The Frontier Boys in the Sierras Part 8

CHAPTER IX

THE ENGINEER

The engineer of the _Sea Eagle_ has not received much attention, either in this book or in the one just preceding, but this is not because he, John Berwick, was not worthy of consideration, but because he was apparently a very quiet man, whose conversation was generally confined to monosyllables; likewise his work kept him out of the limelight, as it were.

But word had come via Juarez, who of all the crew was the only one whom the engineer admitted into his confidence to any degree, that John Berwick had really a most interesting career. This was true to a far greater extent than the boys knew. A sailor like old Pete or a mariner like Captain Kerns would see the sh.o.r.es of many countries and land in numerous ports, but learn nothing of the real people, or the nature of the countries.

But with the engineer it had been an entirely different proposition.

He came of a good family and had received an excellent education, but from his youth he had been wild and adventurous, and was always traveling, by different ways and in varying occupations, going into the interiors of little-known countries and becoming acquainted with the nature and character of their inhabitants.

As he is a man well worth knowing, I will describe his appearance for the benefit of the reader. As to age, John Berwick might be anywhere from thirty-five to forty years. In height, five feet nine, with rather square shoulders, and neither light nor heavy in build, but with a frame that indicated quickness and great powers of endurance.

He was evidently one of those men who have a certain care to their physical condition, without overdoing it and making physical prowess a hobby. He had found out the value of health, and condition. In his travels in remote lands, if he had gotten sick, there would be no one to bother with him, and he would be left to die, so he reasoned that it was better to be a live man than something more wretched than a sick dog.

"I used to smoke like a chimney, Ezac," he once said to Juarez. He never called the latter by his full name, it being either "War" or "Ezac," according to his mood, "but I quit about five years ago. I didn't make any resolution about it either and would smoke now if I wished to."

"I suppose you felt miserable for a while after you quit?" said Juarez.

"No, strange to say, I didn't. In fact, I began to feel fine and fit in a week or two and I found that I could meet any crisis that came up on the level, and did not have to make an effort of the will to step up to it and brace myself to it as I used to. But I'm not preaching.

Smoke if you want to, Ezac."

"I don't want to," replied Juarez, "and what's the use of taking up with something you don't care for? Just so much extra baggage."

Berwick smiled at this, showing his fine white teeth.

"Well, now, 'War,' that's unusual sense for a kid, I must say. The fact that you don't want a thing for a boy of your years is no argument. It may be smoking or chewing or something else that will make 'em devilish sick, but a kid will do it just for a show and to make an impression on his friends what a terrible character he is."

"None of us are like that," said Juarez. "Perhaps it is because we have seen plenty of real life on the frontier and have had plenty of excitement and adventure without resorting to foolishness."

"Something in that, Ezac," nodded Berwick.

This will serve as an introduction to this interesting man, before we listen, with the Frontier Boys, to the story that he has to tell. I may add here that John Berwick had dark hair, thinning in front and brushed straight with the forehead, dark hazel eyes, generally pleasant in expression, but capable of becoming harsh and hard with anger. He wore a rather slight dark moustache above a mouth thin-lipped and wide. The chin was square, and the whole complexion of the face rather dark.

The boys had never gathered before in the engine-room in a body, and as Jeems Howell's tall figure loomed in the doorway the gathering was complete. It was because the boys had never imposed on him that the engineer was inclined to be gracious, on this occasion. Then, too, there was something about the warm interior of the engine-room, contrasted with the storm outside, that lent itself to good comrades.h.i.+p and anecdote.

"I suppose that you boys have never traveled a great deal, except in the West, have you?" questioned John Berwick.

"That's right, Mr. Berwick," said Jim; "we expect to visit a few other countries, though, before long, if we find this 'Lost Mine'

we are looking for. You know you can't travel without money."

"Not in your own yacht," replied Berwick.

"I generally walked, or," seeing a gleam of humor in Jim's eye, "or worked my pa.s.sage."

"We will stick to our yacht," remarked Jim, "seeing that we have it on our hands."

