The warning was necessary. A wind that seemed to force their breath back down their throats was sweeping2 across the sea, which, running mountain high, looked grim and pitiless, under the pallid3 gray dawn. No land was in sight, nothing but giant combers amidst which the yacht seemed no more than a helpless chip. Looking at the sea the boys found themselves wondering how the craft had kept above water as long as she had. But almost immediately when they emerged on deck their attention was distracted from the sea and from every other impression but one.
Lashed4 firmly to the boat deck on top of the main cabin house, was an object that made their hearts give a glad bound.
The Wondership, securely lashed, had been hoisted5 there and, so far as they could make out, no damage had been done her.
Jack gripped Tom’s arm.
“She’s all right, after all,” he exclaimed hoarsely6, as if that was the only thing that really mattered.
Tom decided7 to venture on a question.
“You hoisted her on board?” he half shouted above the screeching8 wind to Medway.
“Yep,” was the brief reply. “Thought we might use her someway, so we made a tackle fast under her and hauled her aboard by the main cargo9 derrick.”
“That was mighty10 decent of you,” cried Jack warmly.
“Don’t fuss yourself,” was the rough rejoinder, “it warn’t done to please you.”
As Medway spoke11, he turned into a doorway12 in the after part of the cabin house. From the hot smell of grease and oily machinery13 that arose from it, the boys knew that it led to the engine-room. They climbed down a steel-runged ladder and soon found themselves amidst a maze14 of polished rods, cams and levers. But the triple expansion engine was idle.
Hardly had they had time to notice this, when they saw that on a leather-covered bench set against the steel wall a man was reclining. His face was white and covered with sweat. His hand was bandaged and one of his legs was doubled up. From his expression of mute agony it was plain that he had been painfully injured.
“Judkins, the engineer,” explained Medway, with a sidewise jerk of his head. “Condenser15 went out of business a while ago. He got busted16 tryin’ to fix it. Think you boys can run this engine?”
Jack looked dubious17. Tom said nothing.
“I can give ‘em a hand,” said Judkins in a weak voice.
“That’s enough then,” said Medway briskly, as if it was all settled. “Understand,” he said, turning to the boys, “it’s a case of life or death. The sea is increasing. If we don’t get going pretty soon, it’s down to Davy Jones for all of us.”
“But we don’t know anything about steam engines; very little, that is,” protested Jack, although both boys had, in addition to their other studies gone in for a course of steam engineering at the “Tech.” But that course, a sketchy18 one at best, had only comprised stationary19 engines.
“Well, Judkins can tell you what you want to know. The first thing to do, I guess, is to get that condenser going.”
“I had her going when I slipped and fell under the crank shaft,” said Judkins weakly. “All she needs is a union on that copper20 piping and she’ll be all right.”
He indicated the condenser and the place where the union would have to be attached.
“There’s a tool kit21 and fittings yonder,” he said, pointing to a bench affixed22 to the bulkhead that divided the engine-room from the stoke hold. A glance at the gauges23 affixed to this showed Jack that, at any rate, they had a good head of steam. The high-pressure boilers24 of the Valkyrie were carrying one hundred and seventy-five pounds.
Medway saw his glance.
“Lots of steam,” he vouchsafed25; “only thing to do is to get her going. Remember, it’s that or the bottom of the deep blue sea.”
For reasons that the boys did not learn till later, the Valkyrie did not carry an assistant engineer. When the old crew had been set ashore26 at Madeira there was no chance to secure such an officer, and so she had proceeded to sea with Judkins as the only skilled man in her engine-room. No doubt it was the severe strain he had been under that had caused him to become careless and receive the injury which had disabled him.
Jack’s natural quickness at mechanics enabled him to see what was required on the condenser after a few words of explanation. This done he and Tom ascended27 to the starting bridge and applied28 steam to the engines. It was no easy task to carry out these operations on the rolling, wallowing yacht. But at last, as Jack turned on the steam and Tom applied the starting power, they were rewarded by the sight of the cranks slowly revolving29.
Suddenly a loud clang close by his head startled Jack.
“All right, come ahead!” hailed Judkins, “Easy now!”
Medway in the pilot house had felt the quiver of the started engines and had given the signal. Jack allowed the engine to pick up revolutions gradually until, at half speed, they were heading into the big seas with the screw turning regularly and powerfully. When this was done Judkins closed his eyes, lay back, and slipped off into unconsciousness. Tom, alarmed, ran through the bulkhead door into the fire-room. Here he found the stokers at work. There were three of them and he sent one on deck after Medway. It was plain that something would have to be done for Judkins at once. Medway soon appeared. It seemed that the man, in a rough way, was a bit of a surgeon. At any rate he declared that he could care for the injured man and had him carried above by two of the crew.
Not long after, the same two men appeared with food for the boys. They did full justice to the meal, unembarrassed by their queer situation. After it had been despatched, Jack noticed Tom’s sleepy looks. In fact the younger of the two lads could hardly keep his eyes open.
“You lie down on that bench and take a nap,” ordered Jack, “I’ll stand watch.”
“But what about you?” inquired Tom drowsily30.
“Oh, I’ll be all right. Just you lie down now and I’ll wake you in a couple of hours. I guess we’ll have to hold down this job for some time and we might as well go at it scientifically,” was Jack’s rejoinder.
Five minutes later Tom’s snoring was keeping time with the rhythmic31 pulsing of the engine as the Valkyrie battled with the storm.
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1
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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2
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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hoisted
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| 把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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8
screeching
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| v.发出尖叫声( screech的现在分词 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫 | |
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9
cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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12
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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13
machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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maze
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| n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑 | |
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15
condenser
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| n.冷凝器；电容器 | |
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16
busted
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| adj. 破产了的，失败了的，被降级的，被逮捕的，被抓到的 动词bust的过去式和过去分词 | |
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17
dubious
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| adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的 | |
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sketchy
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| adj.写生的，写生风格的，概略的 | |
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stationary
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| adj.固定的，静止不动的 | |
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copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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21
kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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affixed
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| adj.[医]附着的，附着的v.附加( affix的过去式和过去分词 )；粘贴；加以；盖（印章） | |
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23
gauges
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| n.规格( gauge的名词复数 )；厚度；宽度；标准尺寸v.（用仪器）测量( gauge的第三人称单数 )；估计；计量；划分 | |
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24
boilers
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| 锅炉，烧水器，水壶( boiler的名词复数 ) | |
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25
vouchsafed
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| v.给予，赐予( vouchsafe的过去式和过去分词 )；允诺 | |
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26
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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29
revolving
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| adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想 | |
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30
drowsily
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| adv.睡地，懒洋洋地，昏昏欲睡地 | |
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31
rhythmic
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| adj.有节奏的，有韵律的 | |
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