The Wizard of the Sea
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Roy Rockwood >> The Wizard of the Sea
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This was the bedroom Mont had mentioned.
Arrived there, they found everything prepared for the feast, but no
host.
"What a strange thing for Mont to do," said Carl Barnaby; "to invite us
all here and not be present."
"It isn't very gentlemanly of him," submitted Barry.
"You talk like a fool," said Link. "Something must have happened to
him."
"I saw him at supper, and he was all right then."
"Perhaps some of the tramps have waylaid him on the road," suggested
another boy, who had been sitting very white and very quiet, in one
corner of the room.
Everyone turned to the speaker.
"Mine cracious, dot's so," put in Sam Schump. "Besser we go an' see?"
Without delay a search was begun.
A rope was procured, and Link was the first person out of the window.
"Hullo!"
"What's up?" asked those above.
"Bring a light. Mont has fallen and hurt himself."
A light was quickly procured, and one after another the boys came down
the rope.
Our hero lay at the foot of a large lilac bush.
It was this bush which had saved his life.
When the rope gave way, had he fallen on the ground he would most likely
have been killed.
Link brought some water, and he was soon revived.
In the meantime, from another window, overhead, Hoke Ummer watched
proceedings.
When he saw Mont get up his hateful face plainly showed his chagrin.
"How was it you didn't fasten the rope tightly?" asked Link.
"I thought I did," returned our hero. "In fact, I am certain I did," he
added.
"But it gave way and let you down."
Our hero shook his head. He couldn't understand it at all.
In a few minutes he was able to go with his friends and show them where
the root-beer and soda-water bottles were hidden.
Loaded down with the stuff, the crowd returned to the Hall, and the
feast began.
Nearly all of the boys of Mont's age had been invited in a general way,
and a lively time was had for fully an hour.
Hoke Ummer could not stand it to see his rival triumph over him, and so
slipped down to the room occupied by Moses Sparks, one of the under
teachers.
"Mont Folsom and his crowd are having a feast in one of the upper
rooms," he said.
At once Moses Sparks prepared to investigate.
The feast was at its height when a footstep was heard.
"Scatter!" whispered Carl Barnaby, who caught the sounds first, and all
of the boys hurried from the bedroom by side doors and managed to get to
their own rooms.
When Moses Sparks came up they seemed to be sleeping like so many lambs.
"Ummer has been fooling me," muttered the under teacher. "Or else he was
mistaken." And he went off and left the boys to finish the feast in
peace.
CHAPTER VI.
OUT ON THE BAY.
In a general way Mont suspected Hoke Ummer, not of the dastardly trick
he had played, but of playing the sneak and telling Moses Sparks.
"I'll get square," he said to Link and Carl.
Out in the fields he had picked up a dead snake, and he now resolved to
make use of it in a truly original manner. As soon as it was time to
retire that night Mont slipped upstairs and into the dormitory occupied
by Hoke Ummer, Goul, and their chums.
He had the dead snake with him, and put the reptile in the bully's bed.
Five minutes later he was in his own room awaiting developments.
They were not long in coming.
A murmur of voices ended in a wild shriek of terror.
"A snake!" yelled Hoke. "It's in my bed! Save me! I'm a dead boy!"
His cry aroused everyone, and soon Nautical Hall was in a commotion.
"What's the matter with Hoke?"
"He's got 'em bad!"
"A snake!" roared the bully. "Take it away."
He ran out into the corridor, and soon a crowd began to collect.
In the meantime Mont slipped into the room and threw the dead reptile
out of the window.
Captain Hooper tried to get at the bottom of the affair, but failed.
"You must have been dreaming, Ummer," he said at last, and sent all of
the boys off to bed.
During the following week Nautical Hall was closed up, and the schoolboy
cadets marched to the head of the bay.
Here they went into camp for a month, part of the time being spent on
the bay and the ocean beyond in learning how to sail both large and
small boats.
The sailing of the boats particularly interested Mont and Carl Barnaby.
Link did not care very much for the water, for when the sea was rough he
was inclined to grow seasick.
One day Mont and Carl obtained permission to hire a sloop at the town,
and go out for an all-day cruise over the bay and back.
They took with them a young fellow from Nautical Hall named John
Stumpton, a handy lad who generally went by the name of Stump. Since
Mont had arrived at the Hall, Stump had taken to him greatly, and would
do almost anything that Mont asked of him. Stump was also a great friend
to Carl.
They sailed out of sight of the camp, and gradually crept up to a large
excursion boat which was just leaving one of the docks of the town.
