CHAPTER XII.
A PRESENT FOR SAN JUAN.
The steamer Spangled Star, very lame, with only one engine working, and with her propeller finding it difficult to urge her along on a straight course, came into San Juan harbor, wabbling toward her wharf.
Before she got in altogether, she stopped, for she was hardly manageable at intervals, and a motor boat put out from the shore and hailed her.
In the boat were Nick Carter and his two assistants, with Captain Douglas and Paul Clayton.
The police uniform of Douglas was enough to make the captain of the steamer lower a sea ladder right away. He might not have done it for one in citizen’s clothes—which was the reason Nick Carter had insisted on Douglas putting on his blue and brass, gold badge and all, to impress the commander.
Nick wasted no time when once he got on deck. Taking the skipper aside, he asked if Jabez Portersham was aboard.
“You bet he is. Of course, he is acting governor of Porto Rico, and I couldn’t help taking him as a passenger, even though it made us nearly half an hour late in getting away. I believe he’s hoodooed us, too, for I never had my machinery break down before. We’d had our engines inspected, and there was no need for them to throw off. Yet, here’s our sta’boa’d engine gone so far it’ll be only good for the junk pile, and——”
“Where’s Mr. Portersham’s cabin?” interrupted Nick, when he saw that the irate captain was likely to keep on airing his woes indefinitely. “Can we see him?”
The skipper glanced at Douglas inquiringly. An almost imperceptible nod reassured him, and he pointed to a doorway which led to the deck cabins—the most expensive on the vessel.