CAPT.WYN ROOSEVEL' THE FRONTIER IN THE SIERRAS OR THE LOST MINE BY CAPT. WYN ROOSEVELT Illustrated by S. SCHNEIDER NEW YORK A. L. CHATTERTON COMPANY PUBLISHERS /f/ .13 By the same Author FRONTIER BOYS ON THE OVERLAND TRAIL FRONTIER BOYS IN COLORADO FRONTIER BOYS !N THE ROCKIES FRONTIER BOYS IN THE GRAND CANYON FRONTIER BOYS IN MEXICO FRONTIER BOYS ON THE COAST FRONTIER BOYS IN HAWAII FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SADDLE Copyright 1909 CHATTKRTON-PBCK Co. s 4 9 CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. IN THE CHANNEL ... ^ .... g II. FAREWELL TO HAWAII . .. . .... 17 III. JEEMS' STORY : . . 25 IV. THE LOST MINE . . .. >. 33 V. WORKING THE SHIP ., . 41 VI. DANGEROUS WORK . . . . ., . . .., . 49 VII. WHAT THEY SAW ., ., . 57 VIII. A RACE .... V ,. .,./. 66 IX. THE ENGINEER ;., .., . 75 X. THE RUSSIAN 85 XL A CONSPIRACY 94 XII. THE GREEN GHOSTS 103 XIII. TOM'S BAD LUCK 112 XIV. THE TRIAL . t .i . . 121 XV. "THE MARIA CROTHERS " . . . : . . 130 XVI. AN EXCITING CHARGE 140 XVII. A CHASE 148 XVIII. THE DIAGRAM 157 XIX. THE CAMP IN THE VALLEY 167 XX. A SURPRISE 176 XXI. THE GREASER ., .. . ., .. .... 185 XXII. HAIL .... ,., . .., w i., M w . 192 XXIII. A HOLIDAY . M M ' M ... ., ... 202 CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE XXIV. BIG Gus AND His GANG ........ 209 XXV. A NEW FORT ...... , . . 215 XXVI. A NIGHT ATTACK ... ... . 222 XXVII. THE RETREAT ..;.... . 229 XXVIII. A NEW START . . 237 XXIX. THE SEARCH . ., . 244 XXX. THE LOST MINE AGAIN ., ., . ., w ,., 21 The Frontier Boys in the Sierras 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, Cap- tain?" The captain, who was the rather bent figure of an old man, was clothed in a heavy woolen jacket, buttoned across his chest. He stopped and re- garded Jim fixedly in the semi-light on the bridge. "What's that, Skipper?" he roared hoarsely, " 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 reassure brother Jo, that was all." 10 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS " 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 intro- duced, " Mr. Reader, this is Skipper James Darling- ton." " 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 wonder- ful crater of Haleapala on the Island of Maui, and their ship the Sea Eagle, whose capture is another IN THE CHANNEL 11 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 super- vise ; 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 sturdy boy below who does a good deal of the stoking. Besides these dramatis persona, there is a gen- eral chorus of Mermen and Mermaids, sharks, por- poises, sea serpents et al; as Jo Darlington would say, it was the sharks that et all. But this is no reflection upon the appetites of the boys, which was invariably good, if we may except Tom Darling- ton and Jeems Howell just at the present moment. Now, on with the voyage : as the principals have been introduced and are ready, they can come to 12 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS 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 lar- board;, 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 brass balls on top of her masts pointing from star to star, de- scribing, 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 sturdy 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. IN THE CHANNEL 13 " 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, submerg- ing 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 rilled with horror when he saw Juarez apparently carried overboard. He shook off the captain's grip ; the latter thought that Jim was go- ing 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 14 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS wave came. He sprang to his lielp 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 sym- pathetically. " 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 tor- tured by rapid currents and terrific cross seas, and IN THE CHANNEL 15 was now pitching along the windward coast of the big Island of Hawaii, with its twin volcanic sum- hiits nearly fourteen thousand feet in height. It was not smooth going yet by any means, but bet- ter 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 men- tion 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 cap- tain's astonished visage, " but he meant it for us, because we were guying him." " I'll forgive him on account of his intentions," 16 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS 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 Ho WELL 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, look- ing 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 ? " " No, no, lad," said Jeems sadly. " I feel that I ain't long for this world." " I don't know what you call it then," remarked the incorrigible Jo, " you are six feet four and that seems to me to be pretty long for this world or any other." Jeems laughed so heartily at this that he too began forthwith to recuperate. Then he got out on the land side of the deck and, though the sun was of a sufficient warmth to satisfy the most ex- acting, he kept a heavy shawl wrapped around his shoulders. " Durned old woman," growled the captain when 17 i8 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS he caught sight of the figure seated between the cabin and the rail. " He ought to be for'ard scrub- bing deck." However, Skipper Jim was more lenient, and only laughed at the captain's severity, for he knew that the old fellow's bark was much worse than his bite. In fact, no work was being dene aboard ship that morning, for all hands were given a chance for a long last look at Hawaii. Never again were they to behold a more beautiful scene than the panorama that traveled steadily along with the Sea Eagle that morning. The soft radiance flooded the deeply azure sea, and the tropic island of vivid and varied green. The four boys stood leaning lazily on the ship's rail, gazing in silence at the view that was passing before them. Their sombreros shaded their eyes, but the glare from the water shone upon their faces of healthy bronze, and they did not seem to mind it in the least. The old captain sat upon the bridge in his old armchair, with his old comrade, the tor- toise-shell cat, dozing and blinking at his feet, a true picture of furry felicity. So the crew of the Sea Eagle passed in review this coast of Hawaii, with black precipices, that rose in a continuous line of palisades from out the FAREWELL TO HAWAII 19 sea, with no white beach shelving down. The great green surges, with the force of the Pacific behind them, rolled against the perpendicular walls, the dark surfaces of which were veined at frequent intervals by the silvery lines of the waterfalls, or graced by the vines which fell in straight lines, or were looped in varied shapes. Beyond these cliffs there rose the splendid slopes, with here and there groves of royal palms and slender cocoa trees, fit temples for the gods of an- cient Hawaii who were supposed to dwell in streams and groves and mountains. Still higher up the mountain side grew the forests of creamy koa, inlaid among the dark-leaved kukui. At times the skirts of the clouds, heavy with moisture, dragged along the lower slopes, and a soft gloom would diffuse itself over the landscape. Then the sun would roll the mists aside for the moment, and the light would fall upon tropical vales, hills and mountain slopes, with all the vividness of the early spring and yet with the full, rich splendor of summer. No wonder the Frontier Boys were silent as they gazed upon this scene of varied and unusual beauty, so different from the wild and barren grandeur of the mountain ranges in their own 20 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS country, and the arid deserts they had traveled over. " I'd hate to fall overboard here/' exclaimed Tom, " it looks all-fired deep." " The captain says that along these island coasts," remarked Juarez, " is some of the deepest seas in the world." " Say, Jeems," cried Juarez to the invalid, " wade out here and see how deep it is." " If you really want to know I'll tell you," re- sponded Jeems, the philosopher. " Off this coast it's between five and seven thousand feet." " Whew ! " whistled Jim, " over a mile, how is that for down?" " It makes me shiver to think of it," exclaimed Tom. " Hello, boys ! " cried Jeems, " there is a big fire over on the other side of the Island." " I should say ! " commented Jim earnestly, " Look at that smoke rolling up." " It must be a forest fire," put in Jo. " Reminds me of our Colorado experiences." " I tell you what, boys, let's make a landing and take a look at it," cried Juarez. "There's a fine harbor ahead of us ! " Old Captain Kerns was taking a deep interest in FAREWELL TO HAWAII 21 the conversation, as was evident, as he looked down from the quarter deck at the boys. " What's that you lads were saying, about a big fire somewheres?" he inquired. "I hop< aboard ship." "No, no, Captain/' replied Jim reassuringly, " we meant that big smoke over on the other siflc of the island. Juarez wants to make a landing, 00 as we can see it to better advantage. We want to miss any excitement." " You lads are always so eager," replied the cap- tain. " Why don't you wait until you get back here sometime?" " It will be burned out long before we get back/' said Jo. "Well," said the captain slowly, "that smoke has been there for nigh onto a thousand year*, and is liable to be there for some time yet. That's the volcano of Kiluaea." How the captain roared then ; for an imtant the boys were dumfounded, then they gave themtefre* up to hilarious mirth, "That's certainly one on us boys," cried Jim, " We