Part 21 (2/2)
”I've been playing in hard luck. I went down to New York and one night when I was in a sailors' boarding house I drank more than was good for me, and when I woke up in the morning I found myself on a vessel bound for Africa.”
”You were shanghaied as a sailor?” asked Tom.
”That's it, and while I was on board the Costelk the captain and mate treated me worse than a dog. See that eye? The captain did that, and when I struck back he put me in irons and fed me nothing but stale biscuits and water.”
”And the s.h.i.+p left you here?”
”No; she was bound for Cape Town, but stopped here for supplies, and I jumped overboard at night and swam ash.o.r.e, and here I am, and sorry for it,” and Dan Baxter drew a long breath.
The Rovers were astonished at his meek manner. Was this really the domineering Baxter, who had always insisted on having his own way, and who had done so many wrong deeds in the past?
”You've had a hard time of it, I suppose? said d.i.c.k, hardly knowing how to go on.
”Hard, d.i.c.k, aint no word,” came from the former bully of Putnam Hall. ”I've run up against the worst luck that anybody could ever imagine. But I reckon you don't care about that?”
”Do you think we ought to care, Baxter?”
”Well, it aint fair to take advantage of a chap when he's down on his luck,” grumbled the former bully. ”I guess I've learnt my lesson all right enough.”
”Do you mean to say you are going to turn over a new leaf?”
queried Sam with interest.
”Yes, if I ever get the chance.”
Randolph Rover now joined the group, and d.i.c.k explained the situation. Mr. Rover questioned Baxter closely and found that he was without a cent in his pocket and that the hotel keeper had threatened to put him out if he was not able to pay up inside of the next twenty-four hours.
”See here, Baxter, you never were my friend, and you never deserved any good from me, but I don't like to see a dog suffer,”
said d.i.c.k. ”I'll give you thirty s.h.i.+llings, and that will help you along a little,” and he drew out his purse.
”And I'll give you the same,” came from Tom.
”Ditto from me,” said Sam. ”But don't forget that what d.i.c.k says is true, nevertheless.”
Ninety English s.h.i.+llings--about twenty-two dollars of our money--was more cash than Dan Baxter had seen in some time, his other money having been spent before he had taken his unexpected ocean trip, and his eyes brightened up wonderfully.
”I'll be much obliged to you for the--the loan,” he stammered.
”I'll pay you back some time, remember.”
”Never mind about that,” replied d.i.c.k.
”My advice to you is, to take the first s.h.i.+p you can for home.”
”And what brought you out here--going on a hunt for your father?”
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