Part 24 (1/2)

”My name is Middlebrook, if you must know,” I answered. ”And I am not a resident of these parts--I am visiting here. As for this lady, she is Miss Raven, the niece of Mr. Francis Raven, of Ravensdene Court.

And really--”

He waved his hand as if to deprecate any remonstrance or threat on my part, and bowed as politely to my companion as if I had just given him a formal introduction to her.

”No harm shall come to you, Miss Raven,” he said, with evidently honest a.s.surance. ”None whatever!”

”Nor to Mr. Middlebrook, either, I should hope!” exclaimed Miss Raven, almost indignantly.

He smiled, showing a set of very white, strong teeth.

”That depends on Mr. Middlebrook,” he said. ”If Mr. Middlebrook behaves like a good and reasonable boy--Mr. Middlebrook,” he went on, interrupting himself and turning on me with a direct look, ”a plain question? Are you armed?”

”Armed!” I retorted scornfully. ”Do you think I carry a revolver on an innocent country stroll?”

”We do!” he answered with another smile. ”You see, we don't know with whom we may meet. It was a million to one--perhaps more--against our meeting anybody this afternoon, yet--we've met you.”

”We are sorry to have interrupted you,” I said, not without a touch of satirical meaning. ”We won't interrupt any longer if you will permit us to say good-day.”

I motioned to Miss Raven to follow me, and made to move. But Baxter laughed a little and shook his head.

”I'm not sure that we can allow that, just yet,” he said. ”It is unfortunate--I offer a thousand apologies to Miss Raven, but business is business, and--”

”Do you mean to tell me that you intend to interfere with our movements, just because you chance to find us here?” I demanded. ”If so--”

”Don't let us quarrel or get excited,” he said, with another wave of his hand. ”I have said that no harm shall come to you--a little temporary inconvenience, perhaps, but--however, excuse me for a moment.”

He stepped back to his companion; together they began to whisper, occasionally glancing at us.

”What does he mean?” murmured Miss Raven. ”Do they want to keep us--here?”

”I don't know what they intend,” I said. ”But--don't be afraid.”

”I'm not afraid,” she answered. ”Only--I've a pretty good idea of who it is that we've come across! And--so have you?”

”Yes,” I replied. ”Unfortunately, I have. And--we're at their mercy.

There's nothing for it but to obey, I think.”

Baxter suddenly turned back to us. It was clear that his mind was made up.

”Miss Raven--Mr. Middlebrook,” he said. ”I'm sorry, but we can't let you go. The fact is, you've had the bad luck to light on a certain affair of ours about which we can't take any chances. We have a yacht lying outside here--you'll have to go with us on board and to remain there for a day or two. I a.s.sure you, no harm shall come to either of you. And as we want to get on with our work here--will you please to come, now?”

We went--silently. There was nothing else to do. In a similar silence they led us through the rest of the wood, along the side of the stream which I had expected to find there, and to a small boat that lay hidden by the mouth of the creek. As they rowed us away in it, and rounded a spit of land, we saw the yacht, lying under a bluff of the cliffs. Ten minutes' stiff pulling brought us alongside--and for a moment, as I glanced up at her rail, I saw the yellow face of a Chinaman looking down on us. Then it vanished.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE PLUM CAKE

In the few moments which elapsed between my catching sight of that yellow face peering at us from the rail and our setting foot on the deck of what was virtually a temporary prison, I had time to arrive at a fairly conclusive estimate of our situation. Without doubt we were in the hands of Netherfield Baxter and his gang; without doubt this was the craft which they had bought from the Hull s.h.i.+p broker; without doubt the reason of its presence on this lonely stretch of the coast lay in the proceedings amongst the ruins beneath whose walls we had come face to face with our captors. I saw--or believed that I saw--through the whole thing. Baxter and his accomplices had bought the yawl, ostensibly for a trip to the Norwegian fjords, but in reality that they might sail it up the coast, in the capacity of private yachtsmen, recover the treasure which had been buried near the tombs of the de Knaythevilles, and then--go elsewhere. Miss Raven and I had broken in upon their operations, and we were to pay for the accident with our liberty. I was not concerned about myself--I fancied that I saw a certain amount of honesty in Baxter's a.s.surances--but I was anxious about my companion, and about her uncle's anxiety. Miss Raven was not the sort of girl to be easily frightened, but the situation, after all, was far from pleasant--there we were, defenceless, amongst men who were engaged in a dark and desperate adventure, whose hands were probably far from clean in the matter of murder, and who, if need arose, would doubtless pay small regard to our well-being or safety. Yet--there was nothing else for it but to accept the situation.