THE EXAMINATION.
Constable Cooke put the irons on the wrists of Levi Fairfield, not from
a sense of duty, but with a keen relish for the act itself. It is but
justice to the officer, prejudiced though he was, to say that he was
entirely sincere in the belief that his prisoner had stolen the miser's
gold. He was needlessly rough and severe in the discharge of his duty,
and the irons were a gratuitous indignity. Mr. Watson protested
vigorously against the constable's useless display of authority. Bessie
was frightened and terribly grieved by the harsh treatment bestowed
upon her ideal of a hero.
Levi himself was the only person in the cabin who was calm. His quiet
dignity was unruffled by the insults heaped upon him, and he looked
proudly conscious of his innocence.
"What does all this mean?" demanded Mr. Watson, when Levi had been
effectually ironed, so that he could not tear the constable and his
assistant to pieces, as they seemed to fear he would.
"I do not know, sir," replied Levi, shaking his head, with a smile.
"I think it is all clear enough, Mr. Watson," interposed Constable
Cooke.
"I don't think it is," replied Mr. Watson, sharply. "You have found a
shot-bag with ten five-dollar gold pieces in it. What does that prove?"
"It proves that Levi stole the money just as clear as the sun proves
it's day."
"Is it anything surprising that the captain of a yacht has fifty
dollars in gold in his state-room?"
"I don't know's 'tis, but it's sunthin surprisin' that he should have
one of the bags the old man kept his money in, in his state-room," said
the officer, with a sneer.
"How do you know that is one of the bags?"
"How do I know?" repeated the constable, taking the bag from his
pocket. "Mr. Fairfield told me he writ his name on all the bags. There
it is."
The bag was exhibited, and over the imprint of the manufacturers of the
shot it had originally contained was the name, "N. Fairfield," rudely
traced in large, awkward characters, in pencil, on the cloth. Levi saw
it, and the formation of the two capital letters assured him it had
been written by his uncle. The bag was found in one of his drawers; but
it was plain that "an enemy had done this."
"If that don't satisfy you, Mr. Watson, I don't know what will. This
ain't pleasant business, but I can't help it," added Constable Cooke,
who perhaps had begun to think it was imprudent to offend a rich man.
"That doesn't satisfy me," replied the obstinate merchant. "Do you
suppose Levi put that bag and the gold into the drawer?"
"I suppose he did, sir. That's his state-room--isn't it?"
"There are half a dozen places there with locks on them. Do you think
he would put his money into a drawer without any lock upon it?"
"I don't know anything about that," answered the constable, who could
not help seeing that the argument was a good one. "I've got a warrant
for his arrest."
"Did you know the money was there before you came on board?" demanded
Mr. Watson, warmly.
"I supposed it was there."
"What made you suppose so?"
"I was told it was there."
"Who told you so?"
"I don't know as I'm obliged to tell you who told me," replied the
officer.
"I don't know that you are, either; but some of you shall be indicted
for conspiracy if you don't answer. You came on board with a warrant in
your pocket for the arrest of Captain Fairfield. You expected to find
the gold here, you say. Somebody told you it was here, and that
somebody knows more about it than the person you have arrested and put
in irons," continued the merchant, indignantly.
"You know why I put him in irons. Didn't he threaten to throw one of us
overboard?" replied the constable.
"When officers take graduates of the state prison to assist them in the
discharge of their duties, they must expect some opposition."
"But Captain Vincent is acting for Mr. Fairfield, who's too sick to do
anything himself," pleaded the officer, who could not help seeing that
Dock was not a proper person to aid him in the performance of his duty.
"I'll take the bracelets off, if you say so."
"I do say so, most emphatically!" added Mr. Watson.
Constable Cooke removed the irons, stepping between Levi and Bessie to
do so.
"So long as you and your father do not believe I am guilty of any
crime, I don't care for the irons or the prison," said Levi,
cheerfully. "I am rather glad of an opportunity to vindicate myself,
for I have no doubt there are some people who think I took my uncle's
money."
"But it is so terrible to be sent to prison, and to be ironed!" added
Bessie, her pretty face full of tender sympathy.
"Not at all. As I view it, the guilt is the only thing that is
terrible. This may lead to the discovery of the real thief."
"Levi, have you any idea how that bag came in your state-room?" asked
Mr. Watson.
"Not the least, sir. It must have been put there by the thief, or by
some one acting for him."
"We shall not make our trip to-day--that is clear enough. Come, Mr.
Cooke, we will go on shore, and inquire into this matter at once,"
continued Mr. Watson. "Levi, you must send all hands to the office of
Squire Saunders, for probably we shall want their evidence."
