Part 30 (1/2)
”It is a lie!” exclaimed Pearl with an oath.
”Both of the shopkeepers are ready to swear to the ident.i.ty of their man. Now, I shall take the liberty to do what I have not had an opportunity to do before. I shall search the prisoner. Before I do it I should like to have you look at these two bills, Captain Gildrock. They are the fives paid for the pistol and the provisions by Hawlinshed.” And Peppers handed him the bank-notes.
”It will be an easy matter to identify these bills. In addition to the stamp on them, this is the first time they have ever been out of the bank,” said the captain, after he had looked at the bills.
Pearl was furious when the officer, a.s.sisted by Moody, attempted to search him. Moody handled him very roughly, and he was forced to submit to the operation. Peppers took from a pocket inside of his vest a wallet, which was found to contain quite a roll of new bills. The detective spread a couple of them out on the top of the centre-board casing. The red stamp appeared upon them, and they were exactly like those in the hands of the captain.
”It is a plain case, and I have nothing more to say,” said Captain Gildrock. ”You have made out your case, and I shall not interfere with your taking your prisoner to Plattsburgh.”
”I knew you would be satisfied when you heard the case,” added Peppers, as he put the money he had taken from Pearl into his pocket-book, and returned it to his pocket.
”I am entirely satisfied, Mr. Peppers,” replied Captain Gildrock, glancing at the sky, and giving a general survey to the horizon to the southward. ”I see the wind is hauling to the southward, and it looks like bad weather.”
”I noticed that it was calm a little while ago,” answered Peppers. ”Do you think we shall have a storm, sir?”
”We shall have a good deal of wind, and some rain before many hours, if not before dark. I have to go in at Plattsburgh on my way south; and, if you choose, you can take your prisoner on board of the Sylph,” continued the captain.
”Thank you, sir: I should be very glad to return in your beautiful yacht, especially if it is going to blow,” answered the detective.
”You may take them on board in your boat, Mr. Jepson. I will take Mr.
Moody in mine,” said Captain Gildrock. ”Theodore, you will go in my boat.”
Dory made no reply to this intimation. He was looking over Simms's Point out into the lake, where a fresh south-south-west wind was now rolling up the white-caps. The captain seated himself in the stern-sheets of the port boat. Moody a.s.sisted the officer in placing his prisoner in the starboard boat, and took his place with Captain Gildrock. Pearl, though very sulky and even ugly, offered no serious resistance to the transfer to the boat. With his arms handcuffed behind him, he took the seat in which Mr. Jepson placed him.
The starboard boat, having received her complement of pa.s.sengers, shoved off; and her crew pulled for the steamer. The port boat was waiting for Dory, who was standing at the bow, behind the foresail. He had the boat-hook in his hand, but he did not indicate in what manner he intended to use it. The fresh breeze was beginning to blow in the Gut, though the Goldwing was sheltered from its full force by the land.
”I am waiting for you, Theodore,” called Captain Gildrock.
”I am not going, sir,” replied Dory in a mild, but very decided, tone.
”Not going? Didn't you hear me say that I came down here after you?”
asked the captain, evidently much surprised at the boy's answer.
”I can't leave the boat here, sir. It is coming on to blow, and she will drift off,” added Dory, struggling to suppress his emotion; for he expected a very unpleasant scene with his uncle now that the issue had been reached.
Captain Gildrock seemed to have no suspicion of the state of feeling to which his nephew had wrought himself up. He appeared to think that his invitation to go on board of the Sylph was enough, and the present att.i.tude of the boy was clearly a surprise to him. It was plain that he had not thought of the schooner, for he was silent when Dory intimated that she was not in a safe position for heavy weather.
”You can furl her sails, and throw over her anchor,” said he after a moment's consideration.
”I don't think the anchor will hold her, sir: the sand is as hard as a rock here.”
”Isn't she aground?”
”She was aground, sir.”
”I will run the boat ahead, and we will drag her farther up on the shoal, and carry the anchor to the sh.o.r.e. Then she will be all right; and you can come up after her in a few days,” continued Captain Gildrock, as he directed his bowman to shove off from the Goldwing.
The sails of the schooner were beginning to thrash and bang about as they felt the increasing breeze. The boat had been aground at the bow; but, the moment she was relieved of the weight of the three men who had been on board of her when she grounded, she floated again. Dory had noticed this fact; and, taking the boat-hook, he had thrust it down into the sand, and held her. As the wind freshened, driving her off from the sh.o.r.e, his hold was not strong enough upon the bottom to keep her any longer. But it must be added that Dory did not wish to hold her any longer.