CHAPTER XIV.--BEN'S PLAN STOLEN.
For his part Duval was no less quick in recognizing Ben Stubbs. At themoment, Dr. Perkins and the rest were standing in a group a littleapart, and discussing their adventure, while Mr. Sterrett was loud inhis praises of the _Sea Eagle_, which he described as the most wonderfulcraft on earth. Giving a swift look round to see that he was unobserved,Duval pressed a finger to his lips to enjoin silence on Ben, and thenbeckoned him to come a short distance out of the firelight.
Ben, in wonderment as to this unexpected reappearance of the young manwho had exercised such sharp practice on him, obeyed the summons. Butwhen he addressed Duval it was in an angry tone.
"What's this mean," he exclaimed, "how did you come here?"
"As you see, by that air ship," was the reply; "I never expected to seeyou here, however. I tell you, Stubbs, I've had a lot of hard luck. Whenthose boys and that professor-chap rescued us I had been compelled toship as a deckhand and cook on that yacht. Just think of it."
"A mighty good thing for you, say I," grunted Ben brusquely, "a littlegood, honest, hard work will take some of the crooked kinks out of yourbrain. My recommendation to you, Duval, is to stick to that sort of ajob, and in time you'll learn to be a man."
Duval shot a look full of malice at the blunt old fellow. But his facewas in the shadow, and Ben did not notice it. Instead he continued:
"But I ain't the one to bear a grudge, Duval, although you did comemighty near shipwrecking my faith in human natur'. Shake hands, mate,and for your old father's sake I'll do what I can fer you. I ain't oneto kick a man when he's down."
Duval extended his thin, long-fingered hand, and Ben seized it in hisrough paw and shook it with a heartiness that made the dark-skinnedDuval flinch.
"There!" exclaimed the old fellow heartily, as he relinquished his grip,"that's all ship-shape and in good trim. Now let's get back to the restof 'em afore they see us talking apart."
"You're not going to give me away to them?" asked Duval, almostbreathlessly. "Sterrett thinks I'm all right, and may give me a betterjob some time."
"I won't stand in your way, lad," heartily rejoined Ben. "In fact, I'dlike to help you get on your feet again."
"How about that plan of the location of the _Belle of New Orleans_?"asked Duval, without paying any attention to Ben's last remarks.
"Safe enough in my pocket, mate," replied Ben, tapping his worn coat;"why do you want to know?"
"I wondered if you had investigated my story."
"No, I haven't yet; but I don't mind telling you that I may do so beforevery long. And I'll tell you right now, Duval, that if we recoveranything valuable from that wreck I'll see to it that you get a goodshare of it, and then you can set up in business again and make a newstart."
Duval expressed what appeared to be very deep thanks for Ben'sgenerosity. But, in reality, his thoughts were busy elsewhere. An ideahad come into his head that was to bear strange fruit before very long.They joined the group clustered about Dr. Perkins without their absencehaving been noticed. Billy and Pudge had seen to it while the _SeaEagle_ was on her mission of rescue that a good hot lunch should beready on the return of the expedition. A few moments after Ben and Duvaljoined the others Pudge announced this fact, and the party trooped intothe hut, nothing loath, to fall to with hearty appetites on a good meal.Soon after they "turned in," the boys insisting on the strangers takingtheir bunks, while they and Ben Stubbs put up with "shake-downs" on thefloor.
It was very late--or rather early morning--when they retired, and beforelong all were wrapped in the deep sleep of exhaustion. Ben was the firstto awaken, to find the sun streaming into the hut.
"Great guns!" he exclaimed, glancing at Billy's alarm clock on a shelf,"it's after seven."
Broad awake in a jiffy, he aroused the others, going from the floorsleepers to the bunks. Dr. Perkins, Mr. Sterrett and the latter's friendwere awakened in turn, and it was not till then that Ben noticed thatDuval's bunk was empty.
"Good fer him," he said to himself warmly, "the young chap has startedto turn over a new leaf by gittin' out early. I'll take a turn outsideafore breakfast and see if I can find him."
