OUTWITTED BY A BOY
The room was quite dark, except for the light that came in through an open skylight above Dan Davis' head. A glance about him told the boy that he had been thrown into a storeroom. All about him were boxes, cases and trunks.
"It will do me no good to shout. If I do, I'll give them the satisfaction of knowing that I'm done for. No; I won't yell. My men could not hear me if I did."
Dan pondered for a few moments, and an idea came to him.
"I believe I could batter that door down," he mused. "I'll take a look at it."
A brief examination convinced him that such an attempt would be foolish. The door was constructed of heavy plank, and had been made to withstand assaults. The room in which he had been made a prisoner was a place where sailors' chests were stored, a sort of safe deposit vault. There were no windows on either side, only the skylight in the ceiling, some twelve feet above the boy's head.
Dan gazed up at it longingly.
"I wonder if I could do it," he thought. "I cannot more than fail, anyway."
He quickly went to work, piling up boxes and chests. The latter were so heavy that he was unable to handle them and get them up more than three high. On top of these he piled boxes and climbed to the top of the pile. He found that he was still some distance from the skylight. This was a double affair, with the lights turning up on either side of a brace between them.
Dan crouched down, measured the distance and made a leap straight up into the air. His fingers barely touched the frame of the opening, then down he shot.
The lad landed on the edge of the upper packing case. It toppled over with him, and nearly every one of the boxes he had piled up came down with a crash that made that part of the building shake.
An empty case turned over Dan, imprisoning him beneath it. At first he lay still, not knowing whether he had been injured or not. Finally concluding that he had not been hurt, he eased the case from his body and crawled out.
"Either they are all deaf and dumb, or else they have deserted the place," he said out loud. "I don't believe I shall try that again. I'll try some other plan, and——"
Footsteps were heard coming down the hall. A new idea occurred to the lad. In an instant he had flattened himself on the floor, pulling the packing case over him as it had been before.
A key grated in the lock and several men entered. Among them was the Englishman. Dan recognized his voice, though the fellow was speaking in French. The men set up a great chattering when, as they thought, they found the room empty. It appeared plain to them how their man had made his escape.
"He's climbed out of the skylight!" cried a voice in good English.
"I shouldn't wonder if he is up there now. He can't get down," answered the Englishman with whom Dan had had the trouble out in the other room.
"Get him, quick! Somebody climb up there!"
The men began chattering in French again. Instantly they started piling boxes on top of the chests which they had put in place on the pile again.
"This is the time I lose," muttered Dan.
Fortunately for him, however, they were getting their cases from the other side. They found light and empty cases for their purpose, and it required but a moment to fling them up in place.
Three men instantly clambered to the top of the pile thus made. One man was lifted by the other two and boosted to the skylight. He grasped the frame, holding on, his feet standing on the hands of the other two beneath him.
The pile of boxes wavered and swayed beneath the weight placed upon them.
In the meantime Dan Davis had raised the box from his own body just far enough to enable him to peer out. He saw what was going on, and his eyes lighted up with joy as a sudden idea occurred to him.
"I'll show them they can't beat a Yankee tar," he thought, raising the box little by little. Fortunately for him, the men on the floor were at the other side of the pile of boxes, while those on top were too busy with their own affairs to look down.
Crouching for a spring, he gathered himself.
All at once the box over him landed several feet away with a crash.
Dan was on his feet in a twinkling. The door leading into the hallway stood open. Freedom was at hand, but the boy was not yet ready to take advantage of the opportunity offered him.
With a bound he threw his whole weight against the pile of packing cases.
For one giddy moment the cases trembled, then fell inward toward the men on the floor. Those above emitted a yell. Down they went, howling and shouting, their companions not having had time to get out of the way, being caught under the falling boxes and buried beneath them. All of the men were fighting, kicking and struggling to extricate themselves from the wreckage.
"Hip, hip, hooray!" yelled the Battleship Boy, unable to control his delight at the downfall of his enemies. "Next time maybe you'll think twice before you try to beat the United States Government."
With that Dan sprang out into the hallway. He slammed the door, turned the key in the lock, then hurled the key from him.
"Let them stay there and think it over for the rest of the day. It will do them good," he laughed, starting for the other end of the hall. He stepped into the room from which he had been taken a short time before.
There were still a number of men there, but they had not observed his entrance. Dan's eyes swept the room. In a far corner, crouching low in his chair, sat Kuhn, making himself as inconspicuous as possible. There was a frightened expression on the young sailor's face.
Dan walked quickly around the outer edge of the room. Kuhn did not happen to look his way. The fellow's eyes were fixed on the door leading out into the office in momentary expectation of seeing a squad of blue jackets enter the place.
"I've got you this time, young man!" exclaimed Davis, pouncing upon the sailor.
Kuhn toppled from his chair to the floor, with Dan on top of him.
"Get up!" commanded the Battleship Boy, scrambling to his feet and jerking his prisoner up beside him. "Out of here, before I serve you worse. I'm getting angry. You'll regret acting the way you have to-day. Come along!"
