Go-Ahead; Or, The Fisher-Boy's Motto

by Harry Castlemon

Being no longer afraid of an attack, the fisher-boy threw away his club, and walked on faster than ever. He did not turn again to look at the spy, until just as he reached home, when a single glance told him that he was still in sight. Instead of going into the house, Bob kept on around it, and took his stand at one corner, where he could observe the movements of his pursuer when he came up. About twenty yards from where he stood was another cabin, whose inmates had retired to rest; and presently the spy appeared, and stopped in the shadow of this cabin. He glanced hastily around, to make sure that there was no one in sight, listened attentively for a moment, to satisfy himself that all was quiet in the cabins, and then seated himself on the ground, and rested his elbows on his knees, as if he had decided to remain there during the rest of the night.

For the next half hour neither Bob nor the spy scarcely moved a muscle. The latter sat gazing intently at the house, as if he was trying to look through the boards to obtain a view of what was going on inside; and the fisher-boy stood in his concealment, wondering how long his strange visitor intended to remain there, and trying in vain to determine what Sam's object could be in sending a boy to watch him at that time of night; for, that the bully was at the bottom of the whole affair, Bob did not for a moment doubt. Finally, the spy began to grow restless; and, after stretching his arms and yawning, as if he had become very sleepy, he arose to his feet, and with cautious steps approached the place where Bob was standing. The fisher-boy's fears that he had been discovered were speedily put at rest, for the spy passed within ten feet of him, and kept on around the house. Having thus satisfied himself that none of the family were stirring, he broke into a run and started back toward the village, followed by Bob, who had resolved to find out the cause of these mysterious movements, if he did not sleep a wink that night. The spy kept on at a rapid pace, until he reached the wharf, where he again became cautious in his movements. Mr. Newcombe's watchman was walking up and down behind the warehouse, and the spy did not want to attract his attention. He moved across the wharf on his hands and knees, and then, after casting suspicious glances around him, he suddenly disappeared from the view of the fisher-boy, who ran swiftly to the edge of the pier, and looked over into the harbor, just in time to see Sam Barton's yawl moving slowly out of sight among the spiles. This was enough to satisfy him that something unusual was going on, and he became more determined than ever to see the end of all these strange proceedings. He made up his mind to follow that boat wherever it went; and, there was but one way that he could do it, and that was by swimming. He waited fully five minutes, in order to give the yawl time to get so far under the wharf that he would not be discovered, and then he let himself down into the water and swam in among the spiles. There he found himself in almost Egyptian darkness, but he could hear the occupants of the yawl whispering to each other, and that guided him in the pursuit. Presently the light of a lantern flashed through the darkness, and, as its rays fell upon the faces of the boys in the yawl, Bob was astonished to recognize, in one of them, his friend Tom Newcombe; and he was still more amazed when he saw one of the crew remove the board that concealed the entrance to the cave. He watched the band, as, one after the other, they disappeared through the opening, until Sam Barton, who came last, pulled the board back to its place, and Bob was left alone in the darkness.

The moment Sam disappeared the fisher-boy struck out for the cave, intent upon getting close enough to it to see what was going on inside, and to overhear the conversation carried on between its occupants.

The entrance had been so carefully concealed that not a ray of light could be seen; but he had noted the exact position of the cave; and, besides, he was guided by the loud barking of a dog, which refused to keep silent, in spite of a severe beating somebody was giving him. The noise led Bob directly to the cave, and when he crawled out on the bank and listened a moment at the door, he found, to his joy, that he could distinctly hear every word that was said.

"Kill him, Friday!" he heard the bully exclaim, probably addressing himself to the person who was beating the dog. "Make him hush that noise, or the first thing we know we'll have visitors. Stand back a little out of his sight, Tommy. You're a stranger to him and he don't like your looks!"

"Are you not afraid that some one will hear him?" asked Tom.

"That's not likely, unless that ar Bobby Jennings, or Mr. Grimes, is on the watch. Will Atkins, are you sartin an' sure that you see Bob go home?"

"Am I sartin an' sure that I've got a pair of eyes?" asked Atkins. "I know that he is abed and fast asleep afore this time."

"Gentlemen will please come to order, now!" said Sam, when Friday had succeeded in quieting the dog. "Take off your hats an' set down like men had oughter do. The first thing we have got to 'tend to, is to settle this business with Tommy. He says he has seed enough of them swells in the village; he is down on Bobby Jennings; he wants to go with us, an' is willin' to furnish his share of the outfit. He has promised to keep a still tongue in his head, an' to obey all orders; an' now we must give him a name."