KIDNAPPED.
Half an hour later the Count d'Artigas and Captain Spade were
following the beech-lined road that separated the Healthful House
estate from the right bank of the Neuse. Both had taken leave of the
director, the latter declaring himself greatly honored by their visit,
and the former thanking him warmly for his courteous reception. A
hundred-dollar bill left as a tip for the staff of the establishment
had certainly not belied the Count's reputation for generosity. He
was--there could be no doubt about it--a foreigner of the highest
distinction, if distinction be measured by generosity.
Issuing by the gate at the main entrance to Healthful House, they had
skirted the wall that surrounded the property, and which was high
enough to preclude the possibility of climbing it. Not a word passed
between them for some time; the Count was deep in thought and Captain
Spade was not in the habit of addressing him without being first
spoken to.
At last when they stood beneath the rear wall behind which, though it
was not visible, the Count knew Pavilion No. 17 was situated, he said:
"You managed, I presume, to thoroughly explore the place, and are
acquainted with every detail of it?"
"Certainly, _Count_" replied Captain Spade, emphasizing the title.
"You are perfectly sure about it?"
"Perfectly. I could go through the park with my eyes shut. If you
still persist in carrying out your scheme the pavilion can be easily
reached."
"I do persist, Spade."
"Notwithstanding Thomas Roch's mental condition?"
"Notwithstanding his condition; and if we succeed in carrying him
off----"
"That is my affair. When night comes on I undertake to enter the park
of Healthful House, and then the pavilion garden without being seen by
anybody."
"By the entrance gate?"
"No, on this side."
"Yes, but on this side there is the wall, and if you succeed in
climbing it, how are you going to get over it again with Thomas Roch?
What if the madman cries out--what if he should resist--what if his
keeper gives the alarm?"
"Don't worry yourself in the least about that. We have only got to go
in and come out by this door."
Captain Spade pointed to a narrow door let into the wall a few
paces distant, and which was doubtless used by the staff of the
establishment when they had occasion to go out by the river.
"That is the way I propose to go in. It's much easier than scaling the
wall with a ladder."
"But the door is closed."
"It will open."
"Has it no bolts?"
"Yes, but I shot them back while we were strolling about, and the
director didn't notice what I had done."
"How are you going to open it?" queried the Count, going to the door.
"Here is the key," replied Spade, producing it.
He had withdrawn it from the lock, where it happened to be, when he
had unbolted the door.
"Capital!" exclaimed the Count. "It couldn't be better. The business
will be easier than I expected. Let us get back to the schooner. At
eight o'clock one of the boats will put you ashore with five men."
"Yes, five men will do," said Captain Spade. "There will be enough of
them to effect our object even if the keeper is aroused and it becomes
necessary to put him out of the way."
"Put him out of the way--well, if it becomes absolutely necessary of
course you must, but it would be better to seize him too and bring him
aboard the _Ebba_ Who knows but what he has already learned a part of
Roch's secret?"
"True."
"Besides, Thomas Roch is used to him, and I don't propose to make him
change his habitudes in any way."
This observation was accompanied by such a significant smile that
Captain Spade could entertain no doubt as to the rôle reserved for the
warder of Healthful House.
The plan to kidnap them both was thus settled, and appeared to have
every chance of being successful; unless during the couple of hours of
daylight that yet remained it was noticed that the key of the door had
been stolen and the bolts drawn back, Captain Spade and his men could
at least count upon being able to enter the park, and the rest, the
captain affirmed, would be easy enough.
Thomas Roch was the only patient in the establishment isolated and
kept under special surveillance. All the other invalids lived in the
main building, or occupied pavilions in the front of the park. The
plan was to try and seize Roch and Gaydon separately and bind and gag
them before they could cry out.
The Count d'Artigas and his companion wended their way to a creek
where one of the _Ebba's_ boats awaited them. The schooner was
anchored two cable lengths from the shore, her sails neatly rolled
upon her yards, which were squared as neatly as those of a pleasure
yacht or of a man-of-war. At the peak of the mainmast a narrow red
pennant was gently swayed by the wind, which came in fitful puffs from
the east.
The Count and the captain jumped into the boat and a few strokes of
the four oars brought them alongside of the schooner. They climbed
on deck and going forward to the jib-boom, leaned over the starboard
bulwark and gazed at an object that floated on the water a few strokes
ahead of the vessel. It was a small buoy that was rocked by the ripple
of the ebbing tide.
Twilight gradually set in, and the outline of New-Berne on the left
bank of the sinuous Neuse became more and more indistinct until it
disappeared in the deepening shades of night. A mist set in from the
sea, but though it obscured the moon it brought no sign of rain. The
lights gleamed out one by one in the houses of the town. The fishing
smacks came slowly up the river to their anchorage, impelled by the
oars of their crews which struck the water with sharp, rhythmical
strokes, and with their sails distended on the chance of catching an
occasional puff of the dropping wind to help them along. A couple of
steamers passed, sending up volumes of black smoke and myriads of
sparks from their double stacks, and lashing the water into foam with
their powerful paddles.
