Forbidden Cargoes
Page 9
CHAPTER IX CREEPING SHADOWS
Pant's wonderings about Johnny were not misplaced. To dismiss one's goodpal from his mind is impossible. Johnny did not wish to forget Pant. Hehad discovered his note and found himself deeply concerned about it.
After leaving Don del Valle in Guatemala City, he took a train to thecoast. There he caught a fruit boat to Stann Creek, and armed with a notefrom Don del Valle to his plantation manager ordering him to delivertwenty thousand bunches of bananas to the bearer, he reached Stann Creekjust one hour before the train was to start up the narrow gauge railwayto the Kennedy grapefruit plantation.
His first task was that of getting off a wireless message to CaptainJorgensen offering him a combined cargo of bananas and grapefruit for hisreturn trip to the United States. With what feelings of hopes and fearshe then awaited the good skipper's reply. Now he was elated by the hopethat the _North Star_ was still at his service, and now cast down by thefear that she was already loading mahogany, dyewood or cocoanuts.
He was not idle, however. Having gotten off his message, he hurried overto the office which Pant had left some hours before. It was with a deepfeeling of unrest and disappointment that he found the place deserted.Colonel Longstreet had put the scattered papers to rights and repairedthe damaged safe as best he could and he, too, had left. But on thetable, weighted down by a polished square of ebony, was the curious notePant had left. Scrawled across the top by the trembling hand of the oldColonel was Johnny's name.
"That was evidently intended for me," said Johnny, "but what in the nameof all that's sane does it mean?"
"Some of Pant's doings," he grumbled as with wrinkled brow he studied themiscellaneous jumble of figures, question marks and trade signs. "Ohwell, there's no time for working puzzles now. I must get up the railwayto Kennedy's fruit farm. Won't they be joyous!" With that he thrust thepaper in his pocket, but it was not entirely forgotten.
He was in the curious day coach with its seats along the sides and itsbroad open spaces in lieu of windows, waiting for the train to start,when he opened Captain Jorgensen's wireless message.
His fingers trembled, his face grew sober as he unfolded the bit ofyellow paper.
"What if--
"But no!" With a quick exclamation of joy, he read:
"_Congratulations. The North Star awaits your order._"
"Couldn't be better," was the way the boy expressed it as he walked amongthe gold laden fruit trees two hours later. He was talking to MadgeKennedy. No wall flower, this girl. Sun-browned arms, honest freckles,strong and healthy muscles, that was Madge Kennedy. Though only nineteenyears of age, she had taken over the largest share of the task of keepingthe orchard in order.
Underbrush and creepers grow fast in this warm, moist land. A constantwar must be waged against them. Johnny had found her doing her bit byswinging a short stout brush scythe. Two husky Carib Indians were workingwith her, but Johnny noted with no little pleasure that she was the bestworker of the three.
After taking the scythe and finishing the swath, he dropped beside her inthe evening shade, and told her of his success.
"It's your grandfather's chance, and yours," he said with enthusiasm."Think of it! Five thousand boxes of grapefruit. That many at least. Andwe'll get the top price. America has never tasted such fruit. Yourgrandfather has the boxes ready to set up?"
She nodded.
"Then there's nothing to stop us. Your grandfather can find men to pickand pack the fruit?"
"Carib Indians," she said in quiet confidence, "hundreds of them,thousands if necessary. They love grandfather, every last one of them.
"Do you know, my friend," her voice was husky, "my grandfather is a sortof second Livingston. Livingston went to Africa. Grandfather came toCentral America. He has been all over it. There is no dark little spot inany tiny republic where he has not been. He has visited Maya Indians whowere supposed to kill a white man at sight. They did not touch him. Love,sympathy and a simple modesty are the charms that protect him. There'snot a family within the district he has not helped in time of trouble.There is always plenty of trouble. Oh yes, he can find the men; withoutpay if necessary."
"It won't be necessary. Do you know how much five thousand acres of thefinest grapefruit in the world will bring in New York?"
She shook her head.
"Neither do I. Thousands of dollars, there's no question. Then yourgrandfather and you can leave this wilderness."
"Leave--leave it?"
The girl's eyes swept the scene before her. In the immediate foregroundall green and gold was the orchard; beyond that a broad stretch of greenwhere an occasional cohune nut palm with leaves thirty feet long brokethe even green. Back of all that, nestling against the vast, impenetrablejungle, was the long, low house.
"Leave it?" she repeated. "Grandfather would not leave it. He loves theland and his black Caribs too well.
"He left it once." Her voice grew husky again. "War. He left then. He wasgone three years. They made him a captain. They say it was uncanny theway he led his men, his black Caribs from Central America, and how inevery bloody battle he escaped unharmed." She was silent for a moment.The shadows deepened.
"Do you know," she went on softly, "he never speaks of it now. And henever allows anyone to call him Captain Kennedy. That's what he was, youknow. But somehow I love him a lot more for it."
"He's got company!" she exclaimed, springing up and shaking herself as ifto break a spell that had come over her. "One of those dark Spaniards. Idon't like him. Br-r-r-r! He makes me think of the wolf in Little RedRiding Hood. But we must go in. It isn't respectable not to. He's beentalking some sort of business, but must be through by now."
"Business?" Johnny had the question on his lips, but did not ask it. Hewas destined in good time to know what sort of business that was, and toget little enough comfort from the knowledge.
They found Kennedy sitting alone on the veranda.
"How do you do, Mr. Kennedy," said Johnny, putting out his hand."Congratulate me. I have my cargo completed. Bananas. You may beginpacking your fruit to-morrow. It will be in New York within ten days ifwe have luck. We--"
He broke short off. A tall Spaniard had emerged from the shadows. He hadheard all, and the black cloud on his face was not all due to his darkSpanish skin.
He did not speak to the boy, but turning to Kennedy bade him good-night,then strode rapidly away to the spot where his saddle horse was tethered.
It was astonishing, the effect of this man upon Johnny's spirits. It wasas if threatening shadows had begun to crawl upon him.
"Bah!" he whispered to himself. "Probably never see him again."
In this he was wrong. He was destined to see him many times, in fact tosee him the very next day, and to get a decided shock from the encounter.
"Business," he whispered to himself.
"What sort of business?" He thought of Madge Kennedy and the Spaniard,then dismissed them from his mind.
"Sit here with grandfather," he heard the girl saying. "I'll have somefood ready in a jiffy."
Mechanically he sat down, and as he did so, discovered that the suddennight of the jungle had blotted out every track of the orchard, the widespreading green and the dark forest that lay beyond.