Robert Menden

“ While resting, Dick told of the encounter with Joseph Farvel. Then he asked what had become of Menden and the others.
"They are all in camp up on the mountainside," answered Bob. "They made a tour of one small cave yesterday, but found nothing. We were all going out to-day, but went off on a hunt for you instead."
"If Robert Menden is smart he will lose no time. Joseph Farvel means to get that treasure if he can."
"Well, I reckon it's going to be a neck and neck race," said Bob. "All I hope is, that Menden proves to be the winner." ”

“ Robert Menden was feeling better, and presently he said he felt strong enough to walk to their camp. He leaned on old Jacob's arm, while the boys carried the treasure between them. The rope was left dangling in the water. "So that poor Dick can use it, if he comes around," as Bob said, clutching at a hope that was vainless.
Night found them established in a new camp, still sad, and next to silent. They had the treasure safe, but at what a fearful cost.
"It's enough to make one fling it away," sighed Bob. ”

“ Dick waved his torch over it and concluded it was a bottomless pit.
Several tons of rocks had fallen, but most of the mass had gone over the edge of the ledge. There was a heap of small stones close at hand, and looking down among these the youth saw Robert Menden's body, partly covered up.
"Can he be dead?" he asked himself. "Oh, I pray God he is alive!" And then he heard the Englishman utter a short groan.
"He's alive!" he shouted. "But he's badly wounded."
"Better send him up, then," returned Leander. "Do you want another rope?" ”

“ I never did like melodramatics," cried Bob. "The world is wide enough for us. You go your way, and let us go ours."
"Answer me one question. Are you travelling with Robert Menden?"
"We are resting at present."
"You know what I mean."
"We have nothing more to say," said Dick. "Now leave us alone."
Joseph Farvel's face grew blacker than ever. "Be it so," he muttered. "But remember what I said about crossing my path." And then he turned away, taking his two negro companions with him. In a few minutes a turn in the trail took him out of the sight of the three boys. ”

“ Soon the owner of the house was aroused, but he could do nothing for them.
"My house best house in Caguas," he said, simply. "Nobody can stop de bugs an' ants. Must let dem run," and he went back to bed. The boys and Robert Menden shook out their blankets and tried to get some sleep outside, under the trees, but were not very successful, and were glad enough when the rising sun announced another day at hand.
"And now for the treasure cave!" whispered Dick to Robert Menden, and the Englishman smiled and squeezed his hand in silence. ”

“ Sorry I spoke."
"I want to know if you met this Robert Menden?"
"Perhaps I had better say that is my business, too," answered Dick, coldly.
"I believe you have met him, and that that is his handkerchief," went on Farvel, sourly.
"All right; think what you please. We did you a good turn this morning, but you are not making us particularly happy over it."
"Oh, if you want pay for what you did, there you are," growled the newcomer; and pulling a couple of silver dollars from his pocket he flung them at Dick. ”

“ He was right; there lay the knife beside the spot where Joseph Farvel had rested.
"It's mine, sure enough," said Bob, as he looked the blade over. He gazed at Robert Menden. "Do you think it was this Joseph Farvel who entered our room?"
"Great Cæsar! Perhaps."
"I believe it was that Bumbum," put in Dick. "I remember now that he cast longing glances at my pocketbook when I paid him that second five dollars. He is a regular brigand—or rather, a common sneak thief and footpad—and he probably tackled this Farvel for what he could get out of the fellow." ”

“ I think the fall broke the chest all to pieces."
"We'll haul ye up and git a longer rope," returned the Yankee tar. "He's found the treasure right enough," he added, to the boys gathered around him.
It was no easy task to bring Robert Menden up to the flooring again, but at last it was accomplished, and the Englishman untied himself, none the worse for his trip to the region below. All greatly regretted there were no more ropes at hand.
"If we had them we might get at that treasure this very night," declared Dick.
"Never mind; it's late," said old Jacob. ”

“ While they were sorting out their goods, old Jacob, who was at the doorway, announced that somebody was approaching.
"It's a man, but who, I can't tell, it's that dark," he said. "Better prepare to give him a surprise."
"I believe it's Farvel, and that this other stuff is his," said Robert Menden.
But as the newcomer came closer, all were surprised to see, not Joseph Farvel, but Bumbum, the good-for-nothing Carib.
"We've made a big mistake," murmured Menden. ”

