“the captain wishes to see you at once.”
an orderly had just stepped up to ned and given the above message. ned hastened aft at once. such orders were to be obeyed in a hurry. as he went along the decks he wondered what the import of the summons might be.
“i’ll bet it is something to do with that police business,” he thought to himself uneasily as he quickened his steps.
the captain was seated at his desk writing, when ned entered and stood bareheaded and upright, respectfully waiting till the captain addressed him. at last commander dunham looked up from his desk.
“well, you got them all, i hear, strong.”
“yes, sir.”
[88]
“excellent work. any trouble?”
“nothing to speak of, sir.”
the captain smiled.
“you hardly do yourself justice, strong. a wireless from the shore has just been placed in my hands highly commending your work. incidentally, there was a reward of three hundred dollars for the capture of that tea smuggler you trapped on the roof.”
“three hundred dollars, sir!”
ned could hardly believe his ears.
“yes, and from what i hear, you have fully earned it. of course, you won’t object to taking it?”
“well hardly, sir.”
“sit down now and tell me all about your adventures ashore, strong. i am interested in knowing the details of such a meritorious performance as yours has been.”
ned, with a very red face, seated himself at his superior’s orders and launched into his story.[89] he mentioned himself as little as he could, but it was impossible for the captain not to read between the lines of ned’s plain, unembroidered story and recognize him for the plucky, gritty young tar that he was.
he was half through his narration when the orderly entered the cabin.
“officer of the deck reports a police launch approaching, sir.”
poor ned! his heart began to beat thick and fast. he hardly dared to look up. suppose that some charge should be made against him, how could he face the captain who had just been complimenting him so highly? his embarrassment was not lessened by his knowledge that he actually had no reason to fear anything.
“report to me when they make fast,” ordered the captain. “now go on, strong. you had hidden behind a barrel, i think you were saying.”
ned went on with his narrative, but he related it haltingly. his mind was on the police launch and what its possible mission might be.
[90]
the orderly came back.
“the launch has made fast, sir. the british consul and the chief of police of san francisco are on board. they wish to see you.”
“show them in. you may remain, strong.”
ned got to his feet and took up a standing position in a corner of the cabin. in a few minutes the orderly returned with the chief of police, a fat, pompous-looking man with a large, straw-colored moustache and goatee, and the british consul, a tall, sun-burned man with a kindly countenance and affable manner.
after the preliminaries of introduction were over, the chief of police plumped out the question that ned had been dreading to hear.
“you have a man named strong on board this ship?” he asked.
“yes, gunner’s-mate strong,” was the rejoinder. “in fact, he is here now.”
the captain waved a hand toward ned, who swallowed hard and prepared to take calmly[91] whatever was to come. what game was this? the british consul, quite forgetting his official dignity, crossed the cabin in two jumps and seized ned’s hand and began wringing it as if it had been a pump handle.
“let me thank you, although no words can express my gratitude,” he exclaimed, “for the noble act you performed in the park when you saved my daughter from almost certain death on a runaway horse.”
“eh? what’s this?” exclaimed captain dunham.
“simply, sir, that you have in your crew one of the most modest heroes i ever heard of,” cried the consul enthusiastically. “he rescued my daughter when her horse ran away with her and would almost certainly have dashed her to death had it not been for this lad’s bravery. i want to express my admiration for the nation that can produce such fine types of young manhood.”
“i—i—just grabbed the horse, that’s all, sir,”[92] replied ned. “you see on the farm i’d been used to horses and so it was really no trick at all. i hope the young lady is recovered?”
“yes, and i have here a letter from her asking you and your companion who assisted you in your brave deed to come to dinner with us to-morrow night. i also wish to express in some more solid manner the full burden of my gratitude.”
“thank you very much, sir,” replied ned, “but the fleet sails to-morrow at noon and all shore leave will be stopped to-morrow.”
“too bad! too bad!” exclaimed the consul. “my daughter was so anxious to thank you personally for your bravery. had it not been for the fact that your cap was picked up on the drive, we should never even have known who it was that performed such a brave deed.”
“how was that?” inquired captain dunham, very much interested.
“why, right after the horse had been stopped, the two young men hurried away. but mr.[93] strong’s cap was picked up by a policeman on the drive, and the fact that his name was inside it made it easy to trace him,” said the chief of police. “and, incidentally, i also want to shake this young man’s hand. his marooning of that gang of rascals on the roof of the ‘fair wind’ was the cleverest bit of work i’ve heard of in many a long day. they are all in for long terms in jail, too.”
“what about the reward, chief?” asked the captain.
“that, of course, is a federal matter, as the smuggling charges are not under our jurisdiction. and now, if i may, i would like to take this young man’s deposition, inasmuch as the fleet is to sail to-morrow.”
“very well. there need be no delay,” said the captain.
“but pardon me, sir, i must take it before a notary public.”
“is that so? well, in that case, strong, i will[94] give you shore leave till midnight. you have earned it.”
“thank you, sir,” rejoined ned, his cup of joy brimful, “and—and, sir, may——”
“may taylor, your inseparable, accompany you? yes, by all means. this will give you lads an opportunity to accept the kind invitation of mr. bretherton to dinner. now be off, my lad, and you can go ashore in the chief’s launch. the steamer will be at the landing at midnight. don’t fail to be there.”
“oh, no, sir!”
ned saluted and hastened to get ready for his shore trip. what a wonderful day it had been, he thought, as he looked about for herc to impart the news to him!
