"Where did he go?"
"I don"t know, and neither does Mr. Shepley."
"What will you do about----" began Dave, and cut himself short, as Jasper Van Blott came into the cabin.
"Mr. Van Blott, do you know anything about the captain?" questioned Phil.
"I do not," was the short reply.
"It is queer that he should stay away all night."
"Oh, captains like to have good times occasionally," continued the supercargo, with a sickly grin.
"If you mean by that, that Captain Marshall went off to have a good time, as you put it, I do not think so," returned Phil, coldly. "He is not that sort."
"Perhaps you know him better than I do," flared up the supercargo.
"I know that he is a man who sticks to his duty, Mr. Van Blott.
Something has gone wrong, or he would be back."
"As you please." The supercargo paused. "Well, it doesn"t matter much,"
he continued. "I know what to do, and I am going ahead without waiting for him."
"You mean about unloading?"
"Yes."
"Would it not be better to wait until Captain Marshall returns?"
"No, it would only be a waste of time."
No more was said just then, and a few minutes later breakfast was announced. As soon as it was over, Phil called his chums aside.
"I wish you"d do me a favor," he whispered. "Go ash.o.r.e and try to hunt up the captain. He must be around somewhere. I will try to hold the supercargo back as much as I can."
Dave and the senator"s son were willing, and in less than ten minutes were on the dock and moving for the streets beyond.
"Where are those boys going?" asked Jasper Van Blott, coming up to Phil.
"They are going to look for Captain Marshall."
"Humph!" muttered the supercargo, and said no more.
"I think we had better wait until the captain returns," went on Phil.
"I am not going to wait," snapped Van Blott. "I am going to get that cargo ash.o.r.e as quickly as it can be done."
And fifteen minutes later the hatches were opened and the work of getting out the boxes, barrels, and casks began.
CHAPTER XXIII
IN WHICH THE SUPERCARGO IS CORNERED
From one street corner Dave and Roger hurried to another, looking in every direction for some sign of Captain Marshall. This hunt they kept up for the best part of half an hour, but without success.
"He is certainly nowhere in this vicinity," said the senator"s son. "I wonder where he can be keeping himself."
They walked on more slowly, and at the entrance to a lane came to another halt. Then, chancing to look into the lane, Dave uttered a short cry:
"There he is!"
Coming along the lane was Captain Marshall. His step was an uncertain one, and he pitched from side to side. As the two boys ran forward, the master of the _Stormy Petrel_ gave a lurch and landed on some old boxes with a crash.
"Oh, Dave, can this be possible!" murmured Roger. "I did not think the captain would do it."
"Let us help him to the ship," answered Dave. He was as much shocked as his companion, and he could not help but think of what the supercargo had said.
"Oh, is it you, boys?" mumbled the captain, as he espied them. "I want to--to get back to the ship."
"We"ll help you," said Dave.
"I"ve had an awful night--my mind is in a perfect whirl," went on the master of the _Stormy Petrel_.
"We"ll soon have you safe on the bark," put in Roger.
The two a.s.sisted the captain to his feet. His eyes had a peculiar stare in them. Suddenly he clapped his hand to his pocket.
"Funny!" he muttered. "Very funny! I"ve got my watch! And I"ve got my money, too!"
"Did you think they were gone?" queried Dave.
"Well, I shouldn"t be--be surprised. I thought they did it to rob me.
What time is it? Oh, but I am weak in the legs, boys!"
"It is about eight o"clock."
"In the morning?"
"Yes."
"Then I must get back to the _Stormy Petrel_ by all means. I--how did you come to find me?"
"We were out looking for you," answered Roger. "We were alarmed, and so was Phil, because you didn"t come back last night."
"I--I meant to come back. Oh, how my head spins! I wish I had a drink of water! That coffee they dosed me with was vile."