When the _Gambier_ arrived at Cooktown at the mouth of the Endeavour
River, a scene of the greatest activity presented itself, for several
other steamers had just reached the port, some bringing European diggers
from the southern colonies and New Zealand, and others from Hongkong
with Chinese. The latter numbered over a thousand, and they landed
amid a storm of execration and missiles from the white miners, who
had preceded them to the shore. But the yellow men made no show of
resistance, not even when some of their number were seized--and thrown
into the water with their heavily weighted baskets; they crowded
together like sheep, and gazed with stolid faces at the Customs
officials remorselessly capsizing their baskets upon the ground, and
kicking the contents apart in the search for opium. Bags of rice were
cut open and the grain spilled upon the ground, to the delight of
the white diggers, especially when a tin of opium was found, and the
would-be smuggler had his pigtail tied to that of another until there
were several groups of a dozen so secured to be driven to the roughly
constructed jail and court-house, where justice was administered in an
exceedingly expeditious manner by heavy fines. Had it not been that
the angry diggers were anxious to get to the newly-discovered fields as
quickly as possible, a riot would have taken place, for they knew that
within a few weeks there would be thousands of Chinese alluvial diggers
all over the country, enriching themselves and spending nothing, for
they brought even the greater part of their food with them from China.
But the fatuous Government of the day wanted to swell its depleted
treasure-chest, and the Chinese poll-tax brought in money quickly. All
over North Queensland the rich alluvial gold-fields were soon to be
occupied by the yellow men, to the detriment of the white diggers who
were hastening to them from all parts of Australasia to meet with bitter
disappointment, for the swarms of Chinese would descend upon a newly
opened rush like locusts, and in a few weeks work out a field that would
have made hundreds of white miners rich, though perhaps each Chinaman
might not have obtained more than a few ounces of gold, every
penny-weight of which he sent or took back to his native country.
Amongst other passengers on the quarterdeck of the _Gambier_ who were
watching the examination of the Chinese were Captain Forreste and his
friends. Presently Capel, who was looking at Kate so impertinently that
she turned her face angrily away, caught her father's eye, and in a
moment the Jews features flushed. Where had he seen those keen grey eyes
and that square-set face before? Fraser continued to gaze steadily at
the man, for he had noticed the fellow's leering glance at his daughter,
and meant to resent it.
Then the Jew's natural effrontery came back to him, and returning
Fraser's look with an insolent stare, he walked up to him.
“I hope you'll know me again the next time you see me.”
“I know you as it is, Mr Barney Green, and the next time you dare to
even look at my daughter, I'll give you something to remember. Meantime,
take this as an earnest of my intentions.”
His right hand shot out and seized Capel by the collar, and twisting
him off his feet, he spun him round and round, and then sent him flying
across the deck with such violence that he struck the rail on the other
side and fell in a heap.
For a few moments there was an astonished silence, and then cries
of “What is the matter?” “What did he do?” resounded on all sides as
Pinkerton and Cheyne rushed to the fallen man, who lay unconscious.
Forreste, twisting his yellow moustache, strode up to Fraser, his face
pale with anger.
“What is the meaning of this outrageous assault upon my friend?” he
demanded fiercely.
Fraser eyed him up and down with cold contempt, and then Gerrard said
with a pleasant drawl, as he stroked his beard:
“Run away and play, Mr--er--Mr--I really forget your name. Oh, Merriton,
is it not?”
Forreste's face purpled with passion, and he took a step nearer to
Gerrard, who was quite ready for him. Then he stopped and said hoarsely:
“My name is Forreste. I don't know yours, but I do know that if I catch
you on shore I'll add some further adornment to your face.”
“Oh, you contemptible creature, to say that!” and Kate looked at him
with blazing eyes.
Forreste raised his immaculate Panama to her. “This is hardly a matter
for a lady's interference.”
