Part 23 (1/2)
I waked, a little at a time, in a room which was in broad daylight, with the sun s.h.i.+ning through one window. For a moment I could not remember where I was,--at home, on the ”Hoppergra.s.s,” in the jail at Bailey's Harbor, or on the other yacht. Then I recalled Rogers's Island, Mr. Snider and the Professor. I got up and listened for them, and looked out of the window, but I neither heard nor saw anybody. I dressed, unlocked the door, and tried to open it. But I could not do so,--a bolt had been shot, or a b.u.t.ton turned, and the door was locked outside. While I was rattling and shaking at it I heard Mr. Snider in the pa.s.sage.
”Dear me!” he said, ”what's the matter? Is that you, James? Just wait a moment.”
I heard a fumbling, and my door came open.
”Dear me!” said he again, ”this bolt had slipped over, and locked the door. It does that sometimes. An old house, you know, all out of repair. You must have thought we were trying to keep you inside. It DID look that way.”
What a clumsy liar he was! I said nothing at all to him, but hurried down stairs as fast as I could without running. I felt much safer with the Professor,--perhaps he was as big a rascal as the other,--but he wasn't as slimy in his manner.
It was half past seven, and they had eaten their breakfast. They had saved some for me, and I ate it, keeping an eye out for Snider. He did not reappear, however, and after I had finished eating, I got ”The Rifle Rangers” and went outside with it to read, and wait for the people who were coming on the steamboat. I felt more comfortable outdoors than in. With Mr. Snider creeping from one room to another I never knew what might happen, nor how he might try to cage me up. Outside, he wouldn't be able to touch me, if I had any kind of a start.
I had thought it over while I was eating breakfast. There was some sort of hocus-pocus going on, connected with this excursion and the gold company. Anybody could see that. Whether they really expected Captain Bannister to come on the steamboat, or whether that was all a lie to make me stay, I could not tell. Captain Bannister had said, according to the men at the Eagle House, that he was coming to Rogers's Island, so it might be that the Professor's story was true. On the other hand, it might have been made up out of whole cloth in order to keep me there over night.
But why should they want to do that? They thought I had seen something,--the Professor had asked: ”What could he have seen?” I hadn't seen anything,--except that they were working over some boxes on the platform beneath the wharf. They had both acted like boys caught in the jam closet.
I sat on the front porch, and thought it over, and read, and then thought it over again, until the smoke of the steamboat was in sight. This must have been about half past nine. The Professor and Mr. Snider had been out in the barn most of the time, or bringing chairs and putting them up on the platform in the side yard. When the smoke of the steamboat appeared they both came around to the front of the house. The Professor shook hands with me, and said goodbye. He had to go to Lanesport, he said, on important business, and he must start now. He was going by the road.
”Of course,” said he, ”I wish I could stay for the excursion, but Mr. Snider will have to receive them, and explain the works.”
”And James,” added Snider, ”will come around to the side and help me with the chairs,--won't you, James? It will only take a moment.”
The Professor vanished around the corner of the house, as we turned into the drive.
”I hope you understand, James,” said Mr. Snider, ”that any--er-- precautions we have taken since you came amongst us, were only such as were perfectly necessary under the circ.u.mstances. We are guarding here, of course, a valuable scientific discovery,--a VERY valuable discovery. There are people who would give thousands of dollars, and go to ANY lengths to get our secret away from us. Any lengths. We are determined that these men--these wicked men, I regret to say--shall not steal from the Professor the fruit of his brain. The workings of this--er--this precious secret will be displayed today, when the good folk arrive from Lanesport. We have the recommendation, as you must have seen, of two of the most respectable men in the town,--their names alone are proof of the high moral plane on which our Company is conducted. I say this to you because you do not know me, nor the Professor, and you are young, and thoughtless, and might jump to wrong conclusions. That would pain me very much, James. Very much. You will see, after the good folk arrive, and after you have heard Mr. Bowditch and Deacon Chick, that everything is as open as the day.”
