Dave Porter on Cave Island; Or, A Schoolboy's Mysterious Mission

by Edward Stratemeyer

  CHAPTER XVII--MEETING OLD FRIENDS

  "They may have gone on some other vessel," remarked Roger, after apause. "Let us find out what other ships have left here during the pastfew days."

  "Say," said Phil, to the elderly shipping-clerk. "Maybe you know myfather or some of the captains working for him. His name is Lawrence, ofthe Lawrence Lines."

  "Indeed!" cried the shipping-clerk. "Well, of course I know him! Are youPhil Lawrence?" he questioned, eagerly.

  "I am."

  "Now isn't that strange!" The man put out his hand. "I don't suppose youknow me. My name is Sam Castner. I was once a supercargo for yourfather, on the _Arvinus_. You took a trip in her with your mother, whenyou were about ten years old,--down to Tampa and back, fromPhiladelphia."

  "That's right, so I did!" cried the shipowner's son. "I remember younow. We went fishing together."

  "So we did, Mr. Lawrence. My, how you've grown since then!" added theformer supercargo, as he gazed at Phil's tall and well-built form.

  "Mr. Castner, we are in a hurry, and maybe you can help us a good deal,"went on Phil. "We are after two fellows who we think sailed in thatschooner, or bark, or some vessel that left here within the past twodays. They were young fellows, not much older than us boys. Will you aidus in getting on their track?"

  "Sure I will," was the ready answer. "What do you know about 'em?"

  "All we know is that they went under the names of Leeds and Cross,"answered Dave. "But those are not their right names."

  "And that they are supposed to have sailed on the ship known by a commonname--_Emma_ something or other," put in Roger.

  "I can soon find out who sailed on the _Emma Brower_" answered SamCastner. "Come with me to the next shipping office."

  He called another clerk to take charge, and accompanied the party to thenext shipping office. On the way he was introduced to Dave and theothers.

  "One of your father's vessels is in this harbor now," he said to Phil.

  "What ship is that?"

  "The _Golden Eagle_, Captain Sanders."

  "Captain Sanders!" cried Dave. "Do you mean Bob Sanders, who used tosail on the _Stormy Petrel_ with Captain Marshall?"

  "The same, Mr. Porter. Then you know him?"

  "Indeed I do!" returned Dave. "Why, I sailed with him in the SouthSeas!"

  "Well, he's here."

  "We'll have to try to see him before we leave," said Phil. "He was anice fellow."

  At the second shipping office further inquiries were made concerning thesailing of the _Emma Brower_. It was learned that the bark had carriednot more than half a cargo for Barbados and eight passengers. The namesof Merwell, Jasniff, Leeds, or Cross did not appear on the passengerlist.

  "Did anybody here see those passengers?" asked Dunston Porter.

  "I did," returned a young clerk. "I was aboard just before she sailed,and I saw all of them."

  "Were there two young fellows, chums?" asked Dave.

  "There were, two tall chaps, a bit older than you."

  "Did they look like these fellows?" and now our hero brought out thephotographs he had used before.

  "They certainly did!" cried the clerk. "I remember this fellowdistinctly," and he pointed to Jasniff's picture, taken just before thatindividual had run away from Oak Hall.

  "Then they sailed, just as we feared!" returned Dave, and there wassomething like a groan in his voice.

  "Wonder if they took the jewels," murmured Roger.

  "Most likely, Roger," answered Dunston Porter.

  "But what would they do with them in such an out-of-the-way place asBarbados?"

  "I rather imagine their plan is to keep quiet for a while, until thisaffair blows over. Then they'll either return to the United States, ortake a British vessel for England. Barbados is an English possession,you must remember, and a regular line of steamers sail from there toEngland."

  "I wonder if we couldn't charter a steam tug and go after the bark?"mused Dave.

  "It might be done," returned his uncle. "But I doubt if we could catchthe bark, or even locate her. She has too much of a start."

  "Was the bark going to stop at any ports along the way?" asked Phil.

  "She was not," answered the young shipping-clerk.

  "Then there is nothing to do but to sail for Barbados after them!" criedDave.

  "Sail after them--that far!" ejaculated the senator's son.

  "Yes, Roger. Of course you haven't got to go, or Phil either. But Ithink my uncle and I ought to go after 'em. Don't you think so, UncleDunston?"

  "I don't know--perhaps," was the slow reply. "We had better make a fewmore inquiries first, Dave."

  "Oh, yes, let us find out all we can about Merwell and Jasniff."

  They left the shipping office and walked back to the hotel. Here theyhad a late breakfast and then commenced to make diligent inquiriesconcerning all the movements of Merwell and Jasniff. They soon learnedthat the pair had had plenty of money to spend, and that they had boughtmany things for the trip to Barbados, even taking along an extra supplyof the Turkish cigarettes that came in the boxes with bands of blue andgold.

  "I think that that proves my clew of the cigarette box is correct," saidDave.

  They visited the local pawnbrokers, and from one of them learned thatMerwell had pawned two diamonds for two hundred and fifty dollars. Therascal had told the pawnbroker that the gems were the property of a richlady who was awaiting a remittance from France.

