At the Fall of Port Arthur/Chapter 17
CHAPTER XVII
THE RETAKING OF THE "COLUMBIA"
"We are in for another storm!"
It was Larry who made the remark. He was in one of the tops with Luke, gazing anxiously to the westward, where the black clouds were beginning to pile up.
"Right you are, lad—and it's going to be a heavy one, unless I miss my guess."
The storm broke half an hour later, and the wind and rain were so furious that our friends were glad to leave the top and go below. But some of the Japanese sailors did not appear to mind the lashing of the elements and remained on deck as if nothing out of the ordinary was occurring.
"These chaps beat me!" said Larry. "They are certainly as tough as pine knots. I never saw their equal."
"I'm beginning to think that the Japanese are a wonderful nation," put in Tom Grandon, seriously. "I used to look at them as something like the Chinese. But there is a wide difference between them and the Chinks."
"A Chinaman isn't in it alongside of a Japanese," came from Captain Ponsberry. "The Japanese are up-to-date and very progressive; the Chinese are about a hundred years behind the times."
The storm continued for the best part of half a day. There was but little thunder and lightning, but the wind blew a perfect gale. Yet even the Pocastra did not seem to mind the wind, and all three of the warships proceeded on their way at only a slightly reduced rate of speed.
"Such a gale as this will play havoc with the sailing vessels," said Larry. "I wonder how the old Columbia is making out?"
"I was thinking that same," rejoined Captain Ponsberry. "To tell the truth, I'd rather have her go to the bottom than see her taken to a Russian port as a prize."
When the storm cleared away, Larry was one of the first to go on deck, to get a whiff of "washed air," as he called it. The others followed.
"I see a sail!" cried the youth, a moment later, and at that instant came a cry from the lookout. Far to the eastward was a sailing vessel flying a signal of distress.
"She looks familiar to me!" ejaculated Captain Ponsberry, and ran to get Captain Tonkaka's glass. One glance through the instrument was enough.
"The Columbia!"
"Are you sure?" cried Larry.
"She certainly is the Columbia," said Tom Grandon, after a look through the glass. "She has lost her fore topmast and part of her bowsprit."
"And a part of the stern rail is gone," added Larry, after he too had used the glass. "Let us tell Captain Tonkaka," he added, starting to go below.
The news that the Columbia was in sight was soon circulated throughout the ship, and Captain Tonkaka at once signaled to the other warships that he was going to her assistance. Then the Mimora Juri steamed away on her new course.
As they drew closer to the schooner they could see that the storm had treated the gallant old ship roughly enough. Many of the sails were in ribbons, and not only the fore topmast but also half a dozen of the spars were gone. One end of the forecastle was stove in, and a part of the stern was a wreck.
"This is the worst yet!" cried Larry. "They must have caught more of the gale than we did."
"They didn't know how to handle her, that's the reason of it," came from Captain Ponsberry. "We have taken her through a worse blow than that; eh, Tom?"
"I think so," answered the second mate.
As soon as the Japanese warship was close enough a boat was lowered and an officer went aboard of the schooner, followed by several of his crew and Captain Ponsberry, Grandon, and Larry.
The Russians having the schooner in charge were meek enough. As a matter of fact the gale had terrorized them, and all had imagined they were surely going to the bottom of the sea. They did not like it to find themselves in the hands of the enemy and were astonished when they learned that the Pocastra had been captured.
"It was a fearful storm," said the Russian officer who was in charge. "Several times I fancied the masts would all go by the board. I shall never want another such experience. One man was washed overboard and several were badly hurt by the wrecking of the forecastle."
"Were any of my former men injured?" asked Captain Ponsberry.
"It was my fellow countryman, Ostag Semmel, who was swept overboard and drowned," answered the Russian officer.
"Semmel!" ejaculated Larry. He drew a long breath and his hatred of the man died all in an instant. "Poor chap! That was rough on him!"
"It certainly was rough," answered Captain Ponsberry. "And what of the others?"
"Both Peterson and Shamhaven were hurt, but not seriously. They are below resting," was the answer.
It was found that some of the seams of the schooner had opened but that no alarming quantity of water was running into the well. The Russians were asked to surrender as prisoners of war and this they did willingly, and were transferred to the Japanese warship. Then Captain Ponsberry was asked if he wished to take charge of the Columbia again.
"Will a duck swim!" he cried. "Of course I want to take charge. Hasn't she always been my ship? And my crew will want to go with me, I know."
"But the wreckage" began Captain Tonkaka.
"I'll attend to that, sir,—don't you worry. Only give me back my ship, that's all I ask."
"It shall be as you say, Captain Ponsberry. But when you get to Nagasaki you will have to settle matters with the Japanese Government. It is, all told, a rather peculiar case. In one way, she is now a Japanese prize of war, and in another way she is not."
"I understand, and the courts will have to settle the tangle, sir. I'll do what is fair, and I know the Richmond Importing Company will do the same."
"Then you can go aboard of the ship as soon as you please."
"Thank you very much."
Captain Ponsberry had returned to the warship for just this talk, and now he lost no time in getting back to the Columbia, taking with him all his crew, including Cal Vincent, who was just about able to get around once more.
"Hurrah!" cried Larry, "this seems like home once more, doesn't it?"
"That's what it does," answered Luke. "But there is plenty of work ahead, I can tell you that, lad."
"I don't care—work will help to pass the time."
When Peterson and Shamhaven saw Captain Ponsberry they did not know what to say. The loss of their leader, Semmel, had humbled them greatly.
"I'm not going to say much to you, seeing as how both of you are hurt," said the master of the Columbia, briefly. "But understand, I want no nonsense from either of you."
"I'll do all I can to assist you, captain," said Shamhaven, humbly. "All I want is another chance."
"Which you'll not get from me," was the quick rejoinder. "I know you thoroughly, Shamhaven, and I am done with you. You and Peterson aided the Russians and you can now consider yourselves under arrest. When we get into port I'm going to hand you over to the Japanese authorities."
Both of the culprits wanted to argue, but the captain would not listen. Their hurts were inspected and they were told that they would be allowed three days in which to recuperate, after which they would have to do their share of duty.
"I don't like this," growled Shamhaven, after the interview was over. "Peterson, we are in it deeper than ever."
"Dat is so," was the answer, with a scowl. "Vell, ve not put up mit him, hey? Maybe, ven we git near shore, we run avay, Shamhaven."
"Yes, if we can get the chance. But I don't know where you are going to run to—especially if you haven't any money."
"Ve git money."
"From where?"
"I ton't know dot yet, no, but've git him, yes. Captain Ponsberry must haf some, and dot Larry Russell, too. Vonce I see Russell mit a money pelt vot haf some gold in him, yes."
"A money belt with gold? You must be dreaming."
"No, I see him mit mine two eyes. He count der gold. He haf more as dirty pieces."
"That is worth remembering," answered Shamhaven. And he began to speculate upon what he could do in Japan if he was free and had a money belt full of gold.
That Larry had a money belt was true. He had purchased it several years before, while on shore duty in the Philippines. He was a saving fellow and found the belt useful in which to place his wages and the money which he occasionally received from home. Strange as it may seem, the belt had not been taken away from him by the Russians, and it now contained nearly three hundred dollars. The money was mostly in gold, for he had found that gold could be used no matter where he went.