“I should think it would be,” said Bert. “You generally hear a lot about the romantic side of accidents at sea, but I guess the people actually mixed up in them look at the matter from a different point of view.”
“Nae doot, nae doot,” agreed the old Scotsman, “and what credit do ye suppose we got for all our work? The papers were full o’ the bravery and cael headedness the skipper had exhibited, but what o’ us poor deils wha’ had sweated and slaved twae mortal day an nichts in a swelterin’, suffercatin’ hold, whi’ sure death for us gin anything sprang a leak and the ship sank? Wae’d a’ had nae chanct t’ git on deck and in a boat. Wae’d have been drounded like wee rats in a trap. I prasume nobody thocht o’ that, howiver.”
“That’s the way it generally works out, I’ve noticed,” said Bert. “Of course, many times the captain does deserve much or all the credit, but the newspapers never take the trouble to find out the facts. You can bet your case wasn’t the first of the kind that ever occurred.”
“’Tis as you say,” agreed the engineer; “but nae we must back to the engine room, me laddie. I canna feel easy when I am far frae it.”
Accordingly they retraced their course, and were soon back in the room where the machinery toiled patiently day and night, never groaning or complaining when taken proper care of, as you may be sure these engines were. MacGregor would have preferred to have somebody make a slighting remark about him than about his idolized engines, and would have been less quick to resent it.
Bert was about to take his leave, when suddenly Tom and Dick came tumbling recklessly down the steep ladder leading to the engine room, and fairly fell down the last few rounds.
“Say, Bert, beat it up on deck,” exclaimed Tom, as soon as he was able to get his breath. “We sighted an island an hour or so ago, and as we get nearer to it we can see that there’s a signal of some sort on it. Captain Manning says that none of the islands hereabout are inhabited, so it looks as though somebody had been shipwrecked there. The skipper’s ordered the course changed so as to head straight toward it, and we ought to be within landing distance in less than an hour.”
“Hooray!” yelled Bert. “I’ll give you a race up, fellows, and see who gets on deck first,” and so saying he made a dive for the ladder. Dick and Tom made a rush to intercept him, but Bert beat them by a fraction of an inch, and went up the steep iron ladder with as much agility as any monkey. The others were close at his heels, however, and in less time than it takes to tell they were all on deck.
Dick and Tom pointed out the island to Bert, and there, sure enough, he saw what appeared to be a remnant of some flag nailed to an upright branch planted in the ground. They were not more than a mile from the island by this time, and soon Captain Manning rang the gong for half speed ahead. A few moments later he gave the signal to shut off power, and the vibration of the ship’s engines ceased abruptly. The sudden stopping of the vibration to which by now they had become so accustomed that it seemed part of life came almost like a blow to the three young men, and they were obliged to laugh.