Fenn Masterson's Discovery; or, The Darewell Chums on a Cruise
Page 13
CHAPTER XIII
CAUGHT IN THE LOCK
Ned, at the suggestion of the captain, put some salve on his wrist, forthe cord had cut through the flesh. Then he had Bart bandage it up. Thisdone the boys resumed their seats near the after rail, and talked aboutNed's exciting catch.
"I hope you don't try such a thing again," remarked Mr. Ackerman, as hecame back from his cabin. "It's a little too much for my nerves." Hesank down in a deck chair, and the boys noticed that he was quite pale.He seemed unable to get his breath.
"Would you mind--would one of you mind, reaching in my pocket andgetting a bottle of smelling salts that I carry," he asked. "I think ifI took a sniff I'd feel better."
"I will," volunteered Fenn, for Mr. Ackerman's hands hung limply by hisside, and he seemed incapable of helping himself.
"Is this it?" asked Fenn, as he reached in the upper right hand pocketof the invalid's vest and pulled out a small bottle.
"No--no," was the answer, half whispered. "That is my headache cure. Ithink it must be in the lower pocket."
Fenn replaced the headache cure and explored the lower right-hand vestpocket.
"Is this it?" he inquired, drawing up a small box.
"No, no--my dear young friend--those are my liver pills. Try again. Ithink it must be on the other side."
He still seemed too weak to raise his hands. Ned was about to callCaptain Wiggs, but Fenn made another try.
"I have it!" he exclaimed, pulling out a shining metal tube.
"No--no," said the invalid faintly, opening his eyes and looking at whatFenn held up. "That's my asthma cure. Try the next pocket, please."
"Say, he'll kick the bucket if Fenn doesn't find that medicine prettysoon," whispered Frank. "Guess I'll help him."
Fenn began a search of the lower left-hand vest pocket. He brought up abottle, containing a dark liquid. Wishing to make sure he had the rightstuff, he smelled of it, before asking Mr. Ackerman to open his eyes andlook at it.
"Is that it?" whispered Ned.
"Smells bad enough to be it," was Fenn's answer.
"No, no. You haven't got it yet," spoke the invalid, in peevish tones."That is my heart remedy. I must kindly ask you to try again. I remembernow, it's in my right-hand coat pocket."
Fenn replaced the heart cure and made one more attempt. This time hebrought up a short, squatty, round bottle.
"That's it!" exclaimed the invalid joyfully, "Now, please hold it to mynose. Not too close."
However, he spoke too late, for Fenn had placed the open phial rightunder Mr. Ackerman's nose. The invalid gave one sniff, and then jumpedfrom the chair as if he was shot.
"Wow! Ouch! Help!" he cried. "That's strong ammonia! I use it for hayfever. That's the wrong medicine! Oh! The back of my neck is comingoff!"
He held his handkerchief to his face, the tears coming from his eyesbecause of the strong stuff.
"I remember now!" he managed to gasp. "I left my smelling salts in mystateroom. But I can get them now. I'm better--much better!"
"I believe he is," remarked Frank, when Mr. Ackerman had gone below."Say, isn't he the limit, with his different kind of medicines?"
"You shouldn't make fun of him," spoke Bart.
"Whew!" suddenly exclaimed the captain's voice. "I guess my invalidpassenger must have been around here," and he breathed in theammonia-laden air.
"He seems to be quite sick," said Fenn.
"Sick?" repeated the commander. "Say, I wouldn't want him to hear me, buthe's no more sick than I am. He's only got a touch of hypochondriacism."
"Will--will he die soon of it?" asked Fenn.
"Die? I wish I had his chance of living," went on the captain. "I guessyou don't quite understand. Maybe that word was too much for you. Aperson who has hypochondriacism has a little stomach trouble, and therest is only imaginary. That's what Mr. Ackerman has. Every once in awhile he takes a trip with me, for the sake of his health, he says, butI think it's to get away from working. Say, did he ask you to reach inhis pocket for some medicines for him?"
"Yes," replied Fenn, "and I had quite a time finding it."
"I should think you would. He's a regular walking drug store. If he'dthrow all his powders, pills and liquids away, and live out of doors,he'd be all right in a month. I'm not making fun of him, but I wishsomebody would, some day. Maybe it would cure him."
