Voyage of the Dolphin

by Gilbert L. Morris

  Abbey flushed but laughed at her own words. “She's pretty and the daughter of a rich man. She's never had to make her own way. And I don't think people like that are happy.”

  Sarah had known, of course, that Abbey herself had been spoiled. Abbey was a beautiful girl; and as long as they had been together, Sarah had been slightly jealous of the younger girl's attractiveness.

  “Something happened to me on our last adventure,” Abbey said. “I learned that beauty isn't everything.”

  “What do you mean, Abbey?” the captain asked.

  “You must have noticed that the most attractive people aren't always completely happy.” Abbey spoke this with some surprise as if she thought everybody knew it. “I knew several beauty queens back in the old world.”

  “What's a beauty queen?” Daybright asked.

  “Oh, they have contests to pick the prettiest girls,” Abbey answered.

  “And did they pick you?”

  Abbey blushed and shrugged her shoulders. “Once or twice,” she said. “I was never Miss America, but I knew some girls that went up pretty high. And you know what?” She stopped and looked at them curiously. “Those were always the ones who seemed the most insecure.”

  “I'd think if they were all that pretty, they wouldn't have to be insecure.”

  “I guess they're never satisfied. Like some men who never get enough money. Once a girl starts running on her beauty, she's always thinking about losing it—or whether the next girl is going to be prettier.”

  Abbey picked up a cup and wiped it slowly, her eyes thoughtful. “You never know whether someone likes you because of what you are on the outside—because you're pretty—or whether they like you for what you are.”

  Sarah was staring at her friend, understanding. “I've seen a little of that. I guess that's why those beautiful actors and actresses never stay married. They're always jumping from one man or one woman to the next.”

  “I don't understand any of this,” Daybright said. “All I know is she's a royal pain in the neck.”

  “Yes, she is,” Abbey said slowly, “and I guess she always will be—unless something happens to change her.”

  “Let her husband change her. He can take a stick to her,” he joked. “That would make her see things a little differently.”

  Both girls laughed.

  “I can see you don't know much about marriage, Captain,” Sarah said. “Would you take a paddle to your bride?”

  Daybright grinned. “Why, of course I would. Don't you have to treat a wife just like a horse that needs discipline?”

  “Don't ever tell that to a woman you're interested in,” Abbey said, sobering up. “It'd be the worst thing you could do.”

  “Well, I admit I don't know anything about women. All I know is ships and the ocean, and that's all I'll probably ever know.”

  That afternoon Wash baited a line with a small fish and threw it over the stern. He let out the line and held it for a while.

  Soon Reb came back to sit beside him. “Let me hold that thing! I'm a pretty good fisherman myself.”

  “All right.” Wash handed him the line and watched as Reb wrapped two or three turns around his wrist. “I wouldn't do that if I was you.”

  “Why not?”

  “'Cause you might get something too big on there. Might pull you out of the boat.”

  “Ship.” Then Reb shook his head. “Just let something get on there! I'll show you who gets pulled.”

  His boastful words were to haunt him; for not five minutes later, Wash, who was lolling alongside the rail, heard Reb give a cry. He turned to see the lanky Texan go sailing over the rail.

  “Man overboard!” Wash yelled.

  Daybright, who was at the helm, spun the wheel furiously.

  All the crew members who were on deck rushed to the rail.

  Dave yelled, “What was he doing?”

  “He had his wrist tied onto a fish line, and something yanked him over the side. Could be a shark!”

  The Dolphin wheeled slowly.

  As the boat came alongside, it appeared Reb had managed to free himself from the fishing line. He grabbed the rope Dave threw to him and soon was standing on deck, dripping and staring at his wrist. “Look at that!” he said.

  They all crowded around. His wrist was rope-burned.

  “What was that you caught?”

  “Nothing,” Reb said, abashed. “He caught me.” But a light of battle appeared in the boy's blue eyes. He loved a challenge and said, “You wait—I'll get that varmint.”

  Reb began preparing another line, but this time he looped it around a capstan, saying, “Come on, fish. You bite one more time, and we'll see what's what!”

