The Motor Boat Club at the Golden Gate; or, A Thrilling Capture in the Great Fog

by H. Irving Hancock

  CHAPTER VII

  DICK TAKES THE RESCUE BOAT TRICK

  It wasn't long before First Officer Ab Perkins also climbed the stairsto the bridge.

  "If this craft runs on the rocks, it won't be for want of officers attheir post," laughed Skipper Tom, gleefully.

  "I couldn't keep away," confessed Ab. "It's the first time in my lifeI've ever stood on a real bridge by right. Oh, but this is a differentthing altogether from the tiny bridge-deck of a fifty-foot boat!"

  Third Officer Costigan paid no heed to the motor boat boys. ThoughCostigan had never held higher rank than he now enjoyed, standing watchon a bridge was no new sensation for him. The young Irishman thought,mainly, of the time when he would have the "Panther" through the Gateand well off the coast. Then he could turn in below.

  Presently a fifth person joined the little squad on the bridge. It wasJoseph Baldwin.

  "You've a clear night and an easy sea, Captain," smiled the owner. "It'sa fortunate sort of start for you."

  "Yes, sir."

  "When you're well clear of the Gate, Captain, look in on me down in themain cabin, and I'll give you your sailing orders for the night."

  "Yes, sir."

  Halstead knew his own dignity on the bridge. He was on duty, and did notattempt to engage the owner in any conversation other than that whichconcerned his present duties. Mr. Baldwin went below just after the"Panther's" prow was turned into the beginning of the Golden Gate, thatmagnificent approach to San Francisco harbor. The Gate is some two mileslong, and nearly a mile wide, with an abundance of deep water for thepassage of the largest craft afloat.

  "What speed, sir?" asked Dick Davis.

  "Ten miles is fast enough in this channel, isn't it, Mr. Costigan?"inquired the young captain.

  "About as much as is best, sir."

  Dick, at a sign from Halstead, communicated the order to the engineroom. Twelve minutes later the "Panther" was clearing the Gate, leavinga track of foam behind her as Davis signaled for increased speed.

  Joe, leaving his first assistant below at the motors, now joined thebridge squad.

  "If there's nothing more, Captain," suggested Dawson, "I'll turn inbelow for the night."

  Captain Halstead nodded. Soon afterwards he went below, to the maincabin.

  "I've come to report for orders, Mr. Baldwin," he announced.

  "They're simple enough," replied the owner. "Clear the coast by sometwenty miles; then cruise south, at not too great speed--say, abouttwelve miles an hour."

  "Do these orders hold until changed, sir?"

  "Yes, Captain."

  Tom saluted, then turned as though to leave the cabin, but Mr. Baldwincalled him back.

  "You're not needed on the bridge yet, Captain. Remain with us a littlewhile, if you feel like it. You can see that Dr. Gray is keeping his ownwatch down here in the main cabin."

  At that moment the physician, an elderly man, stepped out of astateroom, closing the door after him.

  "There! My patient will sleep for some hours, I think. I'll take theupper berth in his room to-night, so that I can hear him and attend tohim if he wakes. Ah, good evening, Captain. Or is it good morning? Ihave been told of your fine work--on land, at that."

  "Is Giddings going to be in anything like his right mind when he wakes?"asked Mr. Baldwin.

  "Oh, in a general way, I think he'll know what he's saying," replied thephysician. "But he won't be at all bright before thirty-six hours havepassed. Even then I can't guarantee him. Opium drives him to the vergeof mania."

  When several of the others had engaged in conversation, and the doctorhad taken a seat near the young captain, Tom asked:

  "Is opium smoking a very great evil in San Francisco, Doctor? That is,do very many take to it?"

  "Not a very large proportion of the white population, I am glad tosay," responded the physician. "Still, when the hop habit does get holdof our white people it works fearful havoc with them. Opium and morphinestreak all the crime in San Francisco. These habits are the horriblerevenge that the Chinaman has taken upon the city for the persecutionthe Chinaman once suffered at the hands of our hoodlums."

  "Then opium and morphine are largely responsible for the crime and vicein the big city we have just left?" asked Halstead.

  "No; I won't say they're responsible," replied Dr. Gray. "But they colorthe wickedness of San Francisco in their own way. There's a heap ofwickedness in every large city, but the crimes and vices here take onaspects that are tremendously due to the use of opium and morphine bythe criminal classes. A very large percentage of our San Franciscojailbirds use either opium or morphine. These drugs give them a lowerorder of intelligence, and make them more cowardly, though often moredesperate when they find themselves driven into a corner. CaptainHalstead, be sure you never allow yourself to be tempted to use eitherof those drugs."

