Read Ebook: How to Listen to Music 7th ed. Hints and Suggestions to Untaught Lovers of the Art by Krehbiel Henry Edward

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Ebook has 1443 lines and 65765 words, and 29 pages

He took the message and scanned it under the light of the lantern by which he had been taking thermometer readings. His hand shook and he called first officer Mulliner to read the message to him. Mulliner repeated it in a grave voice.

"Hadn't we better slow down, sir?" he asked.

"Slow down? What for?" blustered the flushed captain.

"We'll continue to do so," exclaimed the captain. "I've sailed these seas for a good many more years than you've been on earth, Mr. Mulliner."

"At this speed we'll head 'em off according to my calculations," declared the captain. "If we slowed down we'd land in the middle of 'em. If we keep full speed ahead, we'll pass to the south of 'em."

"Then you mean to race them, sir?"

"That's what. If that's what you want to call it. Now get to your duty, Mr. Mulliner," added the captain in sharp tones, as if he felt he had been too lenient even to argue with his subordinate. Mr. Mulliner, muttering something about "suicidal," turned away.

"Any orders, sir?" asked Jack, when he was alone with the captain.

Captain Briggs shook his head. He was a seaman of the old school and did not place much faith in wireless.

"Just stick at your instruments," he said, "but if there's bergs about the look-out, bet my nose ull pick 'em up ahead of any fool wireless contraption."

Jack made his way aft, burning with indignation. Here was a fine, new ship, being driven at top speed toward the greatest peril a seaman can encounter, at the whim of a man who had been drinking. But there was nothing to be done, as Jack reflected with a sense of speechless anger. Aboard ship the captain, no matter how insane his orders may appear, is absolute czar of the situation. His word is law. He can hang or imprison, for mutiny, anyone who dares to question his orders.

Ahead it was almost impossible to see anything but a dense, black pall that might hide anything. Dimly through the mist curtains, Jack could make out the figure of the look-out in the crow's nest. Occasionally he could catch his hoarse shout of "All's well" and an answer, booming through the smother, from the bridge.

Suddenly the whistle began sounding. At regular half minute intervals it shrieked hoarsely.

Jack knew what they were doing. If bergs were in the vicinity, in the intervals of silence between blasts, an echo would be flung back.

"Pshaw, that's a haphazard way of detecting bergs at best," muttered Jack to himself.

Details of that night were told in the first volume of the Ocean Wireless Series, which was called "The Ocean Wireless Boys on the Atlantic." This volume introduced Jack, his strange dwelling place, and his odd relative, Cap'n Toby Ready, to our readers. We found Jack, pretty well disheartened in his ambition to become a wireless operator, on his way home among the shipping to the queer old derelict craft where he lived with his uncle Toby, the latter a purveyor of vegetable drugs and medicine, to old and superannuated skippers.

Seeing a crowd on a dock, Jack went to find out what was the matter. He soon discovered that the young daughter of Jacob Jukes, the millionaire head of the great shipping combine, had strayed from her father, who was visiting a great "oil-tanker" moored there, and had tumbled overboard.

But Jack forged steadily ahead in his chosen profession. On his first voyage, by a clever wireless trick, he brought confusion on a gang of tobacco smugglers and set all their plans at naught. For this brave act he almost paid with his life. But all came out well, and on a homeward voyage from Antwerp he was able, once more with the aid of the wireless, to unite Mr. Jukes and his son, Tom, who had become separated when the millionaire's yacht caught fire and burned to the water-line at sea.

Jack and his assistant, a youth named Sam Smalley, found themselves involved in an intrigue almost at once. A mysterious wireless code and a plot to steal papers involving the Panama Canal formed its chief features.

But Jack's quick work at the wireless key soon summoned Uncle Sam's speediest battleships and cruisers to an ocean wide search for the yacht, on board which was the gang that had stolen the papers. They were recovered eventually by Jack and handed over to the rightful owner. But not long after the Tropic Queen was caught in a hurricane and cast on an island.

All seemed lost, for a huge tidal wave overwhelmed the wreck to which Jack and Sam had swum out, leaving the others ashore. But eventually the two boys reached land and rejoined the other castaways. The message that Jack had sent out before the convulsion of nature ended, the lost liner had reached other crafts, however, and all were rescued safely. Jack and Sam each received substantial rewards for their services.

Jack was turning out of the night to re?nter his cabin when Raynor came along. He was going on watch again.

"What news?" he asked, as he paused near Jack.

"Nothing much, except that there is ice ahead."

"Bergs?"

Raynor looked about him in a puzzled way.

"But we haven't slowed down," he said at length.

"That's just it. Captain Briggs is a drinking man. He is drinking to-night and reckless. He means to keep right on this way."

"That's just what Mr. Mulliner says. But what are we going to do? You know as well as I do that the skipper's word is law at sea."

Raynor perched himself on the rail, balancing there high above the water, a favorite position with him.

"I know you have, you croaking old land-lubber," laughed Raynor, "it's alright. As for danger, if you could see me lying in the crank-pit, with the big steel throws smashing round within half an inch of my nose I guess you'd be worried then."

"No, I wouldn't, because that's your business and you know what you're doing," responded Jack, "but balancing like that's just pure foolhardiness."

"So there's ice ahead?" said Raynor, ignoring Jack's protest.

"That's the report. They're testing the temperature of the water on the bridge. It's falling all the time."

"Well, what does that amiable maniac Briggs think he's going to do, knock a berg out of his way if he hits it?"

"No; he figures in his muddled brain that by keeping up full speed he can pass to the south of the path of the bergs. In other words, he's racing them."

"And if he loses the race there'll be a most almighty smash-up."

Jack broke off in an alarmed voice. Hoarsely, through the night, had come the frightened cry of the man in the crow's nest.

"For the Lord's sake back her!"

"What's up?" was shouted from the bridge.

"It's ice. Ice dead ahead! To the port to starboard!"

With startled eyes and drumming pulses Jack stared forward.

"Full speed astern!" came the voice of Mulliner, shrill with alarm, and then the hoarse shout of Captain Briggs.

"No, confound you. Ahead! D'ye hear me--ahead!"

And then came a shout to the wheelman.

"Hard over! Hard over for your life!"

Jack turned swiftly. Then he stiffened with alarm. The place where his chum had been perched upon the rail was vacant. Raynor was gone. For a brief instant Jack was silent from the shock. Then his voice rang out in tones of vibrant fear.

"Man overboard!" he cried, running forward stumblingly, "man overboard!"

Simultaneously with the shivering shock of the impact with the iceberg, Billy Raynor felt himself lose his balance.

He grasped frantically at the air as he fell backward. But the next moment, too alarmed to cry out, he was himself tumbling through space. Then came the sharp shock and the icy sensation of his immersion as he struck the water.

And then the ship had passed by. An instant later she had vanished from the castaway lad's sight.

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