The steamboat was overcrowded, every deck being full of humanity bent on
having a good time.
Some musicians were playing on the forward deck, and they drew quite
close to hear what was going on.
Suddenly a cry of horror arose.
A young girl had been standing close to the rail on a camp chair at the
bow of the boat.
It was Alice Moore.
As the steamboat swung around the girl lost her balance.
She tried to save herself, and, failing, pitched headlong into the
water.
Our hero saw her go under the waves.
"She'll be struck by the paddle wheel," he yelled, and then, splash! he
was overboard himself.
Bravely he struck out to save the maiden.
The order was given to back the steamboat.
The wheels churned up the water into a white foam, but still the
momentum carried the large craft on.
In the meantime our hero came up and struck out valiantly for the girl,
who was now going down for a second time.
"Save her! Save her!" shrieked Judge Moore, who was with his daughter.
Half a dozen life-preservers were thrown overboard, but none came to
where the girl could reach them.
The judge wanted to join his daughter in the water.
Strong hands held him back.
"The young fellow will save her, judge."
"He's a true hero!"
Life-lines were thrown over, but even these did no good.
The steamboat swung around, but the run of the water washed the girl
closer and closer to the paddle wheel.
She now came up a second time.
Should she sink again all would be over.
Mont was swimming with all the strength and skill at his command.
At last he was within a yard of the struggling girl.
The maiden threw up her hands and went under. As quick as a flash our
hero dove down.
A second passed. Then up came our hero with the girl clinging to his
shoulder.
But now the current was apparently too strong for both of them.
"Help us--quick!"
Carl and Stump heard the cry, and immediately put about in their sloop.
Mont was swimming along on his side.
The girl was too weak to support herself, and he was holding her up well
out of the water.
It took the sloop but a moment to run up alongside of the pair.
Carl reached over and caught hold of the girl and placed her on deck.
In the meantime our hero caught hold of a rope thrown by the old boatman
and pulled himself up.
A cheer arose from those on the excursion boat.
"She is safe now, sure!"
The girl was too exhausted to move, and Carl rubbed her hands and did
what he could for her.
Stump ran up alongside of the steamboat, and a little later the girl was
placed on board.
The judge clasped his child to his breast.
"Go ahead," said Mont in a low voice. "I don't want the crowd to stare
at me."
"But the judge wants to thank you," began Carl; but our hero would not
listen.
He was too modest, and made Stump actually run away from the excursion
boat.
But five hundred people cheered Mont and waved their handkerchiefs.
And this was not the end of the matter.
The next day Judge Moore called at the camp, and insisted on presenting
Mont with a gold watch and chain. With this gift came a sweet letter
from Alice Moore which made our hero blush a good deal when he read it.
After this, nearly a week passed without special incident. Link was
called home on account of the death of a relative, and Mont and Carl
became closer chums than ever.
One day Hoke Ummer was caught abusing one of the small boys so greatly
that the boy had to be placed under a doctor's care.
The boy's father had Hoke arrested. The case, however, never came to
trial.
The consequence of the arrest was that the bully was dismissed from the
school; and that was the last Mont saw of him.
"We are well rid of him," he said, and Carl and the others agreed with
him.
One day Mont and Carl went out for an all-day cruise on the bay, taking
John Stumpton with them.
When the two schoolboys started out with the hired lad they did not
intend to remain away longer than sunset, and not one of them dreamed of
the marvelous adventures in store for each ere he should be permitted to
see his native land again.
The start was made in a fair breeze, and it looked so nice overhead that
Mont proposed they take a short run directly into the ocean.
"All right--I'll go you," answered Carl slangily, and away they skimmed.
By noon they were almost out of sight of land, and while they were
eating the repast Stump had prepared Carl proposed that they turn back.
This was hardly accomplished when it suddenly grew dark, and they found
themselves caught in a squall.
"By gracious! I didn't bargain for this!" cried Carl. "If we don't take
care, we'll go to the bottom!"
"Don't worry--yet," answered Mont. "I guess we'll get back all right."
Blacker and blacker grew the sky, until absolutely nothing could be
seen. Every sail was closely reefed, and the boys strained their eyes to
pierce the gloom which hung over them.
Suddenly Stump set up a yell.
"Look out; there is a ship!"
He got no further. A large form loomed up in the darkness. There was one
grinding, smashing crash, and then came a shock that split the
light-built sloop from stem to stern.
All of the boys were hurled into the boiling sea. But none was hurt;
and, coming to the surface, all struggled to cling to the wreckage
floating about, meanwhile crying loudly for help.
