"what time is it now, eugene?"
"just nine o'clock. what do you suppose is the matter, uncle?"
"i wish i knew. they are all of them old enough and large enough to take care of themselves, but i can't help thinking that there's something wrong."
"i have half a mind to go ashore and look for them."
"i don't know what good that would do. you don't know where to look, and if they should happen to come aboard while you were gone, we should have to send some one in search of you, and that would cause another delay."
the stores were all aboard, the stranger was ready to sail, and had been for more than an hour,[83] but three of her company were missing, and so was the trapper. uncle dick and the boys had been impatient at first, but this gradually gave way to a feeling of uneasiness and anxiety. everybody had some explanation to offer for frank's absence, and the prevailing opinion seemed to be that the sailors, having got themselves into trouble during the day, had been arrested, and that frank was trying to effect their release. old bob was more uneasy than the rest, and couldn't make up his mind what to think about it, not knowing the dangers which one might encounter while roaming about the city after dark. his kit and dick's were packed and lying at the head of the companion-way, and the old fellow was in a hurry to be off. had they been in the mountains the trapper's absence would have caused him no anxiety. there dick knew all about things, and was abundantly able to take care of number one; but in the settlements he was like a child, and almost as incapable of looking out for himself. old bob was afraid something had happened to him or frank, and the others began to think so too as the hours[84] wore away and their missing friends did not appear. uncle dick finally gave up all hopes of seeing them that night, and ordering one watch below, went to bed himself, leaving instructions with the officer of the deck to call him the moment frank arrived. the impatient boys remained on deck an hour or two longer; but at last they also grew weary and turned in and went to sleep.
just at daylight they were awakened by hasty steps on the companion-ladder, and the officer of the watch hurried into the cabin and pounded loudly on the captain's door. "ay! ay!" replied uncle dick.
"that trapper is coming back, sir," said the officer, "and he's having a fuss out there on the dock."
"he is having what?" asked uncle dick.
"he's in a rumpus of some kind, sir. he's got somebody on his back and is lugging him along as if he were a bag of potatoes."
"it isn't captain nelson or one of the men, is it?" asked uncle dick, anxiously.
"o no, sir. it is a landsman and a stranger."
this conversation was carried on in a tone of[85] voice loud enough to be heard by all the boys, who were out on the floor in an instant. it was but a few seconds' work to jump into their trowsers and boots, and catch up their coats and hats, and they were on deck almost as soon as the officer himself. a strange sight met their eyes. a short distance up the dock was dick lewis, running at the top of his speed, and carrying on his shoulder a man almost as large as himself, who kicked and struggled in vain to escape from the strong grasp that held him. the load was undoubtedly a heavy one, but the trapper moved with it plenty fast enough to leave behind two ill-looking fellows, who carried bludgeons in their hands, and who were trying to overtake him. about two hundred yards farther up the dock were two more men, one supporting the other, who was limping along half doubled up as if in great pain.
the boys, wondering greatly, sprang ashore and ran up the wharf to meet dick. the latter, to quote from featherweight, looked as though he had been somewhere. his buckskin suit, soaked with water, clung close to his person; his hat was gone, and his[86] face wore an expression that the old members of the club had never seen there before. archie had seen it, however, and that was on the day when, seated at the camp-fire near the old bear's hole, years before, frank related to himself and uncle james the particulars of his meeting with black bill and his party, and the manner in which he had been treated by them.
dick grinned the delight he felt at meeting the boys once more, but did not stop to speak to them. he went straight on board the schooner and threw off his burden, at the same time seizing his man by the collar and jerking him upon his feet in front of uncle dick gaylord, who looked at him in amazement.
"here's the mean chap that done it all," said the trapper, throwing his full strength into his arm and giving the bogus captain—for it was he—such a shaking that his teeth fairly rattled. "now if thar's any law in the settlements set it a-going."
"what did he do?" demanded the boys, who had followed close at his heels. "where's frank?"
[87]
"he's round on the other side of the 'arth by this time, i reckon," replied dick, drawing his hand across his forehead and looking about as if he were overjoyed to find himself among friends once more.
"i hope they've got a horse-shoe big enough to hold 'em on, but i'm 'most afeard, 'cause she's a heap bigger nor this little boat o' your'n."