The four young men who constituted the crew of the yacht lived in
Rockport, and knew all about the relations of Levi with his uncle. They
were directed to go ashore, with the cook and steward, and appear at
the office of the trial justice. Levi was taken in charge by Constable
Cooke, and went in his boat, with Dock Vincent, much against his will.
"We are likely to have a sharp time on't," said the officer, when they
had pushed off from the yacht.
"Why so? What's up now?" demanded Dock.
"Mr. Watson has sent all hands ashore, and I suppose he'll have Squire
Cleaves, who's as sharp as a razor new set, and he'll rake us all over
the coals."
"What's going to be done, Levi?" asked Dock, turning to the prisoner.
"I have nothing to say about it," replied Levi.
"What did you send all hands on shore for?"
"I shall answer no questions."
"Afraid of committing yourself, I suppose," said Dock, with a sneer,
which did not wholly conceal his anxiety.
Levi made no reply. Without being willing, in the absence of some
evidence, even to suspect Dock of stealing his uncle's money, he could
not help feeling that the antecedents of his old enemy warranted him in
thinking that he had something to do with the robbery, or, at least,
with fastening the charge upon him, and causing the shot-bag to be
placed in his state-room. The party landed, and while Constable Cooke
conveyed his prisoner to the office of the justice, Dock called at Mr.
Fairfield's to inform him of the arrest.
The old man was somewhat better, and able to sit up in his
rocking-chair; but his bones still ached, though he suffered less in
body than in mind. Dock called upon him every day, and assured him he
would find his gold in time. On the present occasion he had encouraging
news, and related the particulars of the events which had occurred on
board of the yacht.
"I knowed it!" exclaimed Mr. Fairfield, when he had listened to Dock's
story. "I was sartain that boy took the money."
"I suppose it's a clear case enough now," added Dock. "Finding the bag
with your name on it settles the matter."
"But did you find all the money, Cap'n Vincent?" asked the old man,
nervously.
"No; only about fifty dollars of it."
"Didn't find no more?" added Mr. Fairfield, with a blank stare.
"No, but we shall find the rest of it. Mr. Watson's going to make an
awful fuss about it."
"About what?"
"About taking Levi up. I suppose they'll want you to swear to the bag."
"But I can't go out," said the old man with a grunt, when reminded of
the pains in his frame.
"Then the squire must come here, as he did when you swore before. I'll
go up, and see about it. But, Squire Fairfield, I shan't be able to do
much more for you, for I expect my vessel round here soon, and I shall
be busy fixing her up for the voyage to Australia."
"I hope I shall find the money afore you go," added the old man, with a
gloomy look.
"I hope so too, and I expect you will," replied Dock, as he left the
room to attend the examination.
In the mean time Levi had been conveyed to the office of Squire
Saunders, who, deeming the evidence of Mr. Fairfield absolutely
necessary, had decided to hold his court at the house of the miser; and
the old man was soon astonished by the appearance of the whole crowd of
officers, counsel, justice, and witnesses in his chamber.
Mr. Fairfield was examined first. He testified, with many a sigh and
groan, that he had deposited the four bags, each containing one
thousand dollars in gold, in the hole in the wall, which was pointed
out to the justice. He had marked his name on each bag, and he
identified that produced by Constable Cooke as one of the four. He was
asked if the ten half eagles were his property. He was disposed to
swear to them also; he had no doubt they were part of the money he had
lost; but when asked to state by what marks he recognized them, he was
unable to show wherein they differed from other coins of the same
value.
The officer then swore that he found the bag in a locker in the
state-room, with the money in it. Squire Cleaves, who had already been
fully instructed in the case by Mr. Watson, began to put disagreeable
questions to him, which appeared to make him nervous.
"You went off to the yacht with a search-warrant--did you, Mr. Cooke?"
asked the lawyer.
"I did, sir."
"Did you expect to find the money or the bag on board?"
"I did."
"Had any one told you the bag was there?"
"Well, I can't say any one told me it was there," replied Cooke, with
some embarrassment.
"You can't?"
"No, sir; I can't."
"What induced you to look for the money on board of the yacht?"
"I was pretty well satisfied that Levi stole that money, and being he
was goin' off on a cruise, I thought likely he would put some on't on
board to use. That's what made me expect to find it there," added
Constable Cooke, with a more satisfied expression on his face, for the
explanation he had given appeared to meet the exigencies of the case.
"Did you reason this out yourself, or did some one suggest the idea to
you?"
"Well, some one spoke to me about it, but----"
"Precisely so! Who spoke to you about it?"
"No one said much to me, and I----"
"But who said anything?" interposed the squire.
"Well, Captain Vincent said I might find the bag--he didn't say I
_should_ find it."