Part 6 (1/2)
Then he relapsed into his customary unconcerned impa.s.sibility.
Captain Spade's hypothesis was doubtless correct. The _Falcon_ had as yet made no move towards the schooner, but would almost certainly do so as soon as the latter reached the inlet, and the Count would have to submit to a search of his vessel if he wished to reach the open sea.
How was it then that he manifested such extraordinary unconcern? Were Thomas Roch and Gaydon so safely hidden that their hiding-place could not possibly be discovered?
The thing was possible, but perhaps the Count d'Artigas would not have been quite so confident had he been aware that the _Ebba_ had been specially signalled to the wars.h.i.+p and revenue cutters as a suspect.
The Count's visit to Healthful House on the previous day had now attracted particular attention to him and his schooner. Evidently, at the time, the director could have had no reason to suspect the motive of his visit. But a few hours later, Thomas Roch and his keeper had been carried off. No one else from outside had been near the pavilion that day. It was admitted that it would have been an easy matter for the Count's companion, while the former distracted the director's attention, to push back the bolts of the door in the wall and steal the key. Then the fact that the _Ebba_ was anch.o.r.ed in rear of, and only a few hundred yards from, the estate, was in itself suspicious.
Nothing would have been easier for the desperadoes than to enter by the door, surprise their victims, and carry them off to the schooner.
These suspicions, neither the director nor the _personnel_ of the establishment had at first liked to give expression to, but when the _Ebba_ was seen to weigh anchor and head for the open sea, they appeared to be confirmed.
They were communicated to the authorities of New-Berne, who immediately ordered the commander of the _Falcon_ to intercept the schooner, to search her minutely high and low, and from stem to stern, and on no account to let her proceed, unless he was absolutely certain that Roch and Gaydon were not on board.
a.s.suredly the Count d'Artigas could have had no idea that his vessel was the object of such stringent orders; but even if he had, it is questionable whether this superbly haughty and disdainful n.o.bleman would hove manifested any particular anxiety.
Towards three o'clock, the wars.h.i.+p which was cruising before the inlet, after having sent search parties aboard a few fis.h.i.+ng-smacks, suddenly manoeuvred to the entrance of the pa.s.s, and awaited the approaching schooner. The latter surely did not imagine that she could force a pa.s.sage in spite of the cruiser, or escape from a vessel propelled by steam. Besides, had she attempted such a foolhardy trick, a couple of shots from the _Falcon's_ guns would speedily have constrained her to lay to.
Presently a boat, manned by two officers and ten sailors, put off from the cruiser and rowed towards the _Ebba_. When they were only about half a cable's length off, one of the men rose and waved a flag.
”That's a signal to stop,” said Engineer Serko.
”Precisely,” remarked the Count d'Artigas.
”We shall have to lay to.”
”Then lay to.”
Captain Spade went forward and gave the necessary orders, and in a few minutes the vessel slackened speed, and was soon merely drifting with the tide.
The _Falcon's_ boat pulled alongside, and a man in the bows held on to her with a boat-hook. The gangway was lowered by a couple of hands on the schooner, and the two officers, followed by eight of their men, climbed on deck.
They found the crew of the _Ebba_ drawn up in line on the forecastle.
The officer in command of the boarding-party--a first lieutenant--advanced towards the owner of the schooner, and the following questions and answers were exchanged:
”This schooner belongs to the Count d'Artigas, to whom, I presume, I have the honor of speaking?”
”Yes, sir.”
”What is her name?”
”The _Ebba_.”
”She is commanded by?--”
”Captain Spade.”
”What is his nationality?”