He might be a gambler, a sport, or just a rich fellow -wanting amusement. The latter seemed most likely, so Smart spoke -up, hoping to land a few dollars while waiting for his share of the -salvage.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span></p> - -<p>"We'll charter for thirty dollars a day," he said reluctantly, and, as -he did so, the black mate gave a grunt and grinned insultingly at the -shore.</p> - -<p>"Will you go anywhere we want?" asked the man.</p> - -<p>"Sho' we will dat, perfesser," broke in Bahama Bill, unable to restrain -himself at the thought of the graft. The idea of thirty dollars per day -was good, and he slapped Smart a terrific blow upon the back in high -good nature at the thought of it. "Sho', perfesser, we'll carry yo' toe -hell—an' half-way back, fer thirty a day. Are yo' on?"</p> - -<p>There was a slight sneer on the man's face when he heard the mate's -manner, but he answered quietly, in the same far-reaching voice, that -he would consider the vessel his, and that if one of them would come -ashore for the money, he would bind the bargain by pay for the first -day at once.</p> - -<p>At the instant he stopped speaking Heldron the Dutchman came aft to -where the mate sat. Bahama Bill at once seized him about the waist and -hove him far out over the side.</p> - -<p>"Git that money, yo' beggar," he laughed, as the sailor landed in the -water with a tremendous splash. Sam, the Conch, snickered. "Yo' go -after him, toe see he comes back," said Bill, and, making a pass at the -man, sent him over also. They swam the distance in a few moments, much -to the amusement of the gentleman on the wharf, who seemed to like the -mate's energetic manner of doing things. The money was paid, and the -men swam back aboard, climbing into<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</a></span> the small boat towing astern, and -coming over the taffrail none the worse in temper. There was good money -for all in the deal, and they were pleased.</p> - - -<p class="center">II</p> - -<p>In about an hour the man returned with a friend, both of them loaded -with fishing-rods and other parts of a gentleman's sporting outfit. -They were rowed aboard by the mate, and announced that they were ready -at once to get to sea. The mainsail was hoisted, and in a few minutes -the wrecking-sloop was ready to stand down the channel.</p> - -<p>Just at this moment the gentlemen, who had been arranging their -fishing-rods and clothes upon the transoms in the cabin, came on deck -and said that they had forgotten to bring any provisions for the -cruise. The second man declared he had ordered a large box sent aboard, -and asked with some anxiety if it had arrived.</p> - -<p>"There ain't nothing come abo'd sence yo' left," said Bill surlily, -annoyed at the delay. "We's got good grub abo'd here, an' enough fer a -week."</p> - -<p>"You will pardon me, my good fellow," said the second man, who was -very tall and thin, with a lined face. "You know, or should know, I'm -an invalid, and cannot eat the ordinary food which I love so well. It -is for this that we have taken the boat. Won't you allow me the use of -your crew to help carry the provisions aboard? We expect to be out for -several weeks,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</a></span> and must have plenty of the kind of food I am forced to -eat."</p> - -<p>"Yo' don't look so very puny," said Bill; "but, o' co'se, if youse an -invalid, yo' sho'ly wants toe git some soft feed. We eats hoag an' -hominy abo'd here, an' I tells yo' it's mighty good hoag; costs me -seven cents a pound."</p> - -<p>The small boat was called away, and, with Sam and Heldron to help carry -the provisions, the two gentlemen went ashore again.</p> - -<p>Half an hour passed, and Bill was getting surly. The tide was -falling, and the chances of hitting the reef were good. The wind -dropped, and the surface of the bay was just ruffled by it. Far away -to the southward the little hump of Soldier Key stood out above the -surrounding reef, and the tall palms of Florida Cape seemed to be -motionless.</p> - -<p>"What the name o' sin d'ye think dem folks is doin'?" said Bahama Bill -finally, rising from the quarter and gazing toward the shore. "I sho' -likes toe make money easy, but when I gits de sail on dis hear ship, I -likes toe see her go. Gittin' hot, an' de wind's dropped. I hate to run -that channel on a fallin' tide without wind enough to drive her good -an' strong over dem shoal places. Hello! what's dat?"</p> - -<p>Smart looked up, and followed the direction of the man's gaze. A wagon -was tearing down the street at a breakneck pace, and upon it were the -two gentlemen who had chartered the sloop. Sam and Heldron sprang up -from the dock to meet them as the vehicle<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</a></span> drew up, and with a great -show of haste all four men were struggling with a small but apparently -very heavy box.</p> - -<p>In a few moments, in spite of its weight, it was being lowered into the -small boat, and Smart noticed that when all hands sprang in, she was -nearly gunwale down with the cargo. The men rowed as though urged to -their utmost, and in a few minutes the boat was alongside.</p> - -<p>"Didn't want to keep you waiting," cried the tall, thin-faced man.</p> - -<p>"No," said the man who had chartered the sloop, "we knew you would hate -to be delayed, so we hurried." His benevolent expression beamed up at -the mate, but Smart noted that every now and then his pale eyes shifted -uneasily toward the dock, where the wagon was still standing unattended.</p> - -<p>A line was cast over the side, and Bill took hold to hoist the box on -deck. He gave a tug, and then stopped suddenly.</p> - -<p>"What in thunder yo' got toe eat in dere?" he growled. "Dat's lead, -sho' 'nuff lead, an' no mistake. We got sinkers enough abo'd here fer -all de fishin' yo'll do dis spring. Sam! Heldron, yo' Dutchman! Cap'n, -come, all hands git a hold an' h'ist away. Man, I nigh broke my pore -ole back wid de heft ob dat box."</p> - -<p>They all tailed on to the line, and hoisted the box on deck.</p> - -<p>"Get it below," said the man with the moustache and pale eyes; "we'll -give you a hand."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</a></span></p> - -<p>In a few minutes the weighty box, which appeared to be of wood, was -landed safely below in the cabin. The gentleman opened a small bottle -of liquor, and offered a drink all around. It passed until Bahama Bill -came to it, and he silently uptilted the bottle and drained it to the -last drop, flinging it up the companionway and overboard.</p> - -<p>"Good!" cried the gentlemen together. "Now for the open sea. Let's try -to find out how quick we can get from here to the end of the reef." -And suiting the action to the words, they sprang up the companionway, -followed by the mate, who was now in a better frame of mind.</p> - -<p>"Git de hook off'n de groun'," bawled Bill. "H'ist de jib." And he -hauled flat the mainsheet, and rolled the wheel over as the short cable -came in and the anchor broke clear.</p> - -<p>Smart hoisted the head-sails, and they filled away for the open sea.</p> - -<p>Smart sat aft upon the taffrail, and the two guests settled themselves -upon boxes which Sam brought out in place of chairs. Bill held the -wheel, heading the <i>Sea-Horse</i> down the narrow channel. She moved -slowly in the light air, and the thin-faced man stretched out his long -frame and looked her over critically.</p> - -<p>"Seems like she isn't very fast," he remarked to his pale-eyed -companion.</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill looked at him a moment, but said nothing.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Pretty dirty sort of ship, hey?" said the thin fellow again, in a low -tone.</p> - -<p>The mate was about to make some reply, but Smart nudged him, and he -relaxed into a scowl.</p> - -<p>"Aw, well, I reckon we'll make it all right," said the pale-eyed man, -his face beaming satisfaction and his high nose sniffing the salt air.</p> - -<p>"With a decent boat, yes," said the other, "but this one's mighty -rough. I never saw a more poorly rigged affair. Seems like she's rigged -from the wrecks of other vessels. Don't look like she'll make six -knots."</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill grunted, but Smart nudged him again, and he said nothing. -The yacht captain knew that gentlemen would not stand for rough talk -from men of Bahama Bill's type, and he did not want to lose the -charter. It meant plenty of money and comfortable living until he could -get his salvage.</p> - -<p>"Let them talk—don't butt in—say nothing," he admonished Bill, in a -whisper.</p> - -<p>The big mate heard, but seemed resentful. "What dey want toe knock my -ship fo'?" growled the giant. "Ain't she a good sloop? Ain't she done -her work all right every time? She's paid me good money, me an' Bull -Sanders—no, I don't like no knockin' goin' on abo'd here."</p> - -<p>"Cut it out, keep quiet—we get the money if you do," said Smart. "What -good will it do you to get them angry, so they won't want to charter us -again?<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</a></span> Man! it's good money, thirty dollars a day—let it go at that."</p> - -<p>The pale-eyed man looked at the mate. "It's about dinner-time, isn't -it?" he asked. "We're mighty hungry, and if you can let the cook get to -work, we'll be ready."</p> - -<p>"Where's the soft grub fo' dat invalid?" growled Bahama Bill. "I -thought he couldn't eat hoag an' hominy—Heldron, yo' Dutchman, git the -fire started an' let the perfessers eat as soon as yo' kin."</p> - -<p>They were well down the channel now, but Smart, on looking back, saw a -small schooner making sail hastily. She started off, heading in their -wake, and about a mile astern.</p> - -<p>The passenger with the pale eyes watched her sharply for some moments, -and the benevolent expression faded from his face. The thin man, the -invalid, started up and gazed at her, but was pulled down again by his -companion.</p> - -<p>"That fellow astern," said the charterer, his high nose sniffing -sneeringly at the schooner, "thinks he has a smart vessel, and bet us -this morning that he could beat this old sloop to the Fowey Rocks. -Don't let him come up on us whatever you do. I'll give you ten dollars -extra to-day if you run him out of sight before dark."</p> - -<p>"Looks like a smart vessel," said Bahama Bill, gazing aft. "I ain't -much at racing, but give this sloop a good breeze, an' maybe you'll -land yo' money."</p> - -<p>The passengers ate their meal, and to the credit of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</a></span> the invalid be it -said that he ate more of the "hoag" than his companion. He also put -away an immense portion of the hominy, and his thin face seemed less -wrinkled when he appeared on deck to take a look at the schooner.</p> - -<p>Smart watched the following vessel, and saw that she was gaining. The -expression of the pale-eyed man was even more sinister than before, and -the quiet, urbane look gave way to one of ferocity. The high, thin nose -seemed like the beak of some bird of prey, and the moustache bristled -with anxiety and apparent vexation. The thin-faced invalid's expression -was also one of evident concern, the lines of his face drawing tighter -as the distance lessened between the two ships.</p> - -<p>"Who's that fellow that looks like the marshal abo'd the schooner?" -asked the mate.</p> - -<p>"Oh, that's a friend of mine. He dresses up like that when he goes -hunting or fishing. He used to be in the army, and he likes to wear the -clothes like a uniform," said the thin-faced man.</p> - -<p>"Speaking of the army," said the pale-eyed one, "that puts me in mind -of that little Colt automatic-gun I have. They use them now in the -service, and say they carry like a rifle. I believe I'll take a pop at -Charlie just to scare him, hey? It won't hurt him at this distance, -anyway."</p> - -<p>"By all means," laughed the thin-faced man, "take a try at him. It'll -scare him to death, I bet you."</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill eyed the men curiously, but as it ap<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</a></span>peared to be none of -his business whether they indulged in rough play, he said nothing. -Smart was too engrossed to notice that the pale-eyed man had drawn -a large automatic pistol, and was resting it upon the rail, until -he had pulled the trigger. The sharp, whiplike report without any -smoke startled him. The shrill whine of the projectile whistled over -the water, and the man who stood upon the schooner's deck quickly -disappeared. In a few moments the "cheep" of a rifle-bullet cut the -air, and "spanged" with a thud into the mainmast, followed by a faint -crack sounding over the sea.</p> - -<p>The pale-eyed man fired six shots in answer now, and they came so -quickly that there was hardly a second between the reports.</p> - -<p>"What yo' doin', havin' a gun fight?" roared Bill. "What yo' mean by -shootin' a fellow up what ain't doin' nothin' but sailin' after yo'? -What's de lay? Sing out."</p> - -<p>The pale-eyed man turned his gaze upon the giant mate, and, as he did -so, he shoved another clip of cartridges into his weapon.</p> - -<p>"Don't get excited," he said calmly. "My friend here is an iconoclast, -a knocker. He objects to the simplicity of your ship, to her rigging, -to her going qualities. He objected to the perfection of that schooner, -also. He speaks out, and consequently gets into trouble. Now it's for -you to show him that he's right; that, after all, racing is a game -between men, not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</a></span> between ships, I'll make it fifty dollars if you keep -that schooner just where she belongs."</p> - -<p>"I'll run her out of sight befo' night, if de wind comes—hit looks like -it's coming now, by the shake outside the reef—but dat's de United -States marshal youse fired on, perfesser. I knows him of old, an' I got -no use fer him. But watcher got in de box? Speak up, or I throws her -into the wind."</p> - -<p>"If you so much as alter the course of this sloop one point," said the -thin-faced man quietly, from a place to leeward, where he had gone -unobserved, "I'll fill you so full of lead that you'll make a hole in -the bottom where you'll strike. Head her out over the reef, and then -due east, until further orders."</p> - -<p>While he spoke he rested a long-barrelled six-shooter of the heaviest -pattern in the hollow of his arm, with its muzzle pointing directly at -the heart of the giant mate. The man with the pale eyes sat upon the -taffrail with his Colt automatic in readiness, and looked Smart and the -two men over without a word. Speech was unnecessary. The iconoclast -had done all that was needed to bring about a perfect understanding, -and, as both men were armed with guns that admitted of some respect, -the <i>Sea-Horse</i> held her way over the reef under all sail, while the -freshening breeze heeled her gradually over until she fairly tore along -through a calm sea, leaving a snowy, boiling wake astern.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</a></span></p> - - -<p class="center">III</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill looked his men over. He feared neither gun nor knife when -the time came for a fracas, but there was another consideration which -moved him deeper than the threat of the thin-faced invalid. The marshal -had libelled his vessel upon an occasion, for the payment of a small -bill. Here he was forced, at the point of a gun, to run away, to carry -the evident prey with him. It would exonerate him if caught, for he -could prove that it was a matter he had no discretion in. He could, -with all safety, put as much space between the two vessels as possible. -All hands would swear that he was forced to do so.</p> - -<p>The idea tickled him, and his huge, ugly mouth broadened out into a -sinister grin as the <i>Sea-Horse</i>, racing along through the choppy water -of the edge of the Gulf Stream, poked her short horn out over the foam, -and tore away to windward.</p> - -<p>The box in the cabin excited his curiosity, but he felt sure that it -was of value, and that the men were trying to make a getaway with it. -Smart was sitting quietly watching the affair, and being, like the -mate, under the guns of the passengers, there was nothing to do but -obey orders, or take the consequences.</p> - -<p>"Seems like your health has improved wonderfully since you dined on the -ship's grub," said the yacht captain, addressing the invalid, who held -the revolver.</p> - -<p>"The sea air is good for the health," assented that gentleman, his thin -face lining up into something resembling a smile. "It'll be healthy -for all of us out<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</a></span> here in the broad ocean, free from all cares. Oh, -the life on the bounding wave for me—isn't that so, Jim?" said he, -referring to his companion.</p> - -<p>The sharp "ping" of a bullet interrupted the answer, and it was found -that to be perfectly safe it was necessary to remain under cover.</p> - -<p>"Those bullets would go through the ship both ways and back again," -said the invalid, as the rest snuggled down, "but of course it's well -to keep out of sight. Better put everything you can on her, skipper," -he added, addressing the mate, "if you want to keep clear. Let her go. -Don't stop on our account. When we get an offing, I'll trust you to -steer without trouble, and I'll put out a line to catch some supper. -There ought to be fine fishing off the reef this time of year."</p> - -<p>"Oh, I'm mighty feared ob those guns," said Bahama Bill, in a deep -voice, which he tried to raise to a frightened treble. "I'll steer her -all right toe any place yo' wants toe go. Lay de co'se, says me. I'll -take youse dere if the hooker'll go."</p> - -<p>"It's a pity you haven't some decent canvas aboard her," said the -invalid.</p> - -<p>"If you had some decent gear, we might show that fellow a clean wake. -You seem to know your business, all right."</p> - -<p>"If you want to make a getaway, you better stop knocking this sloop," -said Smart.</p> - -<p>"Dat's right, cap'n, ef dese perfessers want toe make good, dey -better quit hittin' de <i>Sea-Horse</i>. I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</a></span> won't stand fer much ob dat -foolishing," said Bahama Bill.</p> - -<p>"The invalid is a regular image-breaker," said the pale-eyed man -sympathetically; "don't mind the knocks, my good fellow. Tell me what -other cloth you can put on the ship, and I'll see that it's spread. -They're getting out everything that will hold wind astern of us."</p> - -<p>This was the case aboard the schooner. The United States marshal, Tom -Fields, had been told of the successful onslaught of "Thin Jim" and -Dick Nichols, sometimes known as "the Owl" on account of his colourless -eyes, upon the safe of the gambling establishment. This contained seven -thousand dollars in cash, and nearly as much more in jewelry that had -been accepted for gambling debts.</p> - -<p>The two crooks, a pair of the most desperate and notorious cracksmen, -had made good the haul in broad daylight, having first arranged to -have the sloop ready and waiting for the reception of the valuables. -The ignorance of her crew was rightly depended upon, and the plot had -so far been fairly successful. If they could once get to sea, the rest -would be easy, for they could land anywhere upon the Bahamas, from -Nassau a thousand miles down to the Great Inagua Bank. It would be next -to impossible to catch them. It all depended upon the vessel and her -manœuvring.</p> - -<p>Fields recognized the <i>Sea-Horse</i> at once, and, knowing her peculiar -character, and also that of her owners, he at once came to the -conclusion that the giant mate<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</a></span> of the wrecker was in the game with the -other two experts from the North. He at once pressed the yacht <i>Silver -Bar</i> into service, and making sail about the time the <i>Sea-Horse</i> was -standing out the channel, came along in pursuit, with the conviction -that he would soon run the heavier working vessel down under his gun -and force her to surrender.</p> - -<p>Armed with a modern rifle of small bore and great range, he had -returned the fire of the burglars at once, in the hope that he might -cripple some one, even at the range of half a mile. His ammunition -consisted of hardly more than a handful of cartridges, and he was -forced to use these sparingly, depending now upon the seamanship of his -crew and the seaworthiness of the <i>Silver Bar</i> to make his catch.</p> - -<p>With all sail he stood down the channel, and was beginning to haul -up on the <i>Sea-Horse</i>, when she took the first of the southerly wind -coming over the reef. This had given her a good start, and she was now -about a mile to windward, and going like mad to the eastward, across -the Gulf Stream.</p> - -<p>"Clap everything you can on her," begged the marshal; "put out the -awning, tarpaulins, anything that will drive us. It's a thousand -dollars reward if we land them, and I'll split even with you if we do."</p> - -<p>The captain of the <i>Silver Bar</i> needed no urging. He wanted that -five hundred. He would have to go, anyway, and here was the chance -of the season. He broke out jib-topsails, stretched his mainsail -to the utmost, and trimmed his canvas for the struggle, set<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</a></span>ting a -club-topsail aft and a working one forward, with a big maintopmast -staysail. He was soon making the most of the lively breeze, and -plunging through the blue water to the tune of ten knots, heading right -into the wake of the flying <i>Sea-Horse</i>.</p> - -<p>The wrecking-sloop, leaning well down to the now freshening gale, tore -a way through the Gulf Stream, sending the spray flying over her in a -constant shower. She headed well up, a trifle closer than the schooner, -and she waded through it like a live thing. Her rough gear, meant for -work and hard usage, stood her in good stead in the heavy water off -shore.</p> - -<p>All the lines stretching taut as bow-strings to the pressure made a -musical humming which sounded pleasantly upon the ears of the listening -men aft. They still held their weapons in readiness, but it was evident -that Bahama Bill was going to send his favourite through to a finish in -a style fitting her record.</p> - -<p>With one hand upon the wheel-spokes, he lounged upon the steering-gear, -nor ducked nor winced as the rifle projectiles now and again sang past. -The range was getting too great to be dangerous, and the ammunition -of the marshal was getting low. Finally the fire astern ceased, and -the two vessels raced silently across the Stream, each striving to the -utmost for the objective point, the Great Bahama Bank, seventy miles -away, due east.</p> - -<p>Once upon the shoal, the wrecker would have the advantage, for he knew -the Bank well, and could follow channels which the heavier schooner -would almost<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</a></span> certainly fetch up in. The marshal knew this, and urged -the schooner to the limit of her powers.</p> - -<p>Away they went across the Stream. The <i>Silver Bar</i> was rooting deeply -into the choppy sea, caused by the strong northerly current which flows -eternally between the Florida Reef and the Great Bahama Bank. She would -plunge headlong, and bury her bows clear to the knightheads, ramming -the water so heavily that it burst into a great comber from both sides. -Then she would raise her dripping forefoot clear, until one could -see under her body aft to the heel of the foremast, rearing up like -a spirited horse under the spur. Down she would plunge again with a -forward lunge, and every line of standing rigging would set like a bar -with the strain.</p> - -<p>Fields, the marshal, was getting all he could out of her, and she was -gradually hauling up in the wake of the wrecker. Before the sun sank -in the west she was less than half a mile astern, and coming along -handsomely.</p> - -<p>Smart, on the <i>Sea-Horse</i>, trimmed his canvas, stretched the peak of -the mainsail, and sweated the topsail sheet and tack until the lines -would stand no more. The <i>Sea-Horse</i> was literally flying through it, -and her heavy build caused her to strike the seas with a smash which -flung the spray in showers.