“A find,—a real find, Captain?” asked Miss Stella. “What is it?”
“A medal,” he answered,—“a medal awarded for ‘Brave and faithful service on the “Reina Maria” sixty years ago.’” (He was scanning the bronze disc as he spoke),—“‘Juan Farley.’ Good Lord! Yes, poor old Jack! I wonder how he lived and died? And what in Heaven’s name is his medal doing here?”
“Perhaps Jonah can tell you,” suggested Miss Stella; while Polly, whose bright eyes were searching for Aladdin’s lamp, paused to listen.
“That ar medal?” said Jonah in answer to the Captain’s questioning. “Let me think now! That ar medal—ticketed nineteen, isn’t it?—was left here by a youngster. Now, what in thunder was his name? I’ll have to look in my books to see.”
And while he looked Captain Carleton explained his interest in his find.
“You see, my father was master and half owner of the ‘Reina Maria,’ though she was Spanish built and manned. But, luckily, Jack Farley, a first-class sailor, was second mate. There was a mutiny aboard, and it would have been all up with my father and his chief officer if brave Jack had not smelled mischief in time, and put down the hatches on the scoundrels at the risk of his own life. Ship and cargo (it was a pretty valuable ship) were saved; and this medal, that bears the stamp of her then Spanish Majesty, was Jack’s reward. My father always felt that he ought to have had something more; but the Spanish owners were close-fisted, so my old man had to content himself with helping Jack (who was a rather reckless sort of chap ashore) in his own way. He got him out of many a tight place on the strength of that medal; and he would have looked out for him until the last, but he shipped on an East Indian, and drifted out of our reach. And this medal was left here by a boy, you say, my man?”
“Yes, sir” (Jonah had found his entry now),—“by a boy who said it was his: that it had been given him by an old sailor man who was dead; and he’d like to sell the medal now, for he wanted some money bad.”
“Good!” said the old Captain, eagerly. “I’ll give him his price. Who and where is the boy?”
“His name is Dan Dolan and he lives at Killykinick.”
“Dan Dolan!” exclaimed Miss Stella.