Yes, they were moody5. It was, indeed, enough to make any one moody, though perhaps they should have been thankful that their lives were spared and that they were able to be up on deck, and not obliged to lie stretched on a cot in the sick bay. But the boys thought they had just cause for grievance6, and perhaps they had.
Certainly to be disabled far out at sea was bad enough, without having to be fog-bound, to run the risk of crashing into some other vessel7, having some big steamer, or perhaps a war craft, crash into them, or bear down on an immense iceberg8 which might be the cause of the very fog that would hasten their destruction.
[118]
And so, gloomily and moodily, the three Cresville lads leaned against the rail, straining their eyes to pierce the misty9 whiteness that enveloped10 them so closely. Every now and then the hoarse11 bellow12 of the steamer’s whistle would sound out its warning and call—for the blasts were so sounded as to form the international call for help. And, punctuating13 the whistle blasts, was the clang of the fog bell, rung insistently14 by sailors detailed15 for this important task.
Meanwhile all that could be done was to watch and wait—wait for the inevitable16. Would the fog lift before some fatal crash? or would they be further endangered by its opaqueness17? No one could answer.
Lookouts18 were stationed at every vantage point. Men were sent up to the crow’s nests on the masts, but from there they reported that they could see no more than could be observed from the deck. Their eyes were useless beyond a distance of fifty feet.
“This is fierce!” exclaimed Ned, and he closed his eyes for a moment, for they actually ached from the strain he was putting on them by trying to see the unseeable.
“You said something!” commented Bob.
“Oh, well, it might be worse,” remarked Jerry.
“How could it be?” half-fiercely demanded Ned.
[119]
“We might not be afloat in a sound ship, for one thing,” the tall lad answered. “Of course we can’t move under our own power, but we’re in no danger of sinking.”
“No—not yet,” muttered Bob significantly. “But there’s no telling how long we may be this way. Look at those sails! Might as well hang up a couple of pocket handkerchiefs!” and he motioned to the great expanses of canvas between the wireless19 masts.
They did, indeed, hang as limp as clothes on a line. Not a whiff of wind swayed them, and the moisture of the fog, condensing on their white surfaces, dripped down to the deck.
“Well, we can’t do anything to remedy it,” said Jerry, after a pause. “Might as well grin and bear it.”
“What do you say to looking up Professor Snodgrass?” asked Bob. “That is, I don’t mean go directly to him, for he might have, as Jerry says, some special reason for not wanting to be disturbed. But if he’s here on board—and we’re sure, now, that he is—we could ask of some of the officers and, perhaps, let him know we’re here.”
“Yes, let’s do that!” added Ned. “We started to, but got off the track.”
Jerry considered the matter a moment. Then he said:
“I guess we might as well. We’ll want to[120] know where he is, anyhow, in case of accident, so we can look after him. Let’s go!”
On board the transport the same sort of military rules and regulations that existed in camp or on the battlefield did not hold good. There was more freedom and ease in going about and in making inquiries20, and the Motor Boys proceeded to take advantage of this.
Their first inquiries, however, of some of the ship’s officers resulted in disappointment. No one seemed to know Professor Snodgrass. They admitted that there were several civilians21 on board the transport, but were not aware of their names.
Some said they had seen a man resembling the description given of Professor Snodgrass, but when pressed for details they described the individual the boys had dubbed22 “le cochon,” and the Motor Boys did not want to meet him again.
They even made their way to the passage where the marines had been on sentry23 duty in front of the mysterious cabin, and, somewhat to their surprise, found the men on guard. They were not the same men they had seen at first, but two burly soldiers who gruffly bade the boys:
“Move on!”
“This certainly is queer,” declared Bob, when they were out of earshot of the two marines. “One time they have a guard there, and another time they don’t.”
[121]
“I wonder why,” voiced Ned.
“Can’t you guess?” asked Jerry.
“No. Tell us!” urged his chums.
“Well, I should think it would occur to you that the marines are not guarding the cabin—just some one in it. And if he isn’t there——”
“Oh, I see!” exclaimed Bob.
“You mean pepper-pot was out of the cabin the other time we were here and we saw Professor Snodgrass inside?” asked Ned.
“About that,” answered Jerry, smiling.
“Well, that’s a white horse of another color,” remarked Ned. “Professor Snodgrass must have been in pepper-pot’s cabin when our volatile24 acquaintance, le cochon, was out of it. Now that the little man who looks like our friend is there again, the guards are once more on duty. How’s that, Jerry?”
“That’s about the way I size it up.”
