Darry the Life Saver Part 26

Only when the surfboat rose on a billow could they be lowered, for at other times the distance was so great that the deck of the steamer looked as far away as the roof of a tall building.

Yet, thanks to the ability of the steamer captain, and the experience of the surfmen below, the s.h.i.+pping of the women and children was accomplished with but a single accident.

One child dropped off the rope, having been insecurely fastened, and with the shrieks of the women fell into the sea, but hardly had she reached the water than with a splash Darry was over, and had seized upon the little one.

His companions immediately reached out friendly hands, and both were drawn into the plunging boat, amid frantic cheers from all who had seen the daring rescue.

One woman seized hold of the boy as he pushed his way through the crowd to his place at the oars, and looked wildly in his face.

He supposed she must be the mother of the child he had saved, and not wis.h.i.+ng for any scene just then, when he was needed at his place, as they were about to cast off, Darry gently broke her hold, leaving on her knees and staring after him.

Although he little suspected the fact it was something else that had chained the attention of this woman pa.s.senger; and even as she knelt in the bottom of the boat, which was beginning its perilous pa.s.sage toward the sh.o.r.e, her eyes continued to be riveted upon his face, and she was saying to herself over and over:

"Oh! who is he, that boy? I must see him again if we both live. Can it be possible he had any connection with Paul's telegram? I have come far, but I would go over the distance a thousand times if only a great joy awaited me. Yes, I must see him surely again!"

From which it would appear that the friendly fortune that seemed to be attending the affairs of our young hero of late had again started work; and that even in gratifying his wild desire to serve as a life saver Darry had been advancing his own cause.

Now the lifeboat was headed for the sh.o.r.e, and sweeping in on a giant roller.

Great care had to be exercised lest the boat broach-to, and those in her be spilled out, when some must be drowned, for having taken so many aboard they lacked the buoyancy that had previously marked their progress.

Standing in his place the steersman carefully noted every little point, and high above the rush of the storm his voice rang out as he ordered the crew to cease rowing, or to pull hard.

It was well worth experiencing, and Darry was glad he had at last found a chance to go out with the crew.

Abner knew that at least one more trip would have to be made, in order to take off the crew of the steamer, and he was determined that if there should have arrived any subst.i.tute on the beach while they were away Darry must not be called upon to undertake the second voyage.

The strain was terrific for a mere stripling of his build, and only old seasoned veterans could stand under it.

There was no need of questioning the willingness of the lad to volunteer again; and if it seemed absolutely necessary Abner would give his consent, but he hoped circ.u.mstances might change and another hand be provided.

With the women and children they had several of the crew who had come along to relieve any oarsman who might give under the great strain; the more sent in this load the less remaining for the next, and among these Abner had picked upon a certain husky fellow who seemed able to do his part if called upon.

Now the sh.o.r.e was close by.

The fire burned brightly, fed by Paul, and the steersman could see several other men at the water's edge, proving that they had crossed the sound in some sort of staunch craft, or had come down from above, knowing the wreck was close to the life-saving station.

At last the boat mounted the last billow on which she was to continue her voyage to the beach.

The crew pulled heartily to keep her perched high on its foamy crest, and in this fas.h.i.+on they went rus.h.i.+ng sh.o.r.eward.

CHAPTER XXIV

THE AWAKENING

As the boat shot forward and her keel grated on the sand the crew were over the sides like a shot, seizing upon her in order to prevent the outgoing wave from carrying her along.

Then one by one the women and children were carried to the sh.o.r.e, and hurried to the shelter of the station, where a warm fire and something to drink in the way of coffee and tea would put new life in the shuddering ma.s.s.

The woman who had been so strangely agitated at sight of Darry seemed to be a lady of refinement, but she was almost peris.h.i.+ng from the cold, and did not resist when they forced her to seek shelter.

Once she turned around and looked back to where Darry was busy; but when inside the house she swooned from exhaustion, to come to later and find Paul Singleton bending anxiously over her, with words of affection on his lips.