can't tell a volcano when we see it We ought to hare stayed on the old farm and dug 22 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS After the ship had turned northward from the coast of Hawaii the boys set to work about their usual tasks aboard ship. Jim took the wheel ; Juarez went below to work with the engineer, with whom he was quite chummy; Jeems and Jo scrubbed decks, while Tom was busy in the galley preparing the dinner. All the boys were pretty fair cooks, but Tom's cooking probably had more style to it, though he was not quite a French chef. The old captain had turned into his cabin on the quarter deck to take a good nap in his bunk, while the cat, whom he named Ulysses, both on account of his wisdom and because he had been a great traveler, was curled up in the chair beside him. So the day went quickly and cheerfully by, the first day at sea. In the late afternoon all hands were on deck to take their last look at Hawaii, that was fast becom- ing a mythical island on the enchanted border of the horizon. The bulk of the Island of Hawaii was encompassed with an atmosphere of wonderful blue, rising from out the dusk, which shrouded the distant sea, and its two great volcanic cones, that rose to the glow of the sunset, were touched with a delicate pink. " We have had a fine time down there in Hawaii, FAREWELL TO HAWAII 23 boys," said Jim, " but I'm glad we are headed for home." " I suppose you will try to locate that lost mine in the Sierras?" said Tom, "that Jeems spoke about the other day." "If there is anything lost we are the ones to locate it," said Jo. " There is no doubt about that." "We must get Jeems to tell us more about it," said Jim. " Perhaps we can get him to tune up this evening after supper." " Time to put up the lights, Captain ? " inquired Juarez. "Yes, Juarez," replied Jim. "You may attend to it." " I don't see what's the use," remarked Tom. " We won't probably see a ship until we get near the coast of California." " Don't make any difference," replied Jim. " That's the law of the sea and you can't ever tell what you will run against." Juarez did not wait to hear the discussion, but went after the red and the green lanterns. He placed the red on the starboard side for'ard in a wooden bracket well up, and the green was placed on the port side, or the left, and they shone through 24 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS the bronze dusk that obscured the rolling sea, like separate jewels, the emerald and the ruby. It was a happy group that gathered around the supper table in the cabin that evening, for the boys were homeward bound. The windows of the sky- light were wide open, because it was a typical tropical night warm and balmy and the great lamp that swung over the table with its brass re- flector served to make it warmer still. " Tell us something more about that , lost mine you were, telling about the other day, Jeems," piped up Tom. " Don't tell Tom first," warned Jim, " because if you do, he will have all the shares sold before we arrive." There was a general laugh at this be- cause Tom was strictly business when it came to money. " Wait till we get on deck, then I'll spout," said Jeems^ CHAPTER III JEEMS' STORY So the clan shortly after supper gathered at the after hatch on the main deck to hear what Jeems had to tell them in regard to this stray, lost, or stolen mine in the depths of the Sierra Nevadas. The captain was seated in his old chair upon the quarter deck, and, in the gloaming, puffing thought- fully at his weathered old pipe, meditating, like as not, on the days of long ago, when he was as full of life as that bunch now talking and laughing on the main deck. "This is a fine old night," declared Jo, as he stretched himself comfortably out on the canvas cover of the hatch. " I never saw so many stars before," declared Tom, "must be a million in sight." " Not so, son," remarked Jeems, "There is not more than three thousand visible to the naked eye." " Go on with you," said Tom, conclusively, "you needn't tell me that. It's as much of a yarn as your story of the lost mine." 25 26 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS " Don't mind him, Jeems," said Jim. " Let's hear your tale of woe about this mine that some- body lost." " Well," remarked Jeems, " if you children will be quiet and don't interrupt, I'll begin. First make yourselves comfortable." This the boys proceeded to do; Jim and Juarez stretched their long legs out on the deck, with their backs against the hatch, while Tom started to make himself content and at ease by using Jo's stomach for a pillow. This, however, did not agree with Jo's idea of comfort, or perhaps it was his stomach that it did not agree with. However that may be, there was a cat fight on the hatch, Jo and Tom grappling with each other and struggling over and over. Jim was about .to jump in and separate them, when he saw that they were likely to roll off the hatch on to the deck, and then he would not have interfered for anything. The two combatants were so interested that they did not see or care. Then they poised on the edge and, as the ship gave a roll, over they went, just missing Jeems' shepherd dog, who was peacefully lying, nose over paws, upon the deck. This unex- pected avalanche sent him howling for'ard for safety. JEEMS' STORY 27 Then still clutching each other they rolled into the scuppers, Tom striving to get a strangle hold on brother Jo, and the latter chugging Tom in the side with his free fist. At this juncture Jim took a hand, not in the interest of peace, but because he wanted to hear the shepherd's yarn. So he yanked them apart, none too gently. " Ain't you ashamed of yourselves ? " exclaimed Jim severely, "mussing up my clean deck and scar- ing Jeems' dog into a fit." "I'm no sofa pillow," panted Jo. "Tom will find that out." " I'll put you children on either side of the hatch if you don't behave," advised Jim, " and make you sit there." " Like to see you try it," replied Tom belliger- ently. " Send 'em to bed without any supper," put in Juarez jocosely. " I'd give 'em a taste of the rope's end." It was the old captain's voice rumbling down from the quarter deck. He, too, had been aroused by the sound of the scufHe. Tom glanced up at him with an apprehensive eye, for he stood in con- siderable awe of the old sailor, and quieted right down. 28 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS " They will be good boys now, Captain," grinned Jim. " Their feelings were temporarily upset" " It seemed to be an upset of some kind," replied the captain with a grim smile, and went back to his chair. Peace being restored, Jeems began his narrative in the slow, drawling manner characteristic of his mode of speech. He was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, and his gray eyes large and open seemed to be looking dreamily over the dusky sea, that was rolling languidly through the warm darkness of the night. " It was a some different sort of night than this when I first heard tell of the mine, which maybe you boys think you will find some trace of, being young and hopeful and full of action." " Now, Jeems, don't get personal," warned Jim. "We aren't as young as we act/' " I know it, Skipper," admitted Jeems ; " but as I was going to tell you, this night I was speaking of, it had started in to snow something fierce. I was young then myself, and had been prospectin* all day and had come home to my little cabin that was under the shelter of a huge ledge in the mid- Sierras. " I can tell you, lads, I .was mighty glad to be out JEEMS' STORY 29 of the storm that night, and I pitied any poor pros- pector who might be caught out in it. My cabin was smaller than the one I had on the Island off the coast, where you first discovered me, but it was comfortable and warm, and well sheltered from the wind. " I had built a big stone fireplace in one corner of the cabin, and had big sticks of pine piled up to the roof and a lot just outside of the door. You know how pitch pine will burn." " Needn't tell us/' cried the audience in chorus. " Besides wood, I had enough grub to stand a siege, as I was always forehanded." " Must have been durn lonesome," commented Jo. " Grub and firewood ain't everything." " That sort of business would just suit me," put in Juarez. "Well, I wasn't entirely alone," said the shep- herd. "Wife with you?" cut in Tom, who could be over-smart at times. Jim noticed that the shepherd winced at the careless question, and he put a grip on Tom's knee that meant that the said Tom had better keep his mouth shut. " A man don't take his wife into sucri a wilder- ness as that," said Jim. 30 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS " Go on, Jeems, and there won't be any more personal interruptions." " Well, Skipper, as I was agoin' to say, I had with me a big hound, one that had followed me on my trips ever since he was a puppy. A prospector had given him to me when I was sluicing for gold on Rainbow Creek. He was a smooth, black- skinned dog, with stubby ears, and a jaw on him like a prize fighter. He was equal to anything in a fight short of a grizzly, and I valued his company considerable, I can tell you." " I should like to have seen a scrap between him and Captain Graves' Santa Anna." (This was on the Back trail when the Frontier Boys were in Colorado), said Juarez. " Get Jo and Tom to mixing it," laughed Jim, "and you'll have some idea of what it would be like." At this point the boys were surprised to see Jeems become angry at Juarez's innocent interrup- tion. It was the first time that the boys had ever seen Jeems Howell anything but good-natured, no matter what