CHAPTER XXIV
IN A COLLISION
With the increase of daylight, objects on and about the freighterbecame clearer. But looking over the side Nat and the policeman couldsee nothing of the mate. Members of the crew who had hastily leapedfrom their bunks began asking what the matter was. Soon the captaincame from his cabin.
"They've killed my uncle!" exclaimed Sam Shaw. "That's what they did!I heard them throw him overboard. That mean Nat Morton did it! I'llhave him arrested for murder!"
"Oh, dry up!" exclaimed Nat, quite put out with the unexpected turn ofevents.
"I'll lick you; that's what I'll do!" cried Sam, advancing on Nat withoutstretched fists.
"Keep away from me!" retorted Nat. "I whipped you once, and I can doit again!"
"He didn't push your uncle overboard," said one of the crew. "Hejumped."
"That's what he did," added the policeman. "He got away from me, too.Somebody get me a boat."
"What for?" asked the captain.
"Because I'm an officer of the law, and a prisoner has escaped. I hadhim a prisoner, all right, for I had my hand on him, but he went sosudden he got away."
"There's a boat moored alongside," said the captain, when matters hadbeen briefly explained. "But you want to hurry. I can't lay here allday, though how I'm going to sail without a mate is more than I know."
"I'll get him for you, but I'll have to take him right away again,"said the officer. "He's a criminal and a fugitive from justice."
The mate might have been almost anything, as far as any denial on hispart was concerned, for not a trace of him had been seen since hejumped overboard. Sam Shaw, mean as he was, had a genuine affectionfor his uncle, and he was much distressed about his relative.
"He's drowned! I know he's drowned!" he exclaimed, as he walked aboutthe deck, half crying.
"Oh, dry up!" advised Nat savagely, for he knew the mate was a goodswimmer, and he had no doubt but that Bumstead had managed to reachshore, under cover of the semi-darkness, and was far enough away bythis time.
Meanwhile, the policeman got into a boat and rowed about, but all tono purpose. The mate had disappeared as completely as if he was at thebottom of the lake.
"Well," said Nat, much disappointed, "that's done with. It's afailure. I guess I'd have done better if I'd gone alone, and not takenthe policeman with me, though he meant well enough. Now I'd better getsome breakfast and then arrange to have some one row me out to meetthe _Mermaid_."
He told the officer that he would have to leave.
"Very well," replied the policeman. "You may go, but I'll never giveup hunting for my prisoner. It's the first time one ever got away fromme, and I'm not going to stand it. I'll keep hunting until I find him,if it takes all day or a whole year. You had better leave me youraddress, and as soon as I arrest him, I'll let you know."
"I don't believe that would do any good. I travel about so, on theboat, that I can't tell just what my address will be. You had bettergive me the warrant; I may run across him at some other port."
Rather reluctantly the policeman gave up the legal document.
"I wish I had handcuffed him at first," he said. "Then he couldn'thave gotten away, and if he jumped in the water he would have beendrowned."
"I wouldn't care about having that happen," said Nat.
"Me either, though I hate to let a prisoner get away. But I'll catchhim yet, you see."
And when Nat had gone ashore, eaten his breakfast in a littlerestaurant, and was being rowed out to be picked up by the _Mermaid_,the policeman was still searching about the dock and adjacent shorefor the missing mate.
Captain Turton and the pilot sympathized with Nat over the failure ofhis mission, but they said Bumstead was sure to be arrested sooner orlater.
"He'll probably transfer to some other boat, now," said Nat.
"Very likely," answered Mr. Weatherby. "He knows you are after him,and it's going to be harder to arrest him."
The _Mermaid_ proceeded on her way, and for some time Nat was sooccupied with his work, for there was a great increase in passengertraffic, that he almost forgot about the rascally mate and the stolenmoney.
Meanwhile, as my young readers have probably surmised, Bumstead hadsafely reached shore and had arranged to keep out of the way ofofficers of the law. The sudden appearance of the policeman in hiscabin had been the first intimation that there was a warrant for hisarrest, and that Nat knew of his appropriation of the fifteen hundreddollars belonging to Mr. Morton.
It is true the mate had fancied Nat was suspicious, after the lad hadseen the wallet, and questioned him about it, but, when some timepassed, and nothing resulted, the scoundrel thought that Nat eitherhad his suspicions lulled, or did not know how to go about recoveringthe money. That a previous plan to arrest him had failed, by his shiftof vessels, the mate never dreamed.
Now he knew he must make another change. It would not be safe toremain aboard the _Spray_. Accordingly, when he had reached shore,after his sensational leap for liberty, he sought refuge with a man heknew at Cove Point. He remained there until he heard that Nat hadleft, and that the policeman, very reluctantly, had given up thesearch.
Then the mate sent for his nephew, and the pair took what money wascoming to them and left town. About two weeks after this the matesecured a place on the freighter _Liberty Bell_, which plied up anddown Lake Huron.
