Having superintended the work of getting under way, Ned and Herc ascended1 to the bridge. They found Midshipman Kenworth there, standing2 by the side of the quartermaster, who had the wheel.
Behind the wheel, which was a small, light affair controlling the steam steering3 gear, was a small house in which the machinery4 that operated the rudder control was situated5.
Ned caught Herc by the sleeve just as the red-headed lad was stepping impulsively7 forward,[Pg 68] and drew him into the doorway8 of the structure. There was a small port in the place looking out over the bridge. It was open, and through it they could readily see.
"What's the idea of this?" demanded Herc. "I don't like this spying business. I've no use for Kenworth, but——"
"That's all right," responded Ned. "I don't wish to spy on the young man; I merely want to find out what sort of a pilot he is."
They skirted the little cape9 that formed the end of the island, in the lee of which the Seneca had been anchored. Beyond this island, the boys, somewhat to their surprise, saw that there was still quite an expanse of shoal water threaded by narrow channels between the outer island and the blue of the Sound itself.
"Ticklish10 work through here," commented Ned in a low tone, as he observed how the darker color of the channels that threaded the numerous shallow places alternated with broad expanses of[Pg 69] yellow water that showed the presence of dangerous sand banks.
"You're dead right," responded Herc; "about as bad a place as I ever clapped eyes on."
The rattle11 and roar of the steering machinery as the wheel was spun12 right and left drowned the sound of their voices. Kenworth was looking straight ahead. From time to time they could see him turn slightly and give some order to the helmsman; but what the orders were they could not catch.
The Seneca appeared to be following the channel perfectly13, however, winding14 among the mazes15 of deeper waterways like a dancer.
"Kenworth is no slouch at this work," said Ned in a low voice as they watched.
"Shucks!" grunted16 Herc, "I guess the Seneca has been in and out of here a hundred times. Anyhow, a blind man could see those channels."
Ned turned on his companion with a stern look.
[Pg 70]
"See here, Herc Taylor, we want peace and harmony on this craft; do you understand?"
"Even if we have to scrap17 to get it," muttered Herc. "All right; from now on, I'm the greatest little peace delegate ever you saw."
A minute later, while they were still watching, they saw something that gave them a momentary18 shock of surprise. Rankin appeared on the bridge. There was nothing extraordinary in his so doing, of course. He probably had something to report to the watch officer.
But somehow Ned, with a quick flash of intuition that he could not explain, felt that more than that lay in this sudden conjunction of their two enemies; for that Rankin disliked them, Ned had no doubt.
He laid a hand on Herc's arm to keep him quiet, for the impulsive6 red-headed youth was about, apparently19, to break forth20 into some emphatic21 exclamation22 at what he had just seen.
Rankin approached Kenworth with an air of[Pg 71] familiarity that showed there existed some friendship between them. Kenworth greeted him with an easy nod, and then, after giving some directions to the man at the wheel, he placed his hand on Rankin's shoulder and drew him back toward the steering-gear house.
"Come back here while we talk," the boys heard him say, "I don't want that quartermaster to overhear us."
For a moment it appeared that they were coming into the steering house, but they merely stood close back against its metal wall. They had taken up positions right under the porthole through which Ned had been making his observations.
But they had not seen their superior officers. Ned had been too quick for that. As the two approached the steering-gear structure, he grabbed Herc and drew him down. Now they crouched23 quietly under the porthole, through[Pg 72] which they could catch perfectly everything that was said.
"Well, here's a fine how-de-do," they heard Rankin complain in a grumbling24 tone; "a couple of snips25 that aren't dry behind the ears been set over us. I thought you were to get the command when Summerville left."
"So did I; but it seems these two interlopers succeeded in getting it for themselves."
"Didn't you tell me that they started in the navy just as enlisted26 men?"
"Yes, the gutter-snipes never saw even the outside of Annapolis. I'd like to know what the service is coming to when good men are passed over for useless propositions like this!"
"So would I. By the way, I had a row with them on the train coming down. They've no use for me, I fancy. I wish I could hit upon some plan to take them down a peg27 or two."
"I have," was Kenworth's rejoinder, in a tone which was acid with malignant28 hatred29.
[Pg 73]
"Have what?"
"Formed such a plan. I've got a scheme to discredit30 them with the department right from the jump."
"Shoal ahead, sir!"
The voice of the man at the wheel cut in raspingly like a file. Kenworth sprang up. Ned also ventured to steal a look through the port. He saw the shoal the helmsman had drawn31 attention to, a long daub of yellow stretching on their port bow.
He saw in a flash that there was only one way to save the ship from going aground.
"Stay here," he ordered Herc, and then bounded out of the steering-gear house, colliding with Rankin as he did so.
"What, you here, sir?" exclaimed Rankin with a sickly smile as Ned shoved past him. The Dreadnought Boy, with a sinking sense of dread32, guessed somehow that already the conspiracy[Pg 74] against him was under way, and that, with the flukes of the anchor not yet dry at the cat-head!
Rankin reeled and staggered as Ned brushed by with scant33 regard for gentleness. He turned and gazed after the figure of the young officer as he made for the steersman. Kenworth already stood at the man's side.
"Hard a'port!" Ned heard Kenworth roar.
It was precisely34 the command that, under the circumstances, would bring the bow of the Seneca grating and rasping on the shoal.
"Hard over! Hard over! For your life, man!" shouted Ned.
"Aye, aye, sir!" cried the man, recognizing the superior authority of the temporary commander.
But it was too late. The next instant it happened, even as Ned's hand jerked the engine-room telegraph over to "Full speed astern." With a grating, jarring succession of bumps, the Seneca, Ned's first command, slipped upon the[Pg 75] shoal, even while her reversed engines were frantically35 biting the water astern.
Before the lad's eyes arose a sickening vision of failure and disgrace, even at the very outset of his important commission.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
ascended
|
|
| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
steering
|
|
| n.操舵装置 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
machinery
|
|
| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
situated
|
|
| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
impulsive
|
|
| adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
impulsively
|
|
| adv.冲动地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
doorway
|
|
| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
cape
|
|
| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
ticklish
|
|
| adj.怕痒的；问题棘手的；adv.怕痒地；n.怕痒，小心处理 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
rattle
|
|
| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
spun
|
|
| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
winding
|
|
| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
mazes
|
|
| 迷宫( maze的名词复数 )； 纷繁复杂的规则； 复杂难懂的细节； 迷宫图 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
grunted
|
|
| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
scrap
|
|
| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
momentary
|
|
| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
apparently
|
|
| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
emphatic
|
|
| adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
exclamation
|
|
| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
crouched
|
|
| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
grumbling
|
|
| adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
snips
|
|
| n.（剪金属板的）铁剪，铁铗；剪下之物( snip的名词复数 )；一点点；零星v.剪( snip的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
enlisted
|
|
| adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
peg
|
|
| n.木栓，木钉；vt.用木钉钉，用短桩固定 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
malignant
|
|
| adj.恶性的，致命的；恶意的，恶毒的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
hatred
|
|
| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
discredit
|
|
| vt.使不可置信；n.丧失信义；不信，怀疑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
drawn
|
|
| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
dread
|
|
| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
scant
|
|
| adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
precisely
|
|
| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
frantically
|
|
| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |