RESCUED AT SEA
"Bob, Bob White," replied Frank from the Fortuna. "Oh, there you are,
Charley. Thank God. Oh, come down and come aboard."
"Yes, he'll come aboard," vociferated the mate in a coarse voice. He was
a brutal looking fellow, to whom the boys instantly took a violent
dislike. "He'll stay where he is and so will you."
With these words he drew from the pocket of his trousers a revolver of
old style, but of aspect fully as vicious as its owner. It was of large
calibre, and from the way in which the mate handled it he was evidently
familiar with its use.
But Jack was not to be daunted so easily. Stretching the truth a bit,
perhaps, he replied to the threat of the mate:
"Oh, well, if you feel like bucking the government, go ahead. I can't
sink you with this craft, or you'd be at the bottom in a jiffy. But you
know what it means to disobey orders of an officer."
At this the fellow perceptibly weakened. But because the members of the
crew had overheard his threats and feeling like so many cowardly bullies
do that he must make good his word, even though in the wrong, he again
shook the menacing revolver and shouted:
"You fellows keep off or I'll shoot. You can't steal my crew. I'm a
bucko mate, I am. You better sheer off."
"Drop that gun, you villain!" cried Charley Burnett, high up in the
schooner's rigging. At his words the mate turned.
Instantly a ringing voice from the Fortuna called out:
"Now I've got the drop on you! Let that gun go and tell the captain I
want to talk to him or I'll have to shoot."
Tom was perched on top of the Fortuna's pilot house with a rifle in his
hands, the muzzle pointed straight at the mate.
When the coward saw that he was indeed covered by a weapon in the hands
of a determined person, his grasp on his own means of offense loosened,
permitting the revolver to drop to the deck.
Seeing that he was for the time worsted he tried to cover his confusion
with a grin that was more of a snarl.
"Better send for your captain and be quick about it," cried Jack
impatiently. "We can't afford to burn up good gasolene chasing you. Move
quickly and it will be better for you."
Ungraciously the mate dispatched one of the hands to call the captain
who appeared on deck directly in a not very good humor.
When he saw the boys in their neat uniforms, however, and observed the
trim appearance of the craft alongside his own vessel, his manner
changed. He approached the rail and hailed:
"Launch, Ahoy! What can I do for you?"
"I must speak with you on important business, Captain."
"All right, sir. If you'll bear off a little, I'll heave to and you may
come aboard. I'm heavily laden and on short time, but I'll spare you a
few moments if you can be brief."
In a short time the schooner lay quietly upon the water, with the
Fortuna ranged alongside. Fenders had been put overboard by the
Fortuna's crew in order to protect the paint on the launch.
Jack was received by the captain, who met him with a smile and hearty
handshake of welcome. The situation was soon explained by Jack, who won
the captain's heart by his straightforward, manly appearance and by his
directness of speech.
"So we've got some of your chums who have been shanghaied?" queried the
captain, when Jack had finished his recital.
"It looks that way, Captain," Jack announced.
"Well, what are you going to do about it?" inquired the master of the
sailing vessel in a tone intended to be severe.
Jack was watching his new acquaintance closely and thought he detected
just the suspicion of a twinkle in the captain's eye.
"He's playing for time to try me out," thought the lad rapidly. "He
wants to see what I'll do in case of refusal."
Outwardly he gave no indication of what was in his mind, but appeared to
be pondering the situation deeply. At length he said:
"Captain, I'll have to leave it up to you. We want our chums who are
aboard your vessel. I don't know what the marine law is nor whether we'd
have a right to seize them by force if we were able. So I think I'd
better leave it to you. What shall we do, Captain?"
"Well, when you put it that way," replied the Captain, reaching for
Jack's hand and seizing it in a hearty grasp, "I think you'd better take
the lads and with them my apology. Will that do?"
"Captain, you're a brick," shouted Jack, forgetting for a moment in his
enthusiasm the difference in their rank. The next moment he was all
confusion over his breach of etiquette.
Laughing, the captain preceded him up the companion-way and called to
the mate. He then ordered the boys who had been shipped aboard the
"Quickstep," released and turned over to the captain of the Fortuna.
This was done much to the mate's disgust.
There need be no doubt as to the heartiness of the greetings that passed
between the separated members of the Beaver and Bob White Patrols once
they were united again. Introductions followed hastily.
As the "Quickstep" sailed away on her course again, the crew of the
Fortuna gathered on top of the cabin and waved a farewell, cheering
until they were hoarse. At length Jack called them below.
"How about some eats?" queried Tom. "I'm so empty I'd make a first rate
drum. I declare I haven't had anything to eat in weeks."
"Rubber," shouted Harry. "Stretch it. You mustn't fib."
"Well, I mean it seems that long," declared Tom. "Who'll be the cook?
Shall we run slowly until breakfast is ready?"
"That's a good idea," Jack answered. "Let's run under a check until
breakfast is over, then we'll make good time straight for Biloxi."
"Hurray, we're homeward bound," shouted Tom. "Hurray again!"
"Shower bath first," cried Arnold, dragging out the hose.
What a glorious morning that was. Doright laughed until he could laugh
no more to see the antics of the boys who took turns holding the hose on
each other. The sun was just up clear of the horizon ushering in a day
that promised to be beautiful. Only a slight swell was running on the
Gulf giving the boys an excellent opportunity for a shower bath on deck.
They availed themselves of the opportunity and frolicked about to their
heart's content.