happened, or what prank was played on him. But, as Jo remarked later, " Human na- ture is a mighty uncertain business, and everybody has got a cranky spot in 'em if you just happen to JEEMS' STORY 31 strike it at the explosive time." Which is a mighty true observation, which you can prove to your own satisfaction any day in the week. The writer being example No. I, and you, indulgent reader, example No. 2. Jim and Juarez, by their combined and genial efforts, pulled Jeems out of the sulks and on to his own sunny level once more. Then he took up his narrative again. " Well, boys, it don't seem that I have got any right to criticize that black hound's temper, con- sidering my own." "Anybody is apt to get riled once in a lifetime, Jeems," said Jim, " even Tom here has been known to act up occasionally." Tom joined in the laugh because he had a notoriously quick temper, and complete serenity was restored. " That hound would never make friends with anyone except me," continued Jeems, " and I could always depend on his watchfulness to warn me of the approach of any marauder. It was a wild coun- try, and with bad Indians and worse white men you always had to be on your guard. Still on this night I tell ye of, the storm was so wild and fierce that I did not believe anyone would be abroad who had any sort of a place to stay in. 32 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS " Before turning in, I stepped outside to see how things were going. The hound followed close on my heels. I closed the door tight and stood in the darkness with my old gray hat pulled down close around my head. I could scarcely see. The snow was swirling from the ledge above my cabin, and was blown out in great sheets into the night. " Then the hound began to growl kind of low, and his hair was bristling, but he did not show any sudden desire to take a jump down the mountain side, as he would under ordinary circumstances, and I didn't urge him because I thought he showed mighty good sense." CHAPTER IV THE LOST MINE "'ANYBODY down thar?' I yelled, but my voice was blown down my throat, and you couldn't have heard it six feet away, as the wind was doing all the talking that night. So I stepped back into my cabin, followed by the dog, who kept growling to himself like a man with a grouch. " No sooner was I inside than I let the heavy bar down across the door, and, when it fell into place, I drew a full breath, for I felt nervous at the action Of the dog, and it was terrible lonesome, just as bad as being adrift on a raft in this ocean.'* " I'd take the land every time," cut in Tom. " It's what's under you makes you so scarey on the ocean." " I don't know but that the constant motion of the sea makes it kind of company for a man," re- marked Jim. " Don't tell me that," said the shepherd with a quizzical look in his eyes, " from my recent experi- ence that same motion will separate you from what is nearest to you. Anyhow, after I had put on a 33 34 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS big log of pine on the coals in the fireplace, and the flame began to blaze up, I felt more cheerful, for it seemed to make my cabin alive with a hearty glow. " After I had toasted my blankets thoroughly, I wrapped them around me, and laid down near the fire, with my rffle near me. The big hound was just back a bit, between me and the door, and I felt quite secure and perfectly comfortable. I was tired, too, for I had been working hard all day, and I soon dropped off into a sound sleep. " I do not know how long I had slept, when I sat up suddenly throwing the blankets off from me and grabbing my rifle. The fire had died down and there was that chill in the air that cramps a man's blood. The cabin was full of shadows, except the dying glow on the stone hearth. The dog had risen and was growling towards the door. Then I heard the blow of a stick, I suppose it was, against the door. " I tell you, it made me feel scared, coming in the dead of night, in such a lonesome, utterly deso- late place. I was kind of superstitious in those days, too, and I was afraid of what was out- side there, because it didn't seem possible for any- thing human to have reached my isolated cabin THE LOST MINE 35 on such a night. Again came the blow upon the door; then I crossed to the window and very cautiously looked out. " It had evidently heard me or divined that I was at the window, for I saw pressed against the pane and almost touching my face, it seemed, the dark visage of a man with wild, black eyes. The dog saw him too, but as he did not seem to be inspired with his* Usual ferocity, I decided to take a chance and let him in. I would not have kept the Old Boy himself out on a night like that. " So with my weapon ready, I unbarred the door, and the man stumbled in. I saw that he was not an American, but belonged to some dark race, probably a Spaniard. When I got a good look at his face, I saw that my unbidden guest was no other than Rodrigo Sandez, who was fabled all through that region to have found the entrance to the famous Lost Mine, whose wealth had been coupled with legends for many years. " It seems that this mine had been known to the earliest Spanish explorers, many of whom went back to Spain fabulously rich. Then, for many years, all trace had been lost of it, and numerous miners and prospectors laughed incredulously at any mention of it. Then came Rodrigo Sandez ,36 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS with his friend, who likewise was Spanish, or as I think Spanish-Mexican, and rediscovered the Lost Mine, probably through some information long hidden, that had come to them in Mexico, through some unknown sources. " The man was half frozen from exposure to the elements, and when he was thawed out physically, it did the same for his powers of speech. I eagerly hoped that he would have something to say that would give me a clue to the whereabouts of that mine, not that I expected he would make me his heir, but I was anxious to make a stake in those days, for one reason, if not for another, so I had hopes. " In the three weeks that he stayed in my cabin before the storm broke, not a hint could I get out of him, though he would talk volubly about other matters, telling me of his travels in Mexico and South America. All the time he was with me I kept wondering what had become of his partner, but when I had it on the tip of my tongue to ask him, something in his manner of looking at me held me back. " Physically he was not impressive, this man, being short and stocky. His complexion was yery dark, and his hair was short and bristly. But THE LOST MINE 37 there was a peculiar power in his eyes at times, and when he was disturbed about anything, instead of becoming sharp and brilliant they took on a kind of glaze, that gave you a creepy feeling when he looked at you. " I might say right here that though Sandez and his partner had been trailed many times in the effort to find where this mine was located, they were always lost track of. Either they dropped out of sight as though the earth had swallowed them, or something happened to the party that was following them. " When Sandez left my cabin to go on his way south, the weather having cleared, I decided to take up his back trail in hope of finding some trace of his partner, and thus getting a possible clue to the location of the mine. So I started out one clear, cold day, with my dog for guide and company. " I knew the general direction that the two partners traveled, for their trail was not lost until they had gone some twenty miles northwest of my cabin. I made fast time over the frozen snow on my skis, until by noon I had covered nigh onto fifteen miles. The dog was trotting along ahead of me when suddenly he disappeared into a deep gulch. 38 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS " In a second or two he set up a howl long- drawn-out and I knew then that he had found the quarry. I discovered the body of the man under some thick bushes at the bottom of the gulch. He had not been frozen to death either, for there was a slit in his back, where the knife had been driven. " No wonder that I had found it hard to ask the Senor Sandez what had become of his partner. Here was the answer. It was evident that this deed of treachery had been the end of a bitter quarrel, perhaps over the division of the wealth or some other matter of dispute. I always felt that there was more back of it than appeared on the surface. I found nothing to establish the identity of the dead man, neither his name nor his place of residence. " I did find, however, in an inner pocket the pic- ture of a rather pretty Spanish woman, and on the back of it was drawn a diagram showing a certain part of the mountain. I instantly jumped to the conclusion that it was the clue to the Lost Mine. I spent several months thereafter trying to locate the place. I got most of the way by the map and then I came to a mark that fooled me completely, and I lost the trail." THE LOST MINE 39 "IWKat r did you do with that diagram, Jeems? " asked Jim intently. " I kept it back of a rock in the chimney of my cabin, and it's there yet for all I know." " Unless the mountain rats have chewed it up," remarked Tom gloomily. " I suppose you can find that cabin of yours, can't you ? " inquired Juarez. " It's a good many years, but I reckon I could," Jeems replied. " Well, I reckon you will have the chance," said jjim, " just as soon as we land." "That yarn of yours was not only interesting, Jeems, but it has some practical value," remarked Jo. "Ahoy there, Skipper," boomed out the old cap- tain's voice from the quarter deck. " It's about time the man at the