CHAPTER XXIX “DERELICT AHOY!”

Ned Slade and Dr. Hallet were aboard one of the rescuing warships². There was a time, just before the wireless³ of the Sherman was re?stablished, when it seemed to Ned that he was going to learn Dr. Hallet’s secret, and when he felt that he could be on terms of friendship with the eccentric doctor—who was not a physician, but a doctor of science.

However, since the two had been transferred to the same warship¹ there had been a complete change in Dr. Hallet. Far from seeking a chance to maintain friendly relations with Ned, the doctor avoided the Motor Boy and remained in seclusion⁴. Nor did he send any word or give any explanation of what he had started to say as to his relations with Professor Snodgrass.

As a matter of fact, after a few glimpses of Dr. Hallet, following their transfer from the Sherman, the Motor Boy did not again see the scientist. The latter, Ned learned, was busy over[233] his notebooks and memoranda⁵, which he had brought with him, together with his fleas⁶ and other specimens⁷ from the troopship.

“I can’t understand it,” said Ned to a soldier chum. “He was just getting friendly with me when we were in the midst of our troubles, and now, when we’re safe, he doesn’t speak to me.”

“Why don’t you go to him and ask for a showdown?” inquired Sam Harden, the lad with whom Ned was becoming chummy.

“I’ve tried to, but he won’t see me. And I can’t very well force myself on him. I don’t know any of the officers who are on board well enough to go to them and tell them all that’s happened. They might laugh at me, and Dr. Hallet might turn ugly again, as he can on occasion.”

“Do you really think he tried to damage the Sherman?” asked Harden.

“No, I can’t say that I do—now,” Ned confessed. “But he surely did act queer. And why he should hate, or pretend to hate, Professor Snodgrass is more than I can fathom⁸.

“But there’s nothing I can do, I suppose, except wait. If we ever find Jerry, Bob, and the professor I may get an explanation. And I certainly do hope we find them!”

“Same here!” echoed his new chum. “They’re making a good search of it.”

This was true. The three warships which were[234] carrying home the troops transferred from the Sherman kept together and in a sort of line swept forward over the sea, cruising about in search of the derelict or for a possible sight of refugees drifting on wreckage⁹. To this end searchlights were kept aglow¹⁰ all night, and soldiers or sailors were constantly on watch during the twenty-four hours.

Meanwhile life aboard the Altaire was far from being dangerous now. The attack of the whales had done no harm, and in the broad daylight Jerry rather wondered whether they had not acted foolishly in firing the bow gun at the creatures.

“I don’t really believe they could have rammed¹¹ us hard enough to have done any damage,” he said.

“Well, it certainly felt so,” declared Bob.

“And I’m just as glad we drove them away,” said Judd.

As for Professor Snodgrass, he said little. He was too much occupied in classifying and making notes of the various forms of life he found on the bunch of seaweed he had brought on board with him.

Aside from attending now and then to the rude sail that had been hoisted¹², and steering¹³ the craft, which did not require much effort, as she did not move rapidly, there was nothing to do on the derelict except, as Bob said, “to get meals and eat ’em.”

[235]

Of course the distress¹⁴ signals were kept flying by day, and the lanterns at night gave notice to whoever might glimpse them that they were carried by a craft which needed help for those on board. And outside of seeing that these signals and lights were kept in place, there was nothing that could be done.

It was utterly¹⁵ impossible for the four to start the engines. The small sail was their only motive¹⁶ power. There was no need of using the steam pumps, for the Altaire was not leaking save in one or two compartments¹⁷, and the water-tight bulkheads kept the sea from invading other parts of the craft. Even had it been necessary to get steam up for the pumps, it is doubtful if it could have been managed.

All they could do was to wait and hope, and this was wearying enough after the first week.

Each morning they began a vigil that lasted all day, and even into the night, for they knew the lights of an approaching vessel¹⁸ could be seen farther after dark than could the form of the ship itself during the day. But they sighted nothing.

It was more than a week after the crash which resulted in the separation of the Motor Boys when, on a wonderfully clear day, a lookout¹⁹ aboard the war craft containing Ned sent forth²⁰ a thrilling cry from the crow’s nest.

“Derelict ahoy!” he shouted.

[236]

“Where away?”

“Dead ahead!”

