CHAPTER XVII

THE ABANDONED VESSEL

“I can’t reach him!” cried Ned, leaning as far over as he could, hatchet in hand.

“Have to pull him closer,” panted Sam. “Altogether now, boys!”

The three grasped the chain and hauled. Nearer and nearer, came the fighting shark. The jaws never ceased snapping in an endeavor to bite through the chain.

“Quick, Ned!” cried Jerry.

Ned raised the keen little axe. Resting one hand on the gunwale he leaned forward, and, with all his strength sent the blade into the head of the big fish. It was buried almost to the handle.

There was one wild, convulsive lashing of the tail, one final tremendous effort on the part of the shark to break away. Then, with a quiver, which almost shook loose the hold of Sam and the boys, the big fish was helpless.

“There!” remarked the sailor, with a sigh of relief, “that was a fine catch, and a bigger one than I counted on. He put up a good fight.”

“How big is he?” asked Jerry, as he wrapped his handkerchief around his hand where the rope had cut it.

“Seven feet if he’s an inch,” replied Sam. “Folks’ll pay money to see him.”

“Looks as if some were coming now,” put in Bob.

They all glanced toward shore, as they were now opposite Harmon Beach, and from the summer resort a number of boats were putting off, headed for the _Dartaway_.

“Wonder what’s up?” said Jerry.

Sam was engaged in putting a line about the shark’s tail, by means of a boat hook, in order to secure his prize, as the barb might pull from the jaw. On his direction the boys also put a cable about the fish’s gills, and the two lines were fastened to a cleat at the stern of the craft.

“Now we’ll head for shore,” said the sailor.

By this time several motor boats were within hailing distance of the boys’ craft.

“What’s the matter? Are you sinking? Do you want any help?” were some of the cries.

“No, we’re just shark-hunting,” replied Jerry.

“It looked, from shore, as though you were trying to keep the boat from sinking,” said a young fellow in the nearest craft. “There was a general alarm, and we all started out for you.”

“Much obliged,” Jerry replied. “But we’re all right.”

The other boats crowded around, the occupants looking in wonder at the big fish, which was being towed close to the surface. The shark was taken safely ashore and Sam, showing his prize under canvas, reaped another harvest, only not so large as in the case of the whale.

“What will you boys do next?” asked Mrs. Hopkins with something like despair in her tones, when she heard of the latest adventure of her son and his chums. “Jerry, I’m afraid to have you go out in that boat.”

“Why, there’s no danger, mother. We can all swim.”

“But suppose a shark, like the one you caught, should come after you?”

“Those aren’t the kind that eat people,” put in Ned, anxious to reassure Mrs. Hopkins.

“I’ll never go bathing again unless it’s in the tank,” said the widow. “I’ll always be thinking of sharks.”

“We haven’t begun to exhaust the possibilities of this place,” put in Jerry.

“Now do be careful, please,” begged Mrs. Hopkins, and the boys promised faithfully.

The boys remembered this promise about three days. In that time they turned down a request of Sam’s that they go off on another shark-hunting expedition, and also one to take a long cruise to the southern part of the coast after another whale, he said he had heard was sighted.

“We’d like to help you, Sam,” said Jerry. “But it’s too much risk.”

“Well I’ll bet you boys will take bigger ones when I’m not with you,” the sailor said. “Never mind, I’ve made more money this summer than I ever did in a season before, thanks to you. Any time you want Sam’s help, just come to him,” and he strolled off singing:

“I caught a shark, I caught a whale, I caught a lobster by the tail. I caught a skate, I caught its mate, All hands on deck and don’t be late!”

“It’s about time we made a trip to the other lighthouse to see if we can spot Bill Berry,” remarked Ned one afternoon.

“Shall we ask Sam to go along?” came from Jerry.

“Well, he seems to know the ropes, and he’s lots of fun. Besides we sort of turned him down the last time he asked us to go out.”

It was agreed that they would take the old sailor, but when they sought him they learned he had gone off for a couple of days on a fishing trip. They decided they would await his return. In the meanwhile they made short trips up and down the beach, going ashore to have lunch, which was served from the boat’s pantry. Mrs. Hopkins was a guest on one or two occasions.

One morning the boys were awakened at the cottage by a loud pounding at the kitchen door. None of the servants was up and Jerry, poking his head from his bed room window, which overlooked the rear entrance, called out:

“Who’s there?”

“It’s me! Sam! Hurry up boys!”

“What’s the matter? Is the place on fire?”

“No, but there’s a big vessel gone on the reef down the coast.”

“A wreck?”

“Yes, and she’s abandoned.”

“Anybody killed?”

“No, the life-savers got every one off. But there’s a chance to pick up some cargo, and make money. She’s pounding to pieces fast. Hurry, ’fore the other boats get ahead of us. All hands on deck!”

“What’s the matter?” inquired Mrs. Hopkins, who was awakened by Sam’s excited voice.

“Oh, he wants us to go out and see a wreck,” spoke her son.

“Now, Jerry, be careful.”

“I will, mother. There’s no danger. Hi! Ned and Bob! Going to sleep all day?”

His chums got up in a hurry at the hail and, while they were dressing, Jerry told them what Sam had said.

“He’s always around when there’s a chance to make money,” commented Ned.

“It’ll be worth while to see a wreck,” Bob remarked. “I’m glad the crew and passengers were saved.”

The boys made a hurried breakfast and then went down to the dock where the _Dartaway_ was tied. They found Sam before them, getting things ready for the trip. He had a number of boat-hooks and several coils of rope.

“Might as well go at this thing scientific,” he said. “We ought to be able to pick up a good bit of the floating cargo.”

“How did it happen?” asked Ned.

“Made a mistake in the lights, I hear,” the sailor replied. “Thought they were further up the coast. It was thick last night, and they went on the reef. Valuable cargo, too, and they threw a lot overboard, trying to lighten the ship, before they found it was hopeless.”

In a little while the _Dartaway_ was speeding out of the harbor, and down the coast toward the wrecked vessel. The haze of the night before had lifted and the air was clear. The sea was calm, though Sam seemed a little surprised as he glanced at the barometer.

“She’s falling,” he muttered.

“What does that mean?” asked Bob.

“Well, it generally indicates a storm,” the sailor replied. “But I guess we’ll be back long before it comes. There’s no sign of it now.”

The boat was speeding along at good speed. The coast line opened up as they forged ahead, and soon they had a good view of a broad expanse of water.

“There she is!” cried Sam, pointing ahead.

“What?” inquired the boys all at once.

“The wreck.”

“I can’t see anything,” objected Ned.

“See that little black speck, just below where that gull is hovering?”

“Yes.”

“That’s it.”

“Must be quite a way out,” commented Jerry.

“Seven miles,” the sailor replied. “But that’s nothing. The whale took us farther.”