Part 17 (1/2)

Juarez lay down quickly as though asleep. Then the man reached down and caught hold of Tom's foot and Juarez's and gave them a rough yank. ”So you are here, you young brats. You had better make a move or the Cap'n will finish you.”

Juarez was fairly sizzling with rage especially as Tom was really frightened by being wakened in such rough fas.h.i.+on and after all Tom was but a boy and it pained Juarez to see him so scared, but he was helpless, and all he could do was to add one more black mark to the score he was charging up to the free-booters.

Instead of moving away, the man sat on a capstan a few feet distant from the boys' den, watching for the slightest move on their part, a marlin spike dangling playfully in his hands. Juarez had not taken the crafty and keen sighted Captain Broom into account.

From the Bridge, that worthy, although he was watching the launching of the boat, had chanced to catch sight out of the tail of his eye of a dark shadow flitting back to the forecastle. He was not sure it was one of the boys, but he was taking no chances, for he had a real respect for their prowess and audacity as he might well have.

So he had sent one of his crew to guard this young lions' den, while the s.h.i.+p was so close in sh.o.r.e. He did not intend to stay longer than was necessary right at this point, and he waited with some anxiety for the return of the mate and Pete in the boat.

It was now two o'clock in the morning and Captain Broom wanted to be out at sea a good safe distance before the light broke. The mate's boat had now been gone over a half-hour, and the Captain stood at the end of the Bridge looking towards the sh.o.r.e. There was not a light upon the vessel to show her position. She lay silent and black upon the dark waters.

Then the Captain straightened up. He saw a moving body approaching the s.h.i.+p and heard the slight dip of oars. Then the boat was alongside and instead of two men, there were three in the boat. The Captain went down to the main deck to meet them.

CHAPTER XIX

THE Pa.s.sENGER

They met without any formality. The new pa.s.senger was a tall, slightly stooped man, with long hair falling down to his shoulders. Juarez was exceedingly anxious to see him, but could make out only a dark form moving along the deck.

”Come to the cabin, Jeems,” called the Captain. ”I've got something to tell ye.”

They were soon seated in the Captain's cabin. This was a good-sized room, panelled in light wood and very neatly kept. There was quite a broad table of the same wood as the walls and a swivel chair in front of it. The Captain seated himself in this chair and whirled to talk to the visitor from the sh.o.r.e.

It was evident that he was not a temporary visitor for scarcely had they seated themselves in the cabin than the Sea Eagle slowly and gently turned and they felt the pulsation of her engines as she headed once more for sea. The man was seated on a sea chest opposite the Captain.

He wore long cowhide boots, with jeans pants thrust into their tops, flannel s.h.i.+rt of a nondescript color and a corduroy jacket. His hat was of a battered gray. The face was smooth-shaven, deeply lined and burnt to a dull brown. The hair which came down to his shoulders had that peculiar sun-burnt weathered tinge that comes from continual exposure to the weather. He was not an old man, probably on the sunny side of forty.

”Well, Jeems, what is your news?” inquired the Captain.

”The government boat is in the harbor, that's all.” The Captain gave a low, peculiar whistle.

”When did she show up?” he asked.

”Two days ago, Cap'n,” he replied.

”Come from the South?”

”Yes,” replied the man. ”Put in for coal, I reckon.”

”Then put out for us,” said the Captain briefly.

”Any 'baccy, Cap'n? Been out two days,” remarked Jeems.

”Lift your lanky frame off that chest,” replied the Captain, ”and I'll git you some.”

The man sprang up with remarkable alacrity, and as he unfolded length after length of his long figure, it seemed as if his head would touch the ceiling of the cabin. In fact, he did not miss it by many inches.

It was a comical contrast between the short stooping figure of the Captain and the tall stranger.