When they were picked up they were thoroughly exhausted, and Carl lost
his senses completely.
The ship that had run them down was the _Golden Cross_. The captain's
name was Savage, and he was bound for the Bermudas.
He refused to stop anywhere to put the boys off, saying he had not the
time to do so.
In reality he was afraid he would be brought to account for wrecking the
sloop.
He would not believe that Mont and Carl were rich, and that their
parents would willingly pay him for any trouble he might take on their
behalf.
"I'll keep 'em on board and make 'em work their passage," he said to his
mate, a mean chap by the name of Slog. "We are rather short of hands."
A night's rest did wonders for the boys.
By morning the storm cleared off, and the _Golden Cross_ proceeded
swiftly on her way, favored by a good breeze.
Mont found himself in the ill-smelling forecastle. He was awfully
hungry, and the first thing he did was to make his way to the cook's
galley. The cook smiled as Mont appeared. "Got around, eh?" he said.
"Good for you. I thought you would be sick for the rest of the trip
after such an adventure."
"I am pretty tough," answered Mont.
"You look a bit like a sailor."
"Oh, I know a thing or two about the water," replied Mont modestly.
"But tell me," he went on, "what sort of a captain have you?"
"Oh, he's a caution, and so is Slog, the first mate," laughed the cook.
"The captain is the toughest man this line of ships ever had."
"Humph! That's not encouraging," mused our hero. "Why do the owners keep
him?"
"Because he's clever. He may be out in all weather, but he's never lost
a ship."
"This seems like an old tub," observed Mont, looking around him.
"Yes, she isn't worth much. She pitches and tosses in a gale awful. It's
the oldest ship the firm's got."
"Is it insured?"
"Yes. I know the insurance is very heavy, and it wouldn't be a bad job
for the owners if she went down," replied the cook.
"Bad job for us, though," remarked Mont. "I don't want to be drowned."
"Have you had any breakfast?" asked the cook good-naturedly.
"Not a bit."
"I don't expect the regular hands will give you a chance of getting
much. There's Sam Holly and Jerry Dabble. One's a bully and the other's
a sneak."
"I haven't seen them yet."
"Fight shy of both of them. They're no good. They'll make you and your
chums do all the work, now you've come on board."
"I'll bet a dollar they won't get a stroke of work out of me," returned
Mont decidedly.
"You will?"
"Yes."
"Well, you're a plucky lad," exclaimed the cook admiringly, "and from
your size and looks I should think you could box."
"Just a little bit," answered Mont smilingly.
"The captain favors Jerry Dabble, and listens to all he says. He's a
regular sneak. You look out for him."
"I will."
"Will you have a bit of breakfast along with me? I can give you a nice
bit I've cut off the skipper's ham and a couple of eggs."
"I'm with you," said Mont readily, "and I'll return your kindness on the
first opportunity."
In a moment our hero was supplied with a good breakfast, which was
washed down with a cup of coffee.
The sea was rather high, although the wind had gone down.
It was not difficult to perceive, when Mont came to examine her, that
the ship was a very old one and had seen her best days.
Mont thought a trip to the Bermudas would be very nice, but at the same
time he did not mean to be the captain's slave, or the first mate's
either.
He had not shipped with them, and they could not legally make him work,
though he did not mind lending a hand if he was asked in a friendly
manner.
His mother would pay for his passage if she was asked.
The officers evidently took him, Carl, and Stump to be three sons of
fishermen, and had made up their minds to treat them accordingly.
When he left the galley, Mont went to where the regular hands slept and
messed, and where he and his companions had slept.
There was a great outcry as he came in.
"Leave off, I say," Carl was exclaiming; "I won't have it. Two of you
onto me at once isn't fair."
In a moment Mont was there. He found the two young men, Sam Holly and
Jerry Dabble, standing over his chum with two ropes' ends, with which
they were hitting him.
"What are you licking him for?" asked Mont, his eyes flashing.
"Because he won't get the breakfast," said Holly.
"He's not your servant--why should he?"
"He'll have to do it, or you will," said Sam the bully, setting his arms
akimbo and staring impudently at Mont.
"My good fellow," said the latter, "don't you make any error. Neither my
friend nor myself means to do anything on board this ship unless we're
asked civilly."
Jerry Dabble laughed. "You're a fool to talk that way!" he roared.
Mont immediately gave him a cuff on the ears which sent him rolling over
a bunk.
CHAPTER VII.
A LIVELY ENCOUNTER.
The two sailors were astonished beyond measure at Mont's quick action.
"Good for you, Mont!" cried Carl Barnaby, while Stump grinned with
intense delight.
