A BOARDING PARTY.
"Sure as shooting!" nodded Frank. "He is in a hurry to see me--that's
plain."
"Yes, he couldn't wait till we got into the harbor."
"It's probable he thought we might not come into Rockland after seeing
him on the steamer, and so, as soon as he could get ashore, he hired the
launch to run out and head us off."
"Snell is with him," said Hodge. "Oh, I'd like to get a crack at that
fellow!"
"You may have a chance," smiled Merriwell, coolly.
"How?"
"I don't propose to let those chaps come aboard my yacht unless they
show that they have a right to do so."
"Good for you!" cried Bart, his face growing stern. "I am with you,
Merry!"
"And I!" exclaimed Diamond.
"Vale, I don'd knew but I vos re'dy vor a liddle schraps," observed
Hans.
"Then we will stand by to repel boarders if they try the trick," said
Frank. "Call Browning on deck."
So the big Yale man was called, and he came up in his shirt sleeves. He
was interested immediately the situation was explained to him, and he
seemed well pleased when Frank expressed his intention of preventing the
strangers from boarding without authority.
"This promises to be a real warm morning," he said, with a lazy smile.
"I'm rather glad I'm here."
By this time the launch was close at hand.
"Ahoy the yacht!" called a voice.
"Ay! ay!" called back Merriwell, in true nautical style. "On board the
launch, what's wanted?"
"Lay to. We have business with you."
"Keep off. We haven't time to bother with you."
"Don't act foolish!" was the angry exclamation. "If you do, you will be
sorry!"
"If you bother us without a legal right you will be sorry," flung back
Frank. "We are not to be trifled with this morning."
The launch made a circle and swung round so that she was heading in the
same direction as the yacht.
"If you don't lay to," said the spokesman on board the launch, "we'll
run alongside and board you."
"Try it. You will find the warmest job you ever struck!"
"Why, you will not resist officers of the law?"
"Not if we know the officers have authority."
"Well, we have the authority, so head up into the wind."
"You say you have authority, but I do not even know you are an officer.
In fact, judging by the company you are in, I should take you for
anything else."
There were muttered words on the launch, savage, suppressed oaths and a
stir that was significant.
"They do mean to run alongside and board!" exclaimed Diamond. "Are you
still in for keeping them off, Merry?"
"You bet!" nodded Frank, grimly. "If I decide otherwise, I will give you
the word in time."
Bruce Browning began to roll up his sleeves, baring his brawny arms.
There was a flush on his face and an eager look in his eyes.
"Some of those gentlemen will take a bath this morning," he said.
Both Diamond and Hodge flung aside their coats.
The men on the launch saw these significant movements and could not
misunderstand them. They were surprised by the attitude of the crew of
the _White Wings_.
"You fools!" cried the spokesman of the party, who had a full black
beard. "You will get yourselves jailed if you make any resistance. I am
Sheriff Ulmer, of Rockland!"
"Where is your badge?" demanded Frank. "Show that."
The man who claimed to be the sheriff hesitated.
"He can't do it!" muttered Hodge, triumphantly.
"I have papers to serve on you," said the black-bearded man.
"You can serve them when I come ashore," returned Frank. "I am going
into the harbor, and I shall be ashore in thirty minutes after dropping
anchor."
"But you are on a stolen yacht, and I am here to take possession of it."
"I am not on a stolen yacht, and I do not mean that you shall take
possession of it unless you have the right to do so. This yacht belongs
to me. I bought it and paid for it with good money, and I mean to hold
it. If you really are Sheriff Ulmer, which I am inclined to doubt, you
have been deceived by that rascal in the bow of the launch. He holds a
worthless bill of sale of this boat, which, if it is not a forgery, was
made out by a crazy man who did not own the boat at the time."
"It's a lie!" snarled Flynn. "The bill of sale is all right, and we're
going to take that yacht!"
"You will have to fight for her, if you do!"
"If you fight, you fool, you will go to jail. There is a first-class
jail in Rockland, too."
"I'll take my chances of going to jail. Keep off! This is a fair
warning."
By this time the launch was close to the yacht, and the faces of all the
persons in the small boat could be seen and studied. Wat Snell was
pale, and it was plain he did not relish his position. With the fellow
who claimed to be sheriff was a hang-dog looking chap who looked like a
fighter. The man who was running the launch acted as if he had no
intention of taking any part in the fight, if one should occur. It was
plain he had been hired to set the others on board the _White Wings_,
and he did not mean to do anything more than that.
"Hans!" called Frank, "take the wheel and hold her steady as she is. You
will get out of the scrimmage, and I want to have a hand in that."
Hans took the wheel, and Frank prepared to take a hand in the repulse if
the enemy tried to board.
The man in the launch who had claimed to be sheriff stood up and waved
his clinched fist above his head.
"In the name of the law, I command you to surrender!" he shouted.
"Show your authority," calmly returned Merriwell.
"Here it is--the bill of sale of that yacht."
"That is no authority. Do you think you can bluff us because we are
young? You will find you have made a big mistake."
"Board them!" cried Flynn. "Take the yacht! That is the only way to do
it!"
"You will find that is a mighty hard way to do it!" grated Bart Hodge.
"Come on, Snell! I want to get at you!"
The launch ran alongside the yacht, and the man with the fellow who
claimed to be the sheriff caught the rail of the _White Wings_ with a
boat hook.
"Come on!" roared the black-whiskered chap.
"Stand by to repel boarders!" rang out Frank's clear voice.