“Put up that door!” cried Dick, and without delay it was raised and put in place and then fastened in such a manner that it was next to impossible to budge it. Then they ran on deck and fastened down the hatch. After that they gave Todd their attention.
When he came to his senses the ex-counterfeiter raved wildly and demanded that he be set free. He was particularly bitter against Dan Baxter.
“I’ll fix you,” he said. “Wait till we get into court. I’ll have a fine story to tell about you.” To this Baxter did not reply although he turned very pale.
Seeing they could do little with Sack Todd, the Rovers decided to put him down in the hold with the sailors and this was done. Then the party with Baxter gathered on deck to discuss the situation.
“Talk about a strenuous night,” exclaimed Tom. “I don’t think it could be more strenuous than it has been.”
“Dan, I want to say right now that you have helped us a great deal,” said Dick, turning to the big youth. “But for you we might have lost that battle.”
“Dot is so,” said Hans. “You vos tone splendidly alretty!”
With two of the enemy in possession of the engine room, it was of course impossible to run the machinery of the steam yacht, and this being so our friends decided to wait until daylight before attempting to make another move.
“It is after three o’clock,” said Dick. “We may as well get what rest we can. We can take turns at remaining on guard,” and so it was decided. But it must be said that nobody got much sleep, so great was the general excitement.
While he was on guard Dick had a long private talk with Dan Baxter, and for once the former bully of Putnam Hall opened his heart completely. He had been knocking around “from pillar to post” so long that he was utterly discouraged and scarcely cared what happened. Since his father had reformed, and he had lost the companionship of Lew Flapp, he had been traveling among strangers and not a one of them had proved worth knowing, as he expressed it.
“I was a great big fool that I didn’t turn over a new leaf when my father did,” he said. “I had a chance then to do something for myself. Now I am so deep in the mud I don’t know how I’ll ever get out.”
“I am certainly sorry for you, Dan—especially after what you did for our crowd tonight. If you really want to turn over a new leaf I am willing to help you all I can. But you know how the law stands—we can’t let you go after what has happened in the past. If you come up for trial, though, I’ll be as easy as I can on you, and I know the others will be easy, too. Perhaps, as you are young, you’ll get off with a light sentence, and then you’ll have a chance to reform after that.”
At this Dan Baxter hung his head.
“It’s a terrible disgrace—to go to prison,” he answered, in a low tone. “But my father had to go through it, and I guess I am worse than he is.” He heaved a deep sigh. “Well, I’ll try to stand it.”
“If it gets as far as that, when you come out, Dan, you come straight to me and I’ll help you.”
“Will you do that, Dick?” asked the former bully, eagerly, and for the instant his face brightened.
“I will, and there is my hand on it,” and then the two who had been enemies for so many years shook hands. After that Dan Baxter continued to talk about himself. He seemed anxious to unburden his heart, and Dick allowed him to proceed and listened with interest to the recital.
As soon as it was daylight the Rovers, Hans, and Baxter went on deck to decide upon the all-important question of what to do next. Dick had inspected the sails and found them in trim for use, and presently they set sail and once more the steam yacht was headed for Tampa Bay. There was a stiff breeze blowing, and although the craft made no such speed as when under steam she went along right well, and they were all content.
About the middle of the forenoon they heard a thumping on the hatch over the engine room. Pold and Jeffers wanted something to eat and to drink, and wanted to make terms, but they told the rascals they would have to wait until land or some vessel was sighted. They also got a call from Sack Todd and the sailors who had revived from their stupor, but decided to let these fellows wait also.
“The sailors have done us no harm,” said Dick. “But a waiting spell will do them good, after such a beastly spree.”
It was one o’clock, and Hans was preparing dinner for all on deck when Tom gave a cry.
“A small steamer is approaching!” he said. “Hadn’t we better signal her?”
“By all means,” answered Dick. “Let us steer directly for her, too.” And this was done.
The vessel approaching proved to be nothing more than a regular gulf tug, carrying eight people. As it came closer Sam, who had a spy-glass, gave a shout:
“What do you think! There are Fred and Songbird, and yes, there is Harold Bird, too! Oh, how glad I am that they are safe!”
CHAPTER XXX
HOMEWARD BOUND—CONCLUSION
The report was true, the tug contained Fred, Songbird, and Harold Bird, and as soon as these three made out who were on board of the Mermaid they set up a cheer. Then the sails on the steam yacht were lowered and the tug came alongside. In a minute more Fred was scrambling on deck, followed by the others.
“Alive! All of you!” cried Fred. “Oh, this is the best news yet!”
“And we are glad to see you alive too,” cried Tom. “We were afraid the Mascotte had been lost.”
“Well, we came close to it,” said Songbird. “And when we got in to port some of the passengers had the captain arrested for ill treatment. But we didn’t wait for that. We were wild to know what had become of you, and so we chartered this tug and began a hunt. You were lucky to be picked up by such a nice craft as this.”
“We weren’t picked up,—we picked ourselves up,” answered Dick.
“Why, what do you mean?” asked Harold Bird, in puzzled tones.
“We found this steam yacht on the water deserted—not a soul on board.”
