Poor Mrs. Calvert was distressed. Not often in her long life had the charge of inhospitality been laid at her door, and she hastened to explain that she wished him still to remain with them, only----

With a magnificent wave of his not too clean hand and bowing in the courtliest fashion, the disappointed visitor stepped grandly over the gang-plank, and a moment later was ordering, in his saddest tones:

"Billy, lie down!"

Billy obediently shook his harness, disordered by the efforts of the lads to straighten it, and crumpled himself up on the sward. The Colonel majestically placed himself upon the back of "his only friend;" commanded: "Billy, get up!" and slowly rode away up-slope to his own deserted melon-patch.

"Now, isn't that a pity!" cried Dorothy, with tears in her eyes. "I didn't care for him while he was here, though Billy was just charming--for a mule! But I do hate quarreling and he's gone off mad."

"Good riddance to bad rubbish!" said Mrs. Bruce, fervently. Then shaded her eyes with her hands to stare out toward the broader water in search of the missing fishermen, while the pretty Water Lily began to move away from the little wharf which had become so familiar.

Meanwhile, out beyond the mouth of the river, within the shelter of a tree-shaded cove, the would-be fishermen were having adventures of their own. It was a spot which Cap'n Jack knew well and was that he had intended to reach when the little red "Stem" of the Water Lily was lowed away from her. Here was a collection of small houses, mere huts in fact, occupied by fishermen during the mild seasons. Here would always be found some old cronies of his, shipmates of the oyster-boats that plied their trade during the cold months of the year.

The truth was that the "skipper" was not only lonely, so far from his accustomed haunts, but he wanted a chance to show these old mates of his how his fortunes had risen, to hear the news and give it.

"Are there any fish here?" demanded Jim, when they rested on their oars just off sh.o.r.e.

"More fish 'an you could catch in a lifetime! Look a yonder!"

So saying, the captain raised his broken spy-gla.s.s to his good eye--he had the sight of but one--and surveyed the cove. Around and around he turned it, standing firmly on the bottom of the "Stem," his mult.i.tude of bra.s.s b.u.t.tons glittering in the sun, and his squat figure a notable one, seen just then and there. At last, came a cry from sh.o.r.e.

"Ship ahoy!"

"Aye, aye! Port about!" roared the Captain, and dropped to his seat again. He had succeeded in his effort to attract attention, and now picked up the oars and began to pull in. Until now he had generously allowed the lads to do the rowing, despite considerable grumbling from Gerald, who was newer to that sort of work than he had pretended. But Cap'n Jack did not care for this; and he did succeed in impressing a small company of men who were industriously fishing in the cove.

Most of these were in small boats, like the "Stem," but a larger craft was moored at the little wharf and about it were gathered real sailors fresh from the sea. At sight of them, the three lads forgot fishing in eagerness to meet these sailors, who had come from--n.o.body could guess how far! At all events, they must have seen strange things and have many "yarns to spin," which it would be fine to hear.

Events proved that the sailors had never heard of "Cap'n Jack," and were duly impressed by the importance he a.s.sumed. On his tongue, the Water Lily became a magnificent yacht and he its famous Commodore, and though there were those among the fishermen who did know him well, they humored his harmless pretensions and added to his stories such marvelous details that even he was astonished into believing himself a much greater man than he had pretended.

That was a gala day for the three lads. Somebody proposed lunch and some fishermen prepared it; of the freshly caught fish, cooked over a beach-wood fire, and flanked by the best things the hosts could offer.

Over the food and the fire tongues were loosened, and the sailors did "yarn it" to their guests' content. At last the talk turned upon animals and one sailor, who was no older than these young landsmen, remarked:

"Speakin' of monkeys, I've got a dandy pair right down in the hold now. Want to see 'em?"

Of course they did! They were in a mood to wish to see anything and everything which came from afar. For, during the "yarns," in imagination they had followed these men of the sea into wonderful lands, through tropical forests, and among strange people, till even Jim's fancy was kindled. As for Melvin and Gerald, their eyes fairly shone with eagerness, and when the sailor returned to the little camp-fire, bringing a wooden cage containing the monkeys, each was possessed of a desire to own them.

"For sale?" asked Gerald.

"Course. I always bring home a few. Last trip I did a hundred and fifty for a Baltimore department store. Fact! Head of the firm ordered 'em. He sold 'em for two-fifty a-piece, and they went like hot cakes.

Women went crazy over 'em, I heard, and, course, it was good business for him. A woman would go in the store, out of curiosity to see the monks. See something else she'd buy, and finally be talked into buying one o' them. Reckon I'll lay alongside that same store and try for another consignment."

