CHAPTER XVII
AN ILL-FAVORED, RED-BEARDED ROGUE
"Bob, I think I've got the flag this year," remarked Cadet LieutenantBlair, to his fellow three striper, Robert Drake; "everybody says mycompany is better than yours in artillery; I've an even chance with youat infantry--members of my company have had part in baseball andfootball games, fencing, rowing, tennis, gymnasium and all othercontests. The second company, I think, will get the most points inseamanship, and I have more trained marksmen than you have. I've got youbeaten, Bob, old boy."
"Don't you be too sure of that, Sam; the first company has a notion itwants to carry the colors next year; and look here, Sam, I'll put you onto something if you'll agree to keep quiet about it."
"What is it, Bob? I'll keep mum," replied Blair expectantly, impressedby Robert's earnest manner.
"The first company is going to try to win the flag, and I'm going tospring a big surprise on you."
"Pshaw! Is that your news? Perhaps I'll spring a surprise on you."
"Go ahead if you can, Sam, but I warn you now that I have done somethingtoward winning the flag that you don't know anything about. It's in linewith advice that was given to all of us months ago, and what I've doneis perfectly proper and legitimate. I'll tell you frankly that becauseof special preparation I have made, I expect the first company will havea higher final multiple than your company will have."
"What was the advice you refer to, Bob? I don't recall any."
"By the way, haven't you been doing some special stunts in seamanship?Haven't some old boatswain's mates been giving your men some extra drillin handling sail?"
"Never mind about that, Bob; if I have done special work in seamanshipI'm not bound to tell you what it is. But what was the advice you spokeof?"
"Sam, we'll be on the square with each other. I learned accidentallythat you were getting specially coached in seamanship; well, I'm doingspecial work in gunnery. It's a fair field and no favor, and may thebest company win."
"Good. Some of the fellows have been figuring up the points alreadyknown to be credited to the different companies; more than half of thepoints are already made, you know, and as it happens both the first andsecond companies are so far pretty close together; we're within tenpoints of each other to-day and no other company is within twenty pointsof either of us. Either you or I will win the flag, that is certain.And, Bob, if you win it I'm going to lead the cheering for the winningcompany."
"I appreciate that sentiment, Sam, and if you win the flag I will leadthe cheering."
"Say, Bob, have you read about that kidnapping case in Baltimore? Somerascals have stolen a little boy named Georgie Thompson."
"No, I hadn't. Jingo! I hope they catch the scoundrels and get the boyback."
The two young men shook hands in the heartiest fashion and separated.There was intense personal rivalry between them, far more than theirwords expressed; it was a commendable rivalry; each was determined tomake every effort to win the great prize, but each had a high personalregard for the other.
This meeting was on one of the Saturdays in May. Robert was now highlyelated with the efficiency of his six-pounder crew. It drilled everyday. Dummy six-pounder shells were thrown into the gun with tremendousspeed and remarkable precision. There were now no slips, no jams. Whilethis was proceeding Robert would be at the shoulder-piece, his eye atthe peep-sight, aiming at some boat in the river. This was the nearestapproach possible to actually firing the gun. And every man of the gun'screw was enthusiastically confident.
"Stone," said Robert, after dinner this Saturday, "I've permission touse a steamer this afternoon and I've got up a party to go up the SevernRiver."
"I'll bet Helen is in the party," replied Stonewell, smiling at hisroommate.
"Of course she is; Mrs. Blunt is coming, and Glassfell and Farnum. Nowwe want you too."
"I wish I could go, but I can't," replied Stonewell, decidedly. "I've anengagement I can't break."
"Oh, rats, chuck your tailor for once--your measure will keep. But nowI'll give you some information that will bring you along with us--NellieStrong is with the Blunts; she arrived this morning and is going to stayover for graduation. Now will you come?"
"I can't, Bob, but I'll be out to the Blunts' house to-night."
"Pshaw, I counted on your going--what is your engagement; can't you putit off?"
"I really wish I could, but it's imperative; there's nothing pleasantabout it--I may tell you about it later--I can't now."
"It seems to me you've been getting an extra lot of letters lately,Stone."
"Yes, more than I wish for," rejoined Stone rather bitterly.
"Helen and I went walking that Sunday afternoon, the Sunday you and Ihad intended going across the river. First Helen had an errand to do onConduit Street and right ahead of us you were walking along. You wentinto a big yellow house."
Stonewell gave a start. "Well," he said, "what of it?"
"Look here, Stone, old chap, you have something on your mind that'sbothering you terribly. Is there no way I can help you; will it do youno good to talk things over with me?"
"Bob, I can't talk; I don't pretend I'm not worried, but I just can'tunburden my mind, not even to the best friend a man ever had," repliedStonewell huskily, with almost a break in his voice. He walked away fromhis roommate with agitated face, and gloomily looked out upon the watersof Chesapeake Bay.
