CHAPTER V.
A SUDDEN DISAPPEARANCE.
While Professor Mapps was giving his lecture, or his “talk” as he preferred to call it, in the grand saloon of the steamer, quite a number of boats were pulling around the steamer, and the other vessels of the squadron, some of them containing boatmen looking for a job, and others, people who were curious to see the ship and her consorts. The several craft were not men-of-war or merchantmen; and they seemed to excite a great deal of curiosity. Not a few of the boats came up to the gangway, their occupants asking permission to go on board; but they were politely refused by the officers in charge.
Some of the boats carried lateen, or leg-of-mutton sails, which are used more than any other on the Mediterranean. A long yard, or spar, is slung at an angle of forty-five degrees, on a short mast, so that one-fourth of the spar is below and the rest above the mast. The sail is triangular, except that the part nearest to the tack is squared off. It is attached to the long yard on the hypothenuse side. On the larger craft, the sail is hauled out on the long spar, sliding on hanks, or rings. It is a picturesque rig; and some of the students who had a taste for boating were anxious to try their skill in handling a sail of this kind.
One of these feluccas, with two gentlemen in the stern, seemed to be more persistent than the others to obtain admission for its occupants on board of the Prince. Her huge sail was brailed up, and she had taken a berth at the gangway of the steamer. Peaks, the adult boatswain of the ship, obeyed his orders to the letter, and would not permit any one to put foot on the deck. One of the gentlemen who came off in her had ascended the accommodation steps, and insisted upon holding a parley with Peaks; but as the old salt understood only a few words of Spanish, and the stranger did not speak English, they did not get ahead very well. The boatswain resolutely but good-naturedly refused to let the visitor pass him, or to disturb the lecture by sending to the saloon for some one to act as interpreter. The gentleman obstinately declined to give up his point, whatever it was, and remained at the gangway till the students were dismissed from the exercise.
When the lecture was finished, Mr. Lowington came out of the saloon; and, as he passed the gangway, Peaks touched his cap, and informed him that a Spaniard on the steps insisted upon coming on board.
“I don’t understand his lingo, and can’t tell what he is driving at,” added Peaks.
“Somebody that wishes to visit the ship, probably,” replied the principal.
“I have turned back more than fifty, but this one won’t be turned back,” continued Peaks, as Mr. Lowington stepped up to the gangway.
As soon as the Spanish gentleman saw him, he raised his hat, and addressed him in the politest terms, begging pardon for the intrusion. The principal invited him to come on board, and then immediately directed the people of the Josephine and Tritonia to return to their vessels. While the Tritonias were piping over the side, Mr. Lowington gave his attention to the visitor.
“Have you a student in your ship by the name of Enrique Raimundo?” asked the Spanish gentleman, after he had properly introduced the subject of his visit.
Mr. Lowington spoke Spanish, having learned it when he was on duty as a naval officer in the Mediterranean; but, as he had been out of practice for many years, he was not as fluent in the language as formerly. But he understood the question, and so did Raimundo, who happened to pass behind the principal, in company with Scott, at this interesting moment. Possibly his heart rose to his throat, as he heard his name mentioned; at any rate, after the history he had narrated to Scott, he could not help being greatly disturbed by the inquiry of the stranger. But he had the presence of mind to refrain from any demonstration, and went over the side into the cutter with his companions. If his handsome olive face was paler than usual, no one noticed the fact.
Mr. Lowington was a prudent man in the management of the affairs of the students under his care. When he heard the inquiry for the second master of the Tritonia, whom he knew to be a Spaniard, he at once concluded that the visitor was a friend or a relative of the young man. But it was no part of his policy to deliver over his pupils to their friends and relatives without fully understanding what he was doing. Persons claiming such relations might lead the students astray. They might be the agents of some of his rogues on board, who had resorted to this expedient to obtain a vacation on shore.
“Are you a relative of Raimundo?” was the first question the principal proposed to the stranger.
“No, I am not; but”—
Mr. Lowington failed to understand the rest of the reply made by the gentleman, for here his Spanish was at fault. The visitor was not a relative of Raimundo. If he had answered in the affirmative, the principal would have directed the Tritonia’s boats to remain, so that the visitor could see the young man, if upon further explanation it was proper for him to do so. If the gentleman was not a relative, it was not advisable to disturb the routine of the squadron to oblige him. He could see Raimundo the next day, when he went on shore. The boats of the Josephine and the Tritonia were therefore permitted to return without any delay.
“No hablo mucho Español” (I do not speak much Spanish), said Mr. Lowington, laughing; “y no comprendo” (and I do not understand).
He then with the utmost politeness, as required in all intercourse with Spanish gentlemen, invited the visitor into the grand saloon, and sent for Professor Badois, the instructor in modern languages, to assist at the interview. The gentleman proved to be Don Francisco Castro, an abogado, or lawyer, who represented Don Alejandro, the lawful guardian of Enrique Raimundo. He claimed the body of his client’s ward, the second master of the Tritonia. Even Professor Badois had some difficulty in comprehending the legal terms used by the abogado; but so much was made clear to the principal.
