"It's going to be a dirty night," remarked Mr. Graham, Scoutmaster of the 9th Southend-on-Sea Sea Scouts1. "Not very promising2 for the first day of our holidays."
"You are right, sir," agreed Desmond, the Patrol Leader. "We are safe enough here; and, after all, the weather isn't everything. We're jolly lucky to be afloat."
"Although we've nothing much to go to sea in," added Pat Hayes. "This part of the coast is very different from Southend, isn't it, sir?"
"I can hardly believe we're miles from home," chimed in Ted3 Coles, the tenderfoot or "greenhorn" of the troop. "My word, that shakes the old boat up!" he exclaimed, as a vicious blast of wind bore down upon the side of the lofty superstructure of their temporary floating home.
It was a stroke of good luck, or perhaps good management on the part of Scoutmaster Graham, that five members of the 9th Southend Sea Scouts found themselves in the Isle4 of Wight.
They had that afternoon "taken over" the guardship of the 6th Wootton Bridge Sea Scouts, the latter having accepted an invitation to take part in a "jamboree" on the other side of the Channel at a place called St. Valerie-en-Caux.
Before the Wootton Bridge lads left, their Scoutmaster, Mr. Tweedie, wrote to Mr. Graham—they had been brother officers in the R.N.V.R. in that distant period "when there had been a war on"—offering to lend him the Wootton Bridge Sea Scouts' guardship for the latter end of July and the greater part of the month of August.
Scoutmaster Graham put the proposition before the lads. They simply jumped at it. A holiday in the Isle of Wight was far different from knocking around the Essex and Suffolk creeks7 in their open whaler—an old tub that could not be trusted to go anywhere under canvas unless the wind was abaft8 the beam—and rowing, although good exercise, is apt to become a tedious business, especially when it comes to propelling an unwieldy eighteen-foot ex-Service boat for miles and miles.
So the offer was gladly accepted. Mr. Graham, Frank Bedford, Pat Hayes, and Ted Coles had taken train to Portsmouth; Patrol Leader David Desmond and Second Jock Findlay had done the ninety odd miles journey on their trusty push-bikes. Taking two days over the distance, they were awaiting the train-party at Portsmouth Harbour Station when the Scoutmaster and his three young companions arrived with their somewhat generous amount of luggage.
It was a matter for mutual9 regret that some members of the troop were unable to be present. The fact remained that out of three patrols only five Sea Scouts were able to accept the Wootton Bridge lads' invitation, although it was just possible that others might do so later on.
From Portsmouth the elated Sea Scouts crossed by steamer to Ryde, their one disappointment being that they were unable to have a glimpse of Nelson's Victory, but the staunch old three-decker was in dry dock, undergoing a thorough overhauling10 to repair the ravages11 of Father Time.
At Ryde they commenced their four-mile tramp to Wootton Bridge, their gear being piled upon a trek-cart lent them by some obliging brother-Scouts.
It was late in the afternoon when the Sea Scouts had their first view of Wootton Creek6, and rather unfortunately it was nearly low water. From the top of the hill they could see a very narrow stream meandering12 between banks of mud. On either side the ground rose steeply, the left bank being thickly wooded. Away to their right the Sea Scouts could discern the creek winding13 towards the open waters of Spithead, while in the distance the flat coast of Hampshire cut the skyline.
"Where's the guardship, sir?" asked Hayes.
"There she is, unless I'm greatly mistaken," replied the Scoutmaster, pointing to a long, low, black hull14 with a white superstructure.
"She's not very big," remarked Ted Coles, the greenhorn, dubiously15. "And the creek's little larger than a ditch."
"Don't look a gift-horse in the mouth," said Desmond. "Wait till we're aboard. Things look a bit deceptive16 from a height. Come on, you fellows, it's down hill all the rest of the way."
At length the Sea Scouts and their trek-cart came to a halt outside an old mill. Here the main road from Ryde to Newport, the "capital" of the Isle of Wight, crosses the creek by means of a brick bridge. Close to it is the village that takes its name from the bridge.