  Daybright steered the Dolphin back on course, and Reb stayed at the rail with the loose end of the line in his hand.

  Perhaps a half an hour later Reb let out a yell, and Wash ran to see that the line was tight. Something was pulling and plunging on the end of it.

  “He's a big'un, whatever he is,” Reb shouted, “but I'll get him.”

  It turned out to be quite a battle. For more than two hours Reb struggled to bring the fish in. If it had not been for the turn taken around the capstan, he would never have been able to land it.

  Daybright came to watch the struggle. “You'll never get him on board,” he predicted. “He's too big.”

  “I'll do it or die!” Reb said and threw his head back and gave a loud Rebel yell.

  Finally the fish was brought to the surface.

  “It's a big marlin. It might go five hundred pounds,” Daybright said. “Good eating if we can get him on board.”

  “Gotta be some way to do it.”

  “We can winch him on if I can get another hook through his mouth.”

  At once Daybright began throwing out lines, attaching them to a winch that was used to ease the Dolphin backward in a port. Then he brought a piece of iron with a hooked shape on one end. “Let me get this in him, and I think we can do it.”

  Apparently Dawn Catalina had heard the yelling, and she came up on deck. She was wearing a delicate pink dress made of very fine silk. It was adorned with ribbons, and she looked beautiful. But it was not a dress for the deck of a ship—especially not when landing a fish.

  Daybright got the fish gaffed and then ran back and turned the winch. “Give me a hand, Dave.”

  The two of them worked it hard, and the huge fish came slowly over the stern.

  Reb was yelling all the time, and the others were cheering enthusiastically. The boat shifted, the fish gave a sudden flip and was on deck.

  “Look out,” Daybright yelled. “He could stab you with that sword of his.”

  The fish turned sideways. He slid along the deck and gave a tremendous lunge, doubling over and releasing his tail. The tip of it caught Dawn in the stomach.

  “Oooph!”

  If the full force of the tail had caught the girl, she would have been knocked overboard. As it was, she flipped backward, legs flying and ruffled pantaloons showing in the bright sunlight.

  Daybright jumped to her side, reached down, and lifted her to a sitting position. These fish were dangerous! “Are you all right, Miss Catalina?” he asked with concern.

  Dawn's face was red, and she was trying to get her breath. Finally she did and began to scream incoherently. “You clumsy oaf!”

  Daybright stared at her. “I'm afraid I wasn't the clumsy one,” he snapped. He pulled her to her feet and looked at the slimy trail the fish's tail had made on the front of her dress.

  She looked down and saw it and said, “My best dress!” She jerked away from him. “I might have expected it from you!” She flounced off and disappeared down the ladder, screaming, “Sarah! You come at once and help me clean up this awful mess!”

  As soon as she was below, everyone on deck broke into wild laughter.

  The fish was still flopping around, and Daybright picked up a short club and knocked him on the head. Then he looked at Sarah and said, “There'll be a b
onus in this for you if you can calm her down.”

  Sarah grinned suddenly. “Let me borrow that club, Captain. I think I know how to handle this.”

  A round of laughter went up again, and Josh warned, “Don't give it to her, Captain. She'd use it. I know her!”

  Sarah erased the laughter from her face and went below. The next thirty minutes were as hard as anything she'd ever had to endure. She helped Dawn remove the dress and put on fresh clothing, all the time suffering a string of insults. Nothing she did pleased the girl.

  Finally she escaped and went back on deck.

  Daybright was waiting. “Was it bad?”

  “Bad enough.” Sarah's lips were tight. She had kept her temper but only by a small margin. “You may have to use that club, Captain. I've never seen anyone so unreasonable. It was her fault, not yours or anybody else's.”

  “I don't think Miss Dawn Catalina is used to accepting blame for her actions.” Then he added thoughtfully, his eyes turning moody, “She may have to learn that the hard way. On a long voyage, people sometimes have to face up to what they are.”

  At supper that night, the entire crew gathered around the table—Daybright had showed them how to tie the wheel in position to keep the ship on course.

