A MYSTERY
"AUGUST 29:
"Clear. Wind W.S.W., canting to W. Moderate breeze. Knots logged to
twelve, noon, 153. Position, 20 miles south, a little east of Cape
Sable. End of this day."
Code closed the dirty and thumb-worn, paper-covered ledger that was
the log of the Charming Lass and had been the log of the old May
Schofield for ten years before she went down. It was the one thing he
had saved. He had been on deck, taken his sextant observation, and
just completed working out his position.
As he closed the old log his eye was caught by a crudely penned name
near the bottom of the paper cover. The signature was Nellie Tanner's,
and he remembered how, a dozen years ago, while they were playing
together in the cabin of the old May, she had pretended she was
captain and owned the whole boat, so that Code would have to obey her
orders.
As he looked he caught the almost obliterated marks of a pencil
beneath Nellie's name, and, looking closer, discovered "Nat Burns" in
boyish letters.
For a moment he scowled blackly at the audacious words, and then,
laughing at his foolishness, threw the book from him. Then slowly the
scowl returned, and he asked himself seriously why Nat hated him so.
That there had always been an instinctive dislike between them as
boys, everybody in Freekirk Head knew, and several vicious fights to a
finish had emphasized it.
But since coming to manhood's estate Code had left behind him much of
the rancor and intolerance of his early youth, and had considered Nat
Burns merely as a disagreeable person to be left heartily alone.
But Burns had evidently not arrived at this mature point of
self-education. In fact, Burns was a good example of a youth brought
up without those powers of self-control that are absolutely necessary
to any one who expects to take a reasonable position in society even
as simple as that of Freekirk Head.
Code remembered that Nat and his father had always been inseparable
companions, and that it was due to this father more than any one else
that the boy had been spoiled and indulged in every way.
Michael Burns had risen to a position of considerable power in the
humble life of the island. From a successful trawler he had become a
successful fish-packer and shipper. Then he had felt a desire to
spread his affluent wings, gone in for politics, and been appointed
the squire or justice of the peace.
In this position he was commissioned by the Marine Insurance Company
of St. John's as its agent and inspector on Grande Mignon Island. In
his less successful days he had been a boat-builder in Gloucester and
Bath, and knew much of ship construction.
For more than half a year now Code had been unable to think of Michael
Burns or the old _May Schofield_ without a shudder of horror. But now
that Nat was suddenly hot on the trail of revenge, he knew he must
look at matters squarely and prepare to meet any trap which might be
laid for him.
It seemed evident that the first aim in Nat's mind was the hounding of
the man who had been the cause of his father's death; for that death
had occurred at a most opportune time for the Schofields.
The heavy insurance on the fifty-year-old _May_ was about to run out,
and it was almost a certainty that Burns would not recommend its
renewal except at a vastly increased premium.
As a matter of fact, on a hurried trip that Code had taken, he had
picked up Burns himself at St. John's, the inspector coming for the
purpose of examining the schooner while under sail in a fairly heavy
seaway.
All the island knew this, and all the island knew that Code was the
only one to return alive. The inference was not hard to deduce,
especially as the gale encountered had been one such as the _May_ had
lived out a dozen times.
Had not all these things been enough to fire the impulsive, passionate
Burns with a sullen hatred, the next events would have been. For Code
received his insurance without a dispute and, not long afterward,
while in Boston for the purpose, had picked up the almost new
_Charming Lass_ from a Gloucester skipper who had run into debt.
Code now saw to what Nat's uncontrolled brooding had brought him, and
he realized that the battle would be one of wits.
He got up to go on deck. He had only turned to the companionway when
the great voice of Pete Ellinwood rumbled down to him.
"Come on deck, skipper, an' look over this schooner astern of us.
There's somethin' queer about her. I don't like her actions."
Code took the steps at a jump, and a moment later stood beside
Ellinwood. The _Lass_ was snoring along under full sail.
The stranger, which at eight o'clock had been five miles astern, was
now, at noon, less than a mile away.
