the lighter had been slowly moving ahead, but not under the influence of her sail, for the main sheet was free and the piece of canvas was idly flapping in the wind. consequently the boys had no difficulty in coming up to her in their boat. now they were ready to lower the small craft they carried slung on davits at the stern. this was a new addition to the gull, put in place since the rescue of paul gale, for the brothers thought they might need it if they chanced to sight the wreck of the motor boat. now it was likely to come in useful.
“lower your sail,” called andy to frank. “then we can leave the gull to drift while we pull over and see what’s up.”
the canvas came down on the run, and then frank assisted his brother in lowering the small boat.
“hurry! hurry!” begged the man on the mast of the lighter. “one big gray-bearded monkey is getting ready to shin up after me, and there’s a twenty-foot snake wiggling this way from the after hatch. hurry!”
andy paused in the operation of lowering the boat.
“say, we’re going to be up against it ourselves if we board that lighter,” he said to frank.
“i know it, but i don’t intend to board her until i get those creatures out of our way.”
“but how you going to do it?” his brother wanted to know.
“i’ll make some plan after we row over and talk to the man. it’s queer how he happened to have such a cargo, and how they got loose. lower away.”
the little craft took the water easily and was soon riding under the stern of the gull. frank and andy slid down the rope falls, after tossing two pairs of oars into the boat, and unhooked the blocks, leaving them dangling to be used on their return to hoist the boat up to the davits again.
“we’re coming!” yelled frank, in answer to another frantic appeal for aid. “how many of them are there?”
“about a million snakes and ten thousand monkeys!” was the frightened reply. “come on! i can’t hang here much longer.”
“where did they come from?” demanded andy, when he and his brother were near the side of the lighter.
“i got a job of transferring them from a ship that’s just in from south america, to a dock up near seabright way,” answered the man.
“how’d they get loose?” frank wanted to know.
“hanged if i know,” was the reply. “i was sailing along easy like, when all of a sudden i felt something on my leg. it was sort of squeezin’ me, and when i looked down i saw a big snake crawling up. i gave one yell and scudded across the deck. then i saw a monkey making faces at me from the hatchway. the long tailed beasts must have broken out of their cages, and then the monkeys let the snakes loose. i climbed up here, and here i am.”
“are they savage?” asked andy.
“say, for the love of lobsters don’t ask so many questions!” begged the man. “get aboard here and drive the critters away so i can come down. one of the monkeys cast off the main sheet and spilled the wind out of the sail.”
“it’s a good thing he did, or we couldn’t have come up to you,” called frank. “we’ll see what we can do. where are the cages?”
“down in the hold. the steamer captain, when i took the beasts, told me to keep ’em below, and i did, but i didn’t think they’d get loose so i didn’t have the hatch covers on.”
“well, it’s easier than i thought,” went on frank. “wait a minute and we’ll be back.”
he started to row their boat toward the gull.
“oh, don’t leave me!” wailed the man.
“i’m not going to,” shouted back the elder racer boy.
“what are you going to do?” asked his brother.
“go back and get some grub, and my revolver with blank cartridges in it.”
“what’s that for?”
“you’ll see.”
the brothers were soon aboard their own sailing craft again, and frank quickly secured the weapon, directing andy to pack in a bag all the spare food on board, for the boys usually kept a supply in a small galley, in case they were ever becalmed over night.
“here’s some crackers, some cans of peaches, some peanuts and a lot of stale popcorn balls,” announced andy.
“that’ll do. get a dish, and bring along the can opener,” ordered frank. “i guess that will do.”
“oh, i’m on to your game now,” said andy.
“i’ll want some condensed milk, too,” went on the older boy. “got any?”
“yes, here’s a couple of cans.”
“good, bring ’em along and another dish. now i guess we’re ready.”
they were soon at the side of the lighter again with their odd collection.
“where is the safest place to come aboard?” asked frank of the man, who was still up the mast.
“right amidships,” he answered. “there’s not a snake or monkey near there now, and it’s right by the open hatch.”
“good!” answered frank. “that’ll do. make our boat fast, andy, and follow me. bring the grub.”
his brother obeyed, and soon the two lads were aboard the lighter. they saw a group of monkeys aft, chattering and wrestling among themselves, whether in play or anger was not evident. forward were several large snakes contentedly sunning themselves on deck. there did not seem to be so much danger as the man had said, though doubtless if the monkeys were really aroused they might injure some one, as several were very large specimens.
“quick now!” called frank to andy. “help me spread out this grub near the open hatch. open the cans of peaches and pour them over the crackers in the dish. do the same with the condensed milk, only put that in a separate dish. it’s lucky the snakes are forward, they’ll get a whiff of it there.”
soon there was an array of food about the open hatch. so far the monkeys had paid no attention to the boys, for the brothers had worked silently, the man on the mast watching them curiously, but still afraid to come down.
“now i guess we’re ready,” announced frank. “come over here, andy, and we’ll hide under this pile of canvas.”
with his revolver in readiness, frank led the way, followed by his brother. when they were both concealed from view frank reached out his hand, and tossed several crackers toward the group of monkeys. there was a movement among them, and the chattering broke out doubly loud. one monkey grabbed a cracker in each paw, but they were immediately snatched from him by some of his mates. then the whole crowd caught sight of the food around the open hatch and made a mad dash for it.
at the same time the snakes must have smelled the milk, and, as it is well known that these reptiles are very fond of this liquid, they crawled toward it.
