The Frontier Boys in the Sierras Or, The Lost Mine

Excerpt

IN THE CHANNEL

“By Jove, Jim!” exclaimed Jo Darlington, “but this sea is something fierce! For one I will be mighty glad when we get clear of the Hawaiian channels and out into the open.”

“It is lively going,” yelled Jim, above the roar of the wind, as he and his brother Jo were standing together on the bridge of their ship, “but I guess the Sea Eagle will weather it, if we don’t run into another vessel in the dark. How about it, Captain?”

The captain, who was the rather bent figure of an old man, was clothed in a heavy woolen jacket, buttoned across his chest. He stopped and regarded Jim fixedly in the semi-light on the bridge.

“What’s that, Skipper?” he roared hoarsely, “weather this? Why, this ain’t no sea, and the Sea Eagle is a staunch boat. Why, lad, you must be joking.”

“I was,” replied Jim, laughing. “I just want to reassure brother Jo,—that was all.”

“Somebody ought to go and cheer up Tom and Jeems Howell,” remarked Jo, in order to give himself some sea standing in the eyes of Captain Kerns. “They are as sick as puppies down in the cabin.”

“Don’t blame ’em much,” cried Jim, “this motion would upset a shark’s liver.”

If you have read “The Frontier Boys in Hawaii,” you will be well acquainted with these conversationalists on the good sea-going yacht, the Sea Eagle, but if not, you will have to be introduced, “Mr. Reader, this is Skipper James Darlington.”

“Happy to make your acquaintance, hope you are a good sailor?”

“Mr. Reader, allow me to present Captain Kerns.”

Captain Kerns merely grunts, and, kind Mr. Reader, you must overlook his lack of formality, because the captain is an old salt and his manners are a little briny.

In way of further explanation, I may say that the Frontier Boys are just returning from a trip to Hawaii in which they have explored the wonderful crater of Haleapala on the Island of Maui, and their ship the Sea Eagle, whose capture is another story, is pointing her prow eastward through the rough channel that separates Hawaii and Maui.

They are en route to the coast of California, and as soon as they land they have planned to make an exploring expedition into the wilds of The Sierra Nevadas, in search of a lost mine, rumors of which have come to their ears. Besides the three Frontier Boys and their comrade Juarez, there is their friend Jeems Howell, a shepherd and philosopher, from a small island off the coast of California; Captain Kerns, a retired ship’s master who was persuaded to come along merely to supervise; Jim, the oldest of the three brothers, being the acting commander, though generally referred to as skipper. And besides these, there is old Pete, an ancient mariner, the engineer, and a sturdy boy below who does a good deal of the stoking.

Besides these dramatis personæ, there is a general chorus of Mermen and Mermaids, sharks, porpoises, sea serpents et al.; as Jo Darlington would say, it was the sharks that et all. But this is no reflection upon the appetites of the boys, which was invariably good, if we may except Tom Darlington and Jeems Howell just at the present moment....