Dave Porter on Cave Island/Chapter 17
CHAPTER XVII
MEETING OLD FRIENDS
"They may have gone on some other vessel," remarked Roger, after a pause. "Let us find out what other ships have left here during the past few days."
"Say," said Phil, to the elderly shipping-clerk. "Maybe you know my father or some of the captains working for him. His name is Lawrence, of the Lawrence Lines."
"Indeed!" cried the shipping-clerk. "Well, of course I know him! Are you Phil Lawrence?" he questioned, eagerly.
"I am."
"Now isn't that strange!" The man put out his hand. "I don't suppose you know me. My name is Sam Castner. I was once a supercargo for your father, on the Arvinus. You took a trip in her with your mother, when you were about ten years old,—down to Tampa and back, from Philadelphia."
"That's right, so I did!" cried the shipowner's son. "I remember you now. We went fishing together."
"So we did, Mr. Lawrence. My, how you've grown since then!" added the former supercargo, as he gazed at Phil's tall and well-built form.
"Mr. Castner, we are in a hurry, and maybe you can help us a good deal," went on Phil. "We are after two fellows who we think sailed in that schooner, or bark, or some vessel that left here within the past two days. They were young fellows, not much older than us boys. Will you aid us in getting on their track?"
"Sure I will," was the ready answer. "What do you know about 'em?"
"All we know is that they went under the names of Leeds and Cross," answered Dave. "But those are not their right names."
"And that they are supposed to have sailed on the ship known by a common name—Emma something or other," put in Roger.
"I can soon find out who sailed on the Emma Brower," answered Sam Castner. "Come with me to the next shipping office."
He called another clerk to take charge, and accompanied the party to the next shipping office. On the way he was introduced to Dave and the others.
"One of your father's vessels is in this harbor now," he said to Phil.
"What ship is that?"
"The Golden Eagle, Captain Sanders."
"Captain Sanders!" cried Dave. "Do you mean Bob Sanders, who used to sail on the Stormy Petrel with Captain Marshall?"
"The same, Mr. Porter. Then you know him?"
"Indeed I do!" returned Dave. "Why, I sailed with him in the South Seas!"
"Well, he's here."
"We'll have to try to see him before we leave," said Phil. "He was a nice fellow."
At the second shipping office further inquiries were made concerning the sailing of the Emma Brower. It was learned that the bark, had carried not more than half a cargo for Barbados and eight passengers. The names of Merwell, Jasniff, Leeds, or Cross did not appear on the passenger list.
"Did anybody here see those passengers?" asked Dunston Porter.
"I did," returned a young clerk. "I was aboard just before she sailed, and I saw all of them."
"Were there two young fellows, chums?" asked Dave.
"There were, two tall chaps, a bit older than you."
"Did they look like these fellows?" and now our hero brought out the photographs he had used before.
"They certainly did!" cried the clerk. "I remember this fellow distinctly," and he pointed to Jasniff's picture, taken just before that individual had run away from Oak Hall.
"Then they sailed, just as we feared!" returned Dave, and there was something like a groan in his voice.
"Wonder If they took the jewels," murmured Roger.
"Most likely, Roger," answered Dunston Porter.
"But what would they do with them In such an out-of-the-way place as Barbados?"
"I rather imagine their plan is to keep quiet for a while, until this affair blows over. Then they'll either return to the United States, or take a British vessel for England. Barbados is an English possession, you must remember, and a regular line of steamers sail from there to England."
"I wonder If we couldn't charter a steam tug and go after the bark?" mused Dave.
"It might be done," returned his uncle. "But I doubt if we could catch the bark, or even locate her. She has too much of a start."
"Was the bark going to stop at any ports along the way?" asked Phil.
"She was not," answered the young shipping-clerk.
"Then there is nothing to do but to sail for Barbados after them!" cried Dave.
"Sail after them—that far!" ejaculated the senator's son.
"Yes, Roger. Of course you haven't got to go, or Phil either. But I think my uncle and I ought to go after 'em. Don't you think so, Uncle Dunston?"
"I don't know—perhaps," was the slow reply. "We had better make a few more inquiries first, Dave."
"Oh, yes, let us find out all we can about Merwell and Jasniff."
They left the shipping office and walked back to the hotel. Here they had a late breakfast and then commenced to make diligent inquiries concerning all the movements of Merwell and Jasniff. They soon learned that the pair had had plenty of money to spend, and that they had bought many things for the trip to Barbados, even taking along an extra supply of the Turkish cigarettes that came in the boxes with bands of blue and gold.
"I think that that proves my clew of the cigarette box is correct," said Dave.
They visited the local pawnbrokers, and from one of them learned that Merwell had pawned two diamonds for two hundred and fifty dollars. The rascal had told the pawnbroker that the gems were the property of a rich lady who was awaiting a remittance from France.