“now’s my chance!” exclaimed frank, when he saw the snakes and monkeys grouped about the hole in the deck, eagerly devouring the food. he raised his revolver in the air and fired several shots rapidly.
the effect was almost magical. with screams of fright the monkeys fairly leaped down the dark hole, and the snakes with angry hisses followed them. in less than five seconds not an animal or reptile was on deck.
“quick! the hatch cover!” cried frank, springing from under the canvas. his brother followed and the cover was clapped into place.
“good enough!” yelled the man, climbing down from the mast, and assisting the boys to make the cover fast. “now i’ve got the critters where i want ’em, and i’ll keep ’em there until i get to the dock. then the man that owns ’em can take ’em out. i won’t. that was a slick trick, all right, boys. i’d never thought of that. you saved my life.”
“oh, i guess they wouldn’t have killed you,” spoke frank. “but what’s going to be done with them?”
“they’re to go in some sort of summer show up seabright way, i reckon. my! but i’m obliged to you boys! how much do i owe you?” and the man made a motion toward his pocket.
“nothing,” answered frank quickly. “we’re glad we could help you. i guess you won’t have any more trouble.”
“not if you keep the hatch closed,” added andy.
“and you can make up your mind that i will!” answered the man decidedly. “no more snake or monkey cargoes for me. well, i’ll get along now, i guess. say, i’d like to make you boys a present. i’ve got some prime lobsters that a fellow gave me. they’re all alive. won’t you take some along?”
“well, we generally can eat them,” spoke frank. “and my mother is very fond of lobster salad.”
“don’t say another word,” exclaimed the lighterman. “here you are,” and he drew forth a basket from under a pile of bagging at the foot of the mast. “take ’em along.”
there were a dozen fine, large lobsters in the basket as andy ascertained by a peep, and then, after thanking the man for them, and making sure that the hatch cover was on tight, the brothers rowed back to their craft. as they sailed away they saw the man carrying a small ketch anchor and placing it on top of the hatch cover.
“he isn’t taking any chances,” remarked frank.
“indeed not,” agreed his brother. “well, let’s see if we can pick up that mysterious man again.”
they looked all about, but there was no sign of the dory, and they felt that it would be useless to sail about in search, as it was getting late.
“let’s put for home,” proposed frank, and andy assented.
when nearing their mooring place andy got a piece of string and some strong paper, and proceeded to wrap up one of the largest lobsters.
“what are you going to do with that; give it to some of your girls?” asked frank.
“hu! i guess not,” was the somewhat indignant answer. “i’m going to have a little fun with it. there are more than we need in that basket.”
“look out that some one doesn’t have fun with you,” warned his brother.
“oh, i can take care of myself,” answered andy with a grin. he assisted his brother to carry the basket of lobsters up on the pier, and then, as they were rather heavy, and as a delivery wagon from a grocery where mrs. racer traded was at hand, frank decided to send the shell fish home in that.
“coming along?” asked the elder boy of his brother, as the delivery vehicle drove off.
“yes, but i want to have some fun first. i see chet sedley coming, and i’m going to make him a present of this lobster. it’s a lively one, and he won’t know what’s in the paper—until he opens it. watch me.”
frank shook his head, but smiled. he followed his brother at a distance. the town dude, attired more gorgeously than before, saw andy approaching, and was about to turn aside.
“hold on,” called andy. “i’m sorry about what happened a while ago, chet, and here’s a little present for you.”
he held out the package.
“what’s in it?” asked chet suspiciously, as he took it.
“why—er—” began andy, but just then mabel chase, one of the prettiest girls in harbor view, approached, and andy took off his hat chet did likewise, making an elaborate bow. at the same time he let slide to the sidewalk the package containing the lobster, and he gave it a shove with his foot so that it would be in back of him.
for chet was a very proud youth, and did not want to be seen carrying a bundle, especially by a young lady whose good opinion he desired.
“charming day, miss chase,” murmured chet, as he resumed an upright position.
“delightful,” agreed the girl. “where have you been, andy? i haven’t seen you in some time.”
“oh, we have been sailing.”
“have you rescued any more strange boys?” she went on. “oh, i think that was so romantic! does he know who he is yet?” for the story of paul gale was well known in harbor view by this time.
“he hasn’t the least idea,” answered andy.
“beautiful day,” observed chet, edging nearer to the girl. “oh, i said that before, didn’t i?” he asked in confusion, for the dude’s powers of talk were rather limited. “i mean, do you think it’s going to rain?”
“hardly,” replied andy. “but say, chet, why don’t you open the present i gave you?”
andy could not resist the opportunity of seeing how his joke would turn out—especially when there was a girl present to witness it.
“oh, i—i don’t want to now,” replied chet, and he took a step backward. accidentally he stepped on the paper containing the large lobster. the string slipped off. there was a rustling movement in the wrapping and the paper suddenly opened. something of a sort of greenish hue came into view; something with big claws. neither chet nor andy noticed it, for they were both talking to miss mabel. the girl saw the lobster slowly reach up one large claw.
“oh!” she screamed.
“what’s the matter?” asked andy.
he knew a moment later, for the crustacean caught him by the left ankle in a firm grip, and held on, while the would-be joker danced about on one leg, holding the other up in the air with the lobster dangling from it. the tables were effectually turned.
