"Oh, yes," both lads quickly answered. "What oil we shall get out of him will more than pay for our trouble and the damage he has done to the fish-trap."
Judd"s plan was therefore carried out in every important detail. The lad succeeded in hooking up the piece of rope still remaining on the harpoon, and to this spliced one end of the coil he had carried with him. He then threw the balance of the rope off to his waiting partner, and the work of attaching it to the stern of the sloop was speedily done.
Then, when back on the sloop, Judd skillfully pa.s.sed a stout rope through the strong jaws of the cetacean, and brought him close up under the stern of the vessel and alongside of the yawl; then, with both in tow, the Sea Witch rapidly filled away for the opposite side of the bay.
The wind had already increased to such violence that before the pa.s.sage across was fully made it was found necessary to take a large reef in the mainsail of the sloop; and the waves were rolling so high that, but for the fact that the fish-trap was directly under the lee of Canonicut Island, it could not have been attended to.
Indeed, Mr. Boyd thought it wiser to remain in the sloop while the lads drew and reset the net from the yawl, and when their task was finished, and they had returned to the Sea Witch, he remarked:
"You told me I would see all the rough weather I cared to before our return home, Judd, and I freely confess you were right. I shall be glad when we reach the island."
"That will be in a very short time, now," responded Judd, as he a.s.sisted his chum in getting the sloop ready for her home trip. "We shan"t have to carry anything but our jib, either."
The speed with which the sloop darted off before the heavy wind warranted his a.s.sertion. Their course led them near enough to Plum Beach Point for them to see that Mr. Benton had filled his flatboat with sand, and was now trying to work the craft off around the point.
He had one of his huge sweeps braced against the side of the boat, and thus pushed it off sh.o.r.e, while he, step by step, worked it along toward the extreme end of the sandy beach. His object was clear. If he could only get the craft around the point, it was evidently his intention to embark upon it and attempt to run up the bay.
The rapidity with which the Sea Witch was running soon carried her occupants out of sight of the man and brought them near their island home. Fortunately their wharf was at the northwest end of the island, and thus in a measure sheltered from the high sea, if not from the sweep of the wind, and they made their landing in safety.
The sloop was moored in the most sheltered nook the island afforded, the fish, porpoise and yawl were brought on sh.o.r.e, and all was in readiness for the trio to seek the shelter of the house. Bracing themselves against the strong, piercing wind, they started along the path that led to their dwelling, when a sudden call from Judd, who was in the rear, caused his companions to stop.
"Look!" the lad exclaimed; "Benton has actually got his boat around the point, and is now driving helplessly before the gale!"
Budd and his father looked off in the direction that Judd had indicated, and saw that his declaration was only too true. A mile or so away was the flatboat, sunk nearly to her gunwales in the water, while her one sail flapped loosely in the wind. Mr. Benton was making no attempt to guide the craft, but stood near the swaying mast, clutching it, evidently in sheer desperation. One look told the horrified spectators what had happened. The boat had sprung a leak, and was settling beneath the angry waves.
Mr. Boyd and the lads watched anxiously the boat"s progress. A few minutes later it had arrived near enough for them to distinguish Mr.
Benton"s face, as he clung, pale and terrified, to the slender mast.
Certainly he now realized the danger he was in, and knew that he was powerless to avert it.
Three minutes more and the boat would reach the island, for which it was directly coming. Would it keep afloat so long? No! for at that instant a powerful gust of wind swept down upon it, causing it to tremble from stem to stern. For a moment the ill-fated craft seemed to try to shake off the blow, and then, as a tremendous wave dashed over it, it careened, struggled to right itself, then sunk beneath the dashing waves.
Through the heavy rain that now began to fall, the anxious watchers looked for the unfortunate man, and they soon discovered him battling with the angry sea. Another moment and Budd had sprung into the yawl that was moored at the wharf, and before he could be prevented had seized the oars and was pulling off toward the struggling man.
The wind was against him, and the boat was tossed like a bit of cork upon the waves; still he slowly approached the spot where he had last seen his old employer. It was evidently a hard struggle, but with bare head and resolute face the heroic lad pulled on. At length he reached Mr. Benton, and with great difficulty drew him into the little boat.
