AN UNDISPUTED DEPARTURE.
When Ben and Jake were in the yard, and old Chloe was making
preparations for a regular siege of house-cleaning, while the dust was
coming from the open windows like little clouds of smoke, the cook said
mournfully:
“It seems like we didn’t have a chance to feel glad ’cause they’d got
back. It’s a puzzler to me why a woman thinks she must have a broom in
her hand all the time. I couldn’t see any dirt to speak of, an’ yet
Chloe an’ Gertie will find it everywhere, I s’pose.”
“Which goes to prove that we’re mighty poor housekeepers,” Ben replied
with a hearty laugh, for the look of dejection on Jake’s face was
comical in the extreme.
“I ain’t willin’ to give in to that, lad. If there’s dirt hid away in
the room where nobody can see it, what merit is it to drag every grain
out?”
“Or what good does it do for us to try and prove that our plan of
keepin’ house is the best, so long as old Chloe believes to the
contrary? It’ll be two or three hours before she gets things so far to
rights that it’ll be comfortable inside, and are we going to stand out
here all this time?”
“I dunno,” the cook replied meekly. “Where do you think we’d better go?”
“Let’s see the last of Dr. Harlan in Key West. Gertie said he was to
leave this afternoon, so he must be intending to take the Mexican
steamer.”
“I ain’t over an’ above anxious to look at his ugly face agin,” Jake
said in a tone of indecision. “We’ve had about enough of him to last
the remainder of our natural lives.”
“But we can make sure he has really gone. I sha’n’t be positive but
that he is sneakin’ ’round to get hold of Gertie unless I see him on
board the steamer.”
“There’s a good deal of truth in that, my boy, an’ we’ll have the
matter settled. Come on, the steamer sails in less than an hour, an’ we
haven’t got any time to lose.”
During the walk to the dock Jake discussed the possibility of Dr.
Harlan’s remaining on the island for the purpose of trying to get
Gertie in his power regardless of the court’s decree, and he spoke of
what “might be” so strongly that Ben begun to look upon the arguments
as facts. By the time they arrived at the pier he was in a very
uncomfortable frame of mind, and the prospects of peace, which had been
so bright an hour previous, were decidedly dull.
“I don’t see nothin’ of him,” Jake said, indulging once more in his
former habit of finding pleasure in being miserable. “He’s most likely
up to the hotel waitin’ till it’s safe to come snoopin’ ’round our
house agin.”
Ben searched eagerly from one end of the pier to the other, even going
on board the steamer; but the quack was not there, and just when he
had become fully convinced Jake was correct in his surmise, Gertie’s
step-father appeared in view.
That he intended to leave the island there could now be no doubt,
and it was equally certain he had made preparations for continuing
his trade in nostrums. He had two large trunks and a number of small
bundles loaded on a dray, while he led the short procession with the
air of one who feels positive of victory in his own special line of
business.
“He’s been makin’ more stuff to sell,” Jake said in a hoarse whisper,
“an’ I reckon he calculates on pullin’ teeth for every greaser in
Mexico; but he couldn’t do very much in that line jest now.”
As a matter of fact, the doctor was hardly in condition to attend
to patients. To drown his chagrin at being obliged to leave without
his step-daughter, or from some other cause, he had been indulging
in liquor to such an extent that his steps were far from steady. He
lurched from one side to the other at imminent risk of falling under
the wheels of the dray, and the more erratic his course, the louder
he scolded the porters for loitering, although they were moving on as
rapidly as possible while he was in advance.
The loungers were making sport of the tipsy quack in very
uncomplimentary terms; but he was oblivious to everything but his own
importance until arriving at the foot of the gang-plank, when he caught
sight of Ben.
“You little scoundrel!” he cried, lunging forward. “If it had not been
for your meddling my daughter would not be separated from her father.”
“It’s a mighty lucky thing for her that somebody meddled,” Jake said
jeeringly; but the doctor paid no attention to the remark.
Continuing on toward Ben in as nearly a direct course as his condition
would permit, he cried savagely:
“You need to be taken down a peg or two, an’ I’m going to do it. I’ll
give you such a flogging as won’t leave a whole bone in your body.”
Jake was several paces away when this threat was made; but as the
drunken man started forward he leaped toward Ben to lend his assistance
if it should be necessary.
Ben had no idea, however, of remaining where he would be caught so
easily. When the quack was within two or three paces he sprung aside
behind one of the hawser piles, and with nothing to check his headway,
Dr. Harlan lurched over the string-piece into the water.
“That’ll sober the fool off, I reckon,” Jake said calmly, as he looked
down at the struggling man who could be seen just beneath the surface.
“Let him stay there half an hour or so, and he’ll have more sense,”
some one among the crowd shouted, and to Ben it seemed as if no effort
was to be made to save him from drowning. As a matter of fact the crew
of the steamer were getting out life-lines; but he did not see them,
and without a thought of the enmity between this man and himself, he
leaped over.
The water was so clear that even the smallest objects could be seen on
the bottom, and to seize the quack’s coat was not a difficult matter.
To hold him above the surface, however, was by no means as easy. The
involuntary bath had not dispelled the fumes of liquor from the man’s
brain, and instantly Ben raised him he flung his arms around the boy’s
neck.
Unable to free himself from the grasp, it was impossible for Ben to
keep his head above water, and for some seconds it looked very much as
if both would be drowned.
Fortunately a canoe partially loaded with fish was moored near the head
of the wharf, and into this Jake leaped when Ben made the first motion
toward going overboard. It was not more than a minute that the two were
struggling beneath the surface before he was directly above them, and
by aid of lines from the steamer the rescue was soon effected.
