“We’ve got to scare ’em off or kill some of ’em!” cried Jerry. “They may not intend any harm, but if they open some of our plates we’ll go down, sure!”
“What do you mean by the bow gun?” asked Bob.
“There’s a small gun up forward, put there to ward6 off submarine attacks, but it doesn’t seem to[223] have done much good,” explained Jerry quickly. “It’s mounted on a swivel, and we can depress it and aim it in almost any direction. There are some shells too. I saw them when I was looking about before you came on board. If we give the whales a shot or two I’m sure they’ll go away.”
“We’ve got to do something!” muttered Bob. “Feel that!”
Again came a tremor of the ship—not one but several, as though a number of the whales had attacked at once, acting7 in concert against what they may have reasoned was a common enemy.
“Yes, let’s do something!” cried Judd. “I never saw anything like this in all my life, and I know something about whales. I never saw so many at once, and though I’ve known of them sinking small whaling vessels8 I never knew ’em to attack a big steamer. We’ve got to do something!”
“Then come on to the bow gun!” cried Jerry, and he raised his lantern from where he had lowered it over the side. The rays were still reflected from the wet and glistening9 backs of the whales as they swam about, now and then one butting10 his head against the steel sides of the Altaire.
Professor Snodgrass looked on in fascinated silence. And when Jerry removed the lantern, thus cutting off a further view of the immense[224] creatures, the little scientist remarked with something like a sigh:
“I wish Dr. Hallet could see them.”
“Why, is he particularly interested in whales?” asked Bob.
“No, not whales particularly. But it would do him good to see these. It might be the very thing he needs!”
At the time Bob did not pay much attention to this remark. But afterward11 he thought it rather strange. If Dr. Hallet was not particularly interested in whales, why should Professor Snodgrass desire the other scientist to view them? And why would they do him “good”, if he had no special object in seeing them?
“I declare,” mused12 Bob, “the further you go into this thing the more mysterious it gets. I wonder what the real explanation of the feeling between Professor Snodgrass and Dr. Hallet is. I’ll wager13 we haven’t yet begun to get to the bottom of it!”
However, these thoughts came later. Just then the vital need of the moment was to deal with the whales, and this Jerry proposed to do by means of the bow gun.
Hurrying forward, carrying the lantern, while above them glowed the signal fires of distress14, Bob, Jerry, and Judd came to the bow gun. It was of three-inch calibre, and capable of being[225] aimed in any direction, and also pointed15, at a sharp angle, almost directly into the water at either side of the bow of the ship. It could be trained aft, too, and as it was mounted high there was considerable radius16 of action allowed.
“Where’s the ammunition17?” cried Bob, just as another whale took a head-on bang at the ship.
“In the box near the gun,” answered Jerry, putting down his lantern. The night was calm, and a moon gave some illumination now, having emerged from behind a cloud bank, so the three could see fairly well what they were doing. Professor Snodgrass, however, was not of the least service. When Jerry set the lantern down on the deck the little scientist took a position near it, and there he began making notes, whether about the whales or some minute insect, no one inquired.
The familiarity of Bob and Jerry with weapons of war stood them in good stead now. With the help of Judd they loaded the three-inch gun and aimed it into the midst of the school of whales, which were then congregated18 on the port side of the bow.
“Shall I fire?” asked Jerry, as he stood in readiness.
“Let her go!” called Bob.
There was a sharp report and the shell was sent into the midst of the whales. That it did execution was disclosed when the lantern was lowered over[226] the side by means of a rope and the white, foaming19 water was seen to be red for a considerable area.
“They’ve sounded!” cried the sailor, giving information in this term that the whales had sunk below the surface. “I guess we’ve scared ’em off!”
But it was for a moment only. A little later there were bumpings and thumps20 on the other side of the craft, and the gun was again fired into the midst of the huge bodies. Once more the lantern showed red water, and then a commotion21 in the sea some distance away told the voyagers that the school of whales was departing. Several must have been killed and others wounded, the others being frightened off.
The bow gun was effective, for though a watch was kept the rest of the night there was no further trouble. The Altaire drifted slowly on, and when morning dawned the refugees came up on deck and looked about the horizon for a sight of some rescuing craft.
“We have the whole place to ourselves,” remarked Jerry, grimly joking as he viewed the waste of waters.
“Yes, it isn’t a bit crowded,” agreed Bob. “Well, let’s have breakfast.”
In one sense the plight22 of the castaways was not at all bad. They had shelter, plenty of food, the[227] weather was ideal, now that the fog had gone, and they were again clothed in their own garments which had dried out. Nor was there any great immediate23 danger. The period of long-continued storms had not yet come, their derelict, disabled as she was, was in fairly staunch condition, and unless some accident happened she might float for a long time.
“But we’ve got to get sail on her,” decided24 Jerry after a breakfast which was cooked by Bob and of which every one had an ample portion.
With the aid and advice of Judd something resembling a sail was hoisted25 and then the hand steering26 gear was connected up, after a fashion.
“Now we’re on our way!” cried Jerry, when the derelict began to move with considerable speed compared to her former progress. The wind was west, and was blowing them back toward France. But this was the best they could hope for. They could only sail directly before such breezes as might favor them. Navigation was out of the question.
