CHAPTER XIII.
THE FEAST.
When Josiah and Sadie emerged from the building, one of the attachés of the museum had just succeeded in driving Tom and Bob from the entrance, to the street, and was standing on the sidewalk, shaking his fist at them in a menacing manner.
“I’ll break every bone in your body if you come near this place agin!” the man cried angrily; and Bob, dancing to and fro in front of him like a marionette, the wires of which have been unskilfully pulled, replied derisively:—
“Why don’t you come here an’ see what you can do? We’ve been inter your old show, an’ paid our money for it like little men. Now there’s a chum of ours inside, an’ we’re goin’ to get him out if it breaks the whole thing up.”
“I’ll have a policeman here before you can wink.”
“Go ahead an’ try it! How do we know but you’ve got the feller shut up in a cage, an’ are goin’ to pass him off for a wild man?”
“I wish I had you there for about a minute and a half!” and the man made another unsuccessful effort to catch his tormentor.
“I’m all right!” Josiah cried, as he ran out on the sidewalk, fearing lest his hosts might get into serious trouble on his account.
Just at that moment Bob failed to hear or see him, because he was busily engaged trying to keep away from the angry man; and the result was that in another instant Sadie and Josiah took part in what might have been a case for the police, but for the fact that Tom chanced to recognize them.
“It’s all right now, Bob!” he cried. “Come along, Josiah;” and he started down the Bowery, while the employee of the museum, satisfied that there would be no further disturbance, re-entered the building.
“What made you stay so long?” Bob asked when the four had put a safe distance between themselves and the collection of wonders.
“It didn’t seem to me as if I’d been there half an hour when we heard you shoutin’.”
“Well, it’s all right now, I reckon; but we must get on lively, or the fellers will be tired of waitin’.”
“How long had you been hollerin’?”
“Not a great while. Jest as soon as we begun, that big chump come out to drive us off; but if you hadn’t showed up we’d yelled a spell longer, whether he liked it or not.”
“Don’t stop to chin now,” Tom said impatiently. “We can’t ’ford to fool ’round a great while, an’ a swell dinner waitin’ for us to eat it. Where’s Sadie goin’?”
“I’ll stop off at the old corner,” the match-girl replied quickly. “I s’pose you’ll pass it?”
“Yes, it’s jest ’bout as near. Now keep close to us, for we don’t want any more funny business of gettin’ lost.”
Josiah and his companion were careful to remain immediately in the rear of Bob and Tom, although at times it was necessary almost to run, so rapidly did the two merchants walk.
“I wish you was goin’ with us, Sadie,” the young gentleman said, when a throng on the sidewalk forced the leaders to come to a partial halt.
“So do I; but of course there’s no chance for anything of that kind. Yesterday oughter be enough to last me a year. I never had such a splendid time in all my life, even if we did get lost.”
“P’rhaps you’ll see a good many like that before long,” Josiah replied, and then checked himself suddenly, as if he had been on the point of saying something which should be kept a secret.
“That’s a big p’rhaps,” Sadie said with a laugh which was very like a sob. “There ain’t many in this city what think of givin’ a girl like me a good time, an’ you’re goin’ off so soon that I won’t even so much as hear of dime museums or restaurants with fifteen-cent dinners.”
“You mustn’t go to feelin’ bad, ’cause things’ll come ’round right somehow.”
“Of course they will, an’ even if they don’t, I’ve been to Coney Island, an’ all them places, so when it ain’t very jolly, I’ll think of what I have had, ’an there’ll be a heap of satisfaction in that.”
Now the party had arrived at the corner where Sadie spent her time trying to sell matches, and Josiah cried:—
“If we get back before dark, I’ll see you to-night.”
“There ain’t much chance of that; but I’ll be here in the mornin’.”
“Come on!” Bob shouted, “I reckon them fellers are jest ’bout wild ’cause we didn’t get there before.”
Josiah was forced to run now in good earnest, and Sadie was left on the corner looking after them very seriously until they were lost to view in the distance.
Tom and Bob continued on at a rapid pace, slackening the speed only when it was absolutely necessary, and on arriving at the rendezvous found eight of Tom’s and Bob’s friends, who had been waiting with every evidence of impatience.
Bill Foss was among the number, as was very proper since he had been selected to fill the responsible position of Master of Ceremonies, and Josiah fancied his unusual show of good-humor and friendship arose from the fact that he was ashamed of his behavior on the previous day.
