“Did you hear that?” asked Ned Slade in a low voice.
“I did,” answered Jerry. “Don’t repeat it.”
“But, if we’re disabled,” whispered Bob, “doesn’t that mean we’ll sink sooner or later? And I haven’t noticed any other ships near us—not since we started the second time.”
“Disabled doesn’t mean that we’re sinking,” said Jerry, “and there’s no use starting another near-panic by scattering1 that word broadcast. If we’re disabled it may only mean that we can’t proceed under our own steam.”
“How else are we going to proceed?” demanded Ned.
“Send out a wireless2 call for help and be towed back to port,” was Jerry’s answer. “That’s easy.”
“I didn’t think of that,” murmured Ned. “But[69] say, isn’t it bad luck to have to go back to port twice on the same voyage?”
“Not half as bad luck as it would be to go once to Davy Jones’s locker3!” declared Jerry, with a trace of mirth—just a faint trace, for the situation was still too tense to admit of any great feeling of jollity.
“Well, of course there’s something in that,” admitted Ned.
“A whole lot in it!” came from Bob. “Say, have you fellows got anything to eat?” he demanded, still speaking in a whisper, for the word of “silence in the ranks” had gone forth4.
“Eat!” exclaimed Jerry in tense tones. “What do you think we are, anyhow? Walking cupboards?”
“I didn’t know but what you might have stowed away a cake or two of chocolate apiece,” sighed Bob. “Lots of times they forget to provision the boats when they abandon ship in a hurry. Chocolate is nourishing. I’ve got three big cakes. That’s one each. Here,” and he extended one to Ned and another to Jerry.
“What’s the idea?” demanded the tall lad, with amused curiosity.
“We might get separated,” answered Bob. “Better take this when you can get it. That cake of chocolate will keep you alive several days.”
“He’s got it all figured out,” said Ned. “Well,[70] you aren’t so bad at that, Chunky. It may come in handy!” and he put his cake away.
Jerry did likewise, and then they stood waiting for the next development. It was not long in coming.
Following the conference of the colonel and his army officers with the captain of the Sherman there was a tense period for a little while, until the colonel made another announcement.
“I regret to inform you, men,” he said, “that the accident in the engine room is more serious than at first was thought. The transport is disabled, and will not be able to proceed under her own power—at least, not until extensive repairs are made. An effort will be made to have the engines patched up, but this may not be possible.
“In the latter case we shall have to be towed back to France. I know that seems hard,” he said quickly; “but it is better than sinking in mid-ocean, and that possibility confronted us all for a time.
“Now we shall all be saved, but it may take some little time. The ship’s captain will at once order wireless calls for assistance to be sent out, and we should have an answer within a short time. Then, in another day, or, at most, two, we should receive help. So make the best of a bad situation. You will presently be ordered back to your sleeping quarters, for there is no danger of the ship’s[71] sinking. She will float for years in this condition. Only one compartment5 is flooded, and that has been shut off from the rest of the craft.
“The wounded will first be carried back to the hospital quarters, and then the others may go back to bed. I regret this occurrence, but you, who have fought in the Great War, will recognize this as only a minor6 happening compared to others.”
“Three cheers for the colonel!” called some one, and right heartily7 they came.
“Three cheers for Captain Munson!” some one else demanded, and the tribute to the commander of the disabled vessel8 was no less genuine.
The taking back of the wounded who had been brought up on the boat deck to be ready for quick transfer to the small craft went on in orderly fashion, though not so quickly as they had been brought from the hospital. The same need of speed was not present.
Then Ned, Bob, Jerry and the others were allowed to go back to where they had been sleeping, or trying to. And once more peace and quiet seemed to settle down over the ship. The list had been corrected somewhat, though in what manner the three friends did not know, and the Sherman was now riding more easily, though she was still without forward motion, save that perhaps imparted to her by the wind or the ocean currents.
[72]
“Don’t you think we’d better tell what we know about old pepper-pot?” asked Ned of his chums, as they reached their sleeping quarters.
“I suppose, after what has happened, that it will be best to,” assented9 Jerry. “Mind you, I’m not saying he had anything to do with the explosion of the boiler10. But later on, if anything should come up, I suppose we’d feel better to remember that we had told. We’ll go to the captain in the morning.”
