Part 26 (1/2)

A sudden lurch of the hatchway on which he was drifting, and the sound of a slithering motion as of some heavy body being dragged along some rough surface, made him turn his head.

What he saw made him almost lose his grip on the hatchway.

[Ill.u.s.tration: What he saw made him almost lose his grip on the hatchway.]

The hideous flat head and wicked eyes of a huge python faced him. The great snake, escaping somehow from the catastrophe to the menagerie s.h.i.+p, had swum for the same refuge Jack had chosen. Now it was dragging its brilliantly mottled body, as thick as a man's thigh, up upon the hatchway. The floating ”raft” dipped under the great snake's weight, while Jack, literally petrified with horror, watched without motion or outcry.

But apparently the snake was too badly stunned by the explosion to be inclined for mischief. It coiled its great body compactly in gay-colored folds on the hatch and lay still. But Jack noticed that its mottled eyes never left his figure.

”Gracious, I can't stand this much longer,” thought Jack.

He looked about him for another bit of wreckage to which he might swim and be free of his unpleasant neighbor. But the debris had all drifted far apart by this time and his limbs felt too stiffened by his involuntary dive to the depths of the ocean for him to attempt a long swim.

Not far off he could see the boats busily transferring the castaways of the _Oriana_ on board. Supposing they pulled away from the scene without seeing him? Undoubtedly, they deemed him lost and would not make a search for him. Warmly as the sun beat down, Jack felt a chill that turned his blood to ice-water run over him at the thought. Left to drift on the broad Atlantic with a serpent for a companion and without a weapon with which to defend himself. The thought was maddening and he resolutely put it from him.

So far the great snake had lain somnolently, but now, as the sun began to warm its body, Jack saw the brilliantly colored folds begin to writhe and move. It suddenly appeared to become aware of him and raised its flat, spade-shaped head above its coils.

Its tongue darted in and out of its red mouth viciously. Jack became conscious of a strong smell of musk, the characteristic odor of serpents.

His mouth went dry with fear, although he was naturally a brave lad, as we know. A dreadful fascination seemed to hold him in thrall. He could not have moved a muscle if his life, as he believed it did, depended on his escape. The hideous head began to sway rhythmically in a sort of dance. Still Jack could not take his eyes from that swaying head and darting red tongue. A species of hypnotic spell fell over him. He heard nothing and saw nothing but the swaying snake.

All at once the head shot forward. With a wild yell Jack, out of his trance at last, fell backward off the hatch into the water. At the same instant Mr. Billings' pistol spoke. Again and again he fired it till the great snake's thres.h.i.+ng form lay still in death. Unwilling to give Jack up for lost, although he feared in his heart that this was the case, the third officer would not leave the scene till all hope was exhausted.

Sweeping the vicinity with his gla.s.ses, he had spied the impending tragedy on the hatch.

Full speed had been made to the rescue at once and, as we know, aid arrived in the nick of time. As Jack rose sputtering to the surface strong hands pulled him into the boat. He was told what had happened.

”A narrow escape,” said Mr. Billings, beside whom sat Captain Sanders of the lost steamer. He looked the picture of woe.

”I owe my life to you, Mr. Billings,” burst out Jack, holding out his hand.

The seaman took it in his rough brown palm.

”That's all right, my lad,” he said. ”Maybe you'll do as much for me some day.”

And then, as if ashamed even of this display of emotion, he bawled out in his roughest voice:

”Give way there, bullies! Don't sit dreaming! Bend your backs!”

As the boats flew back toward where the great bulk of the _Columbia_, her rails lined with eager pa.s.sengers, rested immobile on the surface of the ocean, the castaway captain turned a glance backward to the stern of his s.h.i.+p, which was still floating but settling and sinking fast. It was easy to guess what his thoughts were.

”That's one of the tragedies of the sea,” thought Jack.

CHAPTER XXIX.

CAPTURED BY RADIO.

It was two days later and they were nearing Southampton, but the stop they had made to aid the _Oriana's_ crew had given the Britisher a big lead on them. The pa.s.sengers eagerly cl.u.s.tered to read Jack's wireless bulletin from the other s.h.i.+p which was posted every day. Excitement ran high.

Jack had seen no more of Professor Dusenberry, but he had spent a good deal of leisure time pondering over the code message the queer little dried up man had sent. Raynor, who had quite a genius for such things, and spent much time solving the puzzles in magazines and periodicals, helped him. But they did not make much progress.