CHAPTER XII
NEALE WONDERS
Dot's startled cries roused all on board the _Bluebird_. Neale and Mr.Howbridge dropped the cot they were setting in place under the awning,and rushed to the railing of the deck. Inside the boat Ruth, Agnes andMrs. MacCall hurried to windows where they could look out toward thestern where the fishing party had seated themselves.
"Man overboard!" sang out Neale, hardly thinking what he was doing.
But, to the surprise of all the startled ones, they saw at the stern ofthe boat, Hank, Dot and Tess, and from Hank's line was dangling awiggling fish.
But Dot was pointing to something in the water.
"Why!" exclaimed Ruth, "no one has fallen in. What can the child mean?"
"She said--" began Agnes, but she was interrupted by Dot who exclaimed:
"It's my Alice-doll! She fell in when I got up to look at Hank's fish!Oh, somebody please get my Alice-doll!"
"I will in jest a minute now, little lady!" cried the mule driver. "It'sbad luck to let your first fish git away. Jest a minute now, and I'llsave your Alice-doll!"
Neale and Mr. Howbridge hurried down to the lower deck from the top onein time to see Hank take his fish from the hook and toss it into a pailof water the mule driver had placed near by for just this purpose. Thenas Hank took off his coat and seemed about to plunge overboard into thecanal, to rescue the doll, Ruth said:
"Don't let him, Mr. Howbridge. Dot's doll isn't worth having him riskhis life for."
"Risking my life, Miss Kenway! It wouldn't be that," said Hank, with alaugh. "I can swim, and I'd just like a bath."
"Here's a boat hook," said Neale, offering one, and while Dot and Tessclung to one another Hank managed to fish up the "Alice-doll," Dot'sspecial prize, which was, fortunately, floating alongside the houseboat.
While Dot and Tess clung to one another, Hankmanaged to fish up the "Alice-doll."]
"There you are, little lady!" exclaimed the driver, and he began tosqueeze some of the water from Alice.
"Oh, please don't!" begged Dot.
"Don't what?" asked Hank.
"Please don't choke her that way. All her sawdust might come out. It didonce. I'll just hang her up to dry. Poor Alice-doll!" murmured thelittle girl, as she clasped her toy in her arms.
"Were you almost drowned?" and she cuddled her doll still closer in herarms.
"Don't hold her so close to you, Dot," cautioned Ruth. "She'll get yousoaking wet."
"I don't care!" muttered Dot. "I've got to put dry clothes on her so shewon't catch cold."
"And that's just what I don't want to have to do for you--change yourclothes again to-day," went on Ruth. "You can love your doll even if youdon't hold her so close."
"Well, anyhow I'm glad she didn't drown," said Dot.
"So'm I," remarked Tess. "I'll go and help you change her. I'm glad wedidn't bring Almira and her kittens along, for they look so terriblewhen they're wet--cats do."
"And I'm glad we didn't have Sammy and Billy Bumps here to fall in!"laughed Agnes. "Goats are even worse in the water than cats."
"Well, aren't you going to help me fish any more?" asked Hank, as thetwo little girls walked away, deserting their poles and lines.
"I have to take care of my Alice-doll," declared Dot.
"And I have to help her," said Tess.
"I'll take a hand at fishing, if you don't mind," said Neale.
"And I wouldn't mind trying myself," added the lawyer. And when Hank'ssleeping quarters had been arranged the three men, though perhaps Nealecould hardly be called that, sat together at the stern of the boat,their lines in the water.
"Mr. Howbridge is almost like a boy himself on this trip, isn't he?"said Agnes to Ruth as the two sisters helped Mrs. MacCall make up theberths for the night.
"Yes, he is, and I'm glad of it. I wouldn't know what to do if somegrave, tiresome old man had charge of our affairs."
"Well now, who is going to have first luck?" questioned Mr. Howbridge,jokingly, as the three sat down to try their hands at fishing.
"I guess the luck will go to the first one who gets a catch," returnedNeale.
"Luck goes to the one who gits the biggest fish," put in the muledriver.
After that there was silence for a few minutes. Then the lawyer gave acry of satisfaction.