  “For a short time,” he said, “we won't get too lost. Time to have a little celebration.”

  Jake, with some help from the others, had prepared a fine meal. None of them except Daybright had eaten marlin before, and it turned out to be a delicious fish.

  Dawn came in wearing a light green dress that perfectly matched her eyes.

  “That dress must have cost enough to feed a starving village for a year,” Jake whispered. “Boy, she's a looker, ain't she now?”

  Dawn was seated as was customary at one end of the table while Captain Daybright took the other end. The Sleepers arranged themselves, and Sarah and Reb had volunteered to serve.

  “Well, now, this is fine, isn't it?” Daybright commented. “You wouldn't eat a better meal than this, Miss Catalina, in the finest castles in the land.”

  Dawn tasted the fish and nodded reluctantly. “It does very well. I've had better, though.”

  It appeared that Daybright had to grit his teeth, but he managed to smile. “And this fresh bread—I don't see how you do it, Jake. It's delicious!”

  “An old family recipe,” Jake said. “I grew up on it.”

  He grinned, his homely face bright. “That's why I'm so pretty. I ate lots of it. It's guaranteed!”

  The meal was very pleasant. Dawn said nothing complimentary about the food, but everyone else did.

  Finally Dawn said, “I want some more of this juice.”

  She held out her goblet in a demanding fashion.

  Sarah arose at once and took it. She went over to where a pitcher was fastened down and filled the goblet, then started back to the table. Unfortunately, the ship shifted at that moment, causing Sarah to stumble. She caught her balance, but a few drops of the liquid fell on the bosom of Dawn's dress.

  At once Dawn rose up, crying, “You clumsy girl! Can't you do anything right?” Her hand flew through the air, and she slapped Sarah on the face.

  The sound of the slap was very loud and caught everybody off guard. A mutter went up from Josh, and he began rising to his feet, his face pale with anger.

  Captain Daybright caught his arm in a steely grasp and forced him back down. He looked down the table and said, “It's not my custom to give lessons in manners.”

  A silence fell over the room.

  Daybright's blue eyes were fixed on the face of the young woman, who glared back at him. “I'll have to ask you to apologize to Miss Sarah,” he said quietly.

  Dawn's eyes flashed with anger. Her lips curled up in a twist of arrogance. “Apologize to a servant? Never!”

  Again silence fell over the room. Every one of the Sleepers turned his eyes to Daybright.

  The captain leaned forward, put his hands flat on the table, and pressed them down. He'd kept his temper under firm control thus far, and he did so now. His voice was low. “I'll give you a simple choice, Miss Catalina. You'll either apologize right now—or you will have the rest of your meals in your cabin.”

  “You wouldn't dare!”

  Daybright stared at the girl's face. It was flushed, and her lips were open in an “O” of surprise. He suspected she had never been crossed in her whole life, and he knew he was risking part of his fee to cross her now. He had been paid a portion in advance by the girl's father, the remainder to be collected from the king when she was safely delivered. But he was angry clear through, and he said firmly, “The choice is yours—apologize or go to your cabin.”

  “I won't be treated like this! You can't make me go to my cabin!”

  “Don't force me to do something we may both regret.”

  Dawn's face went pale. Her lips drew into a tight, stubborn line as she shook her head. “I won't apologize, and you can't make me.”

  Captain Ryland Daybright rose from the table.

  Dawn's eyes opened wider, and she stared at him as he moved around the table, walking with precise steps.

  When he stood over her, he said, “Your last chance, Miss Catalina.”

  “No! You won't dare—”

  Daybright pulled out her chair with one hand, grasped her arm with the other. She was a strong young woman, but the bulk of the sailor made her seem almost like a child.

  “Let me go!” she cried out. She tried to slap him, but he grabbed her other hand.

  He held both wrists with one hand and said, “I will take you to your cabin.”

  He dragged her out of the galley, and when they got to the ladder she cried, “I won't go up there! You can't make me!”

  “Oh, yes, I think that can be arranged.”

