keep the fire going," Sam said, and from that time until a few minutes
before sunset they enjoyed themselves as thoroughly as if they had but
lately left the most pleasant homes in the land to spend a few days in
pleasure on Apple Island.
They ate their supper and the shanty was once more set to rights. Near
the door was a store of driftwood sufficient to keep a fire going many
days, and the two had seated themselves on the cliff which jutted out
above the roof of Uncle Ben's home to discuss the future, for Tom
insisted on knowing why the old lobster catcher was willing to burden
himself with two boys who had no legal claim on him.
Sam had begun to answer the questions by telling what he knew concerning
the old man, when far away in the distance, directly in the golden
pathway formed by the rays of the setting sun, appeared the outlines of
a vessel.
"That's the 'Sally D.'!" Sam cried in alarm.
"Cap'en Doak is comin' here after me, just as I was afraid he would!"
"How do you know that is his schooner?"
"There ain't another vessel sailin' out of Southport that has a topmast
like the 'Sally D.' What am I to do, oh, what am I to do?"
*CHAPTER V*
*AN UNWELCOME VISITOR*
Tom was apparently lost in surprise because the lad who had shown so
much bravery by saving the life of a stranger at imminent risk of his
own was nearly overcome by terror simply through seeing in the far
distance that vessel on which he knew was his stepfather.
He looked alternately at Sam and the "Sally D.," as if fancying that
somewhere in the middle distance he might see that which would give him
a clue to what was really a riddle, and failing in making out more than
the wide expanse of restless waters, he turned toward his friend, asking
impatiently:
"What's comin' over you so bad? S'pose that vessel is the 'Sally D.,'
what's the use of worryin'?"
"Cap'en Doak is comin' ashore after me. He must have sailed around the
island to wait till he saw Uncle Ben headin' for Southport, an' he could
get his hands on me without much trouble. What'll I do? Oh, what'll I
do?"
"Look here, Sam!" Tom cried impatiently. "If you're willin' to stand
here on the beach when your stepfather lands, in case that vessel is the
'Sally D.,' an' in case he's comin' back after you, then I allow he
might have a chance of pickin' you up without very much bother; but
what's to hinder your makin' things lively for him?"
"What do you mean?" Sam asked helplessly, and it really seemed as if he
had lost his wits in the sudden attack of terror which beset him so
sorely.
"Mean? Can't you see that the cap'en of that 'ere schooner would have a
mighty rough time gettin' his hands on you, if it was a case of huntin'
for what he wanted? This ain't any toy island, an' I'd be willin' to
bet great big dollars that there ain't the man livin' who could get hold
of me if I wanted to keep out of his way! What's to hinder our layin'
low in the bushes, if so be he comes ashore? I reckon he would be a good
long day runnin' us down, an' before that happened your Uncle Ben would
be back to take a hand in the scrimmage!"
The look of distress slowly died Away from Sam's face as his companion
spoke. He had been so overcome by terror at seeing the "Sally D." that
there was no room in his mind for any thought save what Captain Doak
would do if it was possible for him to work his will, but now he began
to realize that he was showing himself very much of a coward.
"Say, that's so! You must think I'm a regular baby!" he said with a
faint attempt at a smile. "Just for a minute it seemed as if I was
bound to stand right here waitin' till Cap'en Doak came ashore. I guess
we'll give him a good chance to hunt for us."
"That's the way to talk," Tom said approvingly. "We'll give him a run
for his money, an' if he gets his hands on either of us I'm allowin'
it'll be 'cause we've lost our heads. There's no reason why we should
stay up here on the rocks where he'll see us, so let's slip down the
other side where we'll be out of the way an' can see what he counts on
doin'."
"Why not go straight back into the bushes an' find a hidin'-place?"
"'Cause there's no need of it yet a while. It wouldn't be any very big
job to keep ahead of him, with anythin' decent in the way of a start,
an' I want to see how far he dares jump after your Uncle Ben has told
him that he's goin' to law 'bout it."
Sam had no desire to linger in the vicinity. So great was his fear of
Captain Doak that he would gladly have put to sea in the dory rather
than take the slight chance of being captured on the island. But,
having once shown himself to be a veritable coward so far as an
encounter with the commander of the "Sally D." was concerned, he shrank
from any further display of fear.
Therefore it was that the boys crouched behind the brow of the cliff,
where a full view of the cove could be had, watching the shabby schooner
as she crept nearer and nearer to the land, and Sam found it really
difficult to prevent a tremor of fear from being apparent in his voice
as he replied to Tom's questions regarding Uncle Ben.
