Captain Ben

“ In a little while Captain Ben came back from the station with his empty automobile. As he alighted to go into the house, to see that the others were ready for the trip, he thrust out his left arm and looked down at his wrist.
"Oh, I forgot my watch was lost," he said with a grim laugh. "I have been so used to looking at the time that it comes natural to stick out my hand where I can get a good view of my wrist. Well, if my watch is gone—it's gone—that's all there is to it."
"Maybe Norah will find it after we have left," suggested Rose. "Lots of times she finds things we lose." ”

“ Uncle Ben had to drive the car more and more slowly, for it was slippery on the muddy roads, and he did not want an accident. Finally, after he had to come almost to a standstill where a brook had overflowed the road, Russ and Rose heard their father talking to the soldier-sailor.
"Do you think it is safe to go on?" asked Mr. Bunker.
"No, I can't say that I do," answered Captain Ben. "I think we shall never be able to get to Grand View to-night."
"That's too bad," went on Daddy Bunker. "I'm not worrying about Amy and Mun Bun and Margy," he added. "They will be all right in your bungalow. ”

“ Final good-byes were said, and then Captain Ben started his automobile down the street, the four children looking back as long as they could see Norah and Jerry Simms and waving farewells to them.
Out through the streets of Pineville they rode, Rose and Russ calling to various children of their acquaintance whom they met.
"Did you ride in this kind of an auto in France?" asked Russ of Captain Ben.
"Not very often," was the answer. "I had to walk most of the time, and I was glad I could. Lots of poor fellows were so crippled they couldn't walk." ”

“ No water can get through this auto top."
"Yes it can, too!" cried Laddie. "I just felt a drop on my nose."
"Oh, that just leaked in around the side curtains," declared Russ, with a laugh. "We'll not get wet; shall we, Captain Ben?"
"I hope not," was the marine's answer, as he got ready to drive the car through the storm. He and Daddy Bunker were on the front seat, with the glass wind shield in front of them, and curtains at the sides, as there were at the back and at the sides near the seat where the children sat.
"You'll have to drive slowly," said Mr. Bunker in a low voice to Captain Ben. ”

“ Margy and Mun Bun, Laddie and Vi and Rose and Russ also helped pack, though, to tell you the truth, I do not believe that the four smallest children really did much helping. But they thought they did, and this gave them as much joy as if they had done it all themselves.
"Time to stop and eat!" exclaimed Captain Ben one noon, when several valises and trunks had been filled in readiness for the trip next day. "It's twelve o'clock," and he looked at a watch he wore on his wrist.
"Does your watch keep good time?" asked Violet. ”

“ No, Captain Ben, I am sure we're all much obliged to you for your kind invitation, but it will be impossible for us to go on account of school."
"Oh, dear!" sighed Rose, and looks of disappointment came over the faces of the other children when they heard this.
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Captain Ben. "Losing a week or so of school will not matter. I have just set my heart on the six little Bunkers coming to my seashore bungalow."
Again Daddy Bunker shook his head. But, as the looks of sorrow deepened on the faces of Rose and the others, Russ came running in off the porch with the evening paper. ”

“ They'll be hanging around here all winter if we don't drive them away, and they'll be taking things that don't belong to them. Captain Blake, will you help me?"
"Help you in what, Captain Ben?" asked the other captain, while the six little Bunkers looked and listened.
"Will you help me catch those tramps? We can take after them in our motor boats. I saw which way they went. I believe they're heading for Oyster Cove. We can round them up there. Will you come?"
"I most assuredly will!" exclaimed Captain Blake.
"And we'll come, too!" shouted the sailor boys.
"Then can't I come?" asked Russ. ”

“ As the automobile was passing through a little country village, Vi saw a candy store, where, also, soda water was sold.
"Can't we stop here and get a drink?" she asked. "I'm thirsty!"
"Yes, we can stop," her father said, and he was just asking Captain Ben to slow up at the store when a woman ran from it in great excitement, waving her hands and calling aloud:
"Stop! Stop! Oh, wait a minute! Something terrible has happened! Oh, come in! Come in!" ”

