A Man to His Mate Page 16

  CHAPTER XVI

  THE MIGHT OF NIPPON

  Lund's face, on which the bruises were fast fading, changed purple-blackwith rage. He whirled upon Sandy, gaping near, and ordered him to fetchhis binoculars. Through them he stared long at the smoke. Then he turnedto the girl and Rainey.

  "Come down inter the cabin," he said. "We'll need all our wits."

  "That's a gunboat patrol," he said. "Japanese, for a million! None otherthis far west. An' it's damned funny it should come up right at thisminnit. We've made the trip on schedule time, an' here they show. Butwe'll let that slide. We've got to think fast. They'll board us. They'lloverhaul us lookin' for seal pelts. At least, I hope so.

  "We've got none. Our hunters an' our rifles an' shotguns'll prove ourclaim to be pelagic sealers. We got to trust they believe us. If therewas a hide aboard or a club, or a sign of a dead seal on the beachesthey'd nail us. They may, ennyway, jest on suspicion.

  "They run things out this way with a high hand. If they ever clap us inprison it'll be where we can't let a peep out of us. A lot they worryabout our consuls. They's too many good sealers dropped out of sight inone of their stinkin' jails to starve on millet an' dried, moldy fish. Iknow what I'm talkin' about.

  "It's lucky we didn't start mussin' up that beach. But they'll go overeverything. I know 'em. They claim to own the seas hereabouts, an'they're cockier than ever, since the war. Rainey you got to git busy onthe log. If yore father didn't keep it up, Miss Peggy, so much thebetter. If he has, you got to fake it someways, Rainey.

  "I'm Simms, get me, until we're clear of 'em. An' you, Rainey, are DocCarlsen. Nothin' must show in the log about enny deaths."

  "But why?" asked the girl. "Why do we have to masquerade? If we haven'ttouched the seals?"

  Lund barked at her:

  "I gave you credit for sharper wits," he said. "We've got to haveeverything so reg'lar they can't find an excuse for haulin' us in an'settin' fire to the schooner. They'd do it in a jiffy. We got to show'em our clearance papers, an' we've got to tally up all down the line.Rainey ain't on the ship's books--Carlsen is. Lund ain't, but Simms is.I'm Simms. An' you"--he stopped to grin at her--"you're my daughter.I'll dissolve the relationship after a while, I'll promise you that. An'I'll drill the men. They know what's ahead of 'em if the Japs gitsuspicious.

  "That ain't the worst of it! _They may know what we're after._ If theydo, we're goners. Ever occur to you, Rainey, that Tamada, who is a deepone, may have tipped off the whole thing to his consul while theschooner was at San Francisco? He was along the last trip. He'd know theapproximate position. Might have got the right figgers out o' the log,him havin' the run of the cabin. A cable would do the rest. He'd git hiswhack out of it, with the order of the Golden Chrysanthemum or somejig-arig to boot, an' git even with the way he feels to'ard our outfitfor'ard, that ain't bin none too sweet to him."

  The suggestion held a foundation of conviction for Rainey. He hadthought of the consul. He had always sensed depths in Tamada's reserve,he remembered bits of his talk, the "certain circumstances" that he hadmentioned. It looked plausible. Lund rose.

  "I'll fix Tamada," he said. But the girl stopped him.

  "You don't _know_ that's true. Tamada has been wonderful--to me. What doyou intend to do with him?"

  "I'll make up my mind between here and the galley," said Lund grimly."This is my third time of tackling this island, an' no Jap is goin' tostand between me an' the gold, this trip. Why, even if he ain't blown onus, he'll give the whole thing away. If he didn't want to they'd makehim come through if they laid their eyes on him. They've got more tricksthan a Chinese mandarin to make a man talk. Stands to reason he'll tell'em. If he can talk when they git here," he added ominously, standinghalf-way between the table and the door to the corridor, his handopening and closing suggestively. "The crew'd settle his hash if Ididn't. They ain't fools. They know what's ahead of 'em in Japan. You,Rainey, git busy with that log. That gunboat'll have a boat alongsidethis floe inside of ninety minnits."

  But Peggy Simms was between him and the door.

  "You shan't do it," she said, her eyes hard as flints, if Lund's werelike steel. "You don't know what he was to me when--when dad was buried.Call him in and let him talk for himself or--or _I'll tell the Japanesemyself what we have come for!_"

  Lund stood staring at her, his face hard, his beard thrust out like abush with the jut of his jaw. Still she faced him, resolute, barely upto his shoulder, slim, defiant. Gradually his features crinkled into agrin.