The good people of Southport, where Sam had been born, knew that
Benjamin Johnson was a native of the town, and even as a young man had
been known as an "odd stick," who, when his father and mother died,
earned sufficient to make a home for his two sisters by his labor as a
fisherman. When the young women were married, Ben leased Apple Island,
and for many years had worked industriously; it was generally believed
he had saved considerable money, and there were many who, not knowing
him of whom they spoke, called the lobster catcher a miser.
"He's been mighty good to me since mother died," Sam said when Tom had
come to an end of his questions, "an' if he can make Cap'en Doak behave
himself so's I'll dare to show my head, I'll be in great luck livin'
here with him."
"Do you reckon he'll let me stay, too?" Tom asked anxiously.
"He has just the same as said you could, an' all we've got to do in
order to have as good a home as any fellow could ask for, is to jump
right inter the work, same's you've begun. It's a big lot of help to
Uncle Ben, now that he's gettin' 'under old, to have somebody pull the
pots, an' between the two of us we oughter tend to the business without
his raisin' a finger."
"You can bet I'll do my part of it all right; but perhaps he ain't
countin' on stayin' here very long."
"What do you mean?" Sam asked in alarm.
"That plan of his that he keeps tellin' about may have somethin' to do
with leavin' the island."
Such a suggestion as this would have caused Sam no slight anxiety at any
other time, for the possibility that Uncle Ben's "plan," whatever it
might be, would involve his abandoning Apple Island had never occurred
to the lad until this moment. Just now, however, while the "Sally D."
was slowly but surely approaching the anchorage, he could give little
heed to anything save the fear that Captain Doak might succeed in
getting hold of him once more.
Soon the lads could see the two men clearly, and Sam knew only too well
that his stepfather was in a towering rage.
"He'll use up more'n one rope's end on me if he gets the chance!" the
lad said with an indrawing of the breath, and his companion, trying to
speak in a careless tone, replied:
"Oh, he'll have a mighty tough time gettin' near enough to make much
trouble, no matter how long he stays. We'll wait here till we see what
his game is, for there won't be any sense in runnin' 'round very lively
before there's need for it."
The lads were not kept in suspense many moments. Within a quarter hour
the "Sally D." was inside the cove; Rube Rowe let the anchor go with a
rush, the sails were hauled down, but not furled, and with everything on
the deck at sixes and sevens, Captain Doak jumped into the dory which
was towing alongside, shouting impatiently to his solitary sailor:
"Bear a hand lively, Rube, for I ain't countin' on wastin' very much
time over this job!"
"Lookin' for a boy on this 'ere island, an' the sun within half an hour
of settin', is goin' to be a good deal like huntin' for a needle in a
haystack," Mr. Rowe grumbled as he obeyed orders, and he was hardly more
than in the boat before the angry captain had begun to row her to the
shore.
"We'll go straight across the island, for if Ben hasn't taken him along
the cub is sure to get as far away as possible, an' once we get our
hands on him, it's a case of goin' aboard lively; I've spent too much
time on him already."
"I ain't certain as the law will uphold us in takin' him by force, even
if you are his stepfather," the sailor replied fretfully, and his
employer cried angrily:
"Do what I tell you, an' I'll look after the law part of it. Don't be
afraid of knockin' him down if you find that he can run too fast. Now
bear to the east'ard an' I'll tackle the other end of the island;
there's little chance he can give both of us the slip."
Having thus given his orders, Captain Doak set off at a rapid pace,
passing within twenty yards of where the lads were cowering behind the
jutting rocks of the cliff, and Tom whispered when the angry man was so
far away that there could be no danger his words might be overheard:
"Now you see that it was best to stay right here; they don't count on
our hangin' 'round near the cove, an' this is as good a place as we
could find. I haven't had to sneak away time an' time ag'in from Mother
Sharkey without gettin' a mighty good idea of how the trick can be
turned."
During the next thirty minutes the boys remained silent but on the
alert, one watching for Captain Doak, and the other for Rube Rowe, and
the shadows of evening were lengthening before either of the men put in
an appearance. Then they could be seen coming directly toward the
shanty, walking side by side, and Tom whispered triumphantly:
"They've given it up as a bad job, so all we've got to do is lay low
here till they look inside the shanty, for it ain't likely they'll leave
without openin' the door."
"Hadn't we better run while we've got a chance?" Sam asked tremulously.
"Not a bit of it. They'd be sure to sight us, but if we can keep our
distance half an hour longer, it'll be so dark that they can't see an
inch before their noses."
