Part 27 (1/2)
”She's a good deal better 'n some,” said Jack Jepson coming into the cabin then to report something to Captain Brisco.
”Then you would not advise us to put on life preservers?” asked Mr.
DeVere.
”Not now, at least,” the captain replied. ”I have done everything possible, and the only thing now is to run before the storm. We are in good shape. The _Mary Ellen_ is a better craft than I gave her credit for being. The only thing to do is to wait, and hope for the best.”
”Have you plenty of lifeboats?” the old actor wanted to know.
”Yes, enough for all hands. They are provisioned and watered, and are staunch craft. My men have orders to stand by in case of any real danger, and put the small boats over. But we will stick to the s.h.i.+p until the last, though that is not saying, mind you, that we will have to desert her.”
”Oh! I couldn't think of going in one of those small boats!” cried Miss Dixon. ”They are so low in the water. I should faint every time I looked over the side.”
”Well if she looked once, and fainted and stayed so, it would be a good thing for all hands,” murmured Paul Ardite.
”Oh, don't say that,” Alice reproached him.
”That's how I feel about her,” he answered.
”What can be done about picking up the motorboat?” asked Mr. DeVere.
They all looked anxiously toward Captain Brisco.
”I have a man on the lookout,” answered the commander. ”It may seem to some of you heartless to go away and leave her.”
”It was,” murmured gentle Ruth. But she only whispered the words. There were tears in her eyes.
”But I could do nothing else,” resumed Captain Brisco. ”As I told you, a vessel can't remain stationary on the sea. We had to move on before the gale. And, as I also said, the motorboat has a better chance of going where she wants to than have we, who must depend on our sails. I have no doubt but that the two in the _Ajax_ are safe.”
But if Captain Brisco, or any of those then huddled in the cabin of the _Mary Ellen_, could have seen Russ and Mr. Sneed just then they would not have envied them.
With the racing of the engine, indicating to Russ that the propeller had dropped off into the sea, he at once shut off the power. Without the resistance of the screw the machine would soon have racked itself to pieces.
”Well, what's to be done?” asked Mr. Sneed.
”That's the way to talk,” was the response. ”We've got to do something, that's sure.”
The storm which at that moment was enveloping the _Mary Ellen_ was, at the same time, buffeting about the smaller motorboat. When she lost headway by the stopping of her engine she no longer took the seas head, or bow, on. She fell into the trough, and was in imminent danger of being swamped.
”We've got to bring her up, the first thing we do,” Russ decided. ”What we need is a drag anchor. That will bring her head on to the waves, and we can ride them better until help comes.”
”Will help ever come?” asked the actor, despondently.
”Of course it will. Or else we'll find the schooner, or they us!”
responded Russ.
While he was talking, he was looking about for something to use as a drag anchor.
”That will do!” Russ decided as he saw a heavy wooden box. ”I'll use that.” Quickly he tied a rope to it, and tossed the box out.