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Adrift in the Wilds;
OR,
The Adventures of Two Shipwrecked Boys.
By EDWARD S. ELLIS
ILLUSTRATED.
NEW YORK:
A. L. BURT, PUBLISHER.
Copyrighted 1887, by A. L. Burt.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
'May the good Lord preserve us! them are Injuns,' said
Tim.
"The Indian drew forth a tiny canoe and shoved it into
the water"
"We are lost."
ADRIFT IN THE WILDS;
OR,
The Adventures of Two Shipwrecked Boys.
CHAPTER I.
HO, FOR CALIFORNIA.
One beautiful misummer night in 18-- a large, heavily laden steamer was
making her way swiftly up the Pacific coast, in the direction of San
Francisco. She was opposite the California shore, only a day's sail
distant from the City of the Golden Gate, and many of the passengers had
already begun making preparations for landing, even though a whole night
and the better part of a day was to intervene ere they could expect to
set their feet upon solid land.
She was one of those magnificent steamers that ply regularly between
Panama and California. She had rather more than her full cargo of
freight and passengers; but, among the hundreds of the latter, we have
to do with but three.
On this moonlight night, there were gathered by themselves these three
personages, consisting of Tim O'Rooney, Elwood Brandon and Howard
Lawrence. The first was a burly, good-natured Irishman, and the two
latter were cousins, their ages differing by less than a month, and both
being in their sixteenth year.
The financial storm that swept over the country in 18--, toppling down
merchants and banking-houses like so many ten-pins, carried with it in
the general wreck and ruin, that of Brandon, Herman & Co., and the
senior partner, Sylvanus Brandon, returned to his home in Brooklyn, New
York, one evening worse than penniless. While he was meditating,
dejected and gloomy, as to the means by which he was to keep the wolf
from the door, his clerk brought him a letter which had been overlooked
in the afternoon's mail, postmarked, "San Francisco, Cal." At once he
recognized the bold, handsome superscription as that of his kind-hearted
brother-in-law, Thomas Lawrence. His heart beat with a strong hope as he
broke the envelope, and his eyes glistened ere he had read one-half.
In short, it stated that Mr. Lawrence had established himself
successfully in business, and was doing so well that he felt the
imperative need of a partner, and ended by urging Mr. Brandon to accept
the position. The bankrupt merchant laid the epistle in his lap, removed
his spectacles and looked smilingly toward his wife. They held a long
discussion, and both decided to accept the offer at once, as there was
no other recourse left to them.
It was evident from the letter that Mr. Lawrence had some apprehensions
regarding Mr. Brandon's ability to weather the storm, but he could not
be aware of his financial crash, as it had only become known on the
street within the last twenty-four hours. Mr. Brandon deemed it proper,
therefore, before closing with the offer, to acquaint his brother-in-law
with his circumstances, that he might fully understand the disadvantage
under which he would be placed by the new partnership.
The letter was written and duly posted, and our friends rather anxiously
awaited the answer. It came in the gratifying form of a draft for $1,000
to defray "his necessary expenses," and an urgent entreaty to start
without delay.
The advice was acted upon, and within two weeks of the reception of the
second letter, Mr. Brandon and his wife were on board the steamer at New
York, with their state-rooms engaged for California. They had but one
child, Elwood, whom they had placed at a private school where he was to
prepare himself for college, in company with his cousin, Howard
Lawrence, who had been sent from California by his father and had
entered the school at the same time.
Mr. Brandon learned that Mr. Lawrence was a brother indeed. The position
in which the two men were placed proved so favorable to the former that
in a few years he found himself almost as wealthy as in his palmiest
days, when his name was such a power in Wall Street. He had come to like
the young and growing State of California, and ere he had been there two
years both himself and wife had lost all longings for the metropolis of
the New World.
In the meanwhile, Elwood and Howard were doing well at their studies in
Brooklyn. They had been inseparable friends from infancy, and as their
years increased the bonds of affection seemed to strengthen between
them. They were the only children of twin sisters, and bore a remarkable
resemblance in person, character and disposition. Both had dark,
curling, chestnut hair, hazel eyes, and an active muscular organization
that made them leaders in boyish pastimes and sports. If there was any
perceptible difference between the two, it was that Elwood Brandon was a
little more daring and impetuous than his companion; he was apt to
follow out his first impulses and venture upon schemes without
deliberating fully enough. Both were generous, unselfish, and either
would have willingly risked his life for the other.
Thus matters stood until the summer when our young heroes had completed
their preparatory course, and were ready to enter college. It was
decided by their parents that this should be done in the autumn, and
that the summer of this year should be spent by the boys with their
parents in California. They had been separated from them for five years,
during which they had met but once, when the parents made a journey to
New York for that purpose, spending several months with them. That
visit, it may be said, was now to be returned, and the boys meant that
it should be returned with interest.
And so Tim O'Rooney, a good-natured, trustworthy Irishman, who had been
in the employ of Mr. Lawrence for eight years, almost ever since his
arrival in America, was sent to New York to accompany the boys on their
visit home.
Howard and Elwood were standing one afternoon on the corner of Montague
Street, in Brooklyn, chatting with each other about their expected trip
to California. They had closed their school studies a week before, and
boy-like were now anxious to be off upon their journey. Suddenly an
Irishman came in sight, smoking furiously at a short black pipe. The
first glance showed them that it was no other than Tim O'Rooney, the
expected messenger.
"Isn't that good?" exclaimed Elwood, "the steamer sails on Saturday, and
we'll go in it. Here he comes, as though he was in a great hurry!"
"Don't say anything, and see whether he will know us!"
"Why shouldn't he?"
"You know we've grown a good deal since he was here, and the beard is
getting so stiff on my chin that it scratches my hand every time I touch
it."
"Yes; that mustache, too, is making you look as fierce as a Bluebeard;
but here he is!"
At this instant Tim O'Rooney came opposite them. He merely glanced up,
puffed harder than ever and was passing on, when both burst out in a
loud laugh.
"Be the powers! what's the mather with ye spalpeens?" he angrily
demanded. "Can't a dacent man be passing the sthrats widout being
insulted----Howly mother! is it yerselves or is it your grandfathers?"
He had recognized them, and a hearty hand-shaking followed. Tim grinned
a great deal over his mistake, and answered their questions in his dry,
witty way, and assured them that his instructions were to bring them
home as soon as possible. Accordingly, they embarked on the steamer on
the following Saturday; and, passing over the unimportant incidents of
their voyage, we come back to our starting point, where all three were
within a day's journey of their destination.