"Do these diamonds belong to the Carwith collection?" asked Roger.
"That remains to be found out," answered Dunston Porter, and then he told the pawnbroker to be sure and not let the gems go out of his possession until a further investigation could be made. The man grumbled somewhat, but when Dave's uncle spoke about calling in the officers of the law, he subsided.
"Very well, I'll keep them," he said. "And if anything is wrong, I'll do what the law requires, even if I lose by it."
"Let us visit the Golden Eagle and see Bob Sanders," said Phil, late in the afternoon. "Perhaps he knows something about the Emma Brower, and her trip."
The others were willing, and sundown found them aboard the vessel belonging to Phil's father. Hardly had they stepped on deck when a grizzled old tar, with white hair, rushed up to Dave.
"If it ain't Dave Porter!" he burst out. "Yes, sir, Dave, wot I haven't seen in a year o' Sundays! How be you, my boy?" And he caught the youth by both hands.
"Billy Dill!" exclaimed our hero, as his face lit up with pleasure. "Where in the world did you drop from? I thought you had given up the sea."
Billy Dill, as my old readers will remember, was the tar who aided Dave in locating his Uncle Dunston. As related in "Dave Porter in the South Seas," Billy Dill had traveled with our hero to that portion of the globe, in the Stormy Petrel, of which Bob Sanders was, at the time, second mate. On returning home, the old tar had been placed in a sanitarium and then a sailors' home, and Dave had imagined he was still in the latter retreat.
"Couldn't give up the sea, Dave," replied the old sailor. "I tried my best, but it wasn't no use. So I goes to Phil's old man, an' I says, says I, 'Give me a berth an' anything I'm wuth,' an' he says, says he, 'How would ye like to sail with Cap'n Sanders, wot sailed with you to the South Seas?' 'Fust-rate,' says I; an' here I be, an' likes it very much."
"Well, I'm glad to see you looking so well," answered Dave.
"It's the sea air done it, lad. When I was ashore I jest knowed I wanted sea air. No more homes ashore fer Billy Dill, not much!" And the old tar shook his head with conviction.
A few minutes later, while the old sailor was shaking hands with the others, and asking and answering questions, the captain of the ship came up.
"Very glad indeed to see you again," said Captain Sanders, with a broad smile. He looked closely at the boys. "Grown some since I saw you last."
"And you have advanced, too," answered Dave, with a grin. "Let me congratulate you on becoming a captain, Mr. Sanders."
"It's all through the kindness of Mr. Lawrence and Captain Marshall. If it wasn't for them, I shouldn't be in this berth."
"How is Captain Marshall?" asked our hero. The man mentioned was the commander of the ship in which Dave had sailed to the South Seas.
"First-rate, the last I heard of him. He sailed from San Francisco to Manila ten days ago."
"Captain Sanders, what port are you bound for next?" questioned Phil, after greetings had been exchanged all around and a number of other questions had been asked.
"No port as yet, Phil. I'm waiting for orders."
"Have you any idea where you may go to?"
"Something was said about a cargo for Porto Rico. But nothing was settled. I'll know in a couple of days, I think."
"Do any of our ships ever sail to Barbados?"
"Not very often. I could have had a cargo for that port from here, but the firm didn't take it, and it went to the Emma Brower."
"The very ship we are after!" murmured Dave.
"Could you get another cargo for Barbados, do you think?"
"I don't know—maybe. Why?"
"We want to go there!"
"You do! That isn't much of a place."
"But we have a reason for wanting to go," went on Phil. And then, knowing he could trust Captain Sanders, he told the story of the stolen gems and the search for Merwell and Jasniff.
"Humph! that's a queer yarn," mused the captain of the Golden Eagle. "Supposing I got a cargo for that port—you'd go along?"
"I would," answered the shipowner's son, promptly. "That is, if dad would let me—and I'm sure he would."
"So would I go," added Dave.
"I'd have to go—to look after the others," said Dunston Porter, with a smile.
"Well, you can't leave me in the cold," came from Roger. "If the rest went, I'd go too."
"Come down to the cabin and talk it over," said Captain Sanders, and led the way across the deck and down the companionway.
Once below they were invited to remain to supper and did so. While at the meal the boys and Dunston Porter told all they knew concerning the case against Merwell and Jasniff, and the captain told what he knew about the Emma Brower and her commander.
"I am going to telegraph to my father about this," said Phil, a little later. "If this vessel can get a cargo for Barbados she might as well sail for that port as anywhere."
"Well, I'm willing," answered Captain Sanders. "When will you send word to him?"
"Right away—I'll send him a telegram at once."
"I hope it turns out all right," said Dave. "I feel it is my duty to get after Merwell and Jasniff, and do it as soon as possible."