CHAPTER XI
_Bobby Lot Learns to Swim and Eli Zitt Shows Amazing Courage and Self-possession and Strength_
WHEN, returning over the hills, Eli Zitt came to the Knob o'Break-heart, he saw his own punt staggering through the gray wavestowards the net off the point--tossing with the sea and reeling underthe gusty wind--with his little partner in the stern. The boat wasbetween the ice and the breakers. The space of open water was fastnarrowing; only a few minutes more and the ice would strike the rocks.Eli dropped on his knees, then and there, and prayed God to save thelad.
"O Lard, save my lad!" he cried. "O Lard, save my wee lad!"
He saw the punt draw near the first mooring; saw Bobby loose the sheet,and let the brown sail flutter like a flag in the wind; saw him leap tothe bow, and lean over, with a knife in his hand, while the boat tossedin the lop, shipping water every moment; saw him stagger amidships,bail like mad, snatch up the oars, pull to the second mooring and cutthe last net-rope; saw him leap from seat to seat to the stem, graspthe tiller, haul taut the sheet, and stand off to the open sea.
"Clever Bobby!" he screamed, wildly excited. "Clever lad! My partner,my little partner!"
But the wind carried the cry away. Bobby did not hear--did not know,even, that his partner had been a spectator of his brave faithfulness.He was beating out, to make sea-room for the run with the wind toharbour; and the boat was dipping her gunwale in a way that kept everyfaculty alert to keep her afloat. Eli watched him until he rounded andstood in for the tickle. Then the man sighed happily and went home.
"Us'll grapple for that net the morrow," he said, when Bobby came in.
Bobby opened his eyes. "Aye?" he said. "'Tis safe on the bottom. Ithought I'd best cut it adrift t' save it."
"I seed you," said Eli, "from the Knob. 'Twas well done, lad! You're atrue partner."
"The knife come in handy," said Bobby, smiling. "'Tis a good knife."
"Aye," said Eli, with a shake of the head. "I bought un for a good one."
And that was all.
* * * * *
Eli set about rearing young Bobby in a fashion as wise as he knew. Heexposed the lad to wet and weather, as judiciously as he could, tomake him hardy; he took him to sea in high winds, to fix his courageand teach him to sail; he taught him the weather signs, the fish-loreof the coast, the "marks" for the fishing grounds, the whereabouts ofshallows and reefs and currents; he took him to church and sent him toSunday-school. And he taught him to swim.
On the fine days of that summer, when there were no fish to be caught,the man and the lad went together to the Wash-tub--a deep, little coveof the sea, clear, quiet, bottomed with smooth rock and sheltered fromthe wind by high cliffs; but cold--almost as cold as ice-water. HereBobby delighted to watch Eli dive, leap from the cliff, float on hisback, swim far out to sea; here he gazed with admiration on the man'srugged body--broad shoulders, bulging muscles, great arms and legs. Andhere, too, he learned to swim.
When the warmest summer days were gone, Bobby could paddle aboutthe Wash-tub in promising fashion. He was confident when Eli was athand--sure, then, that he could keep afloat. But he was not yet sureenough of his power when Eli had gone on the long swim to sea. Eli saidthat he had done well; and Bobby, himself, often said that he couldswim a deal better than a stone. In an emergency, both agreed, Bobby'snew accomplishment would be sure to serve him well.
"Sure, if the punt turned over," Bobby innocently boasted, "I'd be ablet' swim 'til you righted her."
That was to be proved.
* * * * *
"Eli, b'y," said old James Blunt, one day in the fall of the year, "doyou take my new dory t' the grounds t'-day. Sure, I'd like t' know howyou likes it."
Old James had built his boat after a south-coast model. She was a dory,a flat-bottomed craft, as distinguished from a punt, which has a roundbottom and keel. He was proud of her, but somewhat timid; and he wantedEli's opinion of her quality.
"'Tis a queer lookin' thing!" said Eli. "But me an' my partner'll tryshe, James, just for luck."
That afternoon a fall gale caught the dory on the Farthest Grounds--farout beyond the Wolf's Teeth Reef. It came from the shore so suddenlythat Eli could not escape it. So it was a beat to harbour, with thewind and sea rising fast. Off the Valley, which is half a mile from thenarrows, a gust came out between the hills--came strong and swift. Itheeled the dory over--still over--down--down until the water poured inover the gunwale. Eli let go the main-sheet, expecting the sail to fallaway from the wind and thus ease the boat. But the line caught in theblock. Down went the dory--still down. And of a sudden it capsized.
When Bobby came to the surface, he began frantically to splash thewater, momentarily losing strength, breath and self-possession. Eliwas waiting for him, with head and shoulders out of the water, like aneager dog as he waits for the stick his master is about to throw. Heswam close; but hung off for a moment--until, indeed, he perceived thatBobby would never of himself regain his self-possession--for he did notwant the boy to be too soon beholden to him for aid. Then he slippedhis hand under Bobby's breast and buoyed him up.
"Partner!" he said, quietly. "Partner!"
