Part 33 (1/2)
”Almost dead ahead! He's not rowing very hard.”
”How shall I head to pick him up?” Jack questioned.
”Just a trifle to starboard. There. Steady as she goes.”
In a short time the Fortuna driven by her powerful engines came up to the rowboat. As the boys approached the lone occupant of the skiff all were eager to see who it might be.
”Some early morning fisherman,” ventured Arnold.
”He isn't fis.h.i.+ng,” declared Harry. ”He's resting on his oars.”
Harry now mounted to the pilot house roof and took the gla.s.ses.
”I know that chap,” he cried. ”Better starboard your helm and go to port of him. We don't want to get any closer to that chap.”
”Who is it, Harry?” asked Jack.
”Little Simple Simon Sorefooted Carlos Madero at your service.”
”He got run over once by getting in the way of this vessel. I wonder if he's trying it again,” mused Jack, holding the Fortuna on her course.
”We've got crew enough now so that we can mount guard over him day and night if we want to. Let's pick him up and see what he knows. We can easily tow his skiff along.”
”Sure! Let's pick up a shark or two! Let's explode some dynamite in the cabin. Let's drill holes in the s.h.i.+p. Let's anything.”
”Now don't get sarcastic, if you please. Madero didn't do all those things. He tried something once and didn't make it work.”
”Yes, and he got a sore foot, too! He's out here for more.”
Answering the hail from the Fortuna, Madero, for it was he, asked to be taken aboard. He seemed weak and unable to help himself. When his condition became apparent the boys were all sympathy. They quickly helped him over the rail and then took his boat in tow.
”What's on your mind, Madero?” laughed Jack. ”How are you?”
”I want first of all to tell you fellows how sorry I am I ever did anything to harm you. I believed that you were some terrible creatures come down here to rob and pillage and torture the natives. I had been told by Wyckoff that if you caught me alone you would not hesitate to kill me. He made me believe I was doing something creditable when I attempted to destroy your boat.”
”Well, that's all right, Madero. We forgive you.”
”And I want to say that I came aboard your boat the other night to finish what Wyckoff and I both had failed to do earlier. When you boys were so kind to me after my accident I hadn't the heart to hurt you. I returned to Wyckoff and refused to do any more. He then had me taken back into the country and put into the chain gang where the negro criminals are worked on the public highways.”
”The brute,” exclaimed the boys almost in chorus.
”And when I made a trifling mistake,” went on Carlos, ”the foreman had me stretched over a log and whipped like an animal. My back has been bleeding badly and I hoped I might find you to help me again if you can bring yourselves to do it. I don't deserve it.”
”Sure, we'll help you if we can,” stoutly maintained Harry.
”How did you happen to be away out here?” asked Jack.
”When I got away from the chain gang, I went to the s.h.i.+pyard and asked for you. The foreman is furious. He says you jumped your bill. I found out that you had headed to the eastward and I at once concluded you had pursued the schooner. Then I thought you'd be coming back, headed for Biloxi. So I waited.”