The ex-cook pulled Ben into the canoe, but held the doctor at arm’s
length until a rope was passed under his arms, when the sailors hauled
him on board the steamer with but little ceremony.
“That settles him, an’ now we’ll go home to get you wrung out an’
dried,” Jake said, as he made the canoe fast at its old mooring place,
and helped his companion upon the pier.
“The water won’t hurt me, an’ I’m goin’ to stay right here till I’m
sure he has left the island,” Ben replied as he made his way toward the
gang-plank once more.
“But there’s no danger of the quack’s comin’ on shore agin; he’s too
drunk an’ too wet.”
“It won’t be a great while before the steamer starts, an’ I’d rather
make sure,” Ben said in such a decided tone that Jake ceased his
remonstrances.
Several of the bystanders praised the would-be rescuer, and some
offered him money; but he showed such a thorough aversion either to
listening or receiving payment that after a few moments he was left
alone with Jake.
Then came the last flurry of excitement which always attends a
departure, no matter how long it has been delayed, and as the crew
rushed to and fro in an apparently aimless fashion, while the shouting
of officers, escaping steam, or cries from those on the dock added to
the confusion, Ben kept his eyes fixed on the gang-plank until it was
hauled inboard. The hawsers were cast off, the screw begun to churn the
water into a foam, and as the steamer glided away from the pier Ben
said to Jake, with a long-drawn sigh of relief:
“He’s gone now for sure, and I hope we’ll never see him again.”
“Anybody would a’ thought he was your best friend by the way you went
overboard after him.”
“I couldn’t stand still while he was drowning, no matter how much of an
enemy he was.”
“It would a’ been better to let him had a little more of a taste. He
oughter staid on the bottom till he got black in the face, then perhaps
he’d a’ learned to behave himself.”
“And while you was waiting for his face to get black he might have
died.”
“The world would a’ got on jest as well,” Jake replied with the air of
wisdom, and then he added: “Come on now, an’ get some dry clothes. I
expect old Chloe will make things mighty lively for us when she finds
out that you’ve been overboard.”
Ben was not exactly certain how his attempt at lifesaving might be
looked upon at home, more especially when taken in connection with his
very moist condition, and he acted on the suggestion at once.
The work of house-cleaning was concluded, at least for a while, and
Chloe was in the kitchen with Gertie and the cat when the two entered.
For a moment the old woman did not notice that Ben’s clothes were wet;
but Gertie’s exclamation of surprise caused her to be aware of the
fact, and turning to Jake she asked angrily:
“Wha’ you bin doin’ to that chile? ’Pears to me like you’re allers
gittin’ trouble onto somebody.”
“You didn’t think that the night we started up the gulf to give the
quack a show of our heels. Seems to me I got you all out of trouble
that time, aunty,” and Jake seated himself near the window with a very
comical assumption of dignity.
“Where have you been?” Gertie asked, and Ben replied, as he stood first
on one foot and then the other in the vain effort to prevent the water
from running on the clean floor.
“We went down to the steamer so’s to make sure Dr. Harlan left town. He
was kinder tipsy an’ fell overboard, an’ I jumped after him.”
Old Chloe looked up in open-mouthed astonishment.
“Yes, an’ Ben come mighty near gettin’ drownded himself,” Jake added.
“Now don’ go to skeerin’ de chile out ob her senses wid yer
foolishness,” Chloe cried as Gertie’s eyes began to fill with tears,
and then she bustled around with a great show of activity, adding
to Ben: “Go right away an’ get on some dry clo’es. I s’pose it was
Christian-like to help de po’ sinful man out ob de water, but you’se
gwine to ketch yer death ob cold ef yer stan’ roun’ like dat.”
“But I haven’t any dry ones to put on, aunty. This is the only suit
I’ve got.”
“Den make dat wuffless Jake get some ob his,” the old woman said as
she literally pushed Ben out of the room, and the ex-cook followed
after winking at Gertie as if to say that he was not disturbed by any
epithets which Chloe might bestow upon him.
There was plenty of opportunity for mirth when Ben came down stairs,
owing to the peculiarity of his costume. Jake had fitted him out
with an entire suit, trousers and vest of his own, and a storm-coat
belonging to Captain Irwin. He looked, as Chloe said, “like a pea
in a quart measure,” and probably felt quite as uncomfortable as his
appearance indicated.
When Captain Irwin came home he knew all about the rescue of Dr.
Harlan, and said as he took Ben by the hand:
“I’m proud of you, my boy. First, because you would face danger to aid
one who was helpless, and again because there was no question as to
whether it was an enemy or a friend.”
Ben’s face grew rosy red as he listened to these words of praise from
one whose opinion he valued so highly, and Gertie danced around him in
very excess of joy because it was her particular friend who had proven
himself so brave.
“I think we can safely say our affairs are prospering, now that the
quack has gone,” the captain continued. “It is only a matter of time
before we can go North and look for another ship, and as for the
question of salvage, that must soon be settled in our favor.”
“Are you going to sea again?” Ben asked, as if surprised that the
captain should think of such a thing after enduring so many hardships.
“Of course, my boy. What else can old shell-backs like Jake and I do to
earn a living? We must have a home for you children, and it won’t come
without hard work.”
“We mus’ hab a home,” Chloe said, as if there was no question but that
she was a member of the family. “I’se done gone got sick ob totin’
roun’ in dis yere shiff’less way.”
“You sha’n’t do it any more after we reach New York, aunty, that I
promise,” the captain replied cheerily. “I want a snug anchorage on
shore as much as the rest of the family do, an’ we’ll have it before
long.”
“Bress de Lawd, I hope so,” old Chloe added fervently, and then she
busied herself with getting supper while Jake criticised her methods of
cooking until she threatened to drive him out of doors, after which he
remained silent until the meal was prepared.