Bobby's panic-stricken struggles at once ceased; for he had been usedto giving instant obedience to Eli's commands. He looked in Eli'sdripping face.
"Easy, partner," said Eli, still quietly. "Strike out, now."
Bobby smiled, and struck out, as directed. In a moment he was swimmingat Eli's side.
"Take it easy, lad," Eli continued. "Just take it easy while I rightsthe boat. It's all right. I'll have you aboard in a jiffy. Is you--isyou--all right, Bobby?"
"Aye," Bobby gasped.
Eli waited for a moment longer. He was loath to leave the boy to takecare of himself. Until then he had not known how large a place in hisheart his little partner filled, how much he had come to depend uponhim for all those things which make life worth while. He had not known,indeed, how far away from the old, lonely life the lad had led him. Sohe waited for a moment longer, watching Bobby. Then he swam to theoverturned dory, where, after an anxious glance towards the lad, hedived to cut away the gear--and dived again, and yet again; watchingBobby all the time he was at the surface for breath.
The gear cut away, the mast pulled from its socket, Eli righted theboat. It takes a strong man and clever swimmer to do that; but Eli wasclever in the water, and strong anywhere. Moreover, it was a trick hehad learned.
"Come, Bobby, b'y!" he called.
Bobby swam towards the boat. Eli swam to meet him, and helped him overthe last few yards of choppy sea, for the lad was almost exhausted.Bobby laid a hand on the bow of the dory. Then Eli pulled off one ofhis long boots, and swam to the stern, where he began cautiously tobail the boat. When she was light enough in the water, he helped Bobbyaboard, and Bobby bailed her dry.
"Ha, lad!" Eli ejaculated, with a grin that made his face shine. "Youis safe aboard. How is you, b'y?"
"Tired, Eli," Bobby answered.
"You bide quiet where you is," said Eli. "I'll find the paddles; an'I'll soon have you home."
Eli's great concern had been to get the boy out of the water. He hadcared for little else than that--to get him out of the reach of thesea. And now he was confronted by the problem of making harbour. Theboat was slowly drifting out with the wind; the dusk was approaching;and every moment it was growing more difficult to swim in the choppysea. It took him a long time to find the paddles.
"Steady the boat, Bobby," he said, when the boy had taken the paddlesinto the dory. "I'm comin' aboard."
Eli attempted to board the dory over the bow. She was tossing about ina choppy sea; and he was not used to her ways. Had she been a punt--hispunt--he would have been aboard in a trice. But she was not hispunt--not a punt, at all; she was a new boat, a dory, a flat-bottomedcraft; he was not used to her ways. Bobby tried desperately to steadyher while Eli lifted himself out of the water.
"Take care,
Eli!" he screamed. "She'll be over!"
Eli got his knee on the gunwale--no more than that. A wave tipped theboat; she lurched; she capsized. And again Eli waited for Bobby tocome to the surface of the water; again buoyed him up; again gave himcourage; again helped him to the boat; again bailed the boat--this timewith one of Bobby's boots--and again helped Bobby aboard.
"I'm wonderful tired, Eli," said Bobby, when the paddles were handedover the side for the second time. "I'm fair' done out."
"'Twill be over soon, lad. I'll have you home by the kitchen fire inhalf an hour. Come, now, partner! Steady the boat. I'll try again."
Even more cautiously Eli attempted to clamber aboard. Inch by inch heraised himself out of the water. When the greater waves ran under theboat, he paused; when she rode on an even keel, he came faster. Inch byinch, humouring the cranky boat all the time, he lifted his right leg.But he could not get aboard. Again, when his knee was on the gunwale,the dory capsized.
For the third time the little partner was helped aboard and given aboot with which to bail. His strength was then near gone. He threwwater over the side until he could no longer lift his arms.
"Eli," he gasped, "I can do no more!"
Eli put his hand on the bow, as though about to attempt to clamberaboard again. But he withdrew it.
"Bobby, b'y," he said, "could you not manage t' pull a bit with thepaddles. I'll swim alongside."
Bobby stared stupidly at him.
Again Eli put his hand on the bow. He was in terror of losing Bobby'slife. Never before had he known such dread and fear. He did not darerisk overturning the boat again; for he knew that Bobby would notsurvive for the fourth time. What could he do? He could not get aboard,and Bobby could not row. How was he to get the boy ashore? His handtouched the painter--the long rope by which the boat was moored to thestage. That gave him an idea: he would tow the boat ashore!
So he took the rope in his teeth, and struck out for the tickle to theharbour!
* * * * *
"'Twas a close call, b'y," said Eli, when he and Bobby sat by thekitchen fire.
"Ay, Eli; 'twas a close call."
"A _wonderful_ close call!" Eli repeated, grinning. "The closest I everknowed."
"An' 'twas too bad," said Bobby, "t' lose the gear."
Eli laughed.
"What you laughin' at?" Bobby asked.
"I brought ashore something better than the gear."
"The dory?"
"No, b'y!" Eli roared. "My little partner!"
The Adventures of Billy Topsail Page 14
