Thus did she begin the voyage whose object was the finding of the wreck of the Silver Swan.
CHAPTER XXIX
THE STOWAWAY ABOARD THE SUCCESS
As we know, Brandon Tarr had no intention of remaining long away from his friends when he slipped out of Adoniram Pepper’s office to escape arrest on the fraudulent charge of robbery, concocted by Uncle Arad.
The events which followed, however, made it necessary for him to remain away, and, finally, to go to sea as a stowaway in the hold of the Success, the vessel chartered by the conspirators to make search for the Silver Swan.
After the friendly street gamin, Swivel, left him in the hold, in the early hours of Sunday morning, Brandon of course had no means of knowing what had become of him—whether he had accomplished his purpose of getting away from the brig before she sailed, or whether, because she was short handed, the captain of the Success had retained him.
After Swivel was let up on deck, and the hatch closed, however, Brandon heard nothing further, except the heavy tramping of the sailors, the creaking of the ropes, and the hoarse roars of command from the officers.
The work of getting the Success away from the dock went rapidly on.
Quite fortunately for the stowaway, the hold of the Success was little more than two thirds filled with Savannah goods. In the bows, beside a great many bags and boxes and barrels of provisions for the use of the crew, there were likewise spare sails, cordage, etc.
It would be a very easy matter indeed for him to hide among the stuff if any one came into the hold.
The scent of bilge water was not at all strong, for the Success was a comparatively new vessel and had evidently been recently pumped out.