CHAPTER IX.
THE SMUGGLER.
The voyage was a quick one, and on the morning of the ninth day out they were in the River Mersey.
Wild Charley spoke to him in the morning, and asked him what he intended to do.
"I don't know, exactly," answered Tommy. "At first I was anxious to get home, but if I write a letter to mother, telling her I am safe and well, she will not be anxious about me, and now I am here I should like to see something of England."
"Spoken like a little man," said Wild Charley. "I have spoken to the steward, and he says he will always give you a passage back to America."
"That's good, and I'm much obliged to you."
"Mrs. Stocker has also mentioned your name," continued Charley. "She is grateful to you for that affair of Miss Jones' dog."
"Yes, she said she'd be a friend to me."
"If you like to be her attendant and look after her baggage, she says she will take you along."
"That will suit me first rate."
"Very well. You can see her at the Adelphi Hotel, where she stays three days; but at present I want you to do something for me."
"You have only to name it. I'm sure, after your kindness, there is nothing I could refuse you," replied Tommy, warmly.
"It is a mere trifle. I've got a lot of tobacco in cakes, which I would like to have you conceal about your body."
"What for?"
"To avoid paying duty to the custom house," replied Wild Charley.
"That would be smuggling."
"Of course it would, but there is no harm in it."
"It's against the laws, and if I'm found out I shall be put in prison for it."
"Oh, no," replied Charley, "there is no harm in it. They're not very strict, and if you were tumbled to, I should be the principal sufferer."
"Why?"
"Because I should lose all my tobacco, which would be forfeited to the customs."
Tommy hesitated.
Looking critically at him with his keen, selfish, blue eyes, Charley added:
"I didn't think you would make any difficulty about such a little thing after the friend I've been to you."
"But——"
"Oh, if you're so awful mean, say no more about it. I'm tired of roughing it, and intend to go home. My only idea in smuggling the tobacco was that I should have a little spending money when I reached home, and not look poor."
"Are your friends well off?"
"Tolerably. Father is a professor, and keeps quite a fashionable boarding school for young gentlemen in London."
"And you mean to go back?"
"Yes. I'll return to Greek and algebra, and learn all I can. Seeing the world is all very well, but it doesn't pay when you can do better at home," answered Wild Charley.
"That's so," answered Tommy, still hesitating.
"Come, don't keep me waiting for your reply all day. Say yes or no," answered Wild Charley, impatiently.
"Yes."
Tommy had consented in his soft way to do what his better judgment told him might get him into trouble.
Lest he should have time for his decision to cool, he was called by Charley into their cabin and literally stuffed withbags containing thin, flat cakes of tightly pressed tobacco.
The duty on this tobacco is four shillings and six pence per pound, with five per cent. added, and when we say that Tommy was loaded or padded with over half a hundredweight, it can be imagined that he was smuggling on a large scale.
Wild Charley sewed the bags with a needle and thread to the lining of his pants, vest and coat, giving him a large pilot jacket to wear over all.
"Now," he said, "you'll do. We shall soon be off Birkenhead, when the officers of the customs will come on board. All you have to do is to loaf around here, and when we've landed our passengers, you and I will go ashore together, and I'll take you to a friend of mine, where you can unload your cargo."
"All right," replied Tommy.
"If anything should go wrong you won't squeal?"
"No."
"Promise me that, because if they do twig you, they'll ask you all sorts of questions, and it will do you no good to give me away. There are more in the thing than myself, and you'll have a present given you."
"I promise," replied Tommy.
He remained below, showing himself as little as possible, until the steamer was boarded by the custom house officers.
It did not then occur to him that his friend, Wild Charley, was as heartless as he was full of scheming.
Yet it was a fact that he had only made up his mind to befriend him because he thought he would be of great assistance in his smuggling venture, in which some of the steward's assistants were mixed up.
The revenue men had been all over the ship, and Wild Charley had looked in upon Tommy, whispering that he guessed it was all right now.
Tommy accordingly went into the saloon to see if he could not pick up a dollar by making himself of use to some of the passengers, who were getting their smaller articles of baggage together preparatory to quitting the vessel.