“Better see to your friend for the present,” said Gerrard in the same
placidly pleasant manner, as he drew him aside. “But I may mention
before you go that there is, on the lower deck, ample space if you wish
to fulfil your promise to complete the adornment of my prepossessing
features. I am quite at your service later on in the day.”
Forreste uttered an oath and turned away, and in a few minutes was in
state-room No. 16, where “Mr Capel” was being brought to by his friends.
“Who is the man that did it, Barney?” was Forreste's first question.
“I didn't know him at first, but knew him quick enough when I heard him
speak,” replied Capel; “he's the ------ judge”--here he broke out into a
torrent of blasphemy--“who gave me two years at Araluen.”
“Ha!” and Forreste tugged his moustache. “The sooner we get that safe
affair over the better. The fellow with the scarred face who is with him
tackled me and called me 'Merriton.' Some one has blown upon us.”
“Yes,” assented the Jew, “the sooner the better.” Then pouring out a
glass of whisky he gulped it down. “And if I get the chance I'll get
even with that Scotch swine. He's going to Somerset, and I'll get my
knife into him some day. I'd not mind swinging for it.”
“Don't talk rot,” said Forreste, who yet knew that the Jew was a man who
would not hesitate at murder, and that his expression about getting his
knife into Fraser was meant in a very literal sense. “I mean to get even
with my man if I come across him again. But I won't be such a fool as to
attempt it here. Take a look outside and see if Snaky is about.”
“Snaky” was the name by which Swires was known to the gang--and the
Australian police; and in a few minutes that worthy appeared, and a
further conference was held.
That evening, whilst Captain MacAlister was being entertained on shore,
a collier came alongside, and the _Gambier_ began to coal. Those of the
saloon passengers who had remained on board sat under the after-deck
awning, where they were not only secure from the invading coal dust,
but where they could enjoy the cool sea-breeze. Among them were Kate
and Jim, who had made themselves comfortable in two cane lounges, and at
various parts of the quarter-deck were groups of passengers--principally
ladies--who were glad to escape from the confined atmosphere of the
saloon, and intended to sleep in the open air. Gerrard and Fraser had
gone on shore, leaving Jim “in charge of Kate,” as Fraser had said.
At the extreme stern were Captain Forreste, Pinkerton, two or three
other men, and several ladies, and from this group came much laughter,
the “captain” being in great good humour, and winning the ladies' smiles
by his skill as a _raconteur_.
“And so you are deserting us to-morrow morning, Captain Forreste,” cried
a vivacious young matron; “it is too bad of you. The rest of the voyage
will be dreadfully _triste_--for me at any rate.” Every one laughed.
The gallant captain smiled winningly. “Ah, Mrs Marriott, do not make me
vain. Yes, we are going to leave you. In fact we should have all gone
ashore this evening, but my unfortunate friend, Mr Capel, is not yet
fully recovered from the brutal attack to which he was subjected.”
“It was most disgraceful and wicked,” chimed in a second lady.
“And cowardly as well,” added a fat, sleepy-faced dame. “I believe poor
Mr Capel was taken quite by surprise.”
“And the way that horrid girl flew at you!” said Mrs Marriott; “but her
father being such a horrible bully I suppose she has inherited some of
his disposition. She is certainly pretty in a coarse kind of a way, I
admit, but terribly _gauche_. And I really am quite angry with Captain
MacAlister--he positively _trots_ after her. She is continually on the
bridge with him, and yet he has refused to permit any other ladies to go
there, ever since we left Sydney. I think it is scandalous, for I know
that Captain MacAlister is a married man with grandchildren.”
The hours passed by, and then at eleven o'clock, to the anger of
Forreste, Adlam sauntered up. He had been to the dinner, but had left
early. Seating himself beside Kate and Jim, he pulled the boy's ear.
“So you are taking care of Miss Fraser, eh, Jim? Lucky man!”
“Just listen to that now!” said the fat lady to Mrs Marriott. “One would
think that Mr Adlam would have more sense than to flatter that girl's
vanity. He has quite deserted us since she came on board at Port
Denison.”