The boys were just composing themselves for some hours of rest in what remained of the night when they heard the crackle of the wireless overhead.
“Well, anything new?” asked Bob the next morning, as he made about the only kind of toilet possible on the crowded transport.
“I didn’t hear any,” responded Jerry. “Let’s get some eats, and then we’ll report to our captain what we know and let him do as he thinks best.”
On their way to receive from the galley11 their usual daily ration12, Ned seemed to be listening intently for something.
“Want to hear another explosion?” asked Jerry.
“No, I was listening for the crackle of the wireless. I don’t hear it; do you?”
“That’s so—it is silent,” commented Bob.
[73]
“Oh, well, maybe they’ve sent off a message for help, have received an answer, and now there’s nothing to do but wait,” came from Jerry.
“That’s so,” admitted Ned. But his chums observed that he was deeply silent during mess. And as soon as it was over he suggested that they go up on deck.
“Better look for our captain first,” suggested Jerry. “His quarters are aft.”
“We’ll see him all right,” Ned declared. “I want to find out about something else, first.”
“What?” asked Bob.
“The wireless,” answered Ned. “I want to see if we’ve had any answer to our calls for help.”
As they approached the vicinity of the wireless room, the boys, and many others, became aware that something unusual had taken place. There was a group of officers—both those of the ship and those in command of the returning soldiers—gathered about the electrical cabin, and workmen were hurrying to and fro.
“What’s up, buddy13?” asked Ned of a fellow soldier.
“Don’t know, exactly,” was the answer. “But I think the wireless has given out.”
“Before we got off any messages asking for help?” demanded Ned.
“So they say. But I’m not sure. Here comes my sergeant14. I’ll ask.”
[74]
There was an exchange of confidences, and then the Motor Boys heard more bad news.
“I thought so!” exclaimed Ned, as he turned away from where he had been questioning the two soldiers.
“Thought what?” asked Jerry.
“That the wireless had given out! That’s what happened. The storage battery short-circuited, the auxiliary15 dynamo burned out, and they can’t get off a single message.”
“Perhaps they had already sent out an S. O. S. call,” suggested Jerry, hoping to the last.
“They started one, the sergeant says,” replied Ned, “but the apparatus16 went fluey before they could give our position.”
“Gee! that’s tough luck!” exclaimed Bob.
“Oh, it might be worse!” declared Jerry, with a hopefulness he did not altogether feel. “They got off a message asking for help, and even though our position wasn’t given, it can be pretty well guessed. They know which way we started, and about how fast we have steamed. They can send some one out to pick us up.”
“Maybe,” said Ned gloomily. “Well, there’s no use worrying over it. We’re still afloat, and that’s something. Now then, let’s go to see our captain, or the first lieutenant17. We’ll report on pepper-pot. It may be nothing, and, again, it may be something.”
[75]
They started to find their own special company officers, and while they were inquiring they stood near a cabin that was among a number of others given over to officers.
Ned had just asked as to the probable whereabouts of his captain and a lieutenant was in the act of replying when two marines, with rifles and fixed18 bayonets, came swinging along the passage. They halted in front of the cabin, before which stood the lieutenant, and after their salute19 had been returned, the officer said:
“You are to remain on guard here in front of this cabin until relieved. Let no one go in or come out without written authority from Captain Munson. Remember—written authority!”
“Yes, sir!” answered the marines, and then the lieutenant turned to speak to the three friends while they, in turn, gazed at the closed door of the mysterious cabin.
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收听单词发音
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1
scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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2
wireless
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| adj.无线的；n.无线电 | |
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3
locker
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| n.更衣箱，储物柜，冷藏室，上锁的人 | |
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4
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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5
compartment
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| n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间 | |
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6
minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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7
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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8
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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9
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10
boiler
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| n.锅炉；煮器(壶，锅等) | |
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11
galley
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| n.（飞机或船上的）厨房单层甲板大帆船；军舰舰长用的大划艇； | |
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12
ration
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| n.定量(pl.)给养，口粮；vt.定量供应 | |
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13
buddy
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| n.（美口）密友，伙伴 | |
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14
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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15
auxiliary
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| adj.辅助的，备用的 | |
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16
apparatus
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| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
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17
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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18
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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19
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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