The Wireless Operator—With the U. S. Coast Guard/Chapter 13
CHAPTER XIII
Henry Finds He Has an Enemy
SLOWLY the staunch little cutter steamed ahead. Had it not been for the broken rudder, the Capitol City could have gone on her way, unattended, as she was little damaged. But with her rudder injured, she was in a bad way. Although it was not entirely gone, and it helped somewhat in guiding the ship, still at times the huge craft yawed badly. By paying out more cable Captain Hardwick partly overcame this tendency to yaw. Nevertheless it was difficult enough to make headway, for the wind had now whipped around almost to the north, and for a time the two ships had to sail into the teeth of it. The Capitol City could not use the full power of her engines, but she kept her propeller turning, and this greatly lessened the burden on the cutter. Unless some unforeseen difficulty should arise, the two vessels would have no trouble in reaching their port.
There was much to be done on both ships, however. The captain of the disabled steamer wanted to get in touch with his agents, and inform them of the safety of the vessel. His wireless was still out of commission, and his messages had first to be sent to the Iroquois by blinkers and then relayed by wireless. So both Henry and his friend Belford were kept busy for a long time. Then, too, Henry had to get in touch with the Coast Guard land station where the men from the Iroquois had found shelter, and send instructions concerning them. The captain felt that he could operate the Iroquois with his little force for the short run to Boston and thence to New York. His men were willing to do double duty. It was necessary for him to get back to New York at the earliest possible moment. The run to Boston would require only a few hours. Then he could retrace his steps immediately. It was simpler to have the seamen go direct to New York and rejoin the Iroquois there, than to wait for them in Boston. So Henry got in touch with the land station and communicated the captain’s orders to that effect.
By the time the two young wireless men had finished their tasks, they were about worn out. It was far into the night. Belford had been on duty for many hours. Henry, though not on duty so long, was almost exhausted by the nervous strain under which he had been working. Furthermore, he would have to respond, at any moment, to any call for wireless communication.
“We must get to bed,” he said the moment their tasks were done. “Won’t you please call the other operator? Then we can arrange our watches.”
Belford summoned Black, who came into the radio shack, yawning. “I guess you’ll have to stand watch for a while, Black,” said Henry. “Things have got a little mixed up in the wireless house, but we’ll get them straightened out shortly. Suppose you stay until breakfast. That won’t be long. Then we can rearrange our watches.”
“That isn’t my regular watch,” said the young radio man, sullenly. “And why should you be telling me what to do, anyway? That’s up to Mr. Sharp.”
“But Mr. Sharp isn’t here,” replied Henry. “He went in one of the boats. I am working with you men. We’ve got to do the best we can under the circumstances. We’ll get things straightened out soon, and back in their old order.”
“And do you think I am going to take orders from you?” said the young operator, insolently.
Henry’s face flushed. An angry light leaped to his eyes, and his fist involuntarily clenched. But he took a grip on himself, and replied very slowly and deliberately: “It isn’t a question of taking orders, Black. The captain has asked me to work with you two men, and the three of us must pull together until we get the ship safe home. Aren’t you willing to do your share? Belford here has been working like a Trojan for I don’t know how many hours. He’s all worn out. We want you to take this trick. You'll have to watch close, for there’ll likely be calls for us. Summon me at once if you hear our call.”
“I reckon I can answer a call as well as anybody on this boat,” growled the scowling radio man.
“See here, Black,” said Henry. “Why do you want to make trouble? We’re still at sea, and we’ve got some tall traveling to do before we are back safe in New York. We’ve all got to pull together. I’m not asking you to do this for me. It’s for the good of the ship.” And then, noting the sullen look in the lad’s eyes, Henry continued: “There’s one thing more. I’m acting under orders from the captain. He has ordered me to take charge of the wireless. My instructions are to let no one touch the key but myself. All I can do is to pass those orders along. If you hear a call for the Iroquois, waken me at once. I’ll answer it.”
Young Black mumbled an unwilling assent, and swore under his breath. Henry and the other radio man passed out of the shack to the stateroom. They noticed that the wind had decreased greatly.
Once in the stateroom, Henry turned to his companion. “What do you suppose ails that fellow, Black?”
“I don’t know. None of us can make him out. He’s been snappy and surly ever since he came aboard a few months ago. He’s lazy—too lazy to study and practice and become a really good operator. But he is quick and reads wireless calls very well. He spends most of his time smoking cigarettes and reading dime novels. He’s simply crazy to use the wireless. He thinks he’s a great operator. The chief electrician would be glad to let him practice under his own supervision, the way he does with me. But he doesn’t want either of us to send when he isn’t present. He’s afraid we might burn out something. I don’t want to knock Black, but I’d be afraid to have him monkey with any machine I was responsible for myself. He’s the most careless, reckless fellow I ever saw.”
“But why should he take such an apparent dislike to me?” demanded Henry. “I’m a complete stranger to him. He hasn’t any possible reason for disliking me.”
