"There is nothing in the papers to show what happened to your brother,sir?" asked Captain Sparhawk presently.
"Nothing. They are merely formal documents, ship's papers, clearancebills and so forth. There is no memorandum relating to the pearl in anyway."
Captain Sparhawk knitted his brows. For a minute he appeared lost indeep thought.
"Do you mind telling us the name of that firm, sir?" he asked at last.
"There is nothing we can prove against them," said the millionaire."They work without their hands showing in any of their uglytransactions. Their name, however, is F---- & Freres."
"Of Amsterdam?" queried the captain.
"The same. They have practically a monopoly of the pearl trade ofEurope."
"I know that, sir," said the captain, clenching his hands. "They triedto work their tricks on a ship-mate of mine who went a-pearl trading.But, sir, to change the subject, did you ever hear of 'Bully' Broom?"
The millionaire shook his head.
"I have; and have good cause to remember him," said the captain. "Butnone of that at this time. Sir," he continued earnestly, "your brothermay be as safe and sound as we are. He may have the pearl. But ifneither of these things have happened, Bully Broom is the man to lookfor if we have to hunt him all over the Pacific. I've sailed these seasand know that 'Bully' Broom did F---- & Co.'s dirty work for them. Hecalls himself a trader, but, like lots of others doing business underthat name in these waters, 'Pirate' would be a sight better name forhim."
"And you think that this man 'Bully' Broom, as you call him, hassomething to do with this mysterious disappearance of my brother?" askedMr. Jukes, who had listened with deep attention, willing to hear of anyclue, however slight.
"I ain't dead sure," said the captain, "but it's my impression that ifthe firm you spoke of was after this 'Tear of the Sea,' then 'Bully'Broom knows where Jerushah Jukes is," and he brought his lean, gnarledfist down with a thump on the table.
The old ginger came back into Mr. Jukes' eyes, the wonted crispauthority into his voice as he snapped out:
"That being the case, we'll find 'Bully' Broom."
"No matter where we have to go?" asked Captain Sparhawk, raising hiseyebrows.
"We'll scour the whole Pacific if necessary. But nobody of the _SeaGypsy's_ crew need accompany her against his will. All I ask is thatthey remain till we can touch at some civilised port, such as Papeiti orHonolulu and ship a man in his place. Do you boys wish to stick?"
"To the finish," came from Jack, and Raynor, standing beside him, noddedhis assent.
As for Captain Sparhawk, he simply reached out one of his brown handstoward the millionaire, who clasped it, and said:
"I'm with you till the bottom drops out of the ship."
"Thank you, Sparhawk. It's what I expected of you all," said Mr. Jukesquietly, but his voice shook.
Thus, in the desolated cabin of the derelict _Centurion_, there wasratified a bargain that was to lead the boys into strange seas andstranger adventures.
CHAPTER VII.--AN OLD ENEMY ODDLY MET.
The lads stood on the stern deck of the _Sea Gypsy_, gazing behind them.On the horizon hovered a tall, black column of smoke. It marked the lastresting place of the _Centurion_, for Mr. Jukes, after ransacking thecabin of everything associated with his brother, had decided to burn thederelict, which, if she had drifted into the paths of navigation, mighthave proved a dangerous menace.
"Well, Billy, the mystery is solved at last," said Jack.
"Yes, and in a way I'd never have guessed in a thousand years. Mr. Jukesmust be very fond of his brother. It's a new side of his character tome."
"Same here," agreed Jack. "While he has always been just and kind, Ithought him a regular man of business, with ice-water instead of redblood in his veins, and his heart in his enterprises only."
"Just goes to show that you are liable to run up against a streak ofsentiment when you least expect it," said Raynor.
"I see now why an embargo was put on the wireless," said Jack presently.
"I can't figure it out. I should have thought he would have used it totry and locate the _Centurion_."
"I guess he figured that if he did so, some ship might pick up themessage and it would reach the ears of that Amsterdam firm and theywould find out about this expedition in search of Jerushah Jukes."