At eight o'clock the Count d'Artigas appeared on the schooner's deck
accompanied by a man about fifty years of age, to whom he remarked:
"It is time to go, Serko."
"Very well, I will tell Spade," replied Serko.
At that moment the captain joined them.
"You had better get ready to go," said the Count.
"All is ready."
"Be careful to prevent any alarm being given, and arrange matters so
that no one will for a minute suspect that Thomas Roch and his keeper
have been brought on board the _Ebba_."
"They wouldn't find them if they came to look for them," observed
Serko, shrugging his shoulders and laughing heartily as though he had
perpetrated a huge joke.
"Nevertheless, it is better not to arouse their suspicion," said
d'Artigas.
The boat was lowered, and Captain Spade and five sailors took their
places in it. Four of the latter got out the oars. The boatswain,
Effrondat, who was to remain in charge of the boat, went to the stern
beside Captain Spade and took the tiller.
"Good luck, Spade," said Serko with a smile, "and don't make more
noise about it than if you were a gallant carrying off his lady-love."
"I won't--unless that Gaydon chap--"
"We must have both Roch and Gaydon," insisted the Count d'Artigas.
"That is understood," replied Spade.
The boat pushed off, and the sailors on the deck of the schooner
watched it till it was lost to sight in the darkness.
Pending its return, no preparations for the _Ebba's_ departure were
made. Perhaps there was no intention of quitting the port after the
men had been kidnapped. Besides, how could the vessel have reached the
open sea? Not a breath of air was now stirring, and in half an hour
the tide would be setting in again, and rising strongly and rapidly
for several miles above New-Berne.
Anchored, as has already been said, a couple of cable-lengths from the
shore, the _Ebba_ might have been brought much nearer to it, for the
water was deep enough, and this would have facilitated the task of the
kidnappers when they returned from their expedition. If, however, the
Count d'Artigas preferred to let the vessel stay where she was, he
probably had his reasons.
Not a soul was in sight on the bank, and the road, with its borders
of beech trees that skirted the wall of Healthful House estate, was
equally deserted. The boat was made fast to the shore. Then Captain
Spade and his four sailors landed, leaving the boatswain in charge,
and disappeared amid the trees.
When they reached the wall Captain Spade stopped and the sailors drew
up on each side of the doorway. The captain had only to turn the key
in the lock and push the door, unless one of the servants, noticing
that the door was not secured as usual, had bolted it. In this event
their task would be an extremely difficult one, even if they succeeded
in scaling the high wall.
The captain put his ear to the key-hole and listened.
Not a sound was to be heard in the park. Not even a leaf was rustling
in the branches of the beeches under which they were standing. The
surrounding country was wrapt in the profoundest silence.
Captain Spade drew the key from his pocket, inserted it in the lock
and turned it noiselessly. Then he cautiously pushed the door, which
opened inward.
Things were, then, just as he had left them, and no one had noticed
the theft of the key.
After assuring himself that nobody happened to be in the neighborhood
of the pavilion the captain entered, followed by his men. The door was
left wide open, so that they could beat a hurried and uninterrupted
retreat in case of necessity. The trees and bushes in this shady part
of the park were very thick, and it was so dark that it would not have
been easy to distinguish the pavilion had not a light shone brightly
in one of the windows.
No doubt this was the window of the room occupied by Roch and his
guardian, Gaydon, seeing that the latter never left the patient placed
in his charge either by night or day. Captain Spade had expected to
find him there.
The party approached cautiously, taking the utmost precaution to avoid
kicking a pebble or stepping on a twig, the noise of which might have
revealed their presence. In this way they reached the door of the
pavilion near which was the curtained window of the room in which the
light was burning.
But if the door was locked, how were they going to get in? Captain
Spade must have asked himself. He had no key, and to attempt to effect
an entrance through the window would be hazardous, for, unless Gaydon
could be prevented from giving the alarm, he would rouse the whole
establishment.
There was no help for it, however. The essential was to get possession
of Roch. If they could kidnap Gaydon, too, in conformity with the
intentions of the Count d'Artigas, so much the better. If not--
Captain Spade crept stealthily to the window, and standing on tiptoe,
looked in. Through an aperture in the curtain he could see all over
the room.
Gaydon was standing beside Thomas Roch, who had not yet recovered from
the fit with which he had been attacked during the Count d'Artigas'
visit. His condition necessitated special attention, and the warder
was ministering to the patient under the direction of a third person.
The latter was one of the doctors attached to Healthful House, and had
been at once sent to the pavilion by the director when Roch's
paroxysm came on. His presence of course rendered the situation more
complicated and the work of the kidnappers more difficult.
Roch, fully dressed, was extended upon a sofa. He was now fairly calm.
The paroxysm, which was abating, would be followed by several hours of
torpor and exhaustion.
Just as Captain Spade peeped through the window the doctor was making
preparations to leave. The Captain heard him say to Gaydon that his
(the doctor's) presence was not likely to be required any more that
night, and that there was nothing to be done beyond following the
instructions he had given.
