Brandon of the Engineers

"I thought of leaving the last few bags of coal," Jake remarked. "There's

not much life in her and we take some chances of being washed off if she

meets a breaking sea."

"It's a long run and we'll soon burn down the coal, particularly as we'll

have to drive her hard to catch the Danish boat," Dick replied. "If we

can do that, we'll get Kenwardine's steamer at her last port of call.

It's lucky she isn't going direct to Kingston."

"You have cut things rather fine, but I suppose you worked it out from

the sailing lists. The worst is that following the coast like this takes

us off our course."

Dick nodded. After making some calculations with Don Sebastian's help, he

had found it would be possible to catch a small Danish steamer that would

take them to a port at which Kenwardine's boat would arrive shortly

afterwards. But since it had been given out that he was going to Coronal,

he must keep near the coast until he passed Adexe. This was necessary,

because Kenwardine would not risk a visit to Jamaica, which was British

territory, if he thought he was being followed.

"We'll make it all right if the weather keeps fine," he answered.

They passed Adexe in the afternoon and boldly turned seawards across a

wide bay. At sunset the coast showed faintly in the distance, obscured by

the evening mist, and the land breeze began to blow. It was hot and

filled with strange, sour and spicy smells, and stirred the sea into

short, white ripples that rapidly got larger. They washed across the

boat's half-immersed stern and now and then splashed on board at her

waist; but Dick kept the engine going full speed and sat at the tiller

with his eyes fixed upon the compass. It was not easy to steer by,

because the lurching boat was short and the card span in erratic jerks

when she began to yaw about, swerving off her course as she rose with the

seas.

The night got very dark, for the land-breeze brought off a haze, but the

engine lamp and glow from the furnace door threw an elusive glimmer about

the craft. White sea-crests chased and caught her up, and rolling forward

broke between the funnel and the bows. Water splashed on board, the

engine hissed as the spray fell on it, and the floorings got wet. One

could see the foam on deck wash about the headledge forward as the bows

went up with a sluggishness that was the consequence of carrying an extra

load of coal.

The fireman could not steer by compass, and after a time Jake took the

helm from his tired companion. Dick lay down under the side deck, from

which showers of brine poured close beside his head, but did not go to

sleep. He was thinking of Clare and what he must do when he met her

father. It was important that they should catch Kenwardine's boat, since

he must not be allowed to land and finish his business before they

arrived. In the meanwhile, he listened to the measured clank of the

engine, which quickened when the top blade of the screw swung out. So

long as she did not lift the others she would travel well, but by and by

he heard a splash in the crank-pit and called to the fireman, who started

the pump.