“ The sooner you leave our camp, the better I will be pleased."
"And so will I be pleased," put in Bob.
"An' yer kin take yer money wid yer," added Danny. "We ain't so hard up as yer seem to t'ink."
"You don't dare to answer me about Robert Menden," burst out Joseph Farvel.
"We have no reason to answer any of your questions," said Dick.
"I'll wager all I am worth that he is with the rest of your party."
"And what if that should be true," put in Bob. "Hasn't a man a right to travel where he pleases?"
"Robert Menden has no right to be on the island of Porto Rico, and in this vicinity." ”

“ That night both Dick and Danny slept soundly and in the morning felt once more like themselves. It was resolved that in the future, if it was possible to do so, the whole party should keep together.
"And one man must remain on guard constantly," added Robert Menden. "If not, Joseph Farvel may treat us to a disagreeable surprise."
The party had, the day before, explored a small cave but a short distance from the river. It was now decided to let Remora take them to the great Dark Cave. ”

“ A FRIEND IN NEED.
"Bob! Bob! Where are you?"
It was Dick who called out, about quarter of an hour after Bob had disappeared.
The party was ready to descend into the gigantic cave once more, and wondered why Bob did not return.
"Where can he have gone?" asked Robert Menden.
"I reckon as how somethin' has happened to him," burst out old Jacob, putting away the short briar-root pipe he had been smoking. "Didn't he saunter off in thet direction?" and he pointed with his long finger.
"He did," answered Leander.
"Where is Dash? He will find him," cried Don. ”

“ Here the lower cave was not over five to six feet wide, but of such a height that the torches failed to light up the ceiling. The opening seemed to be a winding one and without end.
"If we don't look out, we'll get lost," said Bob. "We must be an awful way from the entrance."
As they advanced, Robert Menden threw down a little crushed rice, with which he had filled several of his pockets. "We can follow that trail back, if the worst comes to the worst," he declared. "But it will be a long and tedious work." ”

“ And I will give you a share of what is found."
"How much?" asked Don, who was breathing hard, and fancied he had the treasure already in his possession.
"That is a matter to be talked over. You see, I have lost my money, so if we all go together, you will have to bear the expenses of the trip."
"We'll keep the expenses down—we'll have to do it," put in Dick. "What kind of a bargain are you willing to make?"
Robert Menden thought for a moment. "I want to go to Porto Rico immediately, so that I can reach that cave before Joseph Farvel. ”

“ There was a small hotel, but this had been visited by fire and no rooms were to be had there.
"I will take you in," said a native, who met them. "My house is the cleanest in the village, señors. Come;" and they followed him almost to the outskirts.
The native's name was Carlos Remora, and all found him "a pretty decent sort of a fellow," to use Robert Menden's manner of expressing it. He was a heavy-set mulatto and spoke very fair English.
"I travel to Florida once," he said, with much pride. "I show a man how to raise oranges. Stay dare two years, den come back here." ”

“ Take that!" And as the man got up, Bob slapped him with such force in the mouth that Farvel's teeth rattled. "You are a brute, and ought to be in jail."
"Tell us your story, Bob," said Robert Menden, and the tale was speedily forthcoming. Farvel tried several times to interrupt, but was not allowed.
"We'll make him our prisoner now,", said old Jacob, grimly. "It ain't safe to leave him roamin' around loose." ”

“ They wished to investigate at once; but old 'Jacob held them back. "More rocks might be a-comin' down. Take yer time—it will pay in the end." And they waited quarter of an hour longer.
At last they crossed the watercourse again and began to climb over the fallen mass, with their torches held aloof, watching for an opening. The climbing was dangerous, and more than once one or another came near to twisting his ankle or having his hand crushed, as the rocks began to settle one over another.
"Here we are!" cried Robert Menden at last, and pointed to an opening some distance away. ”

