The Web of the Golden Spider Part 18

Most of them took this as an added insult and swore roundly at it as an imposition.

Wilson himself found it no easy task to reach the deck, but Stubbs came up the ladder as nimbly as a cat. The s.h.i.+p was unlighted from bow to stern, so that the men aboard her moved about like shadows. Wilson was rescued from the hold by Stubbs, who drew him back just as he was being shoved towards the hatch by one of the sailors. The next second he found himself facing a well-built shadow, who greeted Stubbs with marked satisfaction.

"By the Lord," exclaimed the man, "you've done well, Stubbs. How many did you get in all?"

"Fifty--to a man."

"They looked husky in the dark."

"Yes, they've gut beef 'nuff--but that ain't all that makes a man.

Howsomever, they're as good as I expected."

Wilson gasped; the master of this strange craft was no other than Danbury!

CHAPTER XII

_Of Love and Queens_

For a few minutes Wilson kept in the background. He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windla.s.s. Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the s.h.i.+p, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.

"Now," said Danbury to Stubbs, "hold your breath. If we can only slide by the lynx-eyed quarantine officers, we'll have a straight road ahead of us for a while."

"Maybe we'll do it; maybe we won't."

"You d.a.m.ned pessimist," laughed Danbury. "Once we're out of this harbor I'll give you a feed that will make an optimist of you."

The black smoke, sprinkled with golden red sparks from the forced draft, belched from the funnel tops. The s.h.i.+p slid by the green and red lights of other craft with never a light of her own. The three men stood there until the last beacon was pa.s.sed and the boat was pointed for the open.

"Done!" exclaimed Danbury. "Now we'll have our lights and sail like men. Hanged if I like that trick of m.u.f.fled lights; but it would be too long a delay to be held up here until morning."

He spoke a moment to his mate, and then turned to Stubbs.

"Now," he said, "come on and I'll make you glad you're living."

"Just a moment, Cap'n--my mate Wilson."

Danbury turned sharply. In the light which now flooded up from below, he saw Wilson's features quite clearly, but for a moment he could not believe his eyes.

"What the devil----" he began, then broke in abruptly, "Are you the same one--the fellow in the Oriental robe and bandaged head?"

"The same," answered Wilson.

"The one I took from the crowd and brought home?"

"And clothed and loaned ten dollars, for which he is more thankful than ever."

"But--did you get the girl?"

"Not yet," answered Wilson. "I'm still after her."

"Well,--but say, come on down."

Danbury led the way into a small cabin so brilliant with the reflection of the electric lights against the spotless white woodwork that it was almost blinding. But it was a welcome change from the dark and the cool night air and the discomfort of the last few hours.

To Wilson it was almost like a feat of magic to have been s.h.i.+fted in an hour from the barren sands of the tiny island to such luxury as this. It took but the first glance to perceive that this young captain had not been limited in resources in the furnis.h.i.+ng of his s.h.i.+p.

Within the small compa.s.s of a stateroom he had compressed comfort and luxury. Yet there was no ostentation or vulgarity displayed. The owner had been guided by the one desire for decent ease and a certain regard for the eye. The left side of the room was occupied by the two bunks made up with the immaculate neatness characterizing all things aboard a good s.h.i.+p. The center of the room, was now filled with a folding table set with an array of silver, fine linen, and exquisite gla.s.s which would have done credit to the best board in New York. Beneath the group of electric lights it fairly sparkled and glistened as though it were ablaze. The wall to the right was adorned with a steel engraving of a thoroughbred bull pup.

"Now," said Danbury, throwing himself into a chair, "I'd like to know how in thunder Stubbs got you."

"He didn't--I got Stubbs."

"But where----"

"On the pier," broke in Stubbs, "where I had gone with the note to your pal--an' may I drop dead if he don't give me the creeps. There I finds this gent--an' I takes 'em where I finds 'em."

"You got the note to Valverde all right?"

"I got the note to your long-legged friend, but--it's his eyes, man!

It's his eyes! They ain't human! I seen a man like him once what went mad from the heat an'--" he lowered his voice, "they found him at his mate's throat a-sucking of his blood!"

"Don't!" exploded Danbury. "No more of your ghastly yarns! Val is going to be useful to me or--I'm darned if I could stand him. I don't like him after dark."

"They s.h.i.+nes in the dark like a cat's--them eyes does."

"Drop it, Stubbs! Drop it! I want to forget him for a while. That isn't telling me how you chanced----"

"That's just it," interrupted Wilson. "It was chance. I was looking for an opportunity to get to Carlina, and by inspiration was led to ask Stubbs. He made the proposition that I come with him, and I came.

I had no more idea of seeing you than my great-grandfather. I was going back to thank you, but one thing has followed another so swiftly that I hadn't the time."

"I know, I know. But if you really want to thank me, you must tell me all about it some day. If things hadn't been coming so fast my own way I should have lain awake nights guessing about you. If I could have picked out one man I wanted on this trip with me I'd have taken a chance on you. The way you stood off that crowd made a hit with me. I don't know what sort of a deal you've made with Stubbs, but I'll make one of my own with you after dinner. Now about the others. No shanghaiing, was there, Stubbs? Every man knows where he's going and what he's hired for?"

"They will afore they're through."

Danbury's face darkened.

"I'm afraid you've been overzealous. I won't have a man on board against his will, if I have to sail back to port with him. But once he's decided for himself,--I'll be d.a.m.ned if he turns yellow safely."

"Ye've gotter remember," said Stubbs, "that they're a pack er liars, every mother's son of 'em. Maybe they'll say they was shanghaied; maybe they won't. But I've got fifty papers to show they're liars 'cause they've put their names to th' bottom of every paper."

"And they were sober when they did it?"

"I ain't been lookin' arter their morals or their personal habits,"

replied Stubbs, with some disgust. "As fer their turnin' yeller--mos'

men are yeller until they are afraid not ter be."