</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill glanced astern, and saw that he would soon be alongside the -pursuer, and the anxious faces of the passengers told of a nervousness -which could not be concealed. Both Sam and Heldron were aware<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</a></span> that -they were making a getaway, but they had no choice in the matter, and -they would obey the mate to the last.</p> - -<p>Smart studied out several wild propositions which occurred to him to -disable the sloop and be overhauled, but, as there was every prospect -of getting shot for any attempt, he wisely kept on, feeling sure that -the marshal would soon be alongside and force surrender.</p> - -<p>They had run all the afternoon, and had gone many miles, but now that -they were really at sea, the schooner would have the advantage.</p> - -<p>Darkness came on, and the thin man holding the revolver appeared to -tire. "You might get dinner ready," said he, "I'm about ready to eat -again."</p> - -<p>"I don't got noddings but pork, cold an' fat," said Heldron, who acted -as cook.</p> - -<p>"Bring it on deck," said the invalid. "It's a shame you fellows live -the way you do."</p> - -<p>He bolted a full pound of the greasy meat, and seemed to enjoy it.</p> - -<p>"Does me good to see how you've improved under the salt air," said -Smart.</p> - -<p>"The more he eats the thinner he gets," said the pale-eyed man, -shifting his automatic pistol into his left hand. "You can let me have -a try at it now."</p> - -<p>After all hands had eaten, the darkness had grown to the blackness of a -tropic night. The <i>Sea-Horse</i> kept along without lights, but those of -the schooner soon showed close astern, and appeared exceedingly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</a></span> near. -No shots had been fired, although the range was now close, and there -was every opportunity, could the marshal see, of hitting a man, but -the plunging of the vessels evidently made his aim uncertain, and he -reserved his fire, feeling sure that he would soon be close enough to -force matters to a satisfactory conclusion without bloodshed.</p> - -<p>"Dere ain't but one chanct in fo'ty ob our makin' de gitaway," said -Bill, gazing astern at the approaching vessel, "but I'll do the bes' -I kin to shoo fly dat ornery marshal. Dere's a bit ob a squall makin' -ah'ad, an' ef we kin hold on till it comes up, I'll try to fluke him -when it's thick."</p> - -<p>"My black friend, if your boat was any good you could make a getaway -without trouble, but this craft is surely on the bum," said the -thin-faced invalid ruefully. "I've no doubt you think her all right in -her way, but her way is not that of those who expect to make either -comfort or time when afloat—she's rotten."</p> - -<p>"Look here," said Bahama Bill. "Yo' better take my advice an' not hit -this sloop any more. If yo' don't think she's any good, why yo' come -abo'd her? Why yo' want to run off with her, hey?"</p> - -<p>"Why, indeed?" sighed the invalid, shifting his gun and gazing ahead -at the gathering blackness of the squall, which was just one of -those little puffs of smudge, a bit of breeze and drizzle, common to -southerly wind in the Stream.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Shall I run her off an' make the try fo' it?" asked the mate.</p> - -<p>"Yes, do the best you can," said the iconoclast, nursing the barrel -of the six-shooter. "Looks like we're up against it," he added to his -pale-eyed partner, who seemed to grow more and more anxious as the -pursuing schooner drew up in the wake of the <i>Sea-Horse</i>.</p> - -<p>"Stand by to haul down the jib an' fo'sta's'l," ordered the mate, and -just then the first puff of the squall heeled the sloop over slightly, -and gave her greater speed. The rain came with the breeze, and for a -moment the vessel fairly tore along with the increased pressure. It -gave them considerable advantage over the schooner, for it struck them -first.</p> - -<p>Just as it began to show signs of slacking up, Bahama Bill gave his -final orders. The head-sails were run down so as not to show against -the sky, and the mainsail run off until the leech was on edge to the -pursuing vessel, the <i>Sea-Horse</i> squaring away and running off at -nearly right angles to her course. In this manner she presented little -besides her mast to be seen in the darkness, her white canvas being now -almost if not quite out of sight.</p> - -<p>"Stan' up an' look astern, now," said Bahama Bill to the thin-faced man.</p> - -<p>The request was complied with, both men standing up and gazing back -into the blackness, which now showed only the port, or red, light of -the schooner, telling plainly that she had not discovered their ruse,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</a></span> -and was holding on with the freshening breeze, confident that when it -let up she would be close aboard the sloop.</p> - -<p>The course of the <i>Sea-Horse</i> was almost due north, while that of the -pursuing vessel was east. Before the thickness of the rain was over, -the wrecker would be safely out of sight to the northward, and the -marshal would hold on only to find he was chasing nothing. They watched -her pass on toward the Bahamas, and her lights fade out, and then the -thin-faced passenger spoke.</p> - -<p>"For a bum old boat, this did the trick, all right," said he to his -partner. "I didn't think we'd make it, but I guess we will, all right, -now—what?"</p> - -<p>"Looks like we're off for fair," said the pale-eyed man. "We'll make -a landing without delay, and let the marshal go hunting the town of -Nassau for two well—but not favourably—known gentlemen. That's a -strong shooting rifle he carries, hey?"</p> - -<p>While they talked, interested in the chase, the mate of the <i>Sea-Horse</i> -had begun to think of his part in the affair. Both he and Smart had now -to face a serious charge, and the prospect was not pleasant, especially -as they had not chosen to take part in the escape of the two men who -now had shown that they were fugitives from the law and the marshal.</p> - -<p>The mate had outwitted his old enemy, and, as the success of his -seamanship became evident, he began to realize that the game was now -up to him. Smart stood near, and was about to say something to that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</a></span> -effect, when he caught the glint of the black man's eye, shining white -in the darkness.</p> - -<p>It conveyed a meaning to the yacht captain, for he was well versed in -tricks of the sea, and he at once spoke to the passengers, calling -their attention to the vanishing ship. He did not know just what Bahama -Bill would do, but he knew from that look he would act, and act at once.</p> - -<p>Almost instantly the mate pushed the wheel-spokes slowly over, doing it -so gently, so gradually, that only Smart was aware that the wind was -hauling to the lee, and that the mainsail would soon be taken aback. He -spoke again, and the men gazed a moment more at the shadow passing out -across the Stream. Then the mainsail took the wind to port, and swung -with a quick jibe to starboard.</p> - -<p>The sheet well off came over in a bight, and, while the two gentlemen -of fortune had agility enough to dodge the main boom, the line caught -the tall, thin-faced invalid, and jerked him quickly over the side into -the sea.</p> - -<p>The other man sprang out of the way, but almost instantly recovered -himself, and covered the mate with his weapon. He seemed to realize -that some trick had been played, but just what he failed to understand. -He hesitated to fire, and that instant cost him the game. Bahama Bill -made a quick plunge over the taffrail, and disappeared in the white -wake astern. The pale-eyed man held his pistol in readiness to shoot, -but he was warned again by Smart's voice.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Don't fire, you fool, he'll save your friend," cried the captain. -"They'll hear the shot aboard the schooner—put up your gun."</p> - -<p>The quickness of events seemed to cause even the cool-headed burglar -to hesitate as to what course to pursue. The mate had gone overboard -evidently to save his companion. It was certain death to be left out -there in the ocean, and Smart was even now swinging the <i>Sea-Horse</i> -around in a great circle, heading well to the westward, to make it -farthest from the disappearing schooner.</p> - -<p>Heldron and Sam had sprung to the sheet, and were rapidly hauling it in -hand over hand, while Smart bawled out orders for them, regardless of -the saturnine passenger with the gun, who seemed undecided whether to -shoot some of them or not.</p> - -<p>He sat down and gazed astern at the place where the two men had -vanished. He knew his companion was a strong swimmer, but he knew -nothing of the black man's giant strength, his remarkable staying -powers, and fishlike ability in the sea.</p> - -<p>Smart hauled the sloop up on her port tack, and slowly circled, knowing -almost exactly where he would pick up the mate. He would not go too -fast, for fear of overrunning him, and he felt certain that he need not -hurry on his account.</p> - -<p>The pale-eyed man appeared to think there was little use hunting for -men in the darkness, and his knowledge of his whereabouts was evidently -completely lost.</p> - -<p>"What's the use, now?" he asked finally. "You<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</a></span> can't find a man in the -ocean on a dark night. Better give it up. Let's make a run back for the -Keys."</p> - -<p>"With Bill trying to save your partner?" asked Smart, in feigned -disgust.</p> - -<p>"Oh, well, my friend, if there was any use of hunting for them, I would -stay as long as the next man."</p> - -<p>"I'm not exactly what you might call your friend," said Smart coldly, -"but I'm going to stay around here a little while. Don't try to force -matters, because I won't leave this part of the Atlantic until I'm -satisfied both are gone for good."</p> - -<p>"See here, Mr. Sailor-man," said the pale-eyed one. "I hold the -decision just now. I don't want to make rough-house on board of your -excellent yacht, but you must do as I say. I'm not a knocker. I don't -want to say anything against you. But you take my orders, and make a -getaway from here in about two minutes. I want to land that box before -daybreak—you understand?"</p> - -<p>Smart was about to argue the matter further, but desisted for a few -minutes while he had the forestaysail run up and the jib hoisted. He -was swinging around in a large circle, and was now ready to carry -head-sail and have his vessel manageable. In the meantime, Bahama Bill -was busy some two hundred fathoms distant.</p> - - -<p class="center">IV</p> - -<p>When the mate plunged overboard after the thin-faced gentleman, he had -a very definite idea of what<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</a></span> he must do. To attempt to retake his ship -under the guns of two armed men who were expert at the use of firearms -would have been suicide. They would have shot him before he could have -taken charge.</p> - -<p>He knew Smart to be a good sailor, and had considerable faith in his -ability to handle himself properly in an emergency. He felt certain -that the captain understood the game, and gave him merely a look to -signify that he was ready. Then he had gone over the side for the man -who had the six-shooter, feeling sure that the fellow would not let go -of the weapon until he had to.</p> - -<p>He swam quickly along in the swirl of the wake, keeping his eyes open -for the head of the passenger to appear upon the whitened surface. In a -moment he saw him.</p> - -<p>The thin-faced rogue was a strong swimmer. He was also a powerful man, -spare and muscular, capable of taking care of himself in that smooth -sea for a long time. He had suddenly found himself flung far over the -side by the jibing sheet, but he clutched his pistol firmly, knowing -that his partner would take charge until he was safe aboard again.</p> - -<p>The weapon was heavy, but he jammed it into his waist-belt and struck -out slowly, meaning to swim along easily until the sloop returned to -pick him up. He could see her plainly, and he saw Smart start to swing -her around to return.</p> - -<p>Then he was suddenly aware of a black head and face close aboard him, -the head sticking out of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</a></span> sea and coming along at a smart pace. At -first the sight startled him. He hardly knew what had happened. Then he -surmised that the mate had been swept overboard also, and was swimming -near for company.</p> - -<p>"You got it, too?" he asked, as the head of Bahama Bill came nearer. -The answer was a terrific blow between the eyes, which sent the stars -sailing through his brain. Then he felt the powerful hands of the -giant black closing upon him, and he fought with furious energy to -keep free. They clutched and clinched, the mate getting a firm hold of -the man's right hand, which he twisted around behind him. The struggle -caused them to sink below the surface, and the straining made breathing -necessary.</p> - -<p>The giant mate swam fiercely to regain the surface, dragging his -antagonist along with him. He finally got his head clear, and breathed -deeply the salt air of the ocean, spitting out a quantity of salt water.</p> - -<p>The thin-faced man had swallowed much brine, and he came up weakly. -He still struggled, but he was no match for the black diver. In a few -minutes Bahama Bill had his hands secured behind him, and then rolling -easily over upon his back, he grasped the fellow by the collar, and -proceeded to swim with him in the direction of the <i>Sea-Horse</i>, turning -his head now and then to keep her whereabouts certain.</p> - -<p>He lost her several times in the splash and froth of little seas, which -broke again and again over his head, for he swam low and saved his -strength, but he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</a></span> knew that Smart would stand by. Soon he made her out -coming along smartly right for him, and he suddenly raised himself and -called out loudly:</p> - -<p>"Get the small boat over—don't yo' try to pick me up from de sloop," -he bawled, in his bull-like tones.</p> - -<p>Smart understood, and threw the <i>Sea-Horse</i> into the wind, Sam and -Heldron heaving the small boat upon the rail, and waiting for her -headway to slacken before launching her. Then they dropped her over and -sprang aboard.</p> - -<p>Somewhere off in the darkness they stopped and pulled the men from -the water, but neither Smart nor his passenger could see in just what -condition they were rescued. The boat seemed to take a long time over -the matter, and when she finally started back the pair on board the -<i>Sea-Horse</i> saw only the two men, Sam and Heldron, rowing as they had -started out.</p> - -<p>As the boat came alongside, the pale-eyed man peered over to see if his -partner had been rescued. He still held his weapon in readiness for -enforcing his orders, intending to push matters rapidly the moment the -men were aboard again.</p> - -<p>The first intimation he received of anything wrong was a spurt of -fire issuing from the bottom of the small boat, accompanied by a loud -explosion.</p> - -<p>At the same instant a heavy bullet struck him just below the -collar-bone, slewing him around and causing his pistol to fall from his -hand. The next instant Smart was upon him, and bore him to the deck.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</a></span></p> - -<p>The men clambered aboard, Bahama Bill leading, and in less than -five minutes they had the two worthies triced up in a shipshape and -seamanlike manner, lying upon the after-deck.</p> - -<p>The giant mate gave a grunt of approval as he glanced at Smart.</p> - -<p>"Yo' suah did de right thing, cap—I reckoned yo' might—but dat was a -bad place toe jump a man, out dere in de water; it was dat, fer a fact. -Now, yo' Dutchman, yo' Sam, git de grub from de box ob dat invalid, -I'm mighty hungry, I kin suah eat a tid-bit—then we'll see how long -it takes us toe git in behind Floridy Cape. I s'pose yo' wouldn't mind -a bite ob dat good grub yo' brought abo'd, hey, perfesser?" he asked, -addressing the reclining invalid.</p> - -<p>"Don't rub it in, cap'n; don't rub it in," said the thin-faced man from -his place upon the planks. "You take my advice and let that box alone. -It'll take a stick of dynamite to bust it, being as it is made of steel -under the outside wood cover. It's a very good safe, and strong. Better -let that Dutchman get us a few pounds of that salt pig you have aboard, -and some boiled corn. I'll risk the indigestion—and let it go at that."</p> - -<p>Before daylight they had landed their prisoners and the safe upon the -dock at Miami, and Sam had gone up-town to notify the authorities that -the marshal was taking a cruise for his health to the Great Bahama Bank.</p> - -<p>"If the vessel had been any good," muttered the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</a></span> thin-faced, as he -was led away, "we'd have made good easily enough. She was a bum ship, -mighty poor, and that was what caused the trouble."</p> - -<p>"I still has a lot ob faith in her," said Bahama Bill.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="XII" id="XII">XII</a></p> - -<p class="center">Journegan's Graft</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">When</span> Stormalong Journegan found that running a saloon in coöperation -with the police had its draw-backs, he turned his attention to more -lucrative fields.</p> - -<p>"It's no use fooling with such fellows as you," he said one day, "you -are sharks, pure blood-sucking sharks, you don't give a fellow half -a show to make a living. I'm through with you. I'm done. I sell out -to-day. Shanahan might be able to stand you off, he's rough, rough as a -file and ready to get into trouble. I'm past that stage of the game. I -want to live quietly without so much fuss, so much fracas and so much -blackmail. I'm going where brains count for as much as trickery and -downright rascality. I'm going where there are some educated Yankees, -some Northern men of means who can tell a man when they see him—yes, -I'm through with you Conchs and crabs."</p> - -<p>After delivering himself he spent several days winding up his affairs -at the Cayo Huesso, the beautiful white bar at Key West, converted his -belongings into cash and took the steamer for Miami, where he arrived -in due course of time. He stood upon the deck of the steamer one -morning and watched the rising of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</a></span> Florida Cape to the northward, -stood and gazed at the beautiful bay of Biscayne, where the Northern -tourists had been flocking during the cold weather to fish and hunt -in the bright sunshine of the reef. The bay was full of small craft, -yachts of all descriptions thronged the dredged harbour and small boats -came and went over the bright coral banks which shone varicoloured a -few feet beneath the surface in the glare of the torrid sun. Yes, there -was some life here, something more than the dull and sullen Conchs, the -voracious grafters of the reef city and the straying ship's passenger. -Here was Northern capital, Northern progress.</p> - -<p>"It looks very good to me," mused Mr. Journegan as he gazed serenely -down from the hurricane deck of the Key West steamer.</p> - -<p>They passed several vessels he knew. There was the wrecking-sloop, -<i>Sea-Horse</i> of Key West, the <i>Silver Bar</i>, schooner-yacht for charter, -and several others. Upon the deck of the wrecker he saw the big black -mate, Bahama Bill, sitting smoking his pipe, his muscular shoulders -shining like coal in the sunlight, while he rubbed his rheumy eyes, the -red-rimmed eyes of a diver in salt water, to see better as he watched -the approaching ship. Yes, and there was Captain Smart of the lost Dunn -schooner, sitting upon the taffrail fishing. He waved his hand to them -as the steamer swung past, the thudding of her paddles drowning his -hail of welcome which he called out when abreast.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</a></span></p> - -<p>He landed and made his way to the hotel. He had plenty of money and -would live right while he felt like it. There was no reason why he -should stint himself in any worldly pleasure. Several thousand dollars -would last him some time, and after it was spent—well, he seldom went -broke. It was not men of his ability who went broke. Oh, no, money was -too easy. He never could see why some people found it hard to get. Get, -why it seemed to come to him. He couldn't keep it away. After all, he -figured that he must be something of a man to make it so easily when so -many strove so hard. Yes, it was brains that made money, brains, not -brawn, not toil—foolishness. Well, he was here to see, to watch, to -take notice. If there was anything floating about, it was most likely -he would pick it up. He couldn't help it.</p> - -<p>The gambling-place allowed by the management of the hotel was very -well kept. It was surrounded by palms and flowers, and its green -tables were made as enticing as human ingenuity allowed. Mr. Journegan -found them much to his taste, and as the days slipped by he found that -instead of a few thousand dollars in his pockets he had but a scant -hundred. He also had a hotel bill running up at something like twenty -dollars per day. He awoke slowly to the realization that he must quit -the game and hustle for cash. It was about this time that he made the -acquaintance of a gentleman from New York who had read much and studied -more, deeming the human race a fit problem to devote his mind upon. Mr. -Smithe, who insisted<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</a></span> that he had an "e" to his name, found the yarns -of Journegan much to his liking. The two met upon the hotel verandas -and also at the gaming-tables, and after a few days they began to spar -for an opening for personal confidences.</p> - -<p>"You know," said the studious Smithe, "that there is an enormous waste -of material here. Just look at all that water, that magnificent bay. -Don't you know, my dear Journegan, that every pint of sea-water holds a -small per cent. of gold, yes, real gold, gold that we are playing for -every night, gold that we need to pay our bills with—gold—"</p> - -<p>"Are you stung, too?" asked Journegan irrelevantly, interrupting the -flow of wisdom.</p> - -<p>Mr. Smithe eyed him a moment with some concern.</p> - -<p>"You interrupted me—I don't understand you," he said.</p> - -<p>"Come down. Is that straight, that gold business? Are you stringing me, -or is that a chemical fact?" said Journegan.</p> - -<p>"I am not in the habit of lying, my friend. That gold remark is a -chemical fact, a truth which can be proven by any one familiar with -analytical chemistry—"</p> - -<p>"And you're stung,—broke, or whatever you choose to call it—same as -me, same as some more of the crowd what follows the spinning-wheel. -Smithe, you are the goods, you are the real thing, if you're telling -the truth. If that gold yarn of yours is true, we win—see?" -interrupted the irrepressible<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</a></span> Journegan, upon whose mind a great light -was dawning, a vast glare of an intellectual day.</p> - -<p>"You seem a bit nutty," spake the learned Smithe, breaking at last into -the speech of his youth. "What the hell has gold in the sea-water to do -with us, hey?"</p> - -<p>"It grieves me to hear a learned man speak hastily," said the now calm -Journegan, "but you are like many learned ones, perfectly helpless -when it comes to applying your knowledge to some purpose, to some real -use besides that of entertaining a few half-drunken admirers about a -table. Man, we're as good as made if you are straight about that gold -business. You're known here as the real thing in chemistry, you're -something of a 'Smart Alec' among the push. If you can prove that gold -is in that sea-water—it's all to the good—leave it all to me—don't -waste time asking questions a babykins would laugh at—come away—come -away with your uncle, I want to talk with you—come."</p> - -<p>It was only two days later that the announcement was made that the -celebrated chemist, Mr. Smithe, and his friend and manager, Mr. -Journegan, were buying property along the shore for the purpose of -establishing a plant for converting the free gold held in solution in -the clear water of the reef to a commercial commodity in the shape -of gold dust, which same being worth about twenty dollars per ounce -in the coin of the realm. The announcement created some surprise, -and also some curious comment coupled with amusement, but the two -gentlemen maintained such a digni<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</a></span>fied silence concerning the affair, -and declined with such natural modesty to discuss it in any manner or -form, that the idle rich, from at first laughing, came to regard them -with respect, then with awe, and finally with a desire to a better -acquaintance. Mr. Smithe condescended to shake hands with some of -the most curious, told them many interesting yarns and anecdotes to -hold their attention, and all the time kept his method a mystery, his -discovery a thing which was of far too great importance to talk about -to strangers.