And then Ned and the others, rushing to vantage points, saw the Altaire.

There she was, slowly rolling to and fro on a gentle swell²¹, and no sooner had officers and sailors of the rescuing vessel caught sight of her than they raised a cry of:

“Some one’s on board!”

The distress signals told that.

And about the same time Jerry, Bob, the professor, and Judd, grouped at the rail, were frantically²² waving their hands and shouting. For they had seen the oncoming war craft, and knew that they were saved.

The weary search was over.

1 warship   

n.军舰，战舰

参考例句：

• He is serving on a warship in the Pacific.他在太平洋海域的一艘军舰上服役。
• The warship was making towards the pier.军舰正驶向码头。

2 warships   

军舰，战舰( warship的名词复数 )； 舰只

参考例句：

• The enemy warships were disengaged from the battle after suffering heavy casualties. 在遭受惨重伤亡后，敌舰退出了海战。
• The government fitted out warships and sailors for them. 政府给他们配备了战舰和水手。

3 wireless   

adj.无线的；n.无线电

参考例句：

• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
• Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。

4 seclusion   

n.隐遁，隔离

参考例句：

• She liked to sunbathe in the seclusion of her own garden.她喜欢在自己僻静的花园里晒日光浴。
• I live very much in seclusion these days.这些天我过着几乎与世隔绝的生活。

5 memoranda   

n. 备忘录, 便条 名词memorandum的复数形式

参考例句：

• There were memoranda, minutes of meetings, officialflies, notes of verbal di scussions. 有备忘录，会议记录，官方档案，口头讨论的手记。
• Now it was difficult to get him to address memoranda. 而现在，要他批阅备忘录都很困难。

6 fleas   

n.跳蚤( flea的名词复数 )；爱财如命；没好气地（拒绝某人的要求）

参考例句：

• The dog has fleas. 这条狗有跳蚤。
• Nothing must be done hastily but killing of fleas. 除非要捉跳蚤，做事不可匆忙。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 specimens   

n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人

参考例句：

• Astronauts have brought back specimens of rock from the moon. 宇航员从月球带回了岩石标本。
• The traveler brought back some specimens of the rocks from the mountains. 那位旅行者从山上带回了一些岩石标本。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 fathom   

v.领悟，彻底了解

参考例句：

• I really couldn't fathom what he was talking about.我真搞不懂他在说些什么。
• What these people hoped to achieve is hard to fathom.这些人希望实现些什么目标难以揣测。

9 wreckage   

n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏

参考例句：

• They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。
• New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。

10 aglow   

adj.发亮的；发红的；adv.发亮地

参考例句：

• The garden is aglow with many flowers.园中百花盛开。
• The sky was aglow with the setting sun.天空因夕阳映照而发红光。

11 rammed   

v.夯实（土等）( ram的过去式和过去分词 )；猛撞；猛压；反复灌输

参考例句：

• Two passengers were injured when their taxi was rammed from behind by a bus. 公共汽车从后面撞来，出租车上的两位乘客受了伤。
• I rammed down the earth around the newly-planted tree. 我将新栽的树周围的土捣硬。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 hoisted   

把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He hoisted himself onto a high stool. 他抬身坐上了一张高凳子。
• The sailors hoisted the cargo onto the deck. 水手们把货物吊到甲板上。

13 steering   

n.操舵装置

参考例句：

• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. 他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。
• Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵，口吻也马上变得温和了。

14 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

15 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

16 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

17 compartments   

n.间隔( compartment的名词复数 )；（列车车厢的）隔间；（家具或设备等的）分隔间；隔层

参考例句：

• Your pencil box has several compartments. 你的铅笔盒有好几个格。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The first-class compartments are in front. 头等车室在前头。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

19 lookout   

n.注意，前途，瞭望台

参考例句：

• You can see everything around from the lookout.从了望台上你可以看清周围的一切。
• It's a bad lookout for the company if interest rates don't come down.如果利率降不下来，公司的前景可就不妙了。

20 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

21 swell   

vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强

参考例句：

• The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。
• His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。

22 frantically   

ad.发狂地, 发疯地

参考例句：

• He dashed frantically across the road. 他疯狂地跑过马路。
• She bid frantically for the old chair. 她发狂地喊出高价要买那把古老的椅子。