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Bob the Castaway

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<h2 id="id00498" style="margin-top: 4em">CHAPTER VIII</h2> <h5 id="id00499">GETTING READY</h5> Captain Spark's ship, the Eagle, was a large craft, and in her he had made many voyages. At present the vessel was docked at a seaport town not many miles from Moreville. The day it was announced to Bob that he was to make a sea voyage, the captain left the village to visit the Eagle at the dock and see how the loading of the cargo was progressing. "I want to sail as soon as possible," he said, "and though I left a good mate in charge, still I like to look after certain matters myself. I'll be back in a few days and let you know, Bob, the exact date for sailing. In the meanwhile you can be getting ready." "Aye, aye, sir," answered the boy, trying, as he had read of sailors doing, to pull a lock of his reddish hair, but finding it too short. He had decided to adopt all the sea practices he had ever read about. "Get your bag ready," went on the captain, "have your mother put some needles and thread in, for you'll have to mend your own clothes at sea, and I'll look it over when I get back." "Aye, aye, sir." The captain laughed at Bob's sudden enthusiasm for the sea and ship terms, but he was not displeased. As for Bob, he thought the time would never pass until he would find himself aboard the Eagle. That very day he began to sort over his clothes, trying to decide which he should take, and he had such a miscellaneous collection of garments that, when his mother saw them, she laughed. "Bob!" she exclaimed. "It would take three trunks to hold them, and I don't believe sailors are ever allowed more than one. At least, in all the pictures I ever saw of sailors going on board a ship they only had a small box or bag on their shoulder, and, of course, that must have contained all their clothes." "I guess you're right, mother. I'll have to sort out some of these." "Never mind. I'll do that. But what in the world are you doing with those rubber boots?" "I was going to take them along." "Sailors seldom wear rubber boots. They go barefoot when it's wet on deck." For Mrs. Henderson knew something about seafaring men, from her long acquaintance with Captain Spark. "Another mistake," admitted Bob, good-naturedly. "Guess I've got lots to learn about the ocean and ships." "Yes indeed, Bob. And I hope you will profit by it. It is no place to play pranks, either, on board a ship." "But I've read that when the ship crosses the equator the sailors cut up all kinds of high jinks." "Yes, I suppose they do, but that is not very often. I have no doubt Captain Spark will permit fun on that occasion." "If we go down around Cape Horn and up the west coast of North and South America we'll cross the equator twice," went on Bob. "We can have fun both times." "I'm afraid you're thinking more of the fun you are going to have than the real reason for this voyage, Bob. It is a punishment for your prank on the minister." "I know it, but, mom, I can't seem to feel that way about it." "And I don't know as I blame you, Bob, though of course it was very wrong to put glue on the reverend gentleman's chair." Bob felt he must tell the news of his prospective voyage to his chums. Leaving his mother to sort out his clothes, he went out in the street. It was Saturday and there was no school. In fact, the term would close in another week, so Bob would miss little instruction by taking the cruise. The first lad Bob met was Ted Neefus. His chum hurried up to him and Inquired: "Did he hurt you very much?" "Who?" "Your father." "My father? What do you mean?" "Didn't he give you a good walloping for that joke?" "No. Not a bit of it. I'm going on a sea voyage with Captain Spark." "Honest?" "Cross my heart," and Bob went through a rapid motion with his hands somewhere over the region of his stomach. "Where to?" "Around Cape Horn." "No jokin'?" "Of course not. But that's nothing. Captain Spark has been all over the world." Bob spoke as though doubling the Horn was the easiest thing a mariner meets with. "I wonder if he doesn't want another boy," mused Ted wistfully. "Don't believe so." "Wish he did. We could have jolly times together." "I'm going out to learn how to sail a ship, not to have fun," replied Bob, with an air of lofty virtue. He had said nothing about this voyage being a sort of discipline as punishment for his prank. He did not think that necessary. "When are you goin'?" "Next week." And then the two boys fell to discussing the trip in all its aspects. Soon other boys joined Bob and Ted, but the perpetrator of the glue-joke was the center of attraction. In fact, Bob was regarded as a sort of village hero. There was more interest manifested in geography at school the following week than ever before. Everybody knew, without telling, where Cape Horn was, and as for the Straits of Magellan, they could have pointed them out in the dark. The prospect of the trip, too, had a certain effect on Bob. His mind was so filled with the thought of it, that he actually forgot about planning any jokes. Nor would he take part in any with the other village boys. "Let's go down past old Mary Bounder's house and throw stones at the door. Then she'll come out and chase us and one of us can go in and get her pet cat and tie a can to its tail," proposed Ted the following Monday. Mary Bounder was a curious old woman, who lived all alone in a cabin near the woods, and was the mark for many a joke on the part of the boys. "Nope," said Bob firmly. "What's the matter? Sick?" asked Ted in surprise. "No, but I've got to do some studying." "Studying? Why, there's only a little more school." "I don't mean that kind of studying. I'm learning the different parts of a ship, so I'll know 'em when I get to sea." Ted had momentarily forgotten about Bob's voyage. "That's so," he said. "You'll be going away soon. Say, we ought to have some fun before you go." "Guess I've played enough jokes for a while." "But we ought to have one more. Come down to Mary Bounder's. Sam Shoop will go. He'll catch the cat." "Nope. I'm going home. I got a new book on sea terms, and I want to look at it." "All right. Then Sam and I'll go. You'll wish you'd come. We'll have some fun." But Bob could not be persuaded. His mother and father noticed the change in him, and they were delighted. "I believe we made no mistake when we consented to the captain's plan," said Mr. Henderson. "If it will only last," added his wife. That day a letter came from Captain Spark saying he would be detained a few days longer and would not reach Moreville until Wednesday. "The ship will sail the following Saturday," he stated in his note. "I could sail Friday, but I don't want to take any chances. Some of my sailors are superstitious, and I want them all to be in good humor. I trust Bob has not changed his mind about going." "No indeed," said the boy, when the letter was shown to him. That afternoon as Bob was coming back from the store, he met, on the main street of the village, an old man who lived on the outskirts of the town. His name was Captain Obediah Hickson and he had once been a sailor, though he told so many different versions of his life at sea, that it was hard to say where truth began and fiction left off. Still he might not have meant to deceive any one, for he was rather simple-minded. "What's this I hear about you going to take a long sea voyage?" he asked of Bob. "It's true, Captain Obed," which was what every one called the aged man. "I'm going around Cape Horn with Captain Spark. We start soon." "Around Cape Horn, eh? Then you'll strike the Southern Pacific." "I expect so." A curious change seemed to come over the old man. He looked carefully up and down the street to see that no one was in sight, and then, approaching quite closely to Bob, he whispered: "Bob, come to my house to-night." "What for?" "Hush! Not so loud. I've a great secret to disclose." "What about?" asked Bob with a smile, thinking to humor the old captain. "About buried treasure. It's on a lonely island in the Southern Pacific Ocean. I'm the only living man who knows where it is. If I wasn't so old I'd go along and help find it. But I'm too old. It needs some one young and strong. You'll dig it up for me, won't you?" "If I could find it," replied Bob, believing the aged man was speaking of some delusion. "Oh, you can find it. I have the secret map. I'll give it to you. Come to my house to-night, but after dark—after dark, mind." And, once more looking around to see that no one had observed him, Captain Obed shuffled on down the street. Bob did not know what to think. <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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