"Perhaps that's it. But there's one thing sure and certain, Jack."
"And that is----?"
"That we can't do much without coal."
"Jove, that's true; I'd forgotten that. What rotten luck! Where is thenearest coaling place?"
"Papeiti, in Tahiti, I reckon."
"How close are we to that port now?"
"Well, to-day's reckoning puts us in Latitude 29 degrees, 49 minutes."
"I'll have to look at the map, but that makes it quite a run." Thesecond mate came bustling up to Raynor.
"The skipper and Mr. Jukes want to see you in the captain's cabin," hesaid.
"Do you know what about?" asked Raynor.
"Coal, I think. How much have you got to keep those old tea-kettles ofyours chugging?"
"Precious little since your gang on deck let that deck-load be washedoverboard," grinned Raynor, as he hurried off.
The consultation lasted a long time. But at length Raynor returned withthe news that, for as long as possible, full speed was to be made withthe coal in hand, and that then canvas would be spread, for the _SeaGypsy_ was schooner rigged and in addition carried a big square sail onher foremast.
For two days good time was made, but when Raynor, with a rueful face,announced that only a few shovelfuls more coal remained in the bunkers,they were still many weary sea-miles from their destination. However,sailors are proverbially inclined to make the best of things. The _SeaGypsy's_ canvas was bent, and under a spanking breeze they glided, at afair speed, over the sparkling waters, while in the engine room thefires were drawn and the engines grew cold.
But a steam vessel, while she will behave fairly well under canvas, isnot designed for sail and makes an astonishing amount of what sailorscall "lee-way," that is, the wind, if it blows a'beam, constantly drivesher side-ways, or crab-fashion, of a direct course, so that for everymile she makes in a forward direction a considerable amount of lee-wayhas to be deducted. For this reason all hands looked forward to a longand tedious voyage before the highlands of Tahiti were sighted.
Now that there was no doubt as to the fate of the _Centurion_, and nodanger of her being captured, the _Sea Gypsy's_ wireless was set to workagain. But they were traveling a lonely tract of the Pacific, and noanswer came to Jack's messages, nor did he "listen in" on any outsideconversations.
Captain Sparhawk was in hopes of encountering an English, French orGerman cruiser, for all those nations keep war craft in these Pacificwaters to watch out for pearl pirates and other law-breakers, but thewireless failed to pick any up, although Jack worked it assiduously.
For two days the favoring breeze that was helping the crippled _SeaGypsy_ along held. Then there fell a flat calm, and the glass began todrop ominously. Captain Sparhawk went about with a grave face. Jackgathered from a few remarks the reserved seaman had let fall, that heexpected another hurricane. Situated as she was, the _Sea Gypsy's_predicament would be a serious one if such a tornado as the one she hadsafely weathered were to strike her now. The sailors stood about inlittle knots discussing the situation and casting anxious glances at thehorizon. Mr. Jukes and the captain and officers spent long hours on thebridge in careful consultation.
Before the sun set, the question as to whether or no the _Sea Gypsy_ wasin for a second fight with the elements was definitely settled. Thunderand lightning deafened and blinded the voyagers. Rain descended as onlytropical rain can, flooding the decks and blinding the look-outs and theofficers on the bridge. The _Sea Gypsy's_ canvas was reduced, onlyenough being kept on to keep her from literally rolling her hull underthe towering water mountains.
The crew clawed their way abou
t the decks by holding fast to life-lineswhich Captain Sparhawk had ordered stretched when the storm broke.Raynor, coming on deck to report that all was well below, met Jack onhis way back to the lower regions of the ship.
"Well, old fellow, this is a corker and no mistake," he observed,raising his voice in order to make it audible above the frantic battlenoises of the storm.
"It's the worst yet," Jack agreed.
"And it will be worse than ever before it gets better, according to theway Captain Sparhawk put it when I reported to him," said the youngengineer.
