“Swim on your backs,” Ned cried.
It was well they heeded1 his warning, for at that instant there came a shout from Stanley.
“Duck!”
That was all, but they instinctively2 obeyed. Even under the water they could feel the jar of the exploding shell which the sharp-eyed man-of-war’s man had spied coming toward them from the fort.
“I’ll bet General de Guzman and Charbonde are praying for our deaths harder than they ever[207] did for anything in their lives before,” thought Ned, as he came to the surface.
The Americans swam on. Only a few feet now. Already hands were held out to them from the decks of the Costavezan destroyer.
“Swim, for Heaven’s sake, swim!”
The sudden cry came from the midshipman.
In their anxiety to gain the destroyer and avoid the shells from the land batteries, they had entirely3 forgotten another danger—sharks!
As the middy’s cry of warning sounded, a sharp, triangular4 fin5, showing blackly above the blue, came rushing investigatingly toward them. It was followed by another and another. Truly there was desperate need of every ounce of energy that remained in their tired bodies.
How they did it Ned never knew. Subsequent comparison of notes revealed the fact that the others were quite as ignorant as he, but somehow they struggled on, till their outstretched fingers touched the sides of the General Barrill. Willing hands were extended from her decks, and they were drawn6 on board. None too soon, however,[208] for as Ned’s toes left the water a greenish body gleamed near the surface and made a dart7, like the spring of a tiger, for the rescued boy. Ned could not repress a shudder8 as he realized how very narrow his escape had been.
Had they not had the word “American” plainly inscribed9 in their faces, voices and actions, it is doubtful what would have been their reception on board the Costavezan sea-scout. As matters were, however, in spite of their positively10 tramp-like appearance, they were speedily recognized, before they even spoke11, as belonging to the powerful nation which had befriended the South American power.
The decks of the General Barrill presented a vastly different appearance to the trim aspect of the Beale. They were littered with debris12 of the bombardment, and here and there Ned noted13, with a shudder, some crimson14 splashes. Evidently the destroyer had not come off scot free in her daring attack. Even while he was subconsciously15 noting all this, a shell burst so close to the craft that a smother16 of spray showered her.
A young officer, wearing the somewhat gaudy17 naval18 uniform of Costaveza, and bedizened with a pair of huge gold epaulets, approached them.
“He looks like a bandmaster,” whispered Herc, in spite of Ned’s warning to keep quiet.
The officer bowed civilly and asked in that tongue if any of them spoke Spanish. Receiving an affirmative reply from Midshipman Stark19, their new-found friend requested them to step aft. He led them to the small bridge on the conning20 tower, on which stood a tall, thin South American, with a pair of field glasses in his hand. His bronzed face was thrown into vivid relief by a pair of bristling21 white moustachios. In his faded uniform, very different from the brilliant trappings of his young officers, Captain Gomez looked every inch the sea fighter as he stood on his little bridge. He seemed as calm and self-possessed as if he were gazing at the affair as a safely situated22 spectator. By his side stood an officer peering into the range-finder and handling the gun controls.
Captain Gomez turned to a sailor, who stood at[210] his elbow, as he noticed the Americans being piloted aft, and gave an order. The man’s hand shoved over the lever of the engine-room telegraph to “speed ahead.” At once the General Barrill began to forge through the water, pointing her nose to the north.
The fort fired viciously after her, but the range was lost, and their shells simply blew holes in the water.
The commander, his work for the moment over, greeted the newcomers cordially.
“We were on our way up the coast,” he explained after he had heard their story, “and, seeing signs of an insurgent23 battery ashore24 there, we decided25 to give the crew a little gun practice.”
“Of which they don’t seem to stand much in need,” smiled the midshipman.
The captain looked grave, but said nothing more for the moment. He ushered26 the castaways into his cabin and ordered refreshments27 for them. In the meantime he had flung open a cabin door and indicated a bathroom and some spare uniforms, which looked very inviting28 to[211] the adventurers. When they emerged in their regalia, a decided improvement had taken place for the better in their appearance, though, to tell the truth, not all of the uniforms were a very correct fit.
A white-coated man, evidently a surgeon, entered the main cabin as they emerged from the bathroom. He spoke a few words to the captain, who crossed himself and muttered some words. His face had grown grave. Evidently what he had just heard was of a disquieting29 nature. He looked up as his guests filed in.
“Ah, gentlemen,” he said, “you must excuse me if I seem to be somewhat preoccupied30. I have just heard that Lieutenant31 Santos, my gunnery officer, is dead. He was wounded in the engagement, but we all thought, till a few moments ago, that he would rally. I am seriously hampered32 now in handling my ship.”
