CHAPTER VI
FACING THE YELLOW BARRIER
"Maybe what you likee here?" demanded the little old Chinaman, lookingup with a snarl.
"Looking around," retorted Tom, grimly.
"Allee same--_git_!"
The guide had approached, taking a swift, shifty look in at the bunk.
"That's Doc Gaston, isn't it?" whispered Tom, over his shoulder.
"Don't ye know him?" queried the guide, suspiciously.
"He looks strange, with that glassy look in his eyes."
"That's Doc Gaston, all right. 'Least, that's what he calls himself inChinatown."
"You allee same git--chop-chop," snarled the Chinaman, savagely. He hadput the smoking outfit on the floor once more, and now pushed againstthe motor boat boy with both hands, trying to force him from the room.Tom, however, coolly and gravely picked the short Chinaman up off hisfeet, wheeled and put him down again on the floor of the bunkroombeyond.
"Now, shove off!" ordered Halstead, half gruffly. "Don't bother meagain."
After flashing an ugly look at the motor boat boy, the Chinaman fled inthe direction of the store.
"Now, whatcher going to do?" demanded the guide, nervously.
"If I can't get young Gaston to walking on his own feet, then I'm goingto pick him up in my arms and carry him out to the carriage," answeredTom Halstead, firmly.
"Smoking joss-house!" gasped the guide. "D'ye know what'll happen?There'll be a house-full of them chinks down on us! Hatchet men--gunmen--say, young feller, dontcher know that these here hop-joints areprotected by the highbinders?"
Tom Halstead had heard of the Chinese highbinders in New York. He knewof them as a desperate crowd of yellow-skinned thugs. The guide's ownterror was too real to be feigned.
"If you're afraid of this kind of a job, what did you come here for?"asked the young skipper, quickly, gruffly.
"Why, I thought ye was goin' to try to _coax_ the young Doc out. But,say--taking him out by force--lemme get outer this on the jump!"
"No, you don't," roared Tom Halstead, with swift and quite unlooked-forenergy. "Stand by, now!"
He gripped the guide by the arm, fairly forcing him over to the bunk inwhich the young opium smoker lay. Giddings, if it was really he, layopen-eyed, yet unheeding.
"Come, get up!" ordered the boy, reaching with both hands under theopium smoker's shoulders and raising him. "Out on your feet!"
A drowsy, unintelligible protest came from the stranger. But Tom fairlylifted him out onto his feet, then threw a strong, supporting arm abouthim.
"Now, walk! Come along!" ordered Halstead, briskly, taking hold of theyoung man with his other hand.
"Sufferin' joss-sticks!" wailed the guide. "Here come thechinks--number-one man and all!"
The door of the bunkroom burst open. Through the doorway rapidlyadvanced the gorgeously-dressed Chinaman whom Tom had supposed to be theproprietor of the store beyond. Back of him came four plainly-attiredChinamen with as hard-looking, evil faces as could be found in allChinatown's quagmire of vice.
"This ain't my doings, Ling!" wailed the guide, quailing before thestern glances of the yellow leader--the "number-one man." "I told thisyoung fellow he'd have to quit. Let us out."
"Yes; let us out!" repeated Tom Halstead, staring undauntedly into theeyes of Ling.
"Put him down," ordered Ling, nodding scowlingly at the stranger whomHalstead supported. "Then, maybe, we see what we do with you."
The air was full of danger of the most awesome kind. Though not a weaponshowed, as yet, each of the four Chinese behind the proprietor stoodwith his hands thrust up into his sleeves. A Chinaman always carries hisweapons up his sleeves, whence he can bring them down, into action, withincredible rapidity.
"Now, don't think you've got me frightened," uttered Tom Halstead,sturdily, gazing undauntedly at the Chinese. "There isn't any scare inme when I'm dealing with people like you. If you make one single falsemove you'll be the ones who'll be sorry for it. Ling, I'm going to takethis young man out of here. His friends know where he is, and they'vesent me here to get him. I'm going to take him out of here, chop-chop.If I'm not out of here in another minute or so, then this young man'sfriends will bring down police enough on you to clean the place out."
