THE FEAST.
When Josiah and Sadie emerged from the building, one of the _attachés_
of the museum had just succeeded in driving Tom and Bob from the
entrance, to the street, and was standing on the sidewalk, shaking his
fist at them in a menacing manner.
“I’ll break every bone in your body if you come near this place agin!”
the man cried angrily; and Bob, dancing to and fro in front of him like
a marionette, the wires of which have been unskilfully pulled, replied
derisively:--
“Why don’t you come here an’ see what you can do? We’ve been inter your
old show, an’ paid our money for it like little men. Now there’s a chum
of ours inside, an’ we’re goin’ to get him out if it breaks the whole
thing up.”
“I’ll have a policeman here before you can wink.”
“Go ahead an’ try it! How do we know but you’ve got the feller shut up
in a cage, an’ are goin’ to pass him off for a wild man?”
“I wish I had you there for about a minute and a half!” and the man
made another unsuccessful effort to catch his tormentor.
“I’m all right!” Josiah cried, as he ran out on the sidewalk, fearing
lest his hosts might get into serious trouble on his account.
Just at that moment Bob failed to hear or see him, because he was
busily engaged trying to keep away from the angry man; and the result
was that in another instant Sadie and Josiah took part in what might
have been a case for the police, but for the fact that Tom chanced to
recognize them.
“It’s all right now, Bob!” he cried. “Come along, Josiah;” and he
started down the Bowery, while the employee of the museum, satisfied
that there would be no further disturbance, re-entered the building.
“What made you stay so long?” Bob asked when the four had put a safe
distance between themselves and the collection of wonders.
“It didn’t seem to me as if I’d been there half an hour when we heard
you shoutin’.”
“Well, it’s all right now, I reckon; but we must get on lively, or the
fellers will be tired of waitin’.”
“How long had you been hollerin’?”
“Not a great while. Jest as soon as we begun, that big chump come
out to drive us off; but if you hadn’t showed up we’d yelled a spell
longer, whether he liked it or not.”
“Don’t stop to chin now,” Tom said impatiently. “We can’t ’ford to fool
’round a great while, an’ a swell dinner waitin’ for us to eat it.
Where’s Sadie goin’?”
“I’ll stop off at the old corner,” the match-girl replied quickly. “I
s’pose you’ll pass it?”
“Yes, it’s jest ’bout as near. Now keep close to us, for we don’t want
any more funny business of gettin’ lost.”
Josiah and his companion were careful to remain immediately in the rear
of Bob and Tom, although at times it was necessary almost to run, so
rapidly did the two merchants walk.
“I wish you was goin’ with us, Sadie,” the young gentleman said, when
a throng on the sidewalk forced the leaders to come to a partial halt.
“So do I; but of course there’s no chance for anything of that kind.
Yesterday oughter be enough to last me a year. I never had such a
splendid time in all my life, even if we did get lost.”
“P’rhaps you’ll see a good many like that before long,” Josiah replied,
and then checked himself suddenly, as if he had been on the point of
saying something which should be kept a secret.
“That’s a big p’rhaps,” Sadie said with a laugh which was very like a
sob. “There ain’t many in this city what think of givin’ a girl like me
a good time, an’ you’re goin’ off so soon that I won’t even so much as
hear of dime museums or restaurants with fifteen-cent dinners.”
“You mustn’t go to feelin’ bad, ’cause things’ll come ’round right
somehow.”
“Of course they will, an’ even if they don’t, I’ve been to Coney
Island, an’ all them places, so when it ain’t very jolly, I’ll think of
what I have had, ’an there’ll be a heap of satisfaction in that.”
Now the party had arrived at the corner where Sadie spent her time
trying to sell matches, and Josiah cried:--
“If we get back before dark, I’ll see you to-night.”
“There ain’t much chance of that; but I’ll be here in the mornin’.”
“Come on!” Bob shouted, “I reckon them fellers are jest ’bout wild
’cause we didn’t get there before.”
Josiah was forced to run now in good earnest, and Sadie was left on the
corner looking after them very seriously until they were lost to view
in the distance.
Tom and Bob continued on at a rapid pace, slackening the speed only
when it was absolutely necessary, and on arriving at the rendezvous
found eight of Tom’s and Bob’s friends, who had been waiting with every
evidence of impatience.
Bill Foss was among the number, as was very proper since he had been
selected to fill the responsible position of Master of Ceremonies, and
Josiah fancied his unusual show of good-humor and friendship arose from
the fact that he was ashamed of his behavior on the previous day.
