English
AfterleavingHatterasnotanotherevidenceoflandwasseenbythepassengersoftheNancyBellforthreedays.
Atlastoneafternoon“CaptainLi”pointedoutandcalledtheirattentiontoaslendershaftrisingapparentlyfromtheseaitself,fartothewestward.
HetoldthemthatitwasthelighthouseatJupiterInlet,welldownonthecoastofFlorida,andtheyregardeditwithgreatinterest,asgivingthemtheirfirstglimpseofthelandthatwassosoontobetheirhome.
Theweatherhadbythistimebecomeverywarmandinsteadofwearingthethickclothingwithwhichtheyhadstarted,theElmersfoundtheverythinnestoftheirlastsummer’sthingsallthattheycouldbear.
Markhadalmostforgottenhisseasickness,andspentmuchofhistimewithJanJansen,whotaughthimtomakeknotsandsplices,toboxthecompassandtosteer.
BothMarkandRuthweretannedbrownbythehotsun,andMr.Elmersaidthewarmthoftheairhadalreadymadeanewmanofhim.
Beforethelightbutsteadytrade-windthatkepttheairdeliciouslycool,theNancyBellranrapidlydownthecoastandalongthegreatFloridaReef,whichfortwohundredmilesboundsthatcoastonthesouth.
CaptainDrewstoodfaroutfromthereef,beingwellawareofthestrongcurrentsthatsettowardsitfromalldirections,andwhichhaveenticedmanyagoodshiptoherdestruction.
Others,however,werenotsowiseashe,andatdaylightonemorningthewatchondecksangout,
“Wreckoffthestarboardbow!”
Thisbroughtallhandsquicklyondeck,andsureenough,aboutfivemilesfromthemtheysawthewreckloominghighoutofthewater,andevidentlystranded.
Ashermasts,withtheircrossedyards,werestillstanding,“CaptainLi”saidshemusthavestruckveryeasily,andstoodagoodchanceofbeingsavedifshecouldonlybelightenedbeforeablowcamethatwouldrollaseainonher.
“Areyougoingtoherassistance?”askedMr.Elmer.
“CertainlyIam,”answeredthecaptain.“Iconsiderthatoneofthefirstdutiesofasailoristogiveaidtohisfellowsindistress.
Besides,ifwesucceedinsavingherandhercargo,westandachanceofmakingseveralthousanddollarssalvagemoney,whichIforonedonotcaretothrowaway.”
“Youarequiteright,”saidMr.Elmer.“Itisseldomthatweareofferedanopportunityofdoinggoodandbeingwellpaidforitatthesametime,anditwouldbefoolish,aswellasheartless,nottorenderwhatassistanceliesinourpower.”
Theschoonerwasalreadyheadedtowardsthewreck,butapproacheditveryslowly,owingtothelightbreezethatbarelyfilledhersails.
Asthesunrose,andcastabroadfloodoflightoverthetranquilscene,thecaptainanxiouslyscannedthelineofthereefinbothdirectionsthroughhisglass.
“Ah,Ithoughtso!”heexclaimed;“theretheycome,andthere,andthere.Icancountsixalready.Nowweshallhavearaceforit.”
“Who?What?”askedMark,notunderstandingthecaptain’sexclamations.
“Wreckers!”answeredthecaptain.
“Taketheglass,andyoucanseetheirsailscomingfromeverydirection;andtheyhaveseenuslongagotoo.
Iactuallybelievethosefellowscansmellawreckahundredmilesoff.Halloothere,forward!Standbytolowerthegig.”
“Whatareyougoingtodo?”askedMr.Elmer.
“Iamgoingtotryandreachthatwreckbeforeanyoftheboatswhosesailsyoucanseeslippingoutfrombehindthoselowkeys.
Thefirstmanaboardthatshipis‘wreck-master,’andgetsthelargestshareofsalvagemoney.”
Sosaying,“CaptainLi”swunghimselfoverthesideandintothelightgig,which,withitscrewoffourlustyyoungMainesailors,hadalreadybeengotoverboardandnowawaitedhim.
Asheseizedthetillerropesheshouted,“Now,then,giveway!
