"Is the skipper aboard?"
"Yes, he"s for"ard in his cabin. He"s gone to bed."
"Are you there, skipper," said Hal, knocking at the door of a small cabin.
"Hallo, there; what"s the matter?" shouted a voice from the inside, and presently the door opened and a head was thrust out.
"Can you take us to Port Arthur, to-night?"
"What?"
"Can you take us to Port Arthur, to-night?"
"No, I"ll be hanged if I can."
"That"s all right then. Sorry I disturbed you," said Hal, walking away.
"Hold hard, boss. Don"t be in such a blooming hurry," called out the skipper, appearing on the deck, b.u.t.toning up his garments.
"Now then, what"s it you want?"
"I want to go to Port Arthur, to-night."
"Impossible, why it"s ten o"clock now."
"Well, I want to start at once."
"Won"t Norfolk Bay do you? It"s only eight miles away: just a nice walk."
"Why Norfolk Bay?"
"Why, because Port Arthur lies outside, and to go there you have to face open sea, and it looks like blowing a bit. While if you go to Norfolk Bay, you are under shelter."
"I see; the boat is hardly big enough for the open sea."
"What! this boat! Go along with yer. I"d cross the Atlantic in her.
She"d face--"
"All right. Eight miles is not much of a walk. Can you start at twelve sharp? And if a fiver will squeeze matters so that we can return to-morrow--"
"That"ll do, sir. Twelve sharp it is. Now then boy, fire up like--"
"What"s the name of your boat?" asked Hal.
"_Tarantula._"
"And her Captain?"
"Captain John White, R.N."
Having made all arrangements, Hal returned to the hotel, where he found Goody quieted down and in quite an amiable mood, ready to cry for joy when Hal told him he was sure he would be able to take his daughter back with him. He bade Reg be ready by twelve sharp.
"Twelve sharp it is, my boy," said Reg. "And I hope I shall have a chance of handling this toy"--and he touched the morocco case which held the die.
CHAPTER XIII.
PORT ARTHUR.
"Good-bye, Mr. Goodchild. Be sure and carry out our instructions and, above all things, wire if you hear anything of Wyckliffe," said Hal, as he and Reg stepped on board the little steamer.
"You can depend on me, gentlemen. Good-bye, and G.o.d bless you," answered he from the pier.
"Now then, skipper, full speed ahead."
"Ay, ay, sir. Let her go, boy."
Once more the boys were on the deep. As the little boat steamed ahead, increasing the distance between them and the pier, they watched the figure of Goody standing by the gas-lamp. He had resisted all their endeavours to make him go to bed, and insisted on coming down to the pier to see them off.
"What time do you reckon to get there, skipper?" asked Reg, as they prepared to turn in.
"About day-break, sir. I"ll call you," answered the skipper, as he took the wheel.
A gruff voice bawling "All for sh.o.r.e," wakened them the next morning and, mounting to the deck they found the steamer was just entering the picturesque little bay. The sun was gilding the line of rugged hills that surrounded the bay and glinting on the water, and they both exclaimed in delight at the lovely scene before them.
The steamer was made fast alongside the little pier and, accompanied by the skipper they made their way to the hotel, an old building standing on the slope of the hill, a few hundred yards away.
"Mornin", skipper. You"re early," said a rough old fellow, appearing in the doorway.
"So we are, Clarke."
"Is there any conveyance to be had here to take us to Port Arthur?"
asked Hal.
"None, unless you wire to old Brown at the Port to bring his cart over."
"Then we"ll walk. Where"s the road?"
"Go right ahead, then turn to the right and follow the telegraph wire.
It will take you right into the Port," said Clarke, pointing out the direction.
"I suppose you don"t know if there is a yacht lying there?"
"Yes there is, or at least there was yesterday. It belongs to a young fellow named Wyckliffe, who sent word he was coming my way to-day, as he expected a lady," answered Clarke, with a smile.
"Well, good-bye, we will be back some time to-day," as they started on their journey.