</p> - -<p>Journegan with commendable activity secured a small frontage a short -distance down the shore. Here he bought a small wharf running out into -the bay until a depth of six or seven feet was reached. With some haste -he had a small enclosure made, a sort of fish-pound built of small -piling and decked over across the middle so that a man could walk -upon the boards and gaze down into the liquid depths where the gold -undoubtedly was. The whole was screened from the curious gaze by high -boarding, and a small door was let into the fish-pound for allowing -free access of the tide. It was necessary, he explained, to have -the water change freely as it was quickly exhausted of its valuable -qualities by the process of electrolysis. The naming of the mysterious -current as part of the outfit caused more and more favourable comment -upon the part of the curious. Electricity, electricity, oh, how many -things unknown and mysterious are relegated to your strange power. -Yes, Journegan had heard of electric combs, electric shoes, electric -belts,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</a></span> electric—well, pretty much anything which an honest dealer -could not sell upon its merits alone. It sounded well to have the plant -run by electricity, convincing, undeniable. Who knew that electricity -would not do anything its master might bid it? It was a force in its -infancy, a giant unknown, undeveloped. It moved the carriages of the -rich. It might just as well separate them from some of their wealth. It -depended—</p> - -<p>A set of wires was run from the plant furnishing the lights for the -town, and they were kept in exaggerated evidence all along the little -dock and building at its end. A few bulbs lit the scene at night and -caused more comment by those who passed the place after dark, when the -noise of workmen within could be heard plainly by the curious. It was -Journegan's lay to have the place operated solely at night. He gave it -out finally that the night tides were most favourable for work, and -also that it was a time when for certain mysterious reasons they could -work to better advantage.</p> - -<p>In a very few days Mr. Smithe began to let slip a few secrets -concerning the plant. It was now working all right, he assured his -listeners, and he would not only tell them how the thing was done but -would go so far as to show some of the more worthy the entire process. -If Mr. Jones, who was a millionaire furniture dealer suffering with -tuberculosis, would do him the honour, and Mr. Jackson, a millionaire -iron producer with gout, would also go along, he would show<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</a></span> how he -produced gold from sea-water, precipitated it, he said, precipitated -it upon the end of an electric wire under the surface. They would have -refreshments served at the dock, and a negro would carry their things -for them. It might take several minutes to wait for the precipitation, -and as the night was warm, but damp, he would have their comforts -provided for. When this news was spread broadcast it created almost -a panic among the people of the town. When two such men of undoubted -wealth and position as Mr. Jones and Mr. Jackson were to see the thing -in operation it was no longer a thing to doubt, it must certainly be -a success. They had been living all their lives upon the very edge of -a vast gold mine without knowing it, and now these two strangers were -going to enlighten them to the real things of life. It was wonderful, -great, they might even get a chance to go into the thing later on. What -was the use of toiling when gold could be gotten for the trouble of -picking it from the end of a wire.</p> - -<p>Mr. Smithe having made this announcement with a confidential air and a -manner urbanity itself, sought at once Mr. Journegan.</p> - -<p>"I've invited the gents," he announced with warmth, spitting fluently -at a spider crawling along the veranda, "but it's up to you to make -good. How the thunder we're going to get that piece of gold stuck to -the end of that wire while the current is playing upon it, beats me. -It took two twenties hammered into a passable nugget to make the bait. -Now it's<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</a></span> you to land the men, and fix that bait on the wire. Mind you, -it's got to be done right there in that bullpen, right there under -their eyes. When the current is turned on it has got to form and become -attached to the end of the pole in the water."</p> - -<p>"It'll be dead easy, Bo, dead easy. Go take a drink and sleep the -afternoon away. You trust in father Bullinger—an' he will see you -through. Beat it, I say, and don't come worrying me with such trifles -as making gold form on the ends of wires. Gimme somethin' dead easy. -If you want to hold my attention explain the philosophy of love, or -something like that, but say, don't come around me, you a full-grown -man, talking about not being able to make gold form on the end of a -wire. Man, you are a strange thing. You know some real facts, but -after that you're at sea, clean plumb out to sea without a chart or -compass. You've done your share, the hard part, getting the yaps into -the game. Hell! that's the whole thing, don't you know it. Getting -the yaps interested. After that the game is like stealing taffy from -a kid, robbing a babe of its milk. You're on. Go take a snooze. I'll -finish this cigar and then attend to the details. I promise to see to -the details and if that gold don't form on that wire you may strike -me dead for a galoot too drunk to know his name. Git out, Bo. Go take -a snooze and leave the rest to your Uncle Rube. Man, I haven't seen -such easy graft for years. Why, we'll be rich if we can hold it two -months. Rich, I say. Money to burn. Why, half a hundred yaps will<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</a></span> be -frantic to cast their bread upon the waters, cast their money into our -pockets—and then what—and then—well, the boat leaves here daily for -Nassau—thence to—Oh, well, anywhere at all. What's the difference -where you are if you have the coin in your clothes. Say, Bo, you're all -right. You know a thing or two that's worth knowing, the only thing I -can't understand is how you grew up without becoming a millionaire. -Can't fathom it, old man, can't fathom it. Say, if I knew as much -of the books as you do I'd be in the Standard class all right—very -well—So long, sneak."</p> - -<p>Mr. Smithe went back into the hotel. He was a bit nervous for one -who had spent much time and great trouble ascertaining the value -of his fellow men. The scheme seemed now to be futile, for how any -one could finish with any hope of success appeared impossible. He -gathered together his belongings, made them into a bundle easy for -transportation, locked his new and somewhat aggressive trunk after -screwing it firmly to the floor, and having finished these necessary -preparations for a hurried departure, betook himself to the flowing -bowl, which in his case was nothing more or less than a bottle of very -bad whiskey furnished by the management of the hotel at two hundred -per cent. profit. The draught of alcohol gave him new courage. It -warmed the cockles of his heart, a heart that was none too rigorous in -its action, but under the influence of the stimulant he drowsed and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</a></span> -thought, dreamed and wondered at the versatility of his friend Mr. -Stormalong Journegan.</p> - - -<p class="center">II</p> - -<p>"Hello, Stormy," growled the mate of the <i>Sea-Horse</i>, who was sitting -upon the deck of his sloop watching the shore, "seems like you struck -it rich fer a fact. Must be a wise one dat guy you goes with."</p> - -<p>Journegan had reached the edge of the dock about twenty feet distant -from the <i>Sea-Horse</i> which was lying off.</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, we make a few thousand dollars a day at that gold plant. -'Tain't much, but it goes," said he.</p> - -<p>"Don't suppose you'd chin with such fellers as me no more," said Bill, -squirting a stream of tobacco into the sea with a vehemence that told -of his opinion of those who became stuck up at success, "but I ain't -forgot that last deal you played. I'm glad we got clear with our coin, -not as you meant we should, but it goes dat way," and Bahama Bill -looked thoughtfully into the distance. He had not forgotten the game -at Stormalong's bar at the Cayo Huesso when Captain Smart had been -fleeced by the gang of Havana crooks, of which "Skinny Ike" had been -the leader. He had reason to remember that night, for it had made -it necessary for both him and Smart to get to sea without delay, he -himself getting a sore shoulder from the six-shooter of the head crook -for his interference. But he had cleaned up the entire crowd, with -Smart to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[Pg 277]</a></span> help, and the memory was evidently pleasant, for he smiled as -he looked into the distance.</p> - -<p>"Come abo'd, Stormy, if you don't mind yo' good clothes. Yo' shuah is -gittin' toe be a dude—how you come by dem duds, hey?" he said still -smiling. "I don't need toe make yo' acquainted with Cap Smart—yo' -remember him—what?"</p> - -<p>Journegan remembered Smart very well indeed. He looked at him a moment -askance, for he had set out to do up the captain that night in Key -West, and would have succeeded but for the interference of the giant -mate. He, however, saw the point at once and never alluded to the past, -but grasped Smart's hand with vigour and assured him that of all people -in the world he was most glad to see the captain doing so well. Smart -eyed him coldly, but waited for events to shape themselves, knowing -full well that the Conch was not there for idle pastime, but had some -ultimate purpose in view which was probably of importance.</p> - -<p>Journegan was not long in getting down to business. He had plenty of -time, but the anxiety of his accomplice caused him to hurry matters and -settle the affair at once.</p> - -<p>"I want to get a good diver, Bill," said he, finally. "I want a man -who will work for twenty dollars an hour in shallow water. Yes, I want -a man who can work at a little depth of six or seven feet and do what -he's told without asking questions—do you know of any one?"</p> - -<p>"Yep, there's Sam—he kin work at that depth,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[Pg 278]</a></span> an' I reckon he'll do it -for twenty an hour, an' not squeal," said the mate of the <i>Sea-Horse</i>, -his ugly face wrinkling into a strange smile and his rheumy eyes -turning slowly upon Journegan, fixing him with a curious squinting look -which seemed to go clear through him.</p> - -<p>"Don't you think you could do the trick for me?" asked Journegan -pointedly.</p> - -<p>"Nix, not fo' dat little money. Why, man, we're just waitin' fo' a few -thousand dollars on some ammunition we salved from the wreck ob de -<i>Bulldog</i>, brig—out on de Bank two weeks ago. No, if yo' kin pay a -man's wages I might get toe work fo' yo', but don't come around heah, -Mr. Journegan, with them clothes on an' ask me, me, Bahama Bill, toe -work fo' nothin'—Nix, I say nix—don't keep up de conversation—I -don't want toe hear no mo'."</p> - -<p>The mate of the <i>Sea-Horse</i> had received a lesson in regard to pay -only a short time before from Smart when they had been chartered by -a stranger. He was not slow to learn, and he knew that if Journegan -would pay twenty dollars an hour he would pay a hundred—if he had it. -There must be some necessity for urgent work—some work perhaps upon -the gold plant down the bay which needed repair at once, or there might -be a corresponding loss of metal. He had heard of the outfit, and had -laughed when he found out it was Stormalong Journegan who was mixed -up in it. The name of the chemist was unknown to him,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[Pg 279]</a></span> but he thought -it might well be that the Northerner had really found something worth -working.</p> - -<p>"I'll make it fifty an hour—only working one hour a night—how's -that?" asked Journegan. "Work one hour and do as you're told and you -get fifty—get the money in advance—what?"</p> - -<p>"Yo' make me tired, Stormy. I knows yo' fo' a good business man, I seen -dat at de Cayo Huesso, but don't come abo'd heah an' begin fool talk. -Cap'n Smart heah is my partner, jest now,—he wouldn't let me work fo' -dat price." And the big mate rose as though to go below.</p> - -<p>Smart looked at Journegan with a cold eye. He knew the fellow, but he -knew also that they were both dead broke, that their money from the -salved cargo was no nearer than it had been the day they arrived in -port. It might be a month or two before they received anything on their -diving. The ammunition had to be tested and there was no use hurrying -matters. That it would be good, there was not the least doubt, but it -had been in the hold of the brig completely submerged for some time, -so long in fact that it had been abandoned by the first wrecking crew, -composed of the <i>Sea-Horse</i> men and the steam tug from Key West. Yes, -fifty dollars an hour might get something to eat while they waited the -leisure of the agents of the ammunition house buying the stuff. Fifty -dollars was good pay, and he knew he could not afford to let the mate -pass it for any personal matter that might exist between himself and -Journegan. He watched<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[Pg 280]</a></span> the pair steadily and when Bahama Bill showed -signs of giving it up he spoke out.</p> - -<p>"Better take it on, Bill," he said, as the giant stretched himself at -the companionway. "I know you're worth more'n that to Mr. Journegan, -but I think you might take it on for a few days."</p> - -<p>"De hell yo' do," quoth the mate, glaring at him.</p> - -<p>"I'll make it seventy-five," said Journegan, "that's as high as I'll -go."</p> - -<p>"Well, so long as Cap'n Smart say do it, I'll jest take it on dat -figure," said the mate. "What's de lay?"</p> - -<p>"The process of extracting gold from sea-water is a secret one, my -dear Bill," said Mr. Journegan. "I really don't quite know the manner -of doing it myself. You will come up to the hotel in about an hour -and a half, or before sundown, and Mr. Smithe, the chemist, the -brains of the plant, will give you your instructions. You had better -come alone, and before you make the deal I want you, of course, to -promise that you will not tell of anything—not a thing you see in the -plant—understand. The process is patented, but if every one knew it -there would be no reason in the world why anybody couldn't get money -the same way."</p> - -<p>"Dat seems fair enough," assented Bill. "Ob co'se I kin see somethings -dere, but I promise not toe tell de neighbours—yep, it goes at -dat—I'll be up toe de swell shack befo' dark—so-long."</p> - -<p>Mr. Journegan stepped into the small boat and a moment later was -walking leisurely up the road to his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[Pg 281]</a></span> rooms at the hotel. He could -count on the success of Mr. Smithe's scheme to a certainty and the -knowledge gave him much pleasure. It had been quite easy, only -that shark of the reef, Bahama Bill, had robbed him. He cursed the -avaricious mate, cursed him freely and fluently for his greed, but -in the end he laughed, for was not the gold plant to be a great -success. Bah, a few hundred dollars one way or the other was not to -be considered. He and his partner had enough for a few days yet, and -by then they would be rich men. He made his way to the rooms of Mr. -Smithe, knocked at the door and was confronted with a six-shooter held -in that brainy gentleman's hand.</p> - -<p>"Aw, gwan—put it up," said Journegan.</p> - -<p>Mr. Smithe quickly did so. The knock had aroused him from pleasant -reveries to an acute appreciation of the present. He saw the form -of the marshal at his door and with trembling fingers he seized his -gun for a last stand. It had been something of a relief to find his -accomplice standing there with a complacent smile upon his face, his -long six feet three of skin and bone fairly shaking with laughter.</p> - -<p>Journegan entered unbidden and quickly closed the door.</p> - -<p>"It's all right, Bo, the deed is done. I have the means at hand. They -will be here shortly. Let's have a drink?" he said.</p> - -<p>Mr. Smithe acquiesced, and over the liquor the plan was gone over to -the mutual satisfaction of both.</p> - -<p>"Gad, but you're not so bad, Mr. Journegan," said<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[Pg 282]</a></span> the brainy Smithe. -"You have executive ability to a marked degree. You have imagination, a -thoughtful mind—oh, if it had only been trained in its youth—"</p> - -<p>"Skin it, Bo," said Journegan, "don't make me feel badly. I have seen -things in my day, things just as instructive as anything you get out -of text-books, even chemistry. Have another drink. My man will be here -very soon. Don't go around packing that light artillery. It won't do -if we're caught up suddenly. What would the Muldoons think if they -found us going around this peaceful hostelry armed with Gatlings of -forty-five calibre. No, put on your best duds and come away. We've -won—mark what I say—we've won. I have the best diver on the Great -Bahama Bank to do the trick, the best and biggest man on the reef—see. -It's all right. Now, then, I hear his gentle footsteps on the veranda -and I think we had better get him in here without delay—what?"</p> - -<p>Half an hour later the mate of the <i>Sea-Horse</i> emerged from the room -with a faint smile upon his ugly face. He strode forth quickly and made -his way to the water-front, getting into a small boat waiting for him -and starting down the bay in the direction of the gold plant.</p> - -<p>It was about eight in the evening, after supper at the hotel, that the -party set out in a gasoline launch for the dock where the gold plant -was located. The evening was fine and the western sky still showed -the last faint tints of the setting sun. Darkness came apace and the -cool sea-breeze made the ride very pleas<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[Pg 283]</a></span>ant, the boat rushing through -the water leaving a long, bright wake, flaring here and there with -phosphorescence where the screw turned the water and sent it whirling -astern. By the time they reached the dock it was quite dark, so dark -in fact that the shadow of the wharf loomed dimly above the tide. The -launch was made fast at the steps and the party climbed up into the -enclosure.</p> - -<p>"It is an ideal evening for our work," said Mr. Smithe to Mr. Jackson. -"The tide is right and there seems to be no sea, no extraordinary -commotion which might interfere with the chemical result. It is -generally best to work on calm nights, but the process will obtain -under each and every condition the weather permits. Allow me to light -up." So saying he switched on the electric lights and the enclosure lit -up dimly.</p> - -<p>"Seems like you might have had a few more lamps," said Mr. Jones -a little testily. "It'll be hard to see anything with just two -sixteen-candle bulbs."</p> - -<p>"I shall have that attended to at once," said Mr. Journegan. "You see -we have been so busy with the results that we seldom miss the lights -to any extent. The same current that lights up the place is used for -forming the precipitate upon the wire—the gold precipitate, you -understand."</p> - -<p>"Well, let her commence," said Mr. Jackson, a little unfavourably -impressed at the stillness and peculiar surroundings of the outfit. -"I'll sit here on this box and wait—I hope it won't be long, but I -must say<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[Pg 284]</a></span> that if you men can do this thing, you certainly can do -something no one else has ever attempted in history—mind you, I don't -say you won't do it, but I say commence, I want to see with my own -eyes."</p> - -<p>Mr. Smithe, with great deliberation and some complex manœuvring, -took up a wire and wrapped it in a cloth. He then fastened it with a -small piece of copper wire and dipped the whole into a strong solution -of something that had a most offensive odour.</p> - -<p>"You see, gentlemen," said he, "the contents of this basin,"—here he -pointed to the mixture which had such a terrific odour. "This is the -secret part of the whole process, it produces the electrolysis which -causes the gold to form upon the positive pole of the current. I shall -now toss it overboard and we will await results."</p> - -<p>He threw the wire over the edge of the enclosure and it disappeared at -once in the black depths below. The white cloth tied to the end still -showed faintly at a depth of six feet below the surface.</p> - -<p>"I now shall start the current," he said, and taking up a hammer he -struck savagely upon the flooring of the dock several time. There was -a faint sound from shoreward, the sound of a gentle splashing, but -this soon subsided. Suddenly a commotion in the water below attracted -the attention of Mr. Jones. A large fish appeared to break water at -the entrance of the enclosure. Then it disappeared, and Mr. Journegan -remarked that the small sharks of the reef were most numerous at this -season.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[Pg 285]</a></span></p> - -<p>Mr. Smithe watched the surface of the water carefully. A huge dark -shadow glided beneath him towards the end of the wire which held the -white cloth.</p> - -<p>"I must have more current," he called petulantly to Mr. Journegan, -"give me more current for a few minutes, this wire is cold."</p> - -<p>For answer Journegan switched off the lights for few seconds. Mr. Jones -and Mr. Jackson watched the water steadily, but nothing broke its now -black surface.</p> - -<p>"It's getting warm now," called Mr. Smithe, and on the instant -Journegan switched on the lights again. They all sat there for some -minutes awaiting the result but the water gave no token save that now -the cloth had disappeared from the end of the wire and as the minutes -dragged by Mr. Smithe called attention to this fact.</p> - -<p>"You see, it has begun to work," he called, pointing below at the -invisible wire. "In a moment I shall pull it up—a few dollars worth -of metal is all we need wait for to-night. I have an engagement at the -Casino at ten."</p> - -<p>Suddenly he pulled up the wire. Upon its end, fixed fast and apparently -imbedded, was a small mass of a peculiar metal, bright, shiny and -unmistakably gold. Yes, he had done it. He had made the sea give up -its own. There it was, gold, pure gold in an ingot Worth about forty -dollars. The astounded Mr. Jones gazed in wonder. The skeptical Mr. -Jackson let his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[Pg 286]</a></span> eyes open wide. It was certainly the wonder of the -era. It was tremendous.</p> - -<p>"You can take this specimen and have it assayed," said Mr. Smithe, -handing the nugget to Mr. Jackson; "you can return it at your -convenience."