CHAPTER XXII
CONSTERNATION ON BOARD THE SHIP
The Maud had certainly developed a rather remarkable speed for a boat of her size; but she had been built on the Clyde for the Pacha, and twelve knots had been stipulated as the speed she was required to make in the contract. Felipe had explained as well as he could that something had been the matter with the machinery even before he left the service of the distinguished Moor.
Neither he nor the engineer of the Fatimé could ascertain what it was; but that morning, when he made a thorough overhauling of the machine, after his appointment as her engineer, he had discovered a bolt which had dropped into a place where it impeded the movement of the piston. He had removed it, and the result had been seen during the afternoon. But for this discovery the Grand Mogul, as all of them were in the habit of calling him in a sort of mild derision, might have bagged his game.
"Here we are, exactly off the point, Louis. What time is it now?"
"Thirty-seven minutes past four," answered the deck-hand. "We were off Point Malabata at precisely four: twenty."
"And the distance is three and a half miles," added Scott. "You may take the wheel now, Louis, and I will figure up the speed of the Maud."
"Give me the course, if you please, Captain," said Louis, as he took the spokes.
"North-east and a quarter north," replied Scott, who had evidently taken it from the chart before; and for the want of a parallel rule he was compelled to resort to expedients in order to find it.
"North-east and a quarter north," repeated Louis; and he watched the compass till he had the steamer on the course indicated.
Possibly some non-nautical readers would like to know how the skilful commander of the Maud had taken from the chart the course he had given out. A parallel rule is used in obtaining it. This is two rules, each an inch or less in width, with a brass piece connecting them, with pins at each end of it having play enough to permit the two wooden parts to be spread out. When the parallel rules are together, the brass bar joining them lies at a sharp angle with their length, so that one of the parts may be moved out from the other till the brass bar is at right angles with the length.
Captain Scott laid the outer edge of the right-hand rule on the course he had marked on the chart with a pencil, from Point Al Boassa to Tarifa. On the chart before him was a diagram of the compass. It was divided into four quarters by two heavy black lines. The one within two points of perpendicular had an arrow at the upper end, which pointed to the magnetic north, though on some American charts the true north is indicated. On this diagram the thirty-two points of the compass are marked; the heavy black line across the figure showed the east and the west.
Putting one or more fingers on the right-hand rule, the navigator of the Maud held it fast in the position in which he had placed it. With the left hand he moved the other rule out as far as he could, which left an opening two and a half inches wide, more or less, between the two parts of the implement. Holding the left-hand rule fast to the paper, he moved the right up to it. Then the whole rule had been moved over two inches. He repeated these movements till he had brought the edge of the ruler on the centre of the compass diagram. If this edge had rested on the north-east and south-west marks, the course would be either one or the other of these two. The navigator knows that his general course is to the northward, and he has accurately obtained the direction in which he is to sail.
But Scott found that the edge of his rule came a little to the left of the heavy mark for north-east, and the same to the right of south-west. He had to estimate that it was a quarter of a point beyond the line. The points on some compasses are divided into halves and quarters, so that the helmsman has no difficulty in keeping the point he is to steer on the notch.
Louis moved the wheel till he brought the line of north-east a quarter north on the notch, which is made in the immovable part of the compass. The pilot-house of the Maud was small, but it was large enough to contain a sofa, or divan, across the back; and here the captain seated himself to figure up the present speed of the steamer. Three and one-half miles in seventeen minutes was an easy problem to solve.
"Twelve and two-tenths knots an hour!" he shouted in his delight at the result, which he had obtained in three repetitions of the calculations; and this time he was sure there was no mistake, for it was dead low tide, and there were no allowances to be made.
"Then we are certainly all right, and we shall not fall into the clutches of the Grand Mogul," replied Louis.
"I would not give two cents to the Bank of England to guarantee that he will not overhaul us. But he may follow us to Gib," suggested Scott.
"If he does, Captain Ringgold will have the settling of the matter."
Both of them proceeded to wonder what the commander of the Guardian-Mother would do; but while they were so engaged, Felipe was driving the engine "for all it was worth." The captain kept a sort of log on his paper, and he had noted the time of the departure from the last point on the African coast, which was four: thirty-seven. It was five: twenty-seven when the Maud was within hail of the Tarifa lighthouse.
"Ten miles in fifty minutes!" exclaimed Captain Scott, still working his mathematics. "That's twelve knots an hour, but the two-tenths are missing, though the inward current ought to have been in our favor; but two-tenths of a knot is only two cable lengths, and that is near enough."
"I should say that it was," answered Louis. "She has been driven to make that; and I suppose her ordinary speed when not forced is about ten, which is good enough. But where is the Grand Mogul?"
"There she is, about a mile and a half astern of us," replied Scott, as he went to the door. "She has not gained an inch on us, and I have come to the deliberate conclusion that the Fatimé's speed is about twelve knots an hour when she is doing her best. But neither the Pacha nor his pilot has been smart."