  "Thank you; I don't believe I shall," smiled the young skipper."Especially, after what I've seen to-night."

  "Great as the curse of alcohol is," added Dr. Gray, "the bane of opiumis ten-fold greater. In two or three generations it would ruin anyrace."

  "Then why isn't the Chinese nation destroyed?" asked Halstead.

  "Because, although we have imported these dread habits from China, onlya small proportion of the Chinese people use the drugs. Those who do arethe outcasts of China."

  It was growing late, so the young skipper rose, inquiring whether theowner had any further orders for him.

  "None, thank you, Captain," replied Mr. Baldwin.

  Tom thereupon took his leave, returning to deck. The "Panther" was nowmiles westward of the coast.

  "Ugh!" shivered young Halstead, as he stepped out on deck. Though it wasFebruary, the air had been all but balmy in town. Out on the bay therehad been a little more chill in the air. But now, out on the wideexpanse of the ocean, there was a cold, damp wind blowing that seemed tobite to the marrow after the bright warmth of the main cabin.

  Tom promptly stepped into his own cabin, taking down his deck ulster anddonning it. Then he made his way to the bridge, where Dick Davis waspacing from side to side.

  "No; I don't want any ice cream, thank you," grinned Dick, as hiscaptain joined him. Davis, who wore a reefer, was beating his armsagainst his sides as though to keep warm. "I've been wishing, Captain, Icould get below for my ulster."

  "Go ahead," nodded Halstead. "I'll walk the bridge until you return."Dick needed no urging, but made speed for his stateroom below. When hecame back he looked more contented.

  "Queer climate, this," he remarked.

  "Yes," agreed the young skipper. "I'm told the thermometer never shows avery low marking, but that the night air chills one down to the marrowof his bones."

  For five minutes more young Halstead remained on the bridge, then wentbelow, after having left the customary instructions to call him to thebridge in case he was needed.

  "Well, it's great to walk the bridge of as fine a craft as puts out ofSan Francisco," Dick told himself, later on in the night. "But at nightit's mighty lonesome. I almost wish I could call one of the deckhands uphere to talk to."

  Of the seven seamen of the crew, one was assigned to work under thefirst officer's orders during the daytime. The remaining six weredivided between the two watches. Of the three now at Davis's orders, onewas in the pilot house, for the purpose of relieving the quartermasterwhenever required. A second seaman, at night, stood out far forward asbow-watch. The third made regular trips of inspection around the yacht,unless ordered to some other duty.

  Jed Prentiss, sitting all alone down in the motor room, made the sixthof those who were now awake on board the "Panther." At starboard andport the colored running lights gleamed; a third light, white, twinkledfrom the foremast-head. On the bridge stood a powerful searchlight whoserays could be turned on at will.

  Thus manned, the "Panther" swept on steadily over the ocean, now headedsouth. The solitary, boyish figure pacing the bridge, represented in thenight the brains and the present master-hand of this yacht,
which,equipped with a single three-inch cannon at the bow, could have outrunor destroyed all the navies, combined, of ancient times.

  Through the night the sea roughened a good deal. The wind blew morefreshly, coming down off the land from the northeast. Still, the yachtwas in no labor in the sea, and the sky remained bright overhead. So thesecond officer did not feel it necessary to disturb the rest of thecaptain.

  At a quarter of eight in the morning, however, with the sun hiddenbehind a haze, Dick pressed the button that sounded the electricvibrating bell over Tom Halstead's berth. Then Davis picked up themouthpiece of the speaking tube to the pilot house.

  "Call the port watch," directed Dick, when the seaman had answered.

  Captain Tom came up on the bridge, pulling on his ulster as he came. Hegreeted Dick, then stood looking about at the sky.

  "It has freshened up a good deal in the night," remarked the youngskipper.

  "Yes; I thought, sir, you'd want to see the weather while the watch waschanging."

  Third Officer Costigan was not long in appearing, greeting his twosuperior officers as he reached the bridge.

  "Does this weather spell trouble coming on this coast, Mr. Costigan?"questioned Halstead.

  "It'll most likely turn rougher, sir. Sometimes we get a gale out of thenortheast in February, though not as often as you do on the Atlantic.That's all I can say, sir. How's the glass? The barometer, you see, sir,is behaving like a gentleman at present."