</p> - -<p>When Mr. Smithe struck the blows with the hammer, thereby causing the -current to flow, it roused Bahama Bill from his drowsing in the bottom -of a small boat close to the shore. He grinned and arose. He had been -told just what to do and paid heavily for keeping his mouth shut about -doing it. It was none of his business why they did these things, it -was his business to dive for money, no matter what the affair. He was -well paid and he saw no reason why he should not take the money. A man -of more refined mind would have possibly refused the work, but Bahama -Bill was brought up in the school where it was necessary to live, -necessary to have the means to live without going too far outside the -rules of the game. It was Journegan's business to make gold out of -sea-water. It was his to do a bit of diving for him and perform certain -feats which might or might not affect the pockets of the gentlemen now -waiting to see the result. There were so many questionable ways of -separating folks from their coin that he was amused at the graft of -these two. At the gambling house kept by the pious and strict manager -of the hotel, there were many ways of separating folks from their -cash. It had the sanction of the "Boss"—that was the only difference -he could see in the matter. He was a plain<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[Pg 287]</a></span> wrecker, a man who made -his living from the misfortunes of others. Yet it was a legitimate -business, and he generally played fair. He was simply a big, powerful -man, a giant diver of the Bank. He dropped his trousers and stood forth -naked in the darkness as the last banging of the hammer died away. It -was the signal agreed upon and without a moment's hesitation he made -a long clean dive into the dark water. Coming to the surface he swam -quickly and noiselessly toward the end of the dock where the gate, or -opening in the piling, would allow him to get within the enclosure. He -was a little doubtful of finding the end of the wire, as he had been -instructed to, but he thought the white cloth might make it visible, -for the water was very clear.</p> - -<p>He never fancied swimming at night over the coral banks, for there -were always many denizens of the ocean that came in and either rested -or fed during the hours of darkness. Many a big shark lay log-wise in -the waters of the reef during the night, waiting for a rush upon the -feeding mullet or other small fry. He had found sharks always dangerous -at this season of the year, and he was now without even a knife. -However, he managed to reach opposite the opening without mishap. Then -he floated silently and took a few deep breaths for the work in hand.</p> - -<p>He could hear the voices of the men within the enclosure and he heard -Mr. Smithe announce that the wire was ready. He was just about to -dive when a disturbance in the sea close to him made him hesitate<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[Pg 288]</a></span> -and turn. A triangular fin cut the surface not two fathoms distant. -It was that of a gigantic shark. Instantly the diver went under and -strove with mighty strokes to gain the opening in the piling. He felt -instinctively that the monster would follow him, but it was the nearest -place of refuge. Guided solely by memory of direction, he fairly tore -through the water, struck the opening with his hand and with a mighty -effort swung himself within, remaining under and shooting ahead with -the momentum of his flight. A commotion, a sweep of a strong current -at the gate told of a passing heavy body, but nothing touched him. He -could not hold his breath much longer on account of the sudden effort, -and he was sworn not to come to the surface within the piles. It was -at this moment that Mr. Smithe, seeing something of what had occurred -by the shadows beneath the surface, called for more electricity, and -Journegan with his rare presence of mind switched off the lights. -Bahama Bill came to the surface gently, and had it not been for the -noisy conversation of Smithe, his deep breathing would surely have made -his presence known to all. As it was he lay upon his back, close within -the shadow of the piling and just let his nose come into the air. In a -few moments he had regained his wind and sank downward to the end of -the wire. Then Mr. Smithe switched on the light and announced that the -wire was warm. It was a close call, close in more ways than one, but -the mate had made good, he had done his part. He saw the white cloth -without diffi<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[Pg 289]</a></span>culty and attached the piece of gold. Then he fled for -the open with a courage which might have called forth the admiration of -the watchers had they known his danger.</p> - -<p>Once clear, he swam silently and with all his strength for the small -boat. The feeling that something was pursuing him kept him nerved to -the utmost. He fairly tore through the sea, but only raised his head -every twenty to thirty feet to breathe. He swam almost all the way -under water. This he knew was the safest, for the predatory denizens of -the coral banks depend as much on hearing, or a sense akin to it, as on -sight. The feeling that something still followed drove him along at his -top speed, but he could see nothing, know nothing of its shape or form. -It was just the instinctive fear, or nerve straining one feels in the -dark where danger lurks. He gained the small boat quickly and at that -instant a great shadow swept past leaving a trail of phosphorescent -fire in its wake.</p> - -<p>"If you gentlemen are satisfied, we will now go back to the hotel," -said Mr. Smithe with his most urbane manner. "If at any other time you -would like a renewal of the test, we shall be only too glad to give it, -provided of course, neither you nor your guests talk of the process and -thus set curious people at work to find out our secret."</p> - -<p>Amid murmurs of approval and congratulations, the party broke up and -started back in the launch, Mr. Journegan especially active in getting -away from the dock and explaining vehemently the reason that the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[Pg 290]</a></span> -extraction had not been made before was that it took a man with brains -and one with executive ability to work a thing like that together, to a -successful conclusion.</p> - -<p>Before twenty-four hours had elapsed there had been a company formed -with Mr. Smithe at its head, and there had been twenty-five thousand -dollars in ready cash put at its disposal in the town bank for the -purpose of carrying on the experiments and continuing the production of -gold from the waters of the Bay of Biscayne.</p> - -<p>Twice during the week following the experiment was repeated with equal -success. The cloth disappeared from the wire and the gold was found -upon the pole. It was astounding, but there was no way of contradicting -the evidence of the senses. There was the gold. That was enough for -many—gold, gold, gold. The thing took like wild-fire. The news was -spread broadcast, and Bahama Bill sat in the mornings reading the -papers with a grin of derision upon his big ugly face.</p> - -<p>"Of course, it's none of my business," said Smart, "but if you're wise -you'll not go into any crooked game. It's all well enough to repair -their outfit, but if you're in anything crooked, you're not playing -fair with me."</p> - -<p>"Yo' wanted me toe go into it," growled the mate.</p> - -<p>"I dun promised not to gib way nuthin'—fo' a big stake. Yous livin' -high on fresh beef and good whack, Sam and Heldron is paid off and -everythin'<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[Pg 291]</a></span> seems all right 'Tain't none of mah business what those -fellows do—I'm jest doin' what I agreed to—jest divin'—divin'—see."</p> - -<p>"Better quit it when you've got enough to lay by with until we make our -deal," said Smart. "Of course you can't tell me what you do, what your -lay is down at the plant?"</p> - -<p>"I dun passed mah word," said Bahama Bill gravely. "I ain't playin' -straight, but I dun passed mah word—"</p> - -<p>"Could you give an exhibition of the part you play?" asked the sailor.</p> - -<p>The big mate thought a moment. He did not seem to like the idea, it was -not fair according to his standpoint of honour. He had his limitations, -but he generally did what he said he would. At the same time he knew he -was getting into a game which would cause him trouble in the end if he -did not get out quickly. The thing was too good to last.</p> - -<p>"Yep,—I—might," he finally said, grinning.</p> - -<p>"I'll get some of the gentlemen down to the plant in the small boat and -let them see, for I for one don't take much stock in that fellow who -tried to skin me in his barroom to the southward," said Smart.</p> - -<p>"Git 'em any time yo' see fit—I'll do the part I generally does," said -the mate.</p> - -<p>Smart dressed and went to the hotel. It was afternoon and the two -partners in the gold plant were at the tables playing heavily. They -were somewhat at ease as to their finances, for the thing was a -veritable<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[Pg 292]</a></span> gold mine in fact. They knew nothing of the departure of Mr. -Jones and Mr. Jackson in company with Smart and Bahama Bill, rowing -down the shore in the small boat of the <i>Sea-Horse</i>. Reaching the dock, -Smart had little difficulty in effecting a landing at the enclosure -and of making an entrance. There was no lock upon the door, for there -was nothing to secure, and the four men were soon within the sacred -precincts of the gold plant.</p> - -<p>"Which is the wire?" asked Smart of Mr. Jones. The gentleman explained.</p> - -<p>"Was there anything on it?" he asked.</p> - -<p>Mr. Jones said there was something like a bit of cloth. Smart tied a -piece to it.</p> - -<p>"Now, Bill, do what you generally do," said the captain.</p> - -<p>The big mate grinned. He was undecided as to whether he was acting -fairly with those who had employed him. Then he sprang into the small -boat and rowed away a short distance. The three within the place waited.</p> - -<p>Suddenly Smart called attention to a shadow approaching under the -surface of the water. It came quickly within the gate of the pound, -and although it was deep below the surface all had no difficulty in -recognizing the giant form of Bahama Bill. The great black diver swam -quickly to the end of the wire, pulled off the cloth and attached -something in its place, going away instantly with powerful strokes. -He was within the enclosure but a minute altogether and as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[Pg 293]</a></span> he went -rapidly through the water-gate into the open bay, he broke the surface -just a little with one huge ham-like foot.</p> - -<p>"As a swimming feat, that was the best exhibition I ever saw," said -Jones to his friend. "In the night time it was wonderful. That white -cloth was there for an excellent purpose, but even in that clear water -it must have been hard to have picked it up to a certainty in the dark. -I suppose the sooner we get the news to the marshal the better it will -be for all hands. I for one am not very much ashamed of myself."</p> - -<p>"Nor I," said Mr. Jackson.</p> - -<p>"You will understand," said Smart, "that neither my mate nor myself had -anything to do with the game further than to obey orders and accept pay -for diving."</p> - -<p>"You will neither be mentioned nor asked to appear—no matter what -happens," assured Mr. Jones. "We will make this discovery ourselves. -It is due us as intelligent men—eh?" he added to Mr. Jackson. That -gentleman agreed with vigour.</p> - -<p>Stormalong Journegan had lost heavily at the wheel, the seductive -roulette. He said very little, but arose before his accomplice and -going to the bank drew out nearly the whole amount to the credit of the -company. As it happened the whistle of the Nassau steamer was blowing -its first warning blast for the people to get ashore who were not going -to sea within a few minutes. Journegan noticed it and walked along -the water-front. As he went his way he noticed the small boat of the -<i>Sea-Horse</i> with Mr. Jones, Mr. Jackson,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[Pg 294]</a></span> Smart and—yes, there was no -mistake—Bahama Bill. The giant mate was rowing and sending the craft -along with sweeping strokes. Stormalong Journegan looked but for a -moment more. Then he ran with all the speed his long legs could give -for the steamer. He reached her just as she was pulling out from the -wharf and managed to make the jump aboard without creating comment. He -instantly made his way to the lavatory, where he remained for at least -an hour, washing and rewashing his hands. When he appeared on deck the -steamer was well down the channel standing for the open sea. He was -never seen again after landing the next morning at Nassau.</p> - -<p>Mr. Smithe was aroused by a knock at his door some time that afternoon -and he called out affably to the person to enter, thinking it his -energetic partner, Mr. Journegan, whom he had missed for several hours. -The marshal entered, and Mr. Smithe had the satisfaction of seeing his -trusty gun lying safe and snug in his bureau drawer.</p> - -<p>"You can raise your hands, Mr. Smithe," said the officer of the law.</p> - -<p>Mr. Jones waited not very long before paying his hotel bill. He -proceeded to the writing-room and wrote a short note home, telling of -his marked improvement, his ability to travel alone, and that he would -soon be North again. "I have been taking the gold cure," said he as he -ended his letter, leaving his family very much disturbed.</p> - -<p>Mr. Jackson found urgent business calling him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[Pg 295]</a></span> North the next day. He -declined to be interviewed. "In the interest of science, I shall keep -the secret of the chemical precipitation of gold in sea-water," he -said. "It is a wonderful discovery."</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill sat and grinned in the morning as he read the news in the -daily paper. Captain Smart felt easier in his mind.</p> - -<p>"That man, Journegan, surely was a fellow of ability," he said. "He has -cleared—gone clean away on the ship for Nassau—but I don't think he -will ever come back."</p> - -<p>"'Tain't likely," grunted Bahama Bill. "No, it won't do for him toe -come along dis way agin—if yo' don't mind, cap, I'll git yo' toe write -me a letter to my wife—fightin' Jule—I reckon I better be gittin' -some ob dishear money down toe her, or she'll be a-coming along up -heah fo' toe take a look at things.—I see dat Mr. Smithe has been let -go—no one to prosecute him—toe bad, toe bad."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[Pg 296]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="XIII" id="XIII">XIII</a></p> - -<p class="center">Shanghaing the Tong</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Captain Smart</span> sat upon the deck of the wrecking-sloop <i>Sea-Horse</i>, -and read a letter from the agents of the cartridge company which had -furnished the ammunition to the <i>Bulldog</i>, brig, wrecked some time -before upon the Great Bahama Bank. It caused him some uneasiness, for -he scowled and wrinkled his brow, read and re-read it until the giant -black mate, Bahama Bill, could keep back his curiosity no longer.</p> - -<p>"What is it, cap? What dat guy say? No use keepin' bad news back. I kin -stan' it, I reckon. Let's have his lay—ain't dat cartridge case no -good?"</p> - -<p>"He says," began Smart, "that the samples are good, that the cases are -all right, and he will take the ten tons, about three hundred thousand -rounds, at a cent and a half, the cartridges retailing at three cents, -or thirty dollars per thousand. That nets us four thousand five -hundred, or a little over two thousand dollars apiece for our day's -work——"</p> - -<p>"Well, dat ain't so bad—no, dat's all toe de good, hey?"</p> - -<p>"So far, yes," said Smart, "but the railroad won't carry them under -three hundred dollars, and won't give<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[Pg 297]</a></span> any guarantee that they'll be -delivered on time; won't insure them—in fact, won't do anything but -carry them at an exorbitant rate, and they say they must have the goods -within one week from the eighth of this month, or upon the fifteenth. -Otherwise they won't fill the order, they don't want them. It's now the -tenth—that's the rub. How are we going to make good? Shall we trust -to the railroad? It never does what it agrees to, and in this case we -look like bad ones. That's what's worrying me. What do you say? You're -half-partner—it's up to you, Bill."</p> - -<p>The big black mate sat looking at the shore for some minutes. His -ugly face was wrinkled and his rheumy eyes were puckered in thought, -his huge shoulders hunching up, and giving him the air of one who has -struck a problem too great to solve. Finally he spoke.</p> - -<p>"Jule will be along on the morning boat," said he solemnly.</p> - -<p>"Who is Jule?" asked Smart.</p> - -<p>"Jule? Why, I thought you knew, cap—why, Jule is my wife. 'Fightin' -Jule' deys calls her, an' I reckon dat's a good name. She got dat -letter you wrote, and de money I sent from de diving at de gold plant. -She dun heard ob dat gold plant, an' she's comin' on up. She'll be here -in about an hour."</p> - -<p>"You think she can give us good advice—is that it?" suggested Smart, -eying the big mate keenly.</p> - -<p>"Er—er—dat ain't exactly what I was thinkin'—no, sah, cap," said -Bahama Bill, with a sickly grin.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[Pg 298]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I'm not a mind-reader, Bill," said Smart.</p> - -<p>"Well, sah, cap—seein' as it's you, well, sah—er—er—well, I don't -know but what we better make de run toe Noo York ourselves. Or else -back toe Key West, an' ketch de Noo York steamer. She kin make de run -in three days; dat'll do de trick, hey?"</p> - -<p>"Has your wife brought her children with her?" asked Smart.</p> - -<p>"Oh, no, cap, she always leaves dem with her ma when she starts off on -de rampage——"</p> - -<p>"I see; you're afraid of her," said Smart, smiling.</p> - -<p>"Not eggzactly dat, cap; not eggzactly—I ain't afeared ob nothin'; -no, sah, dat I ain't, but she shuah do make me nervous; she shuah -do make me feel—well, I jest don't know how, but it'll be best fo' -you—fo' you, cap—if we start fo' Noo York before she gits here. Yo' -understand?"</p> - -<p>Captain Smart thought a moment. He had heard of Bahama Bill's wife, -the well but not favourably known "Fighting Jule," of Key West. On the -whole, it was worth considering. They might make the run in five or six -days. It had been done before, but not often. The <i>Sea-Horse</i> was an -able sloop, but that was testing her too much. The great six-masters -had made the run to Havana in five days, two hundred miles farther on, -but they seldom did it in ten. It was a great risk; a risk which might -end up in the loss of the entire consignment, for they might not be -able to get another chance for a sale.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[Pg 299]</a></span></p> - -<p>On the other hand, there was <i>Key West</i>, the New York steamer, which -would be due the next morning, and she would take the freight at proper -prices, and be sure to land it in town—she couldn't help it, making -the run North in three days to a certainty. The Key West run seemed to -be the best one, but there were certain other considerations which had -to be thought of.</p> - -<p>"How about Key West?" asked Smart. "Do you think we could run in after -that fracas at Journegan's bar? Won't the police want us pretty bad if -they think they can shake us down for a thousand dollars?"</p> - -<p>"I shuah think dey will dat," assented the mate, "if dey think we got -anything. Dey certainly trim de folks right smart down dere. I reckon -you're right, 'tain't no place fo' us wid a cargo of ca'tridges. I -reckon you're wise; I reckon we'd better be gittin' farther No'th."</p> - -<p>"There's the New York ship from Jacksonville—how's that?" asked Smart. -"We can make that run in two days with a good wind——"</p> - -<p>"Git de mainsail on her—Sam, Heldron—lay aft, yo fellers," said -Bahama Bill, springing to action. "We'll catch de Saturday ship, an' -git de stuff in town in plenty o' time—dat's de lay—Jacksonville—an' -dere's de smoke o' de <i>Key West</i> comin' up de Hawk's Channel—see him?" -And he pointed to the southward.</p> - -<p>"I'll go ashore and get my clothes. They're at the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[Pg 300]</a></span> Chinese laundry," -said Smart, jumping into the small boat.</p> - -<p>"Yo' want toe hurry up—we ain't got no time toe lose. Git my shirts, -too, cap. I dun left 'em with de Chink las' week—an' git a five-poun' -ham on de way back, we'll need a bit o' grub——"</p> - -<p>Smart was already rowing briskly toward the shore, where he landed and -made his way rapidly up the street. Wah Lee, the Chinaman who ran the -laundry, stood within his doorway and gazed with mild amazement at the -unwonted gait of the seaman. Fast walking was not the habit of the -Florida cracker, and to see a man sprint along at Smart's gait aroused -the suspicion that he was either making a "getaway" from some one or -something, or was bent upon most important business.</p> - -<p>"He allee samee good mans," said Wah Lee, to one of his numerous -brothers ironing a shirt. "Wachee mee skinee him—allee samee bunk. Him -sailor fell! Him gotee mon, mon, mon. Me con mans, allee samee bunk. -Ha! ha! You see."</p> - -<p>Smart stepped into the shanty with a brisk step.</p> - -<p>"Get the clothes up, John. Get 'em tied fast right away—all, Bahama -Bill's and mine both—hurry, you savvy? Hurry." And the sailor handed -over his slip.</p> - -<p>"You go to sea to-day?" asked the active Lee, scurrying around behind -his counter and trying to match the slip of paper with its strange -characters to one of the many bundles already tied fast with white<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[Pg 301]</a></span> -twine, and laid carefully upon the shelves along the walls.</p> - -<p>"Yes; sail in a minute—hurry up. Got to get to sea before the steamer -gets in——"</p> - -<p>"Ah! Allee same good—you take him. Two dolla' fiftee cent."</p> - -<p>"What! For just three shirts and two ducks? You are a robber."</p> - -<p>"Two dolla' fiftee cent, allee right—you pay him—no shirt, no pay -him," said the usurious Lee, lowering truculently at the skipper. One -of his brothers sniggered.</p> - -<p>When a Celestial sniggers at a white man it is bad. Especially if the -white man happens to be a sailor—and in a hurry. Just what makes the -Easterner an inferior is not quite definite, not quite clear to the -socialistic mind, but that he is inferior is generally conceded—among -white men. Among the Orientals there is a quite different opinion -based upon their point of view, which, when discussed from its ethical -standpoint, is not illogical or unreasonable. Sailors seldom are -analytical, seldom go into the reason of things; they are content to -accept them as they are, or as they appear to be. Therefore, Smart was -much wroth at the sniggering Chink, the more so because he knew he was -being cheated by Wah Lee in his wash bill.</p> - -<p>But Wah Lee was a hatchetman. He was a leader of the Hip Sing Tong, and -a very bad Chinese to fool with. He was in Florida only for his health, -not for gain; and the fact that gain came his way was inci<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[Pg 302]</a></span>dental. He -took advantage of it. His little ratlike eyes glinted strangely as he -spoke his soft sing-song speech.</p> - -<p>"Two dolla' fiftee cent—no shirt, no pay—you savvy?" he drawled.</p> - -<p>"Come, come, John, be quick about it, and don't put up any -foolishness—I haven't time to play this morning," said Smart quickly. -"Get the clothes or I'll wade in and take charge of some of those on -the shelves."</p> - -<p>"You pay two dolla' fiftee cent—you no' pay right off you pay tlee -dolla' slixty cent," sang Mr. Wah Lee, his eyes still narrowing, and -his hands feeling softly in among his sleeves, where he kept his -weapons; "I no time to foolish mans."</p> - -<p>"You're on the 'bunk,' then," said Smart; "is that it?"</p> - -<p>"Two dolla' fiftee cent, or——"</p> - -<p>His answer was quickly given. Smart swung for his jaw, and landed -full upon the Oriental chin. Wah Lee went to the floor with a crash, -bringing down an ironing-board with him; the flat-irons, clothes, and -other gear rolling in a mess. He drew a huge, blue-barrelled gun from -his sleeve, and, while he lay supine, levelled it at the sailor. Smart -missed getting the shot by a hair, and managed to land a kick upon -Lee's pistol-arm before the furious Chink could fire, whereupon not -less than four powerful hatchetmen, trained athletes from the Orient, -sprang upon him at once.</p> - -<p>The seaman was dumfounded at the assault. A<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[Pg 303]</a></span> Chink was beneath -contempt, and to find oneself beset by several powerful Orientals, who -were more than his match, was simply heart-breaking, pride-destroying. -He swung right and left, furiously clinched, and the five of them -rolled with a surging smash against the counter, breaking it down -in a mass of splinters, sending clothes, boards, and other laundry -paraphernalia in all directions.