CHAPTER XXXII
THE MEETING OF THE TWO STEAMERS
"Where are we now, Captain Scott?" asked Louis, who had just finished his breakfast, as he went into the pilot-house to relieve the starboard watch.
Morris was with him, and he took the wheel according to the programme which had been laid down in the beginning of the voyage. This was at eight o'clock on the second morning of the trip. The captain had his chart table in use when they entered, with Felix at the wheel.
"Where are we now is the question; and I can't guess the conundrum exactly, for I don't know how fast we have been running during the night," replied Scott. "Our standard speed is ten knots an hour; but the log last evening showed that we were doing three knots better than that."
Then he looked at a station-bill he had made out in pencil which was tacked to the starboard door for the want of a better place. It showed all the watches, who served on them, the number of hours from Europa Point, from which the departure was made, and the number of miles run at the end of each watch, figured at the standard speed.
"We are thirty-two hours out, and have run three hundred and twenty miles, or ought to have run only that; but in the last twelve hours we have probably made from twenty-four to thirty-six miles more than that," continued the captain. "I will heave the log after breakfast, and that will give us a better idea, for we are still carrying the reefed foresail. Morris reported to me when he was relieved by the morning watch that he had started the sheets about two bells. We have the wind on the starboard quarter now, and it must help her somewhat. I should say that we had made three hundred and forty-four miles."
"Land, ho!" shouted Felix, who had gone out on the deck.
"Where away?" demanded Scott.
"On the beam," replied Felix.
"That is just where it ought to be," added Scott, as he turned to his chart. "We must be off Magrowa Point, where the mountains are close to the shore. Three hundred and forty-four miles must be the figure."
The captain and Felix went to breakfast, after which the log was heaved and it gave twelve knots. The Maud was now going along with comparative steadiness. The gale had entirely subsided, though the sea was not yet reduced to its former smooth condition. There was a gentle breeze, and Scott ordered the reef in the foresail to be shaken out. Don declared that they had burned too much coal while the wind was so fresh, and that they had reduced the quantity.
At four bells, when Louis took the wheel, the log was tried again, and it appeared that the old standard of ten knots had been restored in spite of the sail. But Scott had bent on the mainsail and jib while he, Felix, and Don were off watch, assisted by the steward. He had set all sail, and then the log gave eleven knots. He had hardly completed the job before the starboard watch were called to dine before they took the deck at eight bells. Morris was the lookout on the promenade deck, attending to the sails also.
"Sail, ho!" shouted he, standing over the pilot-house.
"Where away?" demanded Louis.
"Directly astern of us!" cried Morris.
Pitts carried this report to the cabin. Louis had no chance to observe the sail, and he passed the glass up to his watch-mate. Morris examined the distant sail with the instrument, and he could see only her masts and sails; but a streak of black smoke in the air indicated that she was a steamer. She was hull down, and he could not make out anything about her. But it was soon evident to him that the sail was gaining rapidly on the Maud.
Louis struck eight bells, which was noon this time, and the captain and Felix appeared on time. He wrote "386 miles" on his station-bill as the distance the Maud had made at the end of the forenoon watch. He took the wheel, and then asked about the sail which had been reported. All that was known was stated to him; but he could make nothing of it.
"I don't know when the Guardian-Mother left Gib, and of course I can't tell when she will overhaul us," said he. "She must have got off some time yesterday forenoon, and it is time that she was up with us. On the upper deck, Flix, watch the sails, and keep a lookout for the steamer astern."
After Felix and Morris had dined they hastened to the promenade deck; they were interested in the sail astern, for it had been already demonstrated that it was steering the same course as the Maud. In a couple of hours more, her burgee, which had evidently been set for a purpose, could be distinguished.
"It's the Guardian-Mother as sure as that my mother was born in Ireland!" exclaimed Felix, who was the lookout man, and had the glass, which he passed to Louis as soon as he had satisfied himself.
"The sail is the Guardian-Mother!" he shouted over the pilot-house.
"I don't believe those on board of her will know the Maud," suggested Morris. "They never saw her carrying sail, and she will look like a strange sight to them."
"Captain Ringgold will make her out in good time," added Louis.
In half an hour the steamer astern was within a quarter of a mile of the Maud. At this time Pitts and Don came on the upper deck with the order from the captain to take in sail, which the former delivered to Morris as the first officer, and he had already hauled down the jib. It was an easy matter to furl the sails compared with what it had been to set them, and the stops were soon put on the after sails. There was no longer any need of the party on the upper deck, and they descended to the forecastle.
By this time the Guardian-Mother was abreast of the Maud, and hardly a biscuit's throw from her. In this position she stopped her screw, and Captain Scott rang one bell for the same purpose.