Sam literally flattened himself against the cliff, in his effort to
hide, and hardly dared to breathe when the two men approached the shanty
directly beneath him.
"If it wasn't so late I'd have that miserable cub out of this!" Captain
Doak cried angrily as he kicked open the door of Uncle Ben's home, "an'
even as it is he hasn't given me the slip, for the 'Sally' shall stay
where she is till I've put him aboard."
"If that's the way you're feelin', I'm allowin' that we won't wet
another line this season," Rube Rowe said with a laugh which caused
Captain Doak to turn with upraised hand as if to strike a blow, and the
sailor cried warningly as he put himself in a posture of defense:
"None of that, Eliakim, or you an' I'll part company mighty sudden! I
ain't so fond of the 'Sally D.,' an' it wouldn't take much of your funny
business to give me my discharge."
"Don't talk crazy, Rube! What we're after is that young cub, an' this
ain't the time to cut up rough."
"You're doin' the rough part of it, 'cordin' to my way of thinkin', an'
I want you to understand that it won't take much to put me out of the
job altogether. I ain't so certain that you've got the law on your
side, an' then ag'in, I've allers felt sorry for the little chap, 'cause
there's no denyin' but that you've led him the toughest kind of a life,
an' he savin' you the wages of a cook."
"Hold your tongue! I know more 'bout law than that drivelin' old
lobster catcher can tell me, so don't get the idee that I'm leadin' you
inter any trouble. The boy is my stepson, an' he's bound to dance to my
pipin' till he's twenty-one, or I'll know the reason why. Got any
matches?"
"What do you want of 'em?"
"I'm goin' to set this shack on fire. Ben Johnson shall be made to
understand what it means to buck agin me. If he was here, I'd give him
a lesson that wouldn't soon be forgot; but seein's he ain't, I'll let
him have a taste of what's comin'."
"If I had any matches you shouldn't have 'em to use on that shanty!"
Rube Rowe cried angrily. "I know what it means to set a house on fire!"
"This ain't a house, you bloomin' idjut; it's nothin' but a fisherman's
shanty, an' the law won't be troubled 'bout it. Besides who's to know
we did the job, if we get under way lively--I can come back after Sam
to-morrow."
"You'll get no matches from me," Rube growled as he walked rapidly up
the shore, and Captain Doak, seemingly incited to yet greater anger by
the opposition of his "crew," said hoarsely as he ran toward the "Sally
D.'s" boat:
"I'll go aboard an' get what I want. When that's been done, you an'
I'll have a settlement!"
"I reckon here's where we've got our work cut out for us," Tom whispered
as he crept slowly to the top of the cliff. "That cap'en of yours won't
set any shanty afire while I've got life enough to roll a lot of these
rocks down on his head!"
*CHAPTER VI*
*A PITCHED BATTLE*
In strict justice to Sam Cushing it must be set down that he was not a
coward in any sense of the word, and certainly he proved himself to be
brave when he saved the life of Tom Falonna at risk of his own, yet the
idea of opposing the commander of the "Sally D." to the extent of
provoking a personal encounter frightened him. More than once since the
death of his mother had he attempted to resist when his stepfather was
unusually cruel, and on each occasion had he suffered severely.
Therefore, it was that Tom's preparations to defend Uncle Tom's shanty
against Captain Doak seemed to him an extra hazardous undertaking, more
particularly since the chances of his being captured by his angry
stepfather would, apparently, be increased, and, following Tom up the
side of the cliff, he whispered entreatingly:
"Don't get us both into the worst kind of a muss! The cap'en an' Rube
Rowe can surely get the best of us if it comes to a fight, an' then I'll
be carried off on board the 'Sally'!"
"I ain't countin' on lettin' that villain burn the only home your Uncle
Ben has got, 'specially while there are so many rocks layin' 'round here
loose," Tom replied grimly, as he began gathering missiles where they
would be ready for use. "'Cordin' to what he said, Rube Rowe ain't
likely to take much of a hand in this 'ere row, 'cause he's got sense
enough to know that settin' a man's house on fire is a mighty dangerous
thing to do."
"He may not help start a fire, but he's bound to lend a hand if Cap'en
Doak gets inter a row with us!"
"Then it'll be so much the worse for him, 'cause I'm goin' to make a
mighty big try at keepin' that villain at his distance, an' if I can get
one crack at him he'll be down an' out for quite a spell. There he goes
for matches, an' I reckon he's too wild by this time to really know what
kind of a sore he's breedin' for himself. Folks get sent to jail for
what he's aimin' to do----"
"Then he'd be out of my way for good an' all," Sam said hopefully, and
Tom replied in a tone of reproach:
"Yes, you'd be all right; but your Uncle Ben wouldn't have any shanty to
live in, an' then what about our plan of stoppin' here with him?"
