CHAPTER XVI
HAM PROMISES TO BE BRAVE HEREAFTER
IT was Joe Dawson, though, who caught the first glimpse of the“passengers” as the motor boat ran in closer, while Tom was busy withthe motor.
“The ghost?” yelled Joe. “I should say so!”
Then everybody struggled for a look into the boat. Besides the Tremaineparty there were fourteen Florida men whom Jeff had brought in from thenearest community. Two of them were peace officers.
“Ease off the bow, Joe, and get the bow line for yourself,” grinnedTom. “But, say! Aren’t they a handsome lot?”
A wild cheer went up from all hands.
The bow line was quickly made fast, after which Tom threw off a sternline, which Jeff caught and tied.
Then, amid a very babel of exclamations and questions, young Halsteadstepped out onto the pier, Joe being the first to grip his hand.
Henry Tremaine secured the next chance, remarking, while his eyestwinkled mistily:
“Captain Halstead, I owe you an apology.”
“For what, sir?”
“For being so officious as to summon any help. But I admit that Ididn’t quite know you boys. I think I do, now.”
“However it was done, it was splendid!” cried Ida Silsbee, eagerly,presenting her small, gloved hand to the young captain.
“Splendid? I never heard of anything like it!” uttered Dixon, as he,too, pressed forward, holding out his hand.
Both his speech and his act were for Ida’s benefit. Oliver Dixon hadthe good sense to know that any slight offered the motor boat youth, atthis time, would redound against his own chances as suitor with MissSilsbee.
Tom took the Dixon hand limply, looking straight into the young man’seyes so searchingly that even the brazen Oliver had difficulty inmaintaining anything like composure.
“I’ll keep up the pretense with him,” thought Halstead, “until I’mready to unmask him.”
“Captain Tom,” exclaimed Oliver Dixon, eagerly, “you’re a wonder—atwentieth century knight!”
Sim, at this moment, was being hauled out of the boat by three of theFlorida men present. Sim’s sullen, baleful eyes sought Dixon’s, causingthat young man to quail, though just at that instant none of theTremaine party noted the episode.
“Say, I reckon we know all these fellows,” announced one of the localofficers. “Sim and Jig are two of the worst men that ever got into theEverglades. We know enough, too, about Jabe and Kink to keep ’em busyfo’ a long time explaining their records.”
“Then you can take charge of them all as criminals wanted by thecourts?” inquired Halstead.
“Yep; I reckon we can.”
“Good enough, then; you can have ’em on the old charges, and I won’thave to stay in Florida, forever and day, to be a witness.”
“There is no use staying here,” declared Henry Tremaine. “Bringprisoners and all up to the house. It’s a lot more comfortable talkingwhere there are chairs.”
Joe walked on one side of his chum as they bent their steps away fromthe pier. To aggravate Oliver Dixon’s jealous rage, Ida Silsbee alsomanaged to keep close to the young skipper.
On the broad porch the four prisoners were lined up. Uncle Tobey wasalso brought out and added to them, the local officers being satisfiedthat the aged negro voodoo doctor had acted as a go-between for thegang.
“And this is the whole of the Ghost of Alligator Swamp, laid by theheels,” chuckled Henry Tremaine, appreciatively.
Then Tom, of course, had to tell the story of his strange adventure. Hetold it with extreme modesty, yet even the dullest account was boundto place him higher than ever in the estimation of all his hearerssave Joe. Young Dawson had an opinion of his chum that nothing couldincrease.
The three who had been gagged were now allowed the use of theirtongues, but did not abuse their privilege. Sim ordered them all to“shet up and keep shet,” which advice they followed to the letter.
It was a big feeding contract that devolved upon the Tremaines. In thehouse, however, were plenty of provisions. With the help of some ofthe Florida men a meal big enough for all was prepared before dark.Even the prisoners were fed. Then the local visitors were ready to takethe collective “ghost” to the nearest jail, many miles off through theforest. Henry Tremaine, however, after paying all liberally for theirtrouble, further engaged six of the natives to remain behind.
“For,” he announced, “we came here to hunt alligators, and that’s whatwe’re going to do. Now, you six men can be towed by us in anotherboat when we go into the Everglades. The presence of such a party,armed, will be enough to keep any friends of the prisoners that maybe lurking in the big swamp country from showing us any hostileattentions.”
The evening was spent with some further accounts of Tom’s trip into theEverglades. When it came time to retire it was decided to let the sixFlorida men stand guard over the bungalow, one at a time, through thenight.
By daylight the entire party was up again. With the first glimpsesof light the six Florida men had begun a further exploration of thecountry thereabouts. Two of them came upon the battered, thoughserviceable, old boat that Sim and his crew had evidently used. Someof the others found a covered hiding-place in the woods where theEverglades rascals had hidden much ghostly paraphernalia. Among thisstuff was a jointed bamboo “ghost,” covered with cotton cloth—the samething that had frightened Ham Mockus so badly in the kitchen.
“Now, do you see what you were shivering about?” demanded HenryTremaine, laughingly.
“Ah reckon Ah’s done bin a plumb idiot,” admitted Ham, shamefacedly.
“Not any bigger idiot than folks hereabouts have been during the lastthree years,” rejoined Tremaine. “Nor any bigger idiot than peoplehave always been, all over the world. But, Ham, my lad, take a bitof advice: whenever you hear of a sure-enough, really-and-trulyghost, just get out on its trail with a shot-gun. Don’t lose any timeshivering, and don’t waste any time until you’ve brought that ghostinto camp.”
“No, sah, Ah won’t,” promised Ham, solemnly.
“He’ll run and hide his head the very next moan he hears on a darknight,” laughed Jeff Randolph.
“W’ut yo’ talkin’ erbout, Marse Jeff?” demanded Ham, with a show ofindignation. “Jes’ a plain, or’nary niggah?”
Dixon was on hand again, trying to be extremely pleasant to youngCaptain Halstead.
“I mustn’t let him see that I suspect or know anything,” thought Tom.“I mustn’t scare Dixon away from this party until I’m able to placeOfficer Randolph’s story right under Henry Tremaine’s nose.”
“I’m very glad to see that you’re so nice with young Halstead,” IdaSilsbee found chance to remark to Oliver Dixon.
“Why shouldn’t I be pleasant with him?” asked Dixon, pretendingsurprise.
“I was afraid you had taken an unaccountable dislike to the boy.”
“Much to the contrary,” remarked the young man, smiling. “I alwaysadmire great pluck and an uncommon amount of brains.”
“All aboard for the alligator hunt! We haven’t any time to lose inmaking the start,” called Henry Tremaine, hurrying through the house.