Chapter 7 Chapter Seven: The Three-Masted "Smart"

The three-masted schooner Ingenuity, registered tonnage of four hundred and fifty.As mentioned above, it was built by Birkenhead Shipyard, covered with copper skin and locked with copper nails. The side number is Bureau Veritas No. 1. It is flying the flag of Great Britain and is preparing for its third voyage. During the first two trans-oceanic voyages the Spirit sailed across the Atlantic, around the Cape of Good Hope, across the Indian Ocean, and headed directly south, but this time it sailed directly to the Antilles, at Karen Seymour's expense lady. The Ingenuity is a fast ship, capable of sailing, with the notable advantages of a speedboat, capable of traveling at various speeds.If the sea is calm and there is no accident that slows down the ship, it will take less than three weeks to travel thousands of miles from Ireland to the Antilles.

From the maiden voyage, Paxson was the captain of the Spirit, the second officer Davis was the deputy captain, and there were nine crew members, enough to drive a sailboat of this tonnage.When sailing from Liverpool to Calcutta for the second time, there was no change in the crew, the original captain and deputy, and the original crew.This was the case with the Spirit's previous voyages, and it is still the case for this inter-European voyage.Captain Paxson was an excellent sailor, conscientious and conscientious, and generally trusted, and favorable materials about him have been given to Mrs. Karen Seymour.Students and their tour guides on travel grants will thus have all the convenience and safety aboard the Spirit that their parents have come to expect.Round-trip voyages are carried out during the calm season.The nine boarders at Antilles Secondary School may not be away for more than two and a half months...

Unfortunately, the Ingenuity is no longer under Captain Paxson's command.The crew of the Ingenuity had also just been murdered in Falmar Cove.The ship had fallen into the hands of the Helifa's gang of pirates. At dawn, Harry Markle and John Carpenter carefully inspected the ship they had stolen.At first glance, they found that the Spirit's water performance was good. If it set sail at nine o'clock the day before and crossed St. George's Strait at night, it would only be thirty nautical miles away from the coast of Ireland at dawn. From daybreak the sky was covered with low-hanging clouds, or rather mist, which was blown away in a few minutes by a light wind.Three strands away from the Spirit, the steam mingled with the sea.The strong sunlight may not be able to tear apart the wet fog, and the breeze is even more powerless.Of course, Harry Markle would like to keep the fog in the fog so that the ship can't sail, and it's hard to be found when it stops at anchorage.

That didn't happen.Near seven o'clock, there was no wind blowing from land or sea, and the fog that shrouded the ship began to thin out under the rays of the sun.This indicates windy but not cool weather. After a while, the fog in the bay dissipated, and it looked bright. Falma Cove is about two nautical miles away from Queenstown Marina, and you can see all kinds of scenery as far as you can see.Look deeper.The outlines of the first few houses of the Queenstown Entrance were just visible.In front of the pier, there are many wet sailboats moored, most of them are forced to stay at the pier because they cannot sail due to the lack of wind.

As long as the Ingenuity is shrouded in mist, there is no danger for Harry Markle and his cohorts to remain on board.But is it not safe to go ashore when the fog clears? ...According to the news from the previous day, the passengers of the Spirit have just arrived at Queenstown Wharf. After two or three hours, will the hatch be opened to welcome them aboard? … With the boat anchored in the depths of Falma Cove, will Harry Markle and his gang have time to escape into the wild countryside? ... John Carpenter, Coty and others were surrounding Harry Markle, waiting for Harry Markle to order the food reserves to be loaded onto the ship.They took a few oars and brought the boat out to the sandy shore at the top of Farma's little bay.

The questions the sailors asked had results: "Since we're on the boat, let's stay put!..." Harry Markle spoke. His subordinates believed him, so they didn't ask any more questions.Harry Markle must have his reasons for saying this, not just talking about it. At this time, the bay gradually became lively.Since there were no sailboats, several steamboats were preparing to sail.Five or six motorboats circled the bend, as if they were about to enter the port, or as if they were about to leave the pier, plowing the water surface into a long trail of white waves.As a result, none of them sailed in the direction of Farma Cove.Don't worry about the Ghost.

