CAPTAIN BRISCO
"Mutiny! What do you mean?" demanded Mr. Pertell, a little startled by
the action of the old sailor.
"That's just what I mean, sir! Oh, I forgot you don't know. But I told
these young ladies about me being in a mutiny, an' I'm under suspicion
in connection with it still. I can't go in an English port, and that's a
nice blight to put on a man!" he said indignantly.
Mr. Pertell looked bewildered.
"Perhaps I can explain," said Ruth, "and if I go wrong, Jack, please
correct me."
"That I will, Miss!" he exclaimed.
Thereupon Ruth told the whole story, much more connectedly, and more
briefly, than would have been possible for the old salt. But Ruth had
the knack of condensing a long scenario into a few words.
"Was that it?" she asked Jack, when she had finished.
"That's it, Miss, an' you did me more credit in the story than I
deserved."
"Oh, no I didn't," Ruth said, smiling. "I'd like to help you solve that
mystery, too--the mystery of the disappearance of the captain and Mike
Tullane."
"That's it!" cried Jack. "If I could only find one of them, or if some
of th' real mutineers would confess, it would clear me an' I could be
free t' roam wherever I wanted t' in th' world. But it's too much t'
hope for that. But you said th' name of th' vessel we was t' make
believe be shipwrecked on was th' _Mary Ellen_, sir," and he turned to
the manager. "The _Mary Ellen_ was the name of the craft where the
mutiny occurred. Could it be--" he paused, hope showing on his eager
face.
"No, there's hardly a chance that this is the same one," said Mr.
Pertell. "_Mary Ellen_ is a common name for vessels," he went on, "and
there must be scores with it painted on their bows. I don't know
anything about the vessel I have bought, but I doubt if she was ever in
a mutiny. She is a very old craft, and isn't really fit for service now.
But her owners say she will do for what I want. We are going to take her
to Southern waters, and the main scenes of the drama will be
photographed aboard her, and around her."
"Where is the craft now, if I may ask?" inquired Mr. DeVere.
"Over in Erie Basin," answered the manager. "I am having her fitted up,
and a crew is being engaged. Of course it will be some time before we
sail, but I want to get everything in readiness. So suppose we take a
run over there now, and look at her."
"That suits me!" exclaimed Jack, to whom matters nautical were as the
breath of life. "And I hope you'll sign me on, sir; when it comes to
makin' up your crew, sir."
"I intend to ship you," was the answer. "Captain Brisco said he would
need some good officers. You have a mate's certificate, have you not,
Jack."
"Yes, sir, and mighty glad and proud I'll be to fill that berth, sir."
"Oh, won't it be jolly to go sailing!" exclaimed Alice. "I shall just
_love_ it!"
Mr. DeVere sighed resignedly.
"I'm afraid it won't be very good for your throat, Daddy," said Ruth in
a low tone. "The damp air will be sure to make you cough."
"Oh, well--" he began.
Mr. Pertell overheard what was said.
"I don't like to ask you, Mr. DeVere," he said, "to do anything that
will be bad for your health. But I certainly need your services, and
those of your daughters, in this sea drama. Otherwise I would not ask
you to run any risks with your throat.
"But I will say this. We shall not be afloat until Summer, and, as we
shall be in a warm climate, perhaps the bad effects will not be so
pronounced."
"No, I think so myself," the old actor admitted. "It may even do me
good. I will doctor up in the meanwhile. And I realize that if I do not
go, my daughters cannot. I would not like to have them miss this fine
opportunity."
"Oh, Daddy! We wouldn't go if it harmed you!" Alice cried.
"Oh, I dare say I can manage," her father replied. "The new treatment I
am taking seems to agree with me. Who knows? Perhaps, when it comes time
to sail, my throat may not trouble me at all."
"Let us hope so," Alice broke in. "I do so love the water, and the
Southern sea will be a dream!"
Perhaps if Alice could have looked ahead, and seen what lay before her,
she would not have been so enthusiastic in anticipating the future.
