Part 28 (1/2)

”At the forward rail, on the lookout. He was standing there just before that awful crash came, and I haven't seen him since.”

No more was said by either, but holding fast to whatever came to hand, the two Rovers worked their way forward until they reached the rail where d.i.c.k had been standing. They now saw that the foretopmast had come down, hitting the rail and breaking it loose for a distance of several feet.

”The mast must have hit d.i.c.k and knocked him overboard,” said Tom, with a quiver in his voice.

”Oh, Tom!” Sam could say no more, but his heart sank.

The two boys stared around helplessly, not knowing what to do. d.i.c.k was very dear to them and they could not bear to think that he was lost, and forever.

Suddenly, as another flash of lightning lit up the scene, Sam caught sight of something dark lying just a few feet away. He rushed over, to see d.i.c.k lying in a heap, his head under his forearm.

”d.i.c.k! d.i.c.k!” he cried. ”Are you killed?”

There was no answer, and now both Tom and Sam knelt beside their brother and raised him up. His face was pale and the blood was flowing from a cut over the left temple.

”The topmast hit him when it came down,” said Tom. ”Let us carry him to the cabin.”

They raised their brother up and, not without difficulty, took him to the companionway and down to the cabin. Here they placed him on the couch and Sam got some water and bathed his wounded forehead.

They saw he was not dead but unconscious from the blow received.

”I must look to the engine,--I don't want the _Mermaid_ to blow up,”

said Tom, and rushed off,--to get back in less than three minutes.

By this time d.i.c.k was gasping and groaning, and soon he opened his eyes.

”d.i.c.k,” said Sam, softly. ”Don't worry, you are safe.”

”Sam! Th--the mast came down on m--me!”

”We know it. We found you in a heap on the deck. I was afraid you had been knocked overboard. It was that awful flash of lightning did it, I think.”

”Yes.”

d.i.c.k could say little more just then and did not try. Sam and Tom made him as comfortable as possible and found he had suffered only from the fall of the topmast and not the lightning stroke itself.

”If Hans felt a little better he might look after d.i.c.k, but he is still as sick as ever,” said Tom. ”He declares we are all going to the bottom and he doesn't care if we do!”

”That's the way with folks who are real seasick,” answered Sam. ”They feel so utterly miserable they don't care what happens.”

Leaving d.i.c.k on the couch in the cabin, Sam returned to the wheelhouse and Tom to the engine room. The steam yacht had been drifting and the waves were das.h.i.+ng over a portion of her deck. As quickly as possible Sam brought the craft around and now headed her up to the storm, which made her ride better than ever.

For some reason neither Sam nor Tom thought of the disagreeableness of the situation after that. Both were overjoyed to think that d.i.c.k had escaped serious injury. The foretopmast lay on the forward deck still, but as it was not in the way it was allowed to remain there for the time being.

Thus the whole of the night wore away, and with the coming of morning the storm gradually died down. But the waves still ran high and it was noon ere the sun came out, to cheer them up.

”I am thankful that is over,” said Sam, breathing a deep sigh of relief. ”I never want to go through such a night again.”

”Nor I,” answered Tom. ”It takes all the fun out of a chap.”

d.i.c.k got up, a handkerchief tied around his forehead. He still felt a trifle weak but that was all.