The Rover Boys on Land and Sea: The Crusoes of Seven Islands Page 10

  CHAPTER IX

  IN WHICH THE ENEMY IS CORNERED

  The loud talking had attracted the attention of Captain Blossom, andnow the master of the _Golden Wave_ strode up to the crowd.

  "What's going on here?" he demanded of the Rover boys. "Why are younot at work, as I ordered?"

  "I have made an important discovery," answered Dick. "Is this yourpassenger, Captain Blossom?"

  "He is. What of him?"

  "He is a thief and ran away from San Francisco to escape the police."

  "It's a falsehood!" roared Dan Baxter. "They have made a mistake. Iam a respectable man just out of college, and my father, Doctor L.Z. Brown, is a well-known physician of Los Angeles. I am travelingto Australia for my health."

  "His real name is Daniel Baxter and his father is now in prison,"said Tom. "He robbed us of our money and some diamonds while we werestopping at a hotel in San Francisco. The detectives followed himup, but he slipped them by taking passage on your ship."

  "I tell you my name is Brown--Robert Brown!" stormed Baxter. "Thisis some plot hatched up against me. Who are these fellows, anyway?"he went on, turning to the captain.

  "They came from the steamer we ran into," answered Captain Blossom.

  "I never saw them before."

  At this moment Dora touched the captain on the shoulder.

  "Please, captain," she said, "I knew Dan Baxter quite well and I amsure this young man is the same person."

  "It aint so. I tell you, captain, it is a plot."

  "What kind of a plot could it be?" asked Captain Blossom. He scarcelyknew what to say.

  "I don't know. Perhaps they want to get hold of my money," went onBaxter, struck by a sudden idea.

  "That's right, we do want to get hold of the money!" cried Sam. "Forit belongs to us--at least two hundred and seventy-five dollars ofit--not counting what he may have got on the diamonds and the cuffbuttons."

  "You shan't touch my money!" screamed Baxter.

  "Captain, he ought to be placed under arrest," said Dick.

  Dora had gone back to the cabin and now she returned in great hastewith Nellie and Grace.

  "To be sure, that is Dan Baxter," said Nellie.

  "There can be no mistake," put in Grace, "We all know him only too well."

  "You see, Captain Blossom, that we are six to one," said Tom. "Andyou will surely believe the ladies."

  "How is you all happen to know him so well?" demanded the captaincuriously.

  "We know him because we all went to school together," answered Dick."These young ladies lived in the vicinity of the school. We hadtrouble with Baxter at school and later on out West, and ever sincethat time he has been trying to injure us. We met him in San Franciscoin the hotel lobby and at night he went to our room, cut open atraveling bag and unlocked our trunks and robbed us of two hundredand seventy-five dollars in cash, some diamond studs, a pair of cuffbuttons, and some clothing."

  "I've got an idea!" almost shouted Sam. "Maybe he has some of thestolen stuff in his stateroom."

  "Yes, yes, let us search the stateroom: by all means!" exclaimed Tom.

  "You shall not touch my room!" howled Baxter, turning pale. "I havenothing there but my own private property."

  "If that is so, you shouldn't object to having the stateroom searched,"observed Captain Blossom.

  "If we get back our money we may be able to pay you something, captain,for our passage," said Dick.

  This was a forceful argument and set Captain Blossom to thinking. Hewas a man who loved money dearly.

  "I will go along and we will look around the stateroom," he said,after a pause.

  "This is an outrage!" cried Dan Baxter. "I will have the law on youfor it."

  "Shut up! I am master on my own ship," retorted Captain Blossom, andled the way to the stateroom Dan Baxter occupied. The door was lockedand Baxter refused to give up the key. But the captain had a duplicate,and soon he and the Rover boys were inside the room. Baxter followedthem, still expostulating, but in vain.

  "Here is a pocketbook full of bills!" cried Tom, bringing the articleto light.

  "Here is my light overcoat!" came from Dick. "See, it has my initialsembroidered in the hanger. Aunt Martha did that for me."

  "Here are my gold cuff buttons!" exclaimed Sam. "They were a presentfrom my father and they have my monogram engraved on each." And heshowed the articles to the captain.

  "I reckon it's a pretty clear case against you," said Captain Blossom,turning to Dan Baxter.

