CHAPTER IV.
ACCIDENT OR DESIGN?
Motor Matt took Dick and Carl each by one arm and led them back intothe cabin.
"We'd better talk a little, pards," said Matt, with a worried look.
"Vat's der madder?" inquired Carl.
He had not seen Captain Sixty, not having been in the office of theSnug Harbor Hotel at the time Dick and Matt had met Sixty and exchangedtelegrams with him.
"The big fellow," explained Matt, "is the one who got my telegram lastnight. Why is he on this boat? That's the point that puzzles me."
"Maybe it's an accident, matey," returned Dick.
"Yes; and maybe it's design. I'd like to size this business up beforewe get clear of the river. If we don't like the looks of things, we canhave the captain of the boat put us ashore."
"What's the trouble with the outlook, old ship?" queried Dick. "Sofar as I'm concerned, it was a shot between wind and water when I sawSixty there at the rail; but I don't think that the fact of the oldhunks being aboard the steamer is anything to worry us. He probably hasbusiness in Honduras as well as ourselves."
"I wish this boat was equipped with a wireless telegraph apparatus,"muttered Matt. "There's a wireless station at Algiers, and we couldflash a message to Townsend."
"What would be the use? We've got his orders."
"I'd like to have the orders confirmed," said Matt grimly. "I tried toget Townsend over the phone just before I left the hotel, but, as luckwould have it, the wire was busy."
"You've been taken all aback, same as though you'd been struck by awhite squall," muttered Dick perplexedly. "I don't think that oldflatfoot bucko ought to put you in such a taking, Matt."
"It wasn't Sixty alone that took me aback, Dick," answered Matt. "MissHarris had more to do with that than Sixty had."
"Dit you see der young laty, Matt?" asked Carl, brightening.
"I saw her, yes."
"You were expecting to see her," chimed in Dick. "You told us she wasintending to sail on the _Santa Maria_."
"When we talked at the hotel," went on Matt, "Miss Harris gave me tounderstand that Townsend expected us to look after her during the tripto Belize, and after we reached that town."
"Vell," remarked Carl, dusting his coat with his hand and adjustinghis necktie, "I guess ve can do dot as vell as anypody. You pedderindrotuce Tick und me, Matt."
"I don't believe our services will be needed," said Matt dryly. "MissHarris was talking with Captain Sixty and seemed to be on familiarterms with him."
This startled Dick and Carl. It was a good deal of a coincidence, evenif not alarming, to find Captain Sixty voyaging to Honduras on the_Santa Maria_; but to find him on friendly terms with Townsend's niecegave the captain's presence on the boat rather an odd look.
"All this," said Matt finally, "may be either the result of accident ordesign. I think it would be well for us to find out as much as we canbefore we get too far down the river."
"How'll you find out, mate?" queried Dick.
"By talking with the girl. Wait here for me. I'll go and have that talkwith her now."
As Matt started away, the girl herself suddenly entered the cabin, andshe was bringing Captain Sixty with her.
Matt halted and drew back to the side of his friends. The girl lookedtoward the boys, smiled, said something to her companion, and hurriedhim across the cabin.
"Hello, Motor Matt!" cried Miss Harris. "I was afraid you'd got left,and was just telling Uncle Jim here that I didn't know what UncleArchie would say when he found you had not gone to Belize."
Uncle Jim! Miss Harris had called this Sixty person her Uncle Jim!While Matt was puzzling over this, the girl had drawn close and wasintroducing Captain Sixty.
"I'll be blowed, girl," bellowed Uncle Jim, "if I need any introductionto Motor Matt. We've met before, eh, messmate? Hand us your fist till Igive it a friendly shake. Why, I hadn't the least idee you was mixed upin this affair of Townsend's! Ain't it astonishin' how things fall out,now and again?"
"I should say so," answered Matt. "This is your uncle, Miss Harris?" headded to the girl.
"Why, yes, of course!" she laughed.
"His name ought to be Townsend, hadn't it?"
"Not at all. Uncle Archie is my father's brother, while Uncle Jim is mymother's brother."
"Then your name ought to be Townsend instead of Harris."
"Ho, ho!" laughed Captain Sixty. "He's a keen one, girl, and nomistake!"
"Of course he's a keen one, Uncle Jim," replied the girl, "or UncleArchie wouldn't have had him take a hand in this work. You see, MotorMatt," and here she turned to the youth, "Uncle Archie Townsend'sreal name is Harris, while my mother's maiden name was Sixty. So, yousee----"
"Softly, girl, softly," breathed Captain Sixty. "We don't want to talktoo much about our relatives in this public place. Walls have ears, youknow."
