by James Otis
CHAPTER VI.
A CHANGE OF WEATHER.
Walter could be of but little assistance on deck, owing to his ignoranceof nautical matters; yet in Jim's estimation he formed, as companion tohimself, a very important portion of the watch. Brave though the youngfisherman tried to appear, nothing short of actually saving his own lifewould have tempted him to remain on the Bonita's quarter-deck alone inthe night; and even with an assistant it seemed necessary for him towhistle very loud during several minutes after Bob and Harry disappearedin the cabin before he had sufficient control over his voice to hide thefear which came upon him.
Then he said in what was intended to be a cheery tone:
"Well, Walt, I reckon this is the last night we'll run dead before thewind, unless it blows in our favor. By mornin' Bob oughter be strongenough, if he keeps on eatin' same as he has to-day, to help work ship,an' then the brig'll be headed toward home."
Walter sighed deeply. Just at that moment he was thinking of the lovedones whom he knew must be mourning his absence, and the word "home"caused such an uncomfortably big lump to rise in his throat that it wasimpossible to make any reply.
Perhaps the same syllable sent Jim's thoughts straying in a similardirection, for he began to whistle once more, and continued to do sountil a voice from the companion-way asked, in a querulous tone:
"What's the matter? Short-handed as we are, do you think it's goin' tohelp out by havin' more wind!"
"It ain't blowin' any harder than it was when you went below," Jimreplied in surprise, understanding by the tone of the voice that it wasBob Brace who had spoken.
"That's jes' why you wanter tie up the whistle. It'll bring a gale ifyou keep on much longer!"
Then the sound of footsteps told that the speaker had returned to thecabin, and Jim said, in a low tone, to Walter:
"Them old sailors are as full of whims as a dog is of fleas. Some ofthem on the Mary Walker had signs for everything a feller did; but Inever saw any come true. Tom Downey, the mate, allers fussed when birdsflew 'round the schooner, 'cause he said they'd bring on a gale, an' ina dead calm he'd either whistle or wish he had a cat to throwoverboard."
"What for?"
"So's to bring a wind. He says it'll allers come when you do that; butof course its foolishness. Then again, if _I_ happened to whistle, nomatter how calm it was, I'd get a rope's endin' 'cause they think a boymustn't so much as squeak. If I'd believed Bob could hear me I'd know'denough to hold my tongue."
"Did you get whipped very often on the Mary?" Walter asked, with a mildcuriosity.
"More times than I've got fingers an' toes. Whenever any of 'em, fromthe captain down to the cook, wanted something to do they'd stir me up,an' it makes a feller dance when he gets a good stout heavin'-lineacross his back; but I'd be willin' to take a pretty big dose of it if Icould be on board the old schooner just now."
There was no necessity for Walter to repeat this last sentiment. Asevere punishment from his father at that moment would have been apositive pleasure. The lightest word in reference to home caused him torealize more keenly each hour the distance between those whom he lovedand himself, and Jim's words seemed but the echo of his own thoughts.
During fully half an hour the two remained in silence at the wheel,steering the brig through the darkness on a course indicated only by thewind, and then the young fisherman was suddenly recalled from memoriesof the Mary Walker to the Bonita.
The breeze was increasing perceptibly, and the moisture in theatmosphere told that rain might be expected very soon. While the boyshad given themselves up to reverie the clouds were gathering, until nowit seemed as if they actually enveloped the brig as with an impenetrablevapor, and the waters dashed against the bow with that peculiar sullensighing which betokens a storm. The Bonita no longer sailed freely, buttossed and plunged like some living thing harassed by obstacles in itspath until wearied with the constant strife.
Jim knew the meaning of this change in wind and wave, and he rousedhimself suddenly as does one who is rudely awakened.
"I reckon it would be better if we 'tended to our business instead ofwhinin' about what can't be helped," he said grimly, clutching yet moretightly the spokes of the wheel. "You'll have to go below an' tell Bobthat a storm is comin' on, so's we can get in some more of this canvas,if he thinks we're carryin' too much."
Walter noted the change in his companion's voice rather than in theelements; but that was sufficient to cause him to move very quickly.
It became necessary to look in several of the tiny apartments beforefinding the two who were enjoying their watch below, after which it wasan affair of only a few seconds to arouse them. Bob sprung to his feetbefore Walter had repeated Jim's words, and he awakened Harry by saying,as he pulled him from the bunk:
"Come on deck, lad; for we shall need the whole workin' force unless ourfisherman has made a mistake!"
To have seen Bob ascend the companion-way ladder one would hardly havesupposed he had been so near death a few hours previous. The necessityfor action seemed to call back all his strength, and on reaching thedeck there was no evidence of weakness in his movements.
