The Pirate Shark | Page 3

a reg'lar job."
"No," assented his father. "All you would have to do is to get market
reports every few days and send some messages back. Look at these
maps again, boys. Now, here's the place, I figure that we'll go to
Honolulu, then hit straight for our goal. The river is named Kuala Besut,
and we'll probably stay there a couple of weeks or more, using divers.
All the gold along there has to be dredged up, you see. While the diving
is going on, we can run up-country shooting."
"Who put you wise to the gold mine, dad?" inquired Bob curiously.

"Old Jerry Smith--a man who has spent all his life out there. He's going
to sail with us. Now hush up for a minute, both of you. From Honolulu
we go direct to the Malay coast, cutting in through the Philippines
without stopping. On the way back we can do all the visiting we want
to.
"There's the plan, boys. We'd like to have you go along, Mart, to take
care of our wireless. Salary, forty a month and all found. Of course
you'd mess with us, at the officers' mess, and you boys could have great
old times. How about it? I believe you are free to go, Mart?"
"Plenty free, sir," nodded Mart. "I've had no one to worry over me since
mother died, two years ago. Only--it's an awful big thing for a fellow to
make up his mind to, right off the bat like this. These here Malay
States--aren't they pretty wild and woolly! I've got a notion that's where
the pirates come from--"
The financier broke into a laugh.
"Not to-day, Judson! Why, in Tringanu they make some of the best
steel in the world--the natives, I mean. That's where those curly krisses
and Malay daggers come from. But the piracy is all over. Tringanu isn't
exactly civilized, I'll admit, but it's under British protection, like all the
rest of the Malay States.
"This place where we're going, Kuala Besut, is inside these islands here,
and Jerry Smith says that we can go right up the river in the yacht. Also,
he says, it will be easy to take trips into the jungle with some of the
native chiefs, and bag a tiger or so."
"Who's this Jerry Smith?" asked Mart.
"He's an old-timer--been beating around the Pacific most of his life.
They say he used to be a pirate and blackbirder and that he can tell
strange yarns if he will--but that's all talk. He's just a quiet,
white-haired old man. I've found from other sources that there'll be no
trouble getting a concession on the place--if there's any gold there. Now
that's all I know about the thing. It's up to you, Mart!"

"Well," grinned the gray-eyed boy, glancing at his friend, "you needn't
worry about me. If you really mean it, I'd--I'd pay you to take me along,
sir!"
"Not much," laughed the captain. "It's the other way around, Mart. Well,
we sail Monday morning. Old Jerry is getting a crew for us and he'll
come aboard Sunday night with the men. You'd better quit work at the
shop to-night, get our wireless in shape over to-morrow, to pass the
port inspectors, and rest up Sunday. I'll detail Bob to help you--he's
been acting as supercargo up to date."
"Much obliged," grunted Bob sarcastically, "How about an outfit? Will
Mart have to get any clothes?"
"Not on my ship. They'll come out of the slop-chest. Oh, you needn't
look that way, Mart," and the financier laughed at Mart's dismay.
"Slop-chest is sailors' slang for ship's stores. Just fetch your ordinary
clothes. Bob, you'd better get that stateroom next to yours fixed up;
then you boys can be together. Now, is there anything more you
fellows want to know?"
"Lots," shot out Mart with a sigh as he rose to his feet. "I want to know
so much that it makes my head ache to think of it--but I've got to get
back and get these fixtures down to the Peniel before dark. I'll turn up
in the morning ready for work. And, say, I'm sure grateful to you,
Mr.--er--Captain Hollinger! And I'll do my best to earn my salary, you
can be sure of--"
"Well, get along with you," broke in the financier, smiling. "See you
to-morrow!"
Bob walked up the wharf with his friend, and as they parted, Mart
turned to him.
"By golly, Bob," he said slowly, "I can't believe it! Say, won't we have
one peach of a time, though? S'pose your dad will take us along after
the tigers?"

"Of course he will!" agreed Holly, who had stout confidence in his
father. "We've got more rifles and guns coming down to-morrow than
you can shake a stick at.