Kate, serenely unconscious of the criticisms being passed upon her, was
listening to the purser's description of the excited state of Cooktown,
when Swires appeared, and said to Adlam:
“When are you turning in, sir?”
“In a few minutes, Swires. You can leave my nip and bottle of soda on
the table. I shall not want you any more to-night.”
“Very good, sir.”
Adlam remained with Kate a few minutes longer, then said good-night,
and went to his cabin. Swires, as usual, had placed a tumbler with some
brandy in it on the table, and beside it lay the soda. The purser took
off his clothes, and got into his thinnest pyjamas, for the cabin was
close; but he had made up his mind to stay in his cabin that night, for
the sole reason that he was now very suspicious of Captain Forreste and
his party, and had made up his mind to suffer the discomfort of a hot
cabin, and the noise of the coaling going on as long as they were on
board. Forreste had told him in the afternoon that he and his party were
staying at Cooktown, much to his satisfaction.
Eight bells struck, and then noise of the falling coals suddenly
ceased--the lumpers were taking the usual half-hour “spell.” Adlam
opened the soda, and the listening Swires heard the pop of the cork, and
stole softly into No. 16, where he found the gang awaiting him.
“Well, he's taken his B and S,” he said, “and that finishes my part
of the contract.” (Earlier in the evening he and Pinkerton had opened
Adlam's door, and the latter had quickly cut the electric communication
of the secret safe. The opening of it later on would not be a difficult
matter to such an expert as the American.)
“And we'll do ours presently,” said Capel, who was now quite recovered.
“How long will that dose keep him quiet?” he asked of Forreste.
“Two hours. As soon as you have the work done, Pinky and Cheyne can take
the stuff on shore. I've told the chief steward that we had all thought
of going for a stroll on the beach, but that I did not care about
leaving Mr Capel, and that as our cabin is not very hot, we should not
sleep on deck. When will the coaling start again, Snaky?”
“Twenty minutes or so.”
“Very well. Well wait until one o'clock, eh, Barney?”
The Jew nodded, and then Swires left them, and Forreste put out the
electric light.
About half-past one Pinkerton and Cheyne appeared on the after-deck, and
sauntered up and down for a few minutes. There were several other male
passengers still awake, and with these the two men exchanged a few
words.
“Will you come with us for a stroll on the beach?” said Pinkerton to a
sleepy man who was lying on the skylight.
“No jolly fear; I'm too comfy as I am, and I know what the mosquitoes
are on Cook town beach.”
Cheyne made some laughing rejoinder, and then he; and his companion went
to the gangway and walked leisurely along the jetty. An hour or so later
they returned, and settled themselves comfortably with pillows on one of
the long deck seats.
In state-room No. 16 Forreste and Capel were conversing in angry,
whispered tones.
“How was I to know that he hadn't taken your cursed dose?” snarled the
Jew; “and what else could I do but settle him when he awoke? Anyway, we
have nothing to be afraid of. We have got the stuff, and by this time
Pinky and Cheyne have it safely planted, and there will be no evidence
to connect us with the job. Curse you! what are you funking it for?
We'll be on shore at five o'clock, the steamer leaves at six, and the
purser is never called until seven; and when he is called and doesn't
answer, they won't break open his door for at least two or three hours.
And by this time he has fifty tons of coal on top of him, and there's
more coming down every minute. Listen!”
Forreste, criminal as he was, was not so callous as Green, and shuddered
as he heard the coals rattling down into the bunkers.
“Was he quite dead when you dropped him down into the bunker?” he asked,
as with shaking hand, he poured some whisky into a tumbler.
“Dead as you will be some day, you white-livered cur!” said the Jew with
savage contempt. Then opening the port, he dropped Pinkerton's burglar's
tools over into the water. “There! there goes Pinky's kit. All we have
to do now is to go on deck--you to blarney with the women, who are
awake, and me to play the interesting invalid who was subjected to a
violent and unprovoked attack,” and he leered evilly.