wheel was relieved." Jim sprang to his feet, and gave his head a hard thump with his fist to wake himself up. " Right, Captain," he replied, " I've been sitting here listening to a yarn and forgetting my work. Jo, to the wheel. I'll stand watch." Then he leaped up the steep steps leading to the quarter deck, closely followed by Jo, who took Pete's place at the wheel, while that worthy went 40 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS below; and the captain turned into his cabin on the quarter deck without more ado. If anyone Besides Jim had been so forgetful, there would have been a vast amount of growling on his part, but Jim was a favorite. CHAPTER V WORKING THE SHIP IT was now ten o'clock, and the ship steadily held her way over the plunging seas, and the wind came from out the vague spaces of the night, not chill, but bracing. How Jim loved it! Sometimes he felt when he was pacing the deck at night on watch, that he liked the ocean even better than the mountains. As he strode back and forth he thought and pondered over Jeems* story. Suppose they should find this rich pocket mine of gold in the Sierras, what would they do with the money ? Jim was not grasping and the mere idea of getting rich did not appeal to him. " A fool can make money," he had sometimes said, " but it takes a wise man to spend it." Then he brought his fist down hard upon the rail. " I've got it, Jo," he cried, " if we find that mine, we will take a trip around the world and see if we can't discover something new. We've got the ship already." " What do we need of more money ? " asked Jo. 41 42 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS " Let's head her around now and strike out for the Philippines. We have got some of that treasure left that we discovered in Mexico." " I wonder what Pap would say/' replied Jim, lowering his voice, " if he found that he had been shanghied in any such fashion. I suspicion that there would be a mutiny aboard this craft." " I forgot about him," admitted Jo. " Another thing, you don't realize how much money it takes to keep a yacht going, even if we are under sail part of the time. This boat has got to be overhauled when we get to port. Drydocked for one thing, liable to cost $500; then the engines will have to be overhauled. Next coal and pro- visions " " I reckon we had better discover that mine," agreed Jo. " That's where you show your good sense," con- cluded Jim. So as the schooner yacht went northward follow- ing her unseen path through the darkness, the boys' minds were busy with their plans for the future. For one, I envy them their buoyant free- dom, their hearty comradeship, and their chance for new and varying adventure. Yet they had earned much of the good fortune that had come to WORKING THE SHIP 43 them by their pluck in danger and their cheerful endurance of hardship. At two o'clock Tom was called on deck to take the wheel, and Jeems Howell to stand watch. Not a very strong maritime team, to be sure, but with the calm mild weather it was safe enough, and the captain was near at hand if any trouble should arise suddenly from out the darkness of the sea. " Do you suppose you two land lubbers can man- age, without running us aground ? " inquired Jim. " Aye, aye, sir ! " replied Jeems cheerfully. " I'm just as liable to run this thing in a circle," replied Tom, " and we will butt into Hawaii before we know it." As a matter of fact, the boys were all pretty fair sort of sailors by this time, in a kind of make- shift practical way. They had received good in- struction from old Pete, and capable supervision from the old captain, and it gave them confidence to have him back of them in case anything unusual should come up. Juarez, who was really a mechanical genius, went below in the engine-room to relieve the engi- neer. He spent his happiest hours in a pair of greasy jumpers working over the engine, feeding it with oil, polishing it until it shone, and giving 44 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS it constant attention. The taciturn engineer ha'd taken quite a fancy to Juarez, who was himself as silent as an Indian. He had taught Juarez a great deal about his intricate trade, and the pupil had been quick to profit, always watching and observ- ing, and saying little. It seemed to Juarez that he was at the center of things when he was watching over the throbbing, steady, ceaseless movement of the engine ; and shut off from the outside world, his thoughts seemed to time with the steady, powerful harmony of the mechanism, with its living spirit of steam within the polished framework. Many a boy who reads these lines will envy Juarez Hoskins, assistant engi- neer of the Sea Eagle, and will understand his feelings perhaps even better than the writer. Nor did Juarez mind the heat, as with the jumper fastened over his brown naked shoulders, and bare head, he went busily about the engine-room whistling softly to himself. Old Pete passed near on his way into the hold, and in a short time up came the boy stoker, black as a gnome and cheerful as a darkey, for he was Irish, which I take to be a Hibernian remark. Thus with the exception of Pete the Frontier Boys were in charge of their ship and running it WORKING THE SHIP 45 all right too. There was no question that this practise cruise to Hawaii was a fine thing for them, and after it was over they would be well qualified to take the Sea Eagle wherever their fancy might dictate, or where necessity might require. The next morning broke bright and balmy and the boys settled down to regular sea routine : scrub- bing decks, steering, polishing the brasswork, and last, but not least, cooking. Some things were now present on the bill of fare which were absent when they sailed from the coast. For instance, there were bananas, some yellow and ripe, others a bright green which would ripen on the voyage. There was also half a bushel of mangoes, a most delicious fruit of juicy yellow meat, and a tart flavor hidden among its sweetness. There was also a small barrel of poi, the staple Hawaiian article of diet, of which the boys had grown very fond during their short sojourn in Hawaii. It was a thick bluish paste, and most nutritious. Poi was made from a native root called taro, of mottled bluish-white meat. This was pounded up with water to a thick consistency and according to the native custom eaten from bowls into which the two forefingers were dipped, whirled around and then transferred quickly and gracefully to the 46 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS mouth. It was an interesting spectacle to see Tom, for instance, seated on a hatch, his bare legs crossed before him, and a bowl of poi between them. Then Tom would throw his head back and pop his two fingers into his mouth with much and evident en- joyment. Now poi is very fattening and the boys used to tease Jeems Howell about his getting a corpora- tion, as he was naturally as thin as a slab. " You would look funny waddling around the deck, Jeems," said Jim, " and the fat shaking on your tummy when you laughed." " Could use me for ballast then, Skipper," he would remark, " but I ain't worrying any. When I see myself fat I'll believe it and not before." One day the dead calm of sea monotony was broken by a breeze of excitement. It was morning and Tom was at the wheel, while on the bridge was Juarez keeping a sharp lookout, as. was his custom, although there was not much to expect in the way of interest. As far as sighting a sail, that was most unlikely, for this part of the ocean through which they were traveling was nothing but a blue tfesert, as far as other ships were concerned. "What's that coming now?" cried Juarez. "I can't make it out." WORKING THE SHIP 47 "Where?" asked Tom eagerly. " Low down on the northeast quarter," said ijuarez. " I see what you mean," remarked Tom, but he too was puzzled. " I'll get the glass," suggested Juarez. This done, he took a good long pull at it, his legs well braced against the roll of the ship, and making a very nautical figure indeed. Then he made out the enemy clearly; three big black hulls they were, and then from the bow of one a column of steam or was it water? went slanting into the air. Juarez's frame stiffened with interest and excitement. "Whales!" he cried. "What's that, lad?" It was the captain, who was supposedly asleep in his cabin, which was the deck house, but he responded quickly to the magic word, "Whales." " Gimme the glass," he ordered, his hand out- stretched. The boys watched him with interested attention. "Three of 'em," he cried. "Gosh! I wish I was younger." By this time the whole Frontier gang was pres- ent on the quarter deck looking at the dark spots on the blue ocean that now had become visible to 48 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS the naked eye. To say that they were interested was to put it very mildly. There was a strange interest to these marine monsters. " Let's get one of those fellows," cried Juarez. "We have a couple of harpoons." " Get ready, boys," cried Jim. " It's a go." " What ! " roared the captain. " You boys can't spear a whale even if you did get nigh him. He would spank you to kingdom come with his tail. You stay right here where I can keep an eye on you. The idea of you tackling a whale. Why, it's plumb ridiculous. Just a passel of kittens when it comes to whaling." Then he stopped to blow, entirely exhausted. CHAPTER VI DANGEROUS WORK HOWEVER foolhardy the proposition, the boys were determined, and then they were in the major- ity, so they overruled the captain. A chance like that was not to be permitted to slip. They had hunted bears, mountain