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Page 68
"Probably something Sullivan has given out to offset the story he
knows I'll have about him," commented Larry. "But I'll be on the
lookout and let you know what happens."
Larry was soon at the steamship office, and inquired whether the
_Turtle_ had docked yet.
"She is making fast now," replied the clerk.
"May I go aboard her?"
The clerk hesitated. Then Larry announced who he was, and said he
wanted to have a talk with Captain Tantrella.
"Oh, you're the reporter who wrote up the wreck of the _Olivia_,"
the clerk replied, with a smile. "I've heard about you. Yes, I guess
you can go aboard. I'll write you out a pass."
With the necessary paper as a passport, Larry walked down the long,
covered dock, alongside of which the freight steamer was being
warped into place. There was no bustling crowd of passengers, eager
to get ashore to welcome and be welcomed by even more eager
relatives and friends. But there was a small army of men ready to
swarm aboard the _Turtle_ and hurry the freight out of her holds, in
order that more might be placed in to be sent abroad. There was a
confusion of wagons and trucks, and the puffing of donkey engines,
seemingly anxious to begin lifting big boxes and bales from the dark
interior of the ship.
Larry was among the first to go up the gang plank when it was run
ashore. A ship's officer stopped him, but allowed him to proceed
when he saw the pass.
Larry found Captain Tantrella in his cabin, arranging his papers,
for there is considerable formality about a ship that comes from one
country to another, and much red tape is used.
"Ah, it is my newspaper friend!" exclaimed the commander when he
saw Larry. "Have you interviewed any more captains who have been
wrecked?"
Though he spoke with an air of gayety Larry could see the captain
was sad at heart, for, though it was not his fault that the _Olivia_
had gone ashore, Captain Tantrella had been more or less blamed, and
had been reduced in rank. Passengers do not, as a rule, care to sail
in a ship under the command of one whose vessel has been lost. So
poor Captain Tantrella was now only in charge of a freighter, and he
felt his disgrace keenly.
"Do you remember a passenger named Mah Retto, who sailed with you on
the _Olivia_?" the reporter asked.
"I remember him; yes. A queer sort of man. He said but little on the
whole voyage. But was he not lost? I remember we could not find him
when we had all been landed from the wreck."
"He came ashore first of all," replied Larry. "A fisherman and I
helped save him from a life-raft," and he told the circumstances.
"Queer," murmured the captain. "I have often thought of that man. He
seemed to have some mystery about him."
Larry gave a brief account of the case he was working on.
"What I want to discover," he added, "is whether you know of any
reason why Retto should be anxious to see you?"
"To see me?"
"Yes. He was at the steamship office a few days ago inquiring when
your ship would come in, and when he saw me he hurried away. Since
then I have not been able to catch him."
"Ah! I know!" exclaimed the captain suddenly. "I just thought of it.
I have a package belonging to him."
"A package?"
"Yes. He came to me when we were a few days out and said he wanted
me to keep a package for him until we got to New York. I took it and
put it with my papers."
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