CHAPTER III
A MYSTERIOUS PASSENGER
Tom's sudden resolve came rather as a shock to his chum, Jack, and thelatter, after his first expression of approval, began to wonder if theplan would prove practical.
"But how are you going to do it, Tom?" he asked. "Have you money enoughto charter a steamer?"
"No, not exactly, though I guess I could raise it if I had to, for,since he got this Australian property, dad will have quite a fortune.But that won't be necessary."
"How else are you going to rescue them?"
"Well, I don't exactly know," admitted Tom frankly. "I just can't waitquietly around here, doing nothing. I'm going to start for Australia,anyhow, and maybe some plan will come to me on the way."
"But it seems to me," insisted Jack, practically, "that you ought tohave some definite plan."
"Well, I have, part of one," went on Tom. "I'm going to Sydney, unlessI find them drifting around before I get there. I'll pick out somesteamer that will go as near as possible to the latitude and longitudementioned in the dispatch, as being where the wreckage was picked up.Maybe I can induce the captain to cruise around there for a while, evenif I have to pay for lost time.
"Anyhow, if I don't locate them before, I'll go on to Sydney, and thereI'll hire some sort of a vessel, and set out in search of my folks."
"That sounds reasonable," admitted Jack. "I only wish I could go withyou. But I'm afraid my folks wouldn't let me."
"I wish you could go, too," spoke Tom. "But I guess it's out of thequestion. Besides, you've got your school career to think of. Leavingnow, just before the spring term, might put you back, and you'd be aFreshman for two years."
"I shouldn't mind that. Still, I won't think of going. But if I can doanything for you, don't hesitate to let me know."
"I won't," promised Tom, and then, when a telegram had been sent toMr. Fitch, telling him of Tom's resolution, the two boys returned toschool. But it was not to resume study, for there was much to be done.
Tom at once told his plans to Doctor Meredith, and the head masteragreed that Tom could scarcely do otherwise than go. He madearrangements to excuse him from his classes, and Jack began to helphis chum to pack.
Word soon got around the Hall of Tom's trouble and the fact that he wasto leave at once was talked of on all sides. His room became a Meccafor fond friends, from every class in Elmwood Hall.
"By Jove, Tommy!" exclaimed Reddy Burke, one of the best athletesin the school. "It's a crying shame to have you leave now, and thebaseball season soon to start."
"Well, I've just got to go," insisted our hero.
"Oh, sure. Well, we'll have a little celebration in your honor beforeyou leave. Sure any lad that could get up a strike against Mr. Skeeldeserves to have a gold medal. And I say, Tommy," went on Reddy, "bringme back a pet snake, or a rabbit or something from Australia; will you?"
"I'll try," promised Tom, and he laughed a little--the first time sincehe had received the bad news, for Reddy was a jolly soul.
Tom found it impossible to leave that day, and that night, in spite ofrules and regulations to the contrary, there was a spread in the roomof Tom and Jack, and in the apartment of Bert Wilson, a communicatingdoor being opened for the occasion.
Though the sadness of Tom's leaving was felt there could not beall gloom and sadness where so many congenial spirits were gatheredtogether. Tom was toasted again and again, and the best of wishes wereexpressed in his behalf. He made a brief address, and said he hopedhe'd meet them all again soon.
"For He's a Jolly Good Fellow!" some one started, and it was loudlysung. And the odd part of it was that no one came to break up thelittle gathering.
True a monitor did hear the unusual and forbidden noise in the rooms,but, being both wise and sympathetic, he said nothing, and no reportreached the proctor. Demosthenes Miller, the studious janitor, was aguest at the farewell supper, and made a speech in what he said wasLatin, but--well, he is such a good chap, and was such a friend to thestudents, that I'm not going to say anything unpleasant about him.
And so, after all, in spite of Tom's sad heart, he could not helpfeeling a little better as he was a witness to the love of hisclassmates.
"Well, it's good-bye, old man!" exclaimed Jack a bit solemnly the nextmorning, as the time for parting came. Several others, deeming theirfarewell of the night before not enough, also came in to shake hands.
"I'll see you again--some time," faltered Tom.