Meanwhile Darry was ready to again take his place with the rest, but Abner had been busy, and spoke to Mr. Frazer, who in turn engaged a stalwart fisherman to fill the vacancy caused by Tom's absence.

Although disappointed, Darry did not insist, for he knew the tax upon his young muscles had been severe, and if he failed it might throw the whole crew out of balance.

So he saw them set out again, with his heart in his eyes.

When they had vanished from view he walked nervously up and down the beach for a short time; then noticing the presence of a moving light not more than half a mile down the sh.o.r.e he remembered what he had heard Mr.

Frazer say about the wreckers being abroad, looking for anything of value they could lay hands on.

Usually these men make their living by gathering up whatever may be cast on the beach after a vessel has gone to pieces, and thus far their calling is legitimate, but as a rule they are a bad cla.s.s, and at times, when fortune frowns upon their efforts, many of their kind resort to desperate means for acc.u.mulating riches, even robbing the dead, and it was hinted in connection with Jim Dilks' crowd, going still further.

When a vessel is in danger of going to pieces, the pa.s.sengers usually load themselves with what valuables they may possess in the hope of saving these in case they reach the sh.o.r.e in safety; so that these ghouls frequently find a little fortune upon the persons of the drowned travelers.

Darry had heard the crew of the lifeboat talking about these wreckers so frequently that he was more than curious with regard to them, and as he saw the lantern moving to and fro along the water's edge, now approaching and again retreating, he felt a sudden desire to look upon their methods of work. It was not a wise move on his part at all, for such men are as a rule desperate characters, and resent being spied upon, since such action savors too much of the law and justice in their eyes; but Darry was only a venturesome boy, who somehow never knew the meaning of the word fear, and a little saunter along the beach would pa.s.s away some of the time until the boat came in again.

So he started off, telling no one of his intention, though one man noticed him walk away, which fact proved fortunate in the end.

As he drew nearer the moving light he saw that, as he had suspected, it was a lantern held in the hand of a big man who was pa.s.sing along as close to the edge of the water as he could, and surveying with the eye of a hawk each incoming billow, as though he expected to discover a floating form that must be s.n.a.t.c.hed away ere it were carried out again.

But it was no errand of mercy that caused this human vulture to keep up his unceasing vigil; for should the body of a luckless pa.s.senger come ash.o.r.e his first act would be to rifle the pockets rather than attempt to restore life.

Darry caught a glimpse of several other figures beyond, but their lanterns had evidently given out, so they were trusting to their eyes alone for seeing in the dark.

He had never as yet met big Jim Dilks, but something told him that this man was now before him, and he wondered if the son might not also be one of the other prowlers beyond, since he evidently possessed the same kind of savage instincts that characterized his father.

Darry had come as close as he deemed prudent when he saw the man start forward with a sudden swoop, and seizing some object from the inflowing wave drag it up on the sh.o.r.e.

There was no outcry to call the attention of others, for evidently this was a game of "every man for himself," though possibly a division of spoils might be made later on.

Horrified, Darry pressed closer, for he fancied he had seen a feeble movement on the part of the figure drawn from the waves--doubtless alone and una.s.sisted the swimmer could never have crawled out on the beach, but now that he was beyond reach of the waves, would the man who had s.n.a.t.c.hed him ash.o.r.e do the slightest thing to keep the spark of life from going out entirely?

He saw Jim Dilks bend eagerly down.

Closer still Darry pressed, unconscious in his eagerness to see that he was placing his own life in danger.

The man who would not hesitate to rob the dead might go even further in order to conceal his crime.

He saw Jiw Dilks hurriedly search through the pockets of the figure, transfer a number of articles to his own person, and then with a growl lift the body in his arms, giving it a toss that once more sent it afloat.

The terrible nature of this act brought out a half-stifled cry from the watching boy, and the wrecker, startled, wheeled to see him there.

He darted upon him like a wolf, and ere Darry could lift a hand to save himself he was struck a severe blow on the head.