The wind lulled for an instant, and, laying his exhausted companion down in the yawl, Budd took advantage of the circ.u.mstance and turned the tossing boat for the island.
Half the distance, under his vigorous stroke, was gained, when the wind swept down in greater fury upon him. It is seldom such a gust of wind is experienced in northern lat.i.tudes. Trees were overturned, the water was dashed high in the air, and even houses were unroofed by that terrible blast.
When it had pa.s.sed, Mr. Boyd and Judd arose from the ground to which they had fallen and looked for the yawl. It lay capsized a few rods away, while Budd, with one arm supporting the unconscious form of Mr.
Benton, was struggling to reach the sh.o.r.e. But his strength soon failed, and the huge waves rolled within the reach of the waiting man and boy--for both had rushed into the angry waters--two unconscious forms.
As soon as possible, first Budd, and then Mr. Benton, was carried into the house, and with haste their wet clothing was removed, and their cold limbs chafed until the returning warmth told that their sluggish blood was again in circulation, and their lives were spared.
Then a fire was built, blankets warmed, and coffee made. Wrapped up in one, and thoroughly dosed with the other, the man and boy were then put in bed, and were soon quietly sleeping.
It was night when Mr. Benton aroused and found Judd sitting by his bedside.
"How came I here?" he asked.
"Well, I suppose the chief reason you are here," replied Judd, bluntly, "is because Budd, at the risk of his own life, went off in the yawl after you;" and he then briefly told the story of the man"s rescue.
"Budd is all right, then?" the man asked, with some show of feeling.
"Yes, his father is with him; and when I was in there, a short time ago, he was sleeping nicely," answered Judd, shortly.
Mr. Benton said no more, and after taking the food and warm drink Judd brought him, he soon went to sleep again.
It was morning when he awoke and found his clothes nicely dried by his bedside. Dressing himself, he went out to the kitchen, where he found Mr. Boyd and the two lads. Budd, with the exception of a little paleness, seemed quite like himself.
Mr. Benton made no allusion to his rescue whatever, and the inmates of the house did not speak of it. After breakfast, however, the man turned to Judd and asked if he could be set ash.o.r.e.
"Not while it storms so," replied Judd, in surprise. "A small boat couldn"t live in this sea, and even with the sloop there would be a grave risk. You will have to wait until the storm is over, Mr. Benton."
The man made no reply, but Budd asked:
"Did the yawl come ash.o.r.e all right?"
"It was stove up a little before I could get out and attend to it,"
replied Judd; "but we can fix it easily as soon as the weather will permit."
There was no cessation of the storm until night, and on account of the needful repairs to the yawl, Mr. Benton was obliged to remain on the island until another morning.
During the whole time he in no way mentioned the great risk Budd had undergone in his behalf, but just before his departure on the second morning he remarked:
"I "spose ye don"t hate me no longer, Budd?"
"I have never hated you, Mr. Benton," Budd promptly replied.
"I dunno as ye have," he a.s.sented; "ye don"t act as though ye did, anyway, an" I"ll be friends, if ye will."
Budd shook the hand which was offered him, and without another word Mr.
Benton took his departure. Knowing the man as he did, the lad was almost surprised that he should have shown as much feeling as he had; but he was greatly surprised at what soon followed.
Meeting Mr. Wright a few days later, that gentleman accosted him with the question:
"I say, Budd, what have you been doing to Mr. Benton?"
"Nothing bad, I hope," responded the boy, with a laugh.
"I guess not, either," said Mr. Wright; "but I tell you I was taken aback when he came over to my house the other day and actually asked my forgiveness for whatever wrong he had done me, and promised to be a good neighbor from this time forward. Little by little I got the whole story of how you rescued him, and then I knew the cause of the change in him.
I tell you, the day of the impossible hasn"t come yet."
And Budd thought so a few days later when he received from Mr. Benton himself a fine gold watch as a token of grat.i.tude for the n.o.ble favor he had done him.
On one of the inside cases was Budd"s name, and the date of his brave act. The outside cases were plain, with a single exception. The upper lid was engraved with an olive-leaf--emblematic of the peace that was now fully a.s.sured between the lad and himself.
"Who would have thought the old miser would have been so generous!"
exclaimed Judd, as he looked the watch over.