"Now to find out Mr. Johnson who has the key of the guardship," announced the Scoutmaster; but, before he could take further steps in the matter, an old, grey-bearded man, wearing a blue reefer suit and a peaked cap, came out of a cottage near by.
"You'rn the gen'l'man what's a friend to Mr. Tweedie's, I take it, sir?" he inquired. "Johnson's my name, master mariner17 for nigh on thirty-five year. I've got the keys, sir. Here they be, an' a list of where everything be to. If you'rn wantin' any help, come to Cap'n Albert Johnson, being me."
"Thanks awfully18, Captain," replied the Scoutmaster. "I suppose there's a dinghy to get off to the guardship with?"
"Ay, ay, there's a nice li'l boat belonging to our Sea Scouts. She'm alongside yon steps, but there ain't enough water just now, seein' as 'ow the tide's out."
"In that case we must wait," rejoined Mr. Graham. "How long will it be before the dinghy is afloat?" Captain Johnson gave a glance at the mud-banks.
"Matter of an hour, mebbe an hour an' a half," he replied. "Say seven o'clock an' you'll be on the safe side."
"In that case," said Mr. Graham cheerfully, "we may as well get in a few provisions. Unship that gear, Desmond. The trek-cart will come in handy for the grub. Hayes, you'd better mount guard over our gear. I suppose there's fresh water aboard, Captain Johnson?"
"Ay, ay, sir," was the reply, "the lads filled up her tank just afore they went 'foreign'. There'll be a couple o' hundred gallon in a iron tank amidships. You'll find the tap in the galley19, but don't use the pump. That be for salt water."
Leaving Hayes to contemplate20 the narrow trickle21 of water between the mud-flats, the Scoutmaster and the rest of the Sea Scouts set off on their task of buying provisions. By the time they returned with their well-laden trek-cart the tide had commenced to flow, and the water was already lapping the keel of the dinghy.
Ten minutes later the little craft was pushed off through the soft mud and taken alongside the bridge. The stores and baggage were passed aboard, the trek-cart put into a shed at the mill, and the Sea Scouts set off for their temporary floating home.
"She's a whopping craft, after all!" exclaimed Ted Coles, as the dinghy drew near the guardship.
Viewed from without, the guardship turned out to be an old Thames barge22, about eighty feet over all and from fifteen to eighteen feet beam. The whole of her two holds had been built upon, with a double-decked structure extending the whole width of the ship except for about fifteen feet amidships, where the deck-houses came to the outer edge of the original coamings, thus leaving two sheltered portions of the deck. Aft, the upper deck terminated twelve feet for'ard of the lower deck, the roof of the latter boasting of a large teak skylight. There were several large glass windows, while a short lowermast and light topmast gave a finishing touch to the Wootton Bridge Sea Scouts' guardship.
Making the dinghy fast fore5 and aft to a couple of booms, the Sea Scouts followed their Scoutmaster on deck, and waited with ill-concealed eagerness while he unlocked the door leading to the upper deck.
They found themselves in what was styled the chartroom, a space about six feet in length and occupying the extreme width of the ship. In it were a compass, a flashing signal lamp, a signal locker23 with a complete set of flags, hand semaphore flags, a couple of telescopes, and on the bulkhead two large charts of Spithead and the Solent.
On each side were windows commanding a view abeam24 and ahead, while right aft another window, long and narrow, gave an uninterrupted view of the entrance to the creek and the sea beyond.
Leading out of the chartroom was a wide, doorless opening, communicating with the club-room and two sleeping-cabins on the upper deck; while a steep brass25-treaded ladder with brass hand-rails gave access below.
On the lower deck were the dining-saloon, kitchen, and two more sleeping-cabins, with nearly seven feet headroom throughout, while right for'ard was a low-roofed storeroom. Abaft the dining-saloon, and gained by means of a small sliding door, was the bathroom, which in the days when the guardship was a sea-going Thames barge had served as the skipper's cabin. "Jolly fine, isn't it, sir!" exclaimed Desmond. "And did the Wootton Bridge Sea Scouts do all the work of converting her?"