"Hullo, what's that?" exclaimed Jack suddenly.
"We hit something," shouted Raynor. "Look at the watch running forward."
"Storm or no storm, I'm going forward to see what's up," ejaculatedJack, and, followed by Raynor, he hurried toward the bow where severalof the oil-skin coated crew were already clustered.
CHAPTER VIII.--"LAND, HO!"
It was a fight every inch of the way, but at last they reached the bowand found the sailors bending over the recumbent form of a youth.
"What has happened? What did we strike?" asked Jack of one of thesailors.
"Struck a small boat," was the reply. "How it ever lived in this sea isa wonder. This fellow was in it."
"Is he all right?"
"No; about half dead," rejoined the third mate. "Carry him aft, men, andput him in one of the spare cabins. With care he may pull through. I'mgoing to notify the captain," and he hurried off.
Several men picked up the form of the rescued one. Jack suddenly saw hisface, pale as death, with his wet hair hanging over his forehead.
"Great guns, Billy!" he gasped.
"What is it? What's the matter? Do you know him?" queried Raynor.
"Know him? I should say so. So do you. It's Harvey Thurman."
"Impossible."
"Not at all. Take a look at him yourself."
"By George, you are right. What a strange happening," declared Raynor,after taking one glance at the youth the crew were bearing off.
"What in the world can he be doing in this part of the ocean in a smallboat?" wondered Jack.
"I've no idea. We'll have to wait till he comes to, if he ever does. Iremember hearing now that he had got a job on a Pacific steamer. Perhapsit had been wrecked and he was a castaway."
"Possibly," agreed Jack. "I'm glad we saved him, although he has made alot of trouble for us in the past."
As readers of "The Ocean Wireless Boys and the Naval Code" will recall,it was Harvey Thurman who was assistant wireless man on the _Columbia_and whose dislike of Jack and Billy resulted in his joining theirenemies in an effort to discredit them. After the stolen code wasrecovered, Thurman was not, like the rest engaged in the rascallybusiness, sent to prison, but was allowed to go free at the boys'behest, as they believed he had been badly influenced more than anythingelse.
"So you know him?" said Captain Sparhawk, as they all stood in the cabinto which Thurman had been taken and restoratives were administered tothe unfortunate youth.
"Indeed we do," said both boys, and they told the captain something oftheir experiences.
"He is not a desirable character then?" said the captain.
"I wouldn't say that," said Jack. "We thought he was influenced by badcompanions. But at any rate he had no liking for us. Is he going to getbetter?"
"I think so. See, he is opening his eyes."
Thurman's face, under the influence of the restoratives, had becomesuffused by a faint flush of color. He looked wildly about him. As hisgaze rested first on Jack and then on Raynor he looked like a sleepernewly awakened from a night-mare.
"Gracious, am I dreaming?" he gasped.
"No, my lad," said the captain, "but you had a close call from goinginto a sleep from which you never would have awakened."
"But Ready and Raynor! What are they doing here?"
"Oh, we're solid enough. Nothing ghostly about us," Jack assured him,extending his hand. "Congratulations on your narrow escape from death,and--and we'll let bygones be bygones."
"I never meant to be really bad," said Thurman weakly.
"Say no more about it," advised Billy. "But tell us how you came to beadrift in such a fearful storm in that dinky little boat."
"Better let him eat some soup first," said the captain, taking asteaming bowl from the steward, from whom he had ordered it for therelief of the castaway, "he's half starved."
The way in which Thurman gulped down the grateful food showed that thisstatement was no exaggeration.
"That's the first food I've had in two days," he declared. "You see,when the _Galilee_, that was the schooner I was on board of, sank in thestorm some days ago, I escaped in the boat. We launched two altogether,but I guess the other one was lost."
"Begin at the beginning," suggested Jack.