"what is?" asked the captain, and the boys grew anxious when they saw the expression that settled on his face. "begin at the beginning and tell us all about it."
thus adjured, the trapper launched at once into his story, without wasting any time in explanatory remarks, and for ten minutes held his auditors spellbound. he told how he and frank had been enticed on board the tycoon, described the manner in which they had been overpowered and confined, repeated the conversation that took place between frank and himself in the forecastle, and ended by relating the particulars of his "scrimmage" with the officers of the ship, with all of which the reader is already acquainted; but he does not know what[88] happened afterward, so from this point we will tell the story in our own words.
the reason dick could not be found on board the ship after his fight with the officers was ended, was because he was not there—he had jumped overboard; and what was rather singular, none of the crew on deck had seen him when he did it. the last time they saw him he was clambering into one of the bowboats, and that was the first place they looked for him, his concealment being pointed out to the officers by a man who was looked upon as the "black sheep" of the crew, and of whom we shall probably hear more as our story progresses. but when the officers came to search the boat, dick was not there; he had dropped unseen into the water.
the trapper was a famous swimmer, and entertained no doubt of his ability to reach the shore; but even had the vessel been twenty miles at sea, he would have trusted himself to the waves rather than run the risk of encountering the terrible dangers that awaited the ship and her crew on the "under side of the earth." the worst thing he would[89] have to contend with in case he were recaptured, would be the tyranny of the captain and his brutal officers; but the sturdy trapper gave not one thought to that, for during a life of excitement and adventure he had more than once demonstrated his ability to protect himself; but he did think of that ghostly ship, the flying dutchman, the big cuttle-fish, the mermaids and sea-dragons, the whale that swallowed jonah, and which was still roaming about seeking whom he might devour, and, worse than all, the awful danger of the ship falling off when she came to the under side of the earth and was sailing along with her masts pointing downward and the crew walking with their feet upward. dick thought of all these dangers and swam as if he saw them looming up close behind him; but with all his exertions he could not make headway fast enough to suit him. his wet clothing hung upon him like lead and deadened his progress through the water; so the first thing he did when the ship was out of sight, was to stop and relieve himself of this encumbrance. he took off moccasins and all, and wrapping them up in[90] his hunting-shirt put the bundle on his back and tied it around his neck with the sleeves of the shirt. after that he made better headway.
it is hard to tell what would have been the result of the trapper's adventure, had it not been for some assistance which fortunately came in his way. had there been light enough so that he could see to direct his course, the swim would have been nothing; but there was danger of moving in a circle in the darkness, and so tiring himself out without making any headway at all. there were no lights in front to guide him, but there were some behind, and after looking at them two or three times the swimmer became convinced that they were coming toward him. there was a vessel of some kind approaching, and dick, changing his course a little to intercept her, had the satisfaction of hearing his hail answered, and of seeing the little fishing-smack which carried the lights thrown up into the wind within a few yards of him.
"hello, there!" cried a gruff voice.
"hello, you!" shouted dick. "here i am."
[91]
"well, what do you want?" asked the captain of the fishing boat, peering out into the darkness and trying to discover whence the hail came.
"is civilized folks human enough to lend a sufferin' feller-man a helpin' hand?" asked dick, who after his recent experience had some serious doubts on this point.
this question was not immediately answered, for the skipper did not quite understand it. he held a consultation with one of his men and then called out—
"if you want help, pull this way. i've got no boat to send out after you!"
dick was pulling that way with all his might, and guided by the lanterns that were held over the side, at last reached the boat, which sat so low in the water that he could lay hold of her rail. the astonishment of her crew as they hauled aboard a man who carried all his wearing apparel around his neck, was unbounded. they gave him time to put on his clothes and then directed him to the captain who was waiting to see him.
[92]
the very first question that gentleman propounded to him aroused a thousand fears in dick's mind. the skipper wanted to know where he came from, and how he happened to be out there in the water, five miles from land; and the trapper, fearful that if he told the truth and acknowledged himself to be a deserter, the captain might follow the tycoon and compel him to go aboard of her again, whether he wanted to or not, did something he had never done before—he made up a story all out of his own head, as he told uncle dick gaylord, and queer work he made of it. he entered into the particulars of a fearful shipwreck that had just occurred. the waves were as high as the rocky mountains, he said, the wind blew so hard that the sailors had to stop all work and hold their hair on (this was a quotation from one of the stories the trapper had heard in the forecastle of the stranger); his ship was capsized no less than three times, always coming right side up again, and doing it so quickly that she did not even wet her sails or her deck, and none of the crew had a chance to drop off into the water (another[93] quotation); but finally the wind came in such furious gusts that it took the masts right out by the roots (still another quotation), and the ship filled and went down like lead. the trapper said that all this happened not five minutes before, and that set the crew of the fishing-boat into a roar of laughter, for they had been out all day, and knew there had scarcely been wind enough to raise any white caps. the captain used some hard words, and called dick anything but a truthful man; but the latter affirmed so solemnly that it was all so, that the skipper thought that perhaps something had happened after all, and spent a long time in cruising about the place where dick had been picked up.
