Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-03-03
CHAPTER XIV.
Danger Above and Below.

- ucCOQ OF u0cOuCern. ouG
was policy to do 90, lest .somethin
worse might befall. and Matt an
Chris were perseveringly friendly t
the careworn captain, and to the sulky
sardonic mate. They Judged 1t wis
10 talk great deal Of the Tokelaus
and Of their plan afterward to reacl
Samoa and start a little cacao plan
tation.
Matt's cry, wrung from his despera
ton. that he would sink the schoone
had given him the germ Of an idea
Yes. why not sink her-not from an.
notion Of wild revenge. but as vel
calculated solution Of the perils SUI
rounding them? To wait. In fact. un
til they knew there were islands nea
them and then. sinking the vessel
compel Schwartz to take to the sur
boat. This was fine, big, carvel bull
boat. twenty-six feet long, and Mat
tested 1t with his penknife to maxi
sure II was sound. 1t would easil.
hold all hands. with ample provision
and water. and trip Of sixty or eight!
miles in It would be no terrible hard
ship. Compared to the unknown dan
gers that grew daily nearer, the haz
ard of such an escape seemed small In
deed. And once ashore, anywher'
ashore-they would be safe. for, how
ever primitive and loose the little ma
tive governments are, they are strong
enough to protect the lives and per
sons Of those within their rule.
But to sink the Esmeralda! Tha
was so easy to say! OF course a stcl
Of dynamite would send her to the bot
tom in short order. and there was plen
ty Of the deadly stuff in the trade
room, together with Gays and fuses
But that was suicide. That was t
open a barn door to the Pacific ocean
The alternative was to chisel goot
sized hole In her cardboard streak ant
give it about twice the bore Of a bilg'
pump.
The Esmeralda had an unusually
good pump. worked by a couple OF
hand spikes. and throwing a FIVE Incl
stream. Matt squared the circle In
dustriously and then doubled the re-
suit, going over these calculations
again and again to make sure OF nc
mistake. What he aimed to accom-
plish was Il leak that would force
Schwartz to lay the vessel toward tht
nearest land. and perhaps bring 1t into
view before there would be any need
to take refuge In the whaler. On q
two to one ratio of leak against pump
ne hoped the ESmeralda might stay
float for ten or twelve hours after
he had achieved his purpose.
They were twenty-four days out OF
san Francisco when the first land
:ose over the horizon, To Matt the
sight of the island was like a signal;
it made him acutely restless and un-
comfortable; he was possessed with
the suffocating sense Of almost terror
that precedes all desperate deeds. Tax
ing advantage Of the commotion on
deck. he ran below. watched his op'
portunity. and entered the trade room.
No cracksman, on his knees before q
safe. and thrillingly conscious that at
any moment he might be interrupted,
could have experienced more trepida-
ton than did Matt as he sought out a
case Of axes and pried open the lid.
He seized one. he went down on his
knees before the hatch and fumbled
with the ring countersunk in the plank
Ing.
The hold was about nine or ten feet
deep: he peered in again. gauging
it. Rope? There was rope every
where. compactly coiled and burlapped.
1t would be quite a bother. though.
to cut the fastenings; new rope also
was sure to kink-to tangle and twist
itself into snarls. Why not a bolt OF
that stout red cotton. 1t would be
Just us efficacious-more efficacious-
timber. He made the loose end fast to
a keg Of nails and tossed the bolt itself
down the hatchway; lowered the ax
after it on a piece Of twine: also q key
saw and a pair of chisels on another
piece Of twine.
Crushing the cotton in his hands. he
swung over the opening and let him.
self 60. His feet touched the iron bars:
all about him It was as black as pitch
except under the twilight Of the hatch.
The air was stale and sitting and reek.
ing of bilge water.
Getting his tools together. he got
vigorously to work. ripping of a big
patch of the inner skin and laying open
beyond the real object Of attack. The
next step required more delicate meth
ods-more care and skill. One fissure,
however small. in the outer plankine
might admit so fierce gush Of water
that the task would have to be rebe.
gun elsewhere with all its attendant
delay. But there was no time for de
lay-not an instant Above him was
the unlocked door-the open hatch
urging him to feverish haste.
He marked q good sized square on
the planking. mindful that the copper
outside would help to check the inflow,
and set to pairing the wood away as
evenly as he could with the chisel. 1t
was Oregon pine and came OF In
bright. clean shavings. sticky with
gum. He dug deeper and deeper; the
square sank into the yellow timber: he
was as assiduous as ever, though the
effort became harder to keep the sur
face fat and uniform. He was drip
ping with sweat: the ak was heavy
and extremely awkward to hold
cramping his right hand and annoying
him with It's cumbersome handle.
Dropping the chisel, he ran bis hand
down the az handle. gripped and. aim
Ing the blunt end Of the az at the ap'
srture, let ay With all his strength.
There was a fash Of greenish water
4 stupefyiug roar, blow In his chest
that hurled him sprawling backward
irenched, confused, almost senseless
Even at that depth the water was an
der a colossal pressure; 1t was ai
though a geyser had opened In the
ships side; the stream ran solid for si1
or seven feet. curved and burst Mat