"Well, the wind you was callin' for has got here," he said to Jim,looking out into the darkness. "I never knew much good to come of boyswhistlin' at sea, an' I don't reckon any one else ever did."
Jim had nothing to say. He didn't believe he was responsible for thissudden change in the weather; but long and sad experience had taught himhow useless it would be to deny the imputation, and he asked meekly:
"Do you think we're goin' to have much of a storm?"
"It looks like it; but if we had half a crew aboard there wouldn't beany reason for touchin' a rope. The way we're fixed now makes thingsdifferent, an' we'd better get her snugged down. I'll take the two boysfor'ard, an' you ease her up a bit so we can furl the jib. Come on,lads; there ain't much time to waste."
Harry and Walter followed Bob without the slightest idea of what wasrequired. They could carry out his instructions when he set the example,however, and in half an hour the Bonita was plunging heavily into therapidly-rising sea with nothing save the foretopsail drawing. She had nomore canvas than might have been shown in the most furious gale; but,under the circumstances, it seemed to be all that was consistent withsafety, for no one could say how much wind lurked behind the inkyclouds.
"Now light the binnacle lamp, Jim, so's we'll have some idea of wherewe're headin', an' then try your hand at makin' tea. I reckon this willbe an all-night job for me, an' as I don't feel so very chipper yet,somethin' warm won't do any harm."
Bob took the wheel as he spoke, and Jim obeyed orders, the other boysfollowing him closely, for the stuffy galley was preferable to the deck,where the huge waves, roaring astern, appeared ever on the point ofingulfing the brig.
By the time a pot of tea had been steeped the storm was full upon them,causing the Bonita to pitch and toss in what Harry and Walter thought amost dangerous manner. Jim did not feel disturbed by it, however, for inhis mind was the knowledge of that greater peril concerning which hiscompanions were ignorant. The brig was dashing on literally at the mercyof the gale, and at any moment might strike a reef or the mainland, tothe destruction of all on board as well as her own stout timbers, forthe helmsman had no idea of what lay before them.
When Jim carried a pannikin of tea aft, leaving the other boys in thegalley awaiting his return, Bob said in a low tone, as if fearing hiswords would be overheard:
"You must take the wheel awhile, lad, so I can hunt for the charts. Itwon't do to storm along like this without a little smatterin' of what'sahead, an' we'll make some kind of a guess as to where the brig was whenyou picked me up."
Jim grasped the spokes firmly, as much for the purpose of steadyinghimself against the vessel's furious plunging as to hold her before thewind, and after draining the pan of its bitter contents Bob Brace wentinto the cabin.
Owing to the violent motion of the brig the boys in the galley made noeffort to join the young fis
herman at the helm, and he was left aloneduring half an hour, when Bob returned.
"Did you find the charts?" Jim asked eagerly.
"Yes; an' I reckon there's no call to worry ourselves very much. We'rerunnin' pretty nigh south, an' if the brig was a hundred miles off thecoast when I came aboard there's nothin' between us an' the Bahamas.We've got thirteen or fourteen hundred miles of clear water, an' thisbreeze will blow itself out before----"
"Look! Look there!" Jim cried excitedly, heaving the wheel down to portas rapidly as he could handle the spokes.
Bob turned quickly, and but one brief glance was sufficient to cause himto spring to the helmsman's aid.
There was good reason why the two were alarmed. Directly in the Bonita'scourse, less than half a cable's length away, a huge fabric of canvasand cordage came out of the gloom like a phantom, as if bent on runningdown the brig.
The stranger had all lowersails set, and a collision would have beenfatal to the smaller craft because her headway was so much less thanthat of the other.
"Up with the helm, lad, to meet her as she comes around!" Bob screamed,when the wheel had been jammed hard down for a second, and the Bonitaheeled over while responding to the rudder's sudden swing. "We shallclear her, but it'll be a rub."
The stranger had also changed her course by this time, and as the twovessels swept past each other on a heaving, screaming sea of foam,hardly twenty feet apart, Jim sprang toward the flare.
"You can't bring her to now, lad," Bob shouted as the boy ran into thegalley with the basin of alcohol-saturated oakum. "Even if they werewillin', we couldn't wear ship."
Jim's excitement was so great that he did not hear the old sailor'swords. When he emerged from the galley the spirit was sending up a blueflame which illumined the entire after-part of the brig; but thestranger had vanished in the gloom to starboard, and strain his eyes ashe might it was impossible to see any answering signal.
"You needn't spend much time lookin' for that craft, lad. We've beennearer to her than we shall ever be again, an' you'd better chuck thebasin overboard before your fingers get burned."