</p> - -<p>One of the men let out a shrill yell, and the two not fighting sprang -to the doors and slammed them fast. It would not do to let the populace -of the town see the fracas. A Chinaman never advertises the fact that -he is a fighter, and is never glad to have it found out, especially -among Americans. Besides, had not the foreign pig struck down their -leader, the most high Wah Lee, and had not the august Lee essayed to -kill the pig—was he not doomed?</p> - -<p>Yet none of them wished to act as executioner without direct and -explicit orders from the chief. This was a poor country to kill a man -in, his friends always made such a fuss; and the police with clubs -always made it bad, impossible to hide for a very long time. A rope and -a neighbouring tree were the usual finishing touches if they failed to -find the lost one.</p> - -<p>Smart fought with a fury born of broken pride, lost self-esteem. He was -degraded, lowered to the level of common Chinks, and he gave short-arm -jolts with amazing lifting power begotten of many years' hard hauling -upon lines.</p> - -<p>With both hands and feet he strove wildly to free<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[Pg 304]</a></span> himself from the -tangle of baggy sleeves, cotton trousers, and yellow arms. The mass of -struggling men rolled and surged over the floor. Smart raised himself -again and again to his knees, striking, punching, clinching, using -elbows, feet, and knees; and the tide of struggling forms flowed across -the room, demolishing everything in its path.</p> - -<p>Wah Lee tried in vain to use his gun, and a fellow ruffian tried to -strike with the deadly little hatchet used for such occasions, but ever -and again the pile of struggling arms, legs, and bodies prevented. -The noise of the struggle was drowned in the shrill curses of the -contestants, while the sailor fought silently like a bulldog, gripping, -smashing, kicking, and flinging the mass about in the vain hope to -throw them off enough to get in a full arm-stroke from his fists. If -he could but strike a full swing once or twice he felt sure of the -outcome, for a Chinaman will seldom stand to a full-arm stroke upon the -jaw.</p> - -<p>Wah Lee, seeing that to shoot was to endanger his men, dropped his gun -into his cash-drawer, and fell foul of the bunch to try to do his share -in overcoming the foreign pig. His remaining followers seeing him, -flung themselves into the pile, and the mass of men was increased.</p> - -<p>Smart began to feel the extra weight of numbers. He was growing -tired, and, in spite of his excellent wind, was panting hoarsely, his -breathing hampered considerably by gripping fingers he was forced to -tear time and again from his throat. He raised himself to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[Pg 305]</a></span> his knee -for the last giant effort. His heart was breaking. He smashed wildly, -furiously; plunged, bucked, threw himself about, twisting, turning, -striving with the last remnant of his dying strength. Then he gradually -gave way, growing weaker, fighting slower, sinking gradually down, -while the pile of men fastened their grips upon him for the finish. In -a few moments he was lying limp, and the panting Celestials rose, one -after the other, to their feet, while Wah Lee passed a line about the -sailor's arms and legs, making him secure.</p> - -<p>It had been a most excellent affair; a most magnificent affray worthy -of a sailor striving for his rights; and Wah Lee gazed with narrowing -eye at the form while he panted out his losses to the surrounding -brothers of his Tong. The entire front of the laundry was swept bare, -the ironing-boards smashed, the clothes in masses of rags; bundles and -papers rolled and mixed in confusion. Flat-irons, holders, chairs, -and shelves arranged themselves in piles as though an earthquake had -swept through the place; and, while Lee looked sadly at the wreck, he -murmured: "Two dolla' fiftee cent."</p> - -<p>It had been a bad business for the Chinaman. He had made another -mistake, but he would wreak his vengeance at will now upon the helpless -Smart. Hot irons, melted lead, and quicklime were some of the items -running through his furious mind, and just when and how he would use -them upon his victim. He would have to wait to see if the white pig -had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[Pg 306]</a></span> many friends, who might make a thorough search, but sailors, as a -rule, had no friends at all; they were soon forgotten—then he would go -to work.</p> - -<p>In the meantime he would place the seaman where the mosquitoes would -not trouble him, after first relieving him of any unnecessary valuables -he might have upon his despicable person.</p> - -<p>Into a filthy den he carried the now insensible Smart, casting him into -a foul bunk, which had been used by a smoker of the drug common to the -Chinese coolie, and carefully covering him, so that no one would notice -the form even should the retreat be discovered. Then he set about with -his helpers to straighten up the shop.</p> - - -<p class="center">PART II</p> - -<p>During the period of time Smart spent in serious argument with the -august Lee, Bahama Bill fretted and fumed about the deck of the -wrecking-sloop, <i>Sea-Horse</i>. Sam and Heldron both came in for a -dressing, and both narrowly escaped getting a morning bath, for the -big black mate was in a passion at the delay. The steamer from Key -West came to the dock, and a form—the unmistakable form of "Fightin' -Jule"—stepped ashore, and moved with no uncertain stride in the -direction of the <i>Sea-Horse</i>.</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill grunted forth anathemas, and sprang into the small boat to -gain the wharf before his spouse could intercept him. He felt there -might be something doing. When he arrived at the landing he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[Pg 307]</a></span> looked up, -and gazed right into the eyes of his partner.</p> - -<p>"Huccum yo' toe git heah, Jule?" asked Bahama Bill.</p> - -<p>"I come wid de boat, shuah, nigger. How yo' think I come—swim? I come -toe see just what yo' doin'; why yo' don't come home. I knows yo', -Bill, yo' been runnin' wid some trashy nigger gal up heah——"</p> - -<p>"It ain't so, Jule——"</p> - -<p>"Don't yo' contradict me, nigger. I <i>knows</i> you. You ain't sent me all -dat money fer nothin'; yo' ain't done it fo' no reason 'cept toe try -toe make me think yo' keers fo' me. Don't yo' make me mad."</p> - -<p>"But, Jule, I got ter git toe sea right away. I ain't done nothin' -but gib up de dough fast as I makes it. Got a cargo ob ca'tridges now -abo'd, an' got toe git dem No'th right away. I jest come heah toe see -you an' git de partner I got in de deal. I sho' nuff glad toe see yo', -Jule."</p> - -<p>"Don' yo' gib me none o' yo' foolishness, Bill. I knows yo'. I tells -yo' I <i>knows</i> yo', an' I'll set right heah tel yo' gits de partner an' -gits ready toe go abo'd dat sloop—I wants to see de kind o' partner -yo' has. Don' talk toe me. Ef I wasn't a lady, I'd knock yo' blame' -haid off. Gwan!"</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill was much disturbed, and he went up the street in no -pleasant frame of mind. His wife he knew would stay right in sight of -the sloop until the sloop sailed, and the indications were she'd want -to go along with him. It was very disturbing to a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[Pg 308]</a></span> man of the mate's -temperament. He went along as a man much occupied with his thoughts, -and looked neither to the right nor left until he reached the main -street. Here he met a sailor from a yacht lying in the harbour, and he -asked him if he had seen anything of Smart.</p> - -<p>"Yo' knows a yacht feller when yo' see him, I reckon; have yo' seen dat -Cap'n Smart?" he said.</p> - -<p>"I saw your captain going toward the laundry about an hour ago," said -the sailor.</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill went into a saloon and took a drink. Where could Smart -have gone, except on a drunk, after going to the laundry. He eyed the -barkeeper sourly, and asked him if he had seen his sailor partner.</p> - -<p>"Sure," said the man of drinks, handing out a square-faced bottle and a -glass. "He stopped over across the way to the Chink's—heard something -of a fracas going on over in that direction—shouldn't wonder if he -beat up the heathen, only that Wah Lee is a corker; a sure winner for a -yaller skin."</p> - -<p>"What yo' mean?" asked Bill.</p> - -<p>"I means that the Chink is a scrapper—kin do 'em up; carries a Gatling -gun in his sleeve. He's only here for a few months in the winter. -Belongs to the Hip Sing Tong, or some secret society in New York. He's -something like Fat Duck, or Bill Puck, or some sech Chink I reads of in -th' papers what does up whole theatres full o' them yaller bellies."</p> - -<p>"Gimme another drink," said Bahama Bill, meditatively gazing into his -empty glass. "It ain't likely<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[Pg 309]</a></span> Cap'n Smart stayed wid no Chinks, but I -goes over dere an' takes a peek, jest fer luck, sah. I shuah ain't got -nothing agin' no Chink, but I reckon I makes de yaller boy tell what he -knows." And as he finished the gin, he put the glass down carefully and -strode forth.</p> - -<p>He walked to the door of the laundry, and looked in where the men were -now hard at work again ironing, their outfit temporarily repaired, and -business going ahead as usual.</p> - -<p>Bill looked at the place for a moment, and his trained eye saw marks of -combat still upon the walls and shelves, which showed in spite of the -new arrangements made.</p> - -<p>"Seen a friend ob mine, a sailor man?" asked the mate, peering into the -door.</p> - -<p>"No see no ones—heap workee, velly busy," replied Wah Lee.</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill entered and stuck forth his big, ugly head right close to -the Chinaman's.</p> - -<p>"You tell me where Cap'n Smart went after cleaning yo' place up, yo' -heah?" he said menacingly.</p> - -<p>The memory of the fracas was heavy upon Wah Lee. He backed away and -drew his big, blue-barrelled gun.</p> - -<p>"You getee 'way velly quick—see?" he said fiercely.</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill reached over like lightning and grasped a Chinaman by the -slack of his pigtail, jerking him in front of himself, and seizing -him with his left hand, to keep him in place. An iron lay handy, and -instantly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[Pg 310]</a></span> it was sailing straight for the head of the belligerent Lee.</p> - -<p>It caught him full in the neck, propelled with the power of the giant -mate's arm, and the Chinaman spun clear across the room, landing limp -and insensible.</p> - -<p>The big gun failed to explode, and went clattering upon the floor. -Instantly Bill sprang for it, and seized its barrel just as a powerful -heathen grabbed it by the stock. The mate wrenched it free with a quick -jerk, and struck the fellow twice upon the top of his shaved head. -Then the whole crowd piled upon him, swarmed up against him, grasping, -clinging, gripping for his throat, while a hatchetman made a pass with -his weapon, which reached the black man's skull.</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill was tough and hard, his head was thick of bone, and, -although the hatchet struck him hard enough to kill an ordinary man, -the blade glanced off, and cut only a big gash in his scalp. The stars -danced before his eyes, and he staggered for an instant, and in that -instant the whole gang closed upon him. Then the realization of his -predicament dawned upon him, and he let forth a mighty yell, tore loose -from the strangling holds upon his neck, and then smashed right into -the crowd with the fury of a wounded tiger, the blood from his head -pouring over him.</p> - -<p>There was a wild mixture of huge black arms, flying forms of pajamaed -Chinamen going through the air, and with yell after yell he grabbed and -smashed the first that came in his path, tearing up the whole place -with the struggle.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[Pg 311]</a></span></p> - -<p>He seized an ironing-board and swung it about his head, yelling -hoarsely. Then he struck right and left with it, knocking Chinese, -gear, and clothes indiscriminately about the room, until there was not -the slightest movement to denote life anywhere but in his own mighty -frame.</p> - -<p>Upon the floor the forms lay about—smashed, stunned, insensible. Then -his fury abating, he stopped for a moment to gaze through the haze of -blood and dust of conflict. He grinned hideously at the sight, his -wound making him grotesquely horrible. Then he was suddenly taken with -an idea.</p> - -<p>He grasped the cue of a Chink and drew it across the room to that -of another, making them fast with a bend. Then he dragged the rest, -the whole six, and fastened them to Wah Lee's cue. It made a pile of -Chinese aggregating about a thousand pounds in dead weight; and he -scanned the mass to contemplate. As he stopped, he was aware of a -sound in the partition. He listened for a moment, and thought he heard -his name called in a low voice—a voice which sounded far away and -indistinct. He roared out a reply, and listened again. Yes, it was the -voice of Captain Smart.</p> - -<p>The captain was begging him to hurry and get him out of somewhere, and -the mate roared out in reply:</p> - -<p>"Where is yo'? Where is yo'? How I get thar?" And he ran along the -partition, trying to discover a door or other opening. Nothing showed, -and, losing patience, he caught up an iron and began smashing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[Pg 312]</a></span> the -planks. In a few minutes he had broken through into a dark recess, into -which he crawled without delay. Something smote him heavily upon the -head, and he fell sprawling, lying helpless and half-insensible, while -a shrill voice cried out in defiance.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Bahama Bill lay dazed and dizzy for a long time; probably ten minutes. -Then he was aware of Smart's voice cursing furiously and calling for -help. The huge mate slowly gathered himself, managed to rise to his -knees, and, as he did so, the light which now shone through the gap in -the partition showed him a slight girl standing over him with an axe. -She had evidently struck him as he came through the bulkhead, and only -her youth and frailness had prevented the blow from finishing him. He -now saw she was about to repeat the operation, and he quickly snatched -the weapon from her, and drew her to him.</p> - -<p>"What fo' yo' hit me?" he asked, angrily.</p> - -<p>"You velly bad mans—go away!" screamed the child.</p> - -<p>Bill searched the surrounding gloom with a quick, comprehensive glance, -and noticed a form lying in a bunk covered with a cloth. He made his -way to it, and uncovered the prostrate form of Smart, securely bound, -but not securely gagged. The sailor could only use his tongue, but he -did use that member to its fullest extent, while he told quickly of the -way he had run up against Wah Lee. Then the sight of Bahama Bill's head -caught his gaze, and he made a wry face.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[Pg 313]</a></span> The giant mate was like a -black fury with his marks of combat upon him.</p> - -<p>"This child is a wife of that rascal," said Smart, explaining the -little girl's presence in such a place. "She's about twelve years old, -and his property—his slave, I suppose you would call it. He keeps her -in here, where no one can ever see her, and she thought you were some -fellow going to harm her when she struck you with the axe. I tried -to tell you as you came through, but couldn't make you hear—that's -better, now cut loose my feet." And the mate passed his knife through -the cords, setting him free.</p> - -<p>"I sho' feel some ashamed toe think yo' dun up by dese Chinks," said -Bill, as Smart rose from the filthy bunk. "Yo' ain't much hurt?"</p> - -<p>"Not hurt at all—not like you," said Smart impatiently.</p> - -<p>"Dat clip was jest accident—shuah, shuah. Dey ain't hurt me none toe -speak of—only a little blood. But dat kid gal cum near killin' me wid -dat axe. I ain't quite through yet. Come along into the room where dey -lays."</p> - -<p>They took the child with them, and crawled through the bulkhead. One of -the wounded men upon the floor had recovered his senses, and was busily -at work trying to loosen his cue as Bahama Bill stepped up. A jolt with -his foot stopped operations for the time, and Smart stood contemplating -the victory.</p> - -<p>"What'll we do about it?" asked the yachtsman.</p> - -<p>"Do? I jest reckon we'll take de whole bunch<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[Pg 314]</a></span> abo'd de ship. We'll need -some extra hands toe make de passage quick. We got toe git a move on, -fo' we got the git dat stuff up toe catch de steamer at Jacksonville. -Dere's a cyart right in dat co'ner, sah. Help me pile 'em in."</p> - -<p>Smart, still furious from the treatment he had received, lent a willing -hand, and in a few minutes they had the whole bunch of Celestials -dumped in the cart and made secure.</p> - -<p>"What'll we do wif dat little gal?" asked Bill, eying the child. "She -ain't all Chink, by de looks; reckon she's a half-breed."</p> - -<p>"We'll have to take her with us," said Smart, and so they started out -of the shop, pushing the cart with the Chinese before them; and they -attracted no attention for some minutes, for the affrays had been -little noticed, as there had been no gun-fire.</p> - -<p>"Hold on, let's get the clothes," said Smart, running back into the -doorway and grabbing what bundles he could reach handily, and which had -still been left intact from the whirlwind passage of the giant mate. He -tossed them into the cart, and they went rapidly down to the dock.</p> - -<p>Some small boys and one or two loafers followed, wishing to see the -fun, but no one molested them or inquired their purpose. They reached -the water-side without mishap. Fighting Jule was sitting there waiting -for her lord to show up, and she was in anything but a sweet humour. -The sight of the little Chinese<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[Pg 315]</a></span> girl made her alter her purpose to -assault her huge partner, and she inquired briskly into details.</p> - -<p>"Yo' take de kid an' keep her till we git de crew abo'd," said Bill, -with the first approach at gentleness in his voice.</p> - -<p>Jule took the child. She was motherly, matronly, and affectionate, -though a fighter. Her own progeny were safe at Key West, and this -little yellow girl, this Chinese, appealed to her curiosity and -motherhood alike. She gathered her in her arms and looked her over in -wonder, while the men lowered their victims into the small boat.</p> - -<p>"Huccum yo' toe be wif dem Chinks—is yo' de little pickaninny ob dat -Wah Lee man?" she asked.</p> - -<p>"Me Wah Lee's wife," said the child, crying.</p> - -<p>"Yo' stop tellin' me lies, lil' gal; yo' ain't nothin' but a baby."</p> - -<p>"Me Wah Lee's wife. He bought me last moon. Velly bad mans takee Wah -Lee away; velly bad mans takee me." The child spoke remarkably well for -a Chinese.</p> - -<p>A crowd of loafers had now been attracted by the unusual proceedings, -and, in spite of the apathy of the Florida cracker, they managed to -excite some wonder as to what the men of the <i>Sea-Horse</i> were about. -In less time than it takes to tell it, Bahama Bill and Smart had the -Mongolians aboard, where Sam and Heldron were instructed to look after -them, and see that they went to work as soon as they were recovered -sufficiently to do duty.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[Pg 316]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Ef yo' boys don't want toe work dis trip, yo' kin make de Chinks work -fo' yo'. Dey owes us a bit ob work. Break out dat hook an' git dat jib -on her."</p> - -<p>In less than five minutes the <i>Sea-Horse</i> was standing down the channel -out to sea, Sam and Heldron lost in amazement at the turn of affairs. -Some of the loafers on the dock shouted out something, but they made no -reply, and in a few minutes were beyond hailing.</p> - -<p>"De boat leaves fo' home at six—I reckon you'll hab toe cum wif me," -said Jule, leading the little girl away and gazing angrily after the -<i>Sea-Horse</i>. "Ef I wasn't a lady I'd shuah knock dat coon in de haid," -she added. "I dun paid er dollar an' a half fo' toe git heah, an' now I -got toe go home—cum."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"I reckon I'll change mah clothes en clean up er bit," said the mate, -after they rounded the point and stood away northward.</p> - -<p>"So will I," said Smart. "Better open up the clothes I brought and get -some clean ones."</p> - -<p>Several of the shanghaied men were now able to get about, and Sam took -them in charge. Wah Lee gazed about him dizzily, but made no comment. -Heldron had passed his knife through his cue, cutting it off close to -his head, in order to loose him from the bunch. He looked angrily at -the sailor, and felt his strange-looking pate with a rueful hand.</p> - -<p>"You heap sabbee work," said Sam. "Git busy,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[Pg 317]</a></span> you dam' Chink." And -he helped the truculent Tong leader to his feet with the toe of his -sea-boot.</p> - -<p>The fight was pretty well worked out of Wah Lee, for he obeyed as best -he could, glancing with narrowing, wicked eyes at the sailor. Lines -were coiled up at the direction of the two men, and in less than half -an hour Sam and Heldron were lying at ease, hurling directions at the -bunch of Celestials, who endeavoured to obey orders.</p> - -<p>Bahama Bill washed his wounded head, which ached sorely. Then he sought -clean clothes from the bundles brought from the laundry. By some chance -Smart had gotten hold of nothing save female apparel, but one bundle -happened to contain several pairs of pajamas; and, as the weather was -quite warm, he donned a suit and came on deck. Bahama Bill had no -recourse but to do likewise. He jammed his huge limbs into a pair of -the loose trousers, which came to his knees. This appeared not so bad, -for he was used to going barefooted. The loose coat covered him, the -sleeves reaching to his elbows; and thus attired he, also, came on deck -to take a look around.</p> - -<p>The recalcitrant Wah Lee looked lugubriously at the black mate.</p> - -<p>"Where you takee me?" he asked. "Where you go?"</p> - -<p>"Toe China, toe de land ob Chinks," said Bahama Bill lugubriously, -scowling at his former adversary. "Git out de shears, Sam; an' yo', -Heldron, git out de line toe make de Chinks fast."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[Pg 318]</a></span></p> - -<p>"What for you do?" asked Wah Lee.</p> - -<p>"Me showee you, me showee you," snarled Bahama Bill. "Is yo' good -barber, cap'n?"</p> - -<p>"I reckon I can cut the hair fairly well," assented Smart.</p> - -<p>"De razzer ob mine is in de locker, toe de right," suggested Bill.</p> - -<p>Wah Lee was quickly tied fast and his hair cut close. Then a lather was -made, and before many minutes his head was shaved as clean as a fairly -good razor could shave it.</p> - -<p>"Next!" called Bahama Bill, in the tone of a barber.</p> - -<p>All went through the same operation, two of the pigtails being kept as -souvenirs of the occasion. The débris was thrown overboard.</p> - -<p>"Now yo' Chinks git out de soap an' de water—show 'em where dey -is kept, Heldron—an' I wants toe see dishear ship washed fo' an' -aft—see? Heap sabbee? I wants toe see dishear ship come inter -Jacksonville lookin' like a yacht; lookin' like she was something toe -be proud ob. Git toe work."</p> - -<p>The wind held fair, and for two days the <i>Sea-Horse</i> ran up the coast, -making six or seven knots, raising the jetty off the bar the third -day out. The sloop had been scrubbed alow and aloft, her decks rubbed -white, her spare sails even scrubbed clean, and she looked good to a -nautical eye as she rounded the sea-buoy and stood up the St. John's -River for town.</p> - -<p>The inhabitants of Mayport and Pilotown were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[Pg 319]</a></span> treated to the novel -sight of a heavily built sloop manned by a crew large enough for -a four-master, the officers uniformed in bright-coloured pajamas, -which fitted not at all, and the larger part of the hands distinctly -Mongolian. The customs officer stopped her and boarded her without -delay.</p> - -<p>"Where do you come from—China?" asked the official, in amazement.