CHAPTER XXIX.
A COMMAND TO LAY TO
Strange things happen on the ocean. Sometimes slight occurrences lead to great results. When the sailors deserted the brig Rockhaven, provisioning their boats in a hurry, one water cask was left behind. The mate had intended stowing it away in the captain’s gig, but found there was no room for it, so he allowed it to remain on deck, where he set it.
In due time, by the motion of the abandoned brig in the storm, the water cask was overturned and rolled about at every heave of the waves, first to port, and then to starboard, Now aft, and again forward. As luck would have it, not long after those in the cabin fell under the deadly influence of some queer, stupefying fumes, the water cask was rolling about close to the trunk roof of the cabin, a roof that had side windows in it.
With one lurch of the ship the water cask nearly crashed against these windows, but, by the narrowest margin missed. Then the cask rolled toward the scuppers. Those in the cabin were more than ever under the influence of the fumes. They were breathing heavily, the veins in their necks began to swell, their hearts were laboring hard to overcome the stupefying influence of the fumes. But it was almost too late.
Suddenly a long roller lifted the brig well up into the air. Then it slid down the watery incline. The cask started to roll toward the cabin windows. Straight for them it came, turning over and over.
With a resounding blow the cask shattered the frame, and sent the glass in a shower into the cabin below. Through the opening thus Providentially made, the fresh air rushed. The deadly fumes began to escape. Once more the cask rolled against the window, breaking another glass, and more fresh air came in.
Jerry stirred uneasily. It seemed as if some one had a hammer, hitting him on the head. That was the blood beginning to circulate again. His veins throbbed with life. Slowly he opened his eyes. He became aware of a sweet, sickish smell, that mingled with the sharp tang of the salt air. By a great effort he roused himself. He could not, for a moment, think where he was, but he had a dim feeling as if some one had tried to chloroform him. Then, with a sudden shock his senses came back to him. He became aware of the need of fresh air, and, hardly knowing what he was doing, he opened the cabin door.
The inrush of a fresh atmosphere completed the work the water cask had begun. The poisonous fumes were dispersed, and, with their disappearance, the others regained their senses. Mr. De Vere was the next to arouse.
“What—what happened?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” replied Jerry, “unless Blowitz came aboard and chloroformed us.”
“He couldn’t do that—yet—the safe is not tampered with—but this drowsy feeling—”
Mr. De Vere stopped suddenly. His eyes were fixed on the closet or locker, whence the safe had been wheeled, and where the little boxes were. From the locker a thin, bluish smoke arose.
“Quick!” he cried. “I understand it all now! We must get them overboard or we’ll all be killed!”
Ned and Bob had been aroused by this time, and were sitting staring stupidly around them. They did not realize what had happened.
“I’ll throw ’em overboard,” volunteered Jerry.
“Don’t go near them,” cautioned Mr. De Vere. “If you breathe too deeply of those fumes, you’ll be killed. Get a boat hook, poke them out of the locker, spear them with the sharp point, and thrust them up through the broken cabin window.”
Jerry hurried to the Ripper, which safely rode alongside the brig. He got a sharp boat hook, and, with the aid of Bob and Ned, the boxes, with their deadly contents were soon out on deck, whence they were knocked into the sea. Then a hunt was made in other parts of the brig and more boxes were found and cast into the ocean.
“What was in them?” asked Ned, when the task was finished. “Was that what made us fall asleep?”
“It was,” replied Mr. De Vere. “What was in them I do not know exactly, but it was some chemical that Blowitz put there to accomplish his purpose. I see through his scheme now. After the brig was loaded he sent these boxes aboard. They were distributed in different parts of the ship, some in the quarters of the crew, some where the mates slept, and others in the captain’s cabin. They were properly adjusted to give off a vapor at a certain time and he counted either on the fumes killing the men, or making them unconscious so they would die of heart failure. Then, very likely, he intended to make a search for the brig which would have no captain or crew, and claim the vessel. But his scheme did not work as he intended. The crew and captain were probably frightened by feeling some mysterious sleepy influence at work, and they hastily deserted the ship. Probably the commander did not like to acknowledge the real reason for his seemingly un-called-for act, and he did not tell Blowitz the cause for the abandonment. The stuff in the boxes remained on board, ready to render unconscious any persons who came within reach of the fumes. Maybe it made the dogs mad.
“The accidental closing of the cabin door deprived us of air. The fumes filled the cabin, and rendered us all unconscious. I do not yet understand how we were revived.”
“It must have been the water cask,” declared Jerry, who had seen it on deck, and his theory, which was the correct one, was accepted.
“Now I will finish working the combination, and open the safe,” said Mr. De Vere, when they had breathed in deep of the fresh air, and felt the last influences of the fumes vanish. “We must have been unconscious an hour or more.”
It did not take him long after this to open the strong box. From an inner compartment he drew forth a bundle of papers, and a small box, that seemed quite heavy. This he opened.
“The gold is safe, at any rate,” he announced. “Now to look at the papers.”
A hasty examination of these showed that they were all there.
“This is good news for me, boys,” announced Mr. De Vere. “My fortune is safe now, and that scoundrel Blowitz can not ruin me as he tried to do!”
“Hark! What was that?” asked Jerry suddenly.
From somewhere out on the Pacific there sounded a whistle, long drawn out.
“It’s a steamer!” cried Ned. “It has probably sighted the derelict!”
“A steamer,” murmured Mr. De Vere. “If it is not—”
He did not finish, but the boys knew what he meant.
Mr. De Vere hastily thrust the papers into an inner pocket of his coat.
“Distribute the gold among you,” he told the boys. “When we get it aboard the Ripper we can hide it. There is no telling what might happen. If that steamer—”
“It’s the tug Monarch!” cried Jerry, who had hurried up on deck. “It’s coming this way full speed!”
“Then we must leave at once!” decided Mr. De Vere. “I think our boat can beat theirs. I did hope to be able to tow the brig into harbor, and save the cargo, but that is out of the question now. I do not want a fight with Blowitz. Come, boys, we must escape!”
The boys hurriedly divided the gold among them. It made their pockets bulge out, and was quite heavy. Mr. De Vere had his papers safe.
As the derelict hunters all came out on deck they could see the Monarch was much nearer. In bold relief stood a figure in the bow.
“It’s Blowitz!” exclaimed Mr. De Vere, “and he’s shaking his fist at me. He’s angry because I have beaten him at his own game. But come on, I don’t want a clash with him. I am in no shape for another fight. We’ll have to retreat.”
It was the work of but a few seconds to get into the motor boat. The lines were cast off, and, with one turn of the wheel Ned started the engine, and ran her up to full speed after a few revolutions.
“Now let them have the brig,” said Mr. De Vere. “I’ve gotten the best out of her.”
But Blowitz and his men seemed to have lost interest in the derelict. Instead of continuing on their course toward it they were now coming full speed after the Ripper, the tug being steered to cross her bows. Probably Blowitz took it for granted that De Vere had the papers and gold.
“They’re after us!” cried Jerry.
“Yes, but they’ve got to catch us!” declared Bob.
An instant later a puff of white smoke spurted out from the side of the Monarch, something black jumped from wave-crest to wave-crest. Then came a dull boom.
“What’s that?” asked Bob, in alarm.
“A shot across our bows. A command to lay to,” said Mr. De Vere.