CHAPTER V.
FRIENDLY ADVICE.
THE moon had arisen while they slept and now shining brightlydown clearly revealed the fearsome object stretched on the planksat Charley's feet. It was a man lying flat on his back, his armsoutstretched, and his face upturned to the stars.
"Dead, murdered!" Charley cried, softly.
"Perhaps he is only drunk," suggested his chum in a tense whisper.
But Charley silently pointed to a gaping hole in the man's forehead andthe dark pool on the wharf at his head.
The captain, stooping, felt of the man's wrist, raised his arm and letit drop. "Yes, he is cold, dead, and stiff," he whispered. "Let us getaway from here. We can do him no good."
In a few minutes, the four were huddled in the "Dixie's" cabin,talking over the tragedy with bated breath. They were not strangers tothe sight of death. In the course of the adventurous lives they hadlived, they had often seen the coming of the gristly monster, but thesuddenness of this sight had upset their nerves already overtaxed bythe events of the previous day and the night, and it was long beforethey could compose themselves to sleep.
Just as Walter was dropping off into dreamland, Charley nudged him withhis elbow. "I've got it," he whispered, softly.
"What?" inquired Walter, drowsily.
"A plan to avoid trouble with the fishermen and keep Chris from allharm."
"Let's hear it," demanded his chum, rousing up a little.
"Wait until morning. I haven't thought out all the details yet. Get tosleep if you can. We'll need all the rest we can get for to-morrow isgoing to be a busy day."
It seemed to the weary little party that they had hardly closed theireyes when they were awakened by the sun shining in the cabin windows.
Hastily dressing, they got aboard the skiff and made for the dock.
There was a crowd gathered in front of the shacks and they clambered upon the wharf unobserved.
Beside the fishermen, Mr. Daniels was standing in the group and withhim was a stocky, determined-looking man, wearing a revolver, whom theboys took to be a sheriff.
"Good morning, friends," called Mr. Daniels when he caught sight of thelittle party. "Come here. Perhaps you can tell us something about lastnight's affair. These fellows here seem to know nothing about it."
Briefly, Captain Westfield told the little they knew of the trouble.
"That don't help us much," observed the sheriff, when he had concluded."As long as these fishermen will not talk it is going to be hard tolocate the murderer. The man who was killed was a pretty bad egg,although that does not excuse the murderer. I wish I could find outwhere that whiskey comes from. It is that which causes all the trouble."
It was on Walter's tongue to tell Mr. Daniels of their own troubles buthe remembered the fish boss's declaration that they must fight theirown battles and he checked himself.
The sheriff soon left, taking with him as suspects a couple offishermen who were known to have quarreled with the dead man the daybefore. Before he left, however, he addressed the assembled fishermen.
"Now," he said, firmly, "these affairs among you have got to stop andstop right now. Most of you men are not bad at heart. It's the liquormakes you crazy and ready to follow the lead of the reckless ones. Idon't know where you get the booze but I am going to find out and theguilty ones are going to suffer. I'll give you a chance to come squarewith it. I'll give a reward of five hundred dollars to the man who putsme next to this booze business, and promise him that he will not bepunished unless he is one of the main offenders. You know where I live.I am ready to talk any time to the man who will come to me and help meput an end to the accursed business."
None of the fishermen spoke but it was evident that the mention ofthe large reward was not without some effect. Some faces showed eagercupidity while others betrayed great uneasiness.
"That reward offer is a bomb in their midst," whispered the observantCharley to his chum. "Some of those fellows will squeal to the sheriffunless they are too afraid of what the rest would do to them. I guessthose that look so uneasy are the guilty ones, they have cause to bescared. Five hundred dollars is a big temptation for some one to turnstate's evidence. But come, we have no time to stand around. We havegot lots to do to-day. Chris, will you see if you can rustle us up alittle breakfast?"
"Now for our own troubles," he continued as soon as the little negrowas out of hearing. "We all know now that we can not stay here. Ifthose fellows will kill one of their own comrades, they certainlywould not hesitate to do the same to Chris or one of us if they got agood chance. So we must get away from here at once. As soon as we eatbreakfast, let's get all our things on the 'Dixie' and pull out. I've asort of plan in my head for a new home but first I want to go over tothe Roberts camp and have a little talk with them. There are severalthings I want to find out. Before we go, though, I want to say a fewwords to these fishermen."
