Part 5 (1/2)
Blinded, and sneezing violently, Hans dropped his switch and made for the door. Throwing it wide open, he ran out to get some pure air, for the stateroom was filled with floating pepper.
”I fix somepody for dis--ker-chew!” he roared. ”Chust vait, you chokers!”
Then he caught sight of Tom, who stood nearby, grinning.
”Dot vos your drick!” he went on. ”Chust you come here!”
”Thank you, not to-night, Hansy, my dear boy,” said the joker, keeping at a safe distance.
”Vell, den, you go 'long mit your old ghost,” went on Hans, and, picking up the peppered bolster and sheet, he threw them into Tom's room, where the fun-loving youth had the pleasure of disposing of the mess as best he could.
CHAPTER IV
TROUBLE WITH NEGROES
”The rolling, the rolling, The rolling river for me!
The rolling river, the rolling river, That carries us down to the sea!”
So sang Songbird Powell the next morning when he came out on deck after a refres.h.i.+ng night's rest.
”Songbird, you're a regular lark,” remarked d.i.c.k.
”I feel like one,” was the answer. ”Who wouldn't feel good on such a glorious morning as this?”
”Maype you didn't haf some ghosts drouble you?” put in Hans with a grin.
”Forget it, Hans,” answered d.i.c.k. ”It's too fine a morning to think of ghosts.”
It was indeed a glorious morning, clear and balmy. The ladies of the party were much pleased, and so were the girls. All gathered on the deck to take in the sights before breakfast was announced by Aleck.
A big schooner was pa.s.sing with all sails set, and, not long after this, a large steamer, bound up the Mississippi, hove into sight.
”Now, we'll get some big swells,” remarked Sam, and he was right.
Soon the houseboat began to rock in a fas.h.i.+on that pleased the boys, but alarmed the girls.
”When the houseboat rocks like that, I'm always afraid we'll be swamped,” said Grace.
”There is little danger of that,” said Captain Starr. ”The wash would have to be much heavier before it could do any damage.”
The morning pa.s.sed pleasantly enough. The ladies spent the time over their fancy work, while the girls and boys read, played games and also sang and played. There was a piano on the _Dora_, and the boys had a guitar and a banjo along.
They were at dinner and discussing their next stopping place, when, without warning, there came a shock that threw Aleck flat on the floor, with a trayful of cup-custards over him.
”Fo' de lan' sake!” gasped the colored man. ”Has we struck a stone wall?”
”Whow!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Fred, who had had some hot coffee spilled on his knee. ”This isn't pleasant, I can tell you.”
d.i.c.k was already running on deck, and the others followed. They saw that Captain Starr's face was full of concern. Not another craft of any kind was in sight, and they were a good two hundred feet from sh.o.r.e.