Ling laughed contemptuously.
"Oh, you may think you have money enough, and 'pull' enough, to keep thepolice from troubling you," jeered young Halstead. "But, if this youngman's friends get after you, it'll make a noise that the police can'tshut their ears to."
Two of the men behind Ling stood blocking the doorway. The other two, bynow, were edging around to get on either side of the unflinching boy.
"You yellow scoundrels, get back, and stay back!" commanded Tom, glaringat them sternly.
There comes into notice, now and then, a man who has enough of themagnetic quality of bravery to hold a mob back. Tom Halstead waspossessed of the grit needed for such an undertaking.
"Get out of the way, Ling--you and your heathen hatchet men," commandedthe young skipper, resolutely. "I'm going past you. If I find any fellowin my way I'll knock him down. If you fight back, it'll be the finishof you and of this place. _Gangway, you yellow idiots!_"
"Gangway, You Yellow Idiots."]
Still supporting, half dragging, the dazed young banker, Tom Halsteadgrittily pressed his way to the doorway and through it. One of Ling'shenchmen attempted to stand immovable, but Halstead, with a quick blowof his open hand, sent the fellow stumbling backward.
"If you're thinking of creeping up behind me, don't try it," advisedHalstead, as coolly as ever, as he started across the outer room.
He gained the closed door connecting with the outer store. Pausing here,a moment, he beheld two of Ling's yellow-visaged fellows creeping towardhim.
"Back for yours--that'll keep you out of trouble," barked the youngskipper, coolly, without raising a hand to defend himself. Then he threwthe door open, calling backward over his shoulder:
"Don't you dare let this young man in here again, Ling. If you do, it'llwind you up."
With that the motor boat boy contrived to pilot his charge swiftlythrough the store. He was not safe until he had passed the last of theseyellow men, and the young skipper knew it. Yet, at last, he had thestranger out on the sidewalk, one hand up to signal the driver of thecab.
The guide, keeping close to the motor boat boy, had managed to get outwith him. But the little fellow was shaking as though seized with theague.
"Get into the cab, and help me take the young man in," ordered Tom, andthe guide was glad, indeed, to dive inside the carriage. In anothermoment they were driving away.
"Say, but you've got the nerve!" chattered the guide, his teeth knockingtogether.
"Maybe you'd have some nerve if you'd learn to leave hop alone,"rejoined Halstead. "Hop" is the Chinatown name for opium.
Halstead sat on the rear seat, supporting the young banker beside him.In a little while the cab again halted in front of Yum Kee's restaurant.
"Here," said Halstead, producing a ten-dollar bill. "Take this. Skip assoon as you like."
"You oughter gimme more," whined the guide.
"I've given you all I agreed. No use trying to get any more."
The guide, thereupon, sprang out, vanishing within a few seconds. Goingto the doorway of the restaurant, yet standing where he could keep aclose watch on the cab, Tom uttered a long, low whistle. Messrs. Baldwinand Ross saw him instantly, and came hastening out. By the time theyreached the cab the young skipper was inside again.
"Is this your young man?" asked Halstead, almost in a whisper.
"Yes," nodded Baldwin, a jubilant gleam showing in his eyes.
"Better jump in, then, sir, so we can get away quickly."
Gaston Giddings now leaned against Tom's shoulder, sleeping the sleep ofdrugged stupefaction.
"How on earth did you find him so soon?" questioned Joseph Baldwin,leaning forward when the cab had gone beyond the confines of Chinatown.Tom told the whole s
tory, simply and modestly.
"Young man," uttered Jason Ross, solemnly, "I don't believe you have anyidea, yet, of how huge a risk you ran yourself into. The Chinesecriminal is desperate at all times, but ten-fold more so when he's onhis own ground, surrounded only by his own crowd."
"Well, I got out, didn't I?" smiled the young skipper, coolly.
"Yes; but I marvel at it."