The doctor then walked towards the door, which, it will be remembered,
was close to the window in front of which Spade and his men were
standing. If they remained where they were they could not fail to be
seen, not only by the doctor, but by the warder, who was accompanying
him to the door.
Before they made their appearance, however, the sailors, at a sign
from their chief, had dispersed and hidden themselves behind the
bushes, while Spade himself crouched in the shadow beneath the window.
Luckily Gaydon had not brought the lamp with him, so that the captain
was in no danger of being seen.
As he was about to take leave of Gaydon, the doctor stopped on the
step and remarked:
"This is one of the worst attacks our patient has had. One or two more
like that and he will lose the little reason he still possesses."
"Just so," said Gaydon. "I wonder that the director doesn't prohibit
all visitors from entering the pavilion. Roch owes his present attack
to a Count d'Artigas, for whose amusement harmful questions were put
to him."
"I will call the director's attention to the matter," responded the
doctor.
He then descended the steps and Gaydon, leaving the door of the
pavilion ajar, accompanied him to the end of the path.
When they had gone Captain Spade stood up, and his men rejoined him.
Had they not better profit by the chance thus unexpectedly afforded
them to enter the room and secure Roch, who was in a semi-comatose
condition, and then await Gaydon's return, and seize the warder as he
entered?
This would have involved considerable risk. Gaydon, at a glance, would
perceive that his patient was missing and raise an alarm; the doctor
would come running back; the whole staff of Healthful House would
turn out, and Spade would not have time to escape with his precious
prisoner and lock the door in the wall after him.
He did not have much chance to deliberate about it, for the warder was
heard returning along the gravel path. Spade decided that the best
thing to be done was to spring upon him as he passed and stifle
his cries and overpower him before he could attempt to offer any
resistance. The carrying off of the mad inventor would be easy enough,
inasmuch as he was unconscious, and could not raise a finger to help
himself.
Gaydon came round a clump of bushes and approached the entrance to the
pavilion. As he raised his foot to mount the steps the four sailors
sprang upon him, bore him backwards to the ground, and had gagged him,
securely bound him hand and foot, and bandaged his eyes before he
began to realize what had happened.
Two of the men then kept guard over him, while Captain Spade and the
others entered the house.
As the captain had surmised, Thomas Roch had sunk into such a torpor
that he could have heard nothing of what had been going on outside.
Reclining at full length, with his eyes closed, he might have been
taken for a dead man but for his heavy breathing. There was no need
either to bind or gag him. One man took him by the head and another by
the feet and started off with him to the schooner.
Captain Spade was the last to quit the house after extinguishing the
lamp and closing the door behind him. In this way there was no reason
to suppose that the inmates would be missed before morning.
Gaydon was carried off in the same way as Thomas Roch had been. The
two remaining sailors lifted him and bore him quietly but rapidly down
the path to the door in the wall. The park was pitch dark. Not even a
glimmer of the lights in the windows of Healthful House could be seen
through the thick foliage.
Arrived at the wall, Spade, who had led the way, stepped aside to
allow the sailors with their burdens to pass through, then followed
and closed and locked the door. He put the key in his pocket,
intending to throw it into the Neuse as soon as they were safely on
board the schooner.
There was no one on the road, nor on the bank of the river.
The party made for the boat, and found that Effrondat, the boatswain,
had made all ready to receive them.
Thomas Roch and Gaydon were laid in the bottom of the boat, and the
sailors again took their places at the oars.
"Hurry up, Effrondat, and cast off the painter," ordered the captain.
The boatswain obeyed, and pushed the boat off with his foot as he
scrambled in.
The men bent to their oars and rowed rapidly to the schooner, which
was easily distinguishable, having hung out a light at her mizzenmast
head.
In two minutes they were alongside.
The Count d'Artigas was leaning on the bulwarks by the gangway.
"All right, Spade?" he questioned.
"Yes, sir, all right!"
"Both of them?"
"Both the madman and his keeper."
"Doesn't anybody know about it up at Healthful House?
"Not a soul."
It was not likely that Gaydon, whose eyes and ears were bandaged, but
who preserved all his sang-froid, could have recognized the voices of
the Count d'Artigas and Captain Spade. Nor did he have the chance to.
No attempt was immediately made to hoist him on board. He had been
lying in the bottom of the boat alongside the schooner for fully
half an hour, he calculated, before he felt himself lifted, and then
lowered, doubtless to the bottom of the hold.
The kidnapping having been accomplished it would seem that it only
remained for the _Ebba_ to weigh anchor, descend the estuary and make
her way out to sea through Pamlico Sound. Yet no preparations for
departure were made.
Was it not dangerous to stay where they were after their daring
raid? Had the Count d'Artigas hidden his prisoners so securely as to
preclude the possibility of their being discovered if the _Ebba_,
whose presence in proximity to Healthful House could not fail to
excite suspicion, received a visit from the New-Berne police?
However this might have been, an hour after the return of the
expedition, every soul on board save the watch--the Count d'Artigas,
Serko, and Captain Spade in their respective cabins, and the crew in
the fore-castle, were sound asleep.