lions, Indians, outlaws, ducks and much other game, but never had whales come within range before, and at least they were going to try to make their preliminary acquaint- ance. " Well, boys, as I ain't responsible to your parents, yer might jest as well end yer lives by the flap of a whale's tail as go on to be hung, be- cause that, in my opinion, will come to you sooner or later, being so reckless." But down in his heart the old fellow was pleased with their enterprise and pluck. " Better come along and take care of us, Cap- tain," urged Jim, " so these fellows won't bite us." " All the fishing I'll ever do now will be for min- nows over the rail," replied the captain. "My whaling days are over." 49 50 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS " The only whaling I know about," remarked Jo, " was what I used to get in school." " You would get some more of the same kind now," remarked Jim briefly, " if I could spare the time." " Now, you have to spare the rod," replied the irrepressible and irresponsible Jo. He ducked quickly as Jim hit at him, but there was no time for further discipline or discussion, so Jo escaped the merited punishment that was due him. The boat was lowered, and the harpoon with its apparently endless coil of rope, was made ready. All this was done under the careful instruction of Captain Kerns, who knew the business of whaling thoroughly, and was determined that the venture- some boys should not be entirely helpless through ignorance. As for the harpoon, that was the prop- erty originally of the former owner of the Sea Eagle, Captain Bill Broom, of interesting memory. What pleasure he would have felt to see the Fron- tier Boys start out on their perilous expedition, sure that the whales would wreak vengeance upon the daring boys who had finally given him such a bitter defeat! Everything was now ready, and the selected crew was prepared to pull away from the ship. DANGEROUS WORK 51 They were delaying only for a few last words and instructions. Nor was the crew of the boat made up exactly as the reader might imagine, for Tom was left aboard and Jeems Ho well was taken in his place. There were two reasons for this. In the first place, Jeems, though lanky and thin, was really very strong and could do better work at the oars than Tom ; the other reason had to do with an inci- dent that happened in the attack the boys had made on a sand cone in the crater of Haleakala, the said cone being defended by a number of savages. Tom had at that time failed to protect Jim when he was attacking the savages, due to nervousness, and Jeems had to come to the rescue. I do not know whether he appreciated the distinction of being chosen on this particular occasion or not, but he had to accept the honor thus thrust upon him. " Good-bye, Tom," cried Jim; " I'll leave you my blessing, if the whale takes a chaw out of us." " I'd rather you would leave me something val- uable like your gold watch," replied the mercenary Tom. " I'll make you my sole heir, Tommy," cried Jo. "I've got some debts back home that you can have." Then the boat pulled away from the shig. 52 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS " Don't forget, lads," roared the captain in fare- well, " that whales ain't fools because they are big. Look out for 'em/' " Aye, aye, sir," came back the answer clear and strong. "Good luck," yelled the captain, and the boys waved their hands in reply. But no sooner had they pulled away than he got the other boat ready to launch in case it should be needed and a couple of life preservers were gotten ready, with a line attached, for no one knew better than the old sailor the dangerous undertaking on which the boys had launched. Meanwhile they were making good time over the slow, lazy swell towards the whales that could be seen floating easily along two miles distant. Jo was pulling the stroke oars, and Jeems was pulling the other pair directly behind him. Jo was a fair oarsman and Jeems was capable of keeping up with him. They discovered that there was an excitement and interest in rowing on the ocean that was not present in the same form of exercise on a lake or river, for there was a vitality, breadth and power about the sea that was lacking in the others. I tell you, they felt rather small and puny as they DANGEROUS WORK 53 pulled the boat steadily over the swells that played gently with their craft, as though the old ocean was in a lazy playful mood, just like a tiger when it rolls sinuously upon its back fondling some object. Jim was in. the bow of the boat, ready to use the harpoon when the time should come. Once or twice he stood up in the bow and plunged it down into the blue bosom of abounded wave with all his force, the water slashing white from the track of the tearing weapon. " Better save your strength," warned Juarez, who was at the steering oar. " Just getting warmed up, lad," said Jim. " Think you can fetch him, Jim ? " inquired Jo anxiously. " Sure," replied his older brother confidently. " I reckon a whale is no tougher than a grizzly, and we've got them." " Not with a harpoon," remarked Jeems Howell. " You won't be more than able to tickle the levia- than with that weapon." But Jim scoffed at his prophecy, for there was this about James that helped him in a crisis like the present, that he had perfect confidence in him- self which had been fortified by several narrow 54 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS ^Scapes. But here was an occasion where his good luck in danger was apt to be thoroughly tried out. "Whales are something like elephants, it seems to me/' said Jeems Howell. "They are big, dan- gerous and very intelligent." " The elephant beats the whale when it comes to ears," remarked Juarez. " But makes it up with his tail," laughed Jeems. " Now, boys," warned Jim, " be careful ; no more talking. We will soon be within range." A strained, intense silence settled over the boat. All was expectation and suppressed excitement. I do not suppose that the gentle reader can realize the feeling of the boys at this moment, as he has probably never stalked a whale in the open ocean, but perhaps he can imagine something of what they felt. One thing favored the young whale hunters, and that was the fact that the whales were taking things very softly and slowly, their big bodies barely moving through the water. They seemed to be enjoying the calm of the clear morning, and were taking an ocean stroll as it were. The bull, some sixty feet in length, was in the lead ; at some little distance to the east was the cow and a young whale near her side. It was a wonder- DANGEROUS WORK 55 ful sight to see the big black fellow forging slowly in advance, his head a long, square promontory ris- ing from the water, and his body a half-submerged island. But what power and strength was there in that great body and what temerity it was for the boys to tackle him; they should have been glad to let him go on his way unmolested, if he would do the same for them. But the boys had no such thought. Under the silent direction of Jim's hand the boat made a circle and swept around back of the great mammal coming up on the far side. As the chase came near its end the pulses of the boys quickened. There was a wonderful excitement in closing in with this king of all the oceans. Jim crouched in the bow, the harpoon clutched in his right hand. Now the boat was within fifty feet of the whale, who was evidently not yet aware of their near proximity, as he could not see any- thing approaching along the side. It was indeed a thrilling moment. Jim rose to his full height in the bow, with the harpoon poised above his shoulder, a powerful and athletic figure. The boat was now alongside the monster, and then with all his strength of body, arm and shoulder, he plunged the harpoon down deep into 56 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS the great black body, following the instructions of the captain as near as he could; he was but an amateur, after all, and he missed a vital spot. " Back up, boys ! " he yelled. Down dug the poised oars into the water, and the boat tried frantically to get out of the deadly cir- cumference of the wounded \rhale's wrath. In- stead of sounding down, as he would have done if vitally wounded, he thrashed and pounded the ocean into foam. There was no escape for the boat apparently. With an exclamation of horror, Captain Kerns turned his ship's prow straight for the scene of the disaster, for he saw what had happened. It was enough to startle even a man so hardened to sights of danger as the captain. As for Tom, when he saw the beginning of the accident, he pressed his hand close against his eyes to shut out what prom- ised to be terrible destruction for his two brothers, and his two tried comrades. Pete was at the wheel, his old weathered face pale and intent upon the scene not so distant. He had grown fond of the boys and could scarcely bear to look upon their overwhelming danger. CHAPTER VII WHAT THEY SAW WHEN the whale was in his first flurry of pain, he sent the boat high into the air with one stroke of his mighty tail, and like loose articles the boys were scattered out of it into the boiling vortex of water. This was the sight that had called forth the alarm on board the Sea Eagle, and made the captain spring to quick action. No time was to be lost, for the boys were as helpless as straws in the maelstrom. One thing was fortunate, they were all pretty fair swimmers, but that would not help them if the whale should, in his fury, chance to see them. But here, their very insignificance saved them from his first rush. The mother and her young had taken the alarm and were