  As Dick left the bridge at the changing of the watch, Tom followed him.Halstead went to his own cabin, where he ordered his breakfast served.This meal eaten, the young skipper, who still felt the fatigue of latehours the night before, threw himself down on a divan. Though he had notintended to sleep, in less than five minutes Tom Halstead had traveledall the way to the land of Nod.

  Nor did the increased rolling and pitching of the "Panther" disturb him;if anything, it lulled the young skipper into sounder slumber.

  By ten o'clock the gale was going more than forty miles an hour. Ateleven Ab Perkins turned the knob of the door, stepping inside. As Abstood there looking at the occupant of the divan, moisture dripped fromthe ulster of the first officer.

  "I guess we need you on deck, sir," roared Ab, shaking the youngcaptain's shoulder. In a twinkling, Halstead was awake. In anotherinstant he was on his feet.

  "Weather is booming a bit, eh?" cried Captain Tom, eagerly.

  "Nothing near as much, sir, as this craft can stand with comfort," Abresponded. "But we're coming up with a schooner under bare poles andwallowing badly. Foretop-mast blown away, too, and some of the bowspritmissing."

  "Then you did right to call me," rejoined Halstead, pulling on his shoesswiftly, and standing up to don his cap and reefer. "I'll go on thebridge at once."

  Baldwin and three of the passengers were on deck as Captain Tomappeared. Halstead nodded their way, then hurriedly climbed the bridgestairs. Now, he turned to take a look at the schooner. She lay deadahead, for Costigan had ordered the "Panther's" course altered so as tospeak the craft in distress. She was still about a mile distant, but fora keen-eyed sailor it needed no glass to make out the fact that thethree-master was in utter distress.

  "Hard luck, that, in only a forty-mile blow," muttered Tom.

  "Wind-gauge shows forty-eight, sir," replied Mr. Costigan.

  "Anyway, someone must have been dozing on that schooner, to let hercanvas be blown away in such a wind," contended the young skipper.

  Then Tom picked up the marine glasses, for a good look at the craft.

  "Why, confound it, she has nothing left but a dinghy at the sterndavits," muttered Captain Halstead. "I'm afraid, Mr. Costigan, we've gotto get out our own boat."

  "I'm afraid so, sir."

  "Then tumble out the starboard watch."

  The order was given through the pilot house speaking tube. The sailordown there with the quartermaster went below at lively speed, routingout the sleeping watch.

  By the time they were on deck Tom Halstead was manoeuvring the motoryacht around to leeward of the wreck.

  "Schooner, ahoy!" he bellowed through a megaphone, from the bridge end.

  "Yacht ahoy!" came back the faint answer on the breeze. "This is theschooner 'Alert,' Seattle; Jordrey, master."

  "What help do you want, 'Alert'?"

  "We're ready to abandon our vessel. Send us a boat, if you can."

  "Boat it is, then, Captain," Tom bawled back, lustily. "Stand by to helpour boat make fast alongside your lee quarter!"

  Then, turning, glancing down at the deck, Tom called:

  "Mr. Davis, the rescue boat is the second officer's trick!"

  "Glad of it, sir," retorted Dick, his eyes glistening.

  "Lower the port life-boat. Take four men at the oars and one for thebow. You'll have to row. The power tender would be worthless in thissea. Mr. Perkins will take the bridge. Mr. Costigan and thequartermasters will help you off, Mr. Davis."

  Officers and men all moved with perfect discipline. With a merry roarthey lowered the life-boat. A boarding gangway was lowered at the side,and down this the crew of the life-boat scrambled. Dick Davis took hisplace at the tiller.

  "Cast off," he commanded. "Shove off. Let fall oars. Now, then--at it,hearties!"

  From owner and passengers a cheer went up as the boat put off in suchfamous style. In another instant, however, the boat tossed like a corkon a high, rolling wave. Then it went down in the hollow between twobillows. It was up in sight, an instant later. The men at the oars weredoing their work with a will. Over the water struggled the life-boat,and then turned to come up under the lee quarter of the schooner.

  Suddenly Captain Tom Halstead clutched desperately at the bridge rail,his face going deathly white.

  "Merciful heaven!" he quivered, staring hard. For, near the crest of awave, the life-boat heeled. Another big wave caught her.

  Dick Davis and the boat's crew had been hurled from the overturningboat!