"I'll no say what McRimmon had written, but he was far from mad. There was a sou'wester brewin' when we made the mouth o' the Mersey, a bitter cold morn wi' a grey–green sea and a grey–green sky—Liverpool weather, as they say; an' there we lay choppin', an' the crew swore. Ye canna keep secrets aboard ship. They thought McRimmon was mad, too.
"Syne we saw the Grotkau rollin' oot on the top o' flood, deep an' double deep, wi' her new–painted funnel an' her new–painted boats an' a'. She looked her name, an', moreover, she coughed like it. Calder tauld me at Radley's what ailed his engines, but my own ear would ha' told me twa mile awa', by the beat o' them. Round we came, plungin' an' squatterin' in her wake, an' the wind cut wi' good promise o' more to come. By six it blew hard but clear, an' before the middle watch it was a sou'wester in airnest.
"'She'll edge into Ireland, this gait,' says Bell. I was with him on the bridge, watchin' the Grotkau's port light. Ye canna see green so far as red, or we'd ha' kept to leeward. We'd no passengers to consider, an' (all eyes being on the Grotkau) we fair walked into a liner rampin' home to Liverpool. Or, to be preceese, Bell no more than twisted the Kite oot from under her bows, and there was a little damnin' betwix' the twa bridges. "Noo a passenger"—McPhee regarded me benignantly—"wad ha' told the papers that as soon as he got to the Customs. We stuck to the Grotkau's tail that night an' the next twa days—she slowed down to five knot by my reckonin' and we lapped along the weary way to the Fastnet."
"But you don't go by the Fastnet to get to any South American port, do you?" I said.
"We do not. We prefer to go as direct as may be. But we were followin' the Grotkau, an' she'd no walk into that gale for ony consideration. Knowin' what I did to her discredit, I couldna blame young Bannister. It was warkin' up to a North Atlantic winter gale, snow an' sleet an' a perishin' wind. Eh, it was like the Deil walkin' abroad o' the surface o' the deep, whuppin' off the top o' the waves before he made up his mind. They'd bore up against it so far, but the minute she was clear o' the Skelligs she fair tucked up her skirts an' ran for it by Dunmore Head. Wow, she rolled!
"'She'll be makin' Smerwick,' says Bell.
"She'd ha' tried for Ventry by noo if she meant that,' I said.
"'They'll roll the funnel oot o' her, this gait,' says Bell. 'Why canna Bannister keep her head to sea?'
"It's the tail–shaft. Ony rollin''s better than pitchin' wi' superfeecial cracks in the tail–shaft. Calder knows that much,' I said.
"'It's ill wark retreevin' steamers this weather,' said Bell. His beard and whiskers were frozen to his oilskin, an' the spray was white on the weather side of him. Pairfect North Atlantic winter weather!
"One by one the sea raxed away our three boats, an' the davits were crumpled like ram's horns.
"'Yon's bad,' said Bell, at the last. 'Ye canna pass a hawser wi'oot a boat.' Bell was a vara judeecious man—for an Aberdonian.
"I'm not one that fashes himself for eventualities outside the engine–room, so I e'en slipped down betwixt waves to see how the Kite fared. Man, she's the best geared boat of her class that ever left Clyde! Kinloch, my second, knew her as well as I did. I found him dryin' his socks on the main–steam, an' combin' his whiskers wi' the comb Janet gied me last year, for the warld an' a' as though we were in port. I tried the feed, speered into the stoke–hole, thumbed all bearin's, spat on the thrust for luck, gied 'em my blessin', an' took Kinloch's socks before I went up to the bridge again.
"Then Bell handed me the wheel, an' went below to warm himself. When he came up my gloves were frozen to the spokes an' the ice clicked over my eyelids. Pairfect North Atlantic winter weather, as I was sayin'.
"The gale blew out by night, but we lay in smotherin' cross–seas that made the auld Kite chatter from stem to stern. I slowed to thirty–four, I mind—no, thirty–seven. There was a long swell the morn, an' the Grotkau was headin' into it west awa'.