“ When I arrived your chimney was on fire. Then almost as soon as we start out we run into a storm and have to stay all night. We can't even have a peaceful night, for Jack made Laddie fall out of bed and there were all kinds of excitement."
"That was only fun!" laughed Rose.
"It sure was," agreed Russ. "And maybe this will be fun, too. That is, if mother doesn't worry, and we can get the car out of the ditch," he added.
"Oh, we can get the car out of the ditch, sooner or later," Captain Ben remarked. "And I fancy we can get word to your mother—perhaps on the telephone. We'll try, anyhow." ”

“ You frightened Norah, and when she asked you what you wanted you didn't say a word. You just took your little red mittens and carried them back up the stairs to bed with you."
"I did!" exclaimed Laddie. "I never knew it."
"No, when a person walks in his sleep he generally doesn't know what he is doing," his father concluded.
That evening Captain Ben gave the children a box of marshmallow candies, and they had a fire on the beach to roast them. The children thought this was great fun. ”

“ Mother Bunker put up a lunch for the children, and they were soon in Captain Ben's big motor boat, speeding over the blue waters of the bay. Daddy and Mother Bunker also went along.
"Are there any nice places to have picnics here?" asked Rose of the captain, as she sat near him at the steering wheel.
"Oh, yes, lots of places," he answered. "There are some cute little islands in the bay, and we'll go camping on one some day." ”

“ Just as Daddy Bunker and Uncle Ben were going to thrust at the ram, a voice behind them called:
"Look out, friends! That's a bad animal! Once he goes on a rampage there's no stopping him."
The four little Bunkers and their father and Captain Ben turned to see the canal mule driver rushing to their aid with a long whip in his hand. ”

“ As the little Bunkers and the others hurried away from his house Mr. Brown was heard to say:
"I knew it! You can't tell me autos are safe! Something's always happening to 'em! Give me a horse every time!"
A little later Russ, Rose and the others came within sight of the place where Captain Ben's car had gone into the ditch. The children saw their father and Captain Ben approaching a crowd of men, who surrounded the car.
"What'd I tell you?" cried Tad. "Some thieves are trying to take your auto!" ”

“ Captain Ben called. "Burned candies aren't good to eat."
Laddie tried to do as he was told, but he got so excited that his father had to blow for him. After that Laddie was more careful. Mother helped Mun Bun and Margy to roast their marshmallows, and soon they were all eating the dainties, seated on flat pieces of driftwood gathered along the beach.
The moon rose out of the sea, as it appeared, and the view was a beautiful one. Then Rose started a song, and they all joined in the chorus, while Russ whistled—but first, he had to swallow a marshmallow he was chewing. ”

“ Ben answered at the fullest pitch of his voice—
"His Majesty's brig Aurora. For the love of God stand by us!"
"The very craft we're in search of," returned Captain Speeding's messenger. "Throw us a line, and I'll come aboard you!"
Ben flung a coil of rope; but before he could see whether or not it had been caught, John Goff had run up on deck, furious and cursing.
"You young traitor!" he cried, seeing what was going on. "What are you up to?"
"I'm up to saving his Majesty's ship," coolly returned Ben, levelling his pistol at the pirate. "Stand back, John [192] Goff, or you're a dead man!" ”

“ Mules are very strong, you know."
"Are they strong kickers, too?" asked Laddie.
"Indeed they are, very strong," Captain Ben answered. "Well, as I said, while we were down at Mrs. Brown's, getting our dinner, the men tried to hitch the mule to the auto that was still partly in the ditch. But the mule didn't like the work, for he began to kick out, and finally he broke loose and did as he pleased." ”

“ Inch by inch the water in the back yard crept nearer the back steps.
"I guess I'd better bring up one of my rowboats from the dock," said Captain Ben, with a laugh, as, after dinner, he looked out and saw the flood coming still higher. "Mr. Wendell will have to row around in a boat to feed his chickens, I believe."
"Oh, could I come?" begged Russ. "It'll be lots of fun to feed chickens from a rowboat."
"We don't know for sure that that is what Mr. Wendell will do," said the marine.
The children played about the bungalow as best they could until nearly supper time, when it was still raining. ”