“Well, now that we’ve got thus far let’s keep on,” suggested Bob. “Let’s find where the professor is.”
“Why not ask the guards?” suggested Ned.
“We can try,” agreed Chunky. “But they didn’t seem very friendly.”
Nor were they when the friends essayed a few questions. The chief one being as to whether or not the marines knew where Professor Snodgrass could be found.
[122]
“Go chase yourself,” was all the reply the boys received.
“Well, we’re on our own now, so let’s make a hunt,” suggested Jerry. “He’s somewhere on this ship, and a man with all the peculiarities25 of Professor Snodgrass can’t be hidden long.”
“That’s true,” assented26 his chums.
And the search began. How long the three might have been searching, unaided as they were by any information given in response to their many questions, is doubtful. Probably if they had been able to find the purser he would have solved the riddle27 for them at once.
But that official was not to be found. Doubtless, with the added responsibilities that had come with the accident to the ship he was in great demand and was not long in any one place.
At any rate Ned, Bob and Jerry could not find him, and no one in his department would give them the information they sought. The transport being so large and so crowded, the professor was almost as well hidden as though he were in some large city and no one had his address.
As it was, chance came to the aid of the three boys. They were wandering about, now and then going up on deck to see if the fog had lifted, coming down again, disappointed because it had not, when, as they were watching a group of sailors putting fresh water in some of the boats that[123] were always kept in readiness for instant use, they heard a well-remembered voice saying:
“Just a moment, now! Just a moment, I beg of you. Don’t stir hand or foot!”
“And why shouldn’t I stir hand or foot?” asked a truculent28 voice. “Do you think I can stand here all day while you’re creepin’ up on me like a scalping Indian?”
“One moment! Only a second more, I beg of you!” went on the first voice. “There is on your left leg one of the finest specimens29 of sea-leech30 I have ever seen, and I want him!”
“A leech! You’re welcome to him!” cried the other voice, and through the fog the three boys saw looming31 a strange sight.
A sailor was swabbing part of the deck, and he stood with his mop half raised from the pail while stealthily approaching him was the figure of a little bald-headed man, wearing across his nose powerful spectacles.
And it needed but a moment’s glance at the little man to show that he was none other than Professor Snodgrass. Bob impulsively32 murmured his name.
The little scientist, edging his way along the fog-wreathed deck toward the poised33 sailor, gave one glance and noticed the three chums.
“Oh, boys! Glad to see you!” he exclaimed, as though they had just left him the day before.[124] “Please don’t move. I am about to make a most important capture. One moment, my friend. Don’t stir hand or foot. In a moment——”
The professor’s words were interrupted by a chorus of terrific shouts. There was a confusion of voices, mingling34 with the frantic35 clanging of a bell and the hoarse tooting of the big whistle.
Ned, Bob and Jerry caught a glimpse of something big and black looming up on the port side out of the fog.
A moment later there was a terrific crash, and it seemed as if the transport would be heeled over and capsized. The fear-anticipated collision had happened!
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1
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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2
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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3
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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4
moodily
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| adv.喜怒无常地；情绪多变地；心情不稳地；易生气地 | |
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5
moody
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| adj.心情不稳的，易怒的，喜怒无常的 | |
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6
grievance
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| n.怨愤，气恼，委屈 | |
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7
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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8
iceberg
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| n.冰山，流冰，冷冰冰的人 | |
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9
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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10
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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11
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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12
bellow
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| v.吼叫，怒吼；大声发出，大声喝道 | |
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13
punctuating
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| v.（在文字中）加标点符号，加标点( punctuate的现在分词 )；不时打断某事物 | |
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14
insistently
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| ad.坚持地 | |
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15
detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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16
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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17
opaqueness
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| [化] 不透明性，不透明度 | |
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18
lookouts
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| n.寻找（ 某人/某物）( lookout的名词复数 )；是某人（自己）的问题；警戒；瞭望台 | |
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19
wireless
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| adj.无线的；n.无线电 | |
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20
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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21
civilians
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| 平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓 | |
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22
dubbed
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| v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制 | |
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23
sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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24
volatile
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| adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质 | |
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25
peculiarities
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| n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪 | |
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26
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27
riddle
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| n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜 | |
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28
truculent
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| adj.野蛮的，粗野的 | |
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29
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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30
leech
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| n.水蛭，吸血鬼，榨取他人利益的人；vt.以水蛭吸血；vi.依附于别人 | |
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31
looming
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| n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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32
impulsively
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| adv.冲动地 | |
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33
poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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34
mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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