When it was close to eight o'clock, I really had to be more vigilant. A steamboat had just entered the bay, taut the starboard cable, and turned her course toward the inlet channel of Farma Cove, as if trying to find an anchorage not far from the Spirit.The steamer does not go to the Queenstown wharf, but intends to stop here for a few hours, or for a few days? ... As soon as it stops, there must be several small boats from the Queenstown port coming immediately. This back and forth may bring unexpected troubles to Harry Markle and his accomplices. The motorboat, with the flag of Great Britain flying from its gaff, was a cargo ship that hauled coal to the British colonies, and returned to England often loaded with either wheat or nickel ore.

After passing the headland of the cove, the motorboat slowed down and began to drive slowly.Harry Markle was on the verge of seeing this, wondering whether it was about to anchor or if it was about to turn around and sail into Farma Cove. The "Concorde" - the name of the launch Harry Markle and his team quickly recognized - obviously did not mean to go directly to the Queenstown docks, but was approaching the "Spirit".When driving to a place only half a chain away from the Spirit, it stopped suddenly.However, there is still no sign that it is ready to drop anchor here.

What does the captain of the Concorde want to do? ...Why such an action? ... Did he recognize the name of the ship on the stern panel of the Ingenuity? ...He has friendship with Captain Paxson, want to contact him? . . . He's coming aboard the Spirit in a skiff? It's not hard to imagine the panic that Harry Markle, John Carpenter, Coty and their associates were feeling.The ship can't sail, and it's useless to keep it. It's best to throw it away at night, otherwise they won't be able to escape to the wilderness village, and they can't find a hiding place in the suburbs of Queenstown County that is safer than Queenstown City without the police looking for it. land.

It is too late to act now. Despite this, Harry Markle is still not sloppy, standing at the door of the crew lounge, hiding behind the railing, refusing to show his face easily. At this time, a crew member on the Concorde held a microphone and shouted to the Spirit: "Hey! ... Is the ... captain of the Spirit ... on board? ..." Hearing this call to see the captain, Harry Markle still did not rush to agree.Apparently, the man the Concorde was looking for was Captain Paxson. However, before this side could reply, the microphone over there called out again: "Who's commanding the Spirit? . . . "

