A GLEAM OF LIGHT
"I would advise that you keep that satchel and the picture out of sight
at first," said Professor Potts, as he rang the bell of the sanitarium.
"Talk to the old sailor and try to draw him out. Then show him his
belongings when you think the time ripe."
Mr. Wadsworth and Dave thought this good advice, and when they were
ushered into the old sailor's presence, the boy kept the satchel behind
him.
"Well, douse my toplights, but I'm glad to see ye all!" cried Billy
Dill, as he shook hands. "It's kind o' you to pay a visit to such an old
wreck as I am."
"Oh, you're no wreck, Mr. Dill," answered Oliver Wadsworth. "We'll soon
have you as right and tight as any craft afloat," he added, falling into
the tar's manner of speaking.
"Bless the day when I can float once more, sir. Do you know, I've been
thinkin' that a whiff o' salt air would do me a sight o' good. Might fix
my steerin' apparatus," and the tar tapped his forehead.
"Then you must have a trip to the ocean, by all means," said Caspar
Potts. He turned to the rich manufacturer. "It might be easily
arranged."
"Dill, I want to talk to you about the time you were out in the South
Seas," said Dave, who could bear the suspense no longer. "Now, please
follow me closely, will you?"
"Will if I can, my hearty." The sailor's forehead began to wrinkle. "You
know my memory box has got its cargo badly shifted."
"Don't you remember when you were down there--at Cavasa Island, and
elsewhere--how hard times were, and how somebody helped you."
"Seems to me I do."
"Don't you remember traveling around with your bundle and your satchel?
You had some money in bankbills and some loose silver, and a work on
navigation, and a Bible----"
"Yes! yes! I remember the Bible--it was the one my aunt gave me--God
bless her! She, Aunt Lizzie--took care o' me when my mother died, an'
she told me to read it every day--an' I did, most o' the time."
"Well, you had the Bible and your satchel and your bundle of clothes,"
went on Dave, impressively. "And at that time you fell in with a man who
afterwards gave you his photograph."
"So I did--the man who looks like you. But I----"
"Wait a minute. Don't you remember his telling you a story about a crazy
nurse and a lost child?"
"I certainly do, but----"
Dave drew the photograph from his pocket and thrust it forward, directly
before the tar's eyes.
"There is the man!" he cried. "Now, what is his name? Tell me his name,
at once!"
[Illustration: "Tell me his name, at once!"--_Page 121._]
"Dunston Porter!" fairly shouted the sailor. "Dunston Porter! That's it!
I knew I would remember it sometime! Dunston Porter, of course it was!
Funny how I forgot it. Better write it down, afore it slips my cable
again."
"Dunston Porter!" murmured Dave, and the others likewise repeated the
name.
"Ha! this is remarkable!" ejaculated Caspar Potts. "Dave, do you
remember what you called yourself when you were first found and taken to
the poorhouse."
"I do, sir. I called myself Davy, and Porter, and Dun-Dun."
"Exactly, and Dun-Dun meant Dunston. You were trying to repeat the name,
'Dunston Porter'!"
"That would seem to be the fact," came from Oliver Wadsworth. "And if
so----" He paused significantly.
"You think my real name is Dunston Porter?"
"Either that, or else that is the name of some relative of yours."
Dave's heart beat fast. He felt that he was getting at least a faint
glimpse of his past. He turned again to Billy Dill.
"Then this Dunston Porter was your friend?" he observed.
"He was, and he helped me when I was stranded," was the answer. "I can't
give ye all the particulars, cos some o' 'em is more like a dream than
anything to me. When I try to think, my head begins to swim," and the
sailor wrinkled his forehead as before and twitched his eyes.
"Tell me one thing," said the rich manufacturer, "Do you think this
Dunston Porter is still at Cavasa Island, or in that locality?"
"I suppose so--I don't know."
"When did you come away from there?" asked Professor Potts.
"It must be nigh on to a year ago. I came straight to 'Frisco, went up
the coast on a lumber boat to Puget Sound, and then took passage to New
York. Next, I drifted up here to look up some friends, and you know what
happened after that."
"Was Dunston Porter alone out there?" questioned Oliver Wadsworth.
"Why--er--I can't say as to that. He didn't say much about himself, that
I can remember. Once he told me about that child, but--but it's hazy--I
can't think! Oh, it drives me crazy when I try to think! The roar of the
sea gets in my ears, and the light from the lighthouse fires my brain!"
And the old tar began to pace the floor in a rolling gait.
"He is growing excited!" whispered Caspar Potts. "It is too bad! Were he
in his right mind, he might be able to tell us a great deal."
"Supposing we go out and have lunch together," suggested Oliver
Wadsworth. "And then we can go for a ride on the lake."
He spoke to the sanitarium manager, and the upshot of the matter was
that the whole party went out to a hotel for dinner. Previous to going,
Dave gave Billy Dill the satchel and money and the bundle, which seemed
to tickle the tar immensely.
