Part 17 (1/2)
At last all was ready, and a few early-rising pa.s.sengers saw the boat lowered and pulled away for the dim speck of land on the far horizon that marked the site of Sombrero Island. A few moments later the stopping of the _Tropic Queen's_ engines aroused the other pa.s.sengers, and before the breakfast bugle blew, the s.h.i.+p was humming with conjecture and surmise as to the reason for the sudden check in the voyage.
A bulletin, posted by the captain's orders, dispelled the mystery. It also announced that the boat was expected back by evening at the latest.
CHAPTER XXI
A TALE OF THE SEA
The boat, urged by strong arms, fairly flew over the water.
Quartermaster Schultz served out breakfast to the crew in relays, for no time had been taken for eating before they started. Jack felt in high spirits. The morning was clear and quite cool. The scorching heat of the day would not come till later, when the sun rose higher.
”Ach, idt vos a badt ding to be on a lighdthouse midout help from der supply boat undt not knowing if you vill lif or die,” said the old quartermaster, as he sat in the stern sheets with Jack. ”I rememper ven I vos younger vunce I vos tired of der sea undt s.h.i.+ps, undt I take idt a yob on a lighdthouse off der coast of Oregon on der Bacific.
”Der Big Boint Lighdt vos its name. It vos known as vun of der loneliest of all der lighdts on dot rocky coast. Budt I didn't care about dot, or I dought I didn't. Der pay vos goodt undt dere vos annunder keeper, an oldt man, oldt enough to be mein fadder, I reckon.
”Vell, der supply boat idt take me to der lighdt, budt a badt storm came up after dey hadt landed me, undt dey had to go avay again. To get to der lighdt from der schmall boat dey sendt me ash.o.r.e in, I hadt to be hoisted oop in a sordt of basket from der boat by a derrick. Der lighdt vos just as lonely as I hadt heardt idt vos. Idt stood on a big rock vich formed der endt of a sordt of peninsula of rocks dot ran out two miles from der sh.o.r.e.
”Idt vos buildt of stone undt lookedt strong undt substantial. Idt needed to pe so, I dought, as I lookedt aboudt me undt sized der place oop.
”Der oldt man on der lighdt, his name vos Abbott, velcomed me. He vos a fine-looking oldt man, midt pale blue eyes undt a long white beard.
After de boat hadt left, pecause of der rising sea, der oldt man toldt me dot ve vos in for a badt storm.
”'Let idt come,' said I, 'dis tower is as strong aber der rock idt is built on. Nuddings can harm idt.'
”He didn't say nuddings, budt showed me my quarters vich vos in der lower pardt of de tower. Den he took me oop to show me der lamp, an oil burner midt a two minute flash.
”'Many a poor sould vill bless dis lamp to-nighdt,' he saidt to me, undt den he vent on to tell me dot his son vos a sailor on de China run on a pig tea clipper.
”'He is homevard boundt now, undt ought to pe off dis coast to-nighdt,'
he said. 'His s.h.i.+p runs into Portlandt.'
”Vell, ve cooked our supper undt ate idt vhile der sea oudtside kept rising undt der windt hadt a sordt of a moan in idt dot made you d.i.n.k of somepody in bain. I couldt see dot ve vere in for a mighty badt nighdt.
After ve had eaten, der oldt man, his name vos Abbott, climbed oop der tower undt lighted der lamps.
”Den he sedt in motion der clockvurk dot kept der lighdt revolving all t'rough der nighdt giffing oudt der regular flashes, as sedt down on der charts. Ven dot vos done dere vosn't much to do budt to smoke undt talk.
Der oldt man vosn't much of a handt for talking, budt aboudt his son he had a lodt to say. Vot a fine poy he vos, undt how he vos going to try to gedt him to leave der sea after dot voyage, der oldt man knowing der sea undt how efery voyage may pe a sailor's last. He showed me his picture, too. A fine figure of a poy. Ach, yes, undt to d.i.n.k of vot vos to happen dot night! Poor oldt Abbott, dot vos many years ago, budt I can hear him still telling me aboudt his poy Harry, undt vot a fine poy he vos.
”Vell, py der time idt vos my turn to go to bed der vind vos howling undt tearing roundt der lighdt like a pack of wolves. Der sea vos gedtting oop, too. You could hear idt roar like vild beasts roundt der place. I foundt myself being mighty gladt dot der tower vos of solidt stone. Nudding else couldt have stoodt idt.
”Outside der lighdt vos a small stone shanty. In dis vos der boiler vich made der fog-horn blow. Oldt man Abbott toldt me pefore I go to bedt dot I hadt bedder start der fires oop undter der boiler, so dot if anyting happened to der lighdt ve vould still be able to varn der s.h.i.+ps.
”Ven I open der door to go to der boiler room der vind almost knocks me off my feedt. Der spray blows in my face like knives. Der sea vos all vhite, like idt vos boiling. I dell you, dot vos a nighdt, budt idt vos nudding to vot vos to come.
”I got steam oop undt banked der fires. Den I turned in till oldt man Abbott should rouse me for my vatch. I didn't sleep much, vhat vith der devils howling of vind, and der roar of der sea. Ven oldt man Abbott vake me, he say dot I shall come oop into der lantern.
”I hurried on a few clo'es and climbed oop. Himmel! At der top of der tower you couldt feel dot stone shake, der vind vos so fierce! Oldt man Abbott, he vos yust sitting dere saying nudding, budt staring out. He didn't turn ven I came in, budt yust kept on staring. Budt at last he turn round to me undt holdt oop vun of his vingers, solemn like.
”'Hark!' he say.