Adventure, August 1917 — page 174: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

172 WHILE the two sailors were search- ing for some clew to the vessel’s identity, the wind had increased with every minute. Almost unnoticed in their excitement, the waves had risen until the placing of a small boat alongside the hulk was a dangerous feat. With O’Leary and Flynn missing from the boat’s crew, the boat was undermanned, and the man at the steering oar made the mistake of not bucking the wind and sea long enough as he came on at an oblique angle toward the place that O’Leary indicated. “Give way strong a couple of strokes more,” shouted O’Leary, but the slap of the waves drowned out his words and the men in the boat did not hear him. Thinking that there was way enough, the acting coxswain gave his tired crew the command to trail their oars. Almost instantly the boat lost headway, fell into the trough, and came alongside a boat’s length astern of where O’Leary stood. At that moment the derelict was lifted high on a wave and gave a temporary freeboard to the boat. “Haul ahead quick!” ordered O’Leary. “She’ll be under you in another minute.” But the warning came too late, the derelict went under, the curl of a wave swept the stern of the whaleboat over her, and before the crew could clear she was up again with the boat impaled on a ring-bolt, and a hole in her as big as a deck bucket. The crash threw the crew floundering into the water, but before the derelict took another plunge, they all crawled to safety. On board the Panther the boat’s mishap had been watched with considerable im- patience at first, and then with anxiety. ‘All safe,” signalled O’Leary finally. “Send another boat,” ordered the first lieutenant, “‘and tell them, Quartermaster, to make the landing further forward. O’Leary should have known better.”” Then turning to the officer of the deck he added, ‘“‘we’re getting too close to shore, Mr. Healey with this wind, and the barometer looking for trouble. I’d like to be several miles further to sea than here.”’ ‘“‘Aye, aye, sir,” answered Mr. Healey fervently. “T’ll put a picked crew in the boat we send, and tell them to bear a hand.” Mr. Healey’s picked crew, eager to take part in a rescue, came alongside the dere- lict safely, at the exact inch O’Leary indicated, being several boat lengths Adventure forward of the place where the first attempt was made. “Officer of the deck says shake a leg, O’Leary. If there’s anybody hurt get ’em in the boat first, then the rest of you pile in. We’re due for a sure ’nuff old he-blow, and the quicker everybody is safe aboard the better.” . The man of the wrecked whale-boat obeyed with alacrity. “Is everybody here?” asked the coxswain. “All but me and Hop,” answered O’Leary. “Well, call him and get aboard,” said the coxswain impatiently. ““We’re not goin’ off,’’ announced O’Leary calmly. ‘You fellows can beat it on back. If you want to do us a favor, pass up that water butt and a tin of bread. We’re goin’ to spend the night out here.”’ “Quit the kiddin’ and jump aboard,” contended the coxswain. O’Leary paid no attention except to call Flynn from the storeroom where he was securing the casks of dye, then he waited until the boat rose on a swell, jumped aboard her and passed the bread and water up to Hop, leaping nimbly back on the derelict as the next wave raised the boat on the level with her deck. “Go ahead and shove off,” he said _ derisively. “Well, of all the fools!’ asserted the coxswain. “I’m just goin’ to take you at that. If I hang around here much longer there'll be another boat smashed. Give on Davy Jones my regards when you meet im.” “Forget it,” scored O’Leary. “This old tub has hung together through a good many blows and I guess she’s good for one more.” ‘Shove off forward,” decided the cox- swain, angrily, and a moment later the whaleboat was on its way back to the ship. O’Leary and Flynn, to keep out of the way of signals from the ship, disappeared in- to the storeroom. ‘‘They won’t know we didn’t come off in the whale-boat until they report,” said O’Leary. “By that time it’ll be too dark to send another boat, and they’re afraid to get in closer with the Panther because we’re so close to land.” “But suppose they do send another boat?” “Not a chance in the world,” declared O’Leary. ‘“The Old Man knows too much about this part of the coast to risk another comicdook C© 5}