AN EXCITING RACE FOR LIBERTY
"What do you suppose it all means?" asked Alaric, as the boat containing
the two white men sailed away.
"If it is true, it means that somebody has been fooling us, and you know
who he is as well as I do," replied Bonny, who did not care to mention
names within Bah-die's hearing. "If I'm not very much mistaken, it means
also that he is trying to hold on to us until the cutter comes back. You
know they offered him a reward to find us."
"Only twenty-five dollars," interposed Alaric, who could not imagine
anybody committing an act of treachery for so small a sum.
"That would be a good deal to some people. I don't know but what it
would be to me just now."
"If I had once thought he was after the money," continued Alaric, "I
would have offered him twice as much to deal squarely with us."
"Would you?" asked Bonny, with a queer little smile, for his comrade's
remarks concerning money struck him as very absurd. "Where would you
have got it?"
"I meant, of course, if I had it," replied the other, flushing, and
wondering at his own stupidity. "But what do you think we ought to do
now?"
"Sail over to Tacoma as quick as we can, and see whether the cutter is
there or not. When we find that out we'll see what is to be done next."
"But we may meet John on the way."
"I don't care. That's a good idea, though. I've been wondering how we
should get our friend here to agree to the plan." Then turning to
Bah-die, and speaking in Chinook, Bonny suggested that as the fishing
was not very good and there was a fine breeze for sailing, they should
run out into the Sound and meet the big canoe on its way back from
Tacoma, to which plan the young Siwash unsuspectingly agreed.
Half an hour later the swift canoe was dashing across the open Sound
before a rattling breeze that heeled her down until her lee gunwale was
awash, though her three occupants were perched high on the weather side.
The city was dimly visible in the distance ahead, and near at hand the
big canoe which they were ostensibly going to meet was rapidly
approaching. Bonny was steering, and Bah-die held the main-sheet, while
the jib-sheets were intrusted to Alaric.
Skookum John had already recognized them, and as they came abreast of
him motioned to them to put about; but Bonny, affecting not to
understand, resolutely maintained his course. They were well past the
other craft, which was coming about as though to follow them, before
Bah-die realized that anything was wrong. Then obeying an angry order
shouted to him by his father, he let go the main-sheet without warning,
causing the canoe to right so violently as to very nearly fling her
passengers overboard, and attempted to wrest the steering-oar from
Bonny's hand.
Seeing this, and with the desperate feeling of an escaped prisoner who
sees himself about to be recaptured, Alaric sprang aft, seized the young
Indian by the legs, and with a sudden output of all his recently
acquired strength, pitched him headlong into the sea. Then catching the
main-sheet, he trimmed it in. Down heeled the canoe until it seemed as
though she certainly must capsize; but Alaric, looking very pale and
determined, held fast to the straining rope, and would not yield an
inch.
It was well that he had learned this lesson, and was possessed of the
courage to apply it, for the canoe did not gather headway an instant too
soon. Bah-die, emerging from his plunge furious with rage, was swimming
towards her, and made a frantic attempt to grasp the gunwale as she
slipped away. His clutching fingers only missed it by the fraction of an
inch, and before he could make another effort the quick-moving craft was
beyond his reach. He was too wise to attempt a pursuit, and turned,
instead, to meet the big canoe, which was approaching him.
"That was a mighty fine thing to do, Rick Dale!" cried Bonny,
admiringly, "and but for you we should be on our way back to that
hateful camp at this very moment. Of course they may catch us yet with
that big boat, but we've got a show and must make the most of it. So
throw your weight as far as you can out to windward, and don't ease off
that sheet unless you see solid water pouring in over the gunnel."
"All right," replied Alaric, shortly, almost too excited for words.
Both lads realized that after what had just taken place it would be
nearly as unpleasant to fall into the hands of Skookum John as into
those of the revenue-men themselves, and both were determined that this
should not happen if they could prevent it. But could they? Fast as they
were sailing, it seemed to Alaric as though the big canoe rushing after
them was sailing faster. Bonny dared not take his attention from the
steering long enough to even cast a glance behind. Managing the canoe
was now more difficult than before, because they had lost one hundred
and fifty pounds of live ballast.
When Alaric looked at the water flashing by them it seemed as though he
had never moved so fast in his life, while a glance at the big boat
astern almost persuaded him that they were creeping at a snail's pace.
It was certain that the long, wicked-looking beak of the pursuing craft
was drawing nearer. Finally it was so close at hand that he could
distinguish the old Indian's scowling features and the expression of
triumph on Bah-die's face. The lad's heart grew heavy within him, for
the city wharves were still far away, and with things as they were the
chase was certain to be ended before they could be reached.
