ACCIDENT OR DESIGN?
Motor Matt took Dick and Carl each by one arm and led them back into
the cabin.
"We'd better talk a little, pards," said Matt, with a worried look.
"Vat's der madder?" inquired Carl.
He had not seen Captain Sixty, not having been in the office of the
Snug Harbor Hotel at the time Dick and Matt had met Sixty and exchanged
telegrams with him.
"The big fellow," explained Matt, "is the one who got my telegram last
night. Why is he on this boat? That's the point that puzzles me."
"Maybe it's an accident, matey," returned Dick.
"Yes; and maybe it's design. I'd like to size this business up before
we get clear of the river. If we don't like the looks of things, we can
have the captain of the boat put us ashore."
"What's the trouble with the outlook, old ship?" queried Dick. "So
far as I'm concerned, it was a shot between wind and water when I saw
Sixty there at the rail; but I don't think that the fact of the old
hunks being aboard the steamer is anything to worry us. He probably has
business in Honduras as well as ourselves."
"I wish this boat was equipped with a wireless telegraph apparatus,"
muttered Matt. "There's a wireless station at Algiers, and we could
flash a message to Townsend."
"What would be the use? We've got his orders."
"I'd like to have the orders confirmed," said Matt grimly. "I tried to
get Townsend over the phone just before I left the hotel, but, as luck
would have it, the wire was busy."
"You've been taken all aback, same as though you'd been struck by a
white squall," muttered Dick perplexedly. "I don't think that old
flatfoot bucko ought to put you in such a taking, Matt."
"It wasn't Sixty alone that took me aback, Dick," answered Matt. "Miss
Harris had more to do with that than Sixty had."
"Dit you see der young laty, Matt?" asked Carl, brightening.
"I saw her, yes."
"You were expecting to see her," chimed in Dick. "You told us she was
intending to sail on the _Santa Maria_."
"When we talked at the hotel," went on Matt, "Miss Harris gave me to
understand that Townsend expected us to look after her during the trip
to Belize, and after we reached that town."
"Vell," remarked Carl, dusting his coat with his hand and adjusting
his necktie, "I guess ve can do dot as vell as anypody. You pedder
indrotuce Tick und me, Matt."
"I don't believe our services will be needed," said Matt dryly. "Miss
Harris was talking with Captain Sixty and seemed to be on familiar
terms with him."
This startled Dick and Carl. It was a good deal of a coincidence, even
if not alarming, to find Captain Sixty voyaging to Honduras on the
_Santa Maria_; but to find him on friendly terms with Townsend's niece
gave the captain's presence on the boat rather an odd look.
"All this," said Matt finally, "may be either the result of accident or
design. I think it would be well for us to find out as much as we can
before we get too far down the river."
"How'll you find out, mate?" queried Dick.
"By talking with the girl. Wait here for me. I'll go and have that talk
with her now."
As Matt started away, the girl herself suddenly entered the cabin, and
she was bringing Captain Sixty with her.
Matt halted and drew back to the side of his friends. The girl looked
toward the boys, smiled, said something to her companion, and hurried
him across the cabin.
"Hello, Motor Matt!" cried Miss Harris. "I was afraid you'd got left,
and was just telling Uncle Jim here that I didn't know what Uncle
Archie would say when he found you had not gone to Belize."
Uncle Jim! Miss Harris had called this Sixty person her Uncle Jim!
While Matt was puzzling over this, the girl had drawn close and was
introducing Captain Sixty.
"I'll be blowed, girl," bellowed Uncle Jim, "if I need any introduction
to Motor Matt. We've met before, eh, messmate? Hand us your fist till I
give it a friendly shake. Why, I hadn't the least idee you was mixed up
in this affair of Townsend's! Ain't it astonishin' how things fall out,
now and again?"
"I should say so," answered Matt. "This is your uncle, Miss Harris?" he
added to the girl.
"Why, yes, of course!" she laughed.
"His name ought to be Townsend, hadn't it?"
"Not at all. Uncle Archie is my father's brother, while Uncle Jim is my
mother's brother."
"Then your name ought to be Townsend instead of Harris."
"Ho, ho!" laughed Captain Sixty. "He's a keen one, girl, and no
mistake!"
"Of course he's a keen one, Uncle Jim," replied the girl, "or Uncle
Archie wouldn't have had him take a hand in this work. You see, Motor
Matt," and here she turned to the youth, "Uncle Archie Townsend's
real name is Harris, while my mother's maiden name was Sixty. So, you
see----"
"Softly, girl, softly," breathed Captain Sixty. "We don't want to talk
too much about our relatives in this public place. Walls have ears, you
know."