"As smart as the speed of his craft will permit," added Louis.
"No, he is not; but if I had been in command of that hooker, I should have been nearer the Maud than she is now."
"You evidently have a pretty good opinion of Captain Scott, and when you tell the coon up the tree to come down, you expect him to do so," laughed Louis.
"Brag is a good dog, but that is not my name. Of course that Mohammedan reprobate knows that we are bound to Gib; but he has followed us just as though he expected us to fetch up at Tarifa. He has not even changed his course yet."
"He will be smart enough to do it very soon. What would you have done, Captain Scott, if you had been the commander of the Fatimé?" asked Louis.
"Instead of doing as he has done, I should have headed her directly for Europa Point, and gained all the distance we are ahead of her."
"But you would have done the same thing as soon as she changed her course."
"That is true; but it is none of his bread and butter. We have no occasion to run into shoaler water now, and you may make the course east. Here, Flix, it is time for you to take your trick at the wheel," called Captain Scott.
"I'll be moighty glad to do ut!" exclaimed the Milesian. "But Oi'm willin' to aise up on my share of the foon for the benefut of the poilot and the odther dechk-hahnd."
"Take your turn, Flix, and head her east till you come to the Moro Rock," added the captain.
"Is ut the Moro Rochk? Faix, I don't know ut be soight; Oi've niver been introjuiced," said Felix, as he took the wheel.
"It is the first point you come to, about eight miles ahead."
Felix knew it when he came to it, and the course was then a point more to the north. The Fatimé did not change her direction till she was within a mile of the Tarifa lighthouse, and the ship's company of the Maud had imbibed a certain contempt for her, handsome as she was. Carnero Point was passed, and Felix was directed to run directly for the light on the New Mole, which was illuminated though it was not yet dark.
Louis had his watch in hand when the Maud ran alongside of the Guardian-Mother, and it was quarter of seven.
"You have made good time!" called Captain Ringgold. "What steamer is that coming over from Carnero Point?"
"Rush on board of the ship, and tell the captain all about it, Louis!" cried Scott, as soon as the Maud was abreast of the gangway.
Louis leaped upon the steps, and hastened up to the deck, confronting the commander on the rail.
"Is it possible that you have come back without an adventure?" demanded Captain Ringgold, as he grasped the hand of his owner.
"No, sir; it is not possible," replied Louis, as they stepped down upon the deck. "You asked what steamer that was coming in from Carnero Point?"
"I did; do you know her?" And Louis could see that the commander wore an anxious look on his face.
"I do know her, for she has been chasing us for the last three hours. She is the Grand Mogul's steam-yacht, the Fatimé," replied Louis.
"Chasing you? Then how in the world did you get away from her?" demanded the captain, with a heavy frown upon his brow.
"We ran into shoal water and gained a mile and a half on her; but Captain Scott can tell you all about that better than I can. He managed exceedingly well, sir."
"Did I understand you to say, Louis, that the steamer approaching was the Fatimé?" asked Mr. Woolridge, putting his hand on the young man's shoulder, for he had been seated near the gangway smoking his cigar, and had overheard the report made to the captain.
Louis looked at the commander, but made no reply.
"I am sorry to say that it is the Fatimé," added Captain Ringgold. "But you need not be concerned in the least about the Pacha, for he shall not put his Morocco shoes on the deck of this ship, Mr. Woolridge;" and he spoke in such a decided tone that the father of the beautiful Blanche was immediately reassured.
In a few minutes, and before the Grand Mogul's steamer had reached her anchorage, it was known that Ali-Noury Pacha had arrived; for some of them recognized the vessel, and Mr. Woolridge and the captain could not deny her identity when the question was put to them. Mrs. Woolridge was much disturbed, and Dr. Hawkes took charge of her. With the commander's assurance that the Pacha should not come on board of the ship, he succeeded in quieting her.
"Come on board, all of you," called Captain Ringgold to those still on board of the Maud; and they promptly obeyed, Scott declaring that there was to be "music" very soon.
"Mr. Boulong," continued the commander a little later.
"On deck, Captain," reported that officer, touching his cap.
"That Mohammedan humbug will probably attempt to get on board of the Guardian-Mother; and he is to be prevented from doing so even if you have to fling him overboard," said Captain Ringgold in his firmest and most severe tones, and with his two fists clinched. "The Maud is abreast of the gangway, and he will doubtless board her first. Don't let him or any of his people on board of her. Take eight men with you, and station them along the port rail.
"He shall not board her, sir," replied the first officer, as decidedly as his superior had spoken; and in five minutes more he and his men were on the deck of the Maud.
Mr. Gaskette, the second officer, was directed to patrol the starboard side of the ship, and permit no one to come on board from that side.