Edward Stratemeyer

“ Leaving the ship in charge of the first mate, Captain Marshall went below, to learn what the ship's carpenter might have to say about the condition of affairs.
"We are bringing up a good deal of water, are we not?" asked Dave of Billy Dill.
"You have it right, lad; more water nor I care to see," answered the old tar.
"That means the leak is a bad one, eh?"
"Yes, some of the ship's seams must be wide open."
"Will it sink us?"
"I can't tell anything more about that than you, Dave. We must hope for the best," replied Billy Dill. ”

“ They were now away from the harbor and could look straight out on the ocean.
"Look! look!" cried Roger, pointing seaward. "Am I mistaken, or do I see a long canoe filled with men?"
"It certainly is a canoe," declared Dave, after a look.
"And it is filled with natives," added Phil. "What do you make of this?" he added, turning to Billy Dill. "Are they coming here?"
"I don't think they are, Phil. They seem to be headed away from this island."
The canoe was certainly a large one, and they counted at least twelve natives at the paddles, or sweeps. ”

“ Dave dropped his hold and ran to the closet pointed out. True enough, on the top shelf, in a back corner, were the books, with the precious photograph between them. Dave lost no time in placing the picture in an inside pocket.
"You're a fine fellow, not to take a bit of fun without getting mad," grumbled Gus Plum. He did not dare to say too much in such a crowd.
"So you call this fun?" remarked Phil, sarcastically. "Fun! to play the scavenger and bring this stuff up here? Well, I must say, I don't like your preference for a calling." ”

“ A storm was certainly brewing, and Dave wondered how soon it would strike the Stormy Petrel and how long it would last. The black clouds were piling up in the sky and the wind came in unsteady puffs. Below, the clear, blue water had turned to a dark green.
The first mate was in charge of the deck and, so far, he had given no orders to shorten sail. Ever and anon a sail would crack in the wind and the bark would give a plunge in the sea. Dave walked forward to where Billy Dill stood by the rail, watching the sky anxiously. ”

“ Phil Lawrence eyed the boy before him admiringly. "Dave, I don't see how you manage it. You're always on deck for fun, and yet you scarcely miss a lesson. Let me into the secret, won't you?"
"That's right, Dave; pull the cover off clean and clear," came from a youth who had just entered [2] the school dormitory. "If I can get lessons without studying——"
"Oh, Roger, you know better than that," burst out Dave Porter, with a smile. "Of course I have to study—just the same as anybody. But when I study, I study, and when I play, I play. ”

“ My father has lost a little money, but it ain't a flea-bite to what he is worth, and I want everybody in this school to know it."
"And I want you to know that you cannot continue to insult me," blazed out Dave. "I am not as rich as most of the boys here, but——"
"He is just as good as any of us, Plum, remember that," finished Phil. "It is an outrage for you to refer to Dave as a pauper."
"Well, didn't he come from the poorhouse, and ain't he a nobody?" sneered the bully.
"He is a better fellow than you will ever be, Plum," said Roger, warmly. He and Phil were both holding Dave back. ”

“ DAVE PORTER IN THE SOUTH SEAS CHAPTER I THE BOYS OF OAK HALL
"Hello, Dave; where are you bound?"
"For the river, Phil. I am going out for a row. Want to come along?"
"That suits me," answered Phil Lawrence, throwing down the astronomy he had been studying. "But I can't stay out late," he added, reaching for his cap. "Got two examples in algebra to do. Have you finished up?"
"Yes," answered Dave Porter. "They are not so hard." ”

“ As the boys walked back to the school they separated, Phil going to the gymnasium to practice on the bars and Dave to stroll along the river. The boy from Crumville wanted to be by himself, to think over the past and try to reason out what the sailor had told him. Many a time had Dave tried to reason this out, but always failed, yet he could not bear to think of giving up.
"Some time or another I've got to find out who I am and where I came from," he murmured. "I am not going to remain a nobody all my life!" ”

“ Soon they were out in the rear yard of the Hall, and there they beheld Shadow Hamilton walking slowly in the direction of the boathouse.
"Who is it?" whispered Roger.
"It is Shadow. He is walking in his sleep. I want to find out where he is going and what he'll do."
"Humph! This certainly is interesting," answered the senator's son.
"Whatever you do, Roger, don't arouse him, or there may be an accident," cautioned Dave. "Let him go his own way."
"But he may hurt himself, anyway."
"No, he won't. A sleep-walker can walk a slack wire, if he tries it, and never tumble. ”

“ As night came on they gathered some driftwood and lit a campfire, not because they were cold, but because it looked more cheerful, and because it also helped to keep away some obnoxious insects that had appeared. Over the fire they cooked the game Roger and Phil had shot, and made a supper of this and some crackers the boys had been carrying in their pockets. Then they sat down to talk the matter over once more. As the night advanced, the bright stars bespangled the heavens and all became perfectly calm and quiet. ”

