KEY WEST, AND THE LAST OF JIM HASKETT
George Ellis was known to be an upright honest man, and one whose word
was worth taking upon every occasion. He had an education above that of
the ordinary man in the navy, and was anxious to make something of
himself while in the service of his country, never dreaming, alas! that
his life was so soon to be taken from him during our struggle in the
cause of humanity and Cuban freedom.
"And what did you see?" questioned Caleb, as all eyes were turned upon
Ellis, inquiringly.
"It was last night," answered the Range Finder, for such was the man's
popular title, given him because he was so good at determining
distances. "I was rather feverish and couldn't sleep. I walked the berth
deck for a while and then went up to Walton's gun and stood leaning out
of the porthole, gazing at the water.
"Presently I heard a slight noise behind me, and turning around I saw in
a dim way the figure of a man behind me. He was bending down under the
gun, as if he was hunting for something. I was just on the point of
speaking to him when he straightened up and slunk away as silently as a
ghost. I watched him, and when he got under the rays of the electric
light I got a good look at his face."
"And was it this man?" cried Si, pointing to Jim Haskett.
"It was."
With a cry of anger Si leaped upon Haskett and bore him to the deck.
"You good-for-nothin' rascal!" he panted. "Will try to shove off your
dirty tricks on Walter, eh? So you stole my money and then got afraid to
use it? Take that, and that, and that!"
Each _that_ was a blow in the face, one on the cheek, another on the
nose, and a third directly in Haskett's left eye. They were heavy, and
Haskett roared with pain.
"Let up!" he sputtered. "Let go of me,"--the latter to Caleb, who still
held him. "Oh, my eye! Is this fair fighting, two to one?"
"It is as fair as you treated Walter," answered Caleb. "Give him
another, Si; he deserves it." And Si followed directions by planting a
blow on Haskett's neck, something which spun the former mate of the
_Sunflower_ around like a top. At last Haskett broke loose and backed
away.
"I'll get square on all of you!" he foamed, shaking his fist first at
Caleb and then at the others. "I'm not done yet."
[Illustration: "I'LL GET SQUARE ON ALL OF YOU!"]
"I've a good mind to report you," put in Walter. "I reckon you'd be good
for a month in irons, on bread and water."
At this Haskett grew pale. "The officers won't believe your story.
Ellis, and the rest of you haven't any witnesses," he replied, but his
voice shook. "Just wait; my day will come some time." And then, as Si
started to advance again, he beat a hasty retreat.
"That settles that mystery," remarked Caleb, when the excitement was
over. "I calculate, Walter, that you are not sorry the way matters came
out."
"No, indeed." Walter turned to George Ellis. "I owe you one for your
kindness. I'll not forget it."
"That's all right--I only did what any fair-minded fellow would do,"
answered the chief yeoman, and strolled away.
It was time for dinner, and Walter hurried off arm in arm with Si, who
was still somewhat worked up over what had happened. "Walter, don't you
go for to imagine I thought you guilty," said the Yankee boy. "I know
you are honest to the core."
"Even if I do talk in my sleep," said Walter, from whose heart a great
load had been lifted.
Once more the course of the Flying Squadron had been changed and now
they were making straight for the coast of Florida. Tuesday passed
quietly, although the same vigilance prevailed as before. It was
evident, come what might, Commodore Schley did not mean to allow the
enemy to catch him napping.
They had passed through the Straits of Florida, and now they turned to
the westward, past a number of the Florida Reefs. Far across the ocean
could be seen the low-lying shore, backed up by stately palms and other
trees. The weather was now much warmer.
"You see, we are drawing closer to the equator," remarked Caleb. "I
reckon we are bound for Key West." And his surmise proved correct, for
they dropped anchors in Key West Harbor early on the morning following.
"What a lot of warships around here," cried Walter, as he came on deck.
"What is that big fellow over yonder?"
"That is the _Iowa_," answered the old gunner. "You can well say big
fellow, for the _Iowa_ is the largest seagoing battleship we possess.
She has a displacement of over eleven thousand tons and can speed in any
sea at over seventeen knots. She carries four 12-inch guns and a whole
host of others. Her armor belt is solid steel, fourteen inches thick."
"She's a beauty. I wonder if she will go out with us?"
