That night they anchored within sight of Yuma, Arizona. Clay declared that Alex was too much of a sleepy head to be trusted to keep watch, and so resolved to stand guard until midnight and then awake Case.
But Case was not called, and at daylight Clay was nowhere to be found!
CHAPTER IX.—ANOTHER GUEST FROM THE RIVER.
Clay, after Alex and Case were asleep in their bunks, sat out on the forward deck playing with Teddy and informing him what his opinion of him was! The cub appeared to understand the compliments paid him, but Captain Joe looked like he was being overlooked in the allotment of honors for the events of the day. Clay only scolded him for not uttering a warning when King came on board.
The lights of Yuma shone in the distance, and now and then the rush and roll of a Southern Pacific train stirred the air, but for the most part it was very still, except for the murmur of the river, where the Rambler lay.
The happenings of the day had been so remarkable that Clay’s head almost ached as he tried to place them in orderly array for deliberate consideration. The larceny of the money troubled him most, and a good deal of his thought was given to the mystery of the taking.
He had taken a fancy to Don Durand, and did not like the idea that further trouble might come to the lad through a member of the Rambler company. Don would certainly appear, in time, and claim the money. What was there to say to him? Would he believe the naked truth when it was told? Clay was sorry to conclude that he would not!
While the boy worried over the situation, a light showed on the the city side of the river, such a light as might have been made by the flare of a match. Clay watched the point from which it had shown with lazy interest. The person who had struck the match was probably some tramp, he concluded, some vagrant loitering there in the hope of finding a lodging for the night on board the boat.
Directly another match was struck. This time it was swung in a circle until the flame was extinguished by the light breeze which was blowing from the west. Clay began to take a greater interest in the matter, for it seemed that the person on shore, whoever it was, was attempting to attract his attention.
There was no moon, but the stars were out, and the boy knew that the bulk of the Rambler could be quite distinctly seen from the shore. The display of light, he thought, might be either a salute to those on board or a signal to some one on the bank. Curious as to what it really did mean, he resolved to sit still and await developments.