"Every bit, I think," replied Mr. Graham. "I remember Mr. Tweedie writing to me about it. They cemented the floors and the space between the sides and the lining26 with ferro-concrete—nearly forty tons of it—before they commenced the woodwork. Altogether it took them seven months to finish the work."
"It must have cost them something," observed Frank Bedford.
"About a couple of hundred pounds," replied the Scoutmaster. "They raised every penny of it by themselves—concerts and that sort of thing—without cadging27 a single halfpenny. Well, come on. How about grub? Then we'll go to general quarters, stow gear, and sling28 our hammocks."
The first meal on board was a great success, if Jock Findlay's initial blunder was not taken into consideration. Jock was told off as cook for the day, and, apparently29 not having heard Captain Johnson's instructions, had made the cocoa with boiling sea-water.
It was getting on for nine o'clock when the conversation related in the beginning of this chapter took place. Already the sun had dipped behind the tree-clad hills on the western side of the creek. Away to the nor'ard the sky was overcast30, while an on-shore breeze blew with steadily31 increasing strength up the tidal estuary32. The evening was cold—decidedly chilly33 for July—while occasional scuds34 of rain presaged35 a dirty night.
Presently Patrol Leader Desmond, who had been examining the entrance to the creek with one of the telescopes, gave an exclamation36 of surprise.
"What is it, Desmond?" inquired Jock, who, with the Patrol Leader, was standing37 in the chartroom. "An SOS?"
"Of sorts," rejoined his chum. "There's a small craft out there flying a signal—I'm not sure, but I think it's the NC."
Findlay snatched up the second telescope, threw open one of the windows, and levelled the glass in the direction Desmond had indicated. Before he could focus the instrument, the object lens was blurred38 with rain.
"Dash it all!" he exclaimed, and proceeded to clean the glass.
Before Findlay could resume his investigations39, Desmond had put down his telescope. Hurrying to the head of the ladder he roused his chums by shouting:
"On deck there, you fellows. There's a vessel40 in distress41 off the mouth of the creek."
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1
scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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ted
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| vt.翻晒，撒，撒开 | |
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isle
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| n.小岛，岛 | |
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fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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creeks
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| n.小湾( creek的名词复数 )；小港；小河；小溪 | |
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abaft
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| prep.在…之后；adv.在船尾，向船尾 | |
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mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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overhauling
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| n.大修；拆修；卸修；翻修v.彻底检查( overhaul的现在分词 )；大修；赶上；超越 | |
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ravages
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| 劫掠后的残迹，破坏的结果，毁坏后的残迹 | |
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meandering
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| 蜿蜒的河流，漫步，聊天 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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dubiously
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| adv.可疑地，怀疑地 | |
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deceptive
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| adj.骗人的，造成假象的，靠不住的 | |
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mariner
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| n.水手号不载人航天探测器，海员，航海者 | |
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awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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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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contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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trickle
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| vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散 | |
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barge
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| n.平底载货船，驳船 | |
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locker
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| n.更衣箱，储物柜，冷藏室，上锁的人 | |
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abeam
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| adj.正横着(的) | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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lining
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| n.衬里，衬料 | |
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cadging
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| v.乞讨，乞得，索取( cadge的现在分词 ) | |
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sling
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| vt.扔；悬挂；n.挂带；吊索，吊兜；弹弓 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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overcast
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| adj.阴天的，阴暗的，愁闷的；v.遮盖，（使）变暗，包边缝；n.覆盖，阴天 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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estuary
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| n.河口，江口 | |
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33
chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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34
scuds
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| v.（尤指船、舰或云彩）笔直、高速而平稳地移动( scud的第三人称单数 ) | |
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35
presaged
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| v.预示，预兆( presage的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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37
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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38
blurred
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| v.（使）变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）难以区分；模模糊糊；迷离 | |
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39
investigations
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| （正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究 | |
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40
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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41
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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