  "Do these diamonds belong to the Carwith collection?" asked Roger.

  "That remains to be found out," answered Dunston Porter, and then hetold the pawnbroker to be sure and not let the gems go out of hispossession until a further investigation could be made. The man grumbledsomewhat, but when Dave's uncle spoke about calling in the officers ofthe law, he subsided.

  "Very well, I'll keep them," he said. "And if anything is wrong, I'll dowhat the law requires, even if I lose by it."

  "Let us visit the _Golden Eagle_ and see Bob Sanders," said Phil, latein the afternoon. "Perhaps he knows something about the _Emma Brower_,and her trip."

  The others were willing, and sundown found them aboard the vesselbelonging to Phil's father. Hardly had they stepped on deck when agrizzled old tar, with white hair, rushed up to Dave.

  "If it ain't Dave Porter!" he burst out. "Yes, sir, Dave, wot I haven'tseen in a year o' Sundays! How be you, my boy?" And he caught the youthby both hands.

  "Billy Dill!" exclaimed our hero, as his face lit up with pleasure."Where in the world did you drop from? I thought you had given up thesea."

  Billy Dill, as my old readers will remember, was the tar who aided Davein locating his Uncle Dunston. As related in "Dave Porter in the SouthSeas," Billy Dill had traveled with our hero to that portion of theglobe, in the _Stormy Petrel_, of which Bob Sanders was, at the time,second mate. On returning home, the old tar had been placed in asanitarium and then a sailors' home, and Dave had imagined he was stillin the latter retreat.

  "Couldn't give up the sea, Dave," replied the old sailor. "I tried mybest, but it wasn't no use. So I goes to Phil's old man, an' I says,says I, 'Give me a berth an' anything I'm wuth,' an' he says, says he,'How would ye like to sail with Cap'n Sanders, wot sailed with you tothe South Seas?' 'Fust-rate,' says I; an' here I be, an' likes it verymuch."

  "Well, I'm glad to see you looking so well," answered Dave.

  "It's the sea air done it, lad. When I was ashore I jest knowed I wantedsea air. No more homes ashore fer Billy Dill, not much!" And the old tarshook his head with conviction.

  A few minutes later, while the old sailor was shaking hands with theothers, and asking and answering questions, the captain of the ship cameup.

  "Very glad indeed to see you again," said Captain Sanders, with a broadsmile. He looked closely at the boys. "Grown some since I saw you last."

  "And you have advanced, too," answered Dave, with a grin. "Let mecongratulate you on becoming a captain, Mr. Sanders."

  "It's all through the kindness of
Mr. Lawrence and Captain Marshall. Ifit wasn't for them, I shouldn't be in this berth."

  "How is Captain Marshall?" asked our hero. The man mentioned was thecommander of the ship in which Dave had sailed to the South Seas.

  "First-rate, the last I heard of him. He sailed from San Francisco toManila ten days ago."

  "Captain Sanders, what port are you bound for next?" questioned Phil,after greetings had been exchanged all around and a number of otherquestions had been asked.

  "No port as yet, Phil. I'm waiting for orders."

  "Have you any idea where you may go to?"

  "Something was said about a cargo for Porto Rico. But nothing wassettled. I'll know in a couple of days, I think."

  "Do any of our ships ever sail to Barbados?"

  "Not very often. I could have had a cargo for that port from here, butthe firm didn't take it, and it went to the _Emma Brower_."

  "The very ship we are after!" murmured Dave.

  "Could you get another cargo for Barbados, do you think?"

  "I don't know--maybe. Why?"

  "We want to go there!"

  "You do! That isn't much of a place."

  "But we have a reason for wanting to go," went on Phil. And then,knowing he could trust Captain Sanders, he told the story of the stolengems and the search for Merwell and Jasniff.

  "Humph! that's a queer yarn," mused the captain of the _Golden Eagle_."Supposing I got a cargo for that port--you'd go along?"

  "I would," answered the shipowner's son, promptly. "That is, if dadwould let me--and I'm sure he would."

  "So would I go," added Dave.

  "I'd have to go--to look after the others," said Dunston Porter, with asmile.

  "Well, you can't leave me in the cold," came from Roger. "If the restwent, I'd go too."

  "Come down to the cabin and talk it over," said Captain Sanders, and ledthe way across the deck and down the companionway.

  Once below they were invited to remain to supper and did so. While atthe meal the boys and Dunston Porter told all they knew concerning thecase against Merwell and Jasniff, and the captain told what he knewabout the _Emma Brower_ and her commander.

  "I am going to telegraph to my father about this," said Phil, a littlelater. "If this vessel can get a cargo for Barbados she might as wellsail for that port as anywhere."

  "Well, I'm willing," answered Captain Sanders. "When will you send wordto him?"

  "Right away--I'll send him a telegram at once."

  "I hope it turns out all right," said Dave. "I feel it is my duty to getafter Merwell and Jasniff, and do it as soon as possible."