"How much?" asked Melvin. He was thinking that if so many "women went crazy" over such animals as pets, it would be a nice thing to buy this pair and present them to Dorothy. She did love animals so!

"Oh! I don't know, exactly. This is the last pair I've got--they are extra clever--could be taught to speak just as well as children, I believe, only, course, a sailor don't have time to fool with 'em." He might have added that not only was this his "last pair" but his only one; and that though the transaction he described was a fact, he was not the dealer who had supplied the monkey market. Besides--but there was no need to tell all he knew about monkeys to these two possible purchasers.

"Jim, don't you want to take a chance? Go thirds with us in 'em?"

"No, Gerald. I don't. I mean I can't. I've only a little bit left in my purse on the boat, and I've got to get back to New York State sometime. Back to the Water Lily mighty sudden, too, seems if. Must ha' been here a terrible time. Shucks! I clean forgot our folks were waiting for their fish-dinner while we were eatin' our own. Come on!

We must go! and not a single fish to show for our whole morning!"

"Wait a minute. It's so late now it can't matter. They'd have had their dinner, anyway. You won't join?" again asked Gerald.

"Can't."

"I will, if he doesn't ask too much. What's the price, sailor? We'll take them if it isn't too high," said Melvin.

The man named a sum that was greater than the combined capital of Gerald and Melvin. Then, although he wasn't a purchaser himself, Jim tried his usual "d.i.c.kering" and succeeded in lowering the price of the simians, "clever enough to talk English," to ten dollars for the pair.

"All right! Here's my fiver!" cried Gerald, reluctantly pulling out a last, dilapidated bill from a very flat pocket-book.

"And mine," added Melvin, tendering his own part.

"Now, we must go, right away!" declared Jim, hastily rising.

He thought the sailor who had promptly pocketed the ten dollars of his friends was suspiciously kind, insisting upon carrying the cage of monkeys down to the "Stem," and himself placing it securely in the bottom of the boat. The little animals kept up a chattering and showed their teeth, after a manner that might be as clever as their late owner claimed but certainly showed anger.

Indeed, they tore about their cage in such a fury of speed that it nearly fell overboard and in the haste of embarking everyone forgot the original object of this trip, till Jim exclaimed:

"Went a-fishin' and caught monkeys! Won't they laugh at us?"

An hour later they brought up alongside the wharf which they had begun to think was their own, so familiar and homelike it had become. But there was nothing familiar about it now. The water lapped gently against the deserted pier and a forgotten painter dangled limply from the post at its end.

"Gone!" cried one and another of the lads, looking with frightened eyes over the scene.

"Gone! Somebody's stole--my--ship!" groaned Cap'n Jack, for once in actual terror. For that the Water Lily could "navigate" without his aid under any circ.u.mstances was a thing beyond belief.

CHAPTER X.

A MERE ANNE ARUNDEL GUST.

Then they found Dorothy's note.

"Dear boys and Captain:

"We've gone on to Ottawotta Run. Farmer Stillwell's tug, that he owns half of, is towing us to the Branch. There some more men will be hired to pole us to Deer-Copse. Aunt Betty says you're to hire a wagon, or horses, or somebody to bring you and the Stem after us. She will pay for it, or I will, that's just the same. And, oh! I can't wait to tell you!

There's a _buried treasure_ up there that we must find! A regular 'Captain Kidd' sort, you know, so just hurry up--I mean take it easy, as Auntie advises; but come, and do it quick! Don't forget to bring the fish. Mrs. Bruce says put them in a basket and trail them after you, if you come by boat; or, anyway, try to keep them fresh for breakfast.

Dolly."

"I reckon they'll keep, seeing they aren't caught yet. What fools we were to go off just then! How do you suppose, in this mortal world, those women and girls had gumption enough to run away with that house-boat? I'll bet they did it just to get ahead of _me_, 'cause I'd said plain enough I wouldn't go to any old hole-in-the-woods. I simply wouldn't. And I shan't. I'll get pa.s.sage on one these fruit-scows going back to Baltimore and quit the whole thing. I will so;" declared Gerald, fuming about the wharf in a fine rage.

"Got money left for your 'pa.s.sage?'" asked Jim. He was pondering how best and soonest to "follow" the Water Lily, as he had been bid. They were all too tired with their rowing to do any more of it that day, and his pride shrank from hiring a wagon, for his own convenience, that he wasn't able to pay for.

"What about your monkey, Gerry?" queried Melvin.

"Oh! I'll--I mean--you take it off my hands till--later."