Obviously, the other party only knew the name of the Spirit, but did not know who the commander of the Spirit was. So, in a sense, Harry Markle should have no qualms. Ignoring the other party's shouting for a long time will arouse the other party's suspicion.So, Harry Markle boarded the deck and asked the other party as soon as he opened his mouth: "Who is commanding the Concorde?..." "Captain James Brown!" said the captain himself, who was recognizable in his uniform from the wheelhouse. "What does Captain James Brown have to say?..." Harry Markle asked. "Do you know if the price of nickel ore in Cork has gone up or down?..." "Tell him he's descending and he's gone..." Coty said from the sidelines. "Going down!" Harry Markle replied, as Coty said. "How much has it dropped?..." "Three shillings and sixpence..." prompted Coty. "Three shillings and sixpence..." Harry Markle repeated what Coty had said. "Got it...no profit," James Brown went on, "thank you, Captain..." "You're welcome!" "Is Liverpool busy? . . . " "No." "Have a nice trip on the Spirit!" "Good luck on the Concorde!" After getting these facts, you need to make some assessments to see if they are credible or not.The Concorde was making a U-turn, preparing to sail out of Farma Cove.Out of the bay, the Concorde turned full steam ahead, and its course dropped to the northeast, heading directly for Liverpool. At this time, John Carpenter made such a very natural comment: "The captain of the Concorde really wants to thank us for telling him the exact nickel ore price, he should just drop the towline and drag us out of the damn bay!" Even if the breeze blows, it is too late to use the wind to steer the rudder. The waterway mouth of Queenstown Pier and Farmer Cove is now busy. Fishing boats pass staggered. The Clever is just a few chains away.As a precaution, Harry Markle and his cohorts were largely absent.Had the Ingenuity departed before her passengers had arrived, her inexplicable departure would have aroused suspicion. Even with the possibility of sailing, it is best to stay still until dark. Harry Markle and his colleagues know that the situation is still very serious.The time for Captain Horatio Pattenson and his little traveling companions to board the Spirit was approaching. It should not be forgotten that Mrs. Karen Seymour had fixed the date of departure on the thirtieth of June, and had obtained the consent of the principal of the Antilles High School. June 30th has arrived.Mr. Pattenson was not willing to be an hour late and arrived at the departure point the night before. Mr. Pattenson was a careful and punctual person. He would never sneak out to visit Cork or Queenstown, although he The two cities have never been to each other.After Meimei had a good night's sleep, he had already recovered from the exhaustion.He got up first, woke up the sleeping students, and then ran to the pier to inquire about the anchorage of the Spirit, and the owner of a small boat offered to take him there. Since Harry Markle doesn't know who Mr. Pattenson is, he naturally has various ideas in his mind.He was afraid of being recognized by the fishermen, so he took care not to show his face on the after deck, and he had to pay attention to the movement of the bay.Coty's binoculars were raised in front of his eyes, and he was also observing the movements of the ships on the pier through the portholes of the seamen's lounge on the rear deck.Although others are two nautical miles away from the pier, they can really see the pier and houses.The sky became extraordinarily bright and sunny.The sun rose slowly from the clean horizon, dispelling the last wisps of mist.There is no sign of wind, not on the sea, and the signal signal also shows that the sea is calm. "Obviously," exclaimed John Carpenter, "a prison is a prison, and Queenstown's pretty much the same! . . . But here . . . " "Wait a minute," Harry Markle advised John Carpenter. At one point before ten-thirty, Coty came to the quarterdeck door again and said: "I seem to have spotted a small boat with a dozen people just leaving the pier..." "Perhaps it's the same boat that took our passengers!" interposed the bosun. Harry Markle and Coty immediately returned to the crew lounge to use binoculars to watch what Coty said was the boat. After a while, the small boat really took advantage of the ebb tide to meet the Spirit.The boat is steered by two sailors, with the third steering.There are more than a dozen passengers sitting on the middle and rear decks, and the suitcases stacked among the passengers are faintly visible. It is quite conceivable that at that time the passengers of the Spirit came on board. At a truly critical moment, the scaffolding erected by Harry Markle may collapse immediately! Still, everything hinged on one single possibility: Mr. Pattenson, or one of the students knew Captain Paxson.This seems unlikely.Harry Markle is pinning his hopes of realizing his plans on this impossibility.The Queenstown wharf crew who piloted the small boat couldn't possibly know the captain of the Ingenuity, but what would they say when he, Harry Markle, appeared in Paxson's place? ... However, it should be noted that it is the first time for the Spirit to berth at the Queenstown Wharf, to be precise, the first time it enters Cork Bay, the captain must go ashore and go through the formalities for sailing.For the time being, however, they could take it for granted that the crew of the skiff had not seen the master of the Clever in