there remained nothing for jack and ray to do but climb aboard. with the determined old fisherman standing there in the stern of the betsy anne, looking coldly along the barrel of the old “barker,” as he called his pistol, the two lads felt that he had them at a disadvantage. from the age and condition of the revolver it did not look as if it could do very much damage. but nevertheless the two boys were not of a mind to experiment with its shooting qualities by making themselves the target. therefore they made haste to obey the old salt’s command, especially when he emphasized it by waving the “barker” very close to them. also they moved forward into the bow of the boat at his direction. then, as he tied the painter of captain eli’s dory to a stern cleat and grasped the tiller of his own boat, he muttered:
[128]
“now, blime me, wi’ all things shipshape, an’ two o’ th’ bloominest lobster pirates as ever was a-stowed awi in t’ bow, were hoff for haustin’s pool, miss betsy hanne.” he let out the sheet and shoved over the tiller, and as if in answer to his suggestion the little boat filled her main sail and presently was scudding merrily through the water.
all three occupants of the boat were silent for some time after that, but the doughty captain kept his eyes fastened on the two boys in the bow and the “barker” within convenient reach.
after a time, however, the little old one-legged fisherman could stand the silence no longer, and began to muse once more, apparently addressing the betsy anne as before.
“me bein’ a jest man as ’ow i are an’ me bein’ a right-minded person as ’ow i ’opes i are, ’ow can i g’ back on me bloomin’ senses? ’ere i been a-findin’ o’ my traps robbed, these weeks past, an’ ’ere i comes along hin me hole betsy hanne an’ finds these ’ere two a-robbin’ of ’em and then i says t’ one o’ ’em, says i, ‘whose ’nitials is j. s.?’ an’ ’e says, says ’e, ‘my ’nitials is j. s.,’ an’ i says, then,’ ’ere’s[129] your watch as i found hin my lobster traps,’ says i, an’ then ’e ups an’ denies hit and says, says ’e, ‘hit ain’t my watch, ’ere’s my watch,’ an’ goes fer t’ find ’is watch, an’ then seems surprised like ’cause it ain’t hin ’e’s pocket which o’ course hit ain’t ’cause hit’s in my ’and all t’ time, an’ then ’e says, says ’e, ‘oh i left hit ’ome wi’ cap’n eli,’ says ’e, an’ i ax ye, me bein’ a jest man as ever was an’ a right-thinkin’ hole sea-dog as is, i ax ye, what for are i t’ think?”
“i tell you, we are not lobster thieves. we are from the construction camp over on hood island. we’re friends of captain eli’s—captain eli whittaker, the keeper of hood island light,” asserted jack, who had become very indignant listening to the old man’s recital.
“o-ho-ho, ’ear ’im now. blime me hif ’e don’t talk back as is just what all crooked lobster piruts does. look ’ere, sonny, ’ow’s hit you was a-raisin’ o’ my lobster pots then?” asked the lobsterman.
“why, i hauled it because jack here never saw a lobster pot before and he was just curious. i wanted to show him. we didn’t take a single fish and we didn’t intend to. i know[130] it was wrong for us to even haul it but then we aren’t thieves. and we don’t know who’s been taking your lobsters either,” said ray, who had also become irritated by the old salt.
“keel ’aul me, listen at ’im. ’e says as ’ow ’e’s friend ’ere ain’t nuvver seen a lobster pot. o-ho-ho, a likely story, young feller, o-ho-ho.”
“it’s true, though,” insisted jack. “we are friends of captain eli. why, that’s his dory we have been using.”
“listen at ’im now, listen. ’e says as ’ow that’s cap’n eli’s dory when cap’n eli’s dory is brown painted,” mused the old tar.
“pooh, you don’t use your eyes,” exploded ray in disgust. “can’t you see that that dory has just been repainted green.”
“as fer my a-usin’ my heyes, mebby i does an’ then agin’ mebby i don’t. me not bein’ a man give for to arger enny, i won’t say ‘ay’ ner ‘nay.’ but i say, say i, hif that air his cap’n eli’s dory painted green, why t’ on’y way as two o’ the bloomines’ lobster piruts as ever was come by hit is they come by hit crooked, same has they comes by ever’thing else. cap’n eli ain’t goin’ for t’ lend his dory as is painted brown to two o’ t’ crookedest lobster stealers[131] as was ever fit for to walk t’ plank, blime me. go for t’ conterdick that will ’e,” answered the fisherman with finality.