"I understand," said Matt. He had long known that Townsend, merelyto save himself annoyance from newspaper reporters and other curiouspeople, had one name ashore and another afloat, and used only hisright name when at home in Philadelphia and among his friends. "Let meintroduce both of you to my pards," Matt added, turning to Dick andCarl.
Sixty was more than agreeable to Dick and Carl, and Carl, on his part,tried to be more than agreeable to Miss Harris.
"Have we all got a part in this work of Mr. Townsend's?" asked Matt,feeling somewhat relieved, although still a little surprised over theway the matter had fallen out.
"Haven't you ever heard Uncle Archie speak of Captain Sixty?" inquiredMiss Harris.
"Never."
"I wouldn't wonder at that none, girl," said Captain Sixty. "It's beensome sort of a while, you know, since my course has crossed Townsend's;and then, too, Townsend is close-mouthed, and he wouldn't be apt to sayanything about me when I've got such an important part to play in hispresent business."
The captain lowered his voice and took another cautious look aroundthat part of the cabin.
"Was you boys told anythin' about the work?" he asked in a whisper.
Matt shook his head, and a glow of relief flashed for an instant fromSixty's fishy eyes.
"From that, my lad," went on Sixty, "you can figure out how mightyimportant is the work we're engaged in. I don't know much about itmyself. That telegram I got at the hotel last night has somethin' todo with it, though blest if I know what. Cassidy came for it aboutmidnight; and next morning, along comes the girl, here, with a ticketfor Belize and orders to sail on the _Santa Maria_. Wished I'd haveknown who you boys were last night. I'd have hobnobbed with you someinstead of bein' short-like as I was. No hard feelin's?"
"None at all," answered Matt.
"I used to be skipper of the brig _Dolphin_, a hooker as sailed fromany place to any place wherever there was a cargo to be picked up andcarried. That's how I got the name o' captain. I've had a master'sticket, though, ever since I was twenty. Ysabel here"--Matt caught asharp look from the girl directed at Sixty--"which is my pet name forSadie," continued the captain, "had as fine a father as ever walked. Hemarried a Spanish lady in Belize, and that's how Sadie looks Spanishand talks American. I'm rough and ready, I am, and ain't got no timefor these here parlor frills----"
"We'll have lots of time to talk, Uncle Jim," broke in the girl, "afterwe get settled in our staterooms and while we're crossing the gulf.Motor Matt and his friends, as well as ourselves, have got somethingelse to do just now besides stand around and gossip. I don't think we'dbetter be seen talking together very much, anyhow."
"Right you are!" rumbled Captain Sixty. "See you again, messmates," andhe lurched away with Miss Harris alongside him.
"Ach," muttered Carl, "dot leedle girl vas a peach, I bed you.Eferyt'ing iss all righdt, und ve all haf a finger in dot pie oofDownsent's."
"Wish I could smoke Townsend's weather roll a bit better than I do,"said Dick. "I haven't any confidence in that man Sixty. From the cut ofhis jib, he's several kinds of a bear, bucko, bandicoot and crocodile.If we could, I
think we ought to give him a good offing."
"We can't do that, Dick," answered Matt, "if Townsend's business throwsus all together."
The boys fell into line at the purser's window, transacted their workthere, and then picked up their luggage and went to their staterooms.
Each stateroom accommodated two passengers. Matt and Dick had one roomto themselves, while Carl's room, which was next to theirs, would housea stranger in addition to the Dutch boy.
While Matt and Dick were stowing their traps and making themselves ascomfortable as they could in their cramped quarters, Carl burst in onthem.
"Vat you t'ink?" demanded Carl, closing the door securely behind himand dropping down on the lower berth.
"We're all ahoo and don't know what to think, matey," answered Dick,giving the Dutch boy a slow sizing. "Why? Have you anything inparticular on your own mind?"
"I shouldt say! Dot Sixdy feller iss my roommate."
"You're welcome to him," said Dick. "I wouldn't take him for a roommateon a bet."
Matt turned from the washbowl, where he had been removing some of thegrime from his hands, and reached for a towel.
"No accident about that," said he. "I'll bet Sixty fixed it up with thepurser."
"Why?" demanded Dick.
"I don't know why, but I've got a hunch that that's the way of it."Matt finished with the towel, threw it back on the rack and sat downin a chair. "There are a few things connected with this situation thatwon't hold water. Listen, pards, and see if you don't agree with me."