_ CHAPTER XV
The man who suddenly entered in the midst of the speech of one-eyed Jake was Ballard, the man whom an hour or two previously that very gang of men had set to hang.
The crew of the "Nancy" gazed at the newcomer in astonishment, and a wicked gleam shone in the single eye of Jake.
"You're cheeky, stranger, to walk in here after what's just happened!"
The disguised detective laughed in a pleasant manner, and answered:
"That's just why I'm here; you fellows ought to be glad to see me knocking around alive, when you think how bad you would have felt had you swung me over the spar."
"We've no fancy for strangers around here!"
"We'll a man who's been following the sea all his life should not be a stranger among you fellows."
"Where have you sailed, stranger?"
"Better ask where I haven't sailed, and it won't take so long to pay out the information."
There was an off hand, jolly sort of style about the stranger which rather pleased the gang of smugglers.
"What brought you down this way?"
I've been off for five years, and when I'm off on a voyage I'm clean gone; all the doors are closed behind me. I never get any letters, and I never send any, so it's all news to me when I come in from the sea; and I came down here to see my mother's cousin."
"Who is your mother's cousin, stranger?"
"Well, you fellows are running down close into a strange craft; my relative was old Aunt Betsy, Tom Pearce's wife."
"She's dead!"
"Well, so I know now; and I came near being sent after her; but all's well that ends well, so come, all hands, and have a little throat burner with me."
The men were all glad enough to step up and take a snifter with the stranger, who after so long a voyage they reckoned must have a pocketful of the wherewithal.
We will not go further into the details of the methods pursued by the detective to worm himself into the confidence of the smugglers; it is sufficient to say that within two hours after his appearance in their midst he had won all their hearts.
Our readers can form some idea of the wonderful skill, coolness, and daring of the detective, who within twenty-four hours walked under a new disguise right into the midst of a gang of desperate men, who, had they recognized him as he was known but a few hours previously, would have killed him as they would have slain a venomous serpent.
A number of the men fell into a regular carouse with the detective; among them was Ike Denman, the captain of the yacht "Nancy." Indeed, the men got into a game of cards, and Ballard lost like a little man and stood his ill luck with such marvelous good nature, the men fell right to him.
When it was well into the morning, the game broke up, and Denman invited the detective to go aboard the yacht and bunk for the night.
Our hero gladly accepted the invitation; and when once aboard, as it was a pleasant morning, the two even lay out upon the deck, and Denman became quite confidential. He let the detective into the secret of the real business of the crew of the yacht, and told him that daily they were expecting a schooner from the West Indies with a big cargo for them.
"How do you run it ashore?" asked the detective, innocently.
"Make a trip with us and we'll show you how the thing is done; the fact is I'm a man or two short, and if you want to take a rake in with us you're welcome."
"That's just the ticket for me!" answered Spencer Vance.
Our readers must understand that the detective had been wonderfully diplomatic and cute to so readily, worm himself into the confidence of Ike Denman.
The men at length went to sleep and slept far into the morning. Ike Denman was the first to awake, seemingly, but in reality the detective had been on the alert all the time.
The master of the "Nancy" was quite a different man in the morning when burning under the after-effects of liquor than he was when in the full fever of a jolly spell. As he opened his eyes and saw our hero stretched upon the deck, he gave him a lunge in the ribs, and as Vance opened his eyes, Denman exclaimed:
"Hello! what are you snoozing there for, old man?"
The detective was on his feet in a moment.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
Denman appeared to have forgotten who our hero was, but in reality he was only pretending to forget.
Denman was a good sailor, and a very cunning man; but at heart he was a very ugly and desperate fellow, and not at all distinguished by any of the generous traits usually characteristic of jolly tars.
"What's the matter, captain?"
"What's the matter? I'm asking you who you are, and what you are doing here?"
The detective came a little nearer, and assumed a surprised air.
"Don't stand there, making sober faces. Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
Denman was conscious that he was given to talking too much when in his cups, and he was leading the new hand on to betray just how much had been revealed to him.
"You shipped me last night, captain."
"I shipped you last night?"
"Yes; but if you don't want me as one of your crew, I'm willing."
"Who are you, anyhow?"
"My name is Ballard. I told you who I was last night."
"What did you tell me?"
"See here, captain, it ain't necessary to go over all that passed between us last night. If you don't wart to take me on with you, say so, and I'll get ashore."
Denman laughed in a merry manner, and said:
"I reckon it's all right."
"I can prove it's all right, captain."
"How so?"
Ballard ran his eye over the yacht's rigging, and said:
"Would you take any suggestions from a man who had plenty of experience in crafts of this sort?"
"I would; yes."
The detective who really was a splendid seaman, made some very pertinent and useful suggestions, and Denman was just sailor enough to appreciate that he had secured a useful man; and he said:
"It's all right. Consider yourself shipped. You're just the man I want; and we'll get to work at once on your alterations."
The suggestions were such as could easily be carried out by the master and his crew, and soon all hands were busy.
It had been decided that the yacht would go to sea that night, and our hero was booked for the trip.
Spencer Vance had played his cards well. He improved every moment in making himself popular with the crew, and late in the afternoon, when all hands went ashore, he was the hero of the gang. In an offhand manner the detective remarked, as the boat was run on the beach:
"I'll see you later, boys; I'm going over for a bit to look after Tom Pearce." _