</p> - -<p>"Yo' surely ain't forgot de ole <i>Sea-Horse</i>, Marse Hennery," said -Bahama Bill, coming on deck and recognizing an old acquaintance in -the boarding officer. "We got a consignment ob ca'tridges—American -ammunition—here's de papers, an' de crew we shipped in a hurry, -without gittin' time toe sign 'em on in regular shape; but dey is all -right; dey belongs right in dishear State."</p> - -<p>As it is not necessary to sign on hands in small vessels coasting -unless there is especial reason for it, the officer left without -further remark, and the <i>Sea-Horse</i> proceeded on her way.</p> - -<p>The steamer for New York was at the dock, and would not sail until -after dark. There was plenty of time to make the consignment and get -the bill of sale through. The unruly crew were kept at work hoisting -out cases of ammunition until all was aboard the steamer. Then the -ship was washed down and gear put in place, and the <i>Sea-Horse</i> looked -almost like a pleasure craft.</p> - -<p>"I will give you a thousand dollars for her," said<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[Pg 320]</a></span> a shipper who had -been attracted by the strange uniforms and crew.</p> - -<p>"Make it fifteen hundred," said Bahama Bill.</p> - -<p>"She will never be in better condition to sell," cautioned Smart, who -felt as though losing an old friend.</p> - -<p>They finally compromised on twelve hundred, and, as Captain Sanders -showed up before dark, dead broke and very thirsty, he was more than -willing to get cash for his share. The deal was made, the money paid, -and the Celestial crew were at last allowed to go ashore.</p> - -<p>Wah Lee made for the depot with his followers. He had no thought for -seeking redress by the aid of the authorities, for, with the Tong men, -the foreign pigs are always dealt with personally. There were plenty of -Chinese who ran laundries in Jacksonville who could be levied upon to -produce the railroad fare to get him and his gang back to their place -of business.</p> - -<p>With new clothes and rigged out splendidly, all hands left the dock -long before darkness set in. Smart had a receipt for his share of the -salvaged ammunition, and the feeling that he had several thousand -dollars was not distasteful to him. His cruise on the wrecking-sloop -had been successful, and it was with a somewhat mixed feeling he said -good-bye to the big black mate.</p> - -<p>"Good-bye, cap," said Bahama Bill. "I shuah like yo', an' yo' shuah -done well wif me—good-bye. Mebbe we kin make a new deal some day. -Dere's<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[Pg 321]</a></span> plenty ob money wracking, ef yo' know how toe wrack right. -Mebbe Sanders an' us kin go inter de business right, and git a bigger -ship. Let me heah from yo'."</p> - -<p>"I certainly will," said Smart. "Good-bye." And the giant fingers of -the mate of the <i>Sea-Horse</i> closed upon his own with their firm, solid -grip.</p> - -<p>Late that night a sheriff came rapidly down the dock to where the -steamer was just pulling out.</p> - -<p>"Seen anything of the sloop <i>Sea-Horse</i>?" he asked several bystanders.</p> - -<p>"Thar she lays—right at the dock," said the watchman of the wharf.</p> - -<p>"Ah!" He smiled grimly.</p> - -<p>"You want the crew?" asked the watchman.</p> - -<p>"I certainly do that," said the sheriff. "There's a bit of a charge of -kidnapping against the mate and captain. Ran off with a whole lot of -Chinks from below. They are aboard, I suppose?"</p> - -<p>"That sloop was sold out hours ago, the crew gone, and the whole thing -settled before five o'clock. It ain't likely you'll come up with the -men you're after in this town. No, sir, they don't belong here—good -night." And the watchman grinned as the sheriff, after gazing down at -the deserted vessel, sadly went his way.</p> - -<p>At the station Bahama Bill looked up to the window where Smart sat in -the train. He felt the parting with the keenness often developed in the -African character, and he was loath to leave until the train pulled -out.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[Pg 322]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Good-bye ag'in, cap; good-bye," he called up to him as the train -gathered headway slowly.</p> - -<p>Sanders stood near, and, not knowing the friendship between the two, -was a little disconcerted at the mate's warmth.</p> - -<p>"Come on, we take the train going the other way, Bill," he said, as the -mate waved his hand.</p> - -<p>"Shuah, shuah. Good-bye, cap——He was all right, Sanders; dat yacht -feller was all toe de good. I ain't got but one t'ing agin' him."</p> - -<p>"What's that?" asked Captain Sanders.</p> - -<p>"Well—er—er, well, I cayn't hab de highest regyard fo' his—well, -sah, I don't know jest how toe say it, but he sho' never ought toe been -dun up by dem Chinks—dat's all."</p> - -<p>He put his hand into his pocket and drew forth two handsomely braided -queues.</p> - -<p>"Yo' see dese heah? Well, I'se gwine toe make a nice dog-whip ob dem -fo' mah little boy Will toe play wif." And he stroked their satin -length approvingly as he boarded the cars for home.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[Pg 323]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="XIV" id="XIV">XIV</a></p> - -<p class="center">The Edge of the Roncador</p> - - -<p>"<span class="smcap">The</span> Canal needs men to dig," said Booker, the head of the firm of -shippers at Kingston, "it's up to us to get 'em and it's up to you to -take 'em to Colon—"</p> - -<p>"But I'm not running a slaver, I'm a merchantman, by George, an' you -can go to—"</p> - -<p>"Hold on, Captain James," broke in the man of affairs, "if you can't -run the <i>Enos</i>, a little five hundred ton steamer the way she should be -run, it'll be about time for me to look for another skipper."</p> - -<p>"But, Mr. Booker, she's as rotten as punk—there ain't a plate in her -thicker'n a sheet of blotting paper, an' blame little stronger. She -really ain't fit to run passengers even if you bribe the inspectors to -let us. I ain't kickin' about the way you've treated me, it ain't that -at all, but to ram that ship full o' niggers and send her out is mighty -nigh murder, an', that's a fact."</p> - -<p>Captain James was a shifty, fat and altogether sodden specimen of the -tropical white islander. He had lost a fine vessel, and being unable -to get another had drifted about the West Indies handling whatever -he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">[Pg 324]</a></span> could command. Booker, Benson & Co. had found use for him in one -of their old ships which had seen her best days running bananas to -New Orleans. She had made money, paid for herself ten times over, and -now she was just able to stagger along with leaky boilers and scaled -plates to the tune of seven knots, heading, as James always thought, -for the port of missing ships. Each voyage seemed to be her last, but -she somehow drifted in to her port of destination with pumps working -and crew mutinous, to discharge and stagger home again. James could not -afford to give her up. To do so would have meant ruin for him, and as -long as her owners paid him his seventy-five dollars per month—enough -to pay for his rum and clothes—he stuck to her with the sullenness -of a hungry bulldog gripping a dry bone. How he hated her. He cursed -her daily, he swore at her free and fluently whenever she dipped her -dull gray sides into the beautiful blue water of the Caribbean at each -roll, and when he brought her to her dock, which he did with much care -and concern, his exclamations at her perverseness to minding the helm -were marvels of linguistic art. His mate, a tall, thin, saturnine -Scotchman with bleary eyes from rum and cola, would sometimes deign -to look at him with a languid interest during these moments of loud -speech, and once—only once—he had allowed himself to be so absorbed -in contemplating his master, that he forgot to cast the bowline from -the drum of the donkey engine which was winding it in, and by so doing -pulled and tore<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_325" id="Page_325">[Pg 325]</a></span> out an iron cleat upon the dock end. Then pandemonium -had reigned and the silent mate soon retired to the privacy of his room -to still his quaking conscience and steady his shaking nerves with -potations of his favourite beverage, rum and cola.</p> - -<p>"You will proceed to Boddertown, and then to Georgetown in the Great -Cayman, and after seeing Jones there, who will see to clearing you all -right, you will run the crowd to Colon, do you understand," said Mr. -Booker to his ship-master.</p> - -<p>"How many will there be?" asked James sullenly, after finding that his -argument was of no avail.</p> - -<p>"As many as she will carry—how many do you say, five hundred?"</p> - -<p>"Good Lord, Mr. Booker—what? Five hundred niggers in that bit of a -ship? Man, think a little."</p> - -<p>"She has her ventilators—has both holds well-ventilated, a fruiter -is as comfortable below as on deck, has as much ventilation with her -blowers as a liner—"</p> - -<p>"Make it three hundred at the limit," said James with more decision -than his employer had ever given him credit for.</p> - -<p>"Er—er, well, let it go at that, then. You'll attend to stowing 'em, -give 'em plenty of grub—it's only a couple of days with good weather, -and they can stand on deck for that time."</p> - -<p>"All right, then," said the sailor with a sigh. He was not a bad man, -only weakened by misfortune. Had he lived a little differently, had -better luck and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">[Pg 326]</a></span> governed his thirst, he would have compared favourably -with many of the best skippers in the West India trade. He arose, -clapped on his grass hat and mopped his red face, squared his fat -shoulders under his dirty white linen coat, and strode forth into the -glaring sunshine. He went down the street, stopped at a saloon, took -several drinks, and after that went aboard, rousing the chief engineer -and ordering steam for five o'clock that afternoon.</p> - -<p>"We will get to sea before dark," said he to the mate Mr. McDuff. -"Don't get too drunk, we've got a big job—I'll tell you later."</p> - -<p>A week later the <i>Enos</i> was steaming over the calm and beautiful -Caribbean. The sky was a tropical blue dotted with the lumpy trade -clouds, and the sea was that beautiful tint only seen during perfect -weather. She was running along smoothly down past the Quita-suena Bank, -between it and the Serrano Cays, and so far all had gone well. Jones -had proved an agent worthy of Mr. Booker's best expectations. He had -managed to get together three hundred and ten strapping fellows who -were destined to dig for the good of maritime commerce, and he had held -out inducements which, while models of veracity, were also works of -art. He had made even the most sordid details of life upon the Isthmus -appear in the garb of most attractive romance, and money—why, money -was the thing the Canal cared less for than anything in the world. -Three hundred and ten men were destined to be rich in this world's -goods. He had con<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">[Pg 327]</a></span>vinced even the most skeptical of this, and the only -thing that kept the rest of the population upon the Cayman was the size -of the <i>Enos</i>. He wished to ship five hundred, but James was sturdy -enough to stop him. Under the influence of six copious drinks of rum -and cola, he had managed to put up a determined opposition. He finally -threatened to go ashore and get very drunk if another man was sent him, -and Jones knowing him to be quite capable of keeping his word in this -respect, desisted at three hundred and ten.</p> - -<p>"You fat sea-scutt, I'd fry the grease out o' you if I could get -another man to take the ship," said Jones in a fury. "I get a dollar -a head for those niggers, an' you've done me to the tune of two -hundred—but you can bet I won't forget you, you lobster, you blamed -fat lobster—"</p> - -<p>Captain James contented himself with calling the agent every name he -could remember that carried disgrace or disrespect along with it, and -after that stood upon the bridge storming and fuming, every now and -then bursting forth when some new and especially choice adjective -happened to reach his memory.</p> - -<p>By the time the <i>Enos</i> reached the vicinity of Quita-suena Bank, the -skipper had cooled both mentally and physically, the evaporation of the -rum with which he supplied himself producing a revivifying effect only -to be appreciated by one who is addicted to rum and cola. His wrath had -subsided until he scarcely mumbled his disdain for the energetic Jones, -and his face,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328">[Pg 328]</a></span> always red and swollen from both the fierce sunshine and -his diet, now took on a more natural hue.</p> - -<p>"Let her go well to the westward of the Roncador," said he to McDuff as -the mate came on the bridge that evening. "The current is very strong, -and I ain't quite certain of the rate of our chronometer. Got a jolt -last voyage and seems to be going wrong ever since. Get your lights -burning brightly to-night—there'll be some ships passing and there's -no use saving five cents' worth of oil for that buzzard, Booker—and -tell the chief to hustle her along, toss in the coals, and if the -second is drunk, turn the hose on him, for we'll have to drive her -through. The niggers will have to go below at eight bells; can't have -'em lying about the deck all night getting in the way. It's cool enough -with the blowers on—keep 'em turned to the wind, that's your business. -South five east by Standard, and that'll be about south two by the -binnacle—keep your eye peeled. That's all."</p> - -<p>Captain James retired to his room while the <i>Enos</i> rolled slowly down -the Caribbean, dipping her gray sides alternately into the smooth sea -which rolled lazily. The gathering darkness still showed the forms of -many big coloured men lying upon the now silent deck, but when eight -bells struck off they were told to go below, and after that the deck -was deserted save by the men of the watch.</p> - -<p>Below in the 'tween-decks, where the banana racks had been removed, the -islanders were grouped in hot and uncomfortable groups. The blowers -made ven<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329">[Pg 329]</a></span>tilation sufficient, but the air was warm and the odour from -three hundred hot bodies made it far from pleasant. The bo'sn who had -herded the crowd below stood near the hatchway in conversation with a -huge islander.</p> - -<p>"Yes, I know it's yo' orders, but I don't see why the captain makes us -stay below. I am a sailor man, sare, and I will not be in the way if -yo' let me go on deck for the night," said the negro.</p> - -<p>"I ain't got nothin' to do with it," answered the bo'sn, "my orders is -you stay here below—an' here you stays."</p> - -<p>"But if I give you my word as a sailor man to help on deck, don' yo' -think yo' can allow me?" persisted the giant good-naturedly. "Look at -me, sare, I very warm." And he showed his bare chest running water.</p> - -<p>"Aw, you niggers ain't satisfied wid anything," said the bo'sn -impatiently. "You'll get to a hotter place 'n this before you -leave Panama. Get your crowd to sleep, fer I'm goin' to fasten the -hatch—there's water a-plenty in them barrels, you kin drink all you -want, an' if you get short holler for the second to start the donkey -an' pump some more in."</p> - -<p>"Very well, I reckon I must do as yo' say," and the giant negro -settled himself among his followers, who gradually made the best of -circumstances and went to sleep.</p> - -<p>Midnight found the <i>Enos</i> ploughing along over the smooth swell, a -bright moon shining upon the sea<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_330" id="Page_330">[Pg 330]</a></span> and making it almost as light as day. -McDuff on the bridge walked to and fro trying to keep awake, while -the hiss and tinkle of the side-wash was the only sound that broke -the stillness. The slight vibrations from the worn-out engines barely -reached the forward part of the ship, and only the low noise of the -foam told of the ship's headway. She might almost have been at anchor, -rolling slowly from side to side as she took the long easy swell upon -her beam. The chief mate was warm and dry. He had been without liquid -refreshment for nearly four hours, and he saw a long vista ahead of -him into which the nose of the old ship pointed. He speculated a few -moments. He might go below for a drink, for there was nothing in sight, -and although it was against even the orders of James to drink while on -duty, there was no reason to suppose any one would be the wiser should -he do so. He went down the steps from the bridge and entered his room, -pouring forth from a bottle a good, nifty drink, and fizzing it well up -with the sparkling cola—ah, was there ever such refreshment anywhere -else in the world—what was that? Hark,—a jolt ran through the ship, -a slight jar, causing her to tremble. It seemed to McDuff as if the -engines stopped for a few moments—but no, they were going again, for -he could feel the vibration. He hurried on deck.</p> - -<p>When he reached the bridge he looked about the horizon, and for a few -minutes saw nothing save the dim line where the night met the sea. Then -he gradually took in an outline close aboard to port. It was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_331" id="Page_331">[Pg 331]</a></span> white, -and while he gazed he heard the low snore of the surf of the Roncador. -Almost instantly the chief engineer called up from below through the -tube.</p> - -<p>"What's wrong?" he asked. "Seemed to hit something an' knock the engine -out a bit, but she's goin' all right now—if there's anything wrong -let's have it."</p> - -<p>"Nothin' the matter I know of—port, hard a port," he whispered to -the man at the wheel—"nothing wrong here," he went on to the chief, -speaking through the tube. "If the engine is all right let her go, -ram the coal into her and wake her up." Then to the man at the -wheel—"Steady, steady as she goes—how does she head now?"</p> - -<p>"Sout' b' west, half west, sur," said the sleepy helmsman.</p> - -<p>Five minutes later the chief called up the tube.</p> - -<p>"Water comin' in by the jump—must have hit something—started both -pumps, but she'll be over the fire-room floor in ten minutes—for God's -sake tell me what has happened."</p> - -<p>McDuff stood petrified, irresolute. Then he drew a deep breath and -looked out over the sea and the ship. All was quiet, there was no sign -of panic or trouble below. Gazing aft he saw the two small boats in -their chocks with their canvas covers, and while he looked he knew it -would be but a few moments before the struggle to take possession of -them would begin. Three hundred and thirty men, or all hands, including -the extra messmen, would have to take to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_332" id="Page_332">[Pg 332]</a></span> the boats, which would hold -at the most but forty of them. Nearly three hundred were doomed. Before -dawn they would be in the sea unless he ran the <i>Enos</i> upon the bank. -But he could not do this without calling the captain. It was his ship, -or rather his command, and he knew his duty. He went quickly to the -master's room.</p> - -<p>"What, hit the Roncador? How the—" but James was enough of a seaman -to spring on deck without wasting words. He was a bit groggy, but the -sight of the quiet ship steadied him. There was nothing to fear just -yet. He rang off the engines and the dull boom of the gong sounded -strangely loud through the quiet night, reverberating through the hull -and making those awake curious.</p> - -<p>"For God's sake don't waste any time. Call the chief and second from -below—let 'em keep the pumps going, but we must get those small boats -over and away before the niggers get wind of what is happening. Lord, -if they knew we'd be goners—quick, get the watch quietly and lower -away."</p> - -<p>"But ain't we going to run her ashore, sir?" asked McDuff.</p> - -<p>"Lord, yes, we'll start her fair for the surf, but we must get away if -we want to live. She won't hold together half an hour, an' we'll be a -good mile from solid land—man, man, hurry for your life—those niggers -will take charge of everything—hurry—"</p> - -<p>McDuff needed little urging. He called the watch quietly while the -captain spoke down the tube to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_333" id="Page_333">[Pg 333]</a></span> chief, telling him to get his crowd -up as quickly as he could. In less than two minutes men were working -like mad in the moonlight. Straps were cut and lashings cut, while -the low fierce oaths and half-whispered threats of the frantic men -told of their furious haste. The selfish brute was in supreme control, -and it showed in each strained face and trembling hand. The fire-crew -came tumbling from below, cursing each other as they came out of the -hatches, some vowing to take the lives of those who obstructed their -path, all panting, gasping, rushing about with the wild panic of men -who are suddenly forced to face their end. James swore fiercely at them -and struck right and left with a belaying-pin, threatening, begging -them not to alarm the cargo. It was their only chance.</p> - -<p>The boats dropped noiselessly over the side, the men sliding down the -tackles, clambering down along the lines, all getting into them as -quickly as possible. The half-naked fire-crew with their bare bodies -shoved and pushed for places, and if there had been even a little sea -on they would have swamped the small craft.</p> - -<p>James had run to the bridge intending to point the vessel for the edge -of the reef. He ran the wheel over, but at that moment the second -engineer, who had been told to start the ship ahead, not understanding, -or caring for the cargo, shut off steam and climbed over the side into -the boat below him. There was nothing for the captain to do but go -or be left behind, and he hesitated not an instant, but followed the -sec<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_334" id="Page_334">[Pg 334]</a></span>ond over the side just as the men were pushing off. They rowed -rapidly away from the horrible vicinity, heading due west. Few cared -even to look back at what they felt must become a scene of slaughter, -and only now and then did some conscience-smitten seaman fix his eyes -upon the hull which now rolled silently upon the sea.</p> - -<p>By daylight the boat in charge of McDuff sighted the liner bound for -Colon, and in a few moments their hail was answered. Signals were -made and within an hour the entire outfit was aboard the big ship and -heading for their port of destination.</p> - -<p>It was a terrible tale the men told, a tale of a foundering ship which -had sprung a leak—how the crowd of negroes had fought for the boats -and how the crew, after desperate efforts, had driven them back. There -were many little deficiencies in the tales which their kind-hearted -rescuers essayed to fill, allowing that the stress and excitement had -made the imaginations of many quite acute. James landed the second day -afterwards and reported his vessel lost in mid-ocean, having suddenly -sprung a leak which all efforts failed to stop. She was somewhere in -the vicinity of the Roncador Bank.</p> - -<p>Two days later, while he was standing upon the clock at Colon waiting -for passage on the steamer to Kingston, he noticed a strange-looking -ship coming into the harbour. She was lying on one side until her deck -was awash and she was slowly steaming at the rate of about four knots -an hour. Deep she was in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_335" id="Page_335">[Pg 335]</a></span> the water, so deep that her plimsoll mark -was several feet under, but she was working slowly in. Upon her decks -were a crowd of negroes. As the ship drew near he noticed a huge black -fellow upon the bridge who walked athwart-ships with a determined -stride. The ship was the <i>Enos</i>, there was no mistake about it, his -ship afloat and coming to dock, and the man who walked the bridge and -commanded her was the giant islander, the foreman of the working gang.</p> - -<p>"Yes, Ah'm a sailor man," said the good-natured giant an hour later, -after the tugs had gotten to work pumping the flooded bilge. "Ah'm a -sailor man, an' I brought the Captain James his vessel. I sho'd like to -know if he is still alive, fo' I've reason to think he must hab been -lost in de small boats—has yo' heard anything about him? Yo' kin tell -him Bahama Bill would like to see him!"</p> - -<p>"Yes, he's here all right," announced the inspector.