Chapter X
WRECKED
The engine gave a grunt and stopped. But Bill scarcely noticed it.Hauling desperately to get Dorothy inboard, he thought his heart wouldburst. Suddenly he heard her cry:
"Don't pull! Just hold me by my legs."
She squirmed farther across the coaming and he gripped her by the knees.
"That's it," she panted. "There--I've got it! Now haul me in."
Bill gave a heave and just then the boat, caught by a huge wave, rolledfar over and landed Bill on his back with Dorothy sprawled across him.As they struggled to their feet he saw that she was laughing.
"Aren't you hurt at all?" he asked, rubbing a bruised elbow.
"Only--out of--breath," she gasped. "They--are all--fastened together.Haul them in."
Glancing down, he saw that she was holding one of the white boxes towardhim. He made no motion to take it, but stared to windward, listening.
Dorothy could hear nothing but the wind and the waves and the swirlingsleet.
"What is it?" she jerked out, striving to regain her breath.
"Wait a minute." Suddenly Bill snatched up his electric torch and doveinto the cabin.
Dorothy dropped down on a thwart with the box in her hand. After a shortrest, she renewed her endeavors to get the remainder of her hauloverside. When Bill clambered out of the cabin she was tugging at thestrong line to which the boxes were tied.
"It's jammed, or caught, or something," she announced.
Bill looked overside.
"Yes, dash it all!" he growled. "We fouled the line and wound it roundthe tail shaft when I backed off just now. That's what stopped themotor, of course. Let me see what I can do. You're blown."
He picked up another box bobbing alongside and started to haul in theline. One end of this he found was jammed under the stern, while on theother length a box appeared every thirty or forty feet.
"Ten, in all," he told her and drew the last aboard.
"Hooray! We've done it!" cried Dorothy exultantly.
"We sure have. You just said it all--" His tone was sarcastic. "The boatis leaking like a sieve. That lateral wrench started it. The propeller'sjammed. It's beginning to blow a gale and there isn't enough gas to runus out of it. Three cheers and a tiger! Also, hooray!"
Dorothy's enthusiasm evaporated. "Gee, I'm sorry. I'm always such ablooming optimist--I didn't think about our real difficulties."
"O. K. kid. I apologize for being cross. That water in the cabin kind ofgot me for the moment. Let's see what it looks like here."
He wrenched up the flooring and flashed his torch.
Dorothy gave a gasp of dismay. The boat was filling rapidly.
"I'll get that bucket from the cabin," she said at once.
"Good girl! I've just got to get this coffee mill grinding again, orwe'll be out of luck good and plenty."
Dorothy fetched the bucket and began to bail. She saw that Bill wastrying to start the engine.
"The shaft wound up that line while we were going astern," he explained."It ought to unreel if I can send the old tub ahead."
Switching on the current, he managed to get a revolution or two. Thenthe motor stopped firing.
"No go?" inquired Dorothy.
"Not a chance!"
He ripped off his life preserver and slipping out of his rubber coat,pulled forth a jack-knife and opened it.
"What are you going to do?" Dorothy paused in her bailing.
"Get overboard and try to cut us loose. Don't stop! Keep at it for allyou're worth. It's our only chance of safety!"
Wielding her bucket in feverish haste, she watched Bill lower himselfover the stern. The water pounded by this unseasonable sleet must befreezingly cold. She wished it were possible to help him. Fortunately,the Mary Jane was light of draft. He would not have to get his headunder, but that tough line must be twisted and plaited and hard as wire.What if his knife broke, or slipped from his numbed fingers? Dorothyshuddered. Meanwhile, the storm was getting worse and the heavy boatdrifted before it.
"Hey, there, Dorothy! Give me a hand up!"
She dropped the bucket and sprang to his assistance. Then, as his headcame in sight, she leaned over and gripping him under the arms, swunghim over the stern.
"My word--your strength's inhuman--" he panted.
"Don't talk nonsense. Get busy and start the engine. The water's gainingfast."
"Confound!" he exclaimed. "I'd no idea the cockpit flooring was awash.Another six inches and it will reach the carburetor."
While Bill talked he was priming the cylinder. A heave of the crank andthe motor started with a roar. Then he flashed his light on the compassand after noting the bearing of the wind, laid the Mary Jane abeam it.
"Take the wheel," he said to Dorothy. "And steer just as we're headingnow."
"What about the bailing, Bill?"
"My job. You've had enough of it."
"But I'm not tired--"
"Don't argue with the skipper!"
"But you're soaked to the skin!"
"Of course I am--what I need is exercise--I'm freezing!"
"Oh, I'm so sorry--here--turn over the wheel, skipper."
Dorothy grabbed the spokes and Bill hastily slipped into his rubber coatand adjusted the life belt over it.
"How are we headed?" she inquired. "I can't see the compass without alight."
"Straight for shore, and we'll be lucky if the old tub stays afloat thatlong. The whole Atlantic Ocean's pouring in through her seams."
"Maybe the pump would be better?"
"No-sir: not that pump. I've seen it!"