All at once an exclamation from Bonny directed his attention to another
craft coming up the Sound and bearing down on them as though to take
part in the race. It was a powerful sloop-yacht standing towards the
city from the club-house on Maury Island, and its crew were greatly
interested in the brush between the two canoes.
Either by design or accident, the yacht, which was to windward of the
chase, stood so close to the big canoe as to completely blanket her, and
so take the wind from her sails that she almost lost headway. Then, as
though to atone for her error, the yacht bore away so as to run between
pursuer and pursued, and pass to leeward of the smaller canoe. As the
beautiful craft swept by our lads with a flash of rushing waters,
glinting copper, and snowy sails, a cheery voice rang out: "Well done,
plucky boys! Stick to it, and you'll win yet!"
Alaric could not see the speaker, because of the sail between them, but
the tones were so startlingly familiar that for a moment he imagined the
voice to belong to the stranger who had talked with him on the wharf at
Victoria, and whom he now knew for a revenue-officer. If that were the
case, they were indeed hopelessly surrounded by peril. He was about to
confide his fears to Bonny, when like a flash it came to him that the
voice was that of Dave Carncross, whom he had not seen since that
memorable day in Golden Gate Park.
Although he had no desire to meet this friend of the ball-field under
the present circumstances, he was greatly relieved to find his first
suspicion groundless, and again directed his attention to the big canoe,
which, although she had lost much distance, was again rushing after
them. The boy now noticed for the first time, not more than half a mile
astern of her, a white steamer with a dense column of smoke pouring from
her yellow funnel, and evidently bound for the same port with
themselves.
Soon afterwards they had passed the smeltery, saw-mills, and
lumber-loading vessels of the old town, and were approaching the cluster
of steamships lying at the wharves of the Northern Pacific Railway,
which here finds its western terminus. Off these the yacht had already
dropped her jib and come to anchor. The big canoe was again overhauling
them, and looked as though she might overtake them, after all. A boat
from the yacht was making towards the wharves, and Bonny, believing that
it would find a landing-place, slightly altered his course so as to
follow the same direction.
All at once Alaric, who was again gazing nervously astern, cried out:
"Look at that steamer! I do believe it is going to run down the big
canoe."
Bonny glanced hastily over his shoulder, and uttered an exclamation of
dismay.
"Great Scott! It's the cutter," he gasped. "And they are right on top of
us. Now we are in for it."
"They are speaking to John, and he is pointing to us," said Alaric.
"Never mind them now," said Bonny. "Ease off your sheet a bit, and 'tend
strictly to business. We've still a chance, and can't afford to make any
mistakes."
A few minutes later, just as a yawl was putting off from the cutter's
side, the small canoe rounded the end of a wharf and came upon a
landing-stage. On it the yacht's boat had just deposited a couple of
passengers, who, with bags in their hands, were hastening up a flight of
steps.
"Here, you!" cried Bonny to one of the yacht's crew who stood on the
float, "look out for this canoe a minute. We've got to overtake those
gentlemen. Come on, Rick."
Without waiting to see whether this order would be obeyed, the boys ran
up the flight of steps and dashed away down the long wharf. They had no
idea of where they should go, and were only intent on finding some
hiding-place from the pursuers, whom they believed to be already on
their trail.
As they were passing a great ocean steamer whose decks were crowded with
passengers, and which was evidently about to depart, a carriage drew up
in front of them, so close that they narrowly escaped being run over. As
its door was flung open a voice cried out:
"Here, boys! Get these traps aboard the steamer. Quick!"
With this a gentleman sprang out and thrust a couple of bags, a
travelling-rug, and a gun-case into their hands. A lady with a little
boy followed him. He snatched up the child, and the whole party ran up
the gang-plank of the steamer as it was about to be hauled ashore.
Our lads had accepted this chance to board the steamer without
hesitation, and now ran ahead of the others. The clerk at the inner end
of the gang-plank allowed them to pass, thinking, of course, that they
would deposit their burdens on deck and immediately return to the wharf.
With an instinct born of long familiarity with ocean steamers, Alaric
made his way through the throng of passengers to the main saloon, and
Bonny followed him closely. Here they placed their burdens on a table,
and, with Alaric still in the lead, disappeared through a door on the
opposite side.
Two minutes later the great ship began to move slowly from the wharf,
and our lads, from a snug nook on the lower deck, watched with much
perturbation a revenue-officer, who had evidently just landed from the
cutter, come hurrying down the wharf.