"You know I always shovel in custard pie with my knife," said he, afterwards, in telling his mother about it; "but everybody else used a fork, and so I had to."
But Bobtail magnified the trials and tribulations of that grand dinner in the cabin of the Pen.o.bscot, for, by keeping his "weather eye" open, he hardly sinned against any of the proprieties of polite society, and some of the ladies even remarked how well he behaved for a poor boy. The dinner was finished at last, and "it was a tip-top dinner, too," for besides chowder and fried fish, there were roast beef and roast chicken, boiled salmon, puddings, pies, and ice-cream. Perhaps Bobtail ate too much for strict gentility, but he excused himself by declaring that not only the stewards, but all the party, "kept making him eat more of the fixins."
"When I got through that dinner, mother," said he, "I was just like a foot-ball blown up for a game; and if the captain"s trousers that I wore hadn"t been a mile too big for me, I couldn"t have put myself outside of half that feed."
After the dinner, which Bobtail will remember as long as he lives, the party went on deck. Grace was as bright and fresh as ever. She and Emily walked up and down the deck. The young skipper went forward to talk with the crew, for he did not wish them to think that he was putting on airs because he "took his grub in the cabin." The men congratulated him on his good fortune, and a.s.sured him he had made a rich and powerful friend, and that he would get a pile of money by the operation. Bobtail thought that a hundred dollars was "a pile of money," and, if any one claimed the Skylark, this sum would enable him to purchase a better boat than Prince"s old tub. But he did not think much about this matter; in fact, he was gazing at Miss Grace and Miss Emily, as they walked so gracefully on the deck. He was not sentimental, romantic, or very visionary; but these two young ladies were so pretty, and so elegant, and so finely dressed, that he could not help looking at them; besides, they were as sociable now as he could wish. Bobtail joined them in their promenade on the deck, and was admitted to the privilege with distinguished consideration.
"I should like to have you take a sail with me in the Skylark," said he.
"O, I should like to go ever so much," replied Miss Walker.
"And if you get overboard, I will pull you out."
"I don"t mean to get overboard, if I can help it," laughed the little miss, though, from her conversation with Grace, one would have thought she considered it rather a nice thing, if she could only be rescued by a young gentleman.
"You must sail up to Belfast, Captain Bobtail, and come to our house,"
added Grace. "I have lots of things to show you. We have ever so many boats; and you may ride my pony."
"Thank you, Miss Montague. You are very kind; but you know I"m not one of the grand folks, and I shouldn"t know how to behave myself in your fine parlors."
"Pooh! You behave just as well as any of the young men that come to our house," said Grace, pouting her lips. "You are just as good as any of them, and a great deal better than most of them. I hope you will come, Captain Bobtail; I shall be so glad to see you!"
The order was given to get up the anchor, and Bobtail sprang to take a hand in the operation. In a few moments the Pen.o.bscot was standing over towards Camden; and the hero of the day began to regret that he must so soon lose his pleasant companions. About five o"clock she landed her pa.s.sengers at the Portland Wharf, and Monkey came off from the Skylark for Bobtail.
"Little Bobtail, you have rendered me a service to-day which you can neither understand nor appreciate, and I shall never forget it," said Colonel Montague, as he took the boy"s hand. "I shall see you again before long. I am going away in the yacht next week for a long cruise; but we shall meet again, and I hope in the end that you will not be sorry for your n.o.ble conduct to-day."
"I"m not sorry for it, sir. I"ve had a tip-top time to-day, and I"m much obliged to you for taking me with you," replied Bobtail, unable to comprehend the whole of the grateful father"s speech.
"It is fortunate you were with us. We might have been weeping over our lost child, instead of rejoicing, as we do now."
"O, some other fellow would have gone in for her if I hadn"t."
"Perhaps not; for not many have the nerve to dive off a high cliff into the sea, as you did. Be that as it may, my grat.i.tude to you is none the less. If you want a friend, if you have any trouble about that boat, or anything else, send for me, for I would cross the continent to serve you."
"Thank you, sir. I don"t know that I am likely to have any trouble about the Skylark, for if the owner comes, he can have her."
"And then you will have no boat?"
"No, sir. I shall be out of a boat, sure; and I should like to live in one all the time."
"If you lose her before I return, write a letter to me at Belfast, and it will be forwarded if I have gone. Now, good by, my lad."
The rest of the family shook hands with him again, and spoke many kind words to him. Bobtail leaped lightly into Monkey"s boat, and they returned to the Skylark. The skipper spoke in glowing terms of the experience of the day; but somehow the Darwinian did not seem to relish the narrative. He was nervous, and did not laugh as usual; but it was some time before Bobtail"s enthusiasm permitted him to notice the change which had come over his companion"s spirits. They went on board the Skylark.
"Has any one been after the boat, Monkey?" asked the skipper.
"No one after the boat," replied the Darwinian, gloomily; "but somebody has been after you."
"After me? Who?"
Monkey was silent, and studied the seams in the deck.
"Who has been after me?"
"Mr. Brooks."
This gentleman was a deputy sheriff; but his name had no terror to Robert Taylor.
"Say, Bob, don"t you think we had better get under way, and run for it?"
added Monkey, his face brightening for a moment.
"What for?"
"Mr. Brooks said he had a warrant to take you up, and I s"pose he"s on the lookout for you now."
"Take me up!" exclaimed Bobtail. "What for?"
"Something about a letter--I don"t know what."
"I know," replied Bobtail, musing, for he could not think how, after he had been fully exonerated from the charge of taking that letter, he should again be accused.
The jib of the Pen.o.bscot was hoisted while he was musing, and she stood away towards the Spindles off North-east Point.
CHAPTER XI.
THE FIVE HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL.
Little Bobtail watched the beautiful yacht as she piled on her "kites"
and gradually increased her speed in the light breeze. He felt that he had a powerful friend on board of her, and he was tempted to call in his aid in meeting the difficulties that seemed to be gathering before him.
"Don"t you think we"d better run for it, Bob?" asked Monkey. "We can keep out of the way of any boat in Camden. We can run over among them islands, and spend the summer there without being caught."
"I don"t run away from anything of this sort," replied Bobtail, proudly.
"I"m going to face the music, whatever comes of it."
"But they"ll put you in jail," suggested Monkey, opening his eyes as wide as they would go.
"I don"t care if they do. I haven"t done anything wrong, and I"m not going to run away. If Mr. Brooks wants me, here I am."
"There he comes; and Captain c.h.i.n.ks is with him. We can hoist the mainsail, and be out of the way before they get here, if you say the word," added the crew of the Skylark, nervously.
"I don"t say the word. I"m all right, and I"m ready to look any of them square in the face."
"But what"s it all about, Bob?"