But Duval was not about the workshop, nor did Ben's calls summon him tobreakfast. It was not till that instant that an ugly suspicion flashedinto Ben's hitherto unsuspecting mind. Without saying a word to theothers he hastily drew out his wallet and, withdrawing to a corner ofthe hut, examined its contents. Instantly his suspicions were verified.
The plan of the location of the wreck of the _Belle of New Orleans_ wasmissing!
Stifling his anger as well as he could, Ben hastened to the beach. As hehad suspected the moment he found the plan missing, the small skiff wasgone. What had happened was as plain as print to Ben now. Young Duvalhad waited till all in the hut were asleep, then he had stealthily creptfrom his bunk, recovered the plan he had given to Ben, and had decampedin the small boat.
"Waal, the dern scallywag!" burst out Ben, as he stood on the beach inthe first shock of his discovery.
In his anger he shook his fist at the strip of sea between the islandand the mainland to which, he did not doubt, Duval had crossed in hisflight.
"The--the--precious scamp!" he continued, his bronzed features working,"and I trusted him as I would have trusted his dad."
Shaking his head, Ben slowly made his way from the beach back to thehut. He said nothing of his discovery during breakfast, but after themeal he found a pretext for drawing Dr. Perkins to one side. To him hecommunicated what had occurred.
"A good riddance of bad rubbish," said Dr. Perkins when Ben, whose voiceshook with anger, had concluded his story; "we are cheaply rid of him,Ben."
The inventor, while not a selfish man, was so wrapped up in the successof the _Sea Eagle_ that, to him, the loss of the plan of the wreck didnot appeal in the same way that it did to Ben Stubbs. But the oldadventurer took him up indignantly.
"Bad rubbish, as you say, sir," he grated out, "but if that paper hadn'tbin worth something Duval wouldn't have taken it. It's good-by torecovering that stuff from the _Belle of New Orleans_ now."
"By Jove! I'd quite forgotten my promise to you," said Dr. Perkinscontritely; "but never fear, Ben, I'll see that you are not a loser."
"It ain't that," rejoined Ben; "I don't give a snap for the plan; butit's the ingratitood of that young whippersnapper that's got me sore.I'd like--I'd like to find that wreck just to get ahead of him."
"Humph!" rejoined the inventor, "I understand your feelings. He hascertainly treated you very badly. But possibly we can think up some wayto outgeneral him."
"Don't see how we are goin' to do it without that plan," rejoined Ben;"but I ain't one to cry over spilt milk. It's gone, and that's all thereis to it. The best thing to do is to forget it."
Frank and Harry, on their way to the _Sea Eagle's_ shelter, were passingat the moment. After asking the inventor if he thought it would beadvisable, and receiving an affirmative reply, Ben called them over. Asbriefly as he could he told them what had happened.
"Well, the precious rascal!" broke out Frank; "I thought there wassomething snaky-looking about the chap last night. Isn't there a chanceof catching him?"
"Not such a slick rascal as he is, Frank," rejoined Ben despondently;"no, the plan is gone, and gone for good--so good-by to that."
But Harry now spoke up, and to the astonishment of the others his voicedid not hold a trace of the disappointment they could not help but feel.
"Cheer up, Ben," he said heartily, "and by the way you might just castyour eye over this and see if it looks familiar."
As he spoke he dipped a hand into his breast pocket and produced afolded paper. Ben, with a mystified expression, took it and opened thething up. The next instant it almost fell from his hands.
"Why!--why, by the glittering Pole Star!" he choked out, "it's the planitself!"
"Not exactly," laughed Harry, "but I think it's a pretty good copy. Yousee I always liked drawing and that sort of thi
ng, so when you showed methat plan I memorized it, and when I got a chance I sketched out thiscopy in case anything happened to the original. I think it's good enoughto take a chance on."
"Good enough!" roared Ben, "why, lad, it's the plan itself. Now, then,if we don't beat Master Duval to the _Belle of New Orleans_ call me adouble-decked, lee-scuppered sea cook!"