“ As he neared the dormitory, he saw somebody pass along the other end of the hallway. It was a boy, fully dressed, and with a cap set back on his head.
"Shadow Hamilton!" he murmured, as the boy passed close to a dimly burning hall light. "Now, what is he up to?"
He put down his pitcher and stole forward, until he was directly behind Shadow. Then, of a sudden, he beheld the boy swing around and put out his hands, feeling for the rail of a rear stairs. Shadow Hamilton was fast asleep.
"He is doing some more of his sleep-walking!" thought Dave. "Now, what had I best do?" ”

“ She is said to be a very swift bark, and yet she has great carrying capacity."
"Will you please explain to me just what a bark is?" said Roger. "I must confess I am rather dumb on nautical matters."
"A bark is a vessel with three masts. The front mast, or foremast, as sailors call it, and the main, or middle, mast are rigged as a ship, that is, with regular yardarms and sails. The back mast, called the mizzen mast, is rigged schooner fashion, that is, with a swinging boom."
"That's plain enough. Hurrah for the Stormy Petrel! Dave, we'll be full-fledged sailors before we know it." ”

“ My, how well and strong you look! The air up here must do you good."
"It is a very healthful spot," answered the youth, "and I like it better than I can tell."
"A fine school—a fine school!" murmured Professor Potts. "You could not go to a better."
On the way to the Hall, Dave told his story in detail, and exhibited the photograph, which he had brought with him, scarcely daring to leave it out of his sight.
"It is just as you have said," remarked Oliver Wadsworth. "A most remarkable resemblance, truly!"
"That man must be some relative to Dave," added Caspar Potts. ”

“ All slept soundly and they were out on deck very shortly after sunrise.
"Well, how do you like life on Mother Carey's Chicken?" asked Phil, when they were gazing at the rolling ocean.
"Mother Carey's Chicken?" repeated Dave, with a puzzled look.
"Oh, I know what he means!" cried Roger, with a laugh. "A stormy petrel is a bird that the sailors call a Mother Carey's chicken."
"What a name! I think I like Stormy Petrel better," observed Dave. "But, I say, isn't this just grand! A fellow can open his lungs and drink in ozone by the barrel!" ”

“ This continued for several hours, when, of a sudden, a strange humming filled the air.
"What can that be?" cried Dave, who was on the forward deck.
"It's wind!" cried Billy Dill. "A reg'lar tornado, too."
Captain Marshall was on deck, no longer disposed to trust his first mate. He at once ordered all of the sails taken in and stowed away securely. This was just accomplished, when the hurricane—for it was nothing less—struck the Stormy Petrel, almost sending the bark on her beam ends.
"Better go below!" shrieked the captain to the three boys. "It's not safe for you on deck." ”

“ Dave accompanied him, and so did Billy Dill. In the meantime Roger and Phil rowed ashore, to see if they could find any more traces of the natives.
The captain and Dave had been out about an hour, when they noticed a small boat coming toward them, containing two sailors and the first mate.
"Captain Marshall, you are wanted on shore at once!" cried Paul Shepley, when within hearing distance. "Those two boys just sent word to the ship by a native. They said to bring young Porter and Dill along."
"They must have discovered something!" cried Dave, quickly. "Oh, let us go, by all means!" ”

“ He took the first and second hurdles with ease, and then found himself in a bunch, with Plum on one side and a lad named Cashod on the other.
"Whoop her up, Cashod!" he yelled out. "Come on, and show the others what we can do!"
"Right you are, Porter!" was the answering cry.
"Not much!" puffed out Gus Plum. "I'm the winner here!"
"Rats!" answered Dave. "You'll come in fifth, Plum. You're winded already!" And then, with a mighty effort, he leaped to the front, with Cashod on his heels. "Poole didn't do your dirty work well enough," he flung back over his shoulder as he took his fourth hurdle. ”

“ And then the hated teacher passed on to the next dormitory.
"I told you to get out of the window," said Macklin, as soon as they were alone. "I was caught that way myself once, and so was Gus Plum."
"Lazy is going to learn how to write a little better, too," said Dave, with a grin.
At that moment Roger came in, looking thoroughly disgusted.
"Made me write half of it over again," he explained. "Oh, it's simply unbearable! Say, I am going to do something to get square, as sure as eggs is eggs."
"Eggs are eggs," corrected Polly Vane, sweetly. ”

“ Why, man, it's dead easy," continued the former supercargo, earnestly. "I know that at least four of the sailors will stand in with us from the start, and we can easily win over the others by the promise of a big reward. All we have got to do is to get Captain Marshall, Billy Dill, and those three boys ashore, and then sail away for some distant port. On the way we can change the name of the bark and I'll fix up the clearance papers, and there you are. You and I can become equal owners, and we can go into the regular Australian-New Zealand trade and make a barrel of money in a few years." ”

“ I didn't expect this!" cried the senator's son. "Why, a fellow can't see a hundred feet in any direction."
"What are the natives going to do now?" asked Dave of Captain Marshall, who had been awake for some time.
"Soko says they must rest and wait," answered the captain. "He cannot go ahead, for he knows not in what direction to steer."
"I've got a pocket compass!" cried Phil, bringing it forth. ”