"'She'll win to Rio yet, tail–shaft or no tail–shaft,' says Bell.
"'Last night shook her,' I said. 'She'll jar it off yet, mark my word.'
"We were then, maybe, a hunder and fifty mile westsou'west o' Slyne Head, by dead reckonin'. Next day we made a hunder an' thirty—ye'll note we were not racin–boats—an' the day after a hunder an' sixty–one, an' that made us, we'll say, Eighteen an' a bittock west, an' maybe Fifty–one an' a bittock north, crossin' all the North Atlantic liner lanes on the long slant, always in sight o' the Grotkau, creepin' up by night and fallin' awa' by day. After the gale it was cold weather wi' dark nights.
"I was in the engine–room on Friday night, just before the middle watch, when Bell whustled down the tube: 'She's done it'; an' up I came.
"The Grotkau was just a fair distance south, an' one by one she ran up the three red lights in a vertical line—the sign of a steamer not under control.
"'Yon's a tow for us,' said Bell, lickin' his chops. 'She'll be worth more than the Breslau. We'll go down to her, McPhee!'
"'Bide a while,' I said. 'The seas fair throng wi' ships here.'
"'Reason why,' said Bell. 'It's a fortune gaun beggin'. What d' ye think, man?'
"'Gie her till daylight. She knows we're here. If Bannister needs help he'll loose a rocket.'
"'Wha told ye Bannister's need? We'll ha' some rag–an'–bone tramp snappin' her up under oor nose,' said he; an' he put the wheel over. We were goin' slow.
"'Bannister wad like better to go home on a liner an' eat in the saloon. Mind ye what they said o' Holdock & Steiner's food that night at Radley's? Keep her awa', man—keep her awa'. A tow's a tow, but a derelict's big salvage.'
"'E–eh! 'said Bell. 'Yon's an inshot o' yours, Mac. I love ye like a brother. We'll bide whaur we are till daylight'; an' he kept her awa'.
"Syne up went a rocket forward, an' twa on the bridge, an' a blue light aft. Syne a tar–barrel forward again.
"'She's sinkin',' said Bell. 'It's all gaun, an' I'll get no more than a pair o' night–glasses for pickin' up young Bannister—the fool!'
"' Fair an' soft again,' I said. 'She's signallin' to the south of us. Bannister knows as well as I that one rocket would bring the Breslau. He'll no be wastin' fireworks for nothin'. Hear her ca'!'
"The Grotkau whustled an' whustled for five minutes, an' then there were more fireworks—a regular exhibeetion.
"'That's no for men in the regular trade,' says Bell. 'Ye're right, Mac. That's for a cuddy full o' passengers.' He blinked through the night–glasses when it lay a bit thick to southward.
"'What d' ye make of it?' I said.
"'Liner,' he says. 'Yon's her rocket. Ou, ay; they've waukened the gold–strapped skipper, an'—noo they've waukened the passengers. They're turnin' on the electrics, cabin by cabin. Yon's anither rocket! They're comin' up to help the perishin' in deep watters.'
"'Gie me the glass,' I said. But Bell danced on the bridge, clean dementit. 'Mails–mails–mails!' said he. 'Under contract wi' the Government for the due conveyance o' the mails; an' as such, Mac, yell note, she may rescue life at sea, but she canna tow!—she canna tow! Yon's her night–signal. She'll be up in half an hour!'
"'Gowk!' I said, 'an' we blazin' here wi' all oor lights. Oh, Bell, ye're a fool!'
"He tumbled off the bridge forward, an' I tumbled aft, an' before ye could wink our lights were oot, the engine–room hatch was covered, an' we lay pitch–dark, watchin' the lights o' the liner come up that the Grotkau'd been signallin' to. Twenty knot an hour she came, every cabin lighted, an' her boats swung awa'. It was grandly done, an' in the inside of an hour. She stopped like Mrs. Holdock's machine; down went the gangway, down went the boats, an' in ten minutes we heard the passengers cheerin', an' awa' she fled.