Andahundreddollarsextrasalvagetoyoufourifthisgigisthefirstboattolayalongsideofthatwreck.”
AtthesewordsthelongashoarsbentlikewillowwandsinthegraspoftheyoungNortherngiants,andthegigsprangawaylikeastartledbonito,leavingalonglineofbubblestomarkhercourse.
Thewreckwasstillthreemilesoff;and,withtheglass,smallboatscouldbeseenshootingawayfromseveraloftheapproachingwreckingvessels.
“It’saracebetweenConchsandYankees,”saidJanJansentoMark.
“WhatareConchs?”askedtheboy.
“Why,thosefellowsintheotherboats.MostofthemcomefromtheBahamaIslands,andallBahamiansarecalled‘Conchs,’becausetheyeatsomanyoftheshell-fishofthatname.”
“Well,I’llbetontheYankees!”criedMark.
“SowillI,”saidtheSwede.“Yankeebakedbeansandbrownbreadmakebettermusclethanfish,whichisaboutallthefellowsdownthiswaygettoliveon.”
Asseenfromthedeckoftheschooner,theracehadbythistimebecomeveryexciting;for,astheirboatapproachedthewreckononeside,another,mannedbyred-shirtedwreckers,whowereexhibitingawonderfulamountofpluckandendurancefor“Conchs,”asJancalledthem,wasrapidlycomingupontheother.
Itwashardtotellwhichwasthenearer;andwhileMarkshoutedinhisexcitement,Mrs.ElmerandRuthwavedtheirhandkerchiefs,thoughtheirfriendsweretoofarawaytobeencouragedbyeithertheshoutsorwavings.
Atlast“CaptainLi’s”boatdashedupalongsidethewreck,andalmostatthesameinstantthewrecker’sboatdisappearedfromviewontheoppositeside.
Withtheirglasses,thoseontheschoonersawtheircaptaingoupthesideoftheship,handoverhand,alongaropethathadbeenthrownhim,anddisappearoverthebulwarks.
Theyafterwardslearnedthathereachedthedeckoftheship,andthusmadehimselfmasterofthewreck,justastheheadofhisrivalappearedabovetheoppositeside.
ThewreckprovedtobetheshipGoodspeed,CaptainGillis,ofandforLiverpool,withcottonfromNewOrleans.
Duringthecalmoftheprecedingnightshehadbeencaughtbyoneofthepowerfulcoastcurrents,andstealthilybutsurelydrawnintothetoils.
ShortlybeforedaylightshehadstruckonPickleReef,butsolightlyandsounexpectedlythathercrewcouldhardlybelievetheslightjartheyfeltwasanythingmorethantheshockofstrikingsomelargefish.
Theysoonfound,however,thattheywerehardandfastaground,andhadstruckontheverytopofthefloodtide,sothat,asitebbed,theshipbecamemoreandmorefirmlyfixedinherposition.
Astheshipsettledwiththeebbingtideshebegantoleakbadly,andCaptainGilliswasgreatlyrelievedwhendaylightdisclosedtohimthepresenceoftheNancyBell,andhegreetedhercaptainmostcordiallyasthelattergainedthedeckofhisship.
Bythetimetheschoonerhadapproachedthewreck,asnearlyasherownsafetypermitted,anddroppedanchorforthefirsttimesinceleavingBangor,adozenlittlewreckingcraft,mannedbycrewsofswarthyspongersandfishermen,hadalsoreachedthespot,andactivepreparationsforlighteningthestrandedshipwerebeingmade.
Hercarefullybattenedhatcheswereuncovered,whipswererovetoherloweryards,andsoonthetightlypressedbalesofcottonbegantoappearoverhersides,andfindtheirwayintothelightdraughtwreckingvesselswaitingtoreceivethem.
Assoonasoneofthesewasloaded,shetransferredhercargototheNancyBellandreturnedforanother.
Whilethewreckerswerebusilydischargingtheship’scargo,herowncrewwereoverhaulinglonglinesofchaincable,andloweringtwolargeanchorsandtwosmalleronesintooneofthewreckingboatsthathadremainedemptyonpurposetoreceivethem.
