CHAPTER IV
HALSTEAD IS LET INTO A SECRET
"Captain Halstead, my friend, Mr. Jason Ross," announced Mr. Baldwin,crisply, as soon as the young skipper had closed the owner's door behindhim.
Mr. Ross was a man of forty-five, and looked like a man who might be ofmuch importance in the financial world. Yet _he_ was presented toHalstead, for on a yacht the captain is considered next in importance tothe owner.
Tom modestly greeted Mr. Ross.
"Sit down, Captain," snapped out the owner, though not unkindly. "Now,I've got to take you into my confidence a bit. Delavan's word for youmakes me feel that I can safely do it."
Tom had only time to nod ere Mr. Baldwin went on, crisply:
"My guests are on board, with one exception. In a way, the exception isthe most important one of us all. He isn't so very important in himself,but Gaston Giddings, though a very weak, foolish young man, happened tosucceed his father in the principal control and presidency of theSheepmen's National Bank. Young Giddings and the funds his bank cansupply are of the utmost importance to my associates and myself in somebig enterprises we are putting through. Do I make myself clear?"
"Wholly so, sir," Tom answered, quietly.
"Now, Giddings, besides being several kinds of plain and ornamentalfool--no, I won't quite say that, but this weak young man has onefearful fault for the head of a bank----"
Joseph Baldwin paused in his rapid speech. He looked sharply at Mr. Rossan instant, then continued:
"Oh, well, Frank Delavan told me I could trust you and Dawson withanything from my yacht to my reputation. You understand that what I'mtelling you, Captain, is absolutely confidential?"
"Of course, sir," responded Tom, quietly.
"Well, then, within the last three months young Giddings has, in someway we can't understand, fallen a victim to the opium habit. The youngman is all but totally wrecked by the vile drug. How, or why, hestarted, none of us can understand. You see, a good many of us oldermen, who were fast friends of his father, have tried to stand by theyoung man. Two of to-night's party are directors in the Sheepmen's Bank.We've tried to get the bank's funds placed in interests that we control,so that young Giddings couldn't go very far wrong, by not having enoughmoney left in his charge to wreck the bank. You follow me?"
"I--I think so, Mr. Baldwin."
"Truth to tell," pursued the owner, "I had planned--my friends on boardwith me--to go out ostensibly for one night, but really to be gone forseveral days. One of our friends is a specialist in the opium habit--Dr.Gray. We had hoped, on this trip, to plan some financial enterprisesthat would use up, for the present, the dangerously large balance at theSheepmen's Bank. At the same time we were going to try to force youngGiddings to agree to heroic medical treatment in order to overcome hisfearful vice."
Tom Halstead remained silent, but attentive.
"Now, at the last moment," pursued Mr. Baldwin, "we hear that Giddingswas seen in a closed carriage, evidently headed for Chinatown, that vileOriental section of San Francisco, where the opium vice flourishes atits worst. And in Chinatown a man can disappear so completely that hisfriends can't find him again in years. Giddings was to be here to-night,but he's in a Chinatown opium den instead. If we appeal to the police,it'll all be in the newspapers. There'll be a scandal that will disgraceGiddings forever, start a run on the Sheepmen's Bank, and--though thisis the least of our worries--will delay for some time the pushing ofthe big financial game in which my friends and myself are interested.Now, we've got to find some way of getting at Giddings, and of bringinghim on board without trouble or noise. I've told you this much, CaptainHalstead, so that you'll understand the need of secrecy. If we can findGiddings, and get him out here, then we _must_ bring him over the sideand get him into his stateroom without his being seen by any of the crewon board, except, possibly, by one or two of your own comrades whom youthink you can best trust."
"I can trust every one of 'em, sir," declared Captain Tom, promptly. "Sowill you, when you know them better."
"Then, Captain, before we make any move to find Giddings in hisChinatown hiding-place, and attempt to get him aboard this yacht, wemust have all of the crew safely out of the way, save for your ownpersonal friends among the officers."
"I can plan for the crew to go ashore," declared Tom Halstead. "I haveonly to state that you've decided to delay putting out to sea, and thatyou've been good enough to grant the men a night on shore at the theatreat your expense. That will take every one of them over the side. Do youwant Mr. Costigan to go?"
