United States or Heard Island and McDonald Islands ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
The engine's whistle sent out the shrieking appeal over the waters. The destroyer was seen to heave about and come slowly to meet the steamer. Long before the two craft had come together Dave Darrin was standing, holding to one of the awning stanchions, for he was not yet any too strong. "Destroyer, ahoy!" he shouted as loudly as he could between his hands. "Have you a surgeon aboard?"
An easy way would have been to wait until the pirates had gone, but he was never one to choose the easy way. There was almost nothing he could not do, and he now imitated the voice of Hook. "Ahoy there, you lubbers!" he called. It was a marvellous imitation. "The captain!" said the pirates, staring at each other in surprise.
What had become of the boatman, however? At all events, he called, "Ahoy, my man!" No answer. Had he been swept off? Or did he get back into the boat? Perhaps he was drowned already. But all of a sudden Daniel's heart trembled with joy and hope. He had just made out, a few hundred yards below, a red light, indicating a vessel at anchor. All his efforts were directed towards that point.
It was bad enough to lose one fourth of his property, for the vessel was not insured, without having the greater part of the remainder wrested from him by a court. "All hands, moor ship, ahoy!" shouted the boatswain, when the schooner was approaching one of the great canals of Flushing, or Vlissingen, as the Dutch call it.
"Boat ahoy!" came a voice from the crow's nest. "They have come for you," he said, speaking as through a fog. "Show them here," he shouted to an officer who was hurrying to the gangway. Two figures came over the side, and slowly followed the first officer forward. One was a Capuchin monk, bearing himself rigidly; at his side strode a Bedouin, bedraggled, but erect and military of bearing.
"And a blue bow around its neck," chimed in Fidge, his eyes dancing with excitement. "Ship ahoy!" shouted the bird, as it came close up to the table. "Good gracious! Why it can talk," said Marjorie. "Talk! Of course I can," answered the bird. "Why not, pray?" "Well, birds don't generally talk, except parrots," added Marjorie, as an afterthought.
One day the boatswain's mates repeated the commands at the hatchways: "All hands tack ship, ahoy!" It was just eight bells, noon, and, springing from his jacket, which he had spread between the guns for a bed on the main deck, Fernando ran up the ladders, and, as usual, seized hold of the main-brace which fifty hands were streaming along forward.
"Perhaps they are lying asleep, tired out with a long spell of pulling already?" suggested Mr Woods, the second lieutenant. Five minutes afterwards we swept close past her. "Boat ahoy!" hailed the skipper; and once more a figure appeared for a moment above the boat's gunwale, waved its hand feebly, and sank down again.
Three days passed, and Bob was one morning in the foretop when suddenly he gave a wild shout. "Land ahoy!" "Where away?" asked Captain Sumner quickly. For from the deck nothing but icebergs were to be seen. "To the northwest, sir. Will you let me have the glass?" The glass was quickly brought and adjusted. The captain gave one glance. "Ah! Bob, look!"
The long drawn out "ahoy" had scarcely died on their lips before it was answered by an equally long blast from the whistle, to which they responded by repeating the hail at brief intervals, each answering blast of the whistle telling them that the boat was drawing nearer, until at length the faint loom of the boat showed in the darkness, and a lantern was suddenly held high above a man's head.
Word Of The Day