the bar was but a small place, Van had great difficulty in squeezing through the motley gathering.
The boy did not notice the rough looks that were bestowed upon him as he elbowed his way through the crowd toward the rear of the saloon.
He was bent upon finding his man, and he forgot all else.
Van was young and impulsive, and he made a great mistake when he entered that saloon upon the errand he was bent, as he afterward found out.
Just as he came abreast of the lunch counter the place contained he saw Moreland enter a doorway in the rear and start up a flight of stairs.
Like a flash Van was after him, and a moment later he flung the door open and darted breathlessly up the stairs.
When he reached the top he found himself in a gloomy hallway of narrow dimensions.
It was too dark for him to discern the person he sought, but he could hear the sound of footsteps on the uncarpeted floor.
It was just at that moment that it occurred to Van for the first time that he had made a mistake.
"I ought to have brought a policeman with me," he thought. "But it is too late now. I will capture that man or die!"
Rash boy! He had not taken ten steps along the hallway when a figure suddenly confronted him; there was a dull thud, and Van Vincent sank to the floor with a thousand stars flashing before his eyes.
CHAPTER III.
CARRIED TO SEA
When Van Vincent returned to consciousness he felt so stiff and sore that he was scarcely able to hold up his head.
His throat and tongue were dry and parched, and he was so badly dazed that it took him several minutes to recollect what had happened.
As it gradually came to him he opened his eyes, expecting to find himself in the hallway where he had lost his senses.
But imagine the boy's surprise when he beheld a dirty lantern swinging back and forth from the ceiling of a seven-by-nine room.
Then it occurred to Van that the building he was in appeared to be moving in a violent manner.
He rose to a sitting posture and found himself in a narrow bunk, instead of being upon the floor, as he expected.
"I must have been moved," he muttered. "Doc Clancy must certainly have had a hand in this. I wonder where I am, anyhow? This looks like a bunk on a ship. Great heavens! can it be possible that I have been drugged and shipped to sea?"
The thought no sooner struck our hero than he glanced at his clothes.
An exclamation of dismay escaped his lips.
His neat-fitting business suit had been removed and a dirty outfit, such as seamen wear, substituted in place of it.
Van no longer had any doubt as to his being aboard a ship.
He now saw plainly what caused the rocking motion.
But, instead of giving way to a fit of despair, as most boys of his age would have done in like circumstances, he calmly clambered from the bunk and proceeded to examine the costume he wore.
Unbuttoning a greasy, blue pea jacket, he found, to his great joy, that he still wore his own vest.
But on placing his hand in the inner pocket of the garment he found his pocket-book to be missing.
"I have been robbed and kidnaped!" he muttered in a tone of great vehemence; "and Doc Clancy is at the bottom of it – of that I am sure. But never mind! Though this vessel takes me to the very ends of the earth, I will yet get on the track of the villain who murdered my uncle, and then woe to him!"
Van uttered the last part of his thoughts in a rather loud voice, and he had scarcely done so when a gruff tone the other side of the partition sang out:
"What's ther matter there, ye cussed landlubber? Have ye come to yer senses yet?"
"Hello!" returned Van. "Who are you? Come in here; I would like to talk to you."
"All right, youngster; I'll obleege ye!"
The next moment a portion of the partition was removed and a rough-looking man came through.
Van assumed an air of boldness.
"Sit down," said he, "and tell me where I am."
"Well, you are a cool un!" observed the man. "But since ye have asked me, I'll tell you. Young man, you are on board ther Mary Newman, which are a tradin' schooner, bound for ther African coast. We are now jist outside of Sandy Hook, an' blowin' along afore a stiff breeze."
"Who brought me here?" questioned our hero, not affecting the least bit of surprise.
"I don't know, my boy. I suppose ther captain was short of hands, and collared ye while ye were drunk. Sich things are often done, yer know."
"Do you believe that is the way I came to be here?"
"Can't say whether I do or not, youngster. I am ther mate of ther vessel, an' I never asks ther captain anything about his private business. All that I knows is that you an' a feller a little older than you are were brought aboard together in a drunken state, an' I took it for granted that you were chums, an' had either shipped of yer own accord, or else been collared while ye were sleepin' off ther loads ye had on."
"What sort of a looking chap was it who came aboard with me?" asked Van.
"He is a rather homely feller, with a big, red beard, but is a good sailor, though."
"Well," resumed our hero, after a pause, "I suppose I will have to make the best of it, but I tell you plainly that I have been robbed and kidnaped."
"If that is so, young man, take my advice, an' say nothin' about it while ye are on board ther Mary Newman," returned the man, with a look that told plainly that he meant well toward the boy.
"I'll take your advice, sir," returned Van, promptly. "I suppose I will be used fairly well as long as I do the best I can, and attend to my duties aboard the ship?"
"Ye will if I have got anything ter say about it. Boy, put her there. I've taken a likin' ter ye. My name are Lank Edwards, an' as long as ye stick ter me I'll be your friend, even if everybody else on board goes back on ye!"
"Thank you for those words, Mr. Edwards," said Van, shaking the mate by the hand.
"Now, my boy, ye had better lay down for an hour or so, an' by that time it'll be daylight. I'll go an' report to ther captain that ye are gittin' along all right, an' ain't kickin' 'cause ye are goin' ter sea in his vessel."
With these words the mate crawled through the aperture in the partition, and carefully closed it after him.
When he had gone Van sat down on the edge of his bunk to think over his situation.
He was very much disappointed over what had befallen him, but something seemed to whisper in his ear that things would come out all right in the end, so he resolved to say nothing and make the best of it.
In about an hour and a
