The Frontier Boys in the Sierras.

by Wyn Roosevelt.

CHAPTER I

IN THE CHANNEL

"By Jove, Jim!" exclaimed Jo Darlington, "but this sea is something fierce! For one I will be mighty glad when we get clear of the Hawaiian channels and out into the open."

"It is lively going," yelled Jim, above the roar of the wind, as he and his brother Jo were standing together on the bridge of their ship, "but I guess the _Sea Eagle_ will weather it, if we don't run into another vessel in the dark. How about it, Captain?"

The captain, who was the rather bent figure of an old man, was clothed in a heavy woolen jacket, b.u.t.toned across his chest. He stopped and regarded Jim fixedly in the semi-light on the bridge.

"What's that, Skipper?" he roared hoa.r.s.ely, "weather this? Why, this ain't no sea, and the _Sea Eagle_ is a staunch boat. Why, lad, you must be joking."

"I was," replied Jim, laughing. "I just want to rea.s.sure brother Jo,--that was all."

"Somebody ought to go and cheer up Tom and Jeems Howell," remarked Jo, in order to give himself some sea standing in the eyes of Captain Kerns. "They are as sick as puppies down in the cabin."

"Don't blame 'em much," cried Jim, "this motion would upset a shark's liver."

If you have read "The Frontier Boys in Hawaii," you will be well acquainted with these conversationalists on the good sea-going yacht, the _Sea Eagle_, but if not, you will have to be introduced, "Mr.

Reader, this is Skipper James Darlington."

"Happy to make your acquaintance, hope you are a good sailor?"

"Mr. Reader, allow me to present Captain Kerns."

Captain Kerns merely grunts, and, kind Mr. Reader, you must overlook his lack of formality, because the captain is an old salt and his manners are a little briny.

In way of further explanation, I may say that the Frontier Boys are just returning from a trip to Hawaii in which they have explored the wonderful crater of Haleapala on the Island of Maui, and their ship the _Sea Eagle_, whose capture is another story, is pointing her prow eastward through the rough channel that separates Hawaii and Maui.

They are en route to the coast of California, and as soon as they land they have planned to make an exploring expedition into the wilds of The Sierra Nevadas, in search of a lost mine, rumors of which have come to their ears. Besides the three Frontier Boys and their comrade Juarez, there is their friend Jeems Howell, a shepherd and philosopher, from a small island off the coast of California; Captain Kerns, a retired ship's master who was persuaded to come along merely to supervise; Jim, the oldest of the three brothers, being the acting commander, though generally referred to as skipper. And besides these, there is old Pete, an ancient mariner, the engineer, and a st.u.r.dy boy below who does a good deal of the stoking.

Besides these _dramatis personae_, there is a general chorus of Mermen and Mermaids, sharks, porpoises, sea serpents _et al._; as Jo Darlington would say, it was the sharks that _et all_. But this is no reflection upon the appet.i.tes of the boys, which was invariably good, if we may except Tom Darlington and Jeems Howell just at the present moment.

Now, on with the voyage: as the princ.i.p.als have been introduced and are ready, they can come to close grips with the ocean and all its dangers, so that the referee, being the writer, has made his exit through the ropes, allowing a free field and no favor. It is a tough beginning as far as sea way goes. The hour is close upon midnight in mid-channel, and that is no dream even on so staunch a little craft as the _Sea Eagle_.

"That time she lapped the starboard boat into the water," yelled Jim.

"Hold steady now, lads."

Then up rose the ship on the other roll to larboard; over, over, over she went; would she never stop? Then with a straining of all her timbers, that had all the effort of severe muscular tension, she did stop, then back she rolled on the other tack which was equally as sharp, the bra.s.s b.a.l.l.s on top of her masts pointing from star to star, describing, it seemed, almost a semi-circle.

To make it more interesting the _Sea Eagle_ would then dip under a huge wave and the water would swish and roll aft along the main deck.

