Part 17 (1/2)

The man flung himself on the gangplank which was separated from the dock by some little distance. He scrambled aboard, and just then, Alice, standing near Jack Jepson, heard the old sailor utter an exclamation of surprise, and murmur:

”Can that be him? Can that be him--after these years? No, it can't be!”

”All aboard!” cried Captain Brisco. And the _Mary Ellen_, in charge of a fussy little tug, began moving away from the dock.

CHAPTER XIV

OVERBOARD

Alice was so impressed with what she had heard sailor Jack say, that, in spite of the desire to give all her attention to the start of the voyage, destined to be so momentous, she looked first at Jepson and then at the new arrival. The latter appeared to be an ordinary sailor, but there was a commanding air about him, as though he were used to having his own way. But he was sufficiently subservient to Captain Brisco, saluting the commander in formal fas.h.i.+on.

”You're late!” growled Captain Brisco.

”Yes--couldn't help it,” was the almost cheerful answer. ”You knew I wouldn't be left though, didn't you?”

”Well, I wasn't sure of it,” Alice heard the captain answer. ”Get below, and then we'll talk later.”

Alice turned to see how Jack Jepson was taking this. The old salt seemed to be listening intently, but he had his back turned.

”He knows that man who just came aboard,” decided Alice, ”and there is something queer about it all. In fact there is something queer about this vessel and Captain Brisco. I feel as though I were in the midst of a mystery. I'm going to see if I can't solve it.”

That was Alice's way. She always did like to solve puzzles, from the time when she was a small child, and she went at this one in much the same way as had been her habit in the case of the simple ones in the juvenile papers she took when a little girl.

”There's something between Captain Brisco, Jack Jepson and this new man,” Alice decided. ”Jack is afraid of being recognized, and yet he wants to make sure who this new man is. Can it have anything to do with the mutiny, I wonder?”

It was a question she could not answer just then. She resolved to be on the watch, to look and listen, without saying much, until she had in her mental grasp some of the loose ends of the puzzle.

Ruth was some distance off, talking to her father. Mr. DeVere, in spite of the warmth of the day, had a light silk scarf about his throat, which had pained him during the night. The other members of the company were scattered about the schooner which was being towed out to sea. Miss Pennington and Miss Dixon were waving to some young men who had come to see them off. Mr. Wellington Bunn's face wore a glum look. Perhaps he saw no chance of doing anything with his favorite role of Hamlet in this marine story that was soon to be enacted.

Alice heard Jack muttering to himself. She could not catch all the words, but she heard him say:

”Yes, it must be the same one! He hasn't changed much--not as much as I have. He won't know me. But what am I to do?”

The old salt's musings, however, were cut short, for Captain Brisco called to him.

”I say there, Mr. Jepson,” ordered the commander, ”will you go forward, and see how the bitts are standing up under the strain of that hawser? I don't want them to pull out, and they're none too strong. Lively now!”

”Aye, aye, sir!” dutifully answered the second mate, and he shuffled off along the deck, while Captain Brisco and the new arrival went below, being, apparently, on very friendly terms.

”And that is another queer part of it,” mused Alice. ”That new man is supposed to be a common sailor--he must be, as all the offices, from captain down, are filled. And yet Captain Brisco treats him as an equal. I can't understand it.”

None of the others of the moving picture company appeared to find anything odd in the reception of the man who had almost been left. In fact, save for Alice and Jack Jepson, no one paid any attention to him.

As the captain and the new man whom he had addressed as ”Hen Lacomb”

went below, the attention of Alice was taken by Ruth.

”Don't you think, dear,” her sister said, ”that we had better get our possessions in order. I understand that some pictures are to be taken aboard the schooner here, and we will want to get our costumes out where we can easily reach them.”

”I suppose so,” murmured Alice. ”But I wonder who he is?” she added, half unconsciously.