“You won’t catch me with bluff,” I said, for the plan was a different
one from that hidden even then in my pocket.
“Mine ain’t a bad copy,” said the Icelander. “I was mindin’ your
clothes, you see, when you was scrappin’ wi’ Jake Peterssen; but I
ain’t a big man, an’ your pard never saw me at work. You won’t make an
offer, eh? I’ve treated you fair. Solong!”
He stepped back from the door, while I tried to think coolly over what
he had told me.
“Come up and see MacCaskill!” I called in conciliatory fashion; but the
little man replied:
“Two to one in a room ain’t healthy. I’ve got what I want. See you
later, maybe.”
He moved back into the rain and the darkness, and I had never a doubt
but that he was taking with him the knowledge of my father’s secret. I
had only to follow and bring him back, and accuse him of burning down
my home. My recently acquired popularity would ensure his conviction;
and the little scoundrel deserved hanging.
I ran out, and when Olaffson saw that he was being pursued he took to
his heels like a coward, and made for the neck of shingle leading to
the mainland. In spite of my recent struggle, I soon began to gain on
him. We had drawn away from the shelters, and there was not a soul in
sight, while the rain lashed continually.
Coming to a great rock, the Icelander stopped short and dodged round
it. I followed, sure of having him; but as I was about to make the
turn, a shock came upon me out of the darkness, and before I could
recover I was caught from behind, a sack went over my head, and I
was borne to the shingle, with the bitter knowledge that I had been
tricked, and that Olaffson had been used as a bait to draw me away from
the settlement.
I had to abandon the struggle, for there were certainly three men
against me. My arms and legs were strapped; a hand sought for and found
the plan, and I heard the splutterings of a match, and knew that the
paper was being burnt. After a terrible interval I heard the tramp
of a heavy beast, followed by the deep snorting of a pack-ox. I was
dragged up, and seated upon this beast, one ankle was joined to the
other underneath its body, and the ox was started, and tramped on, as
it seemed, for hours, until I knew we were well away in the forest,
because the ground was hard, and there was no more rain. The ox was
prodded constantly, but my captors only spoke in deep whispers, which
did not reveal their identity. Olaffson I knew, and Redpath I knew; but
who was the third?
I was cold, racked, and half-dead when the beast stopped. I was taken
down, too helpless to stand, and carried through scrub and long grass.
I was dragged up a wall, and let down upon soft, dry ground. Finally
my legs were released, the sack round my body unfastened, and I was
abandoned, but so utterly exhausted that I fell at once into a dead
sleep, indifferent as to what ill-use might be in store for me.
When I awoke, the first thing that startled me was the utter silence
which told me of my isolation. I worked my head and shoulders clear
of the sack, and got upon my feet with many a twinge of pain and
stiffness. My back was one huge bruise, and my bandaged head throbbed
fearfully.
Between a few lengths of lumber, placed above a small aperture in the
corner, came the sunlight to laugh at me. This hole was quite three
feet above my head. The walls were great blocks of solid masonry, and
I wondered at them, because I had never before seen any building which
had not been built of wood. I did all I knew to free my wrists, drawing
in my breath, dragging, pulling, wearing the straps upon the rough
wall; but my pinioners had made no mistake, and I was not the strong
man I had been yesterday. Anyhow, a man is a poor creature when his
arms are tied behind him.
After a time--how long an interval I do not know, because I think I
must have slept again--the silence became broken, the lumber was pulled
away, and strong light emptied itself into my prison, making me start
and wince, and my eyes run. This new light was again obscured as a
big figure let itself through the hole, and descended by means of a
rope-ladder, which did not quite reach the ground. My eyes cleared, and
I saw under the light the great body and flabby face of the adventurer
Redpath.
With one hand clutching the rope, he nodded at me in an altogether
friendly fashion, and began at once:
“Good morning, Petrie. Pardon me for intruding upon your privacy; but
you may possibly remember that you were not--er--over-courteous to me
upon the occasion of our last meeting.” He put out his hand quickly. “I
do not wish to recall an unpleasant incident. I have always been a man
of forgiving nature, but I will, nevertheless, ask you to place your
own small discourtesy against any apparent indiscretion I may now be
guilty of.”
He spoke in the easy, well-trained voice of the educated gentleman. He
waited, but when I did not speak, he went on:
“I trust you slept well. You must really have been exhausted after that
fight. Allow me to congratulate you upon your well-earned victory. Your
exhibition of science and strength was an education. The little affairs
at a certain London Club which I once attended were quite fifth-rate
performances in comparison.”
My tongue was loosened at that, and surprise conquered everything.
“You were watching?”
“And most profoundly interested,” said the adventurer, with soft
emphasis. “I was so fortunate as to secure an extremely favourable
position from which to view the spectacle. Your blows were perfect
models for any--er--prize-fighter to imitate. Concerning their power
and their accuracy, this unfortunate mark upon my own forehead
furnishes ample testimony. You do not see it? Ah, the light down here
is somewhat bewildering. By the way, you must have been wondering how
these stone buildings ever came to be here. Perhaps you are interested
in archæology? These stone remains take us, I assume, very far back
into the past, and I fancy you and I are the first men of culture to
light upon them. I should say, from a distinctly elementary knowledge
of paleontology, that they were originally erected by fire-worshippers;
but as your local knowledge is possibly extensive, I am quite prepared
to defer to your opinion.”