“He thinks he has,” said Belford.
“He does? What is it?”
“Why, Mr. Sharp let you send a message on the wireless outfit yourself.”
“But Mr. Sharp was right beside me, to make sure I did no harm.”
“I know it, but that doesn’t make any difference with a fellow like Black. He dislikes you very much. He tried to tell me a long story about it. And to have you put over him as chief is more than he can stand. He’s a bad egg, I believe. And I’d watch him closely if I were you.”
“Of course I’ll watch him, if he’s likely to shirk his duty,” said Henry. “He might get the ship into trouble.”
“I don’t mean to watch him in that way. Watch him on your own account. I don’t know that he’d really do anything to anybody. But he’s always talking about fixing this fellow or that fellow. He might try to do you some harm.”
Henry smiled. “There’s little danger,” he said. “We’ll be in New York in a couple of days, and I’ll probably never see him again after that.”
But though Henry smiled at the idea of the young operator’s doing him harm, he could not dismiss from his mind so easily the feeling that had come to him of uneasiness for the boat itself. He got his nightclothes from the captain’s cabin, undressed, and slipped into the chief operator’s bunk. But weary though he was, he could not sleep. He was worried, and worry was almost a new sensation to him. He could not at first understand it. He would be almost asleep, then he would wake up with a start, his leg or arm jerking nervously. It was partly the reaction from the long strain he had been under. That sort of experience was absolutely new to him, and he could not forget the horrible things he had witnessed. But gradually he came to realize that there was something more to his restlessness than the reaction from nervous strain. Something was preying on his mind. After he had tossed sleeplessly on his mattress for a long time, he comprehended what was the matter. He was worried about the wireless.
This was the first time in his life that Henry had ever been placed in a situation of great responsibility. The responsibility was very real, too, for the lad understood that in large measure the safety of the ship now depended upon him. Much more than his own life was at stake. The lives of all the men left on the cutter, and the safety of the ship herself, might at any moment become absolutely dependent upon him. If no danger threatened aboard the Iroquois, there might yet be other lives and other ships endangered, and upon how well his instruments were cared for, and how thoroughly the watch was kept, would depend the possibility of catching those far-flung cries for help.
Had Henry been put in charge of the wireless thus suddenly and unexpectedly, under less harrowing circumstances, he doubtless would have felt the responsibility far less poignantly. But for hours past he had been watching the fight against death, and even death itself. He was nervously keyed up to a fearfully high pitch. His nerves would not let down. Doubtless it was the sense of responsibility that kept them taut. Again and again he told himself that it was his business to go to sleep and rest, so that he might be fit for duty when his turn came. But his arguments had no effect upon his nerves. He was unable to sleep.
For an hour or two he tossed in his bunk restlessly. Again and again he fell asleep, only to wake a few minutes later. The situation preyed on him. He could not keep his thoughts away from the radio shack. Suppose all was not right there. Suppose young Black was taking this time to defy orders and fool with the wireless key. Suppose when Henry woke up he should find the wireless out of commission. And suppose the Iroquois should break her rudder, or crack her shaft. She might, with such a strain on it, in such a sea. Suppose the captain should go wrong in his reckoning and the cutter should pile up on the sands, as the Capitol City had done. Suppose—suppose A hundred terrifying suppositions came into Henry’s mind. Finally he could stand them no longer. He rose, drew on his clothes, and made his way toward the radio shack. Light was beginning to illumine the eastern sky. The sea still heaved violently, but the wind had lost most of its force. Peace was returning to the troubled world.
Then Henry stepped inside of the radio shack, and stood as though petrified. Young Black lay back in his chair, his eyes tightly closed, snoring loudly. He was sound asleep. For all that Henry knew, he might have been asleep for a long time.
“Black,” said Henry sternly, touching the sleeping wireless man on the shoulder. When the sleeper merely grunted, Henry said, still more sternly, “Wake up!” And this time he shook the sleeper vigorously.
Slowly young Black opened his eyes. A savage oath burst from his lips as he saw who was standing before him and realized his situation. Then a crafty look came into his eyes. He laughed.
“Fooled you that time, didn’t I?” he chuckled. “You thought I was asleep.”
“No, you didn’t fool me,” said Henry. “I don’t think you were asleep. I know it. Put on your head-phones and attend to your business.”
All the ill nature in the other lad’s being leaped to the front. “You spy!” he snarled, with an oath. “So that’s the sort of chief radio man we've got, is it? A sneaking spy!”
For a moment it was all Henry could do to keep from hitting the lad. But he took a grip on himself and for a moment made no answer. Then he said: “I shall report this matter to the captain as soon as possible. You may go to your bunk. I will finish your watch myself.”
Slowly the third-class radio man arose and left the shack. At the door he turned and faced Henry. “You sneaking spy,” he said, with another oath, “if you tell the captain, I’ll fix you as sure as my name is Black.”