"I'll go and tell the captain," growled Jerry, as he got up slowly.
Sam Holly, who was a thick-set, heavy-looking fellow, turned to Mont. "I
have had enough of this nonsense. Do you mean to do your work or not?"
"Certainly not; do it yourself."
"Do you want a good hiding?"
"You can't give it to me."
"I can try, can't I?" said Holly.
"So can any other fool; but it doesn't follow he will do it."
"Look here, I've been two voyages before this. You're a green hand
compared to me, and I'm boss here. We are short-handed. Do the work,
and I'll make things easy for you; if not, it will be worse for you."
"I'll chance that," said Mont.
"Do you mean to risk a sound thrashing?"
"Oh, yes, I'm game for a rough-and-tumble. It's sure to come sooner or
later, and we may as well get it over at once."
"Mind your eye, then," yelled Holly.
His ugly face glowed with passion, and his great, stupid-looking ears
seemed to stick out like cabbage leaves.
"Come on," he said.
"I'm ready," returned Mont.
The fight commenced in the little cabin, and it was evident that the
combatants were in earnest.
Our hero found his opponent as strong as a young bull, but he had not
very much skill.
Parrying his blows and hitting hard when he had a good chance, Mont
punished him severely.
But he was knocked down first.
"Will that do for you," said Holly, "or do you want any more?"
"More, please," exclaimed Mont, getting up. And then he clipped Holly
two heavy ones that knocked him nearly down a ladder.
Holly foamed with rage. "Come on!" he exclaimed, in a husky voice.
The fight continued for ten minutes, with varying success. At last Mont
saw a good chance, and, pretending to strike Holly's face, he dropped
his hand and hit him in the stomach.
As the bully fell back, gasping for breath, Mont exclaimed:
"How do you like it now, you bully? Do you want any more?"
"Not this voyage," rejoined Holly dismally; "you're best man."
"It's a pity you didn't find that out before," remarked Mont. "However,
it's never too late to learn. Perhaps you will get our breakfast ready.
I'm master now. Do you understand that, Mr. Bully?"
"Don't crow. I'm licked this time, but my turn may come. Sit down and
have your grub."
Mont was quite satisfied with his victory.
He shook hands with Holly, and they all sat down together, making a
comfortable breakfast, though the fare was not luxurious.
Carl and our hero went on deck afterward, and, hearing an altercation
forward, ran in that direction.
Captain Savage was beating a sailor with a marlinspike for some breach
of discipline.
The crew looked on without interfering.
The sailor was a fine, handsome fellow, and in vain begged the tyrant to
desist. The poor fellow's face was streaming with blood, and Mont's
anger arose instantly.
Rushing forward, he seized the captain's arm, and exclaimed:
"Stop that--I won't have it!"
The next moment he was alarmed at his rashness.
Turning upon him with incredible fury, the captain exclaimed:
"How dare you speak to me, youngster! I'll break every bone in your
body!"
At a sign from the first mate, on whose face sat a smile of malicious
satisfaction, four men fell upon Mont, whose arms were pinioned, and he
was thrown on his back, where he lay perfectly helpless.
"Take him away," continued Captain Savage. "I will deal with him
presently. It's a pity I took the young whelp on board; he should have
drowned if I'd have known what he was made of."
Strong arms lifted Mont up, and he was forced into a dark hole, near the
cook's galley, where he was half stifled with the heat and smell of tar.
Mont felt he was now in for it, and no mistake.
CHAPTER VIII.
MONT IS PUNISHED.
"Hang the luck, anyway!"
In a miserable state of mind, but still very angry, Mont sat down in his
gloomy prison, and wondered what would happen next.
An hour later the captain called up the first mate.
"Let the prisoner be brought forward, and call the hands to witness
punishment; muster them all. I mean to make an example."
The mate summoned the crew, all of whom trooped forward with a sullen
and discontented air.
The first mate went to Mont, and personally conducted him on deck.
"Now, my lad," said the captain, with a brutal air, "I'm going to let
you know what discipline is. Strip!"
Looking around him defiantly, Mont did not move.
"Do you hear me?" thundered the captain. "Strip!"
"Captain Savage," said Mont quietly, "I protest against this treatment.
You saved my life and the lives of my companions, for which I thank you.
We would leave your ship at once if we could. As it is, we are unwilling
passengers."
"You are a part of the crew, and must work out your passage."
"Not at all. We have not signed articles, and you have no power over us
so long as we conduct ourselves properly."