  The Sleepers all watched as he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. Her legs were kicking, and she was beating him on the back ineffectually with her fists, screaming with all her might.

  “Put me down! Put me down!”

  The captain's legs disappeared up the ladder, and his tread could be heard on the deck.

  “Well, I guess we know what kind of a man our captain is,” Dave said in awe. “I didn't think he'd do it.”

  “Well, I did,” Josh said, “and he did it just right.”

  “You think he'll make her stay in that cabin?” Abbey asked.

  “I expect he will.” Wash was grinning from ear to ear. “And a good thing too. That young lady, she needs to learn how to behave herself.”

  Josh sidled up to where Captain Daybright was standing at the wheel, staring out to the horizon. “Getting dark, Captain,” he said.

  Daybright didn't answer for a moment. He was eyeing the sky. “Yes, it is. Josh, be sure things are tied down pretty well. I think we're in for a blow.”

  Josh looked over and saw the dark clouds on the horizon. “Why, that's a long way off.”

  “I know, but this air's got a blow in it. Feel the ship lifting? See those sails?”

  Josh was no sailor, but he could sense something like a moody quality in the sky, and he looked anxiously at Daybright. “You think we're in for a storm?”

  “I wouldn't be surprised if we had a little blow.”

  Josh stood there for a while before saying, “Captain, are you ever going to let Miss Catalina out of her cabin?”

  “I'm not keeping her there. She can come out any time she's ready to apologize to Sarah.”

  “She won't ever do that. She's prouder than a peacock.”

  “Then it's time she learned a little humility.'' Day-bright looked ahead and said under his breath, “If we have a real blow, that may teach her a little.” His face was stern, and he looked at Josh, a thoughtful light in his eyes. “Nobody feels important when they head into a hurricane. We're all of us mighty small.”

  “You think it's a hurricane up there?” Josh was alarmed. “I've heard they get pretty bad.”

  The captain repeated, “Nobody feels very big when he
's in the midst of a hurricane—not even Dawn Catalina.”

  5

  Hurricane!

  I never knew wind could blow this hard!”

  The shrill whistling snatched the words from Reb's lips. He knew he had shouted at Dave as loud as he could, but his words sounded feeble and thin.

  The two were on deck and had obeyed Daybright's orders to tie themselves down so they wouldn't be washed overboard. Underneath their feet the Dolphin plunged up and down in a frightening manner.

  Dave looked up to where Captain Daybright was fixed at the wheel, a solitary figure. The others were all below deck.

  “I never thought a storm could be this bad,” Dave shouted into Reb's ear. “To tell the truth, I'm a little bit scared.”

  Reb turned his pale blue eyes on his friend. “Ain't nothing wrong with being scared. Right now I don't mind admitting I'm about as scared as a feller can get. Never did like water nohow.”

  The Dolphin bobbed up and down like a wood chip. Overhead the skies were black and ominous. The sea rolled in huge waves. At times the ship would poise on top of a monstrous wave, then would skim down into the trough.

  “It's like a blamed rollercoaster!” Reb shouted as they plunged downward. He looked at the wall of water now seemingly as high as the top of the mainmast. “I hope we come out of this!”

  Below deck, the Sleepers were clinging to whatever support they could find. In the galley, Jake had tried to fasten everything down, but doors popped open, dishes flew out, and he yelled at Abbey, “Good thing we put that fire out! That's all we need—to have the ship catch on fire.”

  The Dolphin reached the depth of a trough, then rose up at a sharp angle.

  Abbey reached over and grabbed Jake's hand. “I'm scared,” she cried. Her eyes were large, and her lips trembled. “I think we're all going to die.”

  Jake held her hand, and they braced their backs against the bulkhead. “We'll be all right. Goél, wherever he is, hasn't forgotten about us,” he said. “Don't worry.”

  Abbey found a faint smile. “Tell me how not to worry, and I'll be glad to do it. I've never been in anything like this, Jake.”

  “Me neither,” Jake admitted. He wiped his forehead, and his hand was not steady. “I guess I'll have to admit I'm a little nervous myself.”