“ Mends was a Lieutenant of the Colossus 74, and narrowly escaped death in consequence of applying the match to a gun which hung fire; on which occasion he was so dreadfully burnt by the explosion that took place, as scarcely to have preserved any skin on his body [2] .
On the 3d March 1797, our officer, then commanding the Diligence of 16 guns, on the Jamaica station, fell in with, and after an action of forty-five minutes, captured la Nativetas, a Spanish ship of 500 tons, 16 guns, and 50 men. He subsequently assisted at the capture of a Spanish armed packet. ”

“ If it were Weldon or Kessler I should say you were lying.”
“I do not lie,” replied Mendel with some heat. “It may have been wrong, but it was good, and I was happier after it. I think I should have gone mad without it, for everything had disappeared—everything—everything; and without painting you do not understand how terrible and empty life is to me. I have nothing, you see. I am poor, and my father and mother will always be poor. Their life is hard and beastly, but they do not complain, and I should not complain if I did not have this other thing that I must do.” ”

“ MENDHAM, JOSEPH (1769–1856) , controversialist, born in 1769, was the eldest son of Robert Mendham, formerly a merchant in Walbrook, London, who died at Highgate, Middlesex, 7 April 1810, aged 77, leaving a widow, who died there on 11 Oct. 1812, at the age of seventy-eight. He matriculated at St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, on 27 Jan. 1789, and graduated B.A. 1792, M.A. 1795. In 1793 he was ordained a deacon in the English church, and in 1794 priest. Early in 1795 he accepted the curacy of Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire. ”

“ Mendel had never smoked, but he did not like to refuse. He took a cigarette, which very soon made him feel sick and giddy. He lurched along with Mitchell until they came to a tea-shop, where they found two other young men whose faces were familiar.
“I’ve brought Kühler,” said Mitchell. “He’s a genius. This is Weldon, who is also a genius, and Kessler, who can’t paint for nuts, and I’m a blame fool, though it’s not my fault. My father’s a great man. Gawd! what can you do when your own father takes the shine out of you at every turn?” ”

“ Clowes absented herself in the day-time, but Mendel had very little energy, and for the most part of the day sat by the fire brooding over the bubble of his London life, which he knew he must break with a touch. Often Morrison sat with him, and neither spoke a word for hours together.
On the fifth day, when the sun shone so that it was wicked to be indoors, Morrison suggested lunch in the woods. Clowes excused herself, but Mendel agreed to go with her, and the farmer’s wife packed them a basket of food. ”

“ You can have everything you want, and if you don’t grow into something really big it won’t be our fault. Everything that money can do it shall do.”
The car rolled through the streets which had been the scene of Mendel’s happy rambles, but being carried through them in such magnificence made him feel helpless, a victim to something stronger than his own will and that he had always detested. He was being taken away from his mother and from Mitchell, and he knew whither motor-cars were driven. All roads ended in Sir Julius, who could sit and look at pictures without a word. ”

“ But there was no one to buy what he produced, and his father began to talk gloomily and ominously of the workshop.
“Never!” said Mendel. “If I am not a great artist by the time I am twenty-three I will come and work. If I have done nothing by the time I am twenty-three I shall know that I am no good.”
“I can see no reason,” said Jacob, “why you should not work like any other man and paint in your spare time. Issy is a good dancer in his spare time, and Harry is good at the boxing. Why should you not paint in your spare time and work like an honest man?” ”

“ Delighted!” he said as he coiled his long white hand round Mendel’s workmanlike paw. “My wife, I regret to say, is away. She will be so sorry to have missed you. Like me, she is tired of the shallow, artificial people we live among. We both adore sincere, real people. I adore sincerity. Sincerity is genius.”
“That is true,” said Logan in a sepulchral voice that made Mendel jump. “At least, where you find sincerity, you may be sure that genius is not far behind.”
“I bought a picture of yours the other day, Mr. Kühler,” said Tysoe. ”

“ My father’s a great man. He’ll stir you up. And you must come along with me and Weldon and Kessler and see life while you’re young. Good-bye.”
He shook hands vigorously with Mendel and strode off with his long, raking stride, while Mendel stood glowing with the happiness of having found a friend, some one to whom he could talk almost as he talked to Golda: a fine young Englishman, pink and oozing robustious health, ease, refinement, and comfort. ”