"I understand more and more why Delavan recommended these youngsters tome," breathed Joseph Baldwin, gleefully. "'Ready for anything,' he toldme, was the motto of the Motor Boat Club boys."
When the cab rolled out onto the dock Jeff Randolph was found pacingback and forth on the landing stage. No other member of the crew was insight, and Jeff stated that none of the others of Mr. Baldwin's party ofguests had yet returned.
Gaston Giddings, still unaware of his surroundings, was helped aboardthe tender. A swift trip was made to the "Panther," and the unfortunateyoung man was immediately carried below to be put to bed in one of thestateroom berths.
Half an hour later Mr. Baldwin's other guests returned from dinner.Jeff, who had gone back to meet them, brought them on board, next goingback to await the arrival of Third Officer Costigan and the crew. Dr.Gray hastened below, to attend to Giddings, and to keep him quiet, also,after the crew should come on board.
As for Captain Tom, after receiving Ab Perkins's report that all waswell aboard, he went to his own cabin, calling Joe Dawson, through thespeaking tube, to join him. Here Joseph Baldwin found both youngsters.
"Captain Halstead, how much did you spend on my account, to-night?"asked the owner.
"Altogether, sir, twelve dollars on the guide."
"Never mind about any change, then," rejoined Mr. Baldwin, passing overa bank note.
"I think I can make change for that, sir," retorted Skipper Tom, hiscolor rising. "I'm not out after 'tips,' you know, sir," he added, witha smile.
Producing a roll of money from an inner pocket, Halstead counted outeighty-eight dollars, which he handed to the owner.
"You may refuse, now, but I shall be even with you later," remarkedJoseph Baldwin. "And now, Captain, as soon as you can, after the crewcomes aboard, I want you to put out to sea. I'll give you more explicitorders as soon as we're seven or eight miles west of the coast."
"Very good, sir," replied Captain Tom, saluting as the owner turned toleave the captain's cabin.
"You've been running into a bit more excitement, have you?" queried Joe,smiling.
"A bit," laughed Halstead. Dawson asked no further questions.
At a few minutes after midnight Mr. Costigan returned with his shoreparty.
"It's your watch below, Mr. Costigan, until eight o'clock in themorning," First Officer Ab Perkins informed the third officer. "Whenyou are called to turn out we'll be at sea."
"Very good, sir," replied Costigan, and went below to seek his berth.Neither the third officer nor any of the crew had any suspicion thatanything unusual had happened this evening.
"Where's Mr. Costigan?" inquired Captain Halstead, coming forward.
"Gone below to sleep, sir," Ab replied.
"Then I'm afraid you'll have to rout him out. He'll have to stay on deckuntil he has piloted us through the Golden Gate. I want to be under waywithin five minutes."
Somewhat chagrined, Ab Perkins sent one of the crew below for the thirdofficer. Costigan was speedily in evidence.
Now, one of the motors began to chug briskly below, and the two bowanchors came speedily up, being stowed by the watch. Joe was in theengine room with Jed Prentiss, while Captain Tom Halstead, feelingprouder and happier than ever in his life before, climbed to the bridgeup behind the pilot house. After him went Dick Davis, whose watch it wasto stand. Mr. Costigan, after seeing the anchors stowed, started for thebridge also.
"Give the engine room slow speed ahead, Mr. Davis," directed Tom.
Dick gave the bell-pull at the bridge rail the required jerk. The"Panther" began to move gracefully ahead, while Mr. Costigan, with thepilot-house speaking tube in his hand, called down the helmsman'sorders.
"Dick, this is the real thing!" whispered Tom Halstead, jubilantly, inhis comrade's ear while Costigan was busy at the speaking tube.
"It's as fine as bossing a liner," rejoined Dick Davis,enthusiastically.
"Better!" declared Halstead.
Dick presently signaled the engineer for more speed. The "Panther"ploughed through the waters of the bay, toward the Golden Gate.
As Tom Halstead peered through the night ahead he felt another ecstaticthrill. It was all so fine, so glorious! No doubt it was better for him,at this moment, that he could not foresee all that lay ahead of him.