"Why did you interfere between me and one of my crew? But I'll waste no
words with you," replied the captain. "Tie him to the foremast."
He caught up the rope's end and hit Mont a single blow.
He was about to go on, when the sailors advanced in a body, and formed a
line between him and Mont.
"Back, you scoundrels! Back, mutinous dogs!" exclaimed the captain in a
greater rage than ever.
The solid line remained immovable, and Mont was set free.
Both mates put themselves by the captain's side, as they feared a crisis
was approaching, and they determined to side with the skipper.
"Look'ee here, cappen," said an old, grizzled sailor. "I've shipped
aboard o' many vessels, and I've seen a few skippers, but never the
likes o' you. We don't want to do you no harm, but we aint a-goin' to
stan' by and see that poor lad flogged half to death because he
interfered for one o' us."
"I'll have you all tried at the first port I come to!" exclaimed the
captain.
Slog, the mate, caught the captain's arm.
"For Heaven's sake, go below, and leave them to me!" he said.
"Not I. Where are my pistols? I'll shoot some of the dogs."
"Be guided by me, sir. Let them alone this time, and tackle them one by
one. If you don't, they'll do something desperate."
The captain mumbled something which was inaudible. He was almost
speechless with rage.
Suddenly the voice of the lookout man rang out clearly:
"A strange sail."
"Where away?" asked the captain.
"On the larboard bow, sir."
The captain took his telescope, and began to examine the strange sail.
Everyone crowded to the side to have a look, and every eye was soon
searching the horizon.
Even Mont shared the excitement.
He had a pocket glass, and brought it into use.
"Perhaps we'll be taken off," he said to Carl.
"I sincerely hope so," replied his chum. "I've had enough of this
ship."
CHAPTER IX.
DOCTOR HOMER WODDLE.
It was soon discovered that the sail was nothing more or less than a man
clinging to a chicken coop, who had taken off his shirt and hoisted it
on high to attract attention.
When he was neared, a boat was lowered, and the unfortunate man picked
up and brought on board.
He was a little, wiry man, about forty-five years of age, with sharp,
intelligent face, and an expression of anything but good temper.
"Which is the captain of this vessel?" he asked on coming aboard.
"I am," replied Captain Savage.
"You've been a long time picking me up. What do you mean by it?" said
the little man.
"That's a cool remark," said the captain, "considering we have, in all
probability, saved your life."
"And if you have, you only did your duty. Where is your cabin? Give me
some fresh clothes immediately, and something to eat and drink."
"You've got a nerve," said the captain, inclined to be angry. "I've a
good mind never to save anyone again."
"That will not matter much to me. You are not likely to save me twice."
"Who are you?"
"My name is Homer Woddle, sir."
"You speak loud enough," replied the captain.
"Bah! it's evident you are not a man of science, or you would have heard
of me. I have written books, sir--books!"
"What then?"
"I am a famous man. My position in life is that of Secretary to the
Society for the Exploration of the Unknown Parts of the World, sir, and
I am making my third voyage."
"How were you wrecked?"
"That is the strangest thing. But give me to eat and drink, clothe me,
and you shall hear."
"Speak first, and then I'll think of it, Mr. Woddle," said the captain.
The conversation was audible enough to be heard by all on board, who
crowded round the speakers in a way that showed how severely discipline
on board the ship had been interfered with by the late occurrence.
"Well, well, well," cried the little man, irritably, "what a boy you
are! I left Boston last week on board the _Comet_. Well, sir, that ship
was fitted up at a great expense in order that we might make
discoveries. Do you see?"
"Not clearly as yet," answered the captain.
"Tush, be quiet," exclaimed the irritable little man; "don't interrupt
me. This morning about eight o'clock we were struck amidships, but below
the water line, by a wonderful sea monster, which nearly cut us in two."
"Did the ship sink?"
"She did almost directly afterward. I seized a chicken coop, and here I
am."
"A monster cut you in two!" exclaimed the captain, opening his eyes.
"What sort of a monster? Did you see it?"
"We did for a few minutes. It was black and long, like a gigantic eel,
and threw out phosphorescent light."
"Then there was something electric about it?" remarked the first mate.
"Undoubtedly."
"That's a strange yarn," observed the captain.
He took Dr. Homer Woddle, the Secretary of the Society for the
Exploration of the Unknown Parts of the World, into his cabin, gave him
dry clothes, and provided him with the best dinner the resources of the
ship could afford.
Mont had listened curiously to the conversation between Captain Savage
and the newcomer.
Taking Carl's arm, he said:
"That's a wonderful yarn of that fellow who has just come on board."
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