by Roy Rockwood
CHAPTER XX
ON BOARD THE "SWALLOW"
"Captain Broadbeam, come here, please."
"Why, lad, what's the matter?"
Bob Vilett had spoken in a way that might well have excited the surpriseof the commander of the steamer.
For over ten minutes Bob had stood at the side, gazing through aspyglass landwards. Now of a sudden the glass dropped in his nervelesshand. Bob began to tremble, and he had called to the friendly captainlike one in distress.
"Those natives up to some more high jinks?" said Broadbeam, coming up toBob.
"No, no, captain! Look--look! Quick, captain!"
"Toplights and gaffsails, what's this now?" demanded Broadbeam, as Bobextended the glass, looking pale and agitated.
"Look at the high cape cliff, captain," urged Bob. "See if I'mmistaken."
"Dave Fearless!" fairly roared the old sea veteran the minute he put theglass to his eyes.
"You are sure, captain?" cried Bob, in great excitement.
The captain had been staggered at his surprising first view through thespyglass. Now he looked again.
"Dave! Ah, a glad sight," he went on. "Some men with him--look likesailors. Fearless! Amos Fearless! Where is he? Old friend, your sonis alive!"
Those of the crew in sight and hearing stared quite wonderingly at theircaptain. They had rarely seen him so moved as when he ran towards thecabin, shouting the name of his friend.
"What is that?" said the old diver, coming up the cabin stairs.
"Dave is alive."
"My son alive," cried Amos Fearless, turning white, and in a momentaryweakness holding to a rail for support.
"Yes, he is--ashore there."
"Oh, are you sure?"
"Go look for yourself. Hurrah!"
Captain Broadbeam was beside himself with genuine gladness.
He clamped his big paw of a hand across his old friend's arm and fairlydragged him across the deck.
"Yes, it's Dave," cried the happy father, taking a look through thespyglass. Then he handed it back to Bob Vilett. The old diver turnedhis face away. It was wet with tears of thankfulness and joy.
Captain Broadbeam moved about the deck too excited to stand still.
"I felt it in my bones! Didn't I say it all along?" he spoke. "Didn'tI stick to it that a lad born to the sea would find a way out of it?Below there, Adams," he hailed to the engineer, "how's she working?"
"Bad, sir; mortal bad," reported the engineer.
There was something serious the matter with the _Swallow_. There hadbeen since the night previous.
Dave Fearless had not been missed from the ship until that morning.Then they had searched everywhere for him. It became patent after aninvestigation that he had been swept overboard.
There was little chance to look for him. The storm that had given Daveand his refugee friends, Daley and the others, such a terribleexperience, had dealt the stanch little steamer a severe blow.
There had been times during the tempest when the _Swallow_ was thrownabout like an eggshell in the grasp of a giant. She was cast on herbeam-ends more than once.
The steamer outrode the storm just in time. She could not have stoodanother hour of that terrible tossing about and wrenching.
With a grave face Adams had called Captain Broadbeam down into theengine room to see the damage that had been done.
The engine was fairly out of commission. One driving rod was bent badly,some of the minor mechanism was clear out of gear.
"It's land and a quiet harbor mighty quick, sir," reported theexperienced engineer, "or trouble if another storm strikes us on theopen sea."
"You are right, Adams," said the captain, after due investigation. "Wemust make land somehow, somewhere. The _Swallow_ is badly crippled."
"You see, sir," observed Adams, "I have rigged up a temporary makeshiftfor a driving rod. It may give out at any moment under strain. If wecan work our way easy like and crawl to harborage, in a few days withsome blacksmithing we might forge or rig up some new parts."
It was just after this that land was discovered, and Stoodles came intoa general consultation as an authority that they were surely approachingthe Windjammers' Island.
Their former experience in these same waters was of value now. Adamsadvised that they get close to the shore and line it, looking for atemporary harbor.
Bob Vilett had a valuable suggestion to make. He was in a pretty gloomymood over the unknown fate of his chum, for whom they had spent twohours with all the small boats out.
Bob, however, had to stick to his duty. It nearly broke his heart towitness the prostration of the old diver, but as he thought ofsomething, he went to the captain.
"When we were here before, captain," he said, "you remember the naturalharbor where we found the old derelict vessel?"
"Why," said Broadbeam, "the very thing. Thanks for the suggestion, lad.If we can reach that spot we are safe from any bother from the nativeshere and from any storm that may come up. Tell Adams."
The _Swallow_ had been discovered by the natives about an hour later.These came to the beach in several places. They made a great ado.Whole processions came into view. At one place they brought down acovered platform borne by four men. Upon this platform was a greatearthen pot filled with some smoking material.
"What are they up to, Pat?" the captain asked Stoodles.
"Begorra, it's the ould magic spell of their high-priests to send us badluck," answered the Irishman.
The various incantations of the natives went on nearly under the eyes ofthose on board of the _Swallow_ for some time. Then the visitations tothe beach ceased. It was now about half an hour later that Bob Viletthad discovered Dave Fearless on the cape cliff where the young diver andhis three companions had just arrived.
While Mr. Fearless was gazing anxiously ashore and Bob was tracing everymovement of his distant chum through the spyglass, Captain Broadbeam wasgiving quick orders to his men.
A boat was to go ashore at once and a signal given from the deck of the_Swallow_ that Dave would understand.
"Don't delay, my friends," the excited Stoodles kept urging the sailors."Let us get into action before my former subjects come into sightagain."
All was ready, boat, men, and weapons, to start to the succor of Dave,when Bob Vilett uttered a shout of dismay.
"Oh, captain," he cried, running up to the commander of the _Swallow_,"it's too late."
"How's this? What do you mean?" demanded the captain.
He snatched the glass from Bob's hand and took a look himself. Then heuttered a hollow groan.
Dave and the others were still visible on the cliff, but over a hundrednatives had suddenly swarmed about them.
As he looked, the captain saw these surround Dave and the others. Theywere seized, bound, and carried off into the forest before his veryeyes.