Queenstown. "Anyway," said John Carpenter, after concluding his conversation with his companions on the subject, "we won't let them aboard . . . " "It's more prudent..." Coty agreed. "We will only agree to carry the luggage up at that time..." "Everyone!" Harry Markle ordered. First, he took great care to hide the boat they had snatched the day before to go to Farma Cove.There was plenty of boat for them on the Spirit, if they wanted to slip away, and as for the boat, a couple of blows to it and it would sink to the bottom of the sea. Coty immediately came to the foredeck, and when the boat approached, he was ready to throw a cable down. "Hi!" John Carpenter said to Harry Markle, "it might be risky..." "We've taken risks... We've got others to take..." "We've all turned the corner before, Harry! . . . In short, we've learned a lesson and a lesson . . . once is enough!" The small boat approached slowly, keeping a small distance from the coast, and was heading towards the headland that shielded the small bay of Farma.When the boat was about 200 meters away from the small bay of Farma, the passengers on board could already see clearly. Problems can be solved in a short time.If things go the way Harry Markle hopes, and if Captain Paxson's disappearance is not verified, then Harry Markle can play by ear.These students were sponsored by Mrs. Karen Seymour to travel, and they should be received. Of course, Harry Markle had to pick up the students on board like the captain of the Spirit, and arrange board and lodging for them, so as not to cause them to be separated. boat idea. When Mr. Pattenson and his pupils found that there was no wind and the steamer could not set sail, they might demand that they be sent back to Queenstown.They had come in a hurry to catch a boat, and certainly had not taken the time to visit the industrial and seaside towns of Queenstown, which they were likely to suggest, now that they had leisure. However, real dangers must be avoided.They had to return to the pier after the boat sent them off, and the pick-up and drop-off work would be done by the boat on the Spirit.The dinghy, which had been carried aboard by two or three of Harry Markle's crew, was too active to avoid problems. The police have failed to search various hotels in the residential area. Can the continued search in the streets and alleys and docks be ignored?If one of the fugitives is identified, everything will be revealed... The police will immediately sail into Falma Cove in a motorboat, the Ghost will be detained, and the criminal gang will fall into the hands of the police again... Therefore, after the passengers board the ship, they must not be allowed to disembark, even if the departure may be delayed for several days.Starting tomorrow night, who knows, will Harry Markle be able to get rid of the police like he got rid of Captain Paxson? ... Harry Markle making final arrangements.His accomplices would not have listened to his words, for they were no longer sailors on the Helifa.No longer fugitives from Queenstown Jail...they were sailors on the Spirit, at least for a day today.They themselves should take care not to say a word, but to show the spirit of a decent seaman, and to "behave well," as John Carpenter said, for the generous Mrs. Karen Seymour. Honor your face! . . . each of them understood the part they had to play. At any rate, their orders were to make as little appearance as possible until the boat had departed.They would stay at their posts...the bosun and Coty would both carry the luggage on board and arrange for the boarding and lodging of the passengers. As for lunch, the place is in the sailor's dining room, and a hearty lunch is provided by the galley on board the Spirit.This will be handled by Alan Kirk.He recommended himself as a master chef, apparently to show off his culinary talents and surprise everyone. The opportunity came for Captain Paxon and his crew to do so.The boat is just a few meters away.Passengers are coming, there should be no one to greet them, so Harry Markle came to the starboard exit. Needless to say, Harry Markle wore the uniform of the slain captain, Captain Paxson, and his accomplices wore sailor uniforms found at their respective posts. When the Spirit heard the people on the boat calling through the microphone, Coty dropped a cable, and the cable fell on the boat, and was sent to the forecastle by the crew. Tony Leno and Magnu Anders were the first to climb the ladder and jump onto the deck.Their classmates followed suit one after another on deck.Mr. Horatio Pattenson was last on deck.John Carpenter also enthusiastically helped him through the gangway. The crew immediately began loading luggage onto the ship.The luggage of the students is a simple box, which is neither heavy nor takes up space, and it can be moved quickly. The crew of the skiff did not come aboard the Spirit.Mr. Pattenson paid them for their service and gave them a generous tip.They left the Spirit and went back to the pier. Mr. Pattenson, the team leader, has always been polite. At this moment, he bowed and asked: "Which one is Captain Paxson?..." "It's me, sir," said Harry Markle. Mr. Pattenson bowed deeply again and said: "Captain Paxson, it is my honor to introduce you to the boarders of Antilles Secondary School and to offer you my personal greetings and high regards..." "Signed by Horatio Pattenson," Tony Reno joked, whispering into Louis Clodiron's ear.He and all his classmates had already greeted the captain of the Spirit.