  "I believe you would," he said at last. "An' I'd hate to fix you the wayI would Tamada. But, mind you, if I don't git a definite promise out ofhim that rings true, I'll have to stow him somewheres, where they won'tfind him. An' that won't be on board ship."

  The girl's face softened.

  "You said you played fair," she said with a sigh of relief. She steppedto the door, opened it, and called for Tamada. The Japanese appearedalmost instantly. Lund closed the door behind him and locked it.

  "You know there's a patrol comin' up, Tamada?" he asked. "A Jap patrol?"

  "Yes."

  "What do you intend tellin' 'em if they come on board?"

  "Nothing, if I can help it. I think I can. I am not friendly withJapanese government. It would be bad for me if they find me. One time Ibelong Progressive Party in Japan. I make much talk. Too much. Thegovernment say I am too progressive."

  Rainey imagined he caught a glint of humor in Tamada's eyes as he madehis clipped syllables.

  "So, I leave my country. Suppose I go on steamer I think that governmentthey stop me. I think even in California they may make trouble, if theyfind me. So I go in _sampan_. Sometimes Japanese cross to California in_sampan_."

  "That's right," said Rainey. He had handled more than one story ofJapanese crews landing on some desolate portion of the coast to avoidimmigration laws and steamer fares. Generally they were rounded up aftertheir perilous, daring crossing of the Pacific. Tamada's story held theelements of truth. Even Lund nodded in reserved affirmation.

  "Also I ship on _Karluk_ as cook because of perhaps trouble if some oneknow me in San Francisco. I think much better if they do not see me. Ihave a plan. Also I want my share of gold. Suppose that gunboat find me,find out about gold, they will not give me reward. You do not knowJapanese. They will put me in prison. It will be suggest to me, becauseI am of _daimio_ blood"--Tamada drew himself up slightly as he claimedhis nobility--"that I make _hari-kari_. That I do not wish. I amProgressive. I much rather cook on board _Karluk_ and get my share ofgold."

  Lund surveyed him moodily, half convinced. The girl was all eagerapproval.

  "What is your plan, Tamada?"

  "We're losin' time on that log," cut in Lund. "Git busy, Rainey. Lookamong Carlsen's stuff. He may have kept one. Dope up one of 'em, an'burn the other. Now then, Tamada, dope out yore scheme; it's got to bea good one."

  Both Lund and the girl were laughing when Rainey came out into the maincabin again with the records. Tamada had disappeared.

  "He's some fox," said Lund. "Miss Peggy, you better superintend thetheatricals. It's got to be done right. Rainey, not to interrupt you,what do you know about enteric fever?"

  "Nothing."

  "Well, it's the same as typhoid. There'll be a surgeon aboard thatgunboat. You got to bluff him. Say little an' look wise as an' owl.Don't let him mix in with yore patient."

  "My patient?"

  "Tamada! He's got enteric fever. If there's time he'll give you all thedope."

  "But I don't see how that--"

  "You will see when you see Tamada," Lund grinned. "How about them logs?Can you fix 'em?"

  "I think so."

  "Then hop to it. I'm goin' to wise up the men and arrange a receptioncommittee. Don't forgit yore name's Carlsen, an' mine's Simms."

  Rainey wrote rapidly in his log, erasing, eliminating pages withouttrace, imitating the skipper's phrasing. Fortunately Simms had madescant entries at first and, later on, as the drug held him, none at all.Car
lsen had kept no record that he could find. The girl had gone forwardto aid with Tamada's plan which Lund had evidently accepted.

  Before he had quite finished he heard the tramp of men on deck and theblast of a steam whistle. He ended his task and went up to see thegunboat, gray and menacing, its brasses glistening, men on her decks attheir tasks, oblivious of the schooner, and officers on her bridgewatching the progress of a launch toward the floe.

  It made landing smartly, and a lieutenant, diminutive but highlyeffective in appearance, led six men toward the _Karluk_. He wore asword and revolver; the men carried carbines. Their disciplined rank andsmartness, the waiting launch, the gunboat in the offing, were ominouswith the suggestion of power, the will to administer it. The officer incommand carried his chin at an arrogant tilt. Lund had rigged a gangwayand stood at the head of it, saluting the lieutenant as the lattersnappily answered the greeting.

  Rainey found the girl and put a hurried question.

  "What about Tamada? Where is he? What's the plan?"

  She turned to him with eyes that danced with excitement.

  "He's in the galley, Doctor Carlsen. But he isn't Tamada any more. He'sJim Cuffee, nigger cook, sick with enteric fever, not to be disturbed."