forging away to the southward. The boys were now but several dark spots in the swirling waters. Jo had the closest call, for one of the flukes of the whale's tail swept a huge wave over him, and he thought he was going to be carried to the bottom of the ocean. Jim at the very first had called out a warning, "Boys, keep away 57 58 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS from the boat." It was a lucky thing that he did so. For as soon as the whale caught sight of it he made a furious surge for it, and, opening his great jaws, he caught it squarely across the middle. There was a crunching sound, only more intense, as when a dog crushes a bone. As Jo said after- ward, " It wasn't more than a toothpick for him." Meanwhile the boys were swimming in the opposite direction as fast as their arms and feet could propel them. The whale now became aware of a new enemy bearing down upon him. Only this was even larger than he was, tfiougS of the same color. It was making a chug-chug sound as it came towards him. In the dim brain of the whale was an idea struggling for birth. Was this a strange sea monster that was going to con- test with him the supremacy of the seas, or was it some of his antediluvian ancestors come back to earth, I mean to sea, again? There the reasoning of the whale stopped. A! sudden blind fury came over him and he charged for the Sea Eagle. Two rifle shots rang out from the deck of the ship, and one tore deep into the black carcass. Then the monster threw his flukes into the air and down he sounded towards the depths of the sea. WHAT THEY SAW 59 In a moment the yacht was alongside the ex- hausted swimmers, and they were hauled aboard. Jeems Ho well was about done for, and had to be worked over for some time; Jo also had shipped considerable salt water, but Jim and Juarez were in tolerable condition considering the experience they had been through. "I hope you lads are satisfied now," grumbled the captain. "He chawed our boat to kindling wood," said Jim, looking ruefully to where the fragments strewed the sea. " He would have done the same by you, if we hadn't come along," remarked the captain. " Served you right, too." " I hate not getting him, that's what worries me," said Jim. " How did you feel when he tilted you and the boat up in the air ? " inquired Tom curiously. " Can't say," replied Jim. "It was so sudden, and I didn't take any notes." "I felt like I was going to be another Jonah," remarked Jo feebly. " He's the Jonah," remarked the captain, point- ing a contemptuous thumb at Jeems, who had just gotten to his feet. 60 FRONTIER BOYS W THE SIERRAS "How can I ever thank you, Captain?" asked Jeems Howell, who had a sly streak of humor at times. "You saved my life at the risk of^your own. It was a noble deed, and one long " " Oh, g'wan with you," cried the captain, don't want none of your banquet speeches." To escape the infliction, he retreated to the quarter deck, where he stood ready to repel any thankful survivors who might creep upon 1 Tom was busy asking questions about the whole unfortunate business, for he had a very inquisitive mind, had Tom. Jeems, however, was the only c among the gallant survivors inclined to humor him. Jim was looking, longingly over the expanse of ocean, not thinking of his dripping clothes, but as though he had lost something, as indeed he had. He was minus one large whaleboat and one small boat. It was not the boat, however, that he was looking for, and no one but Jim would have taken a continued interest in his whaleship but would have given him up for lost. "There he blows!" he cried suddenly, try for him again." No more of that," roared the captain, while I'm alive on this boat/' Jim smiled. He had not really intended to go after him in the boat WHAT THEY SAW 6r because he realized how foolhardy such a perform- ance would be, but he had another scheme in mind, and he prepared to carry it out. " Come on, boys, let's give him a shot from the cannon," he cried. " That's the idea ! " exclaimed Juarez. " We will bring the ship up close enough to get a good aim." " I'd like to get even with him for the kick he gave me," cried Jo viciously. " Well, you boys are the beatingest," remarked the captain. But he made no objection to this plan, and took the wheel himself, so as to maneuver the Sea Eagle to within good striking distance of the big mam- mal. Meanwhile, the boys lost no time in getting the small cannon ready for the fray. All was ex- citement and energy. Here was a target worth shooting at. The whale seemed to be resting after his recent exertions, and was rolling easily on the surface of the ocean. Tom stripped the jacket of canvas from the shin- ing gun of brass, Juarez and Jo got the ammuni- tion from the hold, and soon had the charge ready to fire. Jim stood prepared to aim. The boys waited impatiently for the right moment to come. When the yacht would be as close to the quarry 62 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS as Jt would be wise to venture. Steadily the little ship bore down toward the whale, keeping half quartered to it. It seemed that he must take alarm and the boys held their breath in fear lest the monster should take fright and make a sudden disappearance into the depths. The harpoon still sticking high up on his side gave a line to aim by. Then Jim de- pressed the muzzle of the cannon until it was point blank at the long black target now shelving up from the blue surface of the ocean. Just as the whale wakened to his danger, Jim pulled the lan- yard and fired. There was a roar, a white gush of smoke, and the shell tore into the vitals of the great whale. Then there was action to which the disturbance when the whale was harpooned was a mere flurry. He thrashed the ocean into foam and the blood from his wound dyed the waters crimson. At last he rose bodily in the air and fell back upon the surface of the ocean with a mighty whack that could have been heard for miles. The waters re- treated from his fall in great waves that made the little steamer rock. There was great jubilation on the deck of the Sea Eagle when Jim made that shot, which was not WHAT THEY SAW 63 so remarkable either, when one considers the size of the target and the nearness of the object aimed at. But the captain was decidedly enthusiastic over Jim's success, and clapped him heartily on the back with manifest approval. "You ought to be in the navy, lad," he cried. " You are a born American gunner. Old Paul Jones ought to have had you." "That wasn't a hard shot, Captain," remarked Jim. " It was your navigating that really deserves the credit." " Too bad we have to leave him," said the cap- tain. " That fellow would be good for a lot of oil." " I should like a closer look at him," urged Jim. " I believe I'll lower the other boat and board him." " I reckon he can't do you any harm now, Skip- per," said the captain, " and I suppose a whale does look cur'us to you. I see by that harpoon that you made a pretty good shot with the iron ; just a little nearer to the shoulder and you would have fetched him." The boat was all ready to lower and in a jiffy they had it in the water. Tom was allowed to go along this time, but Jeems Howell was among the missing, he absolutely and steadfastly refused to go on the excursion. 64 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS " Come along, Jeems," urged Jo. " You never saw a dead whale." " But I have seen a live one, and my curiosity is satisfied," replied Jeems. " He won't bite you, jump in," said Tom, who was quite brave now. "How do I know that he is really dead?" re- plied Jeems. " Like as not he will give a last flop and crush you. The deck for me." Realizing that it was useless to urge Jeems ttie boys pulled away from the Sea Eagle, and rowed over to the 4ead whale. " My ! but he is a monster," said Juarez. " Let's board him." "All right," agreed Jim. So Tom jammed the bow of the boat against the whale's side, and the three J's Jim, Joe and Juarez made a landing on Whale Island. It made Jo feel a little squeamish standing upon the mass of the dead monster that yielded under his foot. It seemed that his tread must surely cause the whale to make a final effort to get rid of his enemies. " He must be all of seventy feet," cried Jim, pacing as far as he could. " His head is eight or ten feet long," said Juarez. WHAT THEY SAW 65 "Too bad you can't take some of him for a souvenir," said Tom. " We are mighty glad that he didn't get any of us for a souvenir," remarked Jo. " I'm going to get my harpoon any way," said Jim. As he wrenched at it, the whale suddenly rose with a gentle heave, and Jo was almost paralyzed with fright, and even Juarez turned somewhat pale. However, it was only an un- usually large wave that had raised the whale up and allowed the placid carcass to slide down again. " Ahoy there, squall coming ! " hailed the cap- tain's voice from the quarter deck of the Sea Eagle. " Get aboard quick." The boys obeyed, but with obvious reluctance, for the whale had much of interest for them yet. But they saw the squall whitening over the ocean from the northwest quarter, and coming with great rapidity. " We don't want to worry the old man any more to-day," suggested Jim, "so we will pull for the shore." CHAPTER VIII A RACE EVEN then they were none too quick, for as they were swinging the boat to the davits the squall struck the Sea Eagle, heeling her well over, and there was a rush and roar of wind and flying spray from the yeasty seas. It was fun while it lasted. The prow of the ship was turned eastward once more, leaving the whale, but not alone. Already the birds were gathering to their feast, and from all