</p> - -<p>"Well, I'd like to have a minute's talk with him, just a moment's -little talk," said the man gently in his musical voice.</p> - -<p>"I'll send for him at once," said the official, "but how did you save -the ship? He said she foundered."</p> - -<p>"Ah, yes, it was a small matter, a matter of a mattress and some -lines—we drew it over the side and under the bilge whar she hit the -edge of de Roncador—oh, yes, it soon stopped and wid the pumps we kep' -her goin', hundreds of us, sare, passin' the water over the side in -barrels and buckets,—yo'<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_336" id="Page_336">[Pg 336]</a></span> think I kin see de captain soon,—Ah'm very -anxious toe speak with him; I sho' is—yo' reckon I kin?"</p> - -<p>Before the ship was properly docked the steamer for Kingston had pulled -out, and upon her decks a crowd of men gazed at the strange vessel -which had just come in. Captain James and McDuff stood side by side -at the rail, and as the ship passed they noticed the giant black man -coming forth from the pilot-house of the <i>Enos</i>. He gazed at them long -and intently.</p> - -<p>"Come, it's all over with us," said McDuff sullenly, "let's go get a -drink."</p> - -<p>The islander stood long in the sunshine, shading his eyes with his -hand, until the steamer was a mere speck out at sea.</p> - -<p>"I sho'd like to hab spoken to Captain James," he said to an agent who -had come to see him about the men to work on the Canal. "Yes, I sho' -feel that he missed somethin'—My name is Bahama Bill."</p> - -<p>"Well, well, never mind him now. Let's get down to business. Let's see -what we can do with this gang. He'll be back after he has seen his -owners and straightened out this affair. He says you acted pretty rough -about trying to take his boats and he had to drive you off. He'll be -back all right an' you can talk with him—"</p> - -<p>"No, he will never come back. No sah. I shall miss dat little talk with -him, but—well, as you say, I'll check off the cargo of men, they're -all good fellows every one. Come—"</p> - -<p>"They're a good gang," said the agent to the engi<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_337" id="Page_337">[Pg 337]</a></span>neer of the local -work that afternoon; "they're as good a set of men as we'll get. Lazy? -Of course they're lazy, did you ever see a black man who wasn't lazy? -Fight? No, they're not much on a fight, but I believe there is one -fellow, the foreman, a Fortune Islander, who is set upon killing—he -has a way of asking after a fellow, the captain of the ship that -brought 'em here, that makes me a bit nervous, he's so blamed gentle -and insistent about seein' him—but he never will, so what's the -difference. I'll turn 'em to in the morning."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_338" id="Page_338">[Pg 338]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="XV" id="XV">XV</a></p> - -<p class="center">The Wrecker</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">On</span> the edge of the Great Bahama, near the turn of the Caicos bank, -the hull of the <i>Stella Polare</i> lay high on the coral reef. She was a -passenger steamer, and had made the run many times between Havana and -the Mediterranean ports. She had run with an easy company, and many -passengers had changed their countries in her; for she had been a crack -packet in her day; and her day had passed, joining the vast host in -limitless time.</p> - -<p>From a distance the black hull loomed large and sinister, a long iron -mass standing out clearly in the surrounding whiteness of coral and -foam. Closer observation showed the rusty plates, the paintless cabin -houses, and the weather-worn woodwork that still remained. Her two -rakish funnels stood slantwise, holding their places by the aid of -rusty guys, the chains and all valuable metal work having long ago -been stripped from her. And so she lay as the <i>Buccaneer</i>, a wrecking -schooner from Nassau, came slowly across the bank.</p> - -<p>The rays of the setting sun shone strongly upon the iron hull, and -the crew of the schooner gazed at her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_339" id="Page_339">[Pg 339]</a></span> from various positions of ease -and lassitude; for the day had been hot and sultry and the air filled -with a brassy coloured humidity that was as thick as a heavy haze on -the horizon. The master of the wrecker was an American named Sanders, -formerly master of the <i>Sea-Horse</i>, and his mate was William Haskins, -known as "Bahama Bill." He was a good-looking fellow, bronzed and fine -featured, and his black hair was streaked with gray. Heavy lines in his -face suggested suffering rather than exposure, although his vocation -was rigorous enough.</p> - -<p>The master had gazed for fully a quarter of an hour at the wreck as the -vessel fanned along before the light breeze, when his mate addressed -him.</p> - -<p>"Shall we get the gear ready, cap? I got a box ob Atlas powder and -twenty fathom of fuse with exploders. Dat's enough, hey?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, get what you need in the small boat," said the master absently. -"You can haul down the jib and let go when you're ready. Give her not -more than four fathoms; for we won't stay here long—looks like it's -coming on bad, and the glass is falling. The bank isn't safe this time -of year. We ought to get into some pocket and tie up." The master spoke -absently, still gazing at the wreck, and the mate noted it.</p> - -<p>"She shuah don' look much like what she do when yo' had her, Cap," said -Bahama Bill.</p> - -<p>"What, the <i>Stella Polare</i>?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sare, an' it warn't so long ago neither. A<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_340" id="Page_340">[Pg 340]</a></span> few years on de reef -make a lot o' difference in her. Seems like yesterday you run her into -Havana fer de last voyage in de old charter. It shuah do, Cap."</p> - -<p>"When you're ready with the small boat I'll go with you," said the -Captain, still gazing at the black hull.</p> - -<p>Anchoring with the fore and mainsails still up, the small boat went -slowly into the bay. There was little or no surf on the lee of the -bank, and the party landed without difficulty. Then they began carrying -their outfit to the wreck. They would break her up, stripping the -plates from her sides for old iron and tearing apart the most valuable -portion of her engines to sell at Key West. It was a job that the men -who had been there before them had declined as unprofitable, for it -required considerable work to strip the plates, and the engines were -well rusted in the half-submerged hull. At high water there was little -of value uncovered in her hold; but the wrecking crew had not been -successful that season, and it was a case of getting what they could. -Wrecks had been few, and the sponging industry, which all wreckers of -the bank usually follow during the summer and hurricane season, had -paid small returns. Dynamite was expensive to use; but it was just as -well to explode a part of it as to have it spoil on their hands. They -could still keep enough for a few loads of fish, for the law of the -reef and bank was never enforced in regard to high explosives, and they -were far away from any prying eyes.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_341" id="Page_341">[Pg 341]</a></span></p> - -<p>The crew carried sledges and hydraulic jacks, with a spare tackle or -two, and the mate carried the explosive. They reached the high side -where the dry sand had banked against it, and one by one mounted to the -deck, the Captain going aft, still gazing at the old hulk in an absent -manner. She was a long ship, and he walked the entire length of her -deck until he reached the taffrail. Then he turned and looked at the -cabin house. His mind was far away from the work he intended. He saw -that deck as it had been in the days gone by, the days of his youth, -and as he looked a strange feeling of loneliness came upon him.</p> - -<p>The deck was there before him, and upon it he saw the faces of the -people who had walked or sat upon it. Even a blistered bit of paint -on the deck-house recalled a certain day in the time gone when he sat -there with the one woman he had lived for, the wife of his youth. A -soft voice called to him and spoke the words he remembered so well. He -almost started, and a choking feeling came in his throat. Yes, he had -sat near that particular spot many times and listened to that voice; -now still, but which seemed to call again. There were the stitches -in the canvas deck covering she used to rub with her foot while -talking, sitting there as they used to do in the old days when the -company allowed him to take his wife with him on the run across. The -deck seemed to slant away and roll from side to side, and he balanced -himself to meet the roll of the ship. The stillness about him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_342" id="Page_342">[Pg 342]</a></span> was -unbroken save by the distant murmur of the sea and the low voices of -the men waiting forward for the work to begin; but he heard nothing -save the voice of the past.</p> - -<p>He went into the deck-house. There was the old settee, now without the -red upholstered cushions. He remembered how many times he had sat there -in the evenings after the voyage was run, and how for years they had -chatted under the light of the saloon lamp when the passengers had all -gone ashore and the ship was deserted by all save the crew. About him -were the signs of wreck and ruin, and he stood for some minutes gazing -about the cabin. A woman's shoe lay mouldy and green upon the floor -near a stateroom door, and it brought a dull pain in his heart as he -noted it. The owner was dead, long dead, probably lost in the hurricane -when the vessel went into her last resting-place. Far away in Nassau -was a mound, grass grown and storm swept, the resting-place of the one -who had made life worth living for him. Soon the sand would bank up -and cover the old hull, and the long beach grass would grow over it, -blotting out all.</p> - -<p>He looked into a deserted room. The door was broken and hung slantwise -upon its one rusty hinge. Then he stepped softly back into the middle -of the saloon and listened. A thousand little things brought back -memories, and he raised his head. "Oh, God! the loneliness of it all!" -he cried.</p> - -<p>In the stillness he thought he heard the laughter of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_343" id="Page_343">[Pg 343]</a></span> a woman's voice. -No, it was the sobbing, and he started. A land crab scuttled across the -floor of the cabin, making a disagreeable rattling as it went. In the -ghastly stillness of the lost ship a thousand sounds seemed to fall -upon his listening ears. He saw the table set and the people sitting -about it, the stewards getting the dinner, and the old questions asked -him of the day's run; but foremost and always was the form of one woman -whose bright smile welcomed him from the table end. He stole forward -and went into his room, the Captain's room of the liner. The wreck and -confusion here were even greater than aft; but he saw nothing now save -the time when they used to sit there, she sewing upon some piece of -woman's work and he poring over the chart which held his course.</p> - -<p>His heart seemed bursting. The ghastly wreck was awful,—it was the -wreck of his hopes,—and he bowed his head and covered his face with -his hands as he sat upon the edge of the bunk. The light was fading; -but he failed to note it. Fifteen, twenty, thirty minutes he sat there, -and the mate, who had returned with the rest of the gear left in the -boat, was searching for him. The sun sank below the sea before that -officer broke into the room and saw him sitting there.</p> - -<p>"It's dun gitting too late toe do enny mo' this evenin', Cap," said he -with a tone of complaint.</p> - -<p>"All right. Go aboard, I'll stay here awhile," said Sanders.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_344" id="Page_344">[Pg 344]</a></span></p> - -<p>There was something in the seaman's face that caused the big mate to -forget his temper at the delay.</p> - -<p>"De men want dere grub, sare," he said quietly, "but I reckon I ken -wait. Shall I send de boat in fo' yo', sare?"</p> - -<p>"Good Lord! let me alone!" he cried. "Go! Leave a boat for me. I'll row -out aboard myself when I'm ready."</p> - -<p>The mate went forward, and the men followed him in the small boat. They -went aboard the schooner for the evening meal, and afterward turned in -for the night. A small boat was towed in by a man in the craft they had -used, and it was left upon the sand.</p> - -<p>Comment was made forward at the Captain's absence. No one understood. -Even the mate, who had an idea, did not think it of enough real -importance to dwell upon it; and so the tropic night fell over the -reef, the haze deepened, and the darkness grew intense.</p> - -<p>In the dull, heated quiet of the early night the Captain sat upon -the ship's rail. He could not stand the oppressive stillness of the -blackness in the cabin. The outline of the surf upon the sea side of -the wreck shone in a line of phosphorus, but the dull glare failed to -outline the vast bulk of the hull. The wind had all died away and the -warmth of the air was felt, being heavy with a moisture and sultriness -that bespoke of a falling glass. But he sat and wandered through the -memories of a past life which was all the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_345" id="Page_345">[Pg 345]</a></span> more bitter because of the -happiness that would never return.</p> - -<p>"She will never come back—never!" he whispered into the void about -him. "I'm so tired—tired of it all!" and he groaned aloud in his -anguish. He would not break up the ship. In the morning he would find -some excuse to tell the mate and crew. He could not tell them the real -one. They would not understand. How could they—poor devils? What had -they known of life, life as he had known it? No, he would weigh his -anchor and sail away over the tropic seas to live out his existence -as Fate had demanded of him. He might kill himself; but there were -others dependent upon him for a living, and he would not do a cowardly -thing, would not cause them suffering to alleviate his own. He must -live on—just on and on to help the few who trusted in his strength -to provide for them. It was no pleasure save to ease their burden. It -would be to-morrow—and to-morrow—and to-morrow—a broken life of -unending work and hardship.</p> - -<p>"God grant I'll not have to make it too long! Let me go to a long—a -long, an unending rest! I want to sleep, to sleep for ever; for I'm -tired out!"</p> - -<p>His voice was deep and vibrant; but it fell upon the empty air, and he -more than ever noted the silence. He gazed to the southward. There was -nothing upon the dark sea. To the eastward it seemed a little blacker; -but over the desolate ocean there came no sound of even a breaking wave -top. For several hours<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_346" id="Page_346">[Pg 346]</a></span> he sat there gazing out into the blackness, and -then sometimes watching the riding light of his vessel as it flickered -upon the oily sea. All was quiet upon the schooner. The tired men were -sleeping, for they expected heavy work on the morrow.</p> - -<p>A low murmur came from the sea. It seemed to come from some distant -point, and rose and fell faintly. Then a flash of lightning lit the -inky darkness to the southeast. He waited to hear the following -thunder; but none came. Minutes afterward the murmur rose again.</p> - -<p>In the sultry air even his breathing oppressed him, and he turned to -fix his limbs in a more comfortable posture. He sat easily now and -waited. Over the sea from the southeast came a low rushing sound, the -sound of a mighty wind, and as he gazed toward it he felt the first -puff in his face. The noise of the surf on the outside of the bank grew -louder. A spurt of sand whistled up against the steel side beneath him. -Then came a fiercer blast, and the storm burst over the reef with a -wild, swirling roar of wind and rain.</p> - -<p>He stood up and faced it. It relieved his feelings, this fury of the -elements, and he seemed to be again upon his ship at sea facing the -hurricane of the West Indies. The dry sand of the upper bank struck the -sides of the wreck with great force, and flying over it cut his face -so that he could not see any longer. He made his way to the lee of the -deck-house and looked out over the water to see how his vessel stood -the strain. The riding light was still showing in the same<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_347" id="Page_347">[Pg 347]</a></span> place; but -a faint rattling told plainly that both anchors were now on the bottom, -and that the mate, with the instinct of the true sailor, was giving -them chain as fast as he could, with the hope of holding on. How it -blew! The wind came in fierce gusts, rushing, tearing, over the lost -ship.</p> - -<p>The sails of the anchored schooner had been lowered just after dark. He -had heard the creaking of the halliards. There would be no great sea -where she lay, but enough to test the strength of the ground tackle she -possessed. He wished vaguely that he had gone aboard. It was the place -for him, upon the deck of his ship.</p> - -<p>He watched the riding light for some minutes. It was jumping now with -the rise and fall of the schooner. It was a desperate undertaking to -row a small boat out to her; but the struggle appealed to him strongly. -He should have gone aboard. He would go, and let himself down over -the side of the wreck, with no concern save for the safety of the -schooner and the crew aboard her. If he failed to make her, it was of -no particular matter.</p> - -<p>The small boat was made fast on the shore, and he reached her easily. -The oars were in her, and she was all ready to row out, for the inside -of the bank was partly sheltered, and there was no sea there yet. It -would be a row across the wind with it a little astern, and he was a -strong man. The wildness of the night seemed to stir something within -him, and he grasped the oars eagerly for the struggle. He sent<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_348" id="Page_348">[Pg 348]</a></span> the -small boat's head out into the night and across that hurricane swept -reef with a feeling of something akin to exhilaration. A blast of wind -flung a sea over her, and the salt sea flew in his face, taking his -breath for the instant; but he spat out the brine and drove the boat -ahead.</p> - -<p>The riding light appeared to get nearer. He was making good headway, -although the water was flying over the boat and tossing her about -like a cork. All around and about him the sea was white with a -phosphorescent light from the breaking seas; but it failed to outline -the hull of his vessel. He headed for the riding light, and he must -make it, or—</p> - -<p>He turned his head now and again to keep the course. The light did not -draw closer very fast, and he knew he was rowing furiously. Then he -noticed that it drew more and more to leeward. He was rowing with the -wind now well aft. He knew what it meant: that his vessel was dragging -her anchors and that there was little or no hope that he would board -her. She might strike, or she might make the open sea. The mate was -an able seaman and would get some canvas on her if he could to try -to fight her off. Out on the wild, storm-swept ocean there might be -safety. To leeward lay certain death.</p> - -<p>He rowed now with increased vigour. He would endeavour to get close -enough to hail her at least, even though he could not board her. Over -the tops of the breaking seas the small boat fairly flew. She was -gaining upon the receding light. The Captain turned<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_349" id="Page_349">[Pg 349]</a></span> his head and saw -he was almost alongside. He made out the voices of the men calling to -each other as they close reefed the mainsail. He could hear the mate's -orders, howled into a shriek, sounding faintly but unintelligible above -the roar of the wind and sea. He now made out the hull of the vessel. -He was close aboard. Then the riding light went out.</p> - -<p>He knew he had seen the ending; for they had put the forestaysail on -her and were driving her out to sea. As for himself, he was a lost man. -He was so close to her now that he stood up and hailed.</p> - -<p>"Keep her east southeast!" he roared out.</p> - -<p>A questioning hail came through the night, a wild, terrified cry.</p> - -<p>"Keep her east southeast! Good-bye!" he answered.</p> - -<p>"Ay, ay, sir! Good-bye, sir!" came the voice of the mate booming -hoarsely above the gale.</p> - -<p>The <i>Buccaneer</i> fought her way out that night. She lost her foresail -and half her other canvas before the finish; but she went to sea safely.</p> - -<p>Three days later she came in and anchored near the wreck of the -steamer. The mate and two men went ashore and searched the reef for -signs of their Captain. The boat was gone, and so was he. This told -the story. Two hours later they were tearing up the rusted hulk of the -<i>Stella Polare</i>, and they carried tons of her to Key West in the little -schooner, with the mate in command.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_350" id="Page_350">[Pg 350]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2"><a name="XVI" id="XVI">XVI</a></p> - -<p class="center">The Barrators</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Mr. Booker,</span> of the firm of Booker, Benson & Co., closed the door of the -inner office.</p> - -<p>"Now, Captain Johns, let's have an understanding at once," said he -in a low tone, "let's make no mistake about this thing. You know we -represent the best there is in the shipping business. You know I've -stood by you. You know how long you'd have been inspector of hulls if -I hadn't fixed it for you with the commissioner. Now, we want James's -certificate returned. He's been master of the <i>Enos</i> for years, and we -can't afford to lose him——"</p> - -<p>"But he abandoned his ship in mid-ocean with passengers aboard," -snapped Captain Johns. "How can we give him a certificate after that, -hey? How'll I get around the fact—— What? I know what I owe you. I -know I'm inspector, but I don't owe you any such rascality as that—no, -sir. I'll lose my place if I do give it to him—you know that—and if I -don't you threaten me——"</p> - -<p>"I threaten no man," interrupted Mr. Booker solemnly. "I simply put it -to you as a business proposition. Captain James is our man. We want -him. Now will you give him back his certificate or not?"</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_351" id="Page_351">[Pg 351]</a></span></p> - -<p>The inspector thought a minute. He was a big man, big, strong, capable -of filling the office of inspector of hulls perfectly. He had been -to sea for more than twenty years and was a first-class navigator, a -first-class seaman. He knew the duties of inspector, and he knew the -law. Upon him rested the responsibility of issuing masters' and mates' -certificates, and he had generally conducted the examinations without -fear or favour. He prided himself upon this point, for it was generally -understood that a Board of Trade license was good. It meant something. -But he knew Mr. Booker and he knew his man, Captain James, who had -abandoned his vessel in mid-ocean.</p> - -<p>"As far as the taking his license away from him is concerned," said he, -looking straight at the head of the firm, "I had no more to do with it -than others. We did the only thing we could do under the evidence." He -seated himself in a chair and crossed a leg, rubbing his knee as though -to gain time for the struggle he knew would take place. Mr. Booker was -a leading shipper and also a politician of note. It was he who had -swung the party, he who had practically made the inspectors. It would -not do to act hastily. Booker was an able and deadly foe to any one who -blocked his trade. He was unscrupulous when it came to acting against -an enemy of the firm.</p> - -<p>"I don't want to tie your vessel up," he went on, "and if I can do -anything in reason I'll do it. Why not let the mate come up? There's -nothing that can't<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_352" id="Page_352">[Pg 352]</a></span> be argued away about him. He had to obey orders. -I'll give him a ticket all right."