In spite of Mr. Snider's manner, in spite of his oily voice, I was nearer believing in him then, than at any time while I was on the island. After all, I had heard of inventions which must be kept secret. Moreover, there may have seemed something suspicious about the way in which I had come. I had bungled in giving that false name, and made them think that I was simply prying into their affairs. All that I wished now was to see if Captain Bannister were on the steamboat, or if I could get news of him or the ”Hoppergra.s.s,” and I told this to Mr. Snider.
”Very well, then,” said he, ”it will be all right, now we have a clear understanding. And I would like you to keep near me while the people are here. You may be able to help, and thereby you can work off some of your debt to us for the two meals you have had at our expense. Though we would not charge you much for them,--about fifty cents for the supper, and thirty-five--or forty--for the breakfast, I think. Now, we will go down to the wharf.”
The steamboat was less than quarter of a mile distant. It gave three long, shrill toots of its whistle, and came straight for us.
It was a small boat, covered with flags and streamers. A bra.s.s band, in red coats, sat in the bow playing ”Sweet Marie.” As the boat came nearer I was surprised to see how few people, aside from the band, were on it. I had expected to see a big crowd,--a picnic gathering. Instead, there were only about two dozen people. Most of them were men, but a few had brought their wives--nice looking old ladies--with them.
Mr. Snider stood up on a high place, took off his black felt hat, with a great flourish, and put on his ghastly smile. ”Welcome!” he shouted, ”welcome to Rogers's Island!”
There was a big man with a frock coat and top hat standing near the band. He must have weighed two hundred and fifty pounds, and all his movements were slow and majestic. He took off his hat, faced toward the people who were sitting about the deck on camp- stools, and shouted in a deep but tremendous voice:
”Three cheers for Brother Snider!”
Then, counting ”One, two, three!” and waving his tall hat in slow circles, he gave the three cheers all by himself. No one else opened his mouth.
The steamboat came alongside the wharf, was made fast, and a gang- plank run out. The big man came ash.o.r.e, together with another who had a gray beard,--Deacon Chick, as I found out later. They shook hands with Mr. Snider very warmly, and introduced him to some of the other people as they stepped off the gang-plank.
”The Professor not here!” I heard the big man say; ”that's a great disappointment!”
Then they all started up the wharf toward the house. The men of the band had scrambled ash.o.r.e, and they headed the procession,-- still playing ”Sweet Marie” with loud blasts. Then came Mr.
Snider, accompanied by the big man (he was the Hon. J. Harvey Bowditch) and by Deacon Chick. Behind him were the people from Lanesport, two by two, some of them carrying baskets, and most of them in their Sunday clothes. At the end were some men from the steamboat with armfuls of camp-stools.
Captain Bannister was not there. I had watched all the men as they came ash.o.r.e, and I asked one of the crew of the ”May Queen” about him. He had never heard of such a man, he said. So I decided to go up to the house, hear what was going to happen, and then go back to Lanesport on the steamboat. It would leave, so the man told me, at twelve o'clock sharp, and get to Lanesport about one. I would be in time to meet Ed and Jimmy, Mr. Daddles and the rest, and find out if they had had better luck at Big Duck Island.
Mr. Snider had a great amount of trouble in getting the people placed as he wished them. The band was in one corner of the garden playing ”Razzle Dazzle” in very lively fas.h.i.+on. This helped make the occasion gay, but it also made it hard for anyone to hear what was being said. Mr. Snider's smooth remarks, as he teetered about, the Hon. J. Harvey Bowditch's stentorian bellowings, and Deacon Chick's confidential whispers were all drowned out by the music.
Some of the men wanted to inspect the barn, and the premises generally, and one or two of the women had shown a desire to look into the kitchen. They had to be headed off by Mr. Snider, who gave them all a smile, a clammy hand-shake, and a patting on the shoulder, as he rounded them up on the camp-stools near the platform. Then he and Mr. Bowditch and the Deacon mounted the stand. There was a table with a pitcher of water and a gla.s.s, and Mr. Snider took his place behind it.