“You don’t mean it!” ejaculated Fred. “What’s her name?”
“The Mermaid.”
“Creation!” shouted Harold Bird. “Why, that’s the steam yacht was advertised in all the newspapers some weeks ago. She was missing, and the club that owns her offered a reward of five thousand dollars for information leading to her return.”
“Well, we picked her up as a derelict,” said Tom. “And we’ll claim salvage accordingly. But how did she disappear?”
“It’s a long story. She was left in charge of an old man, and he went off and got intoxicated. Then a storm came up and they found the old man in a rowboat and the steam yacht missing. She must have blown and drifted far away on the gulf. But it’s queer she wasn’t sighted before.”
“Maybe she was, but nobody thought she was deserted,” said Sam, and his idea was probably true.
Thus far Dan Baxter had kept in the background. When he came forward there was more astonishment, and our friends had to tell about the arrival of Sack Todd and the others, and of what had been done since.
“I want you to understand that Dan helped us a great deal,” said Dick, to Fred and Songbird. “He isn’t the fellow he was. He has changed so you would hardly know he was the same person. I think he is really on the right track at last.”
“It seems too wonderful to be true,” was Fred’s comment.
Dan Baxter was much interested in meeting Harold Bird, and while the others were talking in one part of the deck he called the young Southerner to one side.
“Mr. Bird, you know who I am, and I suppose you have no use for me,” began the former bully. “I am sorry I went in with those men who stole your gasoline launch. If I had my choice again I shouldn’t do such a thing. I am very sorry, and I am glad you got your boat back. But I want to speak to you about something else. I was going to write you a letter when I got the chance, but I’d rather tell you what I know.”
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br /> “What you know?” repeated Harold Bird, somewhat puzzled.
“Yes. Since I have been traveling with Gasper Pold and Sack Todd I have learned a great deal, and much of it concerns yourself and your father.”
“My father!” gasped the young Southerner.
“Yes.”
“What do you know of him? Is he alive?”
“I think he is—at least Gasper Pold said he was.”
“Pold! What does he know about it? Where is my father?”
“As near as I know, your father is in Mexico, at a place called Troxapocca. He is somewhat out of his mind, and Pold told Sack Todd he was working around a hotel there, doing all sorts of odd jobs. He goes by the name of Bangs—why, I don’t know.”
“Is it possible! I must look into this without delay.”
“And then there is something else I want to tell you. I heard Todd and Pold talking about it when they thought they were alone. Todd accused Pold of having killed an old man, a hunter, in the woods, because the old hunter had vowed to expose one of Pold’s lottery swindles. It came out in the talk that Pold had really done the deed and had put the dead hunter on a rock, where he was shot at by your father. Your father didn’t hit the body, but he thought he did, and thinking he had killed this old man was what made your father crazy.”
“I know it! I know it!” cried Harold Bird. “What a vile deed to do! And did Pold admit his guilt?”
“He did, but he warned Sack Todd to keep quiet about it. That was one of the things that turned me against that gang. They were altogether too bad for me. From that moment on I was sorry I had gone in with them.”
“This fairly staggers me, Baxter. You—you must help me prove this—after I have found my father, or before.”
“I will, Mr. Bird—I’ll do all I can to make things right again,” answered Dan Baxter, earnestly.
When the others heard of Dan Baxter’s revelation they were almost as much astonished as Harold Bird. They were glad to learn that there was now a likelihood of clearing the young Southerner’s father of the crime of which he had been accused, and all trusted he would soon be able to locate Mr. Bird and nurse him back to mental and physical health.
Those on the tug were called on board and then Sack Todd was allowed to come on deck, followered by the two sailors. All were made prisoners. Then Gasper Pold and Sid Jeffers came up and were handcuffed.
Gasper Pold was amazed to find himself confronted by Harold Bird, and when accused of the shooting of the old hunter broke down utterly. He thought Sack Todd had exposed him, and a bitter war of words between the pair followed.
“You have done me a splendid service, Baxter,” said the young Southerner, after the excitement was over. “I shall not forget you. When the proper time comes, if you need legal aid, I’ll see to it that you have a first-class lawyer.”
“Thank you,” answered the former bully, humbly. “I only did my duty, which I should have done long ago.”
It was found that the Mermaid belonged to persons living at Mobile, and accordingly the steam yacht and the tug were headed for that port. The run did not take more than twenty-four hours and when the Mermaid appeared she created considerable excitement. One of the owners, James Morrison, soon came to take charge, in the name of the yacht club, and he assured Dick and the others that the club would pay anything that was fair for the return of the vessel.
“We have found one thing that bothered us,” said Dick. “Perhaps you can explain it. In a locker we found a picture of Harold Bird and also a picture of his father.”
“I know nothing of them. I did not know Mr. Bird at all.”
“I will have Harold show you his father’s photograph. Perhaps you’ll recognize him.”
The picture was shown and James Morrison uttered a cry of astonishment.
“I know that man, but his name was not Bird. It was Bangs. He worked on the yacht for awhile—queer sort of stick—and he left rather suddenly.”