At length the boys produced the brushes and proceeded to scrub the
Fortuna until she shone--as Tom put it--"like a new bottle."
Jack volunteered to act as cook, drafting Arnold to assist because of
the extra number of mouths to be fed. Doright stayed about the
kitchenette, taking in every detail of the splendidly equipped boat. To
his eyes, unaccustomed to anything of the sort, the vessel was splendid
beyond compare. He was charmed.
Presently breakfast was served. All did ample justice to the shrimps,
sweet potatoes and chicken gumbo that Jack had prepared. The excellence
of the coffee was remarked by all.
At length the boys, having eaten their fill, spread the remains of the
breakfast for Doright. He had been serving as the boys ate.
"If there isn't enough breakfast for you. Doright, we'll make some
pancakes for you," Jack offered in a friendly tone.
"Thankee, Boss. Ah guess there's more'n Ah kin eat," protested Doright.
"Ah haint no heavy eater, nohow. Ah just lunches."
Leaving the negro to satisfy his appetite and wash the dishes, the boys
repaired to the pilot house for a conference. There detailed
explanations of all that had happened since Harry and Arnold left for a
fishing trip were made, while Frank Evans and Charley Burnett told their
story of the incidents in which they had been concerned.
"I'm puzzled over two things," stated Jack at length.
"What are they?" queried Arnold. "Ask me, I can tell you."
"First, I'm puzzled over the sudden turn of front in Doright."
"That's a fact," was Tom's rejoinder. "He has turned his coat mighty
sudden. I wonder what caused him to do it. Let's ask him."
This was no sooner proposed than it met with instant favor. Doright was
called from his labor to join the meeting.
"Doright," Jack began in a kindly tone. "We have had reason to believe
that you were opposed to us in times past. We knew that you were working
against us and that you helped make prisoners of these lads here. Now
what we want to know is, why should you turn about and tell us when they
were just being put out of the way?"
Breathlessly the boys all leaned forward to catch the story.
"Well, sir, Boss, hit's jess like this here," began Doright. "Mah name's
Doright Abraham Jefferson Davis Canaan. Ah fergit the rest. Ever sense
Ah was little Ah been told by mah mammy to do right--Doright! Dat's mah
name and Ah tries to do right."
"Thanks," smiled Jack. "Now tell me why you changed so."
"Well, sir, Boss, Ah jest seen that these yere boys wuzn't no men. Ah
wuz willin' to let Lopez take the boys and shet 'em up an' all that. But
when hit come to puttin' of 'em aboard a bucko schooner, Ah says to
mahse'f, Ah says: 'Doright, dat haint right.'"
"Yes, and what then? Why didn't you take them off the ship?"
"She done gone. So Ah jest says to Mister Pete--dat's Lopez--Ah says,
'Mr. Pete,' Ah says, 'youall better git them boys back,' an' Mr. Pete he
done fotch me a clip over the haid with his'n gun an' Ah specs Ah got a
bump right there now. 'Course Ah done hit Mr. Pete then and so Ah come
on down to see youall. Mr. Pete he won't come to for a long time. Don't
no-body come to for for a long time when Ah hits 'em. Ah don't know mah
own strength dey tells me."
"So, that was it, eh?" observed Frank. "Conscience got to hurting a
little and we owe the presence of this united band of Boy Scouts to our
friend Doright. Boys, I move three cheers for Doright! Give them real
heartily now, as if you meant it."
The ringing cheers went echoing across the waters of the Gulf, bringing
a grin to Doright's black face. He scarcely caught the entire meaning of
this tribute, but he sensed the import of it.
"I think we'd better give Doright a little souvenir," Frank suggested.
"Doright, what would you like to have best of all?"
Doright considered deeply, scratching his head meanwhile. At length he
looked up with a smile spreading across his face.
"Ah reckon I'd like best to jes' cook an' clean upon this here boat. She
sure am a fine boat and Ah wouldn't be in the way a littlest bit. Ah
could sleep down in here by the engines or on deck."
"All right, Doright," answered Jack. "We'll have to consider the matter
a while. We'll let you know later. You may go now."
After the negro's disappearance toward the cabin, the boys again
gathered about Jack, eager for the next development.
"After Doright's lucid explanation, I think we have reduced our troubles
to just one," he announced in a tone of finality.
"Just one trouble on earth," shouted Harry. "Oh my!"
"And what, pray, might that be?" queried Frank.
"That is just the question of whether or not there really is a treasure
and if there is whether or not it is getatable, and whether Wyckoff and
Lopez and their gang of rascals will make us the trouble they have been
trying to make if we endeavor to get the chest."
"Well," speculated Charley, "if there isn't a treasure, there might just
as well be one for Wyckoff and Lopez and their gang believe there is
one, and they're ready to fight to the last breath to get it."
"They're surely scrappers," Arnold announced. "We know that."
"Yes," agreed Harry, "they're scrappers from the very word."
"Look at what we've had to contend with before we fairly start."
"What I'm worried about," Jack announced, "is that although Lawyer Geyer
gives minute instructions about everything else he doesn't give any
information as to the site of the chest. The fort must have been an acre
or so in extent, yet he doesn't say whether it was buried in this corner
or that, or out near the wood shed or what."
"We'll have to dig it all up," laughingly declared Frank.
"I can fix that," boasted Harry. "I know exactly the spot where we
should turn the first shovelful of earth."