Sam had no reply to make; he was not a little ashamed at having thought
only of himself and, as Tom had stated the case, he would be injured as
much as benefited by such disposal of his stepfather as he had
suggested.
The situation not only alarmed but perplexed him, and, not knowing what
else to do, he watched the movements of Captain Doak, who could be seen
only as a dark smudge against the lighter sky. The commander of the
"Sally D." was standing erect in the dory as he pushed at the oars with
a force and haste which told of the angry storm that was raging in his
mind, and while Tom made ready his ammunition for the battle which was
evidently so near at hand, Sam announced to him the movements of the man
who was eager to work so much mischief.
"He's in a terrible hurry; perhaps because he's afraid Uncle Ben will
come back before he can start the fire. Now he's alongside the
schooner, an' jumpin' aboard. My, my! but ain't he movin' spry!"
"He'll jump 'round worse'n ever if he gets one of these rocks side of
his head," Tom replied as he ranged the missiles in front of him with
exceeding care.
"Now he's comin' out of the cabin, an' I s'pose he's got matches enough
to set the whole island on fire. See him jump inter the dory! I tell
you, Tom, he's mighty ugly by this time!"
"I ain't feelin' much like a lamb myself," Master Falonna said placidly
as he brought up from the foot of the cliff yet more rocks. "I reckon
I've got enough here to keep him at his distance quite a spell."
"He's comin' ashore--now he's on the beach! Look out for yourself!"
"Get up here where you can take a hand in this business! I'm countin'
you'll do your share!"
"Of course I will!" Sam cried. If the battle had to come, he was quite
as determined as his friend to prevent any mischief being done to Uncle
Ben's property.
The lad had not yet gained a position by Tom's side when Captain Doak
could be heard shouting to the "crew" of the "Sally":
"Hi! Rube! Come up here, you skulker, an' see what Eliakim Doak can do
to them who try to tread on his corns!"
From far away in the distance came the reply:
"I ain't comin'! I hired with you for a season's fishin', an' when you
go to runnin' your head inter jail tricks, I don't train in any of it!"
"You're a coward, that's what you are!" the angry fisherman cried, and
the boys on the cliff could see him coming toward them swiftly. "If
you're 'fraid of your own shadder, stand by to go aboard, for we'll
weigh anchor as soon as this job is finished!"
Captain Doak hardly more than ceased speaking when he had come near the
shanty; but before he could enter it, a warning cry sounded from the
cliff, and a huge rock rolled swiftly toward him.
"Get back there, an' be lively 'bout it," Tom cried, "else you'll stand
a chance of havin' your head broke! There won't be any funny business
on this 'ere island to-night, 'less somebody gets hurt pretty bad!"
"Who's that?" Captain Doak asked in a rage, stepping back in order that
he might have a view of the top of the cliff, and at the same instant a
missile, smaller than the first, grazed his arm, causing him to leap
aside very suddenly.
"Get back where you belong, 'less you wanter be knocked out of time!"
Tom shouted, and, sheltering himself as much as possible behind a
projecting portion of the cliff, the commander of the "Sally D." cried
in a voice hoarse with rage:
"I'll flog you within an inch of your life, you miserable shirker. Come
down here, Sam, or I'll mark you with a rope's end as you've never been
marked before!"
"I reckon you won't do much floggin' or markin' yet a while," Tom
replied stoutly, standing with a missile in either hand, ready to fire a
shot whenever Captain Doak was so incautious as to give him an
opportunity. "Go aboard your schooner, 'less you're achin' to be 'bout
the same as killed, for if we get a fair whack at your precious body it
ain't likely you'll be very spry for some time to come!"
"Rube! Rube Rowe! Get around on the top of the cliff an' pitch them
cubs down!"
"Do it yourself, if it's got to be done. I didn't ship with you for a
pirate!" was the reply from the beach, and Tom added mockingly:
"I reckon you'll have to tackle the job yourself, cap'en, an' if you
don't get all that's comin' to you before it's over, I'm way off my
base. We've got plenty of rocks handy."
While one might have counted twenty, Captain Doak remained silent and
motionless, and then a tiny spark of light could be seen near where he
crouched, which caused Tom to whisper:
"He's settin' fire to the rubbish, hopin' the flames will creep over to
the shanty, an' perhaps they may, for the wind is settin' this way. If
we'd only thought to bring up a bucket of water, it would be easy to put
an end to his fun!"
