CHAPTER X
CAPRICIOUS FORTUNE
Drew experienced a thrill of delight. But he felt that he ought toprotest.
"I'm not putting up anything toward the expense," he said. "If thingsgo wrong, you'll lose heavily. I have nothing to lose and everythingto gain. It doesn't seem the square thing."
"Let us do the worrying about that," smiled the captain. "You've doneyour fair share already toward this adventure. We'll all share andshare alike."
"You bet we will," chimed in Tyke. "There wouldn't be any cruise atall if it hadn't been for you. Who suggested searching the box? Whotranslated the paper and the map? You've been the head and front ofthe whole thing from the beginning."
"But----" began Drew.
"'But,' nothing," interrupted Tyke. "Not another word. Remember I'myour boss."
And Drew, glad enough for once in his life to be bossed, became silent.But the walls of his air castle began to grow more solid.
"How long will it be before you can have the schooner ready to sail?"Tyke inquired, turning to the captain.
"Oh, in a week or ten days if we are pressed," was the response. "Itwon't take us more than that to get our supplies aboard and ship ourcrew."
"The crew is an important matter," reflected Tyke. "It won't do topick up any riffraff that may come to hand. We want to git men that wecan trust. Sailors have a way of smelling out the meaning of anycruise that is out of the usual order of things, an' if there's anytrouble-makers in the crew who git a hint that we're out for treasure,they'll cause mischief."
"They won't get any hint, unless some of us talk in our sleep," repliedthe captain. "I know where I can lay hands on quite a few of my oldcrew, but I'll be so busy with other things that I'll have to leave thepicking of most of the men to Ditty."
"Ditty?" said Grimshaw inquiringly.
"He's my mate," explained the captain. "Cal Ditty. As smart a sailoras one could ask for. But that about lets him out."
"Why! don't you like him?" asked Tyke quickly.
"No, I can't say I do," replied the captain slowly. "I've never warmedtoward the man. There's something about him that repels me."
"Why don't you git rid of him then?"
"Well, you see it's like this," explained Captain Hamilton. "He savedMr. Parmalee's life one time when the old man fell overboard, andnaturally Parmalee felt very grateful to him. He promised him that heshould always have a berth on one of his ships as long as he lived. Ofcourse, since the old man is dead, we could do as we liked about firingDitty, but young Parmalee feels that it's up to him to respect hisfather's wishes. So rather than have any trouble about it, I've keptDitty on. But he's a lush when he's ashore, and I don't fully trusthim. That may be unjust too, for he's always done his work well andI've had no reason to complain."
"Well, anyway," warned Tyke, "I'd keep my weather eye peeled if I wasyou. When you feel that way about a man, there's usually something tojustify it sooner or later."
"Well, now, suppose I'm ready in a fortnight, how about you?" askedCaptain Hamilton.
"Oh, we'll be ready by that time," replied Tyke confidently. "Ofcourse we've got this moving to do, but we're pretty well packed upnow, an' before a week is over we'll have everything shipshape in ournew quarters."
"We'll race each other to see who'll be ready first," laughed CaptainHamilton. "In the meantime, if you're not too rushed, come over andtake a squint at the _Bertha Hamilton_. And if you don't see theniftiest little craft that ever gladdened the eyes of a sailorman, youcan call me a swab."
"Where is she lying?" asked Drew.
"Foot of Franklin Street, North River. You'll find me there most allthe time, but if you don't just go aboard and look her over anyway.You'll be on her for some weeks, and you might as well get acquainted."
Tyke and Drew promised that they would, and, with a cordial handshake,Captain Hamilton left the office.
Grimshaw carefully stowed the map and paper away in his safe, and thenturned to Drew.
"Named his craft after the daughter he spoke of, I reckon--_BerthaHamilton_. Well, perhaps it'll bring us luck. Cap'n Rufe is someseaman, an' no mistake." Then he added, with a quizzical smile: "Quitea lot's happened since this time yesterday."
"I should say there had!" responded Drew. "My head is swimming withit. It'll take some time for me to settle down and get my bearings.I'm tempted to pinch myself to see if I'm not dreaming. If I am, Idon't want to wake up. You're certainly good to me, Mr. Grimshaw," headded warmly.