He pulled out a cigar, standing before me, and went on smoothly:
“You reserve your judgment? Well, I believe you are wise. These ruins
happen to be here, and they serve the sufficiently useful purpose of
affording you with shelter, and there can be no conceivable advantage
to either of us from determining what people or age saw them spring up.
I hope the rain did not come through last night. The roof seems solid
enough. Will you smoke? Ah, excuse me! I had not noticed that your arms
are temporarily unavailable.”
His manner stunned me. I wanted to shout at him, to curse him, and
threaten him, but I was frozen and unmanned by his cynicism, and all I
did say was merely, “What do you want with me?”
He seemed surprised.
“I am, like you, my dear Petrie, most desperately dull, and it
occurred to me that it would be pleasant to drop in for a chat. There
are absolutely no gentlemen in this God-forsaken country. Besides,
your father and I were very intimate friends, before he went wrong.
I remember your birth well; indeed it was only a slight difference
with your father which prevented me from becoming your godparent. You
were a fine child, yes, a distinctly fine child, but I remember you
would never let me nurse you. In fact, you always showed a remarkable
aversion for me.”
His flabby face shook with laughter as he fumbled for a match.
That woke me up, and I said deliberately:
“I guess you’ve got me, Mr. Redpath. You took me foul last night, and
you brought me here for your own ends. What’s going to happen to me
now, only you and Olaffson know; but unless you covered your tracks
well through the forest you’ve done a bad piece of work--”
“My dear fellow,” interrupted the adventurer, “really you must not
suggest such things. It is not my fault if I happen to be entirely
dominated by that vile little brute Olaffson. It is a disgusting
confession for an Englishman to make, but it is none the less a fact.
That Icelander does what he likes with me. He twists me round and round
his little finger. He insisted on bringing you here, and for my life
I dared not cross him. Of course, you find it tedious here,” he went
on, relapsing into his former mood; “and it must be decidedly annoying
having your arms tied--tightly, if I mistake not? Should you be leaving
this place I must, as a friend, warn you against Olaffson. He is a
dangerous man, and what is worse, an utterly unscrupulous man.”
“Are you two going to starve me?” I said.
“My dear Petrie, you are indeed in a morbid mood!” was the answer I
received.
In my sheer impotence I could have thrown myself against the stone
wall. My anger ran away with my prudence at last, and I swore at the
man, and cursed him, daring him to approach me, pinioned though I was.
He looked really disturbed, and when I had done, for lack of strength,
continued softly:
“Too bad, Petrie! That excitement yesterday was too much for you. I
fear you suffer from fighting on the brain. But why speak of fighting
with me? My dear man, if you and I met in a little friendly bout I am
sure I should be unrecognisable to my friends in less than two minutes.
But since you have introduced the subject, what is your opinion of this
compact little protector?” He pulled a little plated revolver from
his hip pocket, and extended it towards me smilingly. “I bought it in
Winnipeg as I came through. It is said to be the best, as well as the
latest, thing in quick-firing. I carry it loaded, of course, though I
understand I am breaking the law of the country by doing so; but I am
sure you would be the last to condemn my action, because you know what
rascals there are about this land--it contains the scum of the earth,
Petrie, I do assure you. Then, you see, I am elderly and weak, and
almost as nervous as any old woman.”
He finished this speech with a deprecatory smile, and returned the
weapon to its accustomed place in a dexterous fashion, as though well
accustomed to the use of it.
“I guess you’re going?” I said, keeping down my madness by a great
effort.
“Well, I suppose so. These partings are included among the petty
troubles of living. Ah, Petrie, if I were you! Lucky man! young and
strong, with all your life ahead. Look at me, old and poor, though,
by Gad! it seems only a year ago that I was sent down from Oxford
for defying the dons, as they termed it, in their injustice. Well,
good-bye, my boy. Take care always to steer clear of Olaffson. By the
way, I’m thinking of crossing the lake to hunt for gold.”
He stood in the light, looking down at me slowly.
I could not answer him--I could not! I had no learning and no wit to
make reply to this calm, cynical gentleman, who had come merely to
enjoy the sight of my degradation. He stepped upon the rope-ladder,
pushed himself out, the smoke of his cigar lingering; but before
replacing the lumber, his loose face appeared again, and he said:
“If I don’t call again, Petrie, and I fully intend to give myself that
pleasure, you will understand that I have been prevented by pressing
business. This is such an out-of-the-way place, and of course, it is
very difficult to get at. Good-bye, and good luck!” Once more he looked
back to shout “The weather’s grand!”
Darkness came after the sunshine, and the night followed, but Redpath
did not come back. The hours went by, taking with them another day,
and silence and loneliness were my meat and drink. When the night came
again I understood more clearly as vitality ebbed out of me. I was
abandoned to starvation in this old stone ruin of the bush.