"Why, I think Costigan is all right, but he isn't needed here, anyway,so he'd better go ashore also."
"Easily settled, then, Mr. Baldwin. I can send Mr. Costigan off incharge of the shore party. At what hour do you wish them all to return,sir?"
"Not a minute before midnight!"
"Very good, sir. I can tell Mr. Costigan that you've been called ashore,that you will dine there, and that you are very glad of this opportunityto give the older members of the crew a chance to enjoy themselvesashore."
"Excellent, indeed!" cried Mr. Baldwin, in a low tone. "What do you say,Ross?"
"If Captain Halstead can vouch so heartily for the silence anddiscretion of his own friends, then the plan ought to clear the decks sothat we can get Giddings aboard--if we find him--without any comment orscandal at all," agreed Jason Ross.
Joseph Baldwin employed himself stripping a few banknotes from a rollthat he drew from a trousers pocket.
"Give this money to Mr. Costigan, Captain, and tell him to see to itthat the men have a good time on shore--though no drunkenness! And you,Captain Halstead, I trust to see to it that none but your own friendsremain aboard."
Ten minutes later Captain Tom returned to the owner's suite to reportthat Third Officer Costigan and the crew, including the stewards andcooks, had gone ashore in the tender, Jeff Randolph running the boat in.
"How soon will Randolph be back?" asked Mr. Baldwin.
"Within ten minutes, sir."
"Then I shall want him to put Mr. Ross and myself ashore. We two musttake up the seemingly impossible task of locating young Giddings in theheart of Chinatown's slums, and bring him here by force, yet withoutnoise. Once we get him on board, and below, we can keep the young manquiet until morning, when we'll be well out on the ocean. Dr. Gray willattend to that."
"Are your friends going to remain on board, without dinner?" askedHalstead.
"No; they can go ashore and get dinner at a restaurant, returningpresently. Mr. Randolph can keep the tender at the landing stage untilthey return. Then, as soon as he has brought our other friends aboard,Mr. Randolph can return for Ross and myself, when we get back. But Mr.Randolph must not let Costigan or the crew get aboard until after we'vereturned."
"I'll make his instructions clear on that point," nodded Tom.
"That is all, then. Let me know when the tender returns."
"Hold on, a moment, Baldwin," interposed Mr. Ross.
"Well?"
"Baldwin, neither of us is in what might be called the pink ofcondition, and young Giddings may put up a fight in his half-crazed way.Don't we need a little real brawn with us?"
"Taking Captain Halstead with us, do you mean?"
"That was the idea that had come into my head," nodded Mr. Ross.
"Yes; it would be an excellent idea. Captain, you will go with us. Leaveyour first officer in command here until we return."
"Very good, sir."
Tom Halstead saluted, then withdrew. He gave his orders quickly, notdeeming it necessary to mention any phase of the story of young GastonGiddings to his comrades of the Motor Boat Club.
As soon as the launch was alongside Tom hastened to inform Mr. Baldwin.The entire party thereupon came out on deck, gathering at the sidegangway. They speedily embarked in the tender, in which Jeff sat wherehe could handle both engine and steering gear.
"Your instructions are clear, Mr. Perkins?" called Tom Halstead,softly, from the launch.
"Qui
te clear, sir," Ab replied. "The instructions will be followed tothe letter."
"Shove off, then," Tom commanded. "To the landing stage, Mr. Randolph."
It would have been almost laughable, to anyone who had witnessed thefrolicsome motor boat boys going through their hazing affair of theforenoon, had he now been at hand to hear them using the stately"mister" and "sir" with all the gravity of naval officers.
Jeff speedily had the party ashore.
Twenty minutes later a closed cab rolled slowly in at one corner ofgayly-lighted, malodorous Chinatown. The vehicle contained Messrs.Baldwin and Ross and young Captain Tom Halstead. In this poisonousatmosphere they sought a young human wreck, Gaston Giddings.
The Motor Boat Club at the Golden Gate; or, A Thrilling Capture in the Great Fog Page 4