Ere the others in the room had an opportunity to protest, Dan had dragged his man to the door, which he kicked open, pushing his man through, then running him to the front door. With a shove, Dan sent his prisoner staggering to the sidewalk. Ere Kuhn stopped going he had measured his length in the street before the eyes of the jackies who comprised the patrol.
"Hold him, men!" commanded Davis. "That's it. Take him down to the steamer, two of you. I believe there are other men in this place. It is taking long chances, but I am going in to find out. Two of you come in with me this time. Be careful that you do not start anything. Take no part in any fight that may occur unless I tell you to do so."
At a carry arms, two of the detail followed Dan into the office of the place.
Approaching the proprietor, he said:
"Do you speak English?"
The man, a fat, red-faced Frenchman, nodded surlily, his eyes on the two armed men standing at attention at one side of the room.
"Are any of our men in your place?"
The fellow shook his head.
"I have reason to believe there are."
"No men here."
"Do you wish me to report your conduct to the Prefect of Police?"
The fellow's face took on a darker shade.
"Unless you convince me that none of our sailors are under your roof, I shall place a guard at the door to see that none of our men leave; then I shall go to the police and enter a complaint against you. They don't love you any too well now, you know."
Davis had taken a long shot, but he saw, from the expression on the proprietor's face that it had reached the mark.
Just then the Englishman, followed by the other men whom Dan had imprisoned in the store room, burst into the office. Espying the Battleship Boy, the Englishman made a dash toward him.
"There he is! Grab him!"
The men behind the Englishman started forward. None had observed the two jackies standing rigidly at one side of the room with eyes front.
"Stop where you are!" commanded Davis.
They paid no attention to his command.
"Port arms!" he commanded sharply, turning to his own men. "Load!"
Two audible metallic clicks sounded above the noise in the room.
"Take aim! Steady, there," he ordered, in a voice just loud enough for his men to hear. "I wouldn't have you pull the triggers for a million dollars. Don't get excited."
The rush stopped instantly.
"Now, you fellows, I want you to stand out of my way. At the first sign of opposition on your part I shall order my men to fire. Mr. Proprietor, lead the way through your place."
Backed by the two armed men, Davis started in the wake of the proprietor. They examined all the rooms on the ground floor, after which Dan, leaving his men in the hallway to guard the rear, proceeded upstairs where a number of rooms had been arranged for lodging places. In one of these he found three sailors sound asleep on the floor. They were awakened with no little difficulty.
"Guard, there!" called Dan down the stairway.
"Aye, aye."
"One of you come up here. Take these men out to the patrol with instructions for two of them to march these fellows down to the steamer. Tell the men to report back at once. If the other two have returned, send one of them in to me!"
The sailors, rubbing their eyes, rose, grinning sheepishly.
"Where are we heading, matey?" demanded one of them.
"For the ship and perhaps the brig," answered Dan shortly.
"What for?"
"Overstaying your leave. Come, hurry out of here!"
The men ruefully made their way down the stairs, and a few minutes later were on their way to the landing stage, where the steamer was waiting to receive them. Dan was convinced that the men had not intentionally overstayed their leave. Still, he had little sympathy for men who had so light a regard for their duty as to forget it entirely.
"Now, Mr. Proprietor, what other rooms have you in this establishment?"
"None."
"I am afraid I can't take your word for anything after the way you have tried to deceive me. We will look about below a little. Where does that door lead to?" he asked, espying a small door under the stairway after they had reached the hallway again.
"To the cellar. There's nothing down there."
"Open the door."
The owner of the place did so. Dan peered down into the darkness and was about to turn away, when he thought he heard voices. He listened intently.
"Who is down there?" he asked of the proprietor.
"No one."
"Get a light and lead the way."
The proprietor did so, his face working convulsively as he sought to control his rage.
Leading the way across the cellar, the fellow threw open a door. A great wave of damp, smoky air smote the newcomers in the face.
"So that's the game, is it?" demanded Dan triumphantly. There were the others of the missing men, enjoying themselves immensely. They were laughing and joking.
"Attention!" commanded Davis.
A loud laugh greeted his order.
"Bring him in here. It's Little Dynamite!" shouted the men. "Hurrah, for Little Dynamite! Hurrah!"
Sudden silence settled over the room. Behind the stern-faced Battleship Boy the eyes of the occupants of the room all at once made out their companions, armed with Krag rifles.
They understood.
"Attention! Forward march!" ordered Dan.
The men rose, hesitated, then bowing before the authority that they knew represented the United States Government, they filed from the room, up the stairs and into the hallway, where another guard stood at attention.
Dan led the way through the hall, on through the two rooms. He paused at the street door, while the men filed past him. They lined up in the street where Dan had halted them.
"Right dress. Twos right, forward march!"
The disconsolate sailors started away down the street, guarded in front and rear by armed men, with the Battleship Boy at their head.
Dan had had a lively time, but he had carried out his orders faithfully.
No conversation was indulged in, and, reaching the landing stage, the men were ordered into the little steamer, which quickly got under way and headed for the battleship. Shortly after that the delinquents were climbing up a sea ladder to the deck, the gangways having been taken in in preparation for getting under way.
"All present, sir," announced Dan, saluting the officer of the deck.