So they settled down for a stay, of how long they knew not, on the derelict. Jerry had not had time to explore the craft much before the arrival of his friends, and this lack was now made up for, once the sail was set. It was found that the Altaire had sailed from New York with a general cargo consigned27 to various English firms. And[228] it was evident that she had been intercepted28 and partly looted by a German submarine. What had become of her crew and her passengers, if she carried any (and there were accommodations for a few) was problematical. But the Altaire made a good sea home for the refugees.
While Bob, Jerry, Professor Snodgrass, and Judd were thus making the best of it on the derelict and eagerly watching for some vessel that might rescue them, Ned Slade and his fellow voyagers on the Sherman were buoyed29 up with new hope as the word went cheeringly through the craft that the wireless30 was again working.
The snapping sparks of it had interrupted the talk between Ned and Dr. Hallet, and it was some time before they had a chance to renew the conversation.
For as soon as it became known that signals could again be sent out, giving the position of the disabled troopship and asking that aid be rushed, that was the only topic of moment among all on board.
“How soon will some ship come to our aid?”
Again and again the call was sent out into space, and in less than an hour there was a cheer from the vicinity of the wireless room.
“What’s that?” asked Ned of some of his soldier chums.
“They’ve received our calls!” cried a young lieutenant31.[229] “Three of Uncle Sam’s warships33 are racing34 toward us at top speed. Now we’re all right!”
And the good news was true. Working night and day, often at great personal risk, the engine room force had managed to rig up a boiler35, get steam to an engine, and so whirl the dynamo that furnished the current for the powerful wireless spark. The operators had done the rest.
Forth36 into the air had gone the mystic signals, and this time they had been heard and understood by many receivers both on shore and at sea. It did not take long to flash the news to the proper quarters, and from Brest, the very port from which the Sherman had departed, aid was rushed to her. The position was accurately37 given—as accurately as can be on a boundless38 sea—and the rest had to be left to fate.
In record-breaking time the rescuing convoy39 was sighted, and then joyous40 scenes took place on board the Sherman.
Soon after the first enthusiasm had worn off, though, the question arose as to what was the next thing to do. The war-weary soldiers wanted to get back home—to Uncle Sam’s country.
But this problem was easily solved. The war vessels had orders to take on board all the passengers and proceed with them to the United States. The Sherman would be towed back to[230] Brest for repairs, and on board her a crew would have to remain to look after the ship. Every one else, however, was transferred to one or another of the three war vessels that arrived about the same time. The baggage, too, was transferred, much to the satisfaction of the returning soldiers.
“Is there anything that can be done to see if Jerry and Bob are alive?” asked Ned of his captain, when they, together with their comrades and fellow officers, were on board the warship32.
“Do you think it possible they may be alive?” the captain asked.
“Yes,” declared Ned, “improbable as it seems, I feel that Bob and Jerry, as well as Professor Snodgrass, are alive. Perhaps that missing sailor is, too. They may have been cast into the sea when the derelict crashed into us, and they may have managed to keep afloat either on some of the wreckage41 of the Sherman that was torn off, or on a bit of the derelict. She was smashed, too, I believe. Can’t we make a search for Jerry and the others?”
“I’ll see,” said the captain. And he used his influence to such good advantage that it was soon after announced to Ned and others that before proceeding42 to America a search would be made by all three warships for the missing soldiers, the professor, and the sailor.
“We’s going to try to locate the derelict, too,”[231] Ned’s captain told him. “Such craft are a terrible menace to other ships, and they are sunk wherever found. I am sorry to say no one but you seems to have much faith that we shall find your friends, but as a matter of precaution, if nothing else, a search will be made for the derelict. As she can only drift, and as Jerry and the others could only drift, in case they managed to keep afloat on some wreckage, it is possible we may find them in the vicinity of whatever vessel it was that crashed into us in the fog.”
And so the search began; a wearying and anxious search over the broad sea.
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1
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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4
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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tremor
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| n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震 | |
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6
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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7
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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9
glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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10
butting
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| 用头撞人（犯规动作） | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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12
mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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13
wager
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| n.赌注；vt.押注，打赌 | |
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14
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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15
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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radius
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| n.半径，半径范围；有效航程，范围，界限 | |
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17
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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18
congregated
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| （使）集合，聚集( congregate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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thumps
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| n.猪肺病；砰的重击声( thump的名词复数 )v.重击， （指心脏）急速跳动( thump的第三人称单数 ) | |
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21
commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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plight
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| n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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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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25
hoisted
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| 把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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steering
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| n.操舵装置 | |
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consigned
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| v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的过去式和过去分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃 | |
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28
intercepted
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| 拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 )； 截住； 截击； 拦阻 | |
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29
buoyed
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| v.使浮起( buoy的过去式和过去分词 )；支持；为…设浮标；振奋…的精神 | |
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30
wireless
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| adj.无线的；n.无线电 | |
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31
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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32
warship
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| n.军舰，战舰 | |
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warships
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| 军舰，战舰( warship的名词复数 )； 舰只 | |
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34
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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35
boiler
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| n.锅炉；煮器(壶，锅等) | |
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36
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
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boundless
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| adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的 | |
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39
convoy
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| vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队 | |
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40
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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41
wreckage
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| n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏 | |
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42
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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