directions cut the dark-finned sharks to get their share. In a short time all was tur- moil about the whale, fluttering wings and whirl- ing foamy water. This was too good a target for the boys, so they decided to give the crazy cannibal crew a surprise. " Let's give those beggars a farewell salute, Juarez," cried Jim. " I'm with you," he replied. "What's the distance?" inquired Jo. " Quarter of a mile," hazarded Tom. " It's nearer a half," replied Jim. v " It don't look it," put in Jo. cs A RACE 67 " That's because objects on the ocean seem nearer than they do on land." "Why is that so?" inquired the ever inquisitive Tom. Jim was clearly stumped by this inquiry, but he did not let on that he was puzzled in the least. " No time to tell you now. That gun is about ready to fire." "You don't know," jeered Tom, "that's just an excuse." " Show you later if you can't study it out for yourself," remarked Jim nonchalantly. Juarez now had the cannon loaded and ready to fire. The Sea Eagle was moving obliquely away from the storm-center and it was a very difficult shot, but still a possible one on account of the size of the target. The old captain took much interest in the skill of his protege Jim, whom he considered worthy to be enrolled in the straight-shooting American navy. He stood with his sturdy figure well braced and the glass in hand ready to mark a successful shot. " Don't you think you have got that weepin' raised a leetle too high?" he inquired anxiously of Jim. " I'm aiming a little over, sir," replied Jim, " be- 68 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS cause I think the shell will fall a little in that dis- tance." " I guess you know your business better than I do, Skipper," replied the captain. " I was no shot 'cept with a blunderbuss that would scatter." "Make a bull's-eye, Jim," urged Juarez. "You mean a whale's eye," put in Jo. "Humph!" said Jim, "don't talk that way; you will make me miss." "You mean " Jo got no further, for Jim held up a cautionary hand. " Ready now," he cried. The captain clapped the spy-glass to his eye, there was a roar and the quarter-deck shook under their feet, then the captain shook the glass above his head. "Yer struck into the shark gang, Skipper," he cried, " I said you would be a recruit for John Paul Jones." " Let me have a chance," said Jo. "All right," agreed Jim, "I don't want to be a hog." So Jo took his turn. With due deliberation he aimed the shining little cannon aft toward the dis- tant fray. Then he fired, but the shot sent up a spurt from a wave some distance short. A RACE 65 "We are getting too far away," said Jim, "to get in an accurate shot." " Say, Jim," put in Tom, " you haven't told me why things seem closer on the ocean than they do on land." If pertinacity meant success in life, Tom Darlington would no doubt reach the top of the ladder. Jim was somewhat surprised, and he did not want to admit ignorance, so he sparred for time. " Now, Thomas," said James, " I am not paid to do your thinking for you, but if you will sit down and think for ten minutes and if at the end of that time you have not reached a logical conclusion, I will explain the matter to you." " Ho ! Professor ! " railed Tom, pulling out his silver timepiece, which was so heavy that it would be a dangerous weapon if thrown, " if you ain't ready with your explanation you will lose your place." Jim took this warning with perfect nonchalance, but his mind was very active just the same trying to solve this problem, because Tom would never let up on him if he found out that he was bluffing. But why was an object nearer, anyway, in appear- ance on the ocean than on land? Why? Perhaps it was the difference in atmosphere. No t for in 70 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS high altitudes things appeared closer on account of the clarity of the air than they did at sea level. Six minutes passed, still no answer had come to Jim, yet he was perfectly calm and contained as though he were the perfection of wisdom. He folded his arms across his chest and regarded Tom serenely as he sat on the opposite side of the deck on a coil of rope, regarding his big brother skeptic- ally. Eight minutes had passed, and Tom, taking out his watch, recorded the fact with quiet triumph. "Eight minutes and a quarter," he declared, " and no land in sight yet." "Eight and a half," he tolled, "nine!" Jim was apparently entirely composed, but his mind had not yet reached a complete explanation. It was, how- ever, on the right track, but the time was short. "Ten," cried Tom. "Speak up, Professor." " #'s your place first," he replied. "Give it up." " Now listen carefully," b'egan Jim in a magis- terial manner, " and if there is anything you don't quite understand, raise your hand." " Humph ! " grunted Tom, " I guess that I can understand anything you can tell me." "Well, children, it's this way," continued Jim. " When you are upon the land and you look at A RACE 71 something in the distance your eyesight is stretched from point to point by intervening objects, while on the ocean your vision instead of being stretched out collapses as it were because there is a monoto- nous level between your 'eye and the object. Now I hope you will remember what I have juat told you, children. School is dismissed." Jo seemed to be unduly impressed with the idea that he was a schoolboy again, so he grabbed Tom's hat and made as if he was going to throw it over- board. Tom made a grab for Jo and missed, then there was a great chase around the main deck. Jo was very fleet of foot and gained on his pur- suer, until Tom saw that he must resort to strata- gem; so no sooner had Jo disappeared around the corner of the quarter deck than Tom doubled back on his own trail, to the cook's galley, that had a door opening on either side, so that one could step into either passageway. Tom leaped into the galley, and was quick to the other door, that he opened a wee bit; he saw that Jo had just swerved into the passageway and down he came full tilt toward where Tom lay in ambush, s\vinging the latter 's captured hat in his hand. Tom watched him eagerly, then he sprang out from his hiding place directly in front of the 72 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS flying Jo, who was utterly surprised, but he was under such headway that he could not stop. Tom met him squarely and down they went in a heap, the lurch of the ship sending Jo's head heavily against an iron stanchion. His body gave a jerk and quiver, then he stretched out unconscious. We all know that skylarking of that kind sometimes produces the worst accidents. Naturally Tom was terribly frightened, for he thought Jo was killed, and he did look it, stretched out, with his eyes closed. " Jim ! " cried Tom, " Jim ! come here quick." There was something in Tom's voice that made Jim appear in a hurry. " Get the brandy," he said. Tom lost no time in getting the bottle out of a locker in the main cabin. When he returned he found Juarez and Jeems standing near looking very sober, while the old captain and Jim worked over him. The Frontier Boys had gone through many dangers unscathed, and it seemed terrible* that Jo should be so badly hurt in a moment of play. In fifteen minutes' time, however, Jo was partially himself, but he could not walk and had to be helped to his cabin, and that night he had a high 1 fever, but next day he was quite himself, due mainly to a rugged constitution. A RACE 73 A few days later the weather began to change. The sea became rough and boisterous, with head winds and decidedly colder, but the boys did not complain, in fact they rather liked it, as they were strong and hardy and enjoyed battling with the ele- ments. " It's the sweaters for us now," said Jo, coming out on deck,' to find the nasty gray sea swept by rain squalls, and the deck sodden and the sky sullen. " I like it," declared Juarez, " the tropics are all right for a few weeks, but I couldn't stand it for long." " That's because you lads are stormy petrels," re- marked Jeems. " If by that poetic symbol you mean that we are always in trouble," replied Jim, "you certainly have struck it." Then the boys went below to get their respective sweaters, the colors being chosen according to their individual taste. Tom's was black, which is no in- sinuation against his character; Jim's was blue; Juarez the same color and Jo's red. As for hats, they still wore their weather-beaten sombreros. They were just the hats for this kind of weather. The evening came on dark and blustery and with a steady beating rain from the northwest. All 74 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS about, the seas were humping through the dark- ness. But the Sea Eagle was a staunch boat, well built, and well ballasted, and though she shipped a few seas and the spray flew high over her bridge, she did not roll or plunge unduly. " Sort of a nasty night, Jim," remarked Jo, as their dark forms emerged on deck from the com- panionway. " It's dark and threatening," replied Jim, " and looks fierce, but for real high rolling give me that first night in the channel between Maui and Hawaii." Jo made some remark, but a sudden gust of wind took it out of his mouth and anyone to leeward would have got the benefit of it. The only light forward was a glow that came from the engine- room. Jim and Jo stepped inside out of the storm and found Juarez there as usual, and Tom was seated on a step. He was watching the two men moving around the shining engine, which worked smoothly and unceasingly, and its condition showed how carefully it was tended. " Gosh ! but it is good to get inside here out of the storm," exclaimed