He greeted the country boy with a warmth which was hardly warranted in view of the fact that they had been acquainted such a short time, and introduced him in the most friendly manner to each of the young gentlemen who had done their share toward buying materials for the feast.
“Where’s Saunder’s boat layin’?” Bob asked, as he saw that every boy had a package under his arm, thus showing he was ready to proceed to the meeting place.
“Down here by the dock,” Bill replied. “We would have had her ready before this; but Sim Jones an’ his gang are ’round there, an’ we didn’t want ’em to see where we was goin’.”
“You ain’t ’fraid of them, are you?” Tom asked quickly.
“Indeed we ain’t; but you see there’s no need of gettin’ up a row now, ’cause we haven’t any more time than we want to spend in the canal-boat. I’ve jest come over from there, an’ I’ll tell you she’s fixed great! We’ve bought a lot of candles, so needn’t come back till we get ready.”
At this point Jimmy Skip went out to reconnoitre, and on his return reported that Sim Jones and his friends were no longer to be seen, consequently there was nothing to cause the would-be feasters any further delay.
The boat which had been borrowed did not appear to be very staunch, and certainly was not cleanly.
She was about one-third full of water, and it was necessary this should be removed before the party went on board, otherwise the craft would have been swamped by the additional cargo, therefore, with two tomato cans as bailing dishes, Jimmy and Bill went to work.
Ten minutes later everything was ready for the departure.
Bill brought a pair of oars from its hiding-place on the dock, and the boys clambered on board with the greatest care in seating themselves that every inch of space might be economized.
The merry-makers had worked silently to prevent the possibility of being overheard by any of Sim’s party, and in perfect silence they pushed out past the pier, Bob and Tom plying the oars when they were once in the stream.
It was not an eventful, but rather a long voyage to the Erie Basin, where the craft which was to serve as banquet-hall was lying.
Built after the fashion of other canal-boats, there was nothing particularly prepossessing in appearance as viewed from the outside, and Josiah thought they had taken a great amount of trouble in order to reach an undesirable place for the festivities.
“Wait till you see the cabin,” Bill said, much as if he read by the expression on their guest’s face the misgivings in his mind. “I have fixed her in great shape, an’ after we get inside, with the boat pulled under the pier, Sim Foss can sneak ’round all he wants to without findin’ where we are.”
Josiah soon learned that at least a portion of Bill’s statement was correct, although he failed to see any evidences of the “fixin’.”
The cabin was apparently as the owners of the boat had left it, save for four empty bottles in one corner; and these, Master Foss explained, had been brought to serve as candlesticks.
That they would be free from the scrutiny of any one who chanced to pass that way seemed positive, when the hatch was drawn, and the interior of the stuffy cabin shrouded in darkness.
Jimmy took from his pocket a fragment of candle, and lighting it, placed it in one of the bottles, after which he awaited the coming of Bill, who had remained behind in order to hide the boat from view.
Josiah seated himself on the locker which ran across one end of the tiny apartment, and looked around wondering how the arrangements for any very elaborate feast could be made in that place.
It did not seem to him that the cabin was as appropriate an apartment for a gathering such as it was intended this should be, as many others which might have been selected.
The odor of bilge-water from the hold; the dust which covered every portion of the wood-work to the depth of at least half an inch; and the general air of decay everywhere apparent, caused him to feel gloomy rather than happy.
The remainder of the party, however, were not troubled with any such sentiments.
According to their ideas this was the jolliest kind of a place in which to spend a few hours, and Jimmy Skip regretted that the scheme had not been devised sufficiently early to admit of their making arrangements to remain at least one night in such a snug hiding-place.
“We could have done it jest as easy as not,” he said, “if we’d started in yesterday mornin’. Then when you fellers got back from Coney Island you mighter come right here, an’ we’d had supper ready. I wonder if your father wouldn’t stay over a day, Josiah, so’s to give us a chance of tryin’ the snap?”
“I don’t believe he would,” was the prompt reply, for Master Shindle had no desire to remain where he was any longer than should be absolutely necessary.
At the expiration of ten minutes Bill Foss returned, and announced with the air of one who brings important news:—
“I’ve got the boat now where she can’t be seen, no matter how many people are foolin’ ’round, an’ do you know I believe Sim an’ his gang are jest comin’ across! There’s a crowd leavin’ Pier Eight, an’ I’ll bet it’s them.”
