Page:The Cannery Boat.pdf/115

Rh make out what it meant; he felt something like antagonism arising in himself, but the others had all given nods of approval.

Handa promptly took the chisel and hammer to make a hole in the side of the ship. He drove the chisel in on the red paint, about five inches under the water.

The noise of the chisel echoed through the whole big craft. Handa gtipped the side of the launch with one hand, and with the other gave great swinging blows with the hammer.

Over the night sea, where all other sounds had died, the clang of the hammer echoed far. It seemed to penetrate far beyond the shore, into the very heart of the village. Machida awaited eagerly the appearance of the gang of thugs; if they showed up, everyone would see his strength! Again and again Handa struck the chisel, but before he could make the hole big enough, Yamaguchi, who had gone aboard to take out the sparking plug, ran stamping over the deck.

“All right! Run for it!”

One of the crew had woken up and, grabbing an axe, rushed out.

Yamaguchi had passed through the engine-room into the sleeping stern to see how things were there. The lamp was out and it was pitch dark, but judging by their breathing the crew were pretty sound asleep. Yamaguchi had formerly worked on a cargo boat, and hence knew the ins and outs of the vessel. He groped around in the darkness and approached the engine stealthily. The hammering outside was audible in the