“oh, pshaw, what’s the use of arguing with him,” said jack in disgust.
“right an’ so, right an’ so. hit ain’t no use for t’ argey wi’ me. save hit all for t’ bloomin’ warden. ’es paid for t’ argey, ’e is, an’ argey ’e will, that’s sartin’.”
“i hope he’s easier to convince than our friend with the peg leg here. but i guess he will. i’ve been to austin’s pool before with uncle vance and they all seem civilized there at least,” said ray to jack, under his breath.
again the three lapsed into silence while the betsy anne slipped away on a long port reach. hood island dropped behind rapidly, and off the starboard bow jack and ray could see a thin gray speck on the horizon which they concluded must be the mainland.
“how long does it take this craft of yours to make austin’s pool or wherever it is you are taking us?” demanded jack of the skipper a little later when the betsy anne had come about and started on a starboard tack.
“has soon’s any craft o’ ’er size kin make[132] hit,” was the lobsterman’s ambiguous reply.
“huh, that’s definite,” muttered the lad from vermont.
“well, then i shud say as ’ow she’d make hit soon enough for warden williams to lock two capital lobster piruts hup before supper,” added the fisherman.
“jiminy,” said jack, quite disturbed. “that means we won’t get back to hood island until long after dark, ray, even if we can convince this warden fellow, whoever he is, that we are not lobster thieves.”
“’ood hisland,” exclaimed the lobsterman. “ye ain’t expectin’ ever for t’ git back there again, are ’e? why, that warden jest goes daft on lobster piruts like you. ’e’ll keep ’e in ’is lockup for a year or two, mebby three,” assured the lobsterman.
the thoughts of such a possibility really began to worry jack. he knew perfectly well that he and ray could convince any fair-minded person that they were not lobster pirates. in truth, if worse came to worse, they could send for mr. warner and some of their friends in the construction camp and in that way prove their innocence. but at best that[133] would take a whole day and perhaps longer, and he had visions of spending time in some vile-smelling country jail until assistance arrived.
such disturbing thoughts occupied them both for most of the afternoon. they conversed in undertones occasionally, but for the most part they were silent, thinking of their strange predicament and wondering what their friends back on hood island would think when they did not turn up at the sound of bongo’s supper call that evening.
as the sun dropped lower in the western sky a stiffer breeze sprung up and the betsy anne redoubled her speed. already she had approached so close to the mainland that jack and ray could hear the grumble of the surf that rolled in upon the rock-strewn beach, and it was not long after that when the little boat was headed into a big crescent-shaped bay about four miles across where the beach was broad and of the whitest sand. at one horn of the crescent was a little hamlet and innumerable docks, while far across on the other side was a long low sandy point which stretched out into the water and was capped with what appeared[134] at a distance to be a number of dilapidated sheds. jack learned later that this sandy cape was called frenchman’s point, and that the shanties he saw were the dwellings of a horde of french canadians, half-breed indians and other riffraff that lived on what they could find or steal along the beach.
the betsy anne headed in for the docks at the pool. the long low piers were fairly crowded with craft of all kinds, ranging from tiny motor boats and fishing sloops to long low-bank schooners and trim-looking trawlers. this was austin’s pool, one of the best-known fishing villages in that section of maine, and the point from which fish and lobsters were sent to portland, boston, and new york.
fishermen swarmed over the dock. some were loading their little vessels with tubs of bait and butts of water, others were unloading their day’s catch, while still others were just sitting around on the string pieces or tie posts, smoking and gossiping and waiting for the time to put out for a night’s work on near-by fishing grounds.
old mitchell took particular care to bring the betsy anne alongside of the most popular[135] dock of all and as he came about and dropped the main sail of his sloop he was greeted by a chorus from the pier.
“how’s luck over hood island way, mitch?”
“how many markers this time, english?”
“what’s the haul?”
to this last the lobsterman answered by waving his “barker” and pointing to the two lads in the bow.
“what’s t’ ’aul, say you? why, ’ere’s t’ ’aul. two o’ t’ bloominest lobster piruts as ever was. found ’em a robbin’ o’ my traps right afore my heyes,” he said with a grin.
instantly jack and ray became the center of attention. seamen gathered from all quarters, it seemed, and looked the lads over, as old mitchell forced them to climb the landing ladder.
of course the two boys felt greatly humiliated at all this, especially since the lobsterman still insisted on flourishing his revolver.