Jim. The engineer nodded pleasantly, as he was a man of few words. CHAPTER IX THE ENGINEER THE engineer of the Sea Eagle has not received much attention, either in this book or in the one just preceding, but this is not because he, John Ber- wick, was not worthy of consideration, but because he was apparently a very quiet man, whose con- versation was generally confined to monosyllables; likewise his work kept him out of the limelight, as it were. But word had come via Juarez, who of all the crew was the only one whom the engineer admitted into his confidence to any degree, that John Ber- wick had really a most interesting career. This was true to a far greater extent than the boys knew. A sailor like old Pete or a mariner like Captain Kerns would see the shores of many coun- tries and land in numerous ports, but learn nothing of the real people, or the nature of the countries. But with the engineer it had been an entirely different proposition. He came of a good family and had received an excellent education, but from his youth he had been wild and adventurous, and 75 76 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS was always traveling, by different ways and in vary- ing occupations, going into the interiors of little- known countries and becoming acquainted with the nature and character of their inhabitants. As he is a man well worth knowing, I will de- scribe his appearance for the benefit of the reader. As to age, John Berwick might be anywhere from thirty-five to forty years. In height, five feet nine, with rather square shoulders, and neither light nor heavy in build, but with a frame that indicated quickness and great powers of endurance. He was evidently one of those men who have a certain care to their physical condition, without overdoing it and making physical prowess a hobby. He had found out the value of health, and condi- tion. In his travels in remote lands, if he had got- ten sick, there would be no one to bother with him, and he would be left to die, so he reasoned that it was better to be a live man than something more wretched than a sick dog. " I used to smoke like a chimney, Ezac," he once said to Juarez. He never called the latter by his full name, it being either " War " or " Ezac," ac- cording to his mood, " but I quit about five years ago. I didn't make any resolution about it either and would smoke now if I wished to." THE ENGINEER 77 " I suppose you felt miserable for a while after you quit ? " said Juarez. " No, strange to say, I didn't. In fact, I began to feel fine and fit in a week or two and I found that I could meet any crisis that came up on the level, and did not have to make an effort of the will to step up to it and brace myself to it as I used to. But I'm not preaching. Smoke if you want to, Ezac." " I don't want to," replied Juarez, " and what's the use of taking up with something you don't care for? Just so much extra baggage." Berwick smiled at this, showing his fine white teeth. "Well, now, 'War,' that's unusual sense for a kid, I must say. The fact that you don't want a thing for a boy of your years is no argument. It may be smoking or chewing or something else that will make 'em devilish sick, but a kid will do it just for a show and to make an impression on his friends what a terrible character he is." " None of us are like that," said Jaurez. " Per- haps it is because we have seen plenty of real life on the frontier and have had plenty of excitement and adventure without resorting to foolishness." " Something in that, Ezac," nodded Berwick. This will serve as an introduction to this inter- 78 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS esting man, before we listen, with the Frontier Boys, to the story that he has to tell. I may add here that John Berwick had dark hair, thinning in front and brushed straight with the forehead, dark hazel eyes, generally pleasant in expression, but capable of becoming harsh and hard with anger. He wore a rather slight dark moustache above a mouth thin-lipped and wide. The chin was square, and the whole complexion of the face rather dark. The boys had never gathered before in the engine- room in a body, and as Jeems How ell's tall figure loomed in the doorway the gathering was complete. It was because the boys had never imposed on him that the engineer was inclined to be gracious, on this occasion. Then, too, there was something about the warm interior of the engine- room, contrasted with the storm outside, that lent itself to good comradeship and anecdote. "I suppose that you boys have never traveled a great deal, except in the West, have you ? " ques- tioned John Berwick. "That's right, Mr. Berwick/' said Jim; "we ex- pect to visit a few other countries, though, before long, if we find this * Lost Mine ' we are looking for. You know you can't travel without money." " Not in your own yacht," replied Berwick. THE ENGINEER 79 "I generally walked, or," seeing a gleam of liumor in Jim's eye, " or worked my passage." "We will stick to our yacht," remarked Jim, *' seeing that we have it on our hands." " Quite right, too," replied the engineer. " You must have had some rather unusual ex- periences in your travels," prompted Jo. " Juarez says that you have been pretty much all over the world." " That's so," replied the engineer, " but I do not Icnow as I have learned enough to pay me for the exertion." " Tell the boys about that time you traveled in Russia," said Juarez. " Which time ? " questioned Berwick. "Don't you know?" asked Juarez, slightly con- fused, " when you were riding in the railroad car- riage?" " And got rather hungry ? " "Sure, that's it," said Juarez, smiling. " That's only an anecdote," replied the engineer. " But I will tell it if you think it will interest." Being assured on this point, he began : " I suppose you boys know what it is to be hungry ? " " I have got a pretty good idea of it after eating 8o FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS one of Tom's dinners," remarked Jim. " You see he don't believe in having anything left over. Thinks it's wasteful, so he just cooks dabs of things as though we had no more appetites than a group of maiden ladies who were taking after- noon tea." There was a general laugh at this, the exaggera- tion being so manifest that even Tom joined in, still there was some truth in Jim's jocose remarks, for Tom did have a " close " side to him, whicK showed even in cooking. It was always evident that Thomas Darlington would become the financier among the Frontier Boys. After the laughter had died down the engineer took up the Russian inci- dent again. "I venture to say that my hunger on the oc- casion I am about to speak of was somewhat more real than yours, Skipper. I was traveling first- class from St. Petersburg and heading for the Ger- man frontier. Very foolishly I did not provide myself with a hamper of provisions, supposing that I would be able to get food along the way. I never made that particular mistake again. " I had plenty of money in those days, and was traveling, as I say, first-class. When I got in my compartment at St. Petersburg I supposed at first THE ENGINEER 8-1 that I was going to have it all to myself, and I was very well pleased because I could take things easy and sleep undisturbed through the most of what promised to be a very dreary trip. " It was then about eight o'clock in the morning, and snowing furiously, and I could scarcely see the outlines of the handsome station through the storm of snow. But it was very comfortable in my com- partment, which I was pleased to note was of unusual elegance. So I did not mind the delay at first. " I noticed that the cushions of the seats were of a deep softness and of a rich crimson velvet. There were likewise hangings over the windows, with heavy golden tassels on the same. Then I observed a crest stamped on the embossed leather upon the inside of the door, and it was also repeated in gold upon the back of the seats. " I must admit that this seemed a good deal of style, but I did not consider it any too much for a representative American citizen traveling abroad. I was a fool in those days, but made up in audacity what I lacked in wit. After a half hour had passed beyond the schedule time set for the train's start- ing, I began to get uneasy and was just about to get out of the compartment to help move things 82 FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS along, when I saw a gorgeous sleigh drive up in front of the station. " There was a splendid ermine robe thrown over the back, and two plumes in front. The horses were fine animals too, driven three abreast after the Russian fashion; over the one in the center was a single arch on which jingled the merry bells. The middle horse was a great black, and his comrades on either side were gray, the very symbols of the snowy landscape. " From the furs of the sleigh emerged a gigantic Russian, blonde-bearded, and under his fur over- coat was some sort of a military uniform. \ I watched him with interest as he came toward the train, accompanied by the station-master, and met by the salutes of the soldiers, who are everywhere in Russia. " He came straight towards the carriage where I was seated in lonely pomp, and I had just time to seat myself in the opposite corner of the compart- ment when the door was thrown open, and enter his royal nibs the Archduke Alexandewitch or something or other. At least this was high nobility of some kind. His bearded face was very red, and his system had evidently been warmed by some- thing besides exercise. THE ENGINEER 83 "His eyes were blurred, and, coming from the light into the semi-darkness of the carriage, he