PENNILESS
At once advancing toward the man whom they discovered walking about the
room Fred said quietly, "My friend and I are in trouble. We were out in a
skiff yesterday and the little boat got to leaking so badly that we both
of us had to stay in the water. We were there a half-day, and then we
were picked up by a boat which did not stop at Mackinac Island and
brought us straight through to Sault Ste. Marie."
"Where were you?" inquired the man suspiciously as he glanced keenly at
Fred.
"We were staying at Mackinac Island, but had gone over across to one of
the islands on the Canadian shore."
"What were you doing there?"
"Looking for our friends."
"Where were they?"
"That's what we were trying to find out," said Fred ruefully. "There were
two other fellows with us and they got lost."
"And you want me to give you some breakfast, is that it?" said the
proprietor abruptly.
"No, we don't want you to 'give' us anything," retorted Fred. "I have got
my watch here and I thought perhaps if I left it as security you would
let us have some breakfast. We'll send you the money just as soon as we
can go back to Mackinac. These clothes we have on," he added as he
perceived that the man was closely regarding their outfit, "were given us
by the sailors that rescued us. We have got some different clothes down
at the dock, but they were soaked through and so some of the crew fixed
us up as well as they could."
"What boat did you come on?"
"I don't know," said Fred, "it was almost dark and we weren't thinking
about the name, we were so anxious to be taken on board. After we had
been in the water as long as we were we didn't stop for little things
like that. Will you take the watch and let us have some breakfast?"
Extending his hand the man took the watch and then examined it with
interest.
"That's a good watch," he said after a brief silence.
"Of course it is," said Fred. "My father gave it to me."
"You are sure that's the way you got it?"
"I'm telling you the truth," said Fred seriously. He was in no mood now
to resent any implications as to the method by which the watch had come
into his possession. The odor of breakfast was strong in the room and the
appetites of both boys were so keen that other things were ignored.
"Yes, I'll take your watch," said the man. "You give me your name and
address."
As soon as these had been given the boys seated themselves at one of the
tables and in a brief time were served with a simple breakfast. It was
marvelous, however, the amount of food which was eaten by the hungry
lads. It had been a long time since they had tasted anything of the kind
and even the proprietor laughed as he saw the simple breakfast disappear.
At last, when the boys could eat no more and they were preparing to
depart, the proprietor said, "Did you tell me that you were staying at
Mackinac Island?"
"Yes, sir," answered Fred.
"At one of the hotels?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then my advice to you is to telegraph there for money."
"I hadn't thought of that," said Fred quickly. "That's the very thing
we'll do. Come on, Jack," he added, turning to his companion. "We'll go
to the telegraph office right away. Will you tell us where it is,
please?" he asked of the restaurant keeper.
Stepping outside his door the proprietor pointed to the office and after
they had thanked him for his kindness John and Fred at once started for
the place.
Their troubles, however, were not ended, for again they found their
appearance decidedly against them. The telegraph operator refused to take
any message that should be paid for at Mackinac. He also refused to
listen to any of their explanations and in response to the appeals of the
boys explained that he had to be governed by the rules of the office.
Even with all their protests and pleadings the boys were unable to induce
the operator to change his decision. He still refused to accept the
message and as the boys were without money it was impossible for them to
prepay it.
Fred and John when they withdrew from the telegraph office were not so
disconsolate as they had been when they had met their first rebuff. The
ample breakfast they had secured had done much to bring back their
courage and again they were Go Ahead Boys in earnest.
On the sidewalk the two boys stopped once more to think over their
difficult condition.
"What shall we do now?" asked John.
"Anybody can ask questions," laughed Fred. "If I could answer it I would
be very glad to."
"Have you anything to suggest?"
"Yes," replied Fred quickly as a sudden inspiration came to him, "it
can't be very far from here to Mackinac Island. Suppose we go back to the
dock and see if we can't arrange for our passage."
"They will meet us with great enthusiasm," said John laughing slightly as
he spoke. "Probably they'll hail us as the very fellows they have been
waiting for."
"But we won't look so much like tramps when we get our other clothes on."
"Maybe not," assented John, "but we'll have to find that out later. Come
on back and we'll see what we can do now."
When the boys returned to the dock their anger was almost as great as
their surprise when they discovered that the boat in which they had come
had resumed its voyage.
"And they said," declared Fred bitterly, "that they were going to hang up
here six hours. They have gone in less than three."
"Well, they are paid for our passage anyway. They have got two suits of
clothes and that's something."
