Andrew grabbed the back of Robert’s coat and held tight.
The line splashed to the water, about three feet from Robert’s outstretched fingers. He lurched forward.
His coat ripped.
Screaming, Robert tumbled over the hull. Andrew fell toward him, grasping desperately for some part of Robert, any part.
He got an ankle and held tight.
Robert reached up and held onto the gunwale. His fingers clung to the hull, his body skimming the surface of the water. The ice battered his shoulders and face, and he cried out.
Dr. Montfort leaned over the gunwale and took Robert’s shoulder. “Heeeeeeave … ho!” Together Andrew and Dr. Montfort yanked Robert over the gunwale. All three sprawled into the bilges.
Robert coughed and gasped for air. “I — I’m fine. Get the line !”
The Raina and the Breen were pulling near. Soon they’d be hull-to-hull. Hayes had pulled in the line and was waiting to throw again.
“Look out!” Bailey shouted.
Hayes threw. Andrew stood against the bulwark, arms open.
With an abrupt snap, the boom tore loose from the mast.
The sail blew out, ripping the sail sheet from its grommets. The boom smacked onto the deck and broke into pieces that clattered to the boat’s floor.
Andrew fell back against the opposite gunwale.
Without any resistance to the wind, the boat quickly lost speed. The dogs, silent and cowering until now, began to wail.
“Hold the sail!” Captain Barth shouted. “Create some wind resistance and get us going — somehow. They’re pulling away from us!”
“O Captain, my Captain!” Oppenheim cried out.
Robert grabbed Nigel by his collar and lifted him onto the deck. “You said you knew how to rig the boom!”
“I fought I did,” Nigel said. “I mean, I might’ve been a mite off about the size of this bolt or that, I’m not perfick!”
Robert grabbed the sail. It flapped in his arms like a struggling child as he carefully isolated a corner. Sticking his finger through a grommet, he handed the other edge to Nigel. “Take this. Do as I do. We’ll hold the sail as if we’re the boom.”
The two men struggled to pull the sail tight. It was an impossible task. The boat rocked uncertainly. The Samuel Breen was receding. “Throw the line!” Andrew called.
But Hayes had turned toward the iceberg. The men aboard the Breen were shouting, gesturing.
And bailing.
“They’ve hit!” Andrew shouted.
All hands on the Breen were bailing water over the bulwarks. The boat was stuck.
Nigel and Robert angled the sail tighter to the mast. The Raina picked up speed.
Andrew grabbed a piece of the shattered boom, then reached belowdecks and pulled a loose halyard out from underneath the dogs. He tied one end of the halyard to the mast and the other to the jagged block of wood, then stood up and yelled as loud as he could:
“CATCH THIS!”
Hayes looked up. Andrew reared back and flung the block high.
The wood hurtled toward the Breen, straight and true. Hayes caught it chest-high.
“Attaboy!” Lombardo cheered.
“Kalo to Theos!” Kosta exclaimed.
“I’m coming about!” Captain Barth yelled.
Nigel and Robert brought the sail around to port. The boat heeled awkwardly but slowly began to change direction.
The rope tightened. Andrew felt the Raina slowing down, pulled by the Breen.
The other boat was caught. The berg was holding her fast.
“Trim the sails!” Andrew said. “Pull harder!”
“We’re trying!” Nigel retorted.
“The mast won’t take their weight!” Barth shouted.
“Then I’ll help it!” Andrew replied, grabbing onto the line.
“Andrew, you’re going to capsize us!” Lombardo shouted. “They’re not budging.”
“What am I supposed to do, cut her loose?”
Andrew held fast. Eight men were on that boat. Eight men trying with all their strength to live. Siegal and Bailey were jamming oars into the water, trying to lift the Breen off whatever held it fast.
The Raina ’s keel was out of the water. She was listing hard to
The line splashed to the water, about three feet from Robert’s outstretched fingers. He lurched forward.
His coat ripped.
Screaming, Robert tumbled over the hull. Andrew fell toward him, grasping desperately for some part of Robert, any part.
He got an ankle and held tight.
Robert reached up and held onto the gunwale. His fingers clung to the hull, his body skimming the surface of the water. The ice battered his shoulders and face, and he cried out.
Dr. Montfort leaned over the gunwale and took Robert’s shoulder. “Heeeeeeave … ho!” Together Andrew and Dr. Montfort yanked Robert over the gunwale. All three sprawled into the bilges.
Robert coughed and gasped for air. “I — I’m fine. Get the line !”
The Raina and the Breen were pulling near. Soon they’d be hull-to-hull. Hayes had pulled in the line and was waiting to throw again.
“Look out!” Bailey shouted.
Hayes threw. Andrew stood against the bulwark, arms open.
With an abrupt snap, the boom tore loose from the mast.
The sail blew out, ripping the sail sheet from its grommets. The boom smacked onto the deck and broke into pieces that clattered to the boat’s floor.
Andrew fell back against the opposite gunwale.
Without any resistance to the wind, the boat quickly lost speed. The dogs, silent and cowering until now, began to wail.
“Hold the sail!” Captain Barth shouted. “Create some wind resistance and get us going — somehow. They’re pulling away from us!”
“O Captain, my Captain!” Oppenheim cried out.
Robert grabbed Nigel by his collar and lifted him onto the deck. “You said you knew how to rig the boom!”
“I fought I did,” Nigel said. “I mean, I might’ve been a mite off about the size of this bolt or that, I’m not perfick!”
Robert grabbed the sail. It flapped in his arms like a struggling child as he carefully isolated a corner. Sticking his finger through a grommet, he handed the other edge to Nigel. “Take this. Do as I do. We’ll hold the sail as if we’re the boom.”
The two men struggled to pull the sail tight. It was an impossible task. The boat rocked uncertainly. The Samuel Breen was receding. “Throw the line!” Andrew called.
But Hayes had turned toward the iceberg. The men aboard the Breen were shouting, gesturing.
And bailing.
“They’ve hit!” Andrew shouted.
All hands on the Breen were bailing water over the bulwarks. The boat was stuck.
Nigel and Robert angled the sail tighter to the mast. The Raina picked up speed.
Andrew grabbed a piece of the shattered boom, then reached belowdecks and pulled a loose halyard out from underneath the dogs. He tied one end of the halyard to the mast and the other to the jagged block of wood, then stood up and yelled as loud as he could:
“CATCH THIS!”
Hayes looked up. Andrew reared back and flung the block high.
The wood hurtled toward the Breen, straight and true. Hayes caught it chest-high.
“Attaboy!” Lombardo cheered.
“Kalo to Theos!” Kosta exclaimed.
“I’m coming about!” Captain Barth yelled.
Nigel and Robert brought the sail around to port. The boat heeled awkwardly but slowly began to change direction.
The rope tightened. Andrew felt the Raina slowing down, pulled by the Breen.
The other boat was caught. The berg was holding her fast.
“Trim the sails!” Andrew said. “Pull harder!”
“We’re trying!” Nigel retorted.
“The mast won’t take their weight!” Barth shouted.
“Then I’ll help it!” Andrew replied, grabbing onto the line.
“Andrew, you’re going to capsize us!” Lombardo shouted. “They’re not budging.”
“What am I supposed to do, cut her loose?”
Andrew held fast. Eight men were on that boat. Eight men trying with all their strength to live. Siegal and Bailey were jamming oars into the water, trying to lift the Breen off whatever held it fast.
The Raina ’s keel was out of the water. She was listing hard to
Similar Books
