Читать книгу Frank Merriwell's Chase; Or, Exciting Times Afloat - Burt L. Standish - Страница 3

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“Das vas Pelvast,” said Hans.

“Yes,” nodded Frank, who was at the wheel of the White Wings, “that is Belfast, ‘the home of fair women, brave men and Strainer’s Sarsaparilla.’”

Frank Merriwell, the great Yale athlete, was cruising off the Maine coast, during this vacation in his yacht, the White Wings. He had with him four of his friends—Bart Hodge, Bruce Browning, Jack Diamond and Hans Dunnerwust.

“How do you knew so much apout him?” asked the Dutch boy.

“Why, there it is in glaring letters on that big advertising board that has been placed where it can be read almost anywhere here in the harbor.”

“Vale, I didn’t seen dot. I don’d vant no sarsbarillas, und I don’d gif a cend vor der prafe men, but I don’d mind if you took a look der peautiful girls at.”

“They say we shall see plenty of them here,” smiled Merry. “Belfast is famous for them. No city of its size in the State of Maine can compare with it for pretty girls and beautiful women, if the report is true.”

“Vot peen der madder mit Shack Ti’mond?” chuckled Hans, calling attention to the Virginian. “He don’d seem to took some interests dose peautiful girls in.”

“Haw!” grunted Bruce Browning. “He is thinking of the girl he left behind him—at Bar Harbor.”

“Vale, Baula Penjamin vos a beach,” admitted the Dutch boy; “but there vos odders.”

“You make me weary, Hans,” said Jack, irritated. “If you will close up a while I shall consider it a great favor.”

“I don’t toldt you so!” squawked Dunnerwust. “You vos tochy, dot’s vot is der madder mit me! You nefer vos aple to took a shoke in my life.”

“Your jokes are rather dense.”

“I don’d knew vot you meant py dot.”

“I didn’t suppose you would.”

The boys were charmed with the view of Belfast obtained from the water. The city is built on a slope, and is embowered in trees, the houses and cottages showing amid the green mass of foliage. Here and there could be seen the tall spires of churches. The handsome residence of the mayor on Northport Avenue could be plainly seen, as it was situated in a sightly place overlooking the harbor and the bay.

Several vessels were on the stocks in the shipyards, and the sound of hammering could be heard, while crews of men were seen busily working about them.

The harbor was filled with shipping. Lying at her wharf, taking on freight and passengers, was the Boston boat, City of Bangor, bound for the “Hub.”

“Where will you anchor, Frank?” asked Bart Hodge, approaching Merry.

“Beyond the steamboat wharf where that fleet of small boats and yachts are anchored.”

Clang-clang! clang-clang! The bell on the steamer suddenly rang, and Frank knew what the signal meant.

“She is going to swing off from the wharf,” he said. “It is high water, so I will hold inshore and let her go outside.”

The steamer’s paddle wheels began to revolve, and she swung round at the southern end of the wharf, straining at the huge cable that held and turned her. It took some time for her to turn, but a sudden toot from her whistle told that at last she was ready to go ahead. Then the cable was flung off and the great boat glided down the harbor.

A stream of teams and human beings were leaving the wharf and climbing the hill into the city, but on the wharf remained a group of young men and boys, all dressed in bicycle suits. They seemed to be watching the White Wings with remarkable interest.

“Wonder why those cyclists are watching us?” said Diamond.

“I was wondering about the same thing,” admitted Frank.

Then a youth was seen to climb on the piles at the corner of the wharf. He stood up straight and cried:

“Ahoy, the yacht!”

“Ay! ay!” answered Frank, giving the wheel over to Hodge.

“Is that the White Wings?”

Those on the wharf could not see the name on the stern of the yacht.

“It is.”

“Frank Merriwell in command?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Are you going to stop at Belfast?”

“We are.”

“Then the Belfast Wheelmen will be honored to entertain Mr. Merriwell while he remains in our city. Will he be kind enough to come ashore as soon as possible? If so, we will wait here for him.”

“Great Scott!” muttered Frank. “How did they know I was coming? This is too much! They made it altogether too interesting for me at Camden and Rockland, and it begins to look as if there is to be a repetition of it here. I’d rather not be known at all.”

“But you can’t help it now,” said Hodge, who was proud of Frank’s fame and popularity. “It won’t do to refuse their polite offer.”

“Don’t refuse,” grunted Browning. “They’ll have something good to eat.”

“Py shimminy!” gurgled Hans. “Dot peen vot you vant. I vos hungry enough to ead a raw tog alretty.”

“The rest of us are not invited,” said Diamond, quickly. “It’s only Frank.”

“Vale, maype he vould slip a piece of bie his bocket indo uf he knew id vould safe my life.”

“Will Mr. Merriwell come ashore?” asked the spokesman of the bicyclists.

“Say yes, Frank,” murmured Hodge. “Tell them you will do so as soon as we drop anchor.”

Frank did so, and a cheer went up from the wheelmen assembled on the wharf.

With this gathering were several girls in riding suits, and other girls and young ladies watching, making it evident that Frank and his friends had been expected.

The White Wings swung in near to the other yachts anchored in the harbor, her anchor went over and her sails came down smoothly. Then Frank got into the small boat, and Diamond and Hodge rowed him over to the wharf where the cyclists awaited him. They gathered around him as he came up the step onto the wharf, and the one who had hailed the yacht grasped him by the hand, saying:

“You are Mr. Merriwell, I presume?”

“That is my name,” smiled Frank.

“Mr. Merriwell, I am delighted to know you. We are all delighted. My name is Dustan—Howard Dustan. These gentlemen are members of the Belfast Bicycle Club. We heard you were coming. There was a Camden man on the City of Bangor, which passed you on its way here from Searsport, and he reported that you were headed this way. It didn’t take long to get the boys together when they learned that Frank Merriwell was coming in here. Let me introduce them to you.”

So Frank was introduced to each of the lads in gray as they came forward.

“Gentlemen,” he laughed, in his charming way, “I assure you this is an unexpected pleasure. It will be a long time before I shall forget my reception in Belfast. I am glad to know you all.”

“And we are glad you did not slight us by skipping Belfast,” said Mart Woodock. “We heard you were in Camden and Rockland, but, as you left there more than a week ago, we thought you were not coming to Belfast. You will find just as good people here as there are in the State of Maine.”

“I haven’t a doubt of it,” bowed Merry; “and I am charmed with the people of Maine. It is my first visit this way, but I am sure it will not be my last.”

Then he uttered a sudden exclamation of surprise and sprang toward the door of the freighthouse.