by Roy Rockwood
CHAPTER V
DOCTOR BARRELL'S "ACCIDENT"
"Begorra!"
That was the first expressive word that Dave Fearless heard as herealized that he had been suddenly saved from death by suffocation.
His eyes, mouth, ears, and nostrils were oozing with the sticky stuff inwhich he had taken so dangerous a bath. The top of his head seemedcoming off. Dave felt as if he had been scalped.
Dave was lying on the grass and Stoodles was working over him, diggingand dabbling with a handkerchief to get the youth's eyes and mouth clearof the glutinous "frew-frew."
"Sorra a bit too soon was I," said Pat, as Dave blinked and groaned."I've a lock of your hair for a keepsake, lad! I saw you go into thatthreacherous pit, I threw a plank across, I grasped your topknot. Itwas loike taking a drowned cat out of glue. Sit up, if you can't standup. If you let that stuff harden once, you'll be stiff as a statoo."
Dave tried to arise. He dragged grass, dirt, vines, and weeds up withhim. By this time he could breathe and see. Stoodles got a stick andscraped off from his clothes as much as he could of the adhesive massthat coated Dave.
"Come on, lad," directed Stoodles, grasping an arm of his totteringcompanion. "It's a brickdust bath in soft soap you'll be needing.Acushla! but I stick to you like a brother."
Dave's feet gathered up everything they came in contact with. Then,every time he brushed a bit of foliage, the frew-frew took off leaves,and he began to look green and picturesque.
"Where is Bob Vilett?" he asked.
"I dunno," answered Stoodles. "I do know it was lucky I saw youthrailing the pilot and that rascally pawnbroker. If I hadn't you'dhave been a goner, Dave Fearless."
"I guess I should," responded Dave, with a shudder, and then a gratefullook at this eccentric but loyal friend. "Where have those twogone--did you notice, Mr. Stoodles?"
"Only that they set off seaward in a little launch."
"Get me to the _Swallow_, I have a lot to tell Captain Broadbeam now."
They lined the beach. A good many craft of various kinds were visiblein the opening. All of them were too far distant to enable Dave to makeout which one might contain the pilot and Schmitt-Schmitt.
When they got to the place of rendezvous where they had left the ship'syawl, Bob Vilett was discovered lying on the sand.
"Wandered off on a wrong trail," he reported; "wasted time and thought Iwas due here. Dave, what have you been into!"
"Frew-frew, I believe they call it, Bob."
"Phew-phew I'd call it," remarked Pat. "Up with the jibboom and acrossthe briny, Bob. If we don't get our friend Fearless into hot water andsoap soon, we'll have to chip off his coat of mail with chisels."
When they reached the _Swallow_ they found the steamer the center ofvast bustle and industry. Captain Broadbeam had keeled the craft andgangs of men were working inside and outside to repair the breaks in thehull.
The cabins and forecastle were accessible, but Mike Conners hadtemporarily removed cooking headquarters to a tent at the side of thecreek. Stoodles sought out Mr. Drake, the boatswain, and explainedDave's dilemma. They rigged up a canvas bathroom on shore and suppliedit with brushes, two tubs of boiling suds, and plenty of soap.
It took Dave over an hour to get off the worst of the villainousfrew-frew. His hair was the hardest to clean. Finally he emerged,fresh and tingling in every nerve from the vigorous bath.
They had supper ashore and hammocks were rigged up under the trees.Captain Broadbeam set a guard about camp and ship. About half the crewdecided to quit and he paid them off. They and curious visitors fromthe town were warned to keep away from the _Swallow_.
About dusk Captain Broadbeam had given out all necessary orders for thenight.
"Well, lad," he said, coming up to Dave and placing his hand on theyouth's shoulder in his usually friendly way, "I understand you havesomething important to tell me."
"Yes, considerable," answered Dave.
"All right. The others interested must hear it, too. We'll hold acouncil of war in my cabin."