"Quite right, too," replied the engineer.

"You must have had some rather unusual experiences in your travels,"

prompted Jo.

"Juarez says that you have been pretty much all over the world."

"That's so," replied the engineer, "but I do not know as I have learned enough to pay me for the exertion."

"Tell the boys about that time you traveled in Russia," said Juarez.

"Which time?" questioned Berwick.

"Don't you know?" asked Juarez, slightly confused, "when you were riding in the railroad carriage?"

"And got rather hungry?"

"Sure, that's it," said Juarez, smiling.

"That's only an anecdote," replied the engineer. "But I will tell it if you think it will interest."

Being a.s.sured on this point, he began:

"I suppose you boys know what it is to be hungry?"

"I have got a pretty good idea of it after eating one of Tom's dinners," remarked Jim. "You see he don't believe in having anything left over. Thinks it's wasteful, so he just cooks dabs of things as though we had no more appet.i.tes than a group of maiden ladies who were taking afternoon tea."

There was a general laugh at this, the exaggeration being so manifest that even Tom joined in, still there was some truth in Jim's jocose remarks, for Tom did have a "close" side to him, which showed even in cooking. It was always evident that Thomas Darlington would become the financier among the Frontier Boys. After the laughter had died down the engineer took up the Russian incident again.

"I venture to say that my hunger on the occasion I am about to speak of was somewhat more real than yours, Skipper. I was traveling first-cla.s.s from St. Petersburg and heading for the German frontier.

Very foolishly I did not provide myself with a hamper of provisions, supposing that I would be able to get food along the way. I never made that particular mistake again.

"I had plenty of money in those days, and was traveling, as I say, first-cla.s.s. When I got in my compartment at St. Petersburg I supposed at first that I was going to have it all to myself, and I was very well pleased because I could take things easy and sleep undisturbed through the most of what promised to be a very dreary trip.

"It was then about eight o'clock in the morning, and snowing furiously, and I could scarcely see the outlines of the handsome station through the storm of snow. But it was very comfortable in my compartment, which I was pleased to note was of unusual elegance.

So I did not mind the delay at first.

"I noticed that the cus.h.i.+ons of the seats were of a deep softness and of a rich crimson velvet. There were likewise hangings over the windows, with heavy golden ta.s.sels on the same. Then I observed a crest stamped on the embossed leather upon the inside of the door, and it was also repeated in gold upon the back of the seats.

"I must admit that this seemed a good deal of style, but I did not consider it any too much for a representative American citizen traveling abroad. I was a fool in those days, but made up in audacity what I lacked in wit. After a half hour had pa.s.sed beyond the schedule time set for the train's starting, I began to get uneasy and was just about to get out of the compartment to help move things along, when I saw a gorgeous sleigh drive up in front of the station.

"There was a splendid ermine robe thrown over the back, and two plumes in front. The horses were fine animals too, driven three abreast after the Russian fas.h.i.+on; over the one in the center was a single arch on which jingled the merry bells. The middle horse was a great black, and his comrades on either side were gray, the very symbols of the snowy landscape.

"From the furs of the sleigh emerged a gigantic Russian, blonde-bearded, and under his fur overcoat was some sort of a military uniform. I watched him with interest as he came toward the train, accompanied by the station-master, and met by the salutes of the soldiers, who are everywhere in Russia.

"He came straight towards the carriage where I was seated in lonely pomp, and I had just time to seat myself in the opposite corner of the compartment when the door was thrown open, and--enter his royal nibs--the Archduke Alexandewitch or something or other. At least this was high n.o.bility of some kind. His bearded face was very red, and his system had evidently been warmed by something besides exercise.

"His eyes were blurred, and, coming from the light into the semi-darkness of the carriage, he did not see me. A guard deposited a hamper within, and he and the station-master bowed profoundly to me likewise, evidently taking me for some exalted personage, possibly the Czar, who, however, was a giant of a man while I was only medium in height. So it must have been someone else."

"You certainly were a cool hand," remarked Jim admiringly. "I never could have done that."