Code instinctively shot a quick glance at the compass. The schooner
was running dead east.
"What's this, Ellinwood?" demanded the skipper sharply. "You're away
off your course."
"Yes, sir, and on purpose," replied the mate. "I've been watchin' that
packet for a couple of hours back and it seemed to me she was a little
bit too close on our track for comfort. 'What if she's from St.
John's?' I sez to myself. 'Then there'll be the devil to pay for the
skipper.'
"So, after you'd got your observation and went below I just put the
wheel down a trifle. I hadn't been gone away from her five minutes
when she followed. It's very plain, Code, that she's tryin' to catch
us."
A sudden feeling of alarm took possession of Schofield. That she was a
wonderful speed craft she had already proven by overhauling the _Lass_
so easily. The thought immediately came to him that Nat Burns, on
discovering his absence, had sent the lawyer with the summons to St.
John's, hired a fast schooner, and set out in pursuit.
"Maybe it was only an accident," he said. "She may be on the course to
Sable Island. Give her another trial. Come about and head for
Halifax."
"Stand by to come about," bawled Ellinwood.
Two young fellows raced up the rigging, others stood by to prevent
jibing, and the mate put the wheel hard alee. The schooner's head
swung sharply, there was a thunder and rattle of canvas, a patter of
reef points, and the great booms swung over. The wind caught the
sails, the _Charming Lass_ heeled and bore away on the new course.
The men in the stern watched the movements of the stranger anxiously.
Ten minutes had hardly elapsed when she also came about and headed
directly into the wake of the _Lass_. Schofield and Ellinwood looked
at each other blankly.
"Are you goin' to run fer it, skipper?" asked the mate. "I'll have the
balloon jib and stays'l set in five minutes, if you say so."
Code thought for a minute.
"It's no use," he said. "They'd catch us, anyway. Let 'em come up and
we'll find out what they want. Take in your tops'ls. There's no use
wasting time on the wrong course."
Under reduced sail the _Lass_ slowed, and the pursuing vessel
overhauled them rapidly. With a great smother of foam at her bows she
ducked into the choppy sea and came like a race horse. In half an hour
she was almost abreast on the port quarter. A man with a megaphone
appeared on her poop deck and leveled the instrument at the little
group by the wheel.
"Heave to!" he bawled. "We want to talk with ye."
"Heave to!" ordered Code, and the _Charming Lass_ came up into the
wind just as the stranger accomplished the same maneuver. They were
now less than fifty yards away and the man again leveled his
megaphone.
"Is that the _Charming Lass_ out of Freekirk Head?" he shouted.
"Yes."
"Captain Code Schofield in command?"
"Yes."
"Bound to the Banks on a fishin' cruise?"
"Yes."
"All right; that's all I wanted to know," said the man, and set down
the megaphone. He gave some rapid orders to the crew, and his vessel
swung around so as to catch the wind again.
Code and Ellinwood looked at one another blankly.
"Hey there!" shouted Schofield at the top of his voice. "Who are you
and what do you want?" The skipper of the other schooner paid no
attention whatever, and Schofield repeated his question, this time
angrily.
He might as well have shouted at the wind. The stranger's head fell
off, her canvas caught the breeze, and she forged ahead. A minute
later and she was out of earshot.
"Look for her name on the stern," commanded Code. He plunged below
into the cabin and raced up again with his glasses. The mysterious
schooner was now nearly a quarter of a mile away, but within easy
range of vision.
Code fixed his gaze on her stern, where her name should be, and saw
with astonishment that it had carefully been painted out. Then he
swung his glasses to cover the dories nested amidships, and found that
on them, too, new paint had obscured the name. He lowered the glasses
helplessly.
"Do you recognize her, Pete?" he asked. "I know most of the schooners
out of Freekirk Head and St. John's, but I never saw her before."
"Me neither," admitted the mate, with conviction. "I wonder what all
this means?"
Code could not answer.