The first party he encountered was Mr. and Mrs. Nathan D. Stocker, of Chicago.
"Anything I can do, ma'am?" he asked.
"Well, yes, take a hold of this valise and these wraps. But, gracious sakes! how you've grown," she replied.
"Got a little fatter," said Tommy, coloring up.
He was not aware that he presented the appearance ofa prize side show boy, and had increased apparently at least one-third in size.
"Why, bless me!" remarked Mr. Stocker, "the boy is positively bloated—swelled up like the frog in the fable. I never saw such a thing. Chicawgo growed fast after the fire, but, by thunder, he licks Chicawgo hollow!"
"It's being confined and shut up on board ship," said Tommy.
"You've been living high, bub."
"Yes, sir. I guess that's got something to do with it."
A man who was writing at a table in the saloon heard this conversation, and got up.
Tommy had the valise in one hand, and the wraps were thrown over his arm.
"Put those down," said the man.
Mrs. Stocker looked at him.
"Why should he? They are mine!" she exclaimed.
"I am perfectly well aware of that fact, madam," replied the man, "and feel sorry to interfere with your arrangements in any way, but I am a custom house officer."
"Indeed?"
"I feel it my duty to examine this boy, because such an extraordinary growth as you hinted at does not seem natural."
Tommy felt as if he would like to sink into his boots.
If the floor had opened and allowed him to drop down into the hold or into the sea, it would have been a welcome relief.
"Take off that pilot coat," continued the revenue man.
"Why should I do that?" asked Tommy.
"If you don't do it, I'll have to help you."
Reluctantly Tommy obeyed.
"Now remove the other."
He did so.
The officer laid it on the table, and the bags of tobacco were revealed to view.
Passing his hands up and down the boy's vest and pants, the officer smiled serenely.
"Decided case of smuggling!" he exclaimed, triumphantly. "I'll have to arrest you. Put on your coats, and, when we land, come with me before a magistrate."
"Oh, please, sir, don't do that. Take the stuff and let me go," pleaded Tommy.
"Can't do it."
"I—I'm very sorry."
"I'm not. This is a good haul. We have suspected that there has been a great deal of smuggled tobaccotaken off these ocean steamers, and I'm pleased to think we've spotted some one at last."
Tommy began to cry.
"Who is in this with you?" asked the officer.
"N—no one, sir," replied Tommy.
"Are you sure?"
"Qui-quite sure, sir."
"All right. Tell a lie and stick to it. We've got you, and that's enough for me," answered the officer.
Tommy continued crying, and rubbed the knuckles of his hands in his eyes, but nobody took any notice of him.
All were busily engaged in preparing to leave the vessel, and when she presently reached her dock, a grand rush was made for the gangway.
"Won't you let me go?" asked Tommy, thinking the officer might relent.
"Not likely," was the reply.
"What will they do with me?"
"Send you up for life, or perhaps hang you."
At this appalling prospect, which was a jest of the officer, Tommy's tears redoubled. Mr. and Mrs. Stocker bestowed no attention upon the unhappy boy, and even Wild Charley, who caught sight of him in charge of the officer, hurried on as quick as he could.
"Charley! Charley!" exclaimed Tommy.
But Charley ran as if his former acquaintance were stricken with the plague.
"Who's that?" asked the custom house officer.
"Only a friend of mine, sir," rejoined Tommy.
Soon afterward Tommy was taken on shore, and brought up before the nearest magistrate.
The case was stated, and the smuggled tobacco produced.
"Clear case," said the judge. "Had he any accomplices?"
"He says not, your worship," replied the officer.
"Well, as he is so young, we will fine him twenty pounds, or three months in jail."
"I haven't a cent, sir," exclaimed Tommy, "nor a friend on this side."
"Sorry for you. Next case!" replied the judge.
Tommy was taken below to the cells of the jailer, to await the coming of the van which was to take him to prison.
Pushed rudely in, and locked up, he felt very miserable; but he could do nothing.
He was alone and friendless, as well as penniless,while even Wild Charley, who might have been expected to help him, kept away.
Abandoned on all sides, Tommy gave himself up to despair, and sat on the hard bench in his cell in a state of sullen despondency.