“aw, say, there’s no need of your parading that revolver, is there?” demanded jack, who had become quite indignant. “we’re your prisoners and we’ll go with you peaceably so you can stick it back into your pocket. you[136] make us look like a couple of desperate characters that way.”
“desprut? now blow me hif ye ain’t desprut. i shed say i won’t put me ‘barker’ awi. i ain’t tikin’ no chances of your a-runnin’ hoff, i ain’t. go on, walk hup a’ead o’ me now,” said the old mariner with emphasis.
“be keerful, mitch,” said one of the fishermen. “they looks t’ me like murderers. see t’ willinus mug on that air one with t’ blue jacket.”
“been a-stealin’ yer lobsters, eh, mitch?” said another. “wall, t’ last lobster pirut got ten years. like es not t’ judge’ll give these ’ere lads just es much.”
“look a bad lot, they does,” remarked some one else.
all this and a great deal more was said by the fishermen as the lads walked up the dock in front of old mitchell. of course they felt humiliated. who could feel otherwise under the circumstances?
from the pier the lads proceeded up the board walk of a narrow street lined with low sheds and dingy stores which reeked with the odor of fish. their alert guard stumped along[137] behind them still with the revolver at their backs.
but presently as they went on the thumping of mitchell’s wooden leg suddenly ceased and immediately the old man set up a great hue and cry.
“’ere, ’ere, stop ’em, they’re a-runnin’ awi. stop ’em, i say.”
jack and ray stopped in surprise and turned to look and what they saw almost convulsed them with laughter.
there was the lobsterman in the middle of the board walk struggling to release the end of his peg leg from the grip of a knot hole into which he had stepped, and at the same time trying to keep the lads covered with his revolver. it was extremely ludicrous and the boys simply could not help laughing at the old man’s plight.
“ha, ha, ho, ho, he stepped in a knot hole,” cried jack in glee.
“now’s our chance to run, he, he, ho, ho, ho. he couldn’t shoot or run or do much of anything now, could he? look at him squirm,” shouted ray.
“what’s the use of running? that would[138] make us look guilty. ha, ha, ha, this is funny. come on, let’s help the old duffer out of his fix,” said jack.
and much to the amazement of the lobsterman, the two “desprut” lobster pirates returned and pried his wooden appendage out of the hole into which it had been wedged.
“well, blow me, this is funny,” said mitchell, when he was again on a firm foundation. “i thought as ’ow you’d run hoff when ye seed me in such a pickle.”
“we told you we’d go along peaceably, didn’t we?” said jack, still giggling.
“keel ’aul me, so ye did, so ye did,” said their captor, and for the rest of the journey up the narrow street he stumped along beside them with the revolver concealed in his pocket.
the trio stopped, at mitchell’s direction, before a dingy building over the door of which hung a faded notary’s sign, bearing the name of william williams. the lobsterman pushed open the door and the two lads preceded him into the dim interior. a cloud of thick tobacco smoke filled the place, and the lads were not long in discovering that it emanated from a tremendous pipe being smoked[139] by an equally tremendous individual who sat behind a desk in one corner of the room. he was a giant of a man, but for all that he had a good-natured face, and ray and jack liked him immediately. there was another person in the room also, a boy of about ray’s age and not unlike him in build and features. he sat at a smaller desk against the opposite wall and was evidently warden williams’ assistant.
“well, ’ere i are, warden, ’ere i are wi’ two o’ t’ bloominest funniest lobster piruts as ever i sees. ’ere i finds ’em a-’aulin’ o’ my lobster traps in broad daylight an’ one o’ ’em says as ’ow ’is ’nitials is t’ same es on ’is watch what i found in my lobster traps t’ other day, an’ yet ’e’s all fer denyin’ as ’e is a thief, blime ’e. now hif—”
“what? what’s all this stuff you’re tryin’ t’ say?” demanded the warden, who was very much puzzled by the jumble of words old mitchell had just delivered.
“why, it’s this way, sir,” said jack, speaking up. “ray and i are from the hood island lighthouse construction camp. this afternoon we went out in captain eli’s dory for a[140] row. we caught some fish too, and by chance ran across one of mr. mitchell’s lobster pots. i come from vermont and i never saw a lobster trap in my life or knew how lobsters were caught and i asked ray here to tell me something about them.
