CHAPTER VII.

THE INVALID YOUNG LADY.

When Professor Primback heard the noise of lowering the boats into the water, he wrote a formal order to the captain not to send away any portion of the ship’s company, unless it was to bring off the passengers of the steamer. He signed his name in full to this document, and sent it on deck by one of the stewards. Wainwright took the paper, read it attentively, and then put it into his pocket. He took no further notice of it.

The senior professor evidently supposed that no notice would be taken of the order, and he seemed to be aware that he had no means of enforcing his commands; for he went to his state-room, and made no further demonstration. He did not even speak to Dr. Crumples about the matter.

As the crew of the steamer had taken the boats with them when they abandoned her, the second and third cutters of the Tritonia were to be retained by the party. In half an hour they were all on board the steamer, with the boats hoisted up at the davits. O’Hara reported what had been done on board of the Tritonia to Mr. Frisbone, and informed him that he had been appointed captain of the steamer, or, at least, of the party sent to assist in saving her.

“Capt. O’Hara, I greet you! and the captain of the Tritonia could not have selected a better captain, without speaking ill of the other officers; for I know how well you managed some very difficult business in Italy last fall,” said Mr. Frisbone. “Now will you introduce me to the rest of your officers?”

O’Hara presented them one at a time, and the American Prince shook hands with each. When he came to Mr. Alexander, he gave one of his loud and hearty laughs.

“I thought I was to be chief engineer,” said he, wringing the hand of Alexander; “but I am willing to place myself under your orders, Mr. Chief Engineer.”

“He is the chief engineer as far as our party is concerned,” O’Hara explained. “Though Capt. Wainwright is the commander of the Tritonia in name and in fact, so far as doing duty is concerned, yet the vice-principal is really the captain. If you please, Mr. Frisbone, we shall all regard you as the principal, on board of the steamer.”

“All right, Capt. O’Hara,” replied the Prince, who seemed to take great delight in giving the young officers their full titles, and using them often.

“I shall be glad to take my orders from you; and the chief engineer will do the same,” added O’Hara.

“Possibly the chief engineer knows more about running an engine than I do; and I know more about building them than I do of running them.”

“Of course I shall give in to you, sir,” said Alexander.

“Thank you; but do you really know any thing about an engine, Mr. Alexander?” asked Mr. Frisbone, in his teasing tone.

“Two years ago I was assistant engineer on a screw steamer about the size of this one,” answered Alexander.

“And how old were you two years ago?”

“I was eighteen, sir. My father received a legacy from an uncle in Scotland, which made him a rich man; and then I was sent to this institution to finish my education. I had worked two years in a machine-shop before I went to sea at all. I think I can run an engine, sir.”

“I have no doubt you can; in fact, I believe these young gentlemen can do any thing that anybody can,” added Mr. Frisbone, laughing heartily; and sometimes no one could imagine what he was laughing at.

“The second engineer ran a stationary engine when he was twelve years old, in his father’s shop,” continued O’Hara, when he had presented this officer.

“And I was engineer of a small steam-yacht when I was fourteen,” added Richards.

“All right, young gentlemen; and I shall have nothing to do but sleep in the cabin, and take care of the women-folks,” chuckled the Prince.

“I think some of our officers will be quite willing to assist you in that part of your duty,” said O’Hara lightly. “Upon my loife, the young lady is as beautiful as the lovely Giulia Fabiano; and, by the powers, that’s saying a great dale!”

“By the way, now I think of it, is there a young gentleman in the squadron by the name of Speers,--Tom Speers?”

“There is, sir; and he is one of our party,” replied O’Hara. “Where are ye, Tom Speers?”

Tom had been introduced; but the Prince evidently did not notice the name, for he had called him “Mr. Spear,” when he addressed him. Tom came forward when his name was called.

“How is it you happen to be here, Mr. Speers?” asked the Prince.

“I was detailed to act as chief officer of this vessel, by the captain of the Tritonia, sir,” replied Tom, wondering how Mr. Frisbone happened to know any thing about him.

“I know; but you were sent for by my friend Judge Rodwood, to go to England.”

“I did not go, sir.”

