by Roy J. Snell
CHAPTER XVII TRAPPED
"It's no use. We're in for it." Five minutes later MacGregor dropped hisoars. From some spot close to that dark bulk against the sky had come thethrob of a motor.
"Rusty, me child," the old man's voice was very gentle. "Be sure thosegolden locks of yours are well tucked in. Whatever you do, don't removethat sou'wester. For the present you are a boy. You must not forget."
"I--I won't forget." Rusty's fingers were busy with her hair.
"I only hope," the old man added soberly, "that my guess is wrong."
Scarcely were the words out of his mouth when a smart little motor boat,bright with red and white paint, hove into view. And on the deck,scarcely less smart in brass buttons and braid, stood a small man withslanting eyes.
Those eyes appeared a trifle startled at sight of MacGregor. "A thousandpardons." The little man's voice was smooth as oil. "What is that whichyou wish?"
"Only a few gallons of gasoline," said MacGregor.
The lightning change on the little man's face was startling. It was as ifa dagger had suddenly flashed from his belt, yet his tone was smooth asbefore.
"Ah! You are out of gas? Very unfortunate. Your line, please. We shallescort you to our ship."
"But we don't want to go to your ship," MacGregor protested. "All we wantis gas."
"Ah, yes, a thousand apologies. But here there is no gasoline, only atthe ship. Your line, please."
"Say, you--" Johnny's angry voice was stopped by a heavy pressure on hisarm.
"Give him our line, son," said MacGregor.
Grudgingly Johnny obeyed. A moment later, with the two boats in tow, thebright, little craft went rolling back toward that broad, black bulk.
"It's no use to quarrel with 'em," MacGregor said in a sober whisper."We've fallen into their hands. I think that chap recognized me. I'vebeen along the Pacific waterfronts for many years. So have theseOrientals."
"But--but what will happen?" Rusty asked.
"Who knows?" was MacGregor's sober reply. "Let us hope for the best.They'll not let us go now. When they're well beyond the three-mile limitthey may give us gas and let us go.
"In the meantime, Rusty," he warned, "don't forget you're a boy. It's agood thing you've got on knickers instead of a dress."
They were brought alongside. A ladder was let down. They climbed aboard.There they were ushered before one more small man who wore even morebrass and braid. Johnny thought with a touch of humor that he would makea very fine monkey if only he had a cap, a tin cup and a string.
When MacGregor requested that they be given gasoline and allowed toleave, there were excuses, very profuse and polite, but quite formal.There were reasons, very unfortunate reasons; too much fog, a stormcoming up, too few men to spare even one or two, to find the way alonequite impossible. Oh, quite!
The man, who beyond doubt was the captain, talked on and on.
It all ended by the _Krazy Kat's_ being hoisted on board, by the littleparty drinking very black and very hot tea with the much adorned captain,and at last by their being escorted, for all the world as if they wereembarking on a long voyage, to a pair of staterooms on the second deck.
For a time after the stateroom doors had been closed the surprised triostood staring first at one another and then at their surroundings.
The two staterooms were joined by a door. There were two berths in eachstateroom. There were round portholes, no other windows.
"That will be your stateroom, Rusty," MacGregor opened the door to theone beyond. "Keep your outside door locked.
"One thing more," hesitatingly he produced a pair of scissors, "I alwayscarry them," he explained. "A man doesn't live everywhere as I have done,not in Alaska, without learning to cut hair. I'm a fair hand at it.Rusty, me child, those rusty red locks of yours have got to come off."
Without a word the girl dropped to a stool beside the berth.
"Johnny," said MacGregor, "I suggest that you step outside and standguard. Don't leave the door, not more than three steps. If anyone comesnear, make some noise on the door."
"Right," said Johnny.
"Rusty," said MacGregor, "do you ever box?"
"Oh yes, often." The girl's face flushed. "Often. Daddy and I box by thehour." She gave Johnny a strange, fleeting look.
"Good!" MacGregor exclaimed low. "Tonight we'll have an exhibition match,just you and Johnny. Two boys showing these Orientals how to play.
"And now," he nodded his head toward the door.
Johnny opened it ever so softly, peered through the crack, and was gone.
At the same moment the old man lifted the shabby sou'wester from the massof lovely hair, blew on his scissors, heaved a heavy sigh, then slashedwith apparent ruthlessness at a great handful of perfectly natural,copper-colored curls.
A half hour later the door opened a crack.
Taking the cue, Johnny stepped inside. He stopped short when he looked atRusty.
It was with the greatest difficulty that he suppressed a smile at what hesaw. The sou'wester was no longer needed. Good old MacGregor had done hiswork well. Rusty's hair looked like a real boy's.
"What a grand boy!" Johnny thought. And after that, "What a perfect brickof a girl she is!"
"Mac," he said a moment later, "there are twenty thousand fine big redsalmon up forward. I stepped around a hatchway far enough to see."
"Twenty thousand," the old man murmured. "Our boys get fourteen centsapiece just for catchin' 'em. Twenty-eight hundred dollars. A grandlivin' for two happy families. And that's the first haul. There'll bemany another unless someone stops 'em.
"And we won't stop 'em," he added with a touch of sadness. "Not just yet.But you wait!" he sprang to his feet. "We'll get a break yet."