"Douse my toplight, but I feel like old times again!" he cried, when
they had had a good dinner and were seated on the forward deck of one of
the lake boats, used to take out pleasure parties. "Oh, but I love the
water!"
"I suppose this doesn't look anything like around Cavasa Island,"
remarked Dave, trying to draw the sailor out.
"Not much, my boy. Cavasa Island has a volcano in the middle of it, and
once in a while that volcano gets busy, and folks run for their lives.
An' they have earthquakes, too. Once I was out with Dunston Porter, and
along came an earthquake, and the other fellow, Mr. Lemington, almost
had his leg broken."
"Who was Mr. Lemington?" asked Caspar Potts, quickly.
"Why, he was Dunston Porter's partner in the treasure-hunting scheme.
Oh, I didn't tell you about that, did I? Funny, how it slipped my mind,
eh? They went to the volcano for the treasure. I guess that was when the
baby disappeared--and that other man--I don't remember much of him, he
was wild. It was misty, misty. But they didn't get any treasure, I know
that. And then Mr. Lemington got disgusted and sailed for Australia."
"Did you ever see the baby?" asked Dave.
"Did I? Why--I think so. I don't remember."
This was all they could get out of the sailor, try their best, and, upon
Oliver Wadsworth's advice, they did not bother him any further. Before
returning to the sanitarium, the rich manufacturer called Dave to one
side.
"Dave, do you want to go to Cavasa Island?" he asked, with a quiet
smile.
"I do," was the prompt answer. "I was going to speak to you about it.
You know I told you that Phil Lawrence is going--on one of his father's
ships this summer. I'd like very much to go with Phil."
"Then you shall go, if we can make the necessary arrangements. Now, what
I want to know is: Do you not think it would be an excellent thing to
take this Billy Dill along? The trip might cure him entirely, and he
might aid you greatly in clearing up this mystery."
"Why, Mr. Wadsworth, you must have been reading my thoughts!" exclaimed
the country boy. "I was going to suggest that very thing."
"Then we will speak to Dill about it before we leave him. Do you know
when your friend Lawrence is to join his father's ship?"
"No, sir; but I can soon find out. And here is Mr. Lawrence's address,
if you want it," added Dave, and wrote it on a card.
When the idea of sailing on the Pacific once more was broached to Billy
Dill, his eyes lit up with pleasure.
"I'd like nothing better!" he cried. "I've been a-thinkin' I might ship
again. I can't stay an' be spongin' on you folks any longer, it wouldn't
be proper. I want to pay up, now Dave has found my money for me."
"Keep your money, Dill," returned Oliver Wadsworth. "You may need it
later." And then he explained what Dave wished to do, and how the tar
might accompany the youth on his long trip.
"I'll go--an' glad o' the chance," said Billy Dill, readily. "Just draw
up your articles, an' I'll sign 'em any time ye want." And so the matter
was settled.
Dave returned to Oak Hall late that night in a very thoughtful mood. So
much had been done and said that he wanted time in which to think it
over. It was not until the next day that he got a chance to talk matters
over with Phil and Roger, both of whom listened attentively to his tale.
"It seems to me you are learning something, Dave," said Roger. "I hope
the whole matter is cleared up before long. Then Plum and Poole will
have to stop casting slurs on you."
"And now, Phil, I want to go out to the South Seas with you," continued
Dave. "And, what is more, I am going to ask your father to find a place
on the vessel for Billy Dill."
"I fancy he'll do that, if I ask him," answered Phil. "I'll write and
tell the whole story, and I know he will be as much interested as I am."
"I wish I was going on that trip with you," said Roger. "Such an outing
would suit me to a T."
"I guess there will be room enough for another passenger," answered
Phil. "Why don't you ask your folks about it?"
"I will!" burst out the senator's son. "They are going to Europe, you
know. I was to go along, but I'll see if I can't go with you two
instead."
After that there was a good deal of letter-writing, and the boys waited
anxiously for replies. In the meanwhile, the final examinations for the
term began. Dave did his best to keep his mind on his lessons, and
succeeded so well that he came out second from the top, studious Polly
Vane heading the list. Roger came next to Dave, with Ben Basswood
fourth, Phil sixth, and Sam Day seventh. Gus Plum was almost at the end
of the list, and Nat Poole was but little better. In a lower class, Luke
Watson stood second, Buster Beggs fourth, and Chip Macklin fifth. Shadow
Hamilton, although generally a good student, dropped to tenth place in
his class.
"I am more than gratified at this showing," said Doctor Clay, when the
examinations were over. "The general average is higher than usual. You
have done well, and I shall award the prizes with much pleasure."
After that there was an entertainment lasting the best part of the
afternoon, and in the evening the students celebrated by a bonfire on
the campus and a general merrymaking. They sang the school song over and
over again, and gave the Hall cry:
"Baseball!
Football!
Oak Hall
Has the call!
Biff! Boom! Bang! Whoop!"
"To-night's the night!" whispered Phil, as he entered the school with
his chums. "Just wait and see!"