  Rainey stared. It was a clever device, if Tamada could carry it out, andhe bear his own part in the masquerade. The willingness of Tamada torisk the disguise was assurance of his fidelity.

  "Lund should have told me," he said. "I've got to change his name onthe papers. It won't take a minute though; he doesn't appear in thelog."

  The Japanese officer wasted no time on deck. For precaution, Rainey madehis alteration in the skipper's cabin, leaving the log there on thebuilt-in desk.

  "This is Lieutenant Ito, Doctor Carlsen," said Lund. "You want to seeour papers, Lieutenant?"

  "My orders are to examine the schooner," said Ito, in English, even moreperfect than Tamada's. His face was officially severe, though his slanteyes shifted constantly toward the girl. Evidently she was an unexpectedfeature of the visit.

  "I'll get the papers first," said Lund. "Doctor, you an' Peggy entertainthe lieutenant." Rainey set out some whisky, which the Japanese refused,some cigars that he passed over with a motion of his hand. He sat downstiffly and ran through the papers.

  "We're pelagic, you know," said Lund. "We ain't trespassin' on purpose.Didn't even know you owned the island."

  "It is on our charts," said Ito crisply, as if that settled the right ofdominion. "How did you come here at all?"

  "We was brought," said Lund. "Got froze in north o' Wrangell. Gale setus west as we come out o' the Strait. We're bound for Corwin. Nothin'contraband. All reg'lar. Six hunters, two damaged in the gale, thoughthe doc's fixed 'em up. Twelve seamen, one boy, an' a nigger cook who'spizened himself with his own cookin'. Doc's bringin' him round, too,though he don't deserve it. Want to make yore inspection? We're in nohurry to git away until the ice melts. Take yore time."

  The little, dapper officer with his keen, high-cheeked face, and hisshoe-brush hair, got up and bowed, with a side glance at Peggy Simms.

  "It is not usual for young ladies to be so far north." His endeavor atgallantry was obvious.

  "I am with my father," said the girl, looking at Rainey, enjoying thesituation.

  "Where I go she goes," said Lund. And looked in turn at her with relishin his double suggestion. He, too, was playing the game, gambling,believing in his luck, reckless, now he had set the board.

  They passed through the corridor. Lund opened up the strong-room, andthen the galley. It was orderly, and there was a moaning figure inTamada's bunk, a tossing figure with a head bound in a red bandannaabove the black face and neck that showed above the blankets. The eyeswere closed. The black hands, showing lighter palms, plucked at thecoverings.

  "Delirious," said Lund. "Serves him right. He's a rotten cook."

  "Have you all the medicines you need?" asked Ito. "I can send oursurgeon."

  "I can manage," returned Rainey, _alias_ Carlsen. "It's enteric. I'vereduced the fever."

  They passed on through the hunters' quarters. The girl fell behind withRainey.

  "A good make-up and a good actor," she whispered. "I helped him to besure he covered everything that would show. It was my idea about thebandanna. Just what a sick negro might wear, and it hid his straighthair."

  The lieutenant appeared fairly satisfied, but requested that Lund go onboard his ship. He stayed there until sundown, returning in hilariousmood.

  "We've slipped it over on 'em this time," he said. "I left 'em aswimwith _sake_, an' bubblin' over with polite regrets. But they'll be backin three weeks, they said, if the ice is open. An', if the luck holds,we'll be out of it. I don't want them searchin' the ship ag'in." Heslapped Tamada on the back as he came to serve supper after Sandy hadlaid the table.

  "A reg'lar vodeville skit," he exclaimed. "You're some actor, Tamada!But why didn't you say the island was down on their charts? They've evengot a name for it. Hiyama."

  "It means hot mountain," said Tamada. "The government names manyislands."

  "You can bet yore life they do," said Lund. "They're smart, but theyoverlooked that beach an' they've given us three weeks to cash in."

  Lund himself had imbibed enough of the _sake_ to make him loose oftongue, added to his elation at the success he had achieved. The gunboatwas gone on its patrol, and he had a free hand. He half filled a glasswith whisky. "Here's to luck," he cried. And spilled a part of theliquor on the floor before he set the glass to his lips.

  "Here's to you, Doc," he added. "An' to Peggy!" He rolled eyes that werea trifle bloodshot at the girl.

  "Our relations have gone back as usual, Mr. Lund," she said quietly.Lund glared at her half truculently.

  "I'm agreeable," he said. "As a daughter, I disown you from now on, MissPeggy. Here's to ye, jest the same!"