"There are a couple of buckets behind the shed. If I could get down
without his seein' me, it wouldn't take long to have 'em up here."
"Go ahead an' get 'em!" Tom whispered excitedly. "I'll see to it that
he don't get out from behind the rocks while you're gone!"
Understanding that there was no time to be wasted if he would carry out
the plan successfully, Sam made his way softly down the cliff, and in
the meanwhile Tom watched anxiously the tiny threads of flame which
began to curl up from amid the dried grass, seaweed and driftwood, and
were fanned by the wind directly toward the shanty.
"I'll smoke you out, you cubs!" Captain Doak cried triumphantly as he
pushed the blazing fragments forward with a short stick. "It won't be
many minutes before you'll be glad to make a change of quarters, an'
then will come my time!"
At that moment Sam came to the top of the cliff with the two buckets,
each more than half full of sea water, and, seizing one, Tom waited
until Captain Doak leaned forward to put more fuel on the rapidly
increasing fire, when he threw the contents with rare good aim.
The water struck the commander of the "Sally D." full in the face,
causing him to leap backward sputtering and choking, while a good deal
of the liquid fell on the flames. The second bucket was emptied in the
same manner immediately afterward, and all danger of mischief was at an
end for the time being.
It would be difficult to describe clearly the exhibition of rage which
the commander of the "Sally D." gave on being thus baffled by two lads.
He stormed at Sam because the lad had dared to run away from the
schooner; at Tom for taking part in a quarrel which was none of his, and
at Rube Rowe for "skulking" on the beach when his employer was in need
of his services.
The "crew" of the "Sally D." remained silent under the torrent of abuse
during a few seconds, and then boldly announced his determination:
"I'm nothin' but a common, every-day fisherman, but I allow to be
somewhere nigh honest. I shipped with you for a summer's work, an'
never allowed to go 'round burnin' houses. If you give me one more word
of abuse, I'll turn to an' help the boys so far as I'm able----"
"You'll finish out the season aboard the 'Sally D.,' or you'll never see
a cent of wages!" Captain Doak cried, the words sounding hoarse and
indistinct because of his rage.
"I'm allowin' that if I should go inter court with the story of why we
parted company before the season ended, I'd be able to collect all you
owe me, if so be you've got property enough left to be attached by the
sheriff; so I ain't worryin' 'bout that part of it."
Having thus defined his position, Rube Rowe, as the boys could see, set
about launching the "Sally's" dory, apparently making ready to go on
board, and Captain Doak, seemingly forgetting the enemy on the cliff,
sprang out from his hiding-place as if to try conclusions with his
mutinous "crew."
"Now's our chance!" Tom whispered as he threw two rocks with good aim,
and an instant later the commander of the "Sally D." measured his length
on the sand, evidently having been struck by one or both of the
missiles.
"What if we have killed him?" Sam cried in a tone of fear when his
stepfather made no effort to rise to his feet, and Tom replied savagely:
"I hope we have hurt him enough to put some sense in him; but you'll see
him jumpin' 'round in a minute."
The lad spoke in a loud tone, and must have been heard by the captain,
for he scrambled to his feet with all haste, running toward the dory as
he cried shrilly:
"I'll shoot you boys if I have to spend a week on this bloomin' island!"
"Has he a gun?" Tom asked, as he sheltered himself behind the top of the
cliff once more, and Sam replied with a laugh:
"There is one hangin' up in the cabin; but I've heard him say that it
would do more harm to the fellow who fired it than to whatever it was
aimed at."
"I don't believe he'll dare show himself near enough to shoot; but if he
does I'll take good care that the next rock hurts him more. That fire
ain't quite out yet, an' we'd better be gettin' more water while he's
goin' aboard. Stay here on watch, an' I'll 'tend to that part of it."
Sam was not eager for the task of defending the cliff, therefore, before
his friend could say anything more, he seized the bucket, running boldly
down the rocky incline, careless as to whether he might be seen.
When he returned with the water, Tom threw it on the smoldering rubbish,
and after assuring himself that the last spark had been extinguished,
said in the tone of one giving valuable information:
"Your bloomin' cap'en has gone aboard, an' taken the sailor with him. I
reckon you'd better get a little more water, an' then we'll kinder fix
up 'bout what we shall do if he really tries to shoot us, though I don't
believe he can make any great fist at it with the kind of gun you say
he's got."
*CHAPTER VII*
*UNCLE BEN'S ARRIVAL*