CHAPTER IX
ROUNDING UP THE STRAGGLERS
"Halt!"
The men came to a quick stop in front of a resort where Dan thought hemight possibly find some of the absent sailors.
Instead of ordering his men to go in, he entered alone.
"Have you any American sailors here?" he asked.
The proprietor shook his head. He did not understand the words, perhaps,but he had seen the detail of armed sailors halt before his place, andwell knew the meaning.
"You are sure you have none of our men here?"
"Non." (No.)
"Who went into that room there?" pointing to a door that had closed witha bang as Dan pushed open the front door.
The proprietor shrugged his shoulders and turned away.
The boy's mind was made up at once. A few quick strides brought him tothe door in question. He threw it open and sprang in.
A pair of legs, clad in the blue of the Navy, were protruding frombeneath a table. Dan grabbed the legs, giving them a mighty tug. Theresult was that a sailor was jerked out into the middle of the room.
"So you thought you would get away from me, did you, Anthony? Stand up."
Anthony did stand up. He sprang to his feet, launching a terrific blowat Seaman Davis. Dan merely parried the blow, making no attempt toreturn it.
"Anthony," he said, stepping back. "I have a patrol outside. Do you wantme to call them in?"
"I'll lick you first," growled the man.
"Stop where you are! You are not wholly responsible for what you aredoing or saying, but you know what will happen to you if you resist. Icame in here to get you, and I'm going to take you out with me."
Dan whirled at that instant. He had caught an expression in the eyes ofhis man that told him something was going on behind him. The boy duckedlike a flash, thus avoiding a vicious blow that had been aimed at him bythe proprietor of the place.
"Don't you do that again!" warned Dan sternly. "You are facing theUnited States Government now, remember. Stand aside!"
With this he grabbed Anthony by the arm. The sailor struggled to releasehimself, but Davis' grip was too strong to enable him to break awayeasily. Anthony swung his free hand. That was just what Dan wanted.
With a quick twist he brought both the sailor's arms behind the latter'sback, giving the fellow a violent push.
There was nothing for Anthony to do but to go ahead. He did so with arush, Dan running behind him and pushing with all his might. They struckthe swinging doors with a bang. The doors flew out, the Battleship Boyand his prisoner landing with a bump against the astonished jackies ofthe patrol, who were waiting outside.
"Two of you men take this fellow down to the steamer and tell thoseaboard that he is under arrest. Tell the coxswain I shall hold himpersonally responsible for the man's safe keeping. Hurry back. You willfind us up the street somewhere. Anthony, you had better go peaceablyunless you want to spend the next three months in the brig."
The two men detailed for the purpose led the ugly sailor away.
"Twos right, forward march!" commanded Dan.
The little company trudged up the street, many persons pausing to lookat the slim, well-set-up fellow who was plainly in command of the fourremaining men of the squad.
The part of the town in which they now found themselves was the locationof most of the sailor boarding houses in Boulogne. Somehow, Dan had anidea that some of their men would be found there. He kept his eyes open,slowing his men down.
"Halt!" he commanded.
Dan had espied a sailor from one of the trans-atlantic ships on theother side of the street. He crossed over to the man.
"Good morning, shipmate," greeted Davis. "I'm looking for some of ourdelinquents. Have you seen any of our men in this quarter within thelast hour or two?"
"You from the 'Long Island'?"
"Yes. Have you seen any of our fellows?"
"I guess I have. One of them gave me this black eye 'bout half an hourago. I'd have trimmed him proper if he hadn't had a gang back of him."
"Where was that?"
"Down the street a piece."
"Where is the man now?"
"See that two-story building down there?"
"Yes."
"Well, that's a sort of hotel; that's what they call it; but I reckonit's a joint where they shanghai fellows for the long cruises. Iwouldn't go in there for the price of a round-trip voyage."
"Thank you. I'll soon find out."
"You ain't going in there, are you, shipmate?"
"Sure. Why not?"
"Why, they'll knock your block off, the first thing if you try to get aman out of there."
"Don't be too sure about that," answered Dan, with a smile. "I guessthey had better not try it."
"Take my advice and take your men in with you. I see they have theirguns, and you'd better see to it that the guns are loaded, while you areabout it."
"Thank you very much. I will look out for myself."
By the time the young commander rejoined his squad the two men who hadtaken their prisoner down to the ship's steamer had returned. Dan nowhad six men that he could use.
"Forward march!" he commanded.
They continued on until they reached the place that the merchant sailorhad indicated.
"Men, I want you to wait here. Do not enter unless I give three short,sharp whistles, then come quickly. But do not lose yourselves. Under noconsideration use your guns. It is not necessary. We have our fists ifit comes to a fight."
"Hadn't you better take a couple of us with you?" questioned one of themen.
"No, it is not necessary. An armed force might stir up trouble."
Dan entered the place, and he saw at once that the sailor had notoverdrawn the character of the house. It was about the worst he ever hadseen. The place was thronged with tough characters, few of whom weresailors; or, at least, they did not appear to be.
"I don't believe a man of them has ever smelled salt water unless he'sbeen out on the breakwater," thought Dan.
Glancing about, he failed to see any of the men for whom he was looking.He strolled about, attracting as little attention as possible, thoughseveral of the men regarded him suspiciously.
The front room was a sort of office and lounging room. A small desk, onone side, was walled off by a rusty iron screen. Around by the lower endof the desk was a door opening into a rear room.