“Well, we won’t stop to talk about that now. We must go to work on the steamer at once, and have her in good condition in case another storm comes on,” said Mr. Frisbone, suddenly changing his tone and manner.

But, before the officers left the cabin, he introduced them to his wife and her sister; then the party took a look at the vessel below. Mr. Rimmer had been studying the hole in the starboard bow since he came on board, and by this time he was hard at work repairing the damage. Two seamen, who had a taste for carpentry, were detailed to assist him. Until the hole was stopped, nothing could be done towards righting the vessel; for she lay just in the proper position to enable the carpenter to do his work to the best advantage.

Mr. Rimmer intended to do the job in a much more thorough manner than he had at first proposed, for the reason that he found the materials for it on board. He proceeded to splice the broken ribs, and then to plank them over, as the work would have been done in a ship-yard. A stage was rigged, and lowered over the side; and, while the carpenter was getting out his stock, his assistants removed the broken planking. The heavy rolling of the vessel interfered very much with operations on the stage; but the workmen were very zealous, and made good progress in spite of all the disadvantages.

In the mean time Mr. Frisbone and the rest of the ship’s company were preparing to right the steamer, and pump the water out of her, as soon as this work could be undertaken. The steam-pump was put in good order; and every thing about the vessel was restored to its usual condition, so far as it was possible to do so.

In the afternoon the wind abated almost to a calm, and a boat came from the Tritonia to pay the steamer a visit. Mr. Marline was in it, with one of the stewards who had been a ship-carpenter. Both of them went to work with Mr. Rimmer, and before dark the hole was planked over. As there were some indications of bad weather again, the Tritonia’s boat returned, and Mr. Rimmer and his assistants proceeded to calk the seams by the light of the lanterns. By midnight the job was completed, even to coppering the part below the water-line.

Before eight bells in the evening, the ship’s company had been divided into two watches, as in the merchant service. One watch had turned in at eight bells; but all hands were called at midnight, when the repairs were finished. At this time the steam-pump was started, and it discharged the water at a very rapid rate. Mr. Rimmer followed the water as it receded in the hold, to ascertain if there was any leak in the bottom; but none was found.

The steamer had for a cargo the parts of an iron bridge, and the labels upon them indicated that it was consigned to a firm in Barcelona. One of the heaviest of the pieces had shifted from its position in the hold, throwing others out of place, till their weight had heeled the vessel over as the party had found her.

“Well, Capt. O’Hara, do you think you can stow this cargo over again so as to right the vessel?” asked Mr. Frisbone, when the pump had worked long enough to afford them a full view of the condition of the hold.

“I have no doubt I can,” replied O’Hara confidently.

“But some of those pieces weigh several tons,” suggested the Prince.

“But we have a donkey-engine on deck; and, with snatch-blocks, we can apply the power in any direction we desire.”

“Precisely so: I see that you are master of the situation.”

The captain had already caused the necessary blocks and rigging to be collected in the hold. The assistant engineer was stationed at the donkey-engine, the snatch-blocks were arranged for moving the heaviest piece of the bridge, and the rope was adjusted. A chain sling was attached to the iron, and the line made fast to it.

“Go ahead!” said O’Hara, when every thing was ready; and the order was passed along the line of seamen until it reached the officer in charge of the donkey-engine.

The rope straightened and strained as the power was applied; and then the huge mass of iron began slowly to move in the required direction. Mr. Rimmer and his gang placed the skids, and in the course of half an hour the piece was moved to the place indicated by the carpenter. The steamer came up on an even keel as the heavy weight changed position.

“But she is down too much by the stern,” said Mr. Rimmer, when the piece had been blocked securely in its place.

“I see why that is,” added the Prince. “Half a dozen of those tube pieces have rolled out of the places where they were first stowed.”

These were restored to their original beds as indicated by the blocking; and they had doubtless been thrown out of place by the shifting of the larger piece.

“The vessel is in good trim now,” said Mr. Rimmer, wiping the perspiration from his brow. “Those pieces will not move again unless the steamer goes over on her beam-ends.”

The party left the hold, and hastened on deck. The weather was still mild, though the sky was clouded over. The captain sent an order to the chief engineer, directing him to get up steam. The fires had been started in the furnaces; but only steam enough had been made to work the donkey-engine, which was not furnished with a separate boiler, as in many vessels.