The wind whistled and hummed through the taut ropes, and altogether it was a lively night, even if the st.u.r.dy old captain did discount its terrors. Occasionally Jim and Jo would slide across the bridge and bring up against the side; but as a rule they kept their sea legs in good shape.

"Hold on, Juarez," cried Jim, as he saw a dark form emerge from the companionway, "here comes a big wave."

But with the roar of the sea and the wind Juarez did not hear the warning, and had just started across the deck when under went the _Sea Eagle_, and a tremendous wave swept aft, submerging the bulwarks. It caught Juarez off his feet and swirled him toward the side. He would not have lived a minute in those rearing, plunging seas.

As he was swept over, he caught frantically at an iron stanchion and barely gripped it, and before he could make an effort to help himself he was submerged in the water, the sea tugging at him as though it were an hungry animal. Hardy as Juarez was, he could not help but feel a thrill of terror; it seemed as if the waves desperately clutched at him.

Jim was filled with horror when he saw Juarez apparently carried overboard. He shook off the captain's grip; the latter thought that Jim was going to spring over after his friend, which act he knew would result in two lives being thrown away. So he leaped to the main deck.

Then he saw Juarez struggling to get aboard before the next wave came. He sprang to his help and with a powerful pull yanked him in.

They braced themselves against the attack of a second wave that swept the deck and then they were "high and dry" on the bridge, drenched to the skin, but entirely safe, and none the worse for their impromptu bath.

"That was a close call, Juarez," said Jo sympathetically.

"Another call like that and I won't be tu hum," replied Juarez with a grin.

"Next time take a look for'ard, lad," said the captain, who had joined the group in the shelter of the deck house; "we could never have picked you up on a dark night like this." Then he went back to his station on the bridge. The hardy old sailor would never have dreamed of making much ado about any accident no matter how serious. If the party came through alive, that was sufficient to show that it was not very bad. The Frontier Boys, too, had absorbed a good deal of that philosophy in the course of many dangers which they had so fortunately outlived.

When daylight came, the _Sea Eagle_ had battered her way through the rough channel, its waters tortured by rapid currents and terrific cross seas, and was now pitching along the windward coast of the big Island of Hawaii, with its twin volcanic summits nearly fourteen thousand feet in height. It was not smooth going yet by any means, but better than during the night.

"Get up, Tom, and look at the scenery." It was Jim's cheerful voice, addressed to Tom, who lay pale and rather wan in his bunk.

"I've got no use for scenery," growled Tom, "unless I can get close enough to it to put my foot on it. I want something solid."

"How would a beefsteak do, Tom?" It was Jo, who was looking over Jim's shoulder. At the mention of food, Tom seemed endowed with sudden energy and reached down, and grabbing up a shoe, hurled it at the two in the doorway. They ducked and the missile barely grazed the beard of the old captain, who was coming aft, and then it went overboard.

"By Thundas!" he exclaimed, opening his eyes wide with surprise, "who kicked that?"

"Tom threw it, sir," said Jim with a burst of laughter he could not control, at sight of the captain's astonished visage, "but he meant it for us, because we were guying him."

"I'll forgive him on account of his intentions," grinned the captain.

"I only wish he had swatted you."

Tom was much relieved to hear this expression of opinion on the part of the captain, of whom he stood in considerable awe. From fright to relief was such a revulsion of feeling that Tom forgot to be sea-sick, and he began to mend from that moment, so that he was able to be present for duty when breakfast was served.

"I thought you were sick abed," remarked Jim, opening his eyes with surprise.

"I was," replied Tom, "until I threw up that shoe, now I feel fine and fit to eat a square meal."

CHAPTER II

FAREWELL TO HAWAII

Jeems Howell was the only one of the hardy Frontier group who was unable to be present at breakfast that fine morning.

"How are you feeling, Jeems," inquired Jo, looking in upon the sufferer a little later. "Don't you think that you could eat a little something if you were propped up with pillows?"