Mr. Pertell saw that the other plays under way in the studio were
running smoothly, and then prepared to take Mr. DeVere, his daughters,
and the old sailor over to Erie Basin, to inspect the _Mary Ellen_, as
she lay in her slip, being refitted for another voyage--her last--for
she was to rest beneath the waves when she had played her part in the
moving picture play.
"I wish I were going with you," said Russ Dalwood, as Ruth passed him
where he was having a moment's respite from grinding away at the crank
of a camera.
"I wish so, too," she answered, in a low voice.
"But I've got to stay here, and grind away at this film," he said
hopelessly.
"We'll see you to-night," she called to him, as she went out.
Paul Ardite waved to Alice as she "twinkled" her fingers at him. Paul
was in a cowboy costume, playing a scene in the cowboy story, which
seemed to be giving more and more trouble as it proceeded.
"This is the fifth time we've done that act," Paul called to Alice in an
aside as she passed. "And all because Mr. Bunn is so fussy. They'll take
him out, if he isn't careful. Where are you going, Alice?"
"Over to see _Mary Ellen_."
"Who's she? A new actress?"
"Yes, she's a 'she' I suppose, and she's going to have a big part in a
drama. I'll tell you about it later."
The _Mary Ellen_ certainly did not present a very trim appearance as the
little party went aboard her at the dock in Erie Basin. The decks were
cluttered up with an assortment of ropes, planks, casks, boxes and other
things, so that it was impossible to move about without great care. On
coming in sight of the craft Jack Jepson's face wore a look of
expectancy.
"She might be the same _Mary Ellen_ that I was on," he said.
But when he saw that the craft had three masts, whereas the ship where
the mutiny had occurred boasted of five, Jack shook his head.
"She isn't th' same ship," he murmured.
Yet as he stepped on deck he gave a start, and an exclamation escaped
his lips.
"What's the matter?" asked Alice, who was near him.
"Well, Miss, you may think it strange," he said, "but if I had my eyes
shut, I'd say I was on my old ship--th' _Mary Ellen_ I was tellin' you
about."
"But she had five masts, and this one----"
"Yes, I know, Miss Alice. But, masts or no masts there's somethin' about
this craft that's strangely familiar. I'm sure I've been on her before,
and yet--no, it can't be--three masts can't make five, no matter how you
count."
"Well, this is the ship," said Mr. Pertell to his guests. "This will be
our home when we get her fitted up in ship-shape. I don't know much
about such things myself, so I've given Captain Brisco full charge. He
is to get her in readiness."
"Well, if you were to ask me I should say it would take the greater part
of a year to get this in ship-shape," said Ruth. "I never saw such
confusion--never!" and she gazed about the deck.
"Why, Miss, this isn't anythin'--nothin' at all!" cried Jack Jepson.
"With a few of my old shipmates I could get this craft ready for a
voyage in half a day--that is, if she's all right below th' water line,"
he added as an afterthought.
"I'm trusting all that to Captain Brisco," said Mr. Pertell. "He was
recommended to me by the ones from whom I purchased this boat. I think
he will have everything in ship-shape for us in time."
As they stood looking about the deck a man came up from below. From his
appearance he was unmistakably a sailor, and one in authority. He issued
several orders, on hearing which a number of men bestirred themselves,
and then, catching sight of the little party, he called out in rough
tones.
"Come now! What's this? No visitors are allowed on board here. Get
ashore at once!"
"Hello, Captain Brisco!" called Mr. Pertell. "That is, if that's the
proper nautical greeting."
"Oh, Mr. Pertell. I didn't recognize you," said the commander of the
_Mary Ellen_. "I beg your pardon! Won't you walk this way?"
"We are on a little tour of inspection," the manager went on. "These are
some of my principle moving picture actors, and I want them to get
familiar with the ship. And, Captain Brisco, this is an old salt who
will be with us. He is to be second mate, I believe. Jack Jepson, let me
present you to Captain Brisco."
A strange look came over the old salt's face. He stepped forward and
burst out with:
"I guess I've met Captain Brisco before, but that wasn't his
name--then!"
Captain Brisco started back as though a shot had been fired near him.