Dan decided to investigate. He made his way as quietly as possible tothe end of the desk, pushed the door slightly ajar, peered in andsneezed.
The odor of bad tobacco was almost over-powering. The boy blinked andsneezed again.
"Shut that door, you lubber!" roared a voice from the rear room.
Davis shut it, but when the door closed he was on the inside, with hisback against the door.
It was with difficulty that he made out the faces of the men congregatedthere. Not one of them paid the least attention to him.
"Ah, there's one of my men now," muttered the boy.
The man indicated was an ordinary seaman, who had been aboard but ashort time. His name was Kuhn. He was in deep conversation with a manbetter dressed than most of the others. The older man appeared to beseeking to convince the sailor of something that he was telling him.
Dan edged over near them and listened. Perhaps he suspected what wasgoing on, for Dan Davis was a shrewd lad, and he was learning manythings about the life of the sailor and the snares that are set for him.
A moment's listening convinced him that he was right. The well-dressedstranger was trying to induce Kuhn to desert and join a ship bound forChina. A large increase in wages was promised, good grub and a realberth to sleep in.
"But they'll come and get me and lock me up," protested Kuhn. "I'll be adeserter."
"Nothing of the sort, my lad. How are they going to get you when you arein China? Why, you'll never be heard from again. I'll tell you what theskipper of the schooner is willing to do for a likely lad like you."
"What?"
> "Sh-h-h, don't say anything about it, but he's promised to make youfirst mate."
"He has?"
"Sure thing."
The sailor's eyes glowed with anticipation.
"All right; if you will get me out of this uniform, so I shall not berecognized, I'll----"
"You'll come with me," finished a voice behind Kuhn, as a hand was laidlightly on his shoulder.
The sailor leaped to his feet, his face flushing. An angry light flashedto his eyes as he recognized the features of Gunner's Mate Davisconfronting him.
Dan had heard enough. He understood. He did not blame the young,inexperienced sailor so much, but he felt rising within him a righteousindignation toward the Englishman who was seeking to induce the youngfellow to desert the Flag under which he was serving.
"Come, Kuhn; it is time you were getting back to the ship," said Dan ina quiet tone.
"I--I am not going."
"Not going?"
"No. I----"
"Never mind, Mr. Sailorman. The boy and me is friends. You just let himalone. I'll see that he gets back to the ship afore you get thereyourself."
Dan turned upon the Englishman.
"Who are you?"
"I just told you. I'm a friend of the shipmate here."
"A nice sort of friend you are," replied Dan witheringly. "Are youcoming with me, Kuhn? You know what it means to refuse to return to shipas you have just done. The ship is preparing to sail. If I have to useforce it will be the worse for you. I know what this man is trying to dowith you. He is a bad man, Kuhn. He is trying to induce you todesert----"
"You go away and let me alone----"
"See here, young fellow," commanded the Englishman savagely, "if youknow what is good for you, you get right out of here, and don't you comeback again. It'll be the worse for you if you do. Understand?"
"Look out that you do not get into trouble yourself. Kuhn, you arecoming with me."
The Battleship Boy laid a firm grip on the arm of his shipmate and beganmoving toward the door by which he had entered the room.
Suddenly Kuhn was jerked violently from his grasp. Dan made a spring,recovering his prisoner.
All at once the Englishman uttered a series of short, sharp exclamationsin French. Like magic, nearly every man in the room was on his feet.They appeared to understand perfectly what was wanted of them, and withone accord made a rush for Seaman Davis.
"Stand back!" roared the young officer, boldly facing the mob. "You willhave to answer to your government if you dare lay hands on me."
They gave no heed to his warning, but threw themselves upon the lad. Danfought manfully, using his fists to good purpose, and many a hardystoker and sailor went down before Little Dynamite's sturdy blows.
Not daring to cease fighting long enough to reach for the boatswain'swhistle with which he had provided himself before leaving ship, heuttered three sharp whistles with his lips, but in the din about him thewhistles failed to carry beyond the room.
The whistles did, however, have the effect of quieting the uproar. Themen interpreting them as some sort of a signal, hesitated, looked ateach other inquiringly, then at the cool, hatless young fellow who wasfacing them, working his way determinedly toward Ordinary Seaman Kuhn.The latter was standing with a half-frightened expression on his face.He had begun to realize the enormity of his proposed act.
"Kuhn, come here!" demanded Dan sternly.
The sailor made a move as if to comply with the order. Ere he had takena step forward, however, the Englishman had fastened upon his arm.
"You're in it now. You can't get out. If you go back to the ship theywill put you in the brig. You just stay here till the ship has sailed,and you'll be all right."
"But where--where? They'll come here and get me."
"We'll see to that."
Again Dan had forced his way to where Kuhn was standing, but before hewas able to lay his hands upon the young fellow a dozen men threwthemselves upon the Battleship Boy.
Davis struggled with all the strength that was in him. His struggleswere fruitless. Men of brawn and muscle had hold of him now. He was as achild in their hands, though, had his hands been free, he would havegiven a good account of himself.
Some one gave a few brief directions in French. The men picked Dan up,bearing him through a door, into a long, dark hallway, down which theycarried him until they reached a door at the end. Opening the door, theythrew the Battleship Boy in bodily, slamming and locking the door.
"I've made a mess of it," groaned the lad, "but I'll beat them yet."