"Maud, ahoy!" shouted Captain Ringgold from the officer's promenade, where all the cabin party were seated.
"On board the Guardian-Mother!" returned Captain Scott.
"How goes it?" asked the commander of the ship, putting a general question which covered everything.
"All well, sir!" answered the captain of the Maud.
The sea was still too rough to permit the two vessels to come alongside each other; but it was seen from the little steamer that the Guardian-Mother was lowering the first cutter into the water, and in a few minutes that her crew were pulling to the consort, with the commander in the stern-sheets. The gangway was rigged out on the starboard quarter, for it was not a fixture as on board of larger steamers. No one was required at the helm or engine of the Maud, and all hands gathered in the standing-room to give the commander an appropriate welcome.
The only proper salute that came to the mind of Captain Scott was three cheers, which he called for, and they were given with decided enthusiasm. No one could blame the young commander of the little steamer for feeling very much exhilarated as the time came for him to make his first report of the cruise. He had brought his craft safely through a smart gale in as good condition as when she had left Gibraltar. If he was proud of the achievement, as he certainly was, he had sufficient foundation for an honest pride.
The cutter came up to the gangway on the lee side, and Captain Ringgold ascended to the deck, which was not a long journey, for the Maud sat low in the water. The ship's company stood in a group, with Captain Scott in front of them as the commander came over the rail. He went directly to the captain, who was the first to be saluted in virtue of his office, and took him by the hand.
"We did not recognize the Maud when we first made her out," said Captain Ringgold. "We never saw her under sail before; but she looked quite natural after you had furled everything."
Without waiting for any reply, the commander shook hands with Morris, Louis, and Felix, and nodded to the two engineers.
"Well, Captain Scott, I did not find you exactly where I expected to overhaul you, for you are about twenty-five miles farther along than I supposed you would be," continued the captain of the Guardian-Mother.
"We were rolling very heavily in the gale, sir, and I bent on the foresail, which made things easier on board; and as the wind was fair, we made twelve and thirteen knots an hour for about ten hours."
"It was a smart gale; and when I did not find you where I expected, I was a little anxious about you this forenoon. How does the Maud behave in heavy weather, Captain Scott?"
"Like a lady, sir; of course she does a great deal of rolling on account of her size, but she stood it very well, and kept up her speed in spite of the knocking about she had."
"I suppose you have become a sailor by this time, Louis," added Captain Ringgold, turning to the young millionaire.
"Not much of a sailor, sir," replied Louis.
"You must be full-fledged, Mr. Woolridge, after the experience of the last thirty-six hours," he added.
"I tried to do my duty, sir," answered Morris, rather startled to hear himself mistered,— a distinction to which he was entitled as mate, though the big four had been more familiar with him.
"Mrs. Belgrave and Mrs. Woolridge were somewhat worried about you during the gale; but Mr. Boulong will take you to the ship, Louis and Morris, while I am arranging things with the captain for the future," said the commander. "You will return in an hour."
The first officer of the Guardian-Mother took the hands of the young gentlemen as he received them in the cutter, and listened with interest to a brief account of their voyage. In return he told them the news from the steamer, and told them what had passed between Captain Ringgold and the Pacha. But the time was too short to say much, and in a few minutes both of them were in the arms of their mothers, after which there was a general shaking of hands with the other passengers.
"I don't see that we have any occasion to go to Malta," said the commander to the captain of the Maud, after the departure of the cutter. "We can take that in at another time. Have you had any trouble of any kind on board?"
"None whatever, sir," replied Scott, hardly understanding the meaning of the question.
"Boys will sometimes get up ill-feeling and even quarrels among themselves when they are off on their own hook," added Captain Ringgold with a smile.
"There has not been a particle of trouble of any kind, or anything like ill-feeling," protested Scott very warmly. "Every one has obeyed orders, and when I bent on the foresail in the gale all were ready to work, whether they were on watch or not. It was a hard job on the promenade deck, which would not hold still a moment, and where we were wet to the skin with every spray that flopped over her. I have not heard a growl or a grumble since we sailed from Gib. Pitts and Don have done all kinds of work, and done it cheerfully."
"Your report is excellent, Captain Scott. I have been considering whether or not I should hoist the Maud on the upper deck of the ship," replied the commander.
"Of course I haven't anything to say about that sir; but I believe I could go around the world in the Maud. Our casks leaked all the water out, and we had to get a fresh supply off Alboran;" and Scott detailed the meeting with the felucca.
"You have done so well, and got along so pleasantly, that I will not take the Maud on board of the ship, and you shall proceed on the voyage."
Captain Ringgold marked the course for the Maud on the chart to Constantinople. Louis and Morris returned to the little steamer at the end of the hour, and both vessels proceeded on the voyage.