Great was the astonishment on the deck of the Boston when Captain Nellis appeared. He shook hands with all the officers, and finally turned to Sweet, whom he greeted cordially.
"Captain, I don't want to interfere with your business at all—I am not here for that purpose; but don't you think you can get studding-sails on her and make her go through the water a little livelier?" said Captain Nellis. "There's a heap of money depending on this."
The captain gave the order, and in an instant the men were at work, and the captain sat there and watched them, as he had done when he had charge of the ship. The invigorating air brought the flush of health to his cheeks, and it was not very long before he left his chair and began pacing the deck with Captain Morris. He stayed there until Bob had his sleep out and came upon deck. To say he was surprised would not half express his feelings; but he ordered the captain down below after he had been there awhile, and his father was ready to comply with his demands. After that the captain was on deck nearly every day, and at last, to his immense relief, the headlights of the entrance of the Golden Gate appeared in sight. It was two days before they came to anchor, and then Bob posted off with that telegram which was to create such an uproar in the village.
The next day his father went ashore to visit some of the merchants with whom he had done business, for it will be remembered that he had no money. The merchants were all very glad to see him, listened with amazement when he told his story, and freely offered the funds he needed to take him home. They offered to take him as a guest, for Captain Nellis had been pretty well known when he did business on the water; but he remembered how long he had been absent from home, and said that his affairs demanded his attention immediately; so the next train that steamed away from San Francisco took Bob and his father with it. Ben Watson went, too; nor must we forget the sailor, Sweet, and the old "doctor," who brought him his food when he was confined in his state-room.
"I don't know what has become of my cook," said Captain Nellis. "He has probably gone to sea, as I wasn't there to look out for him, and I may never set eyes on him again; but I shall want some skouse and dough-boy, and I don't know anybody who can fix them up better than the doctor. I guess I had better take him with me."
The journey to Baltimore was made without trouble, and then they boarded the little steamer Abbie, which was to land them at the watering-place.
"There is Mr. Gibbons, Mr. Jones, Mr. Curtis, the president of the bank—in fact, everybody is there to welcome us," said Bob, as he stood regarding the crowd on the wharf through his father's binoculars. "But who is that fellow in a blue uniform? I don't know him, but he must know some of us, for he is constantly waving his handkerchief."
Bob gave his binoculars up to Ben Watson, ran down the stairs, and took his stand beside the men who were getting ready to shove the gang-plank out. As soon as he saw that he could clear the space that intervened between the boat and the dock he gave a tremendous jump, and landed fairly in the arms of Mr. Gibbons. He spent a few minutes in talking to him, and then turned to the boy in blue, whom he found out to be Hank Lufkin.
"Why, Hank, how is this?" said he, setting down the boy after he had picked him up and whirled him around two or three times. "You must have been having luck since I have been away."
Hank made some reply—we shall tell all about it in the concluding volume of this series—and then conducted Bob to the place where lay a ten ton cutter, which he said belonged to him. Bob was astonished, but he and his party got in and rode home with Hank. He was still more amazed at some other things Hank had to tell him. Mr. Layton and all their other enemies had disappeared, and they had nothing to do but to enjoy themselves in the old way. They were glad to get home.