CHAPTER VI.
THE EIGHT-THOUSAND-DOLLAR CHECK.
The _Warrior_ reached the city at ten o’clock that night, two hours overdue, and Jack Carboy and Dean Mercer left the boat at once.
“Where going, Dean?” asked Jack.
“To a hotel, I guess.”
“Oh! no, to the boat.”
“The _Spray_?”
“Why not?”
“You know where it is?”
“Certain! The engineer is aboard now. I can’t sleep on land.”
“It is too late to see the shipbuilder or Mr. Durand, the lawyer, to-night,” decided Dean. “Yes, we’ll sleep on the boat to-night. I am very anxious to see it.”
“You will come with us, Marcus?”
“I do not feel as if I could. Mother will be anxious to see me, and I must hasten home as quickly as I can.”
“That is right. You have the papers safely and the money. I hope there will be no delay in setting your father free. Can’t you run down and see us in the morning? The new boat will not start before nine or ten o’clock.”
“Yes, I will run down; thank you. Good night.”
“Good night.”
So the boys parted, little dreaming what would happen to both of them before they should meet again, and under what circumstances that meeting would take place.
In ignorance of the keen watch kept over their movements by their enemies they went their ways, while the young plotters began to hastily carry into action their plans.
“You say the kid lives on Grove Street. That is well out in the suburbs. By cutting across we can intercept him. You do this and hold him up under some pretext at the corner of Ash and Midland Streets. I will be on hand with a couple of officers. He will just answer the descriptions given of that boy who has run away from the State school for young criminals, and we not only turn him over, but get the reward. That’s what I call making both ends meet.”
“Now get busy,” said Tim, when the precious pair separated to carry out their plans.
As Tim was about to leave the _Warrior_ he was accosted by Colonel Darringford. The usually austere owner of the boat appeared now very much the worse for his liberal potations of liquor.
“See here, youngster,” he said, crooking his finger toward Tim. “I wanner see you minute.”
“Yes, colonel,” replied Tim promptly, approaching the spot where the colonel stood.
The latter was unable to stand alone, and held to the steamer rail.
“You boy who tol’ me ’bout new st--sthe--steamer, hey?”
“Correct, colonel!”
“Sure there’s one?”
“Dead sure!”
“Mustn’t be ’lowed to ’danger business prospix--pects, eh, boy?”
“No, sir.”
“You said you could stop boat, eh?”
“I did.”
“Do it, say nothing, and take the--that!”
The colonel made a dive for his pocket, and a lunge for Tim.
Tim allowed him to tumble pell-mell to the deck, once he had secured the roll of banknotes that the colonel proffered him.
“I’ll fix the boat, never fear!” cried Tim. “Hooray! Two hundred! Crackey! I’ll have a time of it!”
Rodney Darringford, curious to see what his father could want of his confederate, whom he found useful but whom he detested as “a lowdown, miserable wharf rat,” as he often called him, lingered while the above conversation took place.
As he saw Tim about to hasten ashore, he called a deckhand to assist his father to the cabin. A minute later, he had reached the wharf with Tim Downey.
“Unlimber yer tongue,” said Tim, as soon as they reached the narrow street into which Rodney had led the way.
“What did the governor say to you?”
“Ye don’t stop to think that it might be me who had something to say to him,” replied Tom doggedly.
To speak the truth, he did not like this interference.
“You needn’t be so all-fired tongue-tied,” exclaimed the other. “I guess it is as much for your interest as it is for mine to be sociable.”
“Jess as ye say, Rod. Only hadn’t we better ’tend to the kid fust. I’ll meet ye at Jimson’s ’s soon ’s thet ’fair is done.”
“You are right, Tim. But don’t fail to be on hand. You know you will want to get your divvy.”
Tim muttered something under his breath which the other did not hear, and the couple separated each to do his part of the work they had planned.
* * * * *
“Isn’t she a beauty?”
The admiring speaker was Jack Carboy, addressing Dean Mercer, as the twain came in sight of the new steamer.
“She is very promising. Won’t they look amazed at Millville when we reach there to-morrow, Jack? You say the engineer is aboard?”
“He should be, lad--I mean admiral,” executing one of his characteristic salutes.
“Never mind how you address me, Jack. In fact, I had rather you would call me plainly by my name. The judge made his only mistake when he insisted that I should take command of the new packet. But he fairly forced me into it.”
“The jedge may be better at sailing a court than he is a ship, but he didn’t miss his bearings when he ran ye inter port. With ol’ Jack at the wheel, ships and seas! but won’t we swing a breeze when we run inter th’ basin up yonder?”
Though less demonstrative than his free-hearted companion, Dean Mercer felt greatly elated over the appearance of the new steamer.
Dean and Jack finally tired of looking the steamer over, and they sought the captain’s cabin for a few words regarding their future plans before turning in.
They were thus engaged when a stranger was ushered into their presence by the steward of the boat.
The newcomer was a middle-aged man, well-dressed, and gentlemanly in his manner.
“Captain Mercer, I think,” he said, bowing and extending his right hand. “Glad to meet you, captain. Hope the new boat pleases you. I am Mr. Sewall, of the firm of Brown, Sewall and Company. You see I got a letter this morning from Judge Oglesby, who said you were en route here, and that by coming here to the _Spray_ this evening I might save you a lot of trouble in the morning. He knew you must be pretty busy.”
While this announcement came most unexpectedly to the young commander, he managed to greet the newcomer politely and invited him to a seat.
“I was here about sundown, but the _Warrior_ being late as usual, of course I had my trouble for my pains. Tell you what it is, Captain Mercer, you are bound to win with such a boat as this.”
“I think it is very satisfactory. Did you want me to pay you, Mr. Sewall?”
“Why, no; that is, suit your own pleasure. Of course it would save you a lot of bother in the morning, when I calculate you will not have much time to lose. Again, it would be very convenient for us. I make these as suggestions, you know.”
Dean could see no harm in settling the matter then and there. It was true that it would save him considerable time in the morning, when he would be very busy.
“Judge Oglesby gave me a check with which to pay the amount due you. This I will endorse if you will give me a receipt running to him in full for the sum.”
“Very satisfactory. I like your way of doing business, Captain Mercer. I prophesy that within a year we shall have an order to build another boat to run on this line. Two boats would equip the line so that you could give the service the public demands. Millville is bound to become a thriving metropolis.”