The amateur firemen had been fully instructed in their duties by Mr. Frisbone, who remained in the fire-room till morning. Thus far the seamen considered the hot and dirty work as good fun; but they were not likely to hold this opinion for any length of time. Four hands had been detailed from each watch to serve as firemen; and these were to work two at a time, so that only two hours’ service were required of each, or six hours a day. The fire-room was well ventilated, so that it was not so intensely hot as in many steamers. A lot of cast-off woollen shirts and trousers had been brought from the Tritonia for the use of the firemen.

Mr. Frisbone did not like the looks of the quarters occupied by the French sailors and firemen; and he insisted that the seamen should be berthed in the cabin. There were state-rooms enough to accommodate them all; but the part of the cabin used by the officers was separated from that of the seamen by a curtain sliding on a brass rod.

The steamer was the Ville d’Angers. She was evidently a nearly new vessel, of about six hundred tons. Unlike most of the English steamers, she had a pilot-house forward, as in American vessels of this kind. Her cabin was handsomely fitted up, and she appeared to be a first-class steamer in every respect.

O’Hara went into the pilot-house, when the work below was completed. Tom Speers followed him, for there was nothing more to be done till the engineer should report that he had steam enough to start her.

“This will be a big spree, my boy,” said the captain, as he seated himself by the wheel.

“The biggest that ever happened. I am amazed to find myself in it,” replied Tom. “I don’t see how I came to be appointed to the second place on board, when there are so many fellows above me that wanted to take a hand in this business.”

“You don’t see it? Then I’ll tell you, my boy,” added the captain with a jolly laugh, as though he enjoyed the situation.

“I suppose you helped me into the place.”

“Troth, I did, thin! You see, when a fellow like you, rotten with stamps, with millions in prospect, and a letter of credit for thousands in his trousers-pocket, comes along, it is well to get on the right side of him,” continued O’Hara, laughing all the time.

“I don’t believe the money had any thing to do with it,” protested Tom. “You are the farthest from a selfish fellow of all the ship’s company; and I won’t believe what you say of yourself.”

“Thank you for so much, my lad. But I’ll bet a hackle, if the fellows knew how rich you are, they would say that’s the rayson. When Capt. Wainwright told me beforehand that he should give me the command of the steamer, which he didn’t do till he had talked it over with Mr. Marline, he asked me to tell him who I wanted for officers. Your name was the first I gave him; so don’t forget me when you make your will.”

“I certainly will not if I have any thing to leave,” replied Tom.

“Steam up!” shouted Alexander through the speaking-tube which connected with the engine-room.

“Then we are all ready to go ahead. Have you seen the Tritonia’s lights lately, Tom?” said O’Hara, looking out in the direction from which they had been last seen.

“I have not: we have all been so busy that we have not thought of her. She has been standing off and on all night, I suppose.”

“There she is, astern of us,” added O’Hara. “We must run down and report the state of things on board to the captain. Call the quartermaster and a seaman to take the wheel, if you please, Tom.”

The two hands were called into the pilot-house, and the quartermaster was given the charge of the wheel. The other hand was required to assist him, for the officers had not yet learned how much force was needed to steer the steamer.

“Do you know any thing about these jinglers, Burley?” asked the captain, as the quartermaster took the wheel.

“Yes, sir: the chief engineer told me all about them,” replied Burley.

“Start her, then,” added the captain.

The quartermaster pulled the bell-handle on the wheel-frame. The hissing steam was heard below; the vessel jarred a little; and then she went ahead.

“The course, if you please?” inquired the quartermaster.

“Run for the Tritonia; but be sure you don’t run over her,” replied O’Hara. “She is astern of us now.”

“For the Tritonia, sir,” repeated Burley, as he threw the wheel over.

“We are actually moving!” said O’Hara, as he left the pilot-house, followed by Speers.

“I think there is no doubt of that,” replied the chief officer. “Have you any idea where we are going?”

“Not the least in the world; but, the nearer the port, the shorter our term of office. I wish we were bound to New York, or some other port on the other side of the ocean; for I should like a long cruise under present circumstances.”