“I don’t understand this business,” said he. “I received the young man from Manuel Raimundo, his uncle in New York, who has always paid his tuition fees; and I hold myself responsible to him for the safe keeping of my pupil.”
“Ah, but you are in Spain, and the young man is a Spaniard, subject to Spanish law,” added Don Francisco, with a bland smile. “All the evidence will be presented to you, and you will be fully justified in giving up the young man.”
Mr. Lowington was very much disturbed. He knew nothing of the circumstances of the case beyond what the lawyer told him; and he was very much perplexed by the situation. He called Dr. Winstock, who spoke Spanish even more fluently than Professor Badois, and asked his advice.
“If Don Alejandro is the lawful guardian of Raimundo, how happens the young man to be a resident of New York?” asked the surgeon, after the case had been fully explained to him.
The lawyer shrugged his shoulders, but smiled as blandly as ever.
“Don Manuel, the uncle of the boy, stole him from his guardian when he left his native land,” said Don Francisco. “You see, the young man has a fortune of five million reales; and no doubt Don Manuel wants to get this money or a part of it.”
“But Manuel Raimundo is one of the richest wine-merchants of New York,” protested the principal.
The subject was discussed for half an hour longer. Don Francisco said he had sent agents to New York to obtain possession of the boy, and had kept the run of the squadron from the day the ward of his client had entered as a student. He had taken no action before, because he had been assured that the vessels would visit Spain, where there would be no legal difficulties in the way of securing his client’s ward. The lawyer made a very plain case of it, and was entirely fair in every thing he proposed. He would not take Raimundo out of the vessel by force unless compelled to do so. The whole matter would be settled in the proper court, and the young man should have the best counsel in Spain.
“Very well, Don Francisco. I am much obliged to you for the courtesy with which you have managed your case so far,” said Mr. Lowington. “I will employ counsel to-morrow to look up the matter in the interest of my pupil.”
“But the young man,—what is to be done with him in the mean time?” asked the lawyer.
“He will be safe on board of the Tritonia.”
“Pardon me, sir; but I have been looking for the boy too many years to let him slip through my fingers now,” interposed Don Francisco earnestly, but with his constant smile. “If he hears that I am looking for him, he will keep out of my way, as he has done for several years.”
“Do you wish to make a prisoner of him?” inquired the principal.
“No, no! By no means,—no prison! He shall have the best room in my house; but I must not lose sight of him.”
“That would be taking possession of the young man without regard to any thing I may wish to do for him. I do not like that arrangement,” added Mr. Lowington.
The courteous abogado seemed to be troubled. He did not wish to do any thing that would not be satisfactory to the “distinguished officer” before him; but, after considerable friendly argument, he proposed a plan which was accepted by the principal. The person who had come off in the boat with him was an alguacil, or constable, who had been empowered to arrest Don Alejandro’s ward. Would the principal allow this official to remain on board of the vessel with Raimundo, and keep an eye on him all the time? Mr. Lowington did not object to this arrangement. He would go with Don Francisco to the Tritonia, where the situation could be explained to Raimundo, and the alguacil should occupy a state-room with his charge, if he desired. The principal treated his guest with distinguished consideration; and the first cutter was lowered to convey him to the Tritonia. Dr. Winstock accompanied the party; the twelve oars of the first cutter dropped into the water with mechanical precision, to the great admiration of the Spanish gentlemen; and the boat darted off from the ship’s side.
In a moment the cutter was alongside the Tritonia, and the party went on board of her. Most of the officers were on the quarter-deck, and Mr. Lowington looked among them for the second master. All hands raised their caps to the principal as soon as he appeared on the deck.
“Captain Wainwright, I wish to see Mr. Raimundo,” said he to the young commander. “Send for him, if you please.”
“Mr. Raimundo,” repeated the captain, touching his cap. “Mr. Richards, pass the word for Mr. Raimundo.”
The first master, who had been designated, went to look for the young Spaniard. His name was repeated all over the deck, and through the cabin and steerage; but Raimundo did not respond to the call. A vigorous search was made in every part of the vessel; yet the second master was still missing. Don Francisco’s constant courtesy seemed to be somewhat shaken. Inquiries were made of all the other officers in regard to the second master. They had seen him on the deck after the return of the boats from the Prince. Scott had left him in the cabin, half an hour before; but he had not the least idea what had become of him. Don Francisco spoke French and Italian; and he examined O’Hara in the latter, and several other officers in the former language.
Mr. Lowington explained that he had sent no one to the Tritonia to inform Raimundo that he was wanted; and the alguacil, who had remained in the felucca all the time till he took his place in the first cutter, assured the lawyer that no one had gone from the steamer to the schooner after all the boats left.
The principal and the vice-principal were as much perplexed as the lawyer. None of them could alter the fact that Raimundo was missing; and they were utterly unable to account for his mysterious disappearance. All of them were confident that the absentee would soon be found; and the abogado returned to the shore, leaving the alguacil in the Tritonia to continue the search.