this delay added to the trapper's fears. what if the tycoon should come back in search of him? alarmed by the thought, he labored hard to convince the captain that every soul on board the wrecked ship, except himself, had gone down with her; but finding that the skipper paid no attention to him, he changed his story altogether, and declared that he had jumped overboard on purpose, and that[94] he had done it because he had taken passage on the wrong vessel. he wanted to go to sacramento, he said, but by mistake had boarded a craft bound for the "under side of the earth;" and as she would not turn back and put him ashore, he had no alternative but to take to the water and get back as best he could. then the skipper was angry in earnest. ordering dick to get as far forward as the length of the little vessel would allow, and not to open his head again as long as he remained on board of her, he filled away for the city.
the trapper was very glad to be let off so easily. he had induced the captain to turn his vessel toward the shore, and that was all he cared for. he crouched down in the bow and meekly submitted to the jokes and tricks of the sailors, who never allowed him a moment's peace. he was too completely cowed to take offence at anything. he had seen enough of civilized life and people to take all the courage out of him.
the moment the fishing boat touched the dock he was out and ashore. then he was himself again.[95] when he felt something solid under his feet his courage all returned, and he was in just the right mood to carry out the exploit he afterward performed. almost the first man he saw on the dock was the bogus captain, who had enticed frank and himself on board the tycoon. dick's blood began to boil as soon as his eyes rested on him. his first thought was to take summary vengeance on him, but he was checked in time by the reflection that he was not in the mountains now, and that there were laws in the settlements strong enough to punish evil-doers of every description. he did not know how to set the law in motion, but the captain of the stranger did, and he would take the culprit before him at once.
the bogus captain, whose business was that of shipping-agent and boarding-house keeper, was standing in the midst of a group of friends, half a dozen of them perhaps, and all men like himself; but this did not deter the trapper, who strode up and confronted him. the talking and laughing were hushed at once, and all eyes were turned upon the new-comer, who stood before them with dripping[96] garments, his tall figure drawn up to its full height, his eyes flashing and his bony fingers working nervously. he looked dangerous. the bogus captain stared at him a moment doubtfully and then a gleam of intelligence crossed his face and he tried to smile.
"why, i thought i had seen you before," said he, thrusting out his hand. "come in! come right into the house. where you been?"
"whar do you reckon you seed me last?" demanded dick, holding his arms behind his back, for the man seemed determined to shake hands with him whether he wished it or not. "you can't shut up my eyes with none of your palaverin', now. whar do you reckon you seed me last, i axes you?"
"why, let me think a minute," said the man, pulling off his plug hat and digging his fingers into his head, at the same time backing away from the enraged giant. "i see so many of you fellows that i can't call you all by name the minute i meet you."
"my name's—my name's——" dick stopped and looked all around, trying to think what he should call himself. he did not have a very extensive[97] circle of acquaintances, and he couldn't make up a name "all out of his own head," as he made up the story he told the captain of the fishing-smack. "my name's colonel gaylord," said he, giving the first one that came into his mind.
"ah! yes; i know you now," said the bogus captain, making another effort to take the trapper by the hand. "you're the chap i found a good berth for a few days ago, ain't you? seems to me—you know——"
"yes," roared dick, who could control himself no longer, "i know, an' 'tain't likely i'll ever forget, nuther. i'm the man you wanted to send round to the other side of the 'arth, to be chawed up by whales an' dropped off into the clouds, consarn you—that's who i am, an' you'll remember me afore you see the last of me, i tell you. human natur'! i wish i could tote you out to the mountains fur about ten minutes. but i'll set the law a-goin' agin you afore you see another day; that's what i'll do. come along here, you meanest man the 'arth ever saw, not even exceptin' black bill—come along! stand[98] out o' the way, the rest on you, or i'll claw you all up like a painter!"
with these words the trapper seized the bogus captain by the collar and began pushing him toward the stranger, which he could see still lying in her berth where he had left her. the man remonstrated and threatened, but all to no purpose. then he resisted and called upon his companions for help. one of them responded, but was disposed of so quickly and effectually that the others thought it best to keep at a safe distance.
finding that his man was possessed of more strength, activity and determination than he had calculated on, the trapper seized him with both hands, and swinging him upon his shoulder started for the schooner at a rapid run. he brought his prisoner in triumph, and stood him up on the deck where all could see him.