"I understand," said Matt. He had long known that Townsend, merely
to save himself annoyance from newspaper reporters and other curious
people, had one name ashore and another afloat, and used only his
right name when at home in Philadelphia and among his friends. "Let me
introduce both of you to my pards," Matt added, turning to Dick and
Carl.
Sixty was more than agreeable to Dick and Carl, and Carl, on his part,
tried to be more than agreeable to Miss Harris.
"Have we all got a part in this work of Mr. Townsend's?" asked Matt,
feeling somewhat relieved, although still a little surprised over the
way the matter had fallen out.
"Haven't you ever heard Uncle Archie speak of Captain Sixty?" inquired
Miss Harris.
"Never."
"I wouldn't wonder at that none, girl," said Captain Sixty. "It's been
some sort of a while, you know, since my course has crossed Townsend's;
and then, too, Townsend is close-mouthed, and he wouldn't be apt to say
anything about me when I've got such an important part to play in his
present business."
The captain lowered his voice and took another cautious look around
that part of the cabin.
"Was you boys told anythin' about the work?" he asked in a whisper.
Matt shook his head, and a glow of relief flashed for an instant from
Sixty's fishy eyes.
"From that, my lad," went on Sixty, "you can figure out how mighty
important is the work we're engaged in. I don't know much about it
myself. That telegram I got at the hotel last night has somethin' to
do with it, though blest if I know what. Cassidy came for it about
midnight; and next morning, along comes the girl, here, with a ticket
for Belize and orders to sail on the _Santa Maria_. Wished I'd have
known who you boys were last night. I'd have hobnobbed with you some
instead of bein' short-like as I was. No hard feelin's?"
"None at all," answered Matt.
"I used to be skipper of the brig _Dolphin_, a hooker as sailed from
any place to any place wherever there was a cargo to be picked up and
carried. That's how I got the name o' captain. I've had a master's
ticket, though, ever since I was twenty. Ysabel here"--Matt caught a
sharp look from the girl directed at Sixty--"which is my pet name for
Sadie," continued the captain, "had as fine a father as ever walked. He
married a Spanish lady in Belize, and that's how Sadie looks Spanish
and talks American. I'm rough and ready, I am, and ain't got no time
for these here parlor frills----"
"We'll have lots of time to talk, Uncle Jim," broke in the girl, "after
we get settled in our staterooms and while we're crossing the gulf.
Motor Matt and his friends, as well as ourselves, have got something
else to do just now besides stand around and gossip. I don't think we'd
better be seen talking together very much, anyhow."
"Right you are!" rumbled Captain Sixty. "See you again, messmates," and
he lurched away with Miss Harris alongside him.
"Ach," muttered Carl, "dot leedle girl vas a peach, I bed you.
Eferyt'ing iss all righdt, und ve all haf a finger in dot pie oof
Downsent's."
"Wish I could smoke Townsend's weather roll a bit better than I do,"
said Dick. "I haven't any confidence in that man Sixty. From the cut of
his jib, he's several kinds of a bear, bucko, bandicoot and crocodile.
If we could, I think we ought to give him a good offing."
"We can't do that, Dick," answered Matt, "if Townsend's business throws
us all together."
The boys fell into line at the purser's window, transacted their work
there, and then picked up their luggage and went to their staterooms.
Each stateroom accommodated two passengers. Matt and Dick had one room
to themselves, while Carl's room, which was next to theirs, would house
a stranger in addition to the Dutch boy.
While Matt and Dick were stowing their traps and making themselves as
comfortable as they could in their cramped quarters, Carl burst in on
them.
"Vat you t'ink?" demanded Carl, closing the door securely behind him
and dropping down on the lower berth.
"We're all ahoo and don't know what to think, matey," answered Dick,
giving the Dutch boy a slow sizing. "Why? Have you anything in
particular on your own mind?"
"I shouldt say! Dot Sixdy feller iss my roommate."
"You're welcome to him," said Dick. "I wouldn't take him for a roommate
on a bet."
Matt turned from the washbowl, where he had been removing some of the
grime from his hands, and reached for a towel.
"No accident about that," said he. "I'll bet Sixty fixed it up with the
purser."
"Why?" demanded Dick.
"I don't know why, but I've got a hunch that that's the way of it."
Matt finished with the towel, threw it back on the rack and sat down
in a chair. "There are a few things connected with this situation that
won't hold water. Listen, pards, and see if you don't agree with me."