“It was Mr. Bird. He went crazy over some personal trouble, and Harold has been looking all over for him. He was last heard of in Mexico. But this clears up the mystery of the photographs,” Dick added.
And now let me add a few words more and then bring to a close this tale of “The Rover Boys in Southern Waters.”
As soon as they arrived at Mobile the Rover boys sent telegrams to their folks at home and also to the ladies and girls at the Bird plantation, telling of the safety of the entire party.
Sack Todd, Gasper Pold, Sid Jeffers, and the two sailors were locked up. Nobody attempted to have Dan Baxter arrested, nor did the former bully of Putnam Hall try to run away.
“I have made up my mind to take my medicine and I am going to do it,” he said, almost stubbornly.
“What a change in him!” was Tom’s comment. “The fellows at Putnam Hall won’t believe it when we tell them.”
“Here is the whole thing in a nutshell,” said Sam. “Dan has found out that there is absolutely no happiness or satisfaction in being dishonest. Even when he had money he didn’t enjoy it—he told me so himself. He said there was many a day when he would have preferred being with the old crowd, even without a cent in his pocket.”
As soon as he could Harold Bird set off for Mexico. A week later he sent Dick Rover a telegram stating that he had found his father and was taking him home. It may be added here that, cleared of the suspicion that had hung over his name, Mr. Bird speedily recovered from his insanity, and became the prosperous planter he had been in years gone by.
When Sack Todd, Gasper Pold, and Sid Jeffers were brought to trial Dan Baxter was a witness against each one. For the shooting of the old hunter Pold received a life sentence in prison, and for their various misdeeds Todd and the mate of the Dogstar received ten and twenty years respectively. Solly Jackson was also a witness against Todd and Pold and was not prosecuted.
“What are you going to do about Dan Baxter?” asked Songbird of Dick, one day.
“I am going to do nothing,” answered Dick, firmly. “If you want to prosecute him you can do so.”
“He expects to be placed on trial.”
“Well, he’ll have to find somebody else to prosecute him.”
“I shan’t do anything, Dick. Why, he isn’t the same chap he used to be. He’s as meek as any fellow I ever met.”
In the end nobody prosecuted Dan Baxter, and he was allowed to go his own way. The Rovers talked the matter over and one day they sent for the former bully and asked him how much money he had on hand.
“I’ve got exactly two dollars and a quarter,” was the answer. “I am looking for work, but I haven’t found anything yet,” and Baxter’s face grew red and he hung his head.
“We have made up a purse for you, Dan,” said Dick, kindly. “Those folks who owned the yacht gave us ten thousand dollars for bringing her in safely. I have had a talk with our crowd, and we are going to stake you for a fresh start.”
So speaking, Dick handed out a new pocketbook. But Dan Baxter put his hands behind him.
“Thank you very, very much,” he said, huskily, “but I don’t want you to—to give me a cent—not a cent, understand? If you want to make me a loan, well and good. But I shan’t take it if it’s a gift.”
“Well, we’ll call it a loan then,” said Tom, who stood by.
“And you can pay up whenever you please,” added Sam.
Dan Baxter took the pocketbook and opened it.
“Why, ifs full of bills!” he gasped.
“Yes, a thousand dollars, Dan. We want you to make a good start while you are at it,” explained Dick.
The face of the former bully became a study. His eyes grew moist and his lips quivered. He had to turn away for a moment, for he could not control himself.
“You’re the best fellows in the world—the very best,” he murmured, presently. “A thousand dollars! And yo
u were going to give it to me—not loan it to me! I’ll never forget that, never, if I live to be a hundred. But I am not going to take all that money—it’s too much of a temptation. Let me have a hundred as a loan, and that’s all.”
This he stuck to, and in the end the hundred dollars was counted out and Baxter placed it in his pocket.
“This will take me to Philadelphia,” he said. “There I can get hold of some money that is rightfully mine, and then I’ll return the loan. After that—well, after that I am going far away, to try to make a man of myself.”
“We wish you luck, Dan,” answered Dick, gravely.
“Indeed we do,” added Sam and Tom.
There was an awkward silence. Then Dan Baxter pulled himself up, hesitated, and held out his hand.
“I don’t know when we’ll meet again,” he said. “Good-by.”
“Good-by,” said each of the others and shook hands warmly.
The former bully walked to the doorway and there hesitated again.
“Please do me one favor,” he said, his face growing red. “When you meet the Stanhopes and the Lanings tell them I am very sorry for what I did, and that I wouldn’t do it again for the whole world. And tell Captain Putnam that, too.” And then he went out, closing the door softly behind him. They listened to his footsteps, and as they died away each heaved a deep sigh.
“I am sorry for him,” said Dick.
“I pity him from the bottom of my heart,” came from Sam.
“And so do I,” added Tom. “Poor chap, I hope he does make a man of himself.” It was a long time before they saw Dan Baxter again.
What to do with the houseboat they did not know, but soon came a message from their Uncle Randolph, stating they might sell the craft. They found a ready purchaser at a fair price, and then joined the Stanhopes and the Lanings at the Bird plantation.
“Oh, how glad I am that you are safe!” cried Dora to Dick, when they met. “It seems an age since you went away.”
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