CHAPTER XXIX: OFF FOR SKULL ISLAND.
So far as Jack could judge, his uncle had fallen under the influence of the man, Terrill, to a considerable extent. This was shown when the boy broached the subject of making a stop at Skull Island to pick up the castaways.
“I don’t see how we can do that,� declared Terrill, “we lost several weeks’ time since the start repairing our schooner, the Morning Star; she sprung a leak and we had to put into Portland, Maine, for repairs.�
“Oh! I wondered why you were so long in getting this far north,� said Jack, “but, uncle, if you’ll give me the chart I’ll show you your direct course for Skull Island.�
“Those persons can get off without our aid,� demurred Terrill. “They have plenty of food and water and the Thespis knows of their plight. Depend upon it, they will be rescued without our making any more delays. My business suffers all the time I am away.�
Jack ignored him and turned to his uncle.
“Uncle Toby, you are the sailing master of the Morning Star?�
“Yes—er—that is Mr. Terrill—yes, decidedly so, my lad. What’s in the wind?â€�
“I want you to shape a course for Skull Island. It won’t delay you more than a few hours. It’s your bounden duty as a seaman to go to the aid of distressed mariners.�
“Um—er—that’s so, Mr. Terrill, you know,â€� stuttered Uncle Toby with a look at the other, who as drumming his long, bony fingers on the table in a devil’s tattoo.
“I know nothing about all that. I’m a business man. Time is money,� snapped Mr. Terrill.
“I’d like to do it,â€� said Uncle Toby, “yes, sir, I’d like to do that—everything but——â€�
“See here, Uncle Toby,� cut in Jack, “haven’t you often told me of your shipwrecks and how gallantly you have been rescued. Didn’t you say that no man worthy to tread the quarter deck of a ship would ever ignore a call for help?�
“Humph!—yes, that’s so. And I think so, too,â€� rejoined Uncle Toby, with a flash of his old spirit, “set the chart, Jack.â€�
Jack, seeing that he had touched the right chord and gained a momentary ascendency over Terrill, hastened to get the great paper roll from the rack where it was kept.
“Here’s Skull Island,� he said. “If you follow a direct course you can be there by daylight.�
“By chowder, that’s true enough, lad,� cried Uncle Toby. He brought his withered fist down on the table with a bang. “I’ll do it, Terrill. It won’t delay us much and, consarn it all, man, it’s nothing more than common humanity.�
“That may be, but it’s not common sense,� grumbled Terrill, and retired to his cabin, leaving Jack with a victory on his hands. Before they turned in Jack and Uncle Toby went on deck and the latter gave orders for the course to be shaped for Skull Island.
“Call me as soon as its sighted,� he said, “you should pick it up about daybreak.�
“If only I had saved my wireless,� thought Jack, as he turned in that night. “As things are now I can’t let Captain Simms know of what has happened and he’ll think something has gone wrong, either through carelessness or some other cause. Oh, well, after all Raynor, by some wonderful means, has got a radio set, and I can use that. I wish it was morning, I can hardly wait till we sight Skull Island. Good old Raynor, something told me right along that he would turn up safe and sound, and he has.�
“I’m going up to the flagstaff to keep a lookout,� said Raynor as he shook himself out of his blankets the next morning. “Jack ought to be heaving in sight any time now.�
“Dat’s so,� agreed Noddy, “an’ dat old canary cage of a wireless did de trick after all. Well, I take it all back. Frum now on I b’live all I hear.�
The two lads dressed quickly and made their way to the flagstaff. In the meantime Pompey set to work to build a fire. He hacked vigorously at the tough wood which he had gathered from the wind-twisted brush patches that dotted the island.
“Mah goodness alive,� he muttered to himself as he worked, “dis wood am as tuff as a thirty-year-ole rooster. Dere! Take dat yo’ ole stick. Gollyumption, ef I hit as hard as dat agin I’m li’bul ter chop a hole in de flo’ ob dis ole hut. But ah don’ care ef I do. We alls is gwine away froum hyah ter-day. Dat hair-oil machine done do de job.�
The negro poised his axe to give a stick laid across two others a mighty blow which should break it in half.
Smash! The axe fell with all the strength of the negro’s arms behind it. The next instant there was a crash and simultaneously a yell broke from Pompey. One fragment of the wood had flown up and hit him in the eye.
The other had hurtled across the room and crashed against the delicate coherer of the wireless set, rendering it useless. Pompey forgot about his swelling eye as he saw this.
“Mah goodness, dat stick done bust dat hair-oil machine!� he gasped. “Gollyumption, what’ll ah do? Gracious hyah comes de boys now too. Dey am running. Dey mus’ hab news. What am it?� he exclaimed as Raynor and Noddy burst into the hut.
“It’s a schooner. A schooner making straight for the island!� panted Raynor.
“But I thought yo’ frens was coming in a lilly gasolene boat?� said Pompey.
“So did I. I can’t make it out. The schooner is coming for the island sure enough, though. She’ll be dropping anchor in half an hour. But where on earth can Jack be? Guess I’ll see if I can pick anything up by wireless.�
“Uh-uh-uh, Massa Raynor,â€� sputtered Pompey, clutching his sleeve nervously, “ah-ah-ah——â€�
“What’s the matter? Are you choking?�
“Nun-nun-no, sah. But de fac’ is dat a bit ob wood jump up frum whar ah wuz chopping it an’——â€�
“Great Scott, the detector’s broken and the wireless is out of commission. Confound you, Pompey, I’ve a great mind to——â€�
“B-o-o-m!�
The sound of a heavy report came from seaward.
“Gee! a choint cracker!� exclaimed Noddy.
“No, that was a gun. The schooner is firing to attract our attention,� cried Raynor, “come on, Noddy.�
Both boys raced from the hut, their eyes aglow with excitement. Pompey stood still just as they had left him. He didn’t look comfortable. He began casting anxious glances about the hut as if looking for some place to hide.
“Gollyumption, ah don’ see no place ob concealment in de occurrents dat dey is pirates or somethin’ like dat,� he muttered in an alarmed tone, “ah wish ah’d nebber shipped on dat Polly Ann, das what ah do.�
The crashing sound of another gun made the negro jump almost out of his skin.
“Mah goodness, ah’ll turn white if dey keeps up dat,� he sputtered, “dat ain’t de way no fren’ly party greets yo’. No, sah, dat firin’ ob guns means, ‘Look out, dere. We alls got it in fo’ yoalls.’ Guess ah’ll hide under de blankets. Dere ain’t no udder place ter go.