“Were your losses great?” inquired the midshipman.
“No. With the exception of the officer, of whose death I have just learned, we escaped with[212] two wounded and one killed. But Lieutenant Santos was a power among the men.”
The captain’s Latin blood seemed aroused. He smote33 the table with his lean fist. Suddenly he spoke.
“You gentlemen are naval men. You will understand my predicament. My crew is, at best, what you Americans call a ‘scratch one.’ You see, when the insurgents34 seemed likely to prove successful, the crews of the other government vessels35, and, I am ashamed to say, the officers, too, deserted36 to the revolutionists’ cause. I had to take my crew as I could get them. Some are off merchant vessels. Others are landsmen. There are not more than a dozen trained men among them. Lieutenant Santos, however, was a man of marked ability. He was whipping them into shape splendidly.”
“I should think so if he handled the guns to-day,” interposed Midshipman Stark.
“I agree with you,” went on the captain. “Now, gentlemen, I was educated in your country, and I can see the faults of my countrymen.[213] They are brave in success, but they lose heart when engaged for a lost cause. That is the case with the rest of my officers. Already they are wavering. I can see signs of it. It would take little to precipitate37 a mutiny.”
“A mutiny!” exclaimed Midshipman Stark, horrified38.
“Yes,” calmly went on the old sea fighter, “in which case I would probably be shot or imprisoned39 on board my own craft.”
The Americans gazed at him in astonishment40. Apparently41 the commander of the General Barrill occupied much the same position as a man in a powder magazine with a pipe in his mouth. By his account they understood that the one efficient officer on board, the only man on whom he could rely, had just passed away. “But, after all,” thought the middy, “our concern now is to get back to the Beale with our report. I’m afraid it won’t be an encouraging one.” Aloud, however, he said:
“You are going to put about for Boca del Sierras, sir?”
“No, we are bound north,” rejoined the captain. “We must be at Santa Anna to-night. In that harbor are the three vessels which went over to the insurgent side. It is my duty to prevent them leaving there and forming a blockade at Boca del Sierras.”
Ned saw at once the object of this. It was evident that the government authorities expected that an attack by the united insurgent armies was imminent42. Against the armies alone the government forces stood a chance. In order to make matters certain, however, it would appear that the insurgent navy was to conduct a bombardment from the sea. If the ships were allowed to leave Santa Anna, the fall of Boca del Sierras seemed certain. The Dreadnought Boy felt a thrill of admiration43 go through him for the brave old sailor, who, with a mutinous44, incompetent45 crew, and disaffected46, inefficient47 officers, was going to what seemed certain death.
The captain was called forward at this point. Certain matters relating to the disposal of the possessions of the dead officer had come up.[215] With a word of apology, he hastened from the cabin. Ned glanced from the port. The General Barrill was steaming close inshore along the palm-fringed coast. The sea was calm and blue and sparkling. The land breeze brought a balmy odor floating through the open port. It seemed hard to believe that in the midst of these placid48 surroundings they were on such intimate terms with semi-mutiny and the shadow of death.
They were all silent for a space. Perhaps the same thoughts occupied the minds of all. It was Midshipman Stark who broke the silence.
“It may be a long time before we see the Beale again,” he said.
“Looks so, sir,” agreed Stanley, “and if what that dago skipper says is right we stand a good chance of going to Davy Jones with the rest of his mucker crew.”
“I’m not so sure of that!” exclaimed the middy, his eyes sparkling. “You, Stanley, are a good gunner. There are no better hands at the guns in the navy than Strong and Taylor. Why[216] can’t we take these fellows in hand and fight their ship for them?”
The sheer audacity49 of the idea took the others’ breath away.
“Well, sir,” broke out Stanley finally, “so far as we’re concerned——”
“You see,” went on the middy, interrupting, “we’ve got to stick aboard here till this captain gets ready to put about for Boca del Sierras. He’s obstinate50, and a fighter from ’way back—you can see that in his eye. Now, here’s the proposition. If we get licked at Santa Anna we’ll all go to the bottom together. That chap would sink his ship before he’d be captured. On the other hand, if we win out we’ll help to smash the insurgents, do our country a good turn, and, at the same time, insure our getting back to the ship.”
