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.There Sandy went down on his knees beside a canvas-wrappedmound nestling against the bulkhead.His fingers tore at the lashings without effect.The ropes were frozen fast.Ken roused himself out of his despair and exhaustion."Knife," he said briefly, and fought his way around the corner to the cabindoor.When he came out he had the paring knife in his hand.193194 THE MYSTERY OF THE IRON BOXSandy took it from him and hacked at the icebound ropes until he could rip thecanvas off."It is a hand pump!" The wind threw his shout back into his teeth.Sandy braced himself against the storm's strength, grabbed the pump handle,and began to move it back and forth.It seemed a small weapon with which to fight the vast quantities of water thatmust already have accumulated in the barge, but Ken knew it was all they had.He took up a position opposite Sandy and bent his own back to the task.Suddenly a stream of dirty water began jetting from the outlet hole to splashon the deck."She's coming!" Sandy yelled."Faster!"Back and forth, back and forth, they worked the handle as rapidly as theycould.When a big wave raced over the aft bulwark and threatened to drownthem, they still hung onto the pump handle, and were working it again themoment the receding water let them breathe.Back and forth.back and forth.Under their heavy oilskins theirfrozen bodies began to warm up.Ten minutes went by, and then ten more.They were becoming uncomfortably hot.Page 76ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlSweat mingled with the salt spray on their faces.Their aching muscles criedfor rest.But they kept on.Back and forth.back and forth.Suddenly Ken knew that the agony of his parched throat was one thing he couldno longer bear."Water," he said."I need water."THE ffiON BOX AGAIN 195Sandy answered without losing his rhythm."Go ahead.I'll get some later."The cabin was warm and peaceful and quiet.Ken had to avoid passing near achair, for fear he would slump down on it and never rise again.He forcedhimself to hurry, gulping his drink and turning back toward the door themoment he had slaked his burning thirst.Back at the pump once more, he caught the rhythm quickly.And it wasn't so badnow, he thought.He must be getting numb.Back and forth.back and forth.Sandy seemed tireless.He even shookhis head when Ken motioned toward the cabin, indicating that he could keep thepump going alone if Sandy wanted to go inside for a moment.Back and forth.back and forth.Ken fastened his eyes on the stream of water that was pouring from the outlet.It seemed extremely small compared to the enormous amount of water that mustbe in the bilge."How fast?" he asked Sandy, jerking his head toward the outlet.Sandy understood his query."Two quarts a stroke."For a moment Ken thought he must be fooling.Only two quarts a stroke! He hadalready figured that they were pumping at about the rate of one stroke asecond.Now he tried to compute the results of their labors.Two quarts asecond-thirty gallons a minute.It wasn't enough! It couldn't be! Every time a wave washed over the bulwarksit probably dumped several hundred gallons of water into the hold-more thanthey could pump out in ten long minutes of back-196 THE MYSTERY OF THE IRON BOXbreaking work.And the waves came far oftener than once in every ten minutes.It was a losing battle."What's the use?" Ken shouted at Sandy, looking down at their steadily movinghands.Again Sandy understood."We're buying time.Can't keep her afloat forever, butmaybe something will happen.Ship might sight us.Or the storm might diedown."His body sagged slightly.The effort of speech, against the wind and on top ofhis weariness, had been too much.Ken tried to smile, and could feel the caking of salt on his cheeks crack whenhis muscles moved."Sure," he shouted."Something's bound to happen.Go inside and rest aminute."Sandy looked questioningly at the pump."I'll keep her going," Ken assured him.Sandy nodded.Then his figure disappeared around the corner of the cabin.Ken made himself keep an even pace.His impulse was to drive his muscles withevery bit of strength he could muster-to quicken the rate of the strokes.Buthe knew he couldn't maintain a faster speed for more than a moment, and thatthe effort would leave him completely exhausted.Back and forth.back and forth.The rhythm never broke except when abig wave came over the bulwarks and Ken had to put all his energies intohanging onto the handle to prevent himself from being swept off his feet.Back and forth.back and forth.Suddenly he was aware that Sandy had been gone a long time.THE IRON BOX AGAIN 197Ken felt panic seize him by the throat.If Sandy was lying unconscious in thecabin, too weak to get up-if he had been washed overboard-!Ken let go the pump handle and turned toward the rear of the cabin."Sandy! Sandy!" he called desperately into the wind.Page 77ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlAnd in that moment Sandy appeared at the corner of the cabin.With him wasCal, looking pale and obviously terror-stricken.Sandy's haggard face wore a grim smile."New recruit!" he shouted.He shovedCal forward, ordered him with a gesture to seize the pump handle.Then Sandy leaned close to Ken's ear."Go inside for a rest.We'll take turnsworking with him."Ken was still staring, stupefied."But-""Don't worry," Sandy told him."He knows we'll go down if he doesn't lend ahand.He's scared stiff."He looked at Cal, who seemed to be gazing at the pump as if he'd never seen itbefore."Work!" Sandy yelled."You-"None of them had noticed the big wave coming.Ken grabbed for the pump and ducked as the sweeping torrent landed.But the water shot Gal's feet out from under him and threw his big helplessbody toward the bulwark.Sandy grabbed him just before he went over.When thewave subsided he shoved Cal erect again."Now pump!" he yelled."And hang on the next time a wave comes over!" Then heseized the handle himself and nodded to Ken to take a breather inside.Ken moved toward the cabin door, still feeling dazed.Inside, out of the wind and the cold, he dropped onto198 THE MYSTERY OF THE IRON BOXthe lower bunk for a few minutes until his thudding heart slowed to normalagain.He had been startled when he saw Cal come out on deck with Sandy, but now-ashe thought it over-he realized that Gal's strength could be an asset insteadof something to dread.Now that he and Sandy both were free of their bondsthey could take care of Cal if it became necessary.In the meantime, Cal couldgive valuable service at the pump, spelling the boys one at a time.Sandy hadpointed out that they were buying time.Cal could help them to buy a littlemore of it.Ken looked at his watch.It was only half past nine! He felt as if days hadgone by since Sandy and he first staggered out onto the deck to try tore-start the pumping engine.Suddenly he realized that the fire in the stove had died down-that the cabinwas not as warm as it had been.He was beginning to shiver as his sweat- andsea-drenched clothes congealed.He struggled up from the bunk, shook the fire,and poured on more coal.Coffee, he thought-that's what we need.He found the coffeepot in a cornerunder the cupboards, filled it, and set it on the stove.Then he dived back toward the corner again.He had belatedly become aware ofan object that he had seen there-a two-burner gasoline stove, apparently foruse in the summer when the coal stove would not be kept going.Ken picked the small compact mechanism up and shook it.Its tank gurgled.There was gasoline inside! Not much-but perhaps a gallon.Hugging the stove tohis chest he made his way outside to the pump.THE IRON BOX AGAIN 199"Gas!" he shouted to Sandy.Sandy needed no further explanation.His cracked lips split wide in a grin."Keep pumping!" he ordered Cal.And then, taking the stove from Ken, he ledthe way to the engine house [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]