CHAPTER XIX
DAYS ON THE OCEAN
The weather remained fine for a full week, and with favoring winds the_Stormy Petrel_ bowled along merrily on her course. The ocean rolledlazily in the warm sunshine, a few birds circled about the ship, andonce they passed a steamer coming from the Hawaiian Islands, and aschooner from Manila, and that was all.
"Shall we stop at Honolulu?" asked Roger, of the captain.
"No. I thought of doing so at first, but now I shall make no stops untilwe get to Christmas Island, and from there we will go direct to Cavasaand then to Sobago. What we do after that will depend largely on what isdone about a cargo."
So far none of the boys had experienced any seasickness, and theycongratulated themselves on their escape, but Billy Dill put a littledamper on their ardor.
"This ain't no weather to judge by," was his comment. "Wait till we getsome cross-winds and the ships starts to roll. Maybe then ye won't be sosettled in the stomach."
The few days on the ocean had done the old tar a world of good. His eyeswere brighter and he was physically in the best of health once more. Hismind, too, was clearer, and one day he announced to Dave that he hadsomething to tell.
"I ain't quite sure as I have the exact straight on 't," he began. "Alittle on 't is still like a dream. But I know enough to make a puttystraight story," and then he told his tale.
A good portion of it was not unlike the story of many sailors. When veryyoung, he had had a strong desire to go to sea, and at his firstopportunity had shipped as a cabin boy. From cabin boy he had become aforemast hand, and had been in such service more years than he couldcount. He had visited nearly every portion of the globe, and had beenwrecked twice, once off the coast of Africa and once while trying toround Cape Horn.
Three years before had found him at Sydney, Australia, looking for achance to ship. While down among the wharves, he had discovered a trampvessel, the _Mary Sacord_, bound for Cavasa and other islands in theSouth Seas, and had signed articles for a year's cruise. The captainproved to be a brute, and there was fighting on the vessel from the timeshe left Sydney until Cavasa was reached. There, at the main seaport,Billy Dill went ashore and refused to go aboard again.
The captain of the _Mary Sacord_ was very angry over the refusal of theseaman to continue on the trip, and threatened Dill with imprisonment,and even had the old tar arrested. But, at this juncture, two men cameforward and aided the sailor in his trouble, and, as a consequence,Billy Dill was set free and the vessel went on her way without him.
One of the men who had helped Billy Dill was Dunston Porter and theother was Samuel Lemington. They were both Americans and fairlywell-to-do. At first, they did not tell the old sailor much about theirbusiness, but they asked him if he wished to work for them, and he saidhe was willing, and they offered him thirty dollars a month and all hisexpenses.
The two Americans, so the tar discovered later, were after a treasure ofprecious stones, said upon good authority to have been hidden yearsbefore in the mountains by a former cannibal king of Cavasa and someother South Sea islands. The three journeyed into the interior of theisland and spent months in looking for the treasure, but withoutsuccess. Then came an earthquake and the volcano in the center of theisland began to grow active, and all three had to flee to the coast inorder to escape destruction.
It was on this treasure hunt that Billy Dill heard, through DunstonPorter, about the lost child that had been carried off by a nurse whowas not mentally sound, although usually good-hearted. Dunston Porterhad not said very much about the matter, for it seemed to hurt him agreat deal--so much, in fact, that the old sailor did not think it bestto ask for the particulars. But he knew one thing, that, try his best,Dunston Porter could not learn what had become of the woman and thelittle one, and he was half inclined to believe that both were dead.
"Well, did he say that the child was his son?" asked Dave, with deepinterest.
"No, it was some relative of his, I think. I don't believe DunstonPorter was married."
"When you came back to the coast, what did this Mr. Porter do?"
"He and Mr. Lemington stayed in the town, trying to make up their mindsas to what they'd do next. I got a chance to ship, and, as they didn'tseem to want me any more, I sailed away, and then I did as I've told youbefore."
This was practically all the information Billy Dill could giveconcerning Dunston Porter and the missing child, although he told muchmore concerning the treasure hunt, and of several fights with thenatives of the interior. He said the natives were a bad lot, and hewanted no more to do with them than was absolutely necessary.
"How old should you judge this Dunston Porter to be?" asked Dave.
"Forty to forty-five years old, my lad."
"Did he ever tell you where he came from?"
"Not exactly. But he was an American, and he knew a good bit about SanFrancisco, Chicago, and New York, and I remember he once told abouthunting in the Maine woods and in the Adirondacks."
"He didn't say a word about coming back to the United States?"
"Not that I can remember."
With this information Dave had to be content. The story had been astrain on Billy Dill, and afterward he complained of a headache and offeeling dizzy. But a good night's rest restored him completely.
The sailor was at all times delighted to instruct the boys in the art ofseamanship, and under his tutelage they learned rapidly, so that any ofthem could go aloft and make or take in sail whenever required. He alsotaught them how to make knots of various kinds, and many other thingsuseful on board a ship. In the meantime Captain Marshall allowed them toread his works on navigation, and gave them a few lessons in steering,and in the use of the compass, sextant, and other nautical instruments.