“Well, let ’em come,” Bob said carelessly. “If you’ve hid our boat, they won’t make much by snoopin’ round here; an’ we’ve only got to keep still so’s folks can’t hear us. Now, what are you goin’ to do with the things?”
“The stuff to eat, do you mean?”
“Yes; where you goin’ to put it?”
“Right over where Josiah’s settin’. We can spread all the papers down, an’ they’ll be jest as good as a table-cloth. Now come on, fellers, let’s see what you’ve brought;” and Billy proceeded to further illuminate the cabin by placing a lighted candle in the neck of each of the remaining bottles.
In a very few moments the delicacies were spread on the locker, ready for the feasters to begin operations.
There was no reason to complain of lack of quantity or variety.
Jimmy Skip had brought two pounds of bologna, cut in substantial slices; Bill Foss, in addition to the candles, contributed a large number of crullers and a quart of peanuts; Tim Murray added to the collection three dozen pickled sheep’s tongues; and, by consulting with his friends, each fellow had been able to secure some dainty different from the others, therefore the assortment was as great as there were members of the party.
“It looks as if you fellers was feelin’ pretty hungry,” Josiah said, as he surveyed the ample supply of food.
“We didn’t have any dinner to-day, you see, ’cause we was kinder waitin’ for this thing; an’ I reckon that stuff’ll look sick by the time we get through with it,” Bill said, as he began to arrange the eatables in what he intended should be a most appetizing manner.
He had hardly commenced his work when a noise was heard from the deck, as if several persons had leaped suddenly down from the pier; and the would-be feasters looked at each other in surprise, not unmixed with alarm.
“We’ve got to keep mighty still,” Bill whispered, “’cause somebody’s down here, an’ we must find out who it is.”
“But s’posen they’re gettin’ ready to haul the boat away?” Tom suggested in the same cautious tone. “We should be in a fine fix if we got towed up the river ten or fifteen miles, wouldn’t we?”
This was a contingency for which Master Foss had made no provision; and as the possibility of such a change of location presented itself, he in turn began to grow alarmed.
“We’ll have to find out who’s there,” he said, after a brief pause. “You fellers keep quiet, an’ I’ll see if I can peek through the cracks in the hatch.”
Bill soon learned that this was an impossibility; and, since the noise was not repeated, he believed it safe to venture out.
“There isn’t anybody up here,” he said, after gazing around an instant.
“They must be out on the dock: you wanter look careful, ’cause if Sim Jones’s crowd should be anywhere ’round they might make trouble.”
As Bob spoke he ascended the companion-way, followed by the others; and during ten minutes the feasters remained on deck, while Bill and Jimmy scoured the immediate vicinity in a fruitless search for possible mischief-makers.
While the investigation was being made on shore, every one was so intent on satisfying himself the work was done in a thorough manner, that no attention was paid to a slight noise from the cabin, as if the stern windows had been raised.
Therefore it was without question of any mischief having been done, that Bill led the way below once more, convinced they were in no danger of an interruption.
Hardly had he gained the cabin when a cry of dismay burst from his lips; and, as if unable to speak, he stood pointing toward the locker, on which, but a few moments previous, had been placed the materials for the proposed dinner.
“Where’s the stuff gone?” Bob cried in astonishment, pressing forward as if thinking the wrappings, which was all that had been left behind, might give some clew to the whereabouts of the provisions.
“What’s the matter?” Josiah asked from the top of the companion-way, it not having yet been possible for him to descend because of the crowd at the foot of the stairs.
“Matter!” Bob wailed; “why, somebody’s gone an’ stole everything while we was on deck; an’ how they coulder got away is what puzzles me! There ain’t so much as a single peanut left!”
Josiah was so unnerved by the sad tidings that in attempting to descend he fell the entire length of the stairs; and when the confusion attendant upon the accident had subsided, the boys began a thorough search for the missing dainties.
“While we were on deck somebody crawled through that window,” Tom said, as he pointed to the footprints which could be seen in the dust from the ledge to the locker.
“It’s Sim Jones, that’s who it is!” Bill cried, as he ran on deck; and an instant later his suspicions were verified by seeing the young gentleman in question, together with four of his friends, rowing hurriedly out of the basin.