Chapter Seven
The Rescue Begins
For a long time the Captain was silent, his total attentions on the radar and the depth finder. Visibility became very poor.
"They're right," he finally moaned, straightening up from the instruments. "The channel's risen quite a bit in several places, but I think we can still get through." He leaned back to his instruments. "THAT can't be right!" he finally muttered, "I'm getting an echo off the reflector for the Shoals marker by the channel."
He turned on his spotlight and played it over the water, looked back to his instruments, then used the light again. "Damn!" he cursed, "It's just the BASE of the buoy. The rest of it's gone. That means I'm going to have to make a guess when to turn. The buoy's way off station!"
"Like you said," the helmsman answered, "we're not gonna get a break!"
"Right, full rudder!" the Captain suddenly screamed, "Right full rudder!"
The helmsman complied. Out of the grayness a good sized boat appeared making good speed. It almost touched them as the two ships passed. As the lights from the ferry played across her decks the bodies of several people could be seen twisted into grotesque shapes and covered by several inches of ash.
"Jesus!" the helmsman gasped. "Isn't that the tow boat Irish Whiskey?"
"Yes," the Captain answered. "She was on some salvage work up the coast. Why in the hell did they try to get in here? Bring her back on course. We've got to make our turn."
The helmsman answered, "Aye, sir!" and brought the ship around.
"Half speed," the Captain ordered. "Bring her to starboard, slowly. There's a wreck lying just in the mouth of the channel. I don't think that's moved. If I can find her; there! Bring her hard over, then amidships."
The helmsman complied. "We're in!" the Captain muttered. there was a tremendous SPLASH and the ferry rocked. "Big one!" the Captain gasped. "Steady on!"
For several agonizing minutes the helmsman steered by the Captain's precise instructions.
"Almost out!" the Captain muttered. "Stand by for a sharp turn to port. Whoa! This isn't good," he continued. "There's all kinds of those big rocks piled up in this end of the channel. One of 'em looks like it might be a little too high. Keep her amidships. This is going to be close!"
There was a sudden BANG!! The ferry lurched a little, but kept going. The Captain laughed. "We knocked it over!" he remarked over his shoulder. "Hard to port."
The ferry swung around. "Damn!" the Captain cursed again, "I can't believe how much this channel has narrowed. The passage into Prince Edward Point was never deep. If it's risen..."
"Don't even THINK of it," the helmsman answered. A thought suddenly came to him. "Captain we don't know if they've got our messages, if they know we're coming."
"They'll know we're coming," the Captain answered with a grin. He reached up and pulled the cord sounding the ferry's very LOUD and distinctive horn. He gave a long blast, a short blast and another long one. After a few moments he repeated the signal, then began to switch back and forth from reading the instruments, to blowing the horn.
Finally his duty at the instruments kept him from continuing the signals. "Slow down!" he ordered, "Dead slow. There's all kinds of floating objects ahead."
In a few minutes they began to pass dozens of small boats. Some were empty, some were not. There were also bodies in life jackets.
"Well," the Captain sighed, "I don't think we'll have to worry about the small boats in the harbor."
When he turned around he saw the helmsman was crying. "Easy son," he encouraged.
"I recognized some of those boats," the helmsman managed. "I've spent many an off day on them."
The Captain nodded. "The harbor buoy," he cried, "by God! I think it's still on station. Bring her in, easy."
It was several agonizing minutes before they came up to the dock. The young Warlock had come topside. As soon as the ferry touched he was over with a securing line. The Captain blew the whistle again. At first the pier was empty, but then they started to pour down it...hundreds of people!
The Captain grabbed the microphone, and switched on the P.A. system. "This is Captain Henderson!" he cried, "Stop! Stop! Listen up! I can't take you all in one trip. The channel's too shallow and my maximum capacity is five-hundred. The tradition of the sea is women and children first. I think that applies.
You're all my friends. You're decent people. I know you won't disgrace me in front of this young fellow on the dock. Don't worry. I'll be back. Now, we'll have to hurry. Make your good-byes, ladies, and come aboard."
The Captain switched off the mike. "Aren't you going to tell them about the tsunami?" the helmsman asked.
The Captain shook his head. On the docks below husbands were kissing their wives and children and pushing them towards the boat. It was obvious some of the women didn't want to go, but their men were making it plain they HAD to.
It took only a few minutes for the dirty, soot covered people to fill the ferry. The Captain switched on the P.A. again. "Keep under cover," he cried. "We'll be back in two hours. Don't worry, we'll be back. Hold on. Cast of!" he cried.
The young Warlock jumped aboard and two of the men helped with the line. Slowly the ferry turned around and sped away. The men gathered on the pier quickly retreated.
They were barely back in the channel when the young Warlock rushed onto the bridge. "I've passed out food and beverage," he announced, "but we've got a problem. You said some of the people on that island had been born on this ferry. Do you know how to handle it?"
"What?" the Captain asked.
"There's a woman below," the Warlock answered, "the doctor stayed behind. She's screaming her head off, and she's as big as...."
"Oh, God damn!" the Captain answered. "You're gonna have to handle it, son. There's no way I can leave the bridge."
The Captain ran to the medicine cabinet, opened it, and pulled out a package.
"Everything you needs' in there," he cried, tossing it to the young Warlock. "And there's instructions."
"There BETTER be!" the Warlock answered. "Lords help that poor woman, there'd BETTER be!"
He hugged the kit and rushed below.
Through the gloomy darkness the ferry plowed on.