Dave's father, Doctor Barrell, Stoodles, and Bob Vilett were invited toaccompany the captain and Dave to the _Swallow_. The six of them soonfound themselves seated in the captain's cabin. It slanted slightlyfrom the present awkward position of the ship, but they managed toadjust the stools and settees comfortably.
"Now then, lad," spoke Captain Broadbeam to Dave, "my old friend here,your father, has intimated to me that you have discovered some things ofgeneral interest to all of us."
"I think I have," said Dave.
"Then fire away, my hearty."
Dave began his story with a narration of the visit to the _Swallow_ ofthe young artist Adair. He followed this up with his discovery ofSchmitt-Schmitt, and his overhearing of the conversation between thatworthy and the treacherous native pilot.
Captain Broadbeam was interested from the first; when it became apparentfrom Dave's clear, logical story that the stolen treasure was stillsomewhere in the vicinity of the Windjammers' Island, the old tar's eyesglistened and he looked eager and excited. Then, as Dave told of theevident existence of a plot to delay, possibly destroy, the _Swallow_,Captain Broadbeam sprang to his feet.
"Delay me, will they?" he shouted, growing red of face and blazing withanger. "Why, the miserable scum! if they so much as hang around hereI'll fill them with a charge of pepper and salt. If I catch them up toany tricks aboard, I'll swing them from the yardarm."
The doughty old mariner paced the cabin in a fine rage. When he hadsubsided Dave approached the subject nearest his thoughts.
"Captain," he began, "from what I have told don't you really think mytheories are right as to the treasure being hidden?"
"I do, lad, I'll admit that," growled the captain.
"And that this fellow Schmitt-Schmitt is an emissary of the Hankers andthe _Raven_, looking for a ship to go after the treasure?"
"Mebbe, lad, mebbe."
"Then what is the matter with hurrying up your repairs and getting backto the Windjammers' Island before Schmitt-Schmitt? Don't you see,captain, we are bound to locate the _Raven_ crew, if they are there?"
Captain Broadbeam sank to a stool, bent his head, and groaned.
"Lad," he said, "I know what you want to do and what I'd like to do. Itcan't be done--no, no."
"Captain," interrupted Amos Fearless, in an eager, quivering tone, "weare old friends----"
"Belay there!" roared the veteran tar, springing to his feet and wavinghis ponderous arms like windmills. "Would ye tempt a man from his dutywho has never yet over-stepped discipline? That duty is plain, AmosFearless. This here _Swallow_ was sent out to collect curiosities forthe United States Government. Those curiosities are duly collected.Incidentally I helped you fellows all I could on the side. Now it's SanFrancisco. Them's my sailing orders. There's my duty."
"Ochone!" groaned Pat Stoodles, "and phwat of the foine treasure?"
"I'm out of this hornets' nest here the minute the _Swallow_ isseaworthy," announced Broadbeam. "The minute I land at San Franciscoand get my clearance, I'll hark back to the Windjammers with you if Ihave to put all my savings into chartering a ship specially."
"It will be too late then, captain," murmured Dave, in a dejected tone.
"Sorry," said the commander of the _Swallow_. "I am responsible to theowners. Why, friends, if I should step outside of my duty I ampersonally liable to a fine that would make me a ruined man and apauper."
Dave gave a queer start at this, a quick color came into his cheek, aquick flicker into his eyes. He gazed at Stoodles in an eager,speculative way.
"One moment, captain, please," he said, arising and beckoning Stoodlesto follow him from the cabin, "I have just thought of somethingimportant. I hope you will not decide finally on this matter until Ihave had a word in private with Mr. Stoodles."
"Surely not, lad," nodded the captain, but in some wonder regarding thispeculiar m
ove on the part of the young fellow he had grown to likegreatly.
Silence fell over the little coterie in the cabin then. They could hearthe low hum of voices outside; Dave talking rapidly and earnestly, andsuch violent ejaculations from Stoodles now and then as "Begorra!" "Lukat that now!" "Bedad!" and the like.