Thecableswerepaidoutoverthesternoftheship,andmadefasttothegreatanchors,whichwerecarriedfaroutintothedeepwaterbeyondthereef.
Eachbiganchorwasbackedbyasmallerone,towhichitwasattachedbyacable,andwhichwascarriedsomedistancebeyonditbeforebeingdroppedoverboard.
Whentheanchorswerethusplacedinposition,theendsofthecablesstillremainingonboardtheshipwerepassedaroundcapstans,andbymeansofthedonkey-enginedrawntaut.
Athightidethatnightaheavystrainwasbroughttobearonthecables,inhopesthattheshipmightbepulledoffthereef;butshedidnotmove,andtheworkoflighteningherandsearchingfortheleakcontinuedallthenextday.
WhileallthisworkwasgoingontheElmersspentmostoftheirtimeinexploringthereefinthecaptain’sgig,whichwassolightthatMr.ElmerandMarkcouldeasilyrowit.
Astheclearwaterwaswithoutaripple,theycouldlookfardownintoitsdepths,andseethebottomofbranchingcoral,asbeautifulasfrostedsilver.
Fromamongitsbranchesspranggreatsea-fans,delicateaslace-work,andshowing,instrikingcontrasttothepurewhiteofthecoral,themostvividreds,greens,androyalpurple.
These,andmassesoffeatheryseaweeds,wavedtoandfrointhewaterasthoughstirredbyalightbreeze,andamongthemdartedandplayedfishasbrilliantincoloringastropicalbirds.
Theboatseemedsuspendedinmidairabovefairy-land,andeventhechildrengazeddownoveritssidesinsilence,forfearlestbyspeakingtheyshouldbreakthecharm,andcausethewonderfulpicturetovanish.
Bynoontheheatofthesunwassogreatthattheysoughtshelterfromitonalittleisland,orkey,ofaboutanacreinextent,thatwascoveredwithaluxuriantvegetation,andshadedbyagroupofstatelycocoanutpalms.
Mr.ElmershowedMarkhowtoclimboneofthesebymeansofabitofropefastenedlooselyaroundhisbodyandthesmoothtrunkofthetree,andtheboysucceededincuttingoffseveralbunchesofthegreatnutsthathungjustbelowthewide-spreadingcrownofleaves.
Theycametothegroundwithacrash,butthethickhuskinwhicheachwasenvelopedsavedthemfrombreaking.
Thenutswerequitegreen,andMr.Elmerwithahatchetcutseveralofthemopenandhandedthemtohiswifeandchildren.
Noneofthemcontainedanymeat,forthathadnotyetformed,buttheywerefilledwithawhite,milkyfluid,which,asallofthepartywereverythirsty,provedamostacceptablebeverage.
Aftereatingtheluncheontheyhadbroughtwiththem,andsatisfyingtheirthirstwiththecocoanutmilk,MarkandRuthexploredthebeachofthelittleislandinsearchofshells,whichtheyfoundincountlessnumbers,ofstrangeformsandmostbeautifulcolors,whiletheirparentsremainedseatedintheshadeofthepalms.
“Wouldn’titbegayifwecouldstayherealways?”saidMark.
“No,”answeredthemorepracticalRuth;“Idon’tthinkitwouldbeatall.
Iwouldratherbewheretherearepeopleandhouses;besides,Iheardfathersaythattheselittleislandsareoftenentirelycoveredwithwaterduringgreatstorms,andI’msureIwouldn’twanttobeherethen.”
Itwasnearlysunsetwhentheyreturnedtotheschooner,withtheirboatwellloadedwiththeshellsandothercuriositiesthatthechildrenhadgathered.
Athightidethatnightthestrainonthecablesprovedsufficienttomovethestrandedship,and,footbyfoot,shewaspulledoffintodeepwater,muchtothejoyofCaptainGillisandthosewhohadworkedwithhim.
Thenextmorningtheentirefleet—ship,schooner,andwreckingboats—setsailforKeyWest,whichporttheyreachedduringtheafternoon,andwheretheyfoundtheywouldbeobligedtospendaweekormorewhileanAdmiraltyCourtsettledtheclaimsforsalvage.
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