“So should I; but I suppose we shall have only a day or two of it at the most.”

“We shall soon know where we are going; for I suppose Capt. Wainwright has been studying on that question since he sent us on board of the steamer.”

O’Hara then directed that the starboard watch, which had been on duty all night, should be relieved. It was two o’clock in the morning, and they were to be called at four. This was Tom Speers’s watch; but he was not inclined to turn in before the captain had reported to the Tritonia. Raymond was now in charge of the deck, and Tom had nothing to do. He went into the cabin, and to his surprise found that Miss Rodwood was there.

Tom touched his cap to her, and remarked that she was up late. There had been so much noise in the hold, that she could not sleep, and she had got up. The officer seated himself on a divan, and he could not keep his eyes off the fair passenger.

Miss Rodwood was walking up and down the cabin; and Tom could not help thinking again that she was a very pretty girl. She was very pale, and no doubt her recent experience on shipboard had been a severe trial to her nerves. Tom noticed that there was something very strange about her expression. He could not explain it; but he was confident that she was suffering from some cause. She did not seem to be in bodily pain. The motion of the vessel was tolerably easy compared with what it had been, so that she had no difficulty in walking on the cabin floor. The curtain partition was open on one side of the table, so that the lady extended her walk to the entire length of the apartment.

She kept quickening her pace till she was going almost at a run; but she moderated it as she approached the young officer. Tom watched her with increasing interest, as she appeared to grow more excited. He was sure now that something was the matter with her; and he felt that something ought to be done for her.

“The weather has been very favorable for our work,” said Tom, desiring to ascertain something more about the lady’s condition through the medium of conversation.

“I suppose it has,” she replied, with a nod, and continued her walk.

Tom saw that her eye looked a little wild. He decided that he ought to inform Mr. Frisbone of her condition, though he hardly understood enough of such matters to determine whether any thing was the matter with her.

While he was thinking of the case, he saw Miss Rodwood ascend a flight of stairs in the forward part of the cabin, leading to the hurricane-deck. He rushed out at the main entrance, and ran up the ladder. The lady was walking very fast towards the stern of the vessel. He concluded that she had come up to take the air; and she would certainly regard it as impertinent for him to follow her. He paused to consider what he should do.

He saw O’Hara planking the main deck from the waist forward. He would speak to him, and ask him to send for Mr. Frisbone. He descended to the main deck, and hailed the captain.

“I thought you had turned in, my boy,” said the captain lightly.

“No: I thought I would stay up till you have communicated with the Tritonia,” replied Tom. “Have you noticed any thing strange about the young lady on board, O’Hara?”

“Upon me sowl, I haven’t, except that she is as pretty a girl as I have set eyes on for seven years; and that’s saying a great dale,” answered the captain.

“Don’t joke, please, just now, O’Hara. I think something ails the young lady; and I’m afraid it’s something serious,” added Tom.

“You don’t mane it! What could ail a girl as pretty as she is?”

Tom took five minutes to tell what he had observed in the cabin.

“Is it crazy she is? Is that what you mane?” demanded O’Hara, not a little excited by the inference he drew from what his companion had said.

“You needn’t call it by any such name as that. I believe she is an invalid; and, after all she has been through during the last twenty-four hours, it wouldn’t be very strange if she were a little out of her head. I don’t like to lose sight of her. There she is, walking up and down the poop-deck as though she were running a race with her own shadow. Will you send one of the watch down to tell Mr. Frisbone how it is with her, or ask him to come on deck without saying what is wanted?”

“Troth, I’ll do so myself!” replied the captain, hurrying down through the engine-room.

He had hardly disappeared before Miss Rodwood started to run with all her might towards the stern of the steamer. Tom Speers leaped up the ladder to the hurricane-deck in season to see her spring over the low railing into the sea.

“Man overboard! man overboard! Stop her!” cried Tom at the top of his lungs; and they were not feeble lungs.

He cut loose the life-buoy which was lashed to the railing, and threw it overboard. But Tom was not content with this action: he kicked off his shoes, and stepped out of his heavy pea-jacket and coat at the same moment, and plunged into the sea.