“ The latter did not reply for a moment, and then he looked up at the sky, studied the clouds for a moment before he said:
"I don't want to look on the dark side, but I'm very much afraid we are going to be later getting to Grand View than I thought."
"Why?" asked Daddy Bunker.
"Because I think we are going to run into a storm, and that will delay us," said Captain Ben. "The roads are none too good, and with a heavy rain, such as it seems likely we'll have, we can't make very fast time."
"I just love to be in a rain in an auto when the side curtains are up, don't you?" asked Rose of Russ. ”

“ Then the motor boat went more slowly.
"I see how it is," said Captain Ben. "When Mr. Thompson and Mr. Wade were in their boat, fixing it, Laddie and Vi must have come up at the stern, making no noise. The children fastened their rowboat to the motor boat and were taken for a ride before they knew it. This is the first my friends knew they had children towing behind them."
LADDIE AND VI WERE BEING TAKEN OUT ON THE BROAD BAY.
This part, at least, seemed to be true, and those on shore could see the two men in the motor boat lifting Laddie and Vi out of the small craft into the larger one. ”

“ The pirate captain says to me, says he, ‘Ben, my lad, you must join our gallant band, for we are in want of such brave fellows as you,’ says he. ‘We’re free as the air, victuals and drink to your taste, and a fine fortune in prospect. ”

“ The thefts of the midnight visitors did not trouble her very much, it seemed.
"Yes, we'll go picnicking and fishing and have lots of fun," Captain Ben answered. "But first I must see if any one else around here has missed anything, and we must try to catch the tramps."
"Do you think it was tramps?" Laddie wanted to know.
"Well, I can't be sure of the last," remarked Captain Ben. "But I'm pretty sure it was tramps of some sort. As I said, they generally come around at the end of the season, when cottages and bungalows are being closed. They take anything they can find. ”

“ The Captain, I repeat, was wandering in the labyrinths of the Rivermouth Barnacle when I led Sailor Ben into the sitting-room.
My grandfather, whose inborn courtesy knew no distinctions, received my nautical friend as if he had been an admiral instead of a common forecastle-hand. Sailor Ben pulled an imaginary tuft of hair on his forehead, and bowed clumsily. Sailors have a way of using their forelock as a sort of handle to bow with. ”

“ Brown came running out on the porch. She seemed much excited, and was waving her hands in the air as Norah had waved hers the time the Bunker chimney caught fire.
"Wait a minute!" she called to Captain Ben and Mr. Bunker.
"What's the matter?" asked the children's father. "Have you found the missing Tad?"
"No. But some of my things are missing, too!" exclaimed the farmer's wife. "I left a box of my jewelry on the table at the head of my bed. Now it's gone—my box of jewelry is gone!" ”

“ Let me see!" and the marine pretended to be thinking very hard. "Is it——"
"It's your watch!" burst out Mun Bun. "We were playing sick dolls, and Russ was the doctor and he had a valise and——"
"Oh, what'd you tell him for? Why didn't you let him guess?" asked Laddie.
But the secret was out now.
"My watch! My wrist watch! Do you mean you found my watch that the French soldier gave me?" cried Captain Ben. ”

“ He turned the hose aside, but this time he sprayed the fire chief and one of his men. But as they had on rubber coats and rubber boots, as well as thick helmets, they did not mind the water in the least and only laughed.
By this time other firemen had fastened an empty line of hose to the end of the clothesline. The other end of the rope was held by Captain Ben on the roof of the Bunker home, and now he began hauling up.
"I have it!" he cried as he reached the nozzle, and took off the clothesline. "Wait until I get close to the chimney, and then turn on the water." ”

“ Ben,’ says he, as solemn as a judge, ‘it’s about all U.P. with us.’
“Down we went on deck, and all hands being piped, the captain says, ‘My lads, we're in a tight place, and so I won’t deceive you. There’s three strange craft ahead and three strange craft astern, each one choke full of cannibal pirates thirsting for our blood. They’ll kill us if we don’t kill them. To be cooked and eaten is the least we can hope for; but I mean to do my best to beat them off or die in the attempt, and “England expects that every man this day will do his duty.” ”