Frank Nelson in the Forecastle

th, an' some dark night, when he's sailin' along thinkin' of nothing, one of them big quids (the sailors had called the cuttle-fish 'squids') will rise outen the

to say to them, they crowded up close behind the trapper, so that they could hear every word. There were also two other listeners-the men with the bludgeons, who had followed Dick Lewis in the hope of rescuing his prisoner. When these two worthies first came up, they acted as if they were about to board the vessel without ceremony; but changed their minds when they saw half a dozen broad-shouldered seamen, in obedience to a sign from the officer of the

might become of him. Perhaps the hard fare and harder treatment he was certain to receive, might drive him to do something desperate. Uncle Dick Gaylord, however, was not troubled by any such misgivings. He knew that Frank possessed courage and prudence in no ordinary degree, and besides there were Lucas and Barton, the coxswain, on the same vessel. Th

it concerns me and my doings, is false fro

At first he was badly frightened, but while the trapper was telling his story,

eaks of," he continued; "I never seen him before this morning, a

ased drew back his clenched hand. In a moment more the man would h

e!" said h

f your friends commits an assault on me and drags me away from my peaceful home, and then you wash your hands of the matter by

of his house last night," said one of the ruffians on the dock. "I'm one

exclaimed

came the pr

deck stood behind the bogus captain pushing back his sleeves. A simple look from Uncle Dick wo

all speak to you," continue

s safe, and there he stopped long enough to say a parting word to Uncle Dick. "This matter will be settled in the

him, then at the captain and finally at Dick Lewis, who stood the very picture of a

on the dock said? That indicated the defence they would bring up. We would find a court-room full of

ariably addressed the old sailor by this affectionate title. "If they swore to that, they w

his unsupported word against that of a dozen men. And as for perjury, how would you fasten the crime upon these false witnesses that would be produced? If Frank, Luca

hrow him overboard, or else let D

old sailor, with a laugh. "By the time your hair is as white as mine, Euge

at?" asked all

1

d just as he went away? There'll b

than he did of a grizzly bear. He had always thought that there was something wrong about it, and now he was firmly convinced of the fact. The law, as he understood it, was to restrain bad people, who were disposed to take advantage of their neighbors whenever an opportunit

ty again, an' now I say it onct more an' I'll stick to it," said the trapper, solemnly, raising his hand toward the mas

," said old Bob, who up to this time had been a sile

law will ketch me. I wish I was to the ole Bar

said he didn't want them to do it. If anybody was to go to jail (thrusting people into jail and hanging them Dick thought were the only punishments[108] in vogue in civilized communities) it should be himself and nobody else. Furthermore, he did not see why it was necessary that any one should be called upon to stand between him and difficulty. He had only b

u are anxious to know what I am going to do for Frank. I can only guess at the best pl

to desert. In either case the boys did not expect to see him again. If the consul protected him, he would be sent to the nearest port in the United States free of expense, and he had money enough in his pocket-about twenty dollars, Archie thought-to support him until he could receive a remittance from home. If he was compelled to desert he would probably ship on the first vessel he could find, just as Chase had done, and she might take him to the remotest corner of the earth. All this would sadly interfere with the Club's arra

and had a vessel at his command or money enough to take him just where he wanted to go, he would not know which way to steer to find us," said

ugene, bitterly. "I wish I had given up,

I," s

your debates, and you were not supposed to know that such an emergency[111] as

ly knew where

l. She'll never go on her station without a full crew, and the nearest place at which she can get it is the Sandwich Islands. There she will undoubtedly ship Kanakas enough to make up her complement. Then she'll go out for a three or four months

?" asked Walter, who did not

me one to protect him,[112] he will be sure to fall into the hands of those

denly, "will you take u

ed in astonishment,

il of war with his chum, "an' so is Bob. 'Sides it's a thing we never done yet-

k were lost in the woods, you and Bob would be just the m

on't want to go back hum without knowing what's

nds again before they took leave of him for ever, was perfectly natural; but there were the dangers they expected to meet on the "under side of the earth"-the Flying D

change 'em nuther. We all

I am gone to the custom house, hail the fir

ore, but their feelings were different now. They had something to thin

ppers to change their minds when they saw the preparations that were being made for getting under way, but Dick and Bob were not that sort. There was a dogged expression on their faces, such as might have been seen there had the ba

uld get rid of some of their foolish notions, we coul

is surprising how often that l

than they would otherwise have been," said Bob, anxiously. "The three principal officers have f

by saying that Frank will be sure to come out all right? Th

n, an' now he's among civilize

that this is the worst

dded hi

is now than in the prison at Shreveport, if he had to go through what he did when he made his escape. Frank

t when he burned that house in which Colonel

been a line instead of a staff officer, you would have got another stripe around

d Archie, hastily. "Now I shall

rs in a fair race through the woods, had something in him. The Colonel scolded me for not telling him before. He said if he had known it while you were in

dn't have enjo

if plenty of hunting, riding and g

es were cast off and the Stranger swung slowly around until her bow pointed toward the headlands at the entrance to the bay. In the bustle and hurry that followed the boys found time to turn an eye toward the trappers now and then, but they saw no signs of regret or alarm on their faces; and when the lines that held the tug were let go, and the steamer with a farewell shriek