"It is that," said Fred smiling ruefully as he spoke. "Just now I think
it's a good deal. When I look at the things you have on, Jack, and then
think of that beautiful suit sailing away over Lake Superior, I'm almost
ready to weep!"
"Don't! Don't!" said John. "It doesn't affect me that way. When I see you
as you are now and then think of you as I have seen you all dolled up and
even your shoes polished, to say nothing of that red necktie you wear so
frequently, I don't feel like weeping, I feel like yelling."
"It doesn't make any difference," said Fred. "Our boat's gone. Now what
is the best thing for us to do?"
"To go ahead," said John.
"Come on then," said Fred briskly.
Together the two boys made inquiries at various places, but did not
discover any boats leaving in the near future that would land them at the
place they were seeking. After several inquiries they were directed to
the office of the great steamboats, which made the long voyage from
Buffalo to Duluth and return. The appearance of the boys, however, was so
markedly against them that they were unsuccessful in arranging for their
passage.
"It looks as if the Go Ahead Boys had gotten to the end of their
journey," said John when the boys once more were on the street.
"Don't you believe that for a minute," said Fred. "The only time it is
necessary for a man to show that he has any grit is when he is in
trouble. If there weren't any hard things to be done there wouldn't be
any need of a fellow bracing up to do them. If everything was smooth and
easy all the time everybody would get along. It's just because the way is
a little hard that there's need for us to go ahead. We'll find a way yet,
Jack. Come on back to the dock."
Neither boy was disheartened when after three or four more attempts to
arrange for a passage they found even their strongest pleadings without
avail.
"We're simply up against it," said John.
"And that's the time to go ahead," declared Fred. "Come on and we'll try
that fellow yonder." As he spoke he pointed toward a motor-boat at the
lower end of the dock on which the boys were standing. The boat was old
and greatly in need of paint. A disconsolate appearing individual whom
the boys suspected to be the owner, manager, chief stockholder and
captain of the little craft sat on the dock swinging his long legs over
the water.
The boys were able to see that the man had bright red hair and that his
face was covered with huge freckles or splotches of a dark, reddish brown
hue. He was apparently about thirty years of age, long, ungainly and
awkward in his every action.
"Let's go see him," suggested Fred.
"He doesn't look as if he knew enough to run a boat even to the bottom,"
responded John, nevertheless joining his friend as they advanced toward
the man.
"You didn't expect the most intellectual individual in the world to be
running a tub like that, did you?" demanded Fred, as they came nearer and
obtained a closer view of the peculiar individual. "If he knew more he
wouldn't be around here in a worn-out old tub."
"Go ahead," laughed John, "I'll leave the interview to you."
"I'm glad to see that you have come to your senses at last," declared
Fred soberly. "It's a good thing sometimes to know that you don't know."
"That's right," retorted John, "and it's better yet not to know so many
things that aren't so."
"You just listen," said Fred, as he turned toward the stranger who had
glanced at the approaching boys and then resumed his former position.
"Good morning," called Fred cheerily.
"Hey?" answered the man.
"I said good morning," repeated Fred striving to speak cheerfully.
"I hadn't noticed. Is it?" said the man glancing toward the sky as he
spoke. "Most of these mornings up here have been foggy. We have had the
worst weather this summer I ever see. Seems to get worse all the time."
"Don't you know that Ruskin says there isn't any bad weather? There are
just different kinds of good weather."
"Ruskin, who's he? I never heard tell o' him."
"He doesn't live here at the Sault," acknowledged Fred. "Never mind the
weather. What I want to know is can you take us in your motor-boat to
Mackinac Island?"
"I guess I can," said the man whose little reddish brown eyes narrowed as
he gazed shrewdly at the boys as he spoke. "Depends on whether you got
the price or not."
"How much will you charge to take us?"
"Both of you?"
"Yes."
"I'll charge ten dollars."
"All right, we'll pay it."
"Will you pay it now?"
"No," said Fred. "We'll pay you just as soon as you land us at Mackinac."
"How do I know you will?"
"You have our word for it."
"You don't look neither one of you as if that was too much of a load for
you to carry alone." The man's voice was nasal and high, and he did not
smile while he was speaking. The boys were unable to decide whether he
was serious or was speaking lightly.
"If it's clothes you want," said Fred, "we'll show you some better ones
just as soon as we get up to the hotel."
"I'll tell you what I'll do," said the man. "I guess I'm a fool for my
pains, but I got to go around by Cockburn Island. If you want to go
aboard and go with me I'll fetch you around to Mackinac for ten dollars.
I know I'm taking a big chance, but maybe you be too. What do you say?"
"I say go ahead," answered Fred quickly.