CHAPTER X
OFF FOR TIGERS
"Yes, sir, Pirate Shark is what they call him, Cap'n. Thirty-footer."
"What!" Captain Hollinger stared in amazement, then laughed."Thirty-footer? You're tangled up, Jerry. Well, he can wait until I getback."
Jerry had arrived at the yacht almost as soon as the boys reached her,and in the course of the explanations about their shooting, Mart and Bobsurprised Jerry into ejaculating the title of the Pirate Shark, whichcalled for further explanations. Thus, without having broken theirpromise, the boys apprised the captain of something of the story of thePirate Shark, since Jerry reluctantly explained the name. CaptainHollinger gave the matter little attention, but not so the mate.
"Look here, Cap'n," cried Swanson, stepping out and facing Jerryaggressively. "I warned you against this here Shark Smith afore westarted, didn't I? Now, I tell you he ain't here for any good, him andthe rest o' his gang! Shark Smith, they call him--don't you growl at me,you white-haired old hypocrite!--'cause he's been after that 'ere sharkfor ten year an' more. That's what he brung you here for, Cap'n--justso's he could get at that Pirate Shark!"
Swanson flung out this accusation boldly enough, and Jerry's blue eyesblazed up at him suddenly; but the look was fleeting, and the nextinstant the quartermaster flung back his white hair and gazed with mildreproach on the mate.
"Deary me!" Jerry said softly, then smiled. "Why, Cap'n, Mr. Swanson'squite right, he is. I knowed that there Pirate Shark was here, an' Iwanted to kill him myself, so to speak. But I've played square, Cap'n.When you gets back from your hunt, I'll have gold to show you. Can youask more'n that, sir?"
"Not a bit, Jerry," smiled Captain Hollinger. "Come, Mr. Swanson, nomore of this suspicion, if you please. Jerry will have to rank as secondofficer, and take the port watch for the rest of the cruise, so I wantno ill feeling among my officers. Now, what about the tigers, Jerry?"
Jerry reported that all was ready, and that the beaters were alreadyarranged for. There were tigers a day's march away, it seemed, and thechiefs were delighted that Captain Hollinger was so willing and ready torid them of their persecutors. The sooner the hunters started, thebetter pleased would the natives be.
Accordingly, the captain decided that he would go ashore with Swansonthat same afternoon and get acquainted, as Jerry reported that two orthree of the natives could speak a little English, and that all wereanxious to put themselves at his disposal. Then for the first time Jerryfound that the boys were not going ashore also, and the knowledge seemedto stagger him.
"Why--why," he exclaimed blankly, "I thought as how you were going tigerhunting too, lads. I've been an' made all arrangements wi' themchiefs--"
"No, they'll have to stay here," returned the captain firmly. "I'll nottake them into that jungle till I've had a look at it, Jerry. That'sfinal. Hold that prau down there and we'll get our stuff together and goashore in her."
Jerry, looking decidedly blank, obeyed. Mart wondered why he was soanxious to have them go ashore, and conferred with Bob on the subject,but it seemed that Jerry was only in haste to get at his Pirate Shark,and the two boys were rather amused at the situation, together withSwanson's dislike of Jerry.
To them it seemed that the old quartermaster had wanted to get rid ofeveryone who would interfere with his own hunting operations, and thattheir shot at the shark that morning had irritated him. Mart looked onit as a huge joke by this time, and Bob was evidently inclined to thesame way of thinking. Jerry was evidently quite confident, however, thatthere was gold in the river, as his promise to the captain showed;indeed, the boys never doubted that he was acting in good faith, moreespecially as Jerry had now informed the captain that he intendedkilling the Pirate Shark.
The preparations for the trip ashore were made hurriedly, while the prauwaited at the ladder and the natives traded more fruit and fish, withsome fresh meat. Captain Hollinger and Swanson dressed in khaki, withsun helmets and leggings, and at the last moment one of the Scotchengineers volunteered to accompany them. So he was given an outfit also,and the three men furnished themselves with the small-bore Austrian armyrifles, whose cordite bullets possessed terrific power.