Loud were the expressions of disappointment from Robert's friends whenhe told them Stonewell could not join them on their trip. They all gotaboard the steam launch, which immediately started up the Severn River;the day was pleasant and all were in high spirits. The Severn River ismost picturesque in its scenery. High, densely-wooded banks, irregularin outline, line its shores, and there are many indentations of littlebays that lead into the river. Three miles above its mouth the Severnwidens into Round Bay, a sheet of water several miles in diameter. Andabove this and emptying into it is a narrow stream, which is stillcalled Severn River.
The launch steamed through Round Bay, and then entered this narrowstream. "Isn't this beautiful?" cried Robert. "Just look at this windinglittle river; I wonder how far up we can go. Say, coxswain, how far upthis river can we steam?"
"If I knew the channel I could take you up to Indian Landing, sir,"answered the coxswain; "some of our steamers have been up that far; butI don't know the channel, sir; I'm afraid we'll go aground at anyminute."
"Well, can't you follow that gasoline launch ahead of us? The fellow init probably knows the channel."
"Yes, sir, I can do that."
A covered gasoline launch was a quarter of a mile ahead. "Give me allthe speed you can," called out the coxswain to the engineer; "I want tocatch that boat ahead; this river has so many little turns that I'llhave to keep close to that chap ahead." The engineer of the launchturned on a steam jet in the smokestack to force the draft and thelittle boat instantly responded and made a great fuss in increasing thespeed of the engine.
"Why don't we catch up?" asked Robert, in a few minutes; "we are surelygoing much faster than we were."
"Because he has nearly doubled his speed, Mr. Drake," replied thecoxswain.
"Hurrah, it's a race!" shouted the midshipman; "now let's see who willwin."
The steam launch commenced to gain on the gasoline boat. The coxswainhad been looking at the latter through a pair of binoculars; after atime he quietly remarked to Robert, "This isn't a race, sir; those menin the boat ahead of us think we are chasing them, and if I ever saw apair of precious rogues in my life I'm looking at them now. Take a lookat them, Mr. Drake."
"Well, no one would ever say they were pretty," remarked Robert after agood look at them through the glasses. "We are catching up with themnow. Hello, they've stopped."
In a short time the steam launch was abreast of the gasoline boat. Inthe latter but one man was to be seen, and an ill-favored man he was.
"My! What a brutal-looking fellow," remarked Nellie Strong with ashudder.
"What do
you want?" demanded the man, in a surly, sullen way.
"We were stealing pilotage from you, that's all," replied Robert. "We'regoing up this river and don't know the channel and are afraid of goingashore. Is there danger of that if we keep in the middle of the stream?"
"I hope you'll strike a shoal and stay there till the crack of doom.You've no business to go running after another boat that way."
"What's the matter with you?" called out Robert; "and why don't your twofriends show themselves? It looks to me as if you're afraid of thepolice."
The man made an angry exclamation and the steamer passed ahead. "What anill-tempered man," said Helen Blunt to Robert; "I wish he'd cut offthat red beard of his; he wouldn't look so much like a pirate then."
"We won't worry about that fellow. Now I'm going up in the bow with aboat-hook to take soundings; we'll run slow and keep right in the middleof the river. But isn't it beautiful around here. Just look how thelittle river twists and winds about and how irregular the shore is; andthere are lots of little creeks running into the river and little baysstretching out from it."
"And isn't it lonely?" rejoined Helen. "There is hardly a house or aclearing to be seen; it's a regular wilderness."
Robert went to the bow of the steamer, and taking a boat-hook thrust itin the water; it was quite deep enough, so he felt reassured about theboat's not going ashore.
"There's Indian Landing ahead of us," called out the coxswain. "I don'tthink we had better go much further; we've got eleven miles to runbefore we get back, and I'm afraid of getting low in coal."
"All right, put aback and return." And soon the steamer was headed downthe river.
"Where's that gasoline boat; can you see her anywhere?" asked Robert, afew moments later.
"No, sir, we would have met her by this time if she had followedstraight up the river. And that's odd, too. Indian Landing is the onlyplace boats ever come to up here--she must be hidden in one of thoselonely creeks."
"That's it, I imagine. There's something queer about that boat; itcertainly had three ugly-looking men in it, and two of them didn't wantto be seen. That bearded chap was a fierce-looking specimen."
"Say, Bob," called out Glassfell from aft, "mess gear is spread andwe're waiting for you to pipe us to dinner, but we won't waitlong--you'd better get here in a hurry."
Robert lost no time and immediately joined the others. An attractivelunch had been spread and was now attacked with energy; in the launchwas a party of good friends, all in gay spirits. The day was delightfuland when they finally reached the "Santee" wharf and left the launch itwas unanimously agreed that a most enjoyable afternoon had been spent.
Early this afternoon Stonewell left his room, and unaccompanied went outin the city of Annapolis. He walked rapidly and before long was inConduit Street, and without stopping to wait for admittance, entered alarge yellow house. Two hours later he left and hastened to a telegraphoffice.
But Stonewell was not the only visitor that day who entered this largeyellow house on Conduit Street. For at about eight o'clock that eveninga man in civilian garb, wearing a moustache and heavy pointed beard,with a brown slouch hat drawn low over his forehead, and in closelybuttoned sack coat, went to the same house, and without hesitation,opened the door by a pass key and passed inside.