</p> - -<p>A strange light shone in Mr. Booker's eyes. He saw his man was -weakening. It was what he wanted, this mate's ticket, but to state it -openly would have meant ruin to his scheme. He held out strongly for -his captain, but not strong enough to carry his point. If the inspector -chose to promote his mate, it was not Mr. Booker's fault. That would -lie entirely and healthily with others. After a futile struggle lasting -half an hour he gave in.</p> - -<p>"Very well, then. If you'll give Mr. McDuff a master's license and let -him take the <i>Enos</i> out, it'll have to go. I don't stand for him, you -know, and I want that distinctly understood. But I'll compromise on -that—and not a little bit less. You know what she's carrying?"</p> - -<p>The inspector did not. It was not his business to keep track of all -cargoes before they were shipped. He felt irritated. His victory had at -first seemed a good thing, a fine thing to get out of the hole yawning -before him. Now there seemed to be some complications.</p> - -<p>"It's dynamite," went on Mr. Booker indulgently. "Dynamite for the -Canal, and while it's all right, you want a man who's mighty careful -to carry it through the tropics along with the mercury exploders. -Climate affects mercury, and it don't need much to send the whole kit -to kingdom come. But let it go. I'll pay a premium the underwriters -can't refuse. We'll<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_353" id="Page_353">[Pg 353]</a></span> have to stand a heavy insurance with a man like -McDuff—but of course, if you say so, let it go at that. James might go -as mate. You won't take away his living, will you? You'll let him go as -mate—on his old ticket? You know we've got to have men aboard a ship. -A vessel won't run herself."</p> - -<p>He arose to show the inspector that further conversation meant a loss -of valuable time to the head of the firm. Captain Johns knew it and -put on his hat. He had certain misgivings about granting McDuff a -certificate, but he had passed his word. To break it would mean almost -loss of position to himself, for Mr. Booker would do what he could to -make him trouble, and he knew that trouble with Booker was trouble -indeed. The inspector before him had cause to know this. There was no -necessity for history repeating itself.</p> - -<p>"I'll send McDuff down to you—good morning," said Mr. Booker, bowing -him out.</p> - -<p>Captain James and Mr. McDuff were staying at St Lucia. It had been -convenient for them both to keep well away from the curious gaze of the -government officials after the supposed loss of the <i>Enos</i>, and St. -Lucia was a beautiful, far-removed spot. Upon the crumbling ramparts of -the fort near the entrance Mr. McDuff sat cogitating a few days after -Mr. Booker had made his little deal with the inspector, and when a -small black lad handed him an envelope bearing the firm's name in the -corner the taciturn mate trembled. It was so beautiful, so far removed -from modern<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_354" id="Page_354">[Pg 354]</a></span> business, so restful at St. Lucia. The trade-wind blew -steadily across the point and the Caribbean sparkled in the sunshine. -The harbour, devoid of shipping save when the week-end steamer from -the States came to load bananas, lay like a deep azure pool unruffled -by the lively breeze outside. It made a picture of quiet repose, and -even the old dismounted guns used hundreds of years before to repel -the buccaneers before Morgan's day seemed to have sunk into attitudes -of profound peace. Then this letter from the world of business and -strife. McDuff hesitated about opening it. It was probably a scouring, -scathing, blistering sheet, edited in the cutting language of the head -of the firm. "Ah, what's the use?" sighed McDuff. He held the missive -in his hand and was about to fling it over the rock and watch it go -fluttering to the sea beneath. Then curiosity came to his aid.</p> - -<p>"Might as well open it; if there's any hot stuff in it, I don't have to -read it," he muttered. "Here, boy—here's a tuppence—git out."</p> - -<p>He tore the paper, pulled the letter out and read it carefully, and as -he did so his fingers clinched and his back straightened. He was wanted -to go as skipper of the old ship. Would he? Well, he would do almost -anything except eat bananas. He walked swiftly to the town and stopped -only long enough to drink three high-balls of rum and cola. Ah, the -sparkling cola! He must have that. Then he took the train for Kingston.</p> - -<p>"The <i>Enos</i> is lying at the dock at Port Antonio,"<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_355" id="Page_355">[Pg 355]</a></span> said Mr. Booker, -after he had greeted his man coldly and formally. "You will proceed -there and take command. Go down at once and see Johns. He'll give you -your examination at once. Get your ticket and go. Then wait for further -orders. James will be mate."</p> - -<p>McDuff grinned.</p> - -<p>"Ah, weel, I ken he'll be a noddy wan—ah, man, man, but I'll fair -dress him down into shape," he said, shifting his watery gaze over the -room.</p> - -<p>"You can dress him all you want," said Mr. Booker. "If I were you, -however, I would not tempt Providence too far. James will not stand too -much foolishness. He can lick you."</p> - -<p>"Ah, na fear, me laddie, na fear—do I fergit th' times he gie me? Na, -na. Wait till I trim him—my mate—at last, at last," said McDuff with -unction.</p> - -<p>"Well, we'll let that go," said Booker; "you're carrying dynamite and -it won't do to get too frivolous. Do you know anything about carrying -dynamite?"</p> - -<p>"Na, an' I'm that old to learn," said McDuff, eying the owner -quizzically. All his Scotch canniness was alert.</p> - -<p>"Oh, it's all right," said Booker; "only you don't want to make -rough-house aboard your ship the first time you take her out as master. -You're chartered for Colon again, carrying supplies for the Canal."</p> - -<p>"Ah, weel," said the mate.</p> - -<p>"I reckon that's about all, Captain McDuff. Do<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_356" id="Page_356">[Pg 356]</a></span> your duty like a man. -If you do we'll forget some of your past—understand?"</p> - -<p>"I ken it, I'll do it," said the man, dropping his eyes to the floor. -His past was not a thing to speak lightly upon.</p> - -<p>"Drink as much cola and good rum as you think you need. It doesn't hurt -a man used to it, like yourself."</p> - -<p>McDuff gave the owner a long searching look. The idea tickled him. He -threw back his head and laughed, showing his yellow fangs.</p> - -<p>"Good day, Captain McDuff," said Booker, bowing him out.</p> - -<p>The new master of the little cargo carrier <i>Enos</i> had hardly arrived -aboard his vessel when James came slinking into the office. He had been -laying up at Montego Bay, well up the hills, where the natives took -care of him for sixpence a day. Booker appeared to have expected the -visit. He closed the door of the inner office as the former skipper of -the ship entered and they were alone.</p> - -<p>"You know why I sent for you?" began Booker.</p> - -<p>"I'm a good guesser," snarled the captain, his bloodshot eyes roving -furtively about. "Make it short, don't cut in too deep. I'm here for -orders."</p> - -<p>"I haven't sent you up for life for desertion, have I?" asked the calm -owner, eying him with a cold look.</p> - -<p>"No, an' what's more you ain't going to," growled the captain.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_357" id="Page_357">[Pg 357]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Lord, what a man!" sneered the owner. "You don't think I'm afraid to, -do you?"</p> - -<p>"There's mighty little you fear, Mr. Booker," said Captain James -sourly, "but I understand you're not trading in morals—not yet. If you -were, you might. If there's anything you've got to say, say it and let -me go. I didn't come here for any lecture."</p> - -<p>"How would you like to get your ticket back again—on some other -vessel?" James eyed his former employer steadily. The effects of -debauch made his swollen features seem grotesque in their red ugliness, -but he was sober enough for business. He had dreaded the meeting. He -knew his owner's moral tone, but he had not expected a reward where -punishment was plainly indicated. He had given the ship a bad name.</p> - -<p>"Let's have it fair and square—out with it," said the seaman.</p> - -<p>"You know the ship is old—fit only to carry supplies," said Booker. -"We're chartered to carry one hundred tons of blasting powder with -exploders to Colon—enough to blow the whole Canal through. Can you see -the point?"</p> - -<p>"You don't want the stuff to get there—is that it?" asked James -bluntly.</p> - -<p>"If you can help us in the matter you shall be treated properly—your -past forgotten," said Booker solemnly, eying him with a strangely -insistent look.</p> - -<p>"How much?" asked the practical navigator in a whisper.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_358" id="Page_358">[Pg 358]</a></span></p> - -<p>"You'll get a thousand straight—my personal recommendation for any -ship you wish. Perhaps in New York you'll find employment. We do a -heavy business there——"</p> - -<p>"Anything in writing?" asked James, without moving.</p> - -<p>"Nothing," said Booker carelessly.</p> - -<p>"Is McDuff wise?"</p> - -<p>"He is not—some men you can't trust when drunk—some you can."</p> - -<p>"How'll I manage? How'll I make him understand? I can't blow the ship -under him—kill all hands for a paltry thousand dollars," hissed James.</p> - -<p>There was a long silence. Booker lit a cigar with a steady hand and -puffed slowly. He was in no hurry. James gazed at him fixedly for a -long time. He shifted uneasily in his chair.</p> - -<p>"Suppose I refuse?" he said.</p> - -<p>"You know the consequences," said Booker quite calmly.</p> - -<p>"Try to hang me for deserting my ship, hey?" snarled the seaman. "Want -me to do a dirty job for the insurance—won't even tell me how you want -it done."</p> - -<p>"It's up to you. You are a seaman—a captain. That's what I've been -hiring you for. If I were a sailor I might give you directions. I'm -not. Will you do it or not? Let's have it."</p> - -<p>"Yes, I'll do it, you devil," snarled James. "I'll do it—somehow. Good -day."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_359" id="Page_359">[Pg 359]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Good day, Captain—Mr. James," said Booker without enthusiasm. He -opened the door and the fat form of the disreputable seaman slouched -out. A clerk met him at the door and handed him a note. It was -permission to draw a hundred dollars for travelling expenses. James -took it to the cashier and handed it in.</p> - -<p>"Thought you were in jail," sneered the cashier as he took the paper.</p> - -<p>"You are a liar," murmured James smoothly.</p> - -<p>The official made no further comment. The glare from the old seaman's -eyes did not justify it. He handed the money through the window with -the air of one handing a bone to a starving dog. James stuffed it away -in his clothes and pulling his hat over his eyes, went his way down the -street to his favourite haunt when in town. No one appeared to notice -him. He was not recognized.</p> - -<p>"You can get me a bottle of rum," said he to the waiter.</p> - -<p>"What kind, sare—three or six?"</p> - -<p>"I'll drink somethin' about ten shillin's a bottle," said James. "Wake -up!"</p> - -<p>The waiter brought a bottle and drew the cork. The odour filled the -air. It caused James to smack his lips and he drained four glasses in -as many minutes. Then he sat back in his chair and seemed to study the -negro's face.</p> - -<p>"Do you know whether Mr. Jackson—firm of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_360" id="Page_360">[Pg 360]</a></span> Wells & Jackson, -underwriters—is in town?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"Yo' mean de insurance company, sare—yes, sare, he's here. Seen to-day -on de street," answered the waiter. "He took a drink with Mr. Booker -befo' closing time."</p> - -<p>"Thank you, you can wrap up that bottle—I'll go along now," said the -sailor.</p> - -<p>It was plain to him that there had been a special deal, that Booker was -carrying an extra heavy risk on his cargo. What if he should tackle -Mr. Jackson? Jackson might listen to him, might even believe there -was something in his warning, but he was a pariah and Mr. Booker was -a gentleman. Then he had nothing whatever to offer as proof. His word -against that of the owner? No, that wouldn't do at all.</p> - -<p>He thought the matter over and finished off the bottle of rum while -doing so. The more he drank the more he became convinced that the only -thing to do was to follow Mr. Booker's wishes. The only thing was how -would he do the job. How was it possible to sink a ship, blow her up, -without killing all hands? He would not kill any one. No, he would not -stoop to that. He must have time to think over the matter. It would -require some nice adjustment to carry off the affair properly and not -land in prison for life. He wondered whether McDuff knew anything of -the deal. It was not likely; Mr. Booker had never made a confidant of -the Scotchman, though the fellow had a close head and never talked, -drunk or sober. James slept<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_361" id="Page_361">[Pg 361]</a></span> over it and took the train for Port -Antonio, arriving there in the afternoon. He at once made his way to -the docks and boarded the <i>Enos</i> without being quizzed, though several -persons seemed to show surprise at his presence. The story of his -deserting his ship was now public property.</p> - -<p>"I'm rare glad to see ye," said McDuff. "I'd na take ye for th' sneak -they say ye are, Mr.—Mister James. I've been told ye wanted a place as -mate wid the ould hooker. How is it?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, I'll go as mate for you, Scotty," said James, thinking of the -peculiar accent his former mate laid upon the word Mister. It was just -as well to let the fellow know at once how much respect he felt for -him. Then there would be no trouble in the future. He had served under -him for several years, and it would swell his head, of course, to have -command.</p> - -<p>"I'm thinkin'—Mister—Meester James, that'll be about time ye took a -reef in your tongue-lashin's. When ye have th' honour to speak to me, -ye canna call me out of me name—that's Captain McDuff, sir—don't -forget the SIR."</p> - -<p>"No, Mack, I won't forgit it, an' don't you forgit who's talkin' to you -either. If you do we'll have trouble—and Mr. Booker don't want any -more of it in his ships—see? Let's have a drink, for the sake of old -times?"</p> - -<p>McDuff appeared to think a moment. It would hardly do to dress his mate -now while at the dock.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_362" id="Page_362">[Pg 362]</a></span> James would not stand it. He would drink—and -wait.</p> - -<p>"They handle that stuff mighty careless like," suggested James, gazing -out of the stateroom door at the men loading cargo. "Seems to me if -that's dynamite there's apt to be trouble—but then you only have it -once," he added reflectively.</p> - -<p>"That's the cargo, but not all dynamite. I dinna ken how much—but we -pull out before dark. See to the gear aft—Meester James—an' remember -the trouble I had with that old stern line last voyage. Ye wouldna gie -me a new wan."</p> - -<p>"Where do we go?" asked James.</p> - -<p>"To New Orleans—git the cargo there, the rest of it. D'ye think, -Meester James, that the British will furnish the powder? 'Tis good -Yankee stuff we'll take wi' us, good New Orleans powder. Also we'll -take a bit o' men, I'm thinkin', some o' that Dago gang for blasters. -They make fine blasters, do Dagoes; an' if ye lift a few o' them to -heaven, it makes little difference—there's plenty more. But they are -an ugly lot to handle, all armed with pistols or knives, ready to shoot -or stab any one."</p> - -<p>"It's the Dago nature to go heeled," said James, drinking his rum and -pondering over his scheme. The run to New Orleans offered nothing new -in the way of developing his plans. He arose, went aft and made ready -to get to sea. He was in an ugly mood, but all who knew him addressed -him as "Captain,"<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_363" id="Page_363">[Pg 363]</a></span> and the "Mister" was forgotten in the usual turmoil -of getting the <i>Enos</i> under weigh.</p> - -<p>A few days later in New Orleans the dynamite was aboard and the gangs -of labourers who were to mine came down to the dock. James had studied -many ways of getting the ship into trouble, but each one seemed too -dangerous. It would not do to kill the crew. He would not do that, but -to fire the cargo without almost certain death to all aboard appeared -impossible. Then a thing occurred which seemed to be like the hand of -Fate helping him on his way.</p> - -<p>"'Tis a light cargo—an' she'll sit high, roll like a log," quoth -McDuff the day after the powder had been safely stowed. "We've cleared -and the insurance agent has had his claim settled. We're all ready for -sea—Meester James—and we'll gie along; but I must ha' a wee bit o' -drink first. Will ye coom along up the town, or will ye bide here till -I come back?"</p> - -<p>It still gave him pleasure to address his former captain in a -patronizing manner with an emphasis upon "Meester."</p> - -<p>James looked at him sourly and declined.</p> - -<p>"Go on, Scotty," said he; "I'll stay by the ship. No drink for me until -we get clear of this foul river. The stinks would spoil the taste of -any kind of poison you'd put aboard ye."</p> - -<p>"Weel, have a bit of a care, an' don't let them Dagoes get scuffling on -the lower deck. There's a bit o' powder up there in them boxes," and -McDuff went his way up the levee.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_364" id="Page_364">[Pg 364]</a></span></p> - -<p>Sengali, the foreman of the gang, stood upon the string-piece of the -wharf and glowered at the small ship. He was not a sailor, but he knew -she would be a dirty and lively vessel in a blow. He had brought his -wife with him, and together they surveyed the scene.</p> - -<p>"We will go aboard and look—see," said he to his stout spouse, and -they forthwith stepped upon the ship's deck. As nearly everybody had -gone ashore as soon as McDuff's back had been seen upon the levee, -they met no one and wandered over the <i>Enos</i> at will. Finally Sengali -sat upon the boxes of powder and, lighting his pipe, began to smoke -placidly. He was aware of the contents of the cases, but being an old -hand at the handling of dynamite, he had developed that serenity and -carelessness which is one of their distinguishing qualities. He feared -not either fire or shock.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Sengali wandered over the apparently deserted ship and finally -found her way into McDuff's room in the rear of the pilot-house. Here -she made herself comfortable.</p> - -<p>It happened that Cellini, a young and amorous Dago, saw her. He had -been drinking heavily, and as the coast appeared clear he made his way -to the forward part of the ship, hoping to entertain the stout and -rosy Mrs. Sengali in a manner common to drunken Dagoes. He saw no one -forward and made his way to the captain's room. Then he quickly entered -and swiftly closed the door.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_365" id="Page_365">[Pg 365]</a></span></p> - -<p>Sengali, smoking and pondering upon the future to be had in the world -at Panama, was aroused from pleasant dreams by the shrill screams of -his wife. He sprang up the companionway and rushed for the vicinity of -the noise. The cries seemed to come from the captain's room, and he -hesitated. It was a terrible crime to assault a captain upon his own -ship. But his wife. She was in terrible danger, her shrieks were now -being half muffled, showing that the person who had caused them was -stifling them as best he could. The Dago waited no longer; he crashed -against the door.</p> - -<p>It gave way with the impact and Sengali landed in the room. Cellini was -holding his wife, but let her go instantly, and drawing a revolver, -fired at Sengali. The latter raced for the companionway, hoping to gain -his bundle, in which reposed his trusty knife. The bundle was lying -where he had sat smoking upon the cases of dynamite, and he tore it -apart, seized his weapon and turned to mete out a just revenge upon his -assailant.</p> - -<p>"I keel you now," he roared and rushed at Cellini, who had come -floundering down the stairs after him, but who, being drunk, had -tripped and had thus lost valuable time.</p> - -<p>Cellini, lying upon one elbow, took deliberate aim at the enraged -husband. A fireman, who had seen the fracas, fled up the levee shouting -for the police, and James, who had been drowsing in his room, rolled -out of his bunk and went to the scene of the trouble,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_366" id="Page_366">[Pg 366]</a></span> intending to -quell it, as a mate should. Cellini's first shot from his position -where he had fallen tore through Sengali's uplifted hand. He gave a -yell and drew it down, staggering and flinging the blood about. Then he -rushed again at his prostrate enemy, his knife upraised, ready for the -finishing stroke.</p> - -<p>James gained the vicinity just as Cellini raised his weapon for the -last shot. Drunk and furious at the interruption of Sengali, he -appeared not to care for the retribution the husband was going to wreak -upon him. He aimed carefully at the foreman's head and pulled the -trigger. Just then James kicked the pistol aside and it exploded.</p> - -<p>A man on the levee at some distance vouched for this much of the final -act. He saw James kick the weapon, saw it explode. The next instant the -forward part of the <i>Enos</i> disappeared in a mass of flame.</p> - -<p>Men came running from all directions at the sound of the detonating -thunder. The rolling roar reverberated along the river-front for miles. -People at a distance saw a huge waterspout rise from where the ship had -been a moment before. Splinters, ironwork, rigging, spars and a piece -of her smoke-pipe rose to an appalling height. Then the scene settled -itself under a pall of dust and smoke.</p> - -<p>The levee was destroyed for a distance of fifty fathoms. The dock had -melted into the surrounding air. Trees, fences, and houses, everything -at a distance of a quarter of a mile was razed flat. Men were knocked -stunned and senseless who had been within<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_367" id="Page_367">[Pg 367]</a></span> this radius and the whole -place seemed to have been shaved as with a mighty razor. Only a bit of -the ship's stern, a tiny piece of her turtle-back, floated awash to -show that there had ever been anything like a ship in the vicinity. The -<i>Enos</i>, loaded with dynamite, had blown up with all on board and had -almost totally disappeared.</p> - -<p>A few hours later McDuff came lurching down to his ship. He was -comfortably drunk and was in high good humour.</p> - -<p>"I'll trim Meester James—ah, yes, I'll trim him guid an' fine before -we gie th' dock at Colon. 'Tis a fine thing to be th' boss—— What, am -I drunk, or has the knave run away wid me ship? He has run away—yes, -yes, he has run away. Ah, weel, what'll I do— The rascal has stolen me -ship," said McDuff, looking about him and seeing nothing to indicate -the whereabouts of the <i>Enos</i>. "Ah, weel, it was not my ship—but I -will have the police after him. I will have him in th' calaboose. I'm -fair drunk, I'm fair drunk—but na sa drunk I canna see a ship."</p> - -<p>Mr. Booker read the cable despatch and handed it to his partner.</p> - -<p>"That man James was certainly a genius," said he. "I'm half sorry for -him. I guess he must have been too zealous—'twasn't like him, yet he -must have been too anxious to please me."</p> - -<p>"He'll turn up in time," quoth his partner, the amiable Mr. Benson. -"The fact that he was aboard of her does seem a bit out of the -ordinary, but there's<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_368" id="Page_368">[Pg 368]</a></span> probably some mistake about it. It'll straighten -itself out later. He'll be here to see you, or I'm clean disappointed -in him."</p> - -<p>"I reckon we might as well attend to the underwriters without waiting -for any complications," suggested Mr. Booker.</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, get the insurance. We've had a bit of luck—that's all."</p> - - -<p class="center">THE END.</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Bahama Bill, by T. 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