Part 24 (2/2)

We went on deck. The vessel was at anchor; she lay, a thing of idleness, quiet and peaceful enough, in a sheltered cove, wherein, I saw at a glance, she was lost to sight from the open sea outside the bar at its entrance, and hid from all but the actual coastline of the land. And all was quiet on her clean, freshly-scoured decks--she looked, seen at close quarters, just what her possessors, of course, desired her to be taken for--a gentleman's pleasure yacht, the crew of which had nothing to do but keep her smart and bright. No one stepping aboard her would have suspected piracy or nefarious doings. And when we boarded her, there was n.o.body visible--the Chinaman whom I had seen looking over the side had disappeared, and from stem to stern there was not a sign of human life. But as Miss Raven and I stood side by side, glancing about us with curiosity, a homely-looking grey cat came rubbing its shoulder against the woodwork and from somewhere forward, where a wisp of blue smoke escaped from the chimney of the cook's galley, we caught a whiff of a familiar sort--somebody, somewhere, was toasting bread or tea-cakes.

We stood idle, like prisoners awaiting orders, while our captors transferred from the boat to the yawl two biggish, iron-hooped chests, the wood of which was stained and discoloured with earth and clay. They were heavy chests, and they used tackle to get them aboard, setting them down close by where we stood. I looked at them with a good deal of interest; then, remembering that Miss Raven was fully conversant with all that Scarterfield had discovered at Blyth, I touched her elbow, directing her attention to the two bulky objects before us.

”Those are the chests that disappeared from the bank at Blyth,” I whispered. ”Now you understand?”

She gave me a quick, comprehending look.

”Then we are in the hands of Netherfield Baxter?” she murmured. ”That man--there.”

”Without a doubt,” I answered. ”And the thing is--show no fear.”

”I'm not a sc.r.a.p afraid,” she answered. ”It's exciting! And--he's rather interesting, isn't he?”

”Gentlemen of his kidney usually are, I believe,” I replied. ”All the same, I should much prefer his room to his company.”

Baxter just then came over to us, rubbing from his fingers the soil which had gathered on them from handling the chests. He smiled politely, with something of the air of a host who wants to apologise for the only accommodation he can offer.

”Now, Miss Raven,” he said, with an accent of almost benevolent indulgence, ”as we shall be obliged to inflict our hospitality upon you for a day or two--I hope it won't be for longer, for your sake--let me show you what we can give you in the way of quarters to yourself. We can't offer you the services of a maid, but there is a good cabin, well fitted, in which you'll be comfortable, and you can regard it as your own domain while you're with us. Come this way.”

He led us down a short gangway, across a sort of small saloon evidently used as common-room by himself and his companion, and threw open the door of a neat though very small cabin.

”Never been used,” he said with another smile. ”Fitted up by the previous owner of this craft, and all in order, as you see. Consider it as your own, Miss Raven, while you're our guest. One of my men shall see that you've whatever you need in the way of towels, hot water, and the like. If you'll step in and look round, I'll send him to you now. As he's a Chinaman, you'll find him as handy as a French maid. Give him any orders or instructions you like. And then come on deck again, if you please, and you shall have some tea.”

He beckoned me to follow him as Miss Raven walked into her quarters, and he gave me a rea.s.suring look as we crossed the outer cabin.

”She'll be perfectly safe and secluded in there,” he said. ”You can mount guard here if you like, Mr. Middlebrook--in fact, this is the only place I can offer you for quarters for yourself--I dare say you can manage to make a night's rest on one of these lounges, with the help of some rugs and cus.h.i.+ons, and we've plenty of both.”

”I'm all right, thank you,” said I. ”Don't trouble about me. My only concern is about Miss Raven.”

”I'll take good care that Miss Raven is safe in everything,” he answered. ”As safe as if she were in her uncle's house. So don't bother your head on that score--I've given my word.”

”I don't doubt it,” I said. ”But as regards her uncle--I want to speak to you about him.”

”A moment,” he replied. ”Excuse me.” We were on deck again, and he went forward, poked his head into an open hatchway, and gave some order to an unseen person. A moment later a Chinaman, the same whose face I had seen as we came aboard, shot out of the hatchway, glided past me as he crossed the deck with silent tread, and vanished into the cabin we had just left. Baxter came back to me, pulling out a cigarette case. ”Yes?” he said, offering it. ”About Mr. Raven?”

”Mr. Raven,” said I, ”will be in great anxiety about his niece. She is the only relative he has, I believe, and he will be extremely anxious if she does not return this evening. He is a nervous, highly-strung man--”

He interrupted me with a wave of his cigarette.

”I've thought of all that,” he said. ”Mr. Raven shall not be kept in anxiety. As a matter of fact, my friend, whom you met with me up there at the ruins, is going ash.o.r.e again in a few minutes. He will go straight to the nearest telegraph office, which is a mile or two inland, and there he will send a wire to Mr. Raven--from you. Mr.

Raven will get it by, say, seven o'clock. The thing is--how will you word it?”

We looked at each other. In that exchange of glances, I could see that he was a man who was quick at appreciating difficulties and that he saw the peculiar niceties of the present one.

”That's a pretty stiff question!” said I.

<script>