Part 26 (1/2)
”I've got bad news for you,” he said. ”That train Tom was on got here before I did, and so I didn't have a chance to stop him. I've been making some inquiries though, and I am pretty certain he reached this place. One man who was on the train told me he had met a young fellow who said he was bound for Alaska to find some nuggets of gold. He wanted to know about the s.h.i.+ps that sailed for Sitka and Juneau, and the man told him what he knew. He said the young fellow went off in the direction of the s.h.i.+pping offices.”
”Oh, d.i.c.k! we must get after him at once!” cried Sam.
”That's it, Sam.” d.i.c.k turned to Jim Hendricks. ”Will you show us where they are? We can go in a taxicab.”
”I've got our auto outside--we can go in that, and you may as well bring your baggage along,” continued the Seattle young man. ”If you have to remain in town, I want you to stay at our house.”
”Thanks, that's kind of you,” answered d.i.c.k.
Jim led the way outside, to where stood a handsome six-cylinder touring car. ”I don't know when the steamers sail, but we can soon find out,”
he said, and directed the chauffeur where to go.
They were soon pa.s.sing through the streets of Seattle, a well-built up city where much business is done. As many of my young readers must know, Seattle is located on Puget Sound, one of the great natural gateways to the Pacific Ocean. Just south of it is Tacoma, also a city of importance.
The ride to the first of the s.h.i.+pping offices did not take long, and going inside d.i.c.k made some inquiries of the clerk at the desk.
”Don't remember any such man,” said the clerk.
”When is your next sailing?”
”Day after to-morrow. Want to book for the pa.s.sage?”
”Perhaps. I don't know yet.”
”Better make up your mind pretty quick. We have only a few berths left,” went on the clerk.
”We are looking for a certain young man who was bound for Alaska,” went on d.i.c.k, producing Tom's photograph. ”Have you seen anything of him?”
The clerk gave a glance at the photograph and started.
”Well, that's strange!” tie cried.
”You saw him?” put in Sam, eagerly.
”I sure did. Did you want to meet him?”
”Very much.”
”Well, I'm sorry, but I don't see how you are going to do it. His name was, let me see--Haverlock, I believe.”
”That's the name he was traveling under,” answered d.i.c.k, giving his brother a nudge in the ribs.
”Wasn't his own then?” and the clerk became interested.
”No, it's an a.s.sumed name. I might as well tell you, the young man isn't all here,” and d.i.c.k touched his forehead.
”I thought that might be it--he acted so queerly. But he got his ticket for the other boat. You see it was this way: He came in here just as I was talking to a man who had purchased a ticket for the other boat and wanted to stay in Seattle another week. The man wanted me to exchange the ticket or give him his money back. While we were discussing the matter, this Haverlock, or whatever his name is, came in. He listened for a minute and then said he'd take the ticket and glad of the chance, for he said he was in a mighty hurry to get some nuggets of gold. So the man transferred the ticket to him, and that was the last I saw of the young fellow.”
”When did that other boat sail?” asked Sam.