“well, ray volunteered to pull up one of the traps to show me what they looked like and just when we had hauled it and were looking at it, along came the owner here and arrested us for lobster stealing. we never took any of his lobsters and never intended to. then he asked if my initials were j. s. and i said that they were. my name is john monroe strawbridge. then he felt certain that he had caught the men who had been robbing his lobster pots. you see, a few days ago he had found a watch and chain caught in one of his lobster pots and the watch bore the initials j. s. it was not my watch, however, for mine has the initials j. m. s., and furthermore my watch is now in the possession of captain eli whittaker, the keeper of hood island light. i loaned it to him several weeks ago and never thought to get it back. i told mr. mitchell all this, but he would not believe me and arrested[141] us at the point of a revolver and brought us here. do i state the case right, mr. mitchell?”
“right has ever was,” said the old lobsterman, quite surprised to hear jack make such a confession. “right an’ proper as ever was an’ ’ere’s t’ watch, sir.”
mitchell brought forth the big silver timepiece and laid it on the table before the warden.
“that isn’t my watch,” asserted jack. “mine’s gold.” he said the last with no little pride.
but the warden was not listening to him. he was examining the watch instead, and there was a certain eagerness about him as he turned the heavy timepiece over and over in his hand.
“you found this in your lobster pot?” he demanded.
“keel ’aul me hif i didn’t, sir, an’ i can tell ’e ’ow hit got there, too.”
“pooh, don’t take t’ trouble. i know. i lost a watch on a lobster pot once myself. chain caught in the net and when i shoved the trap overboard it jerked the watch out of my pocket and overboard it went. lots of watches have been lost that way.”
“ay, ay, sir,” said mitchell.
[142]
“say, do you know who this belongs to?” said the warden. “do you really know who’s been tampering with your lobster traps?”
“why, ’im as says ’is ’nitials is j. s.,” said the lobsterman, pointing with his thumb to jack.
“pshaw, no. that watch belongs to john salmon—salmon jack, you know him. the cutthroat over at frenchman’s point. why, i’ve been trying to get some evidence on him for the last six months and this is the best we’ve found yet. this is his watch all right. i’ve seen it before and so has many another man.”
“eh, what, blime me? then ’e mean t’ say these ’ere lads ain’t lobster piruts?” demanded mitchell incredulously.
“why, i don’t believe they are. they look like honest lads,” said the warden.
“well, keel ’aul me, now i come t’ think on’t they do that. my mistake, lads, axin’ yer parding, my mistake,” said the old man, quite put out at the turn affairs had taken. “i ’opes ye’ll excuse an hole sea-dog as is on’y got one leg. i ax yer parding, i does.”
“tut, tut, don’t mention it,” said jack and ray together, as they shook the old fellow’s[143] hand. “we only hope you’ll take us back to hood island with you.”
“i’d be ’onored, lads, ’onored. i on’y wish i ’adn’t brung ’e awi.”
“i’m mighty glad you did,” said the warden, “for you’ve brought the best piece of evidence i’ve ever been able to get against the worst lobster pirate on the maine coast. the lobster patrol has been looking to get something on him for a long time and now, by george, if you’ll help me get out a warrant against him, we’ll arrest him. we’ll raid frenchman’s point this very night and arrest him and two or three others i have warrants for.”
“an’ hif ye git t’ beggar wi’ now, jest let me ’ave one crack at ’im wi’ a b’layin’ pin er such like,” said mitchell truculently.
“we’ll think about that afterward, but, by hookey, we’ll get salmon jack to-night or i’ll resign my job as chief of the lobster patrol. dave, you go get steve basset, ben emery, joe milliken an’ whoever else you can find and swear ’em all in as deputies. tell ’em we’re going to raid frenchman’s point to-night and to meet me at the long dock at half-past eight.”
the lad in the corner of the room left the[144] dingy office immediately. then the warden turned to mitchell and said, “you’d better come along too, if you want to see some fun. you can take care of our boats while we land on the point. then you’ll be able to get a good look at the man who robbed your traps for we’ll bring him back with us or i’ll quit being an officer.”
“may we go too?” exclaimed jack and ray in one breath. “we’re pretty husky.”
“sure thing. i’ll swear you in as deputies too. this will be a big night, you can bet. we’re after the scalps of several men besides salmon jack and they all hang out at the point.”
“whoop-e-e-e, great!” exclaimed jack.
“i’m keen for excitement,” said ray.
“all right, boys, you’ll get enough of it, i guess. in the meantime you two and mitchell can come on up to my house and have supper. we’ll start from the long dock at eight-thirty.”