Tyke waved aside Drew's thanks by a motion of his hand.
"Everything does seem topsy-turvy," he said. "I thought that the oldhulk was laid up for good. But now it seems she's clearing for onemore cruise. An' it's all come about so queer like. Now if I----"
Tyke checked himself and rose to his feet.
"Well, now we've got one more reason for hustling," he declared."You'll have your hands full from this time on, my boy, an' so will I.You want to begin to break Winters in right away, so that he'll be ableto take charge of things while we're gone."
"How shall I explain it?" asked Drew. "What shall I give as a reasonfor the trip?"
Tyke reflected for a moment.
"Jest say that we're going for a cruise in Southern waters with an oldsea cap'n friend of mine. Tell him that you've been sticking prettyclose to your desk, an' that I thought it would be a good thing for youto go along. Don't make any mystery of it. Tell him that we'll beback in a couple of months, an' that it's up to him to make good whilewe're gone.
"One thing more," he added, as Drew turned to go. "Tell him that I'mgoing to raise his salary, an' he'll feel so good about that that hewon't waste much time thinking about us and our plans."
The recipe worked as Tyke had predicted, and after the firstexpressions of surprise, Winters speedily became engrossed in his addedresponsibilities and the increase in his pay, leaving Drew untroubledby prying questions.
For the next three days all worked like beavers, and by nightfall ofthe third day the moving had been effected and the stock arranged intheir new quarters.
"Guess we're going to be ready for that cruise before Cap'n Rufe is,"grinned Tyke, as he surveyed the finished work.
But he exulted too soon. That very evening, Drew received a telephonemessage from St. Luke's hospital saying that Mr. T. Grimshaw had beenbrought in there with an injured leg as the result of a streetaccident. He had requested that Drew be summoned at once.
Shocked and grieved, the young man hurried to the hospital. He wasushered at once into the private room in which Tyke was lying.
The leg had been bandaged, and Tyke had recovered somewhat from thefirst shock of the accident. He was suffering no special pain at themoment, and was eagerly watching the door through which Drew would come.
The latter's heart ached as he saw how wan and gray the old man's facelooked. But his indomitable spirit still shone in his sunken eyes, andhe tried to summon a cheery smile as Drew came near the bed.
"Well, Allen, my boy," he remarked, "I guess I crowed too soon thisafternoon. I didn't think then that the old hulk would be laid up sosoon for repairs."
Drew expressed his sorrow, as he gripped Tyke's hand affectionately.
"How did it happen?" he asked.
"Cruising across the street in front of an auto," replied Tyke."Thought I had cleared it, but guess I hadn't. I saw that one-eyedfeller standing there--
"What one-eyed fellow?" Drew asked, interrupting.
"Why, I don't know who he was. Looked like a sea-faring man," returnedTyke. "Oh! That does hurt! Doctor said it would if I moved it."
"Don't move your leg, then," advised Drew. "What about the one-eyedman?"
"Why," repeated Tyke, reflectively, "I saw him on the curb jest as Ijumped to git out of the way of that auto. I ain't as spry as I usedto be I admit; but seems to me I would have made it all right if ithadn't been for that feller."
"What did he do to you?" asked the anxiou
s Drew. Of course, there wasmore than one sailor in the world with only one eye; yet the young manwondered.
"I saw his hand stretched out, an' I thought he was going to grab me.But next I knew I was pushed right back an' the car knocked me flat.B'fore I lost my senses, it seemed to me that that one-eyed swab wasdown on his knees going through my pockets."
"Robbing you?" gasped Drew.
"Well--mebbe I dreamed it. I've been puzzling over it ever since I'vebeen lying here. I didn't lose my watch, nor yet my wallet, that'ssure," and Tyke grinned. "But it certainly was a queer experience.An' I'd like to know who that one-eyed feller is."
"How badly is your leg hurt?" asked Drew.