He greeted the country boy with a warmth which was hardly warranted
in view of the fact that they had been acquainted such a short time,
and introduced him in the most friendly manner to each of the young
gentlemen who had done their share toward buying materials for the
feast.
“Where’s Saunder’s boat layin’?” Bob asked, as he saw that every boy
had a package under his arm, thus showing he was ready to proceed to
the meeting place.
“Down here by the dock,” Bill replied. “We would have had her ready
before this; but Sim Jones an’ his gang are ’round there, an’ we didn’t
want ’em to see where we was goin’.”
“You ain’t ’fraid of them, are you?” Tom asked quickly.
“Indeed we ain’t; but you see there’s no need of gettin’ up a row
now, ’cause we haven’t any more time than we want to spend in the
canal-boat. I’ve jest come over from there, an’ I’ll tell you she’s
fixed great! We’ve bought a lot of candles, so needn’t come back till
we get ready.”
At this point Jimmy Skip went out to reconnoitre, and on his return
reported that Sim Jones and his friends were no longer to be seen,
consequently there was nothing to cause the would-be feasters any
further delay.
The boat which had been borrowed did not appear to be very staunch, and
certainly was not cleanly.
She was about one-third full of water, and it was necessary this should
be removed before the party went on board, otherwise the craft would
have been swamped by the additional cargo, therefore, with two tomato
cans as bailing dishes, Jimmy and Bill went to work.
Ten minutes later everything was ready for the departure.
Bill brought a pair of oars from its hiding-place on the dock, and the
boys clambered on board with the greatest care in seating themselves
that every inch of space might be economized.
The merry-makers had worked silently to prevent the possibility of
being overheard by any of Sim’s party, and in perfect silence they
pushed out past the pier, Bob and Tom plying the oars when they were
once in the stream.
It was not an eventful, but rather a long voyage to the Erie Basin,
where the craft which was to serve as banquet-hall was lying.
Built after the fashion of other canal-boats, there was nothing
particularly prepossessing in appearance as viewed from the outside,
and Josiah thought they had taken a great amount of trouble in order to
reach an undesirable place for the festivities.
“Wait till you see the cabin,” Bill said, much as if he read by the
expression on their guest’s face the misgivings in his mind. “I have
fixed her in great shape, an’ after we get inside, with the boat pulled
under the pier, Sim Foss can sneak ’round all he wants to without
findin’ where we are.”
Josiah soon learned that at least a portion of Bill’s statement was
correct, although he failed to see any evidences of the “fixin’.”
The cabin was apparently as the owners of the boat had left it, save
for four empty bottles in one corner; and these, Master Foss explained,
had been brought to serve as candlesticks.
That they would be free from the scrutiny of any one who chanced to
pass that way seemed positive, when the hatch was drawn, and the
interior of the stuffy cabin shrouded in darkness.
Jimmy took from his pocket a fragment of candle, and lighting it,
placed it in one of the bottles, after which he awaited the coming of
Bill, who had remained behind in order to hide the boat from view.
Josiah seated himself on the locker which ran across one end of the
tiny apartment, and looked around wondering how the arrangements for
any very elaborate feast could be made in that place.
It did not seem to him that the cabin was as appropriate an apartment
for a gathering such as it was intended this should be, as many others
which might have been selected.
The odor of bilge-water from the hold; the dust which covered every
portion of the wood-work to the depth of at least half an inch; and the
general air of decay everywhere apparent, caused him to feel gloomy
rather than happy.
The remainder of the party, however, were not troubled with any such
sentiments.
According to their ideas this was the jolliest kind of a place in which
to spend a few hours, and Jimmy Skip regretted that the scheme had not
been devised sufficiently early to admit of their making arrangements
to remain at least one night in such a snug hiding-place.
“We could have done it jest as easy as not,” he said, “if we’d started
in yesterday mornin’. Then when you fellers got back from Coney Island
you mighter come right here, an’ we’d had supper ready. I wonder if
your father wouldn’t stay over a day, Josiah, so’s to give us a chance
of tryin’ the snap?”
“I don’t believe he would,” was the prompt reply, for Master Shindle
had no desire to remain where he was any longer than should be
absolutely necessary.
At the expiration of ten minutes Bill Foss returned, and announced with
the air of one who brings important news:--
“I’ve got the boat now where she can’t be seen, no matter how many
people are foolin’ ’round, an’ do you know I believe Sim an’ his gang
are jest comin’ across! There’s a crowd leavin’ Pier Eight, an’ I’ll
bet it’s them.”
