CHAPTER XXXVIII
HOW THE ENEMY APPEARED
SLOWLY the rude craft drew near the hull of the Silver Swan. The brig floated as well as though she had never struck upon Reef Eight, nor been buffeted by the gales of this southern sea for well nigh three months.
The recent storm had done little damage to her deck either, although the rails were smashed in one or two places. Her wheel had been lashed firmly, and strangely enough it still remained so, and now, in this quiet sea, the brig held as even a keel as though she was well manned.
Within two hours of the time the castaways had been assured that the wreck they were nearing was the Silver Swan, the raft came up under her lee rail, and Brandon caught the bight of a cable over a pin on the quarter. Then he leaped aboard himself and made the rope secure.
The rail of the Silver Swan was so much higher above the surface of the sea than that of the sinking Success had been that Brandon and Milly had to fashion a “sling” of the sail, in which to get Swivel aboard. The injured youth bore the pain this must have caused him uncomplainingly and was soon made comfortable on the deck of this, their new refuge.
They did not let the raft float away, although they hoped that they should not need it again, and Brandon even took the precaution of fastening it with a second cable before they started to explore the brig.
The Silver Swan had been almost uninjured by her long journey with no pilot but the fickle winds and currents of the ocean. The masts had, of course, all gone in the first gale, and her crew had cut away every bit of the wreckage before leaving her to her fate on the reef.
The hatches had been battened down and the doors of the forecastle and cabin likewise closed, so that the occasional seas which had washed over her had done little toward injuring the interior.
Leaving Milly to look out for Swivel, Brandon forced open the cabin door (it had swelled badly during the long siege of stormy weather which the brig had withstood) and went below. Naturally everything was in confusion—tables, chairs, and what not overturned; but nothing about the cabin seemed injured.
The cook’s quarters showed a bad state of affairs, however, for there wasn’t a whole dish (except the tin ones) in the place, and the stove lay on its back kicking its four feet in the air as though in its last expiring agonies.
Brandon righted this useful utensil first, and mended the broken pipe as best he could. Then, when he had a fire started in the thing, he went on to examine the smaller cabins or staterooms.
He knew his father’s well enough and looked in. But he could not bear to enter that just now, and so fixed upon one, which should have belonged to the second mate, for the use of poor Swivel.
He went back to Milly and the injured boy then, and removed the latter to the brig’s cabin.
Milly, who was a capable girl in more ways than one, went to work at once to get up a substantial meal from the stores which they had brought from the Success, with the addition of some eatables belonging to the provisions of the Swan.
It was rapidly growing dark, and to prevent the liability of a collision, Brandon hunted out some of the ship’s lanterns and hung two in the bows, and another at the masthead, devoutly hoping that the lights, placed in these peculiar positions, would attract the attention of some passing vessel.
Then the lamp in the cabin was filled and lighted, and for the first time in forty-eight hours or more, they sat down to a comfortable meal.
At least, Milly and Brandon sat down; Swivel remained in his berth, with the door of the stateroom open, and watched them with a wan smile on his pale face.
“Now, Brandon, why don’t you see if the diamonds are here?” asked the young girl, as they finished their supper. “I thought you would be eager to look as soon as you got aboard.”
Don glanced across the table at her curiously.
“Do you know,” he said hesitatingly. “I’m half afraid to. It would be a terrible disappointment if they should not be there—and perhaps they are not.”
“Come, come! don’t be foolish,” said practical Milly. “Take a look in the secret closet—wherever it is—or I shall be tempted to do it myself.”
Brandon, thus urged, rose and approached the companionway.
“Third panel, on port side,” he repeated. “That was Caleb’s direction, if I remember rightly. Now let’s see.”
He pressed on the designated panel, first one way and then another. It seemed a trifle loose, but otherwise refused to move.
“Maybe I’ve made a mistake,” he muttered, when suddenly, on his pressing downward on the edge of the wood, a section of the panel dropped out leaving a shallow, metal lined cavity displayed to view.
“Bring the lamp, Milly,” he cried eagerly.
The girl obeyed and held the light so that it might illuminate the interior of the secret closet. There was something in the compartment!
Brandon hastily thrust in his hand and drew forth a flat, heavy package, sealed in oiled silk and bound with a cord. Hurrying to the cabin table with his prize he tore off the cord, broke the seals, and unwound the outer wrappings.