"He seemed pretty sick," ventured Bart.
"But he was lively enough when he smelled that ammonia I gave him bymistake," said Fenn.
"Ammonia?" questioned the commander, and the boys then told him what hadhappened. "Ha! Ho!" laughed Captain Wiggs. "That is the best joke yet!Ammonia! Oh my! I'll bet he was lively! Why, I can smell it yet!"
The little experience seemed to do Mr. Ackerman good, and it was severaldays before he complained again. Then he was seemingly as badly off asever, taking some sort of medicine almost every hour. But the boysunderstood him now, and did not waste so much sympathy on him.
The _Modoc_ steamed on, covering many miles over Lake Huron until,towards evening one afternoon, Captain Wiggs announced that morningwould find them at the entrance of St. Mary's river, the connecting linkbetween Lakes Huron and Superior.
"Can you boys stand a little jarring?" he asked, as they were in themain cabin, after supper.
"Jarring? Why?" inquired Frank.
"Because we've got to jump the ship over St. Mary's falls, and we don'talways make it the first time," was the answer, given with much gravity."Often we miss and fall back, and it jars the ship up quite a bit."
"Oh, are we going through the 'Soo' canal?" asked Fenn eagerly, for hehad been reading up about the Great Lakes, just before coming on thetrip.
"That's the only way of getting around the falls," replied the captain."I see you don't put much faith in my jumping story."
"We have to go through a lock, don't we?" Bart wanted to know.
"Yes," said Captain Wiggs, spreading a map out on the table, "we gothrough the canal, and lock, being raised up several feet, to the levelof Lake Superior. If all goes well we'll be through the lock by noonto-morrow."
"Why do they call it the 'Soo' canal?" asked Ned.
"Because it is named after the falls," was the commander's reply. "Thefalls are called Sault Saint Marie, and that word which is spelled'S-a-u-l-t' is pronounced as if it were spelled 'S-o-o.' It is a Frenchword, and means a leap, or water-fall. So you see when you say 'Sault(Soo) Saint Marie' you are really saying 'St. Mary's Waterfall.' Thecanal, and the city located along it, both take the name of the falls."
The boys were up early the next morning to catch the first glimpse ofthe canal, lock and falls. It was some time before they reached them,however, and, when they did arrive at the canal, they found severalvessels ahead of them, and had to wait their turn for entering the lock.
They had a fine view of the surrounding country and the falls of St.Mary's, spanned by a big railroad bridge. When they approached the lock,they saw that the canal was there divided by two walls of masonry makingtwo locks and enclosing a space that was laid out like a little park,with grass plots and trees. Along the edges of the retaining walls,which were very wide, many persons were walking.
At last it was the turn of the _Modoc_ to enter the lock. She steamedslowly ahead, and an empty grain barge was also sent in at the sametime, the lock being large enough for two vessels.
When the craft were in, the immense gates were closed behind them. The_Modoc_ and the grain barge were now shut up in something like a box ofmasonry, with water for a bottom, and the sky for a top. The boyswatched the men open the water-gates that let in a flood of liquid thatswept in from Lake Superior, through the long canal.
Slowly the two vessels began to rise. The water boiled and bubbled,churning into foam as it forced its way in. It seemed as though it wasprotesting at being made to hoist the ships, instead of being allowed tocourse on to the mighty ocean.
Up and up went the great craft, being lifted as easily by the powerfulwater, as though
some giant hand had reached down from the sky and waselevating them. A few feet more and they would be able to steam out onthe upper lever of the canal, and thence into Lake Superior.
Suddenly a rope, that held the grain barge from drifting too close tothe forward gates, parted. The churning of the water sent the clumsycraft ahead, and, in a moment the bow was caught under one of the heavybeams of the gate. As the water was still lifting, the nose of the craftbecame depressed, while the stern rose. Then the barge swung overagainst the _Modoc_, and a projection on it caught against the lattercraft.
The barge was now held down, bow and stern, while, from beneath, it wasbeing lifted by an irresistible force of water. The barge careened toone side, and the _Modoc_ began to heel over.
"Shut off the water!" cried Captain Wiggs, who saw the danger. "Shut heroff, quick, or we'll be stove in!"