"Mmm. That's why I chose the bucket. Say, I hope you won't get a chill."
"I'll hope with you," returned Bill and kept his remaining breath forhis labors.
A heavy wave broke against the Mary Jane's bow and swept them both witha deluge of water. Dorothy paid off the boat's head half a point.
"Lucky that didn't stall the motor for good and all," she observedgrimly. "One more like it, and we'll be swimming."
"Tide's on the ebb," grunted Bill. "Wind's barking around--it'll beblowing off the land in half an hour, I guess."
"Do you think the old tub will last that long? She's getting terriblysluggish. Steers like a truck in a swamp!"
"Listen!" he cried. "There's your answer."
From somewhere ahead came the unmistakable booming roar of breakers. Asthey topped the next wave Dorothy saw a white band on the sea. Shesteadied the wheel with her knee and tightened her life preserver. Sheknew they could not hope to reach the beach in the Mary Jane. Low andopen as she was, the first line of breakers would fill her. The motorwas still pounding away when she leaned forward and raised her voice toa shout.
"Stop bailing, Bill! Stand by to swim for it!"
"O. K., kid."
Bill dropped the bucket and dove for the cabin. A second later he wasback in the cockpit with a three fathom length which he had cut from theanchor line. He fastened one end about Dorothy's waist and took a turnabout his own body with the other. Then, catching up a bight of the linewhich secured the boxes he made it fast to his belt with a slip hitch.
The Mary Jane was forging strongly ahead, her actual weight of waterbeing about that of her customary load of passengers. The swells beganto mount, to topple. Searching the shore, Dorothy could see no sign ofany light or habitation.
"If I'd known we were so nearly in, we might have raised the coast guardwith the flash light." Bill groaned his self-contempt. "I ought to havekept an eye out--and the Navy said I was a seaman!"
"Don't be silly! It was my fault, if anyone's. You were busy bailing.Chances are the light couldn't have been seen from shore, anyway. Gosh,what weather! Who ever heard of sleet in August!"
"Look out--behind you!" yelled Bill.
A moment later she felt herself snatched from the wheel and wascrouching below the bulwark with Bill's arm around her waist. Then as abrimming swell lifted them
sluggishly, its combing crest washed into theboat. The next wave flung them forward and crumpled over the gunwale.
The Mary Jane's motor gave a strangled cough and stopped. The boat yawedoff and came broadside on her stern upon a line with the beach.
"This is what I hoped for," he shouted in her ear. "Gives us a chance toget clear."
She saw him gather up the boxes and fling them overboard.
"Keep close to me. We'll need each other in the undertow!" she yelledback at him, as he pulled her to her feet.
Then as the next big comber mounted and curled, they dove into thedriving water and the wave crashed down upon the sinking boat. Dorothyfelt her body being whirled over and over, sucked back a little anddriven ahead again. The water was paralyzingly cold, but she struck outstrongly and with bursting lungs reached the surface. A second later,Bill's head bobbed up a couple of yards away. Blowing the water from hernose, she saw they were being washed shoreward. Her life preserver, newand buoyant, floated her well--almost too well. She found it difficultto dive beneath the curling wavecrests to prevent another rolling.
Bill was swimming beside her now and as a great wave caught them up andcarried them forward he grasped her under the arm.
There came a last crumbling surge and the mighty swirl of water sweptthem up the beach and their feet struck bottom. Fortunately, the beachwas not steep. The tide was nearly at the last of the ebb and there wasbut little undertow. Together they waded out and staggered up theshingle to sink down on the sand breathing heavily.
The boxes were washing back and forth at the water's edge and Bill'sfirst act was to haul them in.
"Well, the government's precious loot is safe," he said grimly. "Are youable to walk?"
"I--I guess so."
"Then, let's get going. We'll freeze if we don't."
He gathered up the boxes and looped them from his shoulders, rose to hisfeet and held out a hand. Dorothy took it, scrambled up and stood for amoment swaying unsteadily.
"The end of a perfect d-day--" she tried to grin, her teeth chatteringwith cold.
"I _don't_ think!" replied Bill unenthusiastically, and helped her toget rid of the heavy life belt.
"Know where we are?" she inquired when he had dropped the belts on thesand.
"Not precisely. But if we keep going we ought to strike a lifesavingstation or something--come on."
Dorothy groaned. "I suppose I must, but--gee whiz--I sure want to rest."
Bill, who knew that physical exertion was absolutely necessary now, gothis arm about her and they started unsteadily down the beach assisted bythe gale at their backs.
They had walked about half a mile when he felt her weight begin toincrease and her steps to lag. He stopped and peered into her face. Ashe did so, she sank to the sand at his feet. Bending over her, he wassurprised to see that she was asleep--utterly exhausted.
The outlook was anything but pleasant. They had apparently struck upon awild and desolate strip of sand--an island, he thought, cut off byinlets at either end and flanked by the maze of marshes in the lowerreaches of Great South Bay. Without doubt they were marooned and to makematters worse, Bill knew he had just about reached the limit of his ownstrength.
Dorothy Dixon and the Mystery Plane Page 10