“ Among the things provided by thoughtful Mr. Wadsworth for Dave was a money belt, and in this was placed a fair amount of bankbills, and also a letter of credit.
"Mr. Wadsworth, you are more than kind!" cried the country boy, and something like tears stood in his honest eyes. "How can I ever repay you?"
"In one way only, Dave. By making a real man of yourself." [145]
"I shall do my best, sir."
"Then that is all I ask."
Billy Dill had been communicated with, and Caspar Potts went after the tar and brought him to Crumville, where Oliver Wadsworth procured the sailor a new outfit. ”

“ When it comes to a standing in the class, he knows he hasn't as much to lose as you have. He is almost at the bottom already, while you are close to the top."
"But, Roger, he said—oh, I can't bear to think about it! I suppose he blabs it to everybody, too, and they will think——"
"Don't give it another thought, Dave," said Phil, soothingly, and he turned his chum toward the river again. "Dismiss Plum and all his meanness from your mind." ”

“ More dead fish were in evidence on every hand.
"I have never witnessed anything like this," commented Captain Marshall. "I trust it gets no worse."
When the breeze sprang up, it came from the wrong direction, and the Stormy Petrel had to tack as best she could. The breeze kept growing stiffer and stiffer, until it was little short of a gale. Then a thick mist settled down on the ocean, shutting out the view upon all sides.
"I must say I don't like this," observed the senator's son. "Supposing we should run into something?"
"There isn't much to run into," replied Dave. ”

“ When Plum was accused, he said he didn't know they were the doctor's stamps. It seems he needed money, as his father is down in the world and has cut off Gus' spending allowance. There was a big row, but the Plum family is hushing the matter up, and I understand Doctor Clay has agreed to give Gus one more chance at Oak Hall."
"It is just like Doctor Clay to give him another chance," was Roger's comment. "He is as kind-hearted as any man in the world."
"If I ever go back to school, I hope I have no more trouble with Gus Plum," said Dave. ”

“ Saturday passed, and on Sunday a large number of the students marched off to three of the town churches. Dave, Roger, and Phil attended the same church and Ben went with them, and all listened to a strong sermon on Christian brotherhood, which was destined to do each of them good.
"It makes a fellow feel as if he's got to help somebody else," said Roger.
"Well, it is our duty to help others," answered Dave. "The fellow who isn't willing to do that is selfish." ”

“ Wadsworth. "But our man is better with the horses."
At the mansion Mrs. Wadsworth, an aristocratic but motherly lady, came out to greet Dave, followed by Caspar Potts, whose face was wreathed in smiles. All told, it was a homecoming that would have warmed the heart of any lad, and it made Dave forget completely that he was a "poorhouse nobody."
"You must tell me all about everything," said Jessie, after a somewhat elaborate supper had been served. "I don't want to miss a single thing!"
"Seems to me you are cutting out a big job for Dave," laughed her father. ”

“ By that picture, your father must be a nice man, and your sister is handsome."
"And to think that they are rich," added Phil. "That's the best of all."
"No, the best of all is to find that I belong somewhere in this world—that I am not a nobody," answered Dave, earnestly.
"Won't Nat Poole and Gus Plum stare when they hear of this!" went on Roger. "I believe it will really make them feel sore."
"Ben and Sam and the others will be glad," said Phil. "And I am sure Doctor Clay will want to congratulate you. Dave, it paid to take this trip to the South Seas, after all, didn't it?" ”

“ Ike Rasmer could tell no more than this, and as it was getting late the three boys lost no time in shoving off once more and pulling for the Hall boathouse.
"This stumps me," declared the senator's son. "What do you make of it? Do you think Shadow and Plum are up to something between them?"
"No, I don't," answered Dave, decidedly. "Shadow is not the fellow to train with Gus Plum. He doesn't like the bully any more than we do."
"No wonder Shadow feels sleepy, if he spends his nights on the river," said Phil. ”

“ While at Cavasa the boys spent one whole day ashore, and went out riding in the direction of the volcano in company with Billy Dill. The old tar showed them where he and Dunston Porter and Mr. Lemington had camped out, and where they had hunted for the treasure.
"I'd like to feel an earthquake once, just for fun," remarked Roger. "It must be a queer sensation." [218]
"It is," answered Billy Dill. "An' one ye ain't apt to forgit in a hurry."
"If it was bad, I think I'd be scared out of my wits," said Phil. "What do you think about it, Dave?" ”

“ And now that Chip Macklin has turned over a new leaf and refused to be Plum's toady any longer, the bully is worse [4] than ever. Only yesterday Buster Beggs caught him back of the gym., abusing one of the little fellows. Buster is generally too lazy to rouse up, but he said it made him mad, and he told Plum to stop, or it would be the worse for him, and Plum went off grumbling."
"It's a great pity Plum can't reform, like Macklin. I declare, Chip is getting to be quite a decent sort, now."
"It's not in Plum to reform," exclaimed Phil Lawrence. "If I were Doctor Clay, I'd get rid of him. ”