"Uncle Joe, what did that officer want?" asked Sam Shaw of hisrelative, one day, when he happened to mention their former placeaboard the _Spray_. "Was it in connection with that charge you madeagainst Nat before the pilot board?"
"Well--er--yes--that was it. They wanted my testimony."
"Why don't you give it to them? I'd like to see that Morton chaplocked up. How did he escape being sent to jail on your charge?"
"I don't exactly know," replied the mate. "I guess he is only out onbail."
"I hope they send him to prison for a long time. I can't bear him,he's so stuck up, thinking he's a regular pilot."
"Well, I'll fix him," murmured the mate. He did not want his nephew toknow about the accusation Nat had made, for he was afraid Sam might,unconsciously, betray him. Nor was the mate altogether easy regardingthe charge he had made before the pilot board. He had read in thepapers about that case, and how he was wanted for contempt of court.He thus had to face two charges, and he knew he must be very carefulwhen he went ashore, lest he be arrested.
"We'll meet the vessel that Morton fellow is on, this trip, UncleJoe," went on Sam.
"How's that?"
"Well, we're going to Bay City, and the _Mermaid_ is coming toDetroit, according to the papers."
"Is that so?" asked the mate, suddenly interested. "I wonder wherewe'll pass her?"
"About Ludlow's Island," answered Sam, who was developing a goodknowledge of the lakes.
"Ludlow's Island," repeated the mate. "The channel there is quitenarrow. We'll have to pass quite close."
"Do you think he'll see you, Uncle Joe?"
"No--of course not. What does it matter? I'm not keeping out of hisway. I had certain reasons for not wanting that officer to take me tocourt; that's why I leaped overboard that time."
"Oh," answered Sam, who had not heard the explanation given by Nat andthe policeman.
"So we'll pass his vessel quite close," murmured the mate, when hisnephew had left him. "That's my chance. If I can be left in charge ofthe wheel I think I can make Nat Morton wish he had never interferedwith me. Let's see, we ought to get to Ludlow's Island to-morrownight. I hope it's dark or foggy."
Meanwhile, all unconscious of the perils in store for him, Nat was,that same day, guiding the vessel of which he was now officially theassistant pilot toward Detroit.
"It's going to be a thick night," said Mr. Weatherby, as Nat relievedhim in the pilot-house, the evening of the day after the conversationset down above between Sam Shaw and his uncle. "I think there will bequite a fog before morning. Don't take any chances. If you're indoubt call me, but I'd like you to
try your hand at taking the shippast Ludlow's Island. It's one of the worst places in the lake, andwhen you've been through that, in a fog, you're almost entitled to apilot's license."
"I'll try it, Mr. Weatherby."
"That's the way to talk."
As the night came on the fog increased, until Nat decided he wouldslow down to half speed. The bell and whistle were kept going atregular intervals, and two men were stationed in the bow as lookouts.
It was close to midnight when Nat, who had decided to ask to berelieved, for he was a little doubtful of his ability under such badconditions, saw through the haze another vessel approaching. He was inthe narrowest part of the channel.
"There isn't time to send word to Mr. Weatherby now," he thought."I'll wait until I pass that ship. Then I'll go below, for I'm gettingnervous here."
The two vessels were approaching nearer and nearer to each other. IfNat had been aware that the ship he was about to pass was the one onwhich was his enemy, the mate, doubtless he would have been morenervous than he was.
"He seems to be crowding too close over this way," thought Nat. "GuessI'll give him a caution signal."
He pulled the whistle wire sharply. Short blasts came forth from the_Mermaid's_ hoarse siren. To Nat's surprise the other vessel, insteadof keeping away from him, in the narrow channel, seemed to be comingcloser.
"Doesn't he know enough to keep away, and on his own course?" said theyoung pilot half aloud.
He waited with an anxiously beating heart, and at the same time lookedaround to see if anybody else was near.
"Oh, if only Mr. Weatherby was here now!" he told himself. Never hadhe missed the old pilot so much as at this moment. For one instant hethought of yelling for assistance, but knew it would be useless, forhis voice would not carry far enough. He was in sole charge and mustdo the best he could.
"Perhaps that other pilot is drunk," he murmured, and then shut histeeth hard. He was "up against it good and hard," and he realized itonly too well. He trembled in spite of himself, and an icy chill beganto creep up and down his backbone.
He gave another signal. Then, as he watched, he saw the prow of theother vessel turn toward him.
"He's going to ram me!" exclaimed Nat.
Quickly he gave another signal, and then he rang for full speedastern. But it was too late. With a crash the other vessel was uponhim, though the result was different from what might have beenexpected.
The _Mermaid_ was a steel boat, while the _Liberty Bell_ was an oldwooden one. Instead of the bow of the latter crashing into the hull ofthe passenger steamer, the bow of the freight boat crumpled up likepaper, being smashed into kindling wood up as far as the pilot-house,part of which was demolished.
There was a confused ringing of bells and blowing of whistles, andthen both vessels came to a stop.
Boy Pilot of the Lakes; Or, Nat Morton's Perils Page 24
