Brandon of the Engineers Part 23

"No," said Jake, indicating the flowers and fruit he carried. "I got these at the hotel. The colors matched so well that I felt I couldn't let them go, and then it struck me that you might like them. d.i.c.k warned me that the things are not eatable in their present state, which is a pretty good example of his utilitarian point of view."

Clare laughed as she thanked him, and he resumed: "Lucille has enough to carry, and I'd better bring the basket along."

"Very well," said Clare. "My father was getting up when I left."

d.i.c.k said nothing, and stood a yard or two away. The girl had met him without embarra.s.sment, but it was Jake she had addressed. He felt that he was, so to speak, being left out.

"Then I'll come and talk to him for a while," said Jake. "I don't know a nicer place on a hot morning than your patio."

"But what about your work? Are you not needed at the dam?"

"My work can wait. I find from experience that it will keep for quite a long time without shriveling away, though often it gets very stale.

Anyhow, after being engaged on the company's business for the most part of last night, I'm ent.i.tled to a rest. My partner, of course, doesn't look at things like that. He's going back as fast as he can."

d.i.c.k hid his annoyance at the hint. It was impossible to prevent the lad from going to Kenwardine's when Clare was there to hear his objections, and he had no doubt that Jake enjoyed his embarra.s.sment. Turning away, he tried to forget the matter by thinking about the coal. Since Kenwardine was at home, it was improbable that he had been at Adexe during the night. If Clare had a part in her father's plots, she might, of course, have made the statement about his getting up with an object, but d.i.c.k would not admit this. She had helped the man once, but this was an exception, and she must have yielded to some very strong pressure. For all that, d.i.c.k hoped his comrade would not tell Kenwardine much about their trip in the launch.

As a matter of fact, Jake handled the subject with some judgment when Kenwardine, who had just finished his breakfast, gave him coffee in the patio. They sat beneath the purple creeper while the sunshine crept down the opposite wall. The air was fresh and the murmur of the surf came languidly across the flat roofs.

"Aren't you in town unusually early?" Kenwardine asked.

"Well," said Jake with a twinkle, "you see we got here late."

"Then Brandon was with you. This makes it obvious that you spent a perfectly sober night."

Jake laughed. He liked Kenwardine and meant to stick to him, but although rash and extravagant, he was sometimes shrewd, and admitted that there might perhaps be some ground for d.i.c.k's suspicions. He was ent.i.tled to lose his own money, but he must run no risk of injuring his father's business. However, since Kenwardine had a share in the coaling wharf, he would learn that they had been to Adexe, and to try to hide this would show that they distrusted him.

"Our occupation was innocent but rather arduous," he said. "We went to Adexe in the launch to see when our coal was coming."

"Did you get it? The manager told me something about the tug's engines needing repairs."

"We got one scow that broke adrift off the Tajada reef. They had to turn back with the others."

"Then perhaps I'd better telephone to find out what they mean to do,"

Kenwardine suggested.

Jake wondered whether he wished to learn if they had already made inquiries, and thought frankness was best.

"Brandon called up the wharf as soon as the office was open, but didn't get much information. Something seemed to be wrong with the wire."

"I suppose he wanted to know when the coal would leave?"

"Yes," said Jake. "But he began by asking if the tug had come back safe, and got no further, because the other fellow couldn't hear."

"Why was he anxious about the tug?"

Kenwardine's manner was careless, but Jake imagined he felt more interest than he showed.

"It was blowing pretty fresh when she left us, and if the scows had broken adrift again, there'd have been some risk of losing them. This would delay the delivery of the coal, and we're getting very short of fuel."

"I see," said Kenwardine. "Well, if anything of the kind had happened, I would have heard of it. You needn't be afraid of not getting a supply."

Jake waited. He thought it might look significant if he showed any eagerness to change the subject, but when Kenwardine began to talk about something else he followed his lead. Half an hour later he left the house, feeling that he had used commendable tact, but determined not to tell Brandon about the interview. d.i.c.k had a habit of exaggerating the importance of things, and since he already distrusted Kenwardine, Jake thought it better not to give him fresh ground for suspicion. There was no use in supplying his comrade with another reason for preventing his going to the house.

CHAPTER XVI

JAKE GETS INTO DIFFICULTIES

Day was breaking, though it was still dark at the foot of the range, when d.i.c.k returned wearily to his iron shack after a night's work at the dam.

There had been a local subsidence of the foundations on the previous afternoon, and he could not leave the spot until precautions had been taken to prevent the danger spreading. Bethune came with him to look at some plans, and on entering the veranda they were surprised to find the house well lighted and smears of mud and water upon the floor.

"Looks as if a bathing party had been walking round the shack, and your boy had tried to clean up when he was half-asleep," Bethune said.

d.i.c.k called his colored servant and asked him: "Why are all the lights burning, and what's this mess?"

"Senor Fuller say he no could see the chairs."

"Why did he want to see them?"

"He fall on one, senor; t'row it wit' mucha force and fall on it again.

Say dozenas of _malditos sillas_. If he fall other time, he kill my head."

"Ah!" said d.i.c.k sharply. "Where is he now?"

"He go in your bed, senor."

"What has happened is pretty obvious," Bethune remarked. "Fuller came home with a big jag on and scared this fellow. We'd better see if he's all right."

d.i.c.k took him into his bedroom and the negro followed. The room was very hot and filled with a rank smell of kerosene, for the lamp was smoking and the negro explained that Jake had threatened him with violence if he turned it down. The lad lay with a flushed face on d.i.c.k's bed; his muddy boots sticking out from under the crumpled coverlet. He seemed to be fully dressed and his wet clothes were smeared with foul green slime.

There was a big red lump on his forehead.

"Why didn't you put him into his own bed?" d.i.c.k asked the negro.

"He go in, senor, and come out quick. Say no possible he stop. _Maldito_ bed is damp."

Bethune smiled. "There'll be a big washbasket for the _lavenderas_ to-morrow, but we must take his wet clothes off." He shook Jake. "You've got to wake up!"

After a time Jake opened his eyes and blinked at Bethune. "All right!

You're not as fat as Salvador, and you can catch that chair. The fool thing follows me and keeps getting in my way."

"Come out," Bethune ordered him, and turned to the negro. "Where's his pyjamas?"

Salvador brought a suit, and d.i.c.k, who dragged Jake out of bed, asked: "How did you get into this mess?"

"Fell into pond behind the dam; not safe that pond. Put a shingle up to-morrow, 'Keep off the gra.s.s.' No, that'sh not right. Let'sh try again.

'Twenty dollars fine if you spit on the sidewalk.'"