"That is according to what Rear Admiral Sampson has to say about it,
lad. You see, this campaign in Atlantic waters is largely in his hands."
The _Iowa_ lay quite close, and during the day several messages were
transmitted from one warship to the other by means of the wig-wag
system. Walter had now mastered the mysteries of wig-wagging and amused
himself by spelling out the messages as they passed to and fro.
A salute had been fired when the commodore entered the harbor, eleven
rounds being shot off. "If he was a rear-admiral, he'd get thirteen
guns," explained Caleb. "You see the salute varies from the President
down. McKinley gets twenty-one guns, the Vice-President or Secretary of
the Navy nineteen guns, a foreign minister fifteen guns, a consul seven
guns, and so on. By counting the guns every man on the ships can tell
what sort of a dignitary has arrived."
It was a cloudy day, and the air was so close that Walter was glad
enough to take it easy. Presently he saw a boat leave the side,
containing several petty officers and George Ellis and Jim Haskett.
"I wonder where they are going," said Walter to Si.
"Some special business for Captain Cook," answered Paul, who stood near.
"Oh, but Haskett is in an ugly mood to-day. It will be a big wonder if
he and Ellis don't get into a fight before they come back."
"Ellis is too much of a gentleman to fight with any one," returned
Walter. "By the way, what is his real position on board?"
"He is chief yeoman," replied Si. "He is going ashore to look after some
ship's stores, so I heard him tell one of the paymasters."
The small boat was soon out of sight, and Walter turned away to seek the
shade, for it was growing hotter and hotter. "If this is a sample of
weather in the torrid zone, what shall we do when we get into Cuban
waters?" he observed.
"We are not very far from Cuban waters now," said the Yankee youth. "We
could make Havana in six or seven hours if it was necessary."
"I wonder how the people of that city feel, Si, all cooped up as they
have been for so long."
"I reckon they wish they had some fighting ships to come out after us,
Walter. I've heard it said that General Blanco hardly knows how to turn
himself, food is so scarce and so many idlers are about. It wouldn't
surprise me if they had a riot there, if they haven't had one already.
Even soldiers won't keep quiet when the grub fails."
But little could be seen of Key West outside of the numerous shipping.
Presently a couple of petty officers came along with marine glasses and
one pointed out to his companion several Spanish prizes in the port.
"They'll be worth a good bit of money to the sailors on the blockade,"
he added. "I wish we were in for a share of the spoils."
"There are several transports," said Caleb, on joining his friends.
"They are fitting out to go to Tampa. It won't be long before an army of
invasion starts for Cuba."
"I wonder if my brother Ben will go along," mused Walter, but just then
to get word from his older brother was impossible.
Inside of two hours the small craft came back. Somewhat to his surprise
Walter saw that Jim Haskett was missing. He would not have thought much
of this had it not been that the _Brooklyn_ was already preparing to
continue on her trip.
"Haskett did not come back," he announced to Si. "I'll wager something
is wrong."
"Oh, I guess not," said the Yankee youth; nevertheless, he, too, began
to watch for the former mate of the _Sunflower_.
Several hours later Walter passed George Ellis on the upper deck and
saluted. The chief yeoman hesitated and then called Walter to him.
"I suppose you and your friend will be interested to know that James
Haskett has been left behind at Key West under military arrest," he
began.
"Indeed! And what for, if I may ask?"
"For getting into a rough-and-tumble fight with a soldier named
Grumbell. It seems Grumbell once owned a fishing-smack down East, and
Haskett failed to settle up on a cargo of fish he sold for Grumbell
three years ago. They had a quarrel of words and then got to blows, and
Haskett hit a captain of the regulars who tried to separate them. Both
he and the soldier are now in prison, and I rather imagine it will go
pretty hard with the seaman, for striking a captain is no light
offence." And after a few words more, George Ellis passed on.
Of course Walter lost no time in carrying the news to his friends. All
listened with interest, and Si said he was glad Haskett was gone. "And I
hope he doesn't ever come back," he added.
And Jim Haskett never did come back, nor did Walter ever set eyes on the
man again. For quarrelling with the soldier and striking the captain of
the regulars, Jim Haskett was dishonorably discharged from the navy, and
sentenced to a year's imprisonment at hard labor. Thus, in a roundabout
way, was the rascal made to suffer the punishment he so richly
deserved.