Milly, quite as excited as himself, held the lamp closer, watching his movements anxiously.
Beneath the outer covering was a flat pouch of chamois skin, the flap sealed at one end. This seal the youth broke without hesitation, and in another instant had poured a glittering shower of gems upon the polished surface of the cabin table.
“Diamonds! diamonds! thousands of dollars’ worth!” cried Milly delightedly, running her fingers through the little heap of glittering stones and letting them fall in a flashing shower from her hands.
The gems were uncut—at least by the hand of man—but even in their crude state they sparkled wonderfully.
For several moments they feasted their eyes on the brilliant spectacle, and then Milly filled both hands with the precious gems and ran to show Swivel.
“Whew!” whispered that youth, his eyes growing round with wonder. “Wot a lot of shiners!”
“Don’t let him talk, Milly,” commanded Brandon, beginning to see that it would never do for them to excite the sick boy by the sight of the gems. “When he is better he can see them all.”
The young girl came back with the jewels, smiling happily at her friend. She seemed quite as joyful because of his good fortune as though the gems were her own.
Brandon took the precautions to close the door between the cabin and Swivel’s stateroom soon after this, that the boy might go to sleep, and then he and Milly sat down at the table and counted the diamonds.
There were no very large gems among the lot, but they were of fair size and of the purest white.
It was late that night before the two castaways retired. Brandon prepared what had once been Caleb Wetherbee’s quarters for Milly, but he himself slept in the cabin, rolled up in a blanket on the floor, that he might be near Swivel.
They were so exhausted from their privations of the past day and a half that they slept until far into the next forenoon. Swivel was actually better, and had no more sinking spells, so that Milly and Brandon began to hope for his recovery.
Just after they rose Brandon saw a sailing vessel far down on the horizon; but it passed by without noticing the brig. And once during the day the smoke of a steam vessel blotted the lines where the sky and sea met, far to the eastward.
These momentary glimpses of other craft gave them some hope, for it showed them that they were not entirely out of the track of shipping.
That night Brandon hung the lanterns out again, and according to arrangement with Milly, remained on deck to watch. She was to watch days, and he at night, and he fulfilled his lonely vigil faithfully.
But not a vessel appeared to gladden his lonely eyes.
Milly rose early on that third day and prepared breakfast, after eating which Brandon went to bed. The sky remained beautifully clear, and they had nothing to fear from the elements, for the glass forecasted a continued spell of fine weather.
Milly took up her position with the long spy glass on the deck, and swept the horizon for some sign of rescue. Occasionally she went down to look in on Swivel, and about noon to prepare the dinner.
When the meal was nearly ready the young girl ran up the companionway stairs again for a final look before she summoned Brandon from his stateroom. As she put the glass to her eye and gazed toward the west a cry of surprise and joy burst from her lips.
Approaching the derelict brig, with a great expanse of canvas spread to the fresh breeze, was a small schooner, the water dashing white and frothy from her bows!
“Saved! saved!” gasped the girl. “Oh, thank God!”
While she had been below the vessel had come in sight, and was now less than half a mile from the wreck.
What seemed strange, however, was that the schooner was laying a course directly for the brig as though it was her intention to board her.
“Brandon! Brandon!” she cried, running back to the cabin and rapping on the door.
“Aye, aye!” he shouted, and was out of his berth in a moment.
“What is it?” he asked, appearing in the cabin.
“There is a schooner coming right for us!” cried Milly, laughing and crying for joy. “I’ve just discovered it. It’s about here.”
She was about to dart out upon deck again, but Brandon grasped her arm.
“Wait, Milly,” he said cautiously. “Have they seen you yet?”
“No; but I want them to.”
“Not yet. We don’t know what they may be. Let me look at them,” said the boy rapidly.
He seized the glass, and mounting to the top of the stairs, peered out from the shelter of the companionway at the strange schooner.
She lay to about a quarter of a mile away from the derelict, and a boat was already half way between the vessel and the wreck. Brandon examined the men in it intently.
Only a moment did he scrutinize them, and then he dropped the glass with a cry of alarm. He had recognized Jim Leroyd and the fellow Weeks among the crew of the small boat!