  "Here are half a dozen letters," said Tom, holding them up. "You cansee they are all addressed to Daniel Baxter. That's his name, andhe'd be a fool to deny it any longer."

  "Well, I won't deny it," cried the big bully. "What would be theuse--you are all against me--even the captain."

  "I am not against you," retorted Captain Blossom. "But if you are athief I want to know it. Why did you give me your name as Robert Brown?"

  "That's my business." Baxter paused for a moment. "Now you have foundme out, what are you going to do about it?" he went on brazenly. "Youcan't arrest me on shipboard."

  "No, but we can have you arrested when we land," said Dick. "And inthe meantime we will take charge of what is our own."

  "Here are some pawn tickets for the diamonds," said Sam, who wascontinuing the search. "They show he got seventy-five dollars on them."

  "We will keep the tickets--and the seventy-five dollars, too--if wecan find the money," said Tom.

  But the money could not be found, for the greater part had been turnedover to Captain Blossom for Baxter's passage to Australia and therest spent before leaving shore. The pocketbook contained only twohundred and thirty dollars.

  "What did he pay you for the passage?" questioned Dick of the captain.

  "One hundred dollars."

  "Then you ought to turn that amount over to our credit."

  "Why, what do you mean?"

  "I mean that Dan Baxter has no right to a free passage on your ship,since he bought that passage with our money. Let him work his wayand place that passage money to our credit."

  "That's the way to talk," put in Tom. "Make him work by all means."

  "He deserves good, hard labor," came from Sam.

  "I don't think you can make me work!" burst out Dan Baxter. "I am apassenger and I demand that I be treated as such."

  "You are an impostor!" returned Captain Blossom bluntly. "The factthat you used an assumed name proves it. If I wanted to do so, Icould clap you in the ship's brig until we reach port and chain youinto the bargain. I want no thieves on board my ship."

  "Here is more of our clothing," came from Tom.

  "Pick out all the things that are yours," said the captain. "And takethe other things that are yours, too."

  This was done, nobody paying any attention to Baxter's protests. Whenthe Rovers had what there was of their things the captain turned tothe bully.

  "I've made up my mind about you," he said, speaking with greatdeliberation. "I am master here, and a judge and jury into the bargain.You can take your choice: Either sign articles as a foremast handfor the balance of the trip, or be locked up as a prisoner, on prisonrations."

  "Do you mean th--that?" gasped Baxter, turning pale.

  "I do."

  "But the passage money Goes to the credit of these young fellows."

  "It's an outrage!"

  "No, it's simply justice, to my way of thinking. I'll give you untilto-morrow to make up your mind what you will do."

  This ended the talk with Dan Baxter. The captain said he wanted tosee the Rover boys in the cabin, and they followed him to that place.

  "Captain, I feel I must thank you for your fair way of managing thisaffair," said Dick, feeling that a few good words at this point wouldnot go amiss. "I hope you treat Baxter as he deserves."

  "I will try to do right," was Captain Blossom's answer. "But what Iwant to know now is, What do you intend to do with that money? Itseems to me I should be paid something for keeping you on board."
br />   "I have a proposition to make, captain. We will give you two hundreddollars if you will allow us to consider ourselves passengers. Andby 'us' I mean the young ladies as well as ourselves."

  "It's not very much."

  "If we pay you that amount it will leave us but thirty dollars, hardlyenough with which to cable home for more. Of course, when we get ourmoney in Australia we will pay you whatever balance is due you,--andsomething besides for saving us."

  This pleased Captain Blossom and he said he would accept the offer.The matter was discussed for half an hour, and it was decided thatthe boys should have two staterooms, the one occupied by Baxter andanother next to that given over to the girls.

  When Dora, Nellie, and Grace heard of the new arrangement that hadbeen made they were highly pleased.

  "I didn't want to see you do the work of a common sailor," said Dorato Dick.

  "Oh, it wouldn't kill me," he returned lightly. "Even as it is, I'llgive a hand if it is necessary."

  "It's a wonder Captain Blossom took to your offer so quickly."

  "He loves money, that's why, Dora. He would rather have that twohundred dollars than our services," and with this remark Dick hitthe nail squarely on the head.