"All right then. It was this way, Ready: After my--er--my little troublewith you I came west. I got a job as assistant wireless man at a lonelystation on one of the Caroline Islands. But I couldn't stand the lifeand resigned. No regular steamers touch there, so I got passage on the_Galilee_, a little trading schooner for Papeiti. She sprang a leak andsank, and there was only a loaf of bread and a few cans of meat in theboat when I shoved off from the sinking hulk. It was all I had time toput in. What happened after that till you bumped into me and saved me islike a bad dream. I guess I was crazy most of the time. I never expectedto be saved, and--and I guess it has been a good lesson to me."
"If it has made you resolve to reform, it will not have been wasted,"said Jack. And he then told Thurman something about themselves. CaptainSparhawk promised that as soon as Thurman was stronger he would find ajob for him, for the boys' old enemy was penniless, having left hiswallet behind him in his haste at fleeing from the sinking schooner.
All that night the tempest raged with unabated fury. At times it seemedas if the yacht must go to pieces, so sadly was she wrenched andbuffeted by the giant combers. There was little sleep for any on boardthat night and the day broke wildly on a worried, harried-looking crew.Shortly before noon the foresail tore away from the bolt ropes, andsplit with a noise like the explosion of a cannon. This accident wasalmost immediately followed by a shout from the lookout.
"Land, ho!"
This cry, ordinarily one hailed with delight by sailors, was not thusreceived on the _Sea Gypsy_. Captain Sparhawk had been unable to get anobservation during the days of storm, and what with this, and the heavylee drift made by the yacht, he had no idea of his whereabouts.
At the shout all hands clambered to points of vantage to see whatislands they could be approaching. As the _Sea Gypsy_ rose dizzily onthe top of a great wave Jack saw, with a flash of alarm, that they wereheaded straight for a large island dotted with tropical verdure andtall, wind-bent palms about which rocks bristled menacingly like hungryfangs awaiting to penetrate the _Sea Gypsy's_ stout hull.
CHAPTER IX.--THROUGH HIDDEN DANGERS.
Critical moments followed. Captain Sparhawk navigated the _Sea Gypsy_among the rocks with marvelous seamanship. Time and again a shout ofdismay went up from the sailors as the yacht almost grazed some hugeblack rock or scraped a coral reef. But the passage was negotiated withsafety, and finally the sea-battered yacht lay snug and safe in the leeof the island and all hands drew a long breath of relief.
"Let go the anchor," came the command, and the cable roared out of thehawser holes with a savage shout, as if of joy, at the ship's delivery.
"Where under the sun are we?" asked Mr. Jukes of Captain Sparhawk, assoon as these maneuvers had been completed.
"I have no more idea than you, sir," was the reply. "But it looks to meas if this island must be one of the Pamatous."
"One of the pearl islands?" asked the millionaire.
"The very same. But I cannot be sure. Islands are sown pretty thickly inthis part of the Pacific."
"Are the Pamatou people cannibals?" asked Jack.
"I don't think so," said the captain, "but before I
send a boat ashore Iam going to deal out arms to the landing party. We want to run no risks.I shall also put a guard on the ship, for these savages are greatthieves and they might see a chance for some piratical tricks in ourdilemma."
"The machine gun will come in handy then," said Mr. Jukes.
"Yes, indeed, sir. I'll give orders to have it mounted at once in aconspicuous place so if any of the gentry ashore have any rascallydesigns they can see we're ready for them with a dose of cold lead."
Jack, after some difficulty, secured permission for himself and Raynorto go ashore with the landing party. Mr. Jukes, who remained on board,was unwilling that they take the risk of a hostile attack, but at lasthe yielded, and the boys, in high glee, buckled on cartridge belts andselected rifles from the ship's armory.
"Keep the rifles in the bottom of the boat," ordered the captain, asthey shoved off, "and don't use them unless you absolutely have to."
Although the place where they lay was sheltered, the storm was stillhowling and shrieking above the island and the sea ran rather high. Theinclement weather, no doubt, explained why no natives had so far beenseen.