“Well, let ’em come,” Bob said carelessly. “If you’ve hid our boat,
they won’t make much by snoopin’ round here; an’ we’ve only got to
keep still so’s folks can’t hear us. Now, what are you goin’ to do
with the things?”
“The stuff to eat, do you mean?”
“Yes; where you goin’ to put it?”
“Right over where Josiah’s settin’. We can spread all the papers down,
an’ they’ll be jest as good as a table-cloth. Now come on, fellers,
let’s see what you’ve brought;” and Billy proceeded to further
illuminate the cabin by placing a lighted candle in the neck of each of
the remaining bottles.
In a very few moments the delicacies were spread on the locker, ready
for the feasters to begin operations.
There was no reason to complain of lack of quantity or variety.
Jimmy Skip had brought two pounds of bologna, cut in substantial
slices; Bill Foss, in addition to the candles, contributed a large
number of crullers and a quart of peanuts; Tim Murray added to the
collection three dozen pickled sheep’s tongues; and, by consulting with
his friends, each fellow had been able to secure some dainty different
from the others, therefore the assortment was as great as there were
members of the party.
“It looks as if you fellers was feelin’ pretty hungry,” Josiah said, as
he surveyed the ample supply of food.
“We didn’t have any dinner to-day, you see, ’cause we was kinder
waitin’ for this thing; an’ I reckon that stuff’ll look sick by the
time we get through with it,” Bill said, as he began to arrange the
eatables in what he intended should be a most appetizing manner.
He had hardly commenced his work when a noise was heard from the deck,
as if several persons had leaped suddenly down from the pier; and the
would-be feasters looked at each other in surprise, not unmixed with
alarm.
“We’ve got to keep mighty still,” Bill whispered, “’cause somebody’s
down here, an’ we must find out who it is.”
“But s’posen they’re gettin’ ready to haul the boat away?” Tom
suggested in the same cautious tone. “We should be in a fine fix if we
got towed up the river ten or fifteen miles, wouldn’t we?”
This was a contingency for which Master Foss had made no provision; and
as the possibility of such a change of location presented itself, he
in turn began to grow alarmed.
“We’ll have to find out who’s there,” he said, after a brief pause.
“You fellers keep quiet, an’ I’ll see if I can peek through the cracks
in the hatch.”
Bill soon learned that this was an impossibility; and, since the noise
was not repeated, he believed it safe to venture out.
“There isn’t anybody up here,” he said, after gazing around an instant.
“They must be out on the dock: you wanter look careful, ’cause if Sim
Jones’s crowd should be anywhere ’round they might make trouble.”
As Bob spoke he ascended the companion-way, followed by the others;
and during ten minutes the feasters remained on deck, while Bill and
Jimmy scoured the immediate vicinity in a fruitless search for possible
mischief-makers.
While the investigation was being made on shore, every one was so
intent on satisfying himself the work was done in a thorough manner,
that no attention was paid to a slight noise from the cabin, as if the
stern windows had been raised.
Therefore it was without question of any mischief having been done,
that Bill led the way below once more, convinced they were in no danger
of an interruption.
Hardly had he gained the cabin when a cry of dismay burst from his
lips; and, as if unable to speak, he stood pointing toward the locker,
on which, but a few moments previous, had been placed the materials for
the proposed dinner.
“Where’s the stuff gone?” Bob cried in astonishment, pressing forward
as if thinking the wrappings, which was all that had been left behind,
might give some clew to the whereabouts of the provisions.
“What’s the matter?” Josiah asked from the top of the companion-way, it
not having yet been possible for him to descend because of the crowd at
the foot of the stairs.
“Matter!” Bob wailed; “why, somebody’s gone an’ stole everything while
we was on deck; an’ how they coulder got away is what puzzles me! There
ain’t so much as a single peanut left!”
Josiah was so unnerved by the sad tidings that in attempting to descend
he fell the entire length of the stairs; and when the confusion
attendant upon the accident had subsided, the boys began a thorough
search for the missing dainties.
“While we were on deck somebody crawled through that window,” Tom said,
as he pointed to the footprints which could be seen in the dust from
the ledge to the locker.
“It’s Sim Jones, that’s who it is!” Bill cried, as he ran on deck;
and an instant later his suspicions were verified by seeing the young
gentleman in question, together with four of his friends, rowing
hurriedly out of the basin.