When Dave came back into the cabin he was calm and collected, butStoodles squirmed about with a wise, important look on his moonlikeface.
"Captain Broadbeam," said Dave, "I have just consulted with Mr. Stoodleson a matter covering his ability to raise a certain sum of money."
The captain of the _Swallow_ grinned. It was so ridiculous to think ofStoodles ever earning or saving a penny that he could not well help it.
"Yes," announced Pat gravely, "by my royal authority as king of theWindjammers' Island."
"Nonsense," muttered Captain Broadbeam.
"You will take my word for it, captain, won't you?" insinuated Dave, inhis smooth, convincing way. "I can say to you positively that if youwill land Mr. Stoodles among his former subjects for a single hour, andlater safely at San Francisco, he will be prepared to pay you fivethousand dollars to meet any fines the owners of the _Swallow_ mayassess you for going back there."
"Why, Dave," began Mr. Fearless in wonderment--but Bob Vilettinterrupted.
"If Dave says five thousand dollars, he means five thousand dollars."
"Remarkable!" commented Doctor Barrell, surveying Dave in astonishmentthrough his eyeglasses close-set.
Captain Broadbeam was impressed. He studied Dave and Stoodlesspeculatively.
"How can you possibly get that sum of money?" he demanded.
"We can," declared Dave positively, "can't we, Mr. Stoodles?"
"Begorra! and ten if we nade it!" cried Pat enthusiastically. "Oh, thebroth of a boy! It takes my friend Dave Fearless for brains."
"Of course it is a secret," said Dave.
"A deadly saycret--I mane a close one," declared Stoodles. "I neverknew how rich I was till the lad told me just now."
"Oh, pshaw!" exclaimed Captain Broadbeam, dismissing the matter with aworried motion of his hand. "Money can't count in this case. My dutyis plain! I was ordered to sail for the home port as soon as thegovernment collection was made. Doctor Barrell reported a month agothat he had finished that collection."
"H'm, just so," observed Doctor Barrell, "but, my dear sir--ha, athought. A moment, Captain Broadbeam, just a moment."
"Thunder!" whistled Bob Vilett amazedly in his chum's ear. "What doesthat mean now?"
Dave shook his head in silent wonderment. Doctor Barrell had winked atthem in a quizzical, encouraging way that was mightily suggestive.
To have the high-class old scientist so far forget his dignity was amost remarkable thing.
They heard Doctor Barrell stumbling about in the aft cabin where he hadstored some of the curiosities he had gathered for the government.
Suddenly there was a loud bump followed by a great clash. The nextminute the doctor burst into the captain's cabin holding aloft twocracked and broken specimens of starfish.
"Captain," he cried--"bad accident! The collection is incomplete. See,Captain Broadbeam, the only specimens of the _Mercuria stellaticus_ wehad, destroyed, case tipped over."
The commander of the _Swallow_ bestowed a searching look on the speaker,but was silent. "They are to be found only at the Windjammers' Island,"went on Doctor Barrell. "Oh, dear, dear! This will, I fear,necessitate a return to the island."
"Oh, will it?" snorted the captain sarcastically. "So, you're in theplot, too, to lure me from my duty, hey, you old conspirator? Well, youmutinous old humbug, after breaking your mercurian stellians purposely,you'll not get me to go a single knot back on the west course till yousign a paper officially ordering me to do so as a necessity of theexpedition."
"Pen and ink--quick," chuckled Doctor Barrell. "Captain," he addedpathetically, indicating their sturdy, loyal companions with a kindlyaffectionate wave of his hand, "their hearts are set on that stolentreasure, rightly too. They are our true, good friends. Honestly,won't you be glad to help them try and find it?"
"Shiver my timbers, but you're a set of conspiring mutineers!" roaredthe captain doughtily, but the fierce words were spoken with a secretchuckle.