"Might have been worse," answered Tyke. "Doctor says my knee'swrenched an' the ligaments torn, but there's nothing that can't bemended. I'll be off my pins for the next month or two, they say. So Iguess old Tyke won't be Johnny-on-the-spot when you dig up themdoubloons."
"Don't worry about that," protested Drew. "The only important thingnow is that you should get well. The treasure can wait. We'llpostpone the trip until you get ready to go."
"No you won't!" declared Tyke energetically. "You'll do nothing of thekind! You'll go right ahead and look for it, an' I'll lie here an'root for you."
He was getting excited, and at this juncture the nurse interposed andDrew had to go, after promising to come again the first thing in themorning.
He sent a message on leaving the hospital to Captain Hamilton, and thenext morning they went in company to visit the patient.
They were delighted to learn that he was doing well. There were nocomplications, and it was only a matter of time before the injured legwould be as well as ever.
The captain had been grieved to hear of his old friend's mishap. Heexpressed his entire willingness to postpone the trip till some time inthe future when Tyke could go along. But the latter had been thinkingthe matter over and was even more determined than he had been the nightbefore that his injury should not prevent the expedition going forwardas planned.
"One man more or less don't make any difference," he declared. "Ofcourse, I'd set my heart on going with you, an' I ain't denying it's asore disappointment to have to lie here like some old derelict. But itwould worry me a good deal more to know that I was knocking the wholeplan to flinders. Our agreement still stands, except that I'll have tobe a silent partner instead of an active one. Allen can represent me,as well as himself, when you git to the island. But I can do my partin outfitting the expedition as well as though I was on my feet. Myleg is out of commission, but my arm isn't, an' I can still signchecks," and he chuckled. "You fellers go right ahead now and gitbusy."
There was no swerving him from his determination, and, althoughreluctantly, they were forced to acquiesce. The captain went aheadwith his preparations, and Drew redoubled his activities, as now he hadto do two men's work. But his superb vitality laughed at work and hebecame so engrossed in it that he forgot everything else.
Except Ruth Adams!
Consciously or sub-consciously, her gracious memory was with him always.
In the first rush of exultation that he felt when he found himselfadmitted as an equal partner in the possible gains of the expedition,he had overlooked the fact that it meant an absence, more or lessprolonged, from the city where he supposed Ruth Adams to be. How manythings might happen in the interval! Suppose in his absence somefortunate man should woo and win her? A girl so attractive could notfail to have suitors. He felt that the golden fruit he might get onthe expedition would turn to ashes if he could not lay it at her feet.
So, tossed about by a sea of alternate hopes and fears, the days wentby until but forty-eight hours remained before the time agreed upon forsailing.
On Tuesday, Allen had occasion to confer with Captain Hamilton. Up tonow, their meetings, when it had been necessary to see each other onbusiness connected with the trip, had been in the South Street office.And, what with the multiplied demands on his time and his daily callson Tyke at the hospital, Drew had not yet visited the _BerthaHamilton_. He had planned to do so more than once, but had found itout of the question. He told himself that he would have ample time toget acquainted with the schooner from stem to stern when they had leftNew York behind them and were heading for the island in the Caribbean.
But to-day the conference was to be aboard the _Bertha Hamilton_. Drewwas forced to confess, on reaching the pier at which the schooner wasmoored and on catching his first glimpse of her, that the captain wasjustified in his enthusiasm. She was indeed a beauty. With her long,graceful, gently curving lines, she seemed more like a yacht than amerchant vessel. She was schooner rigged, and, although of course thesails were furled, the height of her masts indicated greatsail-carrying capacity. Everything about her suggested grace andspeed, and Drew did not doubt that she could show her heels to almostany sailing craft in the port.
As his appreciative eyes swept the vessel throughout its entire lengthfrom stern rail to bowsprit, his admiration grew. He was glad thatsuch a craft was to carry the hopes and fortunes of the treasurehunters. She seemed to promise success in advance.
He went over the plank and turned to go aft in search of the captain.Then he stopped suddenly. His heart seemed to cease beating for aninstant. He found himself looking into the hazel eyes of the girl ofwhom he had been dreaming day and night since he had first seen herdown on the East River docks!