"We'll be full-fledged sailors before this voyage is over," remarkedRoger to his chums. "I declare, I almost feel as if I could handle asmall ship already."
"Maybe you could, on the Leming River," rejoined Phil. "But when it cameto a big storm on the Pacific, I rather believe you'd find it adifferent story."
So far, Phil had had but little to do with the supercargo, but now heasked the man if he could look over the books. Jasper Van Blott agreed,but the scowl on his face showed plainly that the move was not to hisliking. Phil went over the accounts at his leisure, but could findnothing wrong in them. There were a few entries that looked odd, but thesupercargo was ready with explanations concerning them.
"Well, have you found anything wrong?" questioned Dave, after Phil hadspent three days over the books.
"Nothing much, Dave," was the answer from the shipowner's son.
"The supercargo isn't very friendly, I notice."
"Oh, he hates it, that I am going on this trip," answered Phil.
There seemed to be but one man on the ship with whom the supercargo wasthoroughly friendly, and that was Paul Shepley, the first mate. The pairwere together a large part of the time, and their conversation wasfrequently an animated one.
"I can't get it out of my head that those two are working together oversomething," said Dave. "Why, they are as thick as bees in a sugarbarrel."
"I've noticed that, too," came from Roger. "Perhaps they are hatching upsome mischief."
On the following day the weather became more unsettled, and occasionallythe clouds showed themselves above the horizon. Captain Marshall gaveorders to his mate that a strict watch should be kept for a blow.
"I guess we are in for it, now!" cried Dave, that afternoon. "It is muchrougher than it has yet been."
"I know I am in for it," answered Roger. His face was white, and wore atroubled look.
"What's the matter, seasick?"
"I--I fancy so. My head spins like a top and my stomach is starting todo the same."
"Better go below, lad," said Captain Marshall, coming up. "It won't doyou any good to remain on deck."
Roger shuffled off to the companionway, and Dave went after him. Thesenator's son was growing worse every minute, and it was not long befo
rePhil announced that he also felt sick. Both went to their staterooms,and Dave did what he could to relieve their distress.
"If the old tub would only stop for a minute--just one minute!" groanedRoger.
"That's what I say," responded Phil. "Oh, dear! I'd give a hundreddollars to be on shore again!"
"I think I'd make it a thousand," groaned the senator's son. "Why, Dave,don't you feel it at all?"
"Well, I feel a little strange," answered the country boy, but he didnot add that it was because he had to stand by and assist his friends.He made them as comfortable as possible, and then rushed to the deck, toget some fresh air and to get the matter off his mind.
A storm was certainly brewing, and Dave wondered how soon it wouldstrike the _Stormy Petrel_ and how long it would last. The black cloudswere piling up in the sky and the wind came in unsteady puffs. Below,the clear, blue water had turned to a dark green.
The first mate was in charge of the deck and, so far, he had given noorders to shorten sail. Ever and anon a sail would crack in the wind andthe bark would give a plunge in the sea. Dave walked forward to whereBilly Dill stood by the rail, watching the sky anxiously.
"This looks stormy, doesn't it?" questioned the youth.
"Stormy? Great dogfish! I should allow as how it did, lad. We're in fora blow, an' a big one, too."
"Then isn't it about time to take in sail?"
"I should say it was."
"Then why doesn't the mate do so?"
At this question the old tar shrugged his shoulders.
"Reckon he wants to take the benefit o' all the breeze he can," heanswered. "But it ain't the best thing to do--not to my way o'reasonin'. If he ain't keerful, we may lose a topmast, or more."
"I suppose you don't dare to say anything to him?"
"No. He's in charge, an' thet's all there is to it."
The storm continued to approach, and now several of the sailors lookedanxiously at the first mate. He was evidently in a savage mood, and paidno attention to them.
"Unless he does sumthin' soon, we'll lose a stick, sure," said BillyDill to Dave, in a low tone. "I never saw sech a contrary mate in mylife!"
"Perhaps I had better speak to Captain Marshall," suggested the countryyouth.
"I wish ye would--it would be safer. But don't let Shepley know it--orhe'll be as mad as a hornet at ye," added the old tar.
Leaving the bow, Dave hurried to the stern and toward the companionway.Here he almost ran headlong into the first mate.
"Hi! look where you are going!" ejaculated the man, roughly. "Have youno manners?"
"Excuse me," returned Dave. "Don't you think we are having a pretty bigblow, sir?" he added.
"Oh, this won't amount to much," grumbled Paul Shepley. "Nothing to getscared about."
Dave said nothing to this. He hurried below, and a moment later stood infront of Captain Marshall's stateroom door. The master of the _StormyPetrel_ was taking a nap, but at the boy's knock roused up instantly.