Jerry said that all arrangements were made for their welfare in thevillage, and that tents were unnecessary as the natives could buildthatch huts in half an hour while on the trip, so the impedimenta of theparty was light. Canteens and cartridge belts were donned, medicinecases, mosquito nets, binoculars and blankets stowed away, and the threemen shook hands with the two boys. Jerry said that the natives were eventhen making ready a huge barbecue in the village, which was half a mileup-river, so without pausing for noon mess the hunters departed.
They took both trading goods and money with them, in order to makepayments to the natives, and when they stepped down into the prau andthe Malays shoved off, the boys led the crew in three hearty cheers. Outflashed the long Malay sweeps, and with final shouts ringing over thewater, the prau swiftly moved off toward the river mouth. Mart and Bobwatched the three stalwart khaki-clad figures standing erect amid thebrown men, and followed the prau with their glasses until it was lostaround the first projection of the river bank Bob little dreamed whatwould transpire before he was to see his father's face again!
The officers' mess was sadly depleted that noon, only Jerry, the boys,and the Scotch engineer remaining. By this time the old quartermasterhad openly announced his intention of getting after the Pirate Shark, sothe boys had no hesitation in broaching the subject and asking hisplans.
"Well," returned Jerry, gazing mildly at the engineer, "first off, we'lllay the yacht over that there wreck I was tellin' you lads about--youmind that wreck, lads, eight fathom down? Rock bottom it is, coral rock,down there among the fish. When we lay over her, all shipshape an'Bristol fashion, then we'll look about for that there Pirate Shark. He'sdown there, lads--down there among the fish, lads, eight fathom down!"
"I'll bet he ain't," interposed Mart. "Prob'ly Bob's bullet through hisfin sent him out of here into the deep water. It would me!"
"Ah, but you ain't no Pirate Shark, lad!" smiled Jerry, shaking hishead. "He's a cute un, he is." With that Jerry turned to the Scotchengineer, who was no little astonished at the program, of which he hadknown nothing. "Now, sir, I'll thank you to get the fires up a bit, aswe'll need steam to move. Best keep 'em banked, as we may finish offthat there shark to-morrow and run up river after gold."
"How long will dad be ashore?" asked Bob, while the dazed engineerdeparted to look after his fires.
Jerry chuckled. "Oh, several days, lads, several days! Now, we'll breakout that dynamite an' then we'll lay her over the wreck--eight fathomsdown, and old Jerry the only man as knows. Fish tell no tales,lads--fish tell no tales! You come to the bridge and watch old Jerry layus over that there wreck!"
This invitation the boys promptly accepted. The afternoon was hot, butJerry seemed like a new man as he assumed command of the yacht, takingcharge of the steam steering gear himself. As they could not get underway for some time, he set Birch to work with a few Kanakas breaking outthe dynamite in the forward hold. Jerry was needed to identify the casein question, however, and soon went down to the deck for that purpose.
Now happened an incident which in some measure served to open the eyesof both boys. Among the stores broken out from the hold was a barrel ofbeef which had gone bad. After Jerry had identified the case containingthe dynamite, he ordered the Kanakas to fling the bad beef overboard,and started back to the bridge. The Kanakas had not fully understood theorder, and thinking that the case of dynamite was indicated, theycheerfully picked it up and heaved it over the rail.
Mart let out one wild yell, which was echoed by Yorke and Dailey, butnothing happened; the dynamite simply went to the bottom, the force ofthe shock not being sufficient to explode it. When Jerry comprehendedwhat had happened, however, he was changed instantly from a mild,gentle-appearing old man into a raging maniac. He ran forward, his faceterrible to see, and leaping into the crowd of Kanakas began st
rikingright and left in mad fury.
The white-faced boys saw Yorke catch hold of him, but Jerry sent thetwisted-mouthed man reeling with a blow; not until Dailey and Birchflung themselves on him was he quieted. Then he once more becamehimself, but he had been struck a hard blow; he looked ten years older,as Mart commented below his breath.
"No wonder," said Bob commiseratingly. "Poor old Jerry--he'd beencounting on that dynamite to blow up the Pirate Shark, Mart. Just thesame, I guess my bullet sent Mr. Shark a-kiting out to the open sea."