"Got a bite?" questioned Hank.
"I have and he's a beauty," was the reply, and Mr. Howbridge drew up afair-sized fish.
A minute later Neale found something on his hook. It was so large he hadto play his catch.
"You win!" cried the lawyer, when the fish was brought on board. And hewas right, for it was the largest catch made by any of them.
The fishing party had good luck, and a large enough supply was caughtfor a meal the next day. Hank cleaned them and put them in the ice box,for a refrigerator was among the fittings on the _Bluebird_.
Then, as night came on, Dot and Tess were put to bed, Dot insisting onhaving her "Alice-doll" placed near her bunk to dry. Hank retired to hissecluded cot on the upper deck, the mules had been tethered in asheltered grove of trees just off the towpath, and everything was madesnug for the night.
"How do you like the trip so far?" asked Mr. Howbridge of Ruth andAgnes, as he sat in the main cabin, talking with them and Neale.
"It's just perfect!" exclaimed Agnes. "And I know we're going to like itmore and more each day."
"Yes, it is a most novel way of spending the summer vacation," agreedRuth, but there was little animation in her voice.
"Are you still mourning the loss of your jewelry?" asked the lawyer,noting her rather serious face.
Ruth nodded. "Mother's wedding ring was in that box," she said softly.
"You must not let it spoil your trip," her guardian continued. "I thinkthere is a good chance of getting it back."
"Do you mean you think the police will catch those rough men who robbedus?" asked Ruth.
"Yes," answered the lawyer. "I told them they must spare no effort tolocate the ruffians, and they have sent an alarm to all the neighboringtowns and cities. Men of that type will not find it easy to dispose ofthe rings and pins, and they may have to carry them around with them forsome time. I really believe you will get back your things."
"Oh, I hope so!" exclaimed Ruth. "It has been an awful shock."
"I would rather they had taken a much larger amount of jewelry than haveharmed either you or Agnes," went on the guardian. "They were ruffiansof the worst type, and would not have stopped at injuring a person toget what they wanted. But don't worry, we shall hear good news from thepolice, I am sure."
"I believe that, too," put in Neale. "I wish I was as sure of hearinggood news of my father."
"That is going to be a little harder problem," said Mr. Howbridge."However, we are doing all we can. I am hoping your Uncle Bill will havehad definite news of your father and of where he has settled since hecame back from the Klondike. Your father would be most likely tocommunicate with your uncle first."
"I suppose so," agreed Neale. "But when shall we see Uncle Bill?"
"As I told you," went on the lawyer, "his circus will soon show at atown near which we shall pass in the boat. The younger children willprobably want to go to the circus, and that will give me a good excusefor attending myself," the lawyer went on with a laugh, in which Ruthjoined.
The night passed quietly, though about twelve o'clock another boat camealong and had to pass the _Bluebird_. As there is but one towpath alonga canal, it is necessary when two boats meet, or when one passes theother, for the tow-line of one to go under or over the tow-line of thesecond boat.
As the _Bluebird_ was tied to the shore it was needful, in this case,for the tow-line of the passing boat to be lifted up over it, and whenthis was being done it awakened Ruth and Agnes. At first the girls werestartled, but they settled back when the nature of the disturbance wasknown.
Dot half awakened and murmured something about some one trying to takeher "Alice-doll," but Ruth soon quieted her.
Neale was awake early the next morning, and went on the upper deck for abreath of air before breakfast. He saw Hank emerge from thecurtained-off place that had been arranged for the sleeping quarters ofthe mule driver.
"Well, do we start soon?" asked Hank, yawning and stretching.
"I think so," Neale answered, and then he saw Hank make a sudden dartfor something that had evidently slipped from a hole in his pocket. Itwas something that rolled across the deck, something round, and shininglike gold.
The mule driver made a dive for the object and caught it before it couldroll off the deck, and Neale had a chance to see that it was a goldring.
Without a word Hank picked it up and put it back in his pocket. Then,without a glance at the boy, he turned aside, and, making his way to thetowpath, he began carrying the mules their morning feed.
Neale stood staring after him, and at the memory of the ring he becamepossessed of strange thoughts and wonderings.