Looked at in this light, the thing which they all secretly wished to do became of necessity the logical, right thing to go forward with. So they all agreed, after some more discussion. It now only remained for the captain to give his consent[217] to having his gunners drilled and officered by the Americans. The task of asking him this was taken out of their hands. On his return from forward, the tall, Quixotic-looking officer, after some humming and hawing, turned to the middy.
“I have a great favor to ask of you, sir,” he began. “My men—that is——”
“You want us to show them how to handle the guns!” burst out Midshipman Stark.
“Yes. But how did you guess it? I——”
“That is all right, sir, we’ll begin at once.”
“What, at once! Ah! I forgot you are American, and do not wait for to-morrow. Well, gentlemen, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I——”
“Oh, never mind that, sir. If we don’t teach your men how to stick by the guns, we’ll never see the United States again, anyhow. Now, then, Stanley, I’ll appoint you in command of the gun deck, with full charge. Strong and Taylor, you are on an equal footing with Stanley, but obey his orders.”
The Dreadnought Boys grinned at this equivocal sort of a commission.
“I suppose we can have anything we want, sir. We’ve got to have carte blanche, you know,” spoke up the middy.
“Yes, anything, gentlemen, anything!” exclaimed the captain gratefully.
“All right, sir. Stanley, anything you want for your work?”
The boatswain’s mate had been gazing attentively51 at a group of the dusky-skinned crew. Without attempting to set the guns in shape or clean them after the brisk engagement off Miraflores, they were sitting about talking.
“Yes, sir,” rejoined the boatswain’s mate, turning from his disgusted scrutiny52, “a service revolver and ammunition53 to match, please, sir.”
Some time after this the captain, seated in his cabin with Stark, who was listening with deep attention to the elder man while he outlined his plans, started up at a sudden noise borne in from the deck. It was an agonized54 wail55 of protest from one of the crew. Both occupants of the[219] cabin sprang up, and, rushing up the companionway, gazed forward. They saw Stanley with raised gun prodding56 a reluctant gun-swabber to his work. All about was a scene of activity. Ned and Herc were already drilling a crew in the task of loading in American fashion, which was just five times as fast as the native way. A scene of activity of the most feverish57 character had succeeded to the leisurely58 appearance of things when the Americans came on board. The native officers stood about gazing on, astonished at the rapid change which was coming over their slovenly59 ship.
“Ah, you Americans! You’ll turn the world upside down some day!” breathed the captain admiringly.
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1
heeded
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| v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的过去式和过去分词 )；变平，使（某物）变平( flatten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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triangular
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| adj.三角（形）的，三者间的 | |
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fin
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| n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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9
inscribed
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| v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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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
debris
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| n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片 | |
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13
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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15
subconsciously
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| ad.下意识地，潜意识地 | |
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16
smother
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| vt./vi.使窒息；抑制；闷死；n.浓烟；窒息 | |
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17
gaudy
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| adj.华而不实的；俗丽的 | |
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naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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stark
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| adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地 | |
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conning
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| v.诈骗，哄骗( con的现在分词 )；指挥操舵( conn的现在分词 ) | |
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21
bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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insurgent
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| adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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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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ushered
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| v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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refreshments
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| n.点心,便餐;(会议后的)简单茶点招 待 | |
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inviting
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| adj.诱人的，引人注目的 | |
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disquieting
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| adj.令人不安的，令人不平静的v.使不安，使忧虑，使烦恼( disquiet的现在分词 ) | |
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30
preoccupied
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| adj.全神贯注的，入神的；被抢先占有的；心事重重的v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的过去式) | |
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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
hampered
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| 妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33
smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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insurgents
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| n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 ) | |
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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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36
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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37
precipitate
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| adj.突如其来的；vt.使突然发生；n.沉淀物 | |
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38
horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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39
imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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40
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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41
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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42
imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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43
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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44
mutinous
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| adj.叛变的，反抗的；adv.反抗地，叛变地；n.反抗，叛变 | |
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45
incompetent
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| adj.无能力的，不能胜任的 | |
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46
disaffected
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| adj.（政治上）不满的，叛离的 | |
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47
inefficient
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| adj.效率低的，无效的 | |
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48
placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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49
audacity
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| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
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50
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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51
attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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52
scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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53
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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54
agonized
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| v.使（极度）痛苦，折磨( agonize的过去式和过去分词 )；苦斗；苦苦思索；感到极度痛苦 | |
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55
wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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56
prodding
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| v.刺，戳( prod的现在分词 )；刺激；促使；（用手指或尖物）戳 | |
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57
feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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58
leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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59
slovenly
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| adj.懒散的，不整齐的，邋遢的 | |
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