Jerry climbed back to the bridge, vouchsafing no comment, but stilltrembling and muttering to himself. Calling down the tube, he found thatthe engineer had enough steam up to give the _Seamew_ steerage way, andwithout further delay he ordered the anchor tripped and rang for halfspeed ahead.
Slowly the yacht gathered way and swung about, pointing up past theisland toward the channel beyond. Beyond this, again, the lagooncontinued for a quarter-mile farther, in a rounded bay where littlerock-points showed their jagged teeth. As they advanced, the waterbecame deeper, shoaled again, then grew deeper beyond the channel; atlast Jerry rang for reversed engines, the cable roared out, and theengines ceased.
"Now, lads," he said, "we're over that there wreck. Let's have a look."
They followed him eagerly enough to the deck, where already the crewwere looking over the bulwarks. The water was wonderfully clear, but asit was forty feet deep here, they could make out nothing of the bottom.Just under their ladder and gangway, however, the quartermaster pointedout a deeper shadow of green, which he declared showed the position ofthe wreck.
"We'll send down a Kanaka in the morning," he said. "And if that thereain't the old wreck, lads, then Jerry Smith is a Dutchman!"
"But what about the shark?" objected Bob stoutly. "You aren't going tosend down any men there, Jerry, with that shark hanging around. Not if Iknow it!"
"Well, them Kanakas lost my dynamite, didn't they?" snarled Jerrysuddenly, his face sweeping into quick anger.
"That's no matter," rejoined Mart. "You needn't think we'll stand forany men going down--"
"Look ye here, lads," and Jerry faced them solemnly. "Them Kanakas ain'tlike us white men, d'ye see? First, they ain't afraid o' sharks. Theytake knives down an' kill sharks for fun, like your father kills tigers.Then they swim like fish themselves, lads. If the sea hadn't spoiledthat there dynamite, they'd 'a' brought it up as quick as it went down."
"Maybe you're right," answered Bob, "but there's something about thiswhole business that I don't like, Jerry. That's flat. You deceived dadby not telling him about this Pirate Shark till we'd got here, and youhaven't told him about the wreck yet. All I can say is, you'd betterplay square, Jerry. When it comes to sending down any o' those Kanakasto investigate your private troubles, and risking their lives, I'm notgoing to stand for it."
Jerry smiled softly, and gazed out at the sparkling waters of thelagoon.
"Lads, I'm in command o' this here ship," he said quietly. "You've gotnothin' to say aboard her, by rule o' the sea. But old Jerry ain't thatkind, lads--no, he likes ye both too much for that. Look here, MasterBob, we'll not send down any men but them as volunteers to go, eh? Ifthey want to go, all right; if they don't, why, all right too! Ain'tthat fair, now? Ain't it?"
Bob glanced at Mart, who made answer.
"Yes, that's fair enough, Jerry. I'll tell the Kanakas myself about thatPirate Shark, and if they choose to go down after that, it's theiraffair. I don't think he's around here, myself; but in case that bulletdidn't send him out to sea with a hole in his fin, and if he really isthe Pirate Shark, we'll have to wait till the captain gets back, unlessthe men are perfectly willing to take the risk. You can order Dailey orYorke to go down if you like."
At this last suggestion Jerry merely darted them a sharp look, andchuckled.
"All right, lads, all right! We'll see in the mornin', lads. Eightfathom down she is, and fish tell no tales."
That night the boys discussed the situation with growing belief thatJerry was not quite so silly as he appeared. The sight of that immenseblack fin had established the fact that there was at least an enormousshark here; whether the wreck was also a fact or not was quite anotherthing.
There might be a wreck there, indeed, and there was no good reason todoubt it. Jerry's tale about its being an ancient galleon, however, wasmuch too improbable to be accepted. However, the diving gear wasoverhauled that evening, and the boys looked forward eagerly to what wasto happen next day.
"I s'pose dad's watching a native dance or something about now,"remarked Bob as the boys made ready to turn in. "Well, we'll be aftertigers ourselves in a few days, Mart."
"Mebbe," rejoined Mart. "Wish, we hadn't eaten those oysters thismorning! I haven't felt right since. Well, so long, Holly! See youto-morrow."
And if Mart felt any premonitions, he ascribed them to the oyster.
The Pirate Shark Page 10
