Bob the Castaway; Or, The Wreck of the Eagle Read online

  CHAPTER XIII

  BOB TRIES A PRANK

  The _Eagle_ was sailing along under a spanking breeze, and alreadythe motion of Old Briny was beginning to make itself felt. Thevessel rolled to a considerable degree, and as she passed fartherand farther out to sea this became more pronounced.

  Bob, who had been active in visiting different parts of the ship,watching the sailors at their duties, and picking up bits ofinformation here and there, soon got over his little indignationagainst those who had played the joke on him. But he soon becameconscious of another feeling.

  This was a decidedly uneasy one, and for the first time since hehad begun to think of the voyage Bob began to fear he was going tobe seasick.

  "I certainly do feel queer," said our hero to himself as he leanedagainst the railing amidships. "I wonder what I'd better do?Perhaps I'm moving around too much. I'll keep quiet."

  He sat down on a hatch cover and tried to think of other things.The sea was beginning to turn blue--the blue of deep water--and thesun was shining brightly. There was a strong wind and a healthfulsmell of salt in the air.

  Still Bob did not appear to care for any of those things. His ownfeelings seemed to increase.

  "Sitting still is worse than moving around," he began to think.

  Just then Mr. Carr passed the boy.

  "What's the matter?" he asked. "You look rather white about thegills, messmate."

  "I--I don't feel very well," replied Bob.

  "Better go and lie down then. I guess you're in for a spell ofseasickness. Mr. Tarbill has already got his."

  Bob thought it would be best to follow the advice. He went to hisberth, and soon he was a very sick boy. He would have given up allhis chances of rounding the Horn--yes, he would even havesacrificed his share in the rather mythical treasure of CaptainObed--if he could only have found some place that was not heaving,pitching and tossing. But the ship rolled on, and the motionseemed to increase rather than diminish.

  It was a week before Bob was entirely well. During that time hestayed in his bunk, but Captain Spark saw to it that the boy waswell looked after and doctored with such simple remedies as areused in that common form of illness, which attacks nearly all whofirst venture upon the sea.

  At the end of the week Bob found that he could stand up withoutfeeling his head go buzzing around. He ventured out on deck, andthe salt breeze brought some color into his pale cheeks.

  "You sort of look as if you had been drawn through a knothole,"remarked Tom Manton, one of the sailors.

  "Yes, old Father Neptune has been playing tricks on him, I reckon,"added Sam Bender, the second mate.

  "I feel as if I had been drawn through two knot-holes, one rightafter the other," spoke Bob, with an attempt at a smile.

  "You'll soon be all right again now," comforted Tom. "Get a littlesalt horse and sea biscuit down for a foundation, and you can buildup on that the finest thing in the way of a meal you ever saw."

  For the first time since his illness Bob could think of foodwithout a shudder. He really began to feel hungry. The old sailorproved a good prophet. Bob began to mend steadily, and in a fewdays he was as active as ever--more so, in fact.

  "Now's the time to look for trouble," remarked Captain Spark to hismate one day.

  "Trouble? How?"

  "Bob is himself again. He'll be up to some tricks or I'm aDutchman. But we must meet him half way. Give him back some ofhis own coin. He's on this voyage to be cured, and I'm going to doit If I have to keelhaul him."

  "I guess the men will be only too anxious to do their share. Theylike Bob, but he mustn't play too many pranks on them."

  "No. Well, I guess they can look out for themselves."

  "I guess so," answered the mate with a smile. Later that dayCaptain Spark instructed Bob in some simple duties which would behis to perform during the voyage. He was to act in the capacity ofcabin boy.

  Now that Bob was in his usual spirits he began to feel aninclination to be at some of his pranks. He thought, with a sigh,that he had not played a good joke since the affair of thestep-ladder, the cook and the hired man. So he began to look aboutand consider the possibilities of indulging in some pranks.

  But Bob had about made up his mind not to bother the sailors. Hewas a little afraid of them, as they were big, strong men, and hehad a suspicion that they were only waiting for him to beginoperations before they would do something on their own account.Bob had an idea they might tie him to a rope, throw him overboardand duck him.

  That, he thought, would be pretty harsh treatment.

  "I wish Mr. Tarbill would come from his stateroom," Bob mused. "Iguess it would be safe to play a little joke on him. I've simplygot to have some fun."

  Mr. Tarbill had suffered very much from seasickness, though he wasnow recovered. He came on deck the next day, but he was morenervous than ever.

  "Oh, my!" he exclaimed as a big wave struck the _Eagle_, heelingher over considerably. "Are we going down?"

  "Oh, I guess not," replied Bob confidently. He and Mr. Tarbillwere together on the quarterdeck. The nervous passenger's fearsgave Bob an idea.

  "I'll give him a real scare," thought the boy. "Maybe it will curehim of being nervous."

  My reader can easily understand that Bob had one thought for Mr.Tarbill and two for himself.

  The boy considered matters a few minutes, during which time thenervous passenger seemed to grow more and more frightened of thebig waves, which had been piled up by quite a heavy blow theprevious night.

  Presently Bob went to the after-rail and looked intently into thewater. Then he uttered an exclamation.

  "Oh! Oh!" he cried. "It's coming right after us! Have you arevolver, Mr. Tarbill?"

  "A revolver? What for? What is coming after us, my dear youngfriend?"

  "A big whale! He's just under the surface of the water! He'strying to break off the rudder! Quick, give me your revolver!"

  "I haven't any! Oh, dear! I'm so nervous! Do you think he willdamage the ship, my dear young friend?"

  "I'm afraid so! Look out! Hold on! Here he comes!"

  Bob pretended to grasp the rail to prevent being tossed overboardby the expected shock. Mr. Tarbill did the same, and with anxiousfears waited for what would happen next. Then the ship seemed togive a great shiver as a big wave struck under the port bow.

  "He's hit us!" cried Bob, trying not to laugh.

  "Quick! Get me a life-preserver!" exclaimed Mr. Tarbill. "Alife-preserver! The ship is sinking!"

  "A life-preserver! The ship is sinking!"]

  "What's all the excitement about?" suddenly asked Captain Spark,appearing at the head of the ladder that led to the quarterdeck.

  "The ship has been struck by a monster whale!" exclaimed thenervous passenger, "He's rammed us, captain, and I'm going to get alife-preserver! Then I must save my valuables in my cabin!"

  He rushed from the deck, while the captain, with a grim look on hisface, glanced at Bob, who burst into laughter.