The fishermen were still standing as the sheriff had left them, talkingexcitedly together and Charley approached the group. "Men," he said ina clear, manly voice, "please give me your attention for a moment." Asurprised silence fell upon the group, and the lad was quick to takeadvantage of it.
"We only landed in this place yesterday. We came here broke, seekinga chance only to work and earn. Mr. Daniels was kind enough to giveus that chance. We have started in strangers to all of you and withno malice or ill feeling towards any of you. Last night we received anote signed the White Caps stating that we must get rid of our littlecolored cook or suffer serious consequences. Now suppose, men, that youhad a friend who for years had been faithful, loyal and true to you.Suppose that he had again and again risked his life for you. Would youturn him down at some one else's demand, even if his skin was black?Could you do it and retain an atom of your own self respect? No, youcould not. Nor can we. That little darkey has been all of those thingsto us for many years and we can not and will not turn him adrift. You,or some of you, object to his presence on this dock. Very well, we willleave the dock. He will not bother you even with his presence. All weask is that if you come across him elsewhere at any time that you dohim no harm. We appeal to your sense of fair play. We do not believeany American lacks that sense. We ask this not through fear but becauseit is right and just."
A murmur ran through the group of fishermen when the lad concluded andturning around walked back to his friends. He had little hopes that hiswords had done any good but the chance had seemed worth the attempt.
Chris soon called them to breakfast and as soon as it was finished, theboys brought the "Dixie" alongside and stored their belongings in hercabin.
After a few attempts Charley succeeded in starting, the engine andwith the captain at the wheel and their skiffs in tow behind, theyswung away from the dock and headed across the bay for a little islandon which stood the Roberts camp. As they approached the place, theywere delighted with the looks of the little camp. They landed at aneat little wharf, on either side of which were neat, well-built netracks upon which were neatly hung well-mended nets. The skiffs hauledupon the shore were well-painted and in excellent shape. A trim littlepath bordered with sea shells led up up to a neat, cozy, white-paintedcottage nestling in amongst a group of cocoanut palms.
"These Roberts are tidy as sailors," observed Captain Westfield. "Wecan bank on their being pretty near all right. I never saw a clean,tidy man that was a bad man."
As Charley had expected, they found the Roberts at home taking a neededday's rest after their hard work.
They greeted the little party cordially. "Glad to see you," said BillRoberts, heartily. "Hope that you will drop in on us often now that youhave found the way."
"We have come to bother you already," Charley said. "I thought perhapsyou could tell us if there would be any objection to our making a campon one of these islands."
"What, tired of life on the dock already?" grinned Bill.
Charley briefly related their experiences with the fishermen. Billand his brothers, Frank and Robert, were indignant.
"It's some ofthat Hunter gang's doings," Bill declared. "Most of the fishermen arenot such bad fellows but they are afraid to oppose the gang for fearof what might be done to them on the sly. You have done just rightto leave there, now, you won't be mixed up in any of their troubles.Sure you can make camp on any of these islands. They are owned by thestate and no one has got any right to object. You could build a shackright here on our island but I've got a better idea than that. You seethat island right over there opposite the Clearwater dock? That's PalmIsland. There is a pretty fair abandoned house on it which with only alittle fixing up would do you first rate. There's a good spring of coldwater on it too. I'll take a run over there with you and show you wherethe spring is."
The little party gratefully accepted his offer. Just as they wereshoving off from the dock, the younger brother came running down witha rifle in his hands. "Better take this," he offered. "We have got anextra one and it may come handy to you. You can return it later on ifyou find you have no use for it."
Our friends thanked him for his kindness. A weapon was what they hadbeen longing for since their acquaintance with the fishermen. Theyhoped to never have occasion to use one, but its possession gave them asense of security.
They were delighted with the little cabin and spring that Bill showedthem on Palm Island. The island itself was a small one of about tenacres and densely covered with palms. It was long and narrow. One ofits snow-white beaches fronted on the Gulf of Mexico and the other onthe bay. The cabin was in a good state of repair, and the spring gushedup clear and cold from under a clump of rock.
Their new friend soon took his departure giving them one last piece ofadvice before he went.
"Better leave one man in camp all the time," he said. "It needs one todo the cooking and keep nets mended up, and it's best not to take anychances. That Hunter gang may drop in on you any time."
As soon as he was gone, the little party fell to work fixing up theirnew home with which they were one and all delighted.