He went to bid good-bye to Doctor Meredith, and his own particularprofessors, and then hurried on to the station, with Jack Fitch as hisonly companion.
They parted with a handshake, and with moist eyes, and lumps in theirthroats.
"Good--good luck!" stammered Jack.
"Thanks," murmured Tom, and then his train pulled out, and Tom hadstarted on his long journey.
A week later found him in San Francisco, the trip across the continenthaving been without special incident. He had stopped in New York, tosee Jack's father, and Mr. Fitch had given him some good advice, andletters to his agent in Sydney.
"And now to hunt for a ship that will take me where I want to go,"mused Tom, as he left his baggage at a hotel and started for thewaterfront.
Tom was well supplied with money, and had drafts and letters of creditfor a larger amount. His father had left funds in his name in theirlocal bank on leaving for Australia, and also instructions with hisbusiness partner to supply Tom with as much cash as was necessary incase of emergency.
The news of the possible loss of the _Kangaroo_ was held by Mr.Fairfield's partner to be an emergency, and Tom had drawn on thereserve account.
Following the advice of Mr. Fitch, Tom sought out a certain SanFrancisco steamship agency and told of his needs.
"Hum," mused the manager when Tom had given the longitude and latitudewhere the wreckage had been sighted. "That's in the vicinity of theEastern Group of the Friendly Islands, as near as I can make out," andhe consulted a chart. "We don't have many vessels hitting just at thatparticular spot in the ocean. Still--hum--let me see."
He looked over a sailing list, made some notes, looked again at thechart and announced:
"Well, I guess the _Silver Star_ would about hit what you want. She'snot a very large steamer, but she's comparatively new, and a good safeboat. Captain's nice man, too. She doesn't carry many passengers, buther berths are not all filled, and I guess they can make room for you.If you want to stand the expense I can arrange to have the captaincruise about in the vicinity of those islands for a day or so."
"I'll stand the expense!" cried Tom eagerly. "We may sight something!"
"All right. Then I'll draw up the papers. The _Silver Star_ sails insix days from now."
Those six days Tom spent in San Francisco, seeing the sights of theplace, and fretting and worrying that time did not pass faster.
Tom made the acquaintance of Captain Amos Steerit, the master of the_Silver Star_, and at once took a liking to him. Our hero went on boardseveral times, when the steamer was loading at her wharf, and madefriends with some of the crew.
At last sailing day came, and the bustle and confusion that had beengoing on for some time seemed redoubled. But there was a certain orderabout the proceedings, and at last everything had been done.
"I wonder if that fellow is ever coming?" murmured the captain, as hestood on the bridge, waiting to give the word to cast off.
"Who?" asked Tom, as he stood beside the skipper, for being a sort ofprivileged character, our hero was allowed certain liberties.
"Oh, a passenger who is going to Honolulu, and who engaged a berth bywire. He said he couldn't come on board until the last minute, but it'spast that now. Ah, maybe this is he coming now."
Down the wharf came a rather stout man, followed by a stevedorecarrying a steamer trunk. There was a certain familiar air about theapproaching figure, and Tom found himself wondering where he had seenthe man before. The glimpse of the face he had, however, was notenlightening, and our hero soon t
urned his attention elsewhere, forthe getting of the ship under way was somewhat of a novelty to him.
"Well, you finally got here, I see," half growled the captain from thebridge, as the belated passenger came on board.
"Yes, I--that is I--well, I came as soon as I could," said the man,pantingly.
Tom wheeled at the sound of the voice, but he had no chance for a closeinspection of the man's face. For, no sooner had our hero shown hiscuriosity, than the passenger turned, and fairly ran toward the berthdeck, at the same time calling:
"See you later, captain! I have forgotten something."
"Well, it's too late now, if it's got anything to do with goingashore!" cried the commander. "Haul in that gang plank there!" and heswung the engine room telegraph lever over to half speed ahead. The_Silver Star_ began slowly to leave her dock, while Tom found himselfwondering who the mysterious passenger could be.
"But it doesn't concern me," he mused. "I've got enough other troubles."
If Tom had only known, though, the belated passenger did concern him,and vitally, too.