I followed him across the road to a small plain-looking house, with a

neatly-curtained bow window and a brass plate on the front door. From

the latter I discovered that the proprietress of the place was a

dressmaker, but I was completely at a loss to understand why we were

visiting her. As soon as the door was opened the Inspector asked if Miss

Tiffins were at home, and, on being told that she was, inquired if we

might see her. The maid went away to find out, and presently returned

and begged us to follow her. We did so down a small passage towards the

door of the room which contained the bow window.

Miss Tiffins bade us be seated, and then asked in what way she could be

of service to us.

"In the first place, madam," said the Inspector, "a serious crime has

been perpetrated, and I have reason to believe that it may be in your

power to give us a clue to the persons who committed it."

"You frighten me, sir," replied the lady. "I cannot at all see in what

way I can help you. I lead a life of the greatest quietness."

"I do not wish to imply that you do know anything of them. I only want

you to carry your memory back as far as yesterday, and to answer me the

few simple questions I may ask you."

"I will answer them to the best of my ability."

"Well, in the first place, may I ask if you remember seeing a brougham

drive up to that house opposite about mid-day yesterday?"

"No, I cannot say that I do," the old lady replied after a moment's

consideration.

"Do you remember seeing a number of men leave the house during the

afternoon?"

"No. If they came out I did not notice them."

"Now, think for one moment, if you please, and tell me what vehicles, if

any, you remember seeing stop there."

"Let me try to remember. There was Judge's baker's cart, about three,

the milk about five, and a furniture van about half-past six."

"That's just what I want to know. And have you any recollection whose

furniture van it was?"

"Yes. I remember reading the name as it turned round. Goddard & James,

George Street. I wondered if the tenant was going to move."

The Inspector rose, and I followed his example.

"I am exceedingly obliged to you, Miss Tiffins. You have helped me

materially."

"I am glad of that," she answered; "but I trust I shall not be wanted to

give evidence in court."

"You need have no fear on that score," the Inspector answered.

"Good-day."

When we had left the house the Inspector turned to me and said--

"It was a great piece of luck finding a dressmaker opposite. Commend me

to ladies of that profession for knowing what goes on in the street. Now

we will visit Messrs. Goddard & James and see who hired the things.

Meantime, Williams," (here he called the plain-clothes constable to him),

"you had better remain here and watch that house. If the man we saw

comes out, follow him, and let me know where he goes."

"Very good, sir," the constable replied, and we left him to his vigil.

Then, hailing a passing cab, we jumped into it and directed the driver

to convey us to George Street. By this time it was getting on for

mid-day, and we were both worn out. But I was in such a nervous state

that I could not remain inactive. Phyllis had been in Nikola's hands

nearly fourteen hours, and so far we had not obtained one single

definite piece of information as to her whereabouts.

Arriving at the shop of Messrs. Goddard & James, we went inside and

asked to see the chief partner. An assistant immediately conveyed us to

an office at the rear of the building, where we found an elderly

gentleman writing at a desk. He looked up as we entered, and then,

seeing the Inspector's uniform, rose and asked our business.

"The day before yesterday," began my companion, "you supplied a

gentleman with a number of South-Sea weapons and curios on hire, did you

not?"

"I remember doing so--yes," was the old gentleman's answer. "What about

it?"

"Only I should be glad if you would favour me with a description of the

person who called upon you about them--or a glimpse of his letter, if he

wrote."

"He called and saw me personally."

"Ah! That is good. Now would you be so kind as to describe him?"

"Well, in the first place, he was very tall and rather handsome; he had,

if I remember rightly, a long brown moustache, and was decidedly well

dressed."

"That doesn't tell us very much, does it? Was he alone?"

"No. He had with him, when he came into the office, an individual whose

face remains fixed in my memory--indeed I cannot get it out of my head."

Instantly I became all excitement.

"What was this second person like?" I asked.

"Well, I can hardly tell you--that is to say, I can hardly give you a

good enough description of him to make you see him as I saw him. He was

tall and yet very slim, had black hair, a sallow complexion, and the

blackest eyes I ever saw in a man. He was clean-shaven and exquisitely

dressed, and when he spoke, his teeth glittered like so many pearls. I

never saw another man like him in my life."

"Nikola, for a thousand!" I cried, bringing my hand down with a thump

upon the table.

"It looks as if we're on the track at last," said the Inspector. Then,

turning to Mr. Goddard again: "And may I ask now what excuse they made

to you for wanting these things!"

"They did not offer any; they simply paid a certain sum down for the

hire of them, gave me their address, and then left."

"And the address was?"

"83, Charlemagne Street. Our van took the things there and fetched them

away last night."

"Thank you. And now one or two other questions. What name did the hirer

give?"

"Eastover."

"When they left your shop how did they go away?"

"A cab was waiting at the door for them, and I walked out to it with

them."

"There were only two of them, you think?"

"No. There was a third person waiting for them in the cab, and it was

that very circumstance which made me anxious to have my things brought

back as soon as possible. If I had been able to, I should have even

declined to let them go."

"Why so?"

"Well, to tell you that would involve a story. But perhaps I had better

tell you. It was in this way. About three years ago, through a distant

relative, I got to know a man named Draper."

"Draper!" I cried. "You don't mean--but there, I beg your pardon. Pray

go on."

"As I say, I got to know this man Draper, who was a South-Sea trader. We

met once or twice, and then grew more intimate. So friendly did we at

last become, that I even went so far as to put some money into a scheme

he proposed to me. It was a total failure. Draper proved a perfect fraud

and a most unbusiness-like person, and all I got out of the transaction

was the cases of curios and weapons which this man Eastover hired from

me. It was because--when I went out with my customers to their cab--I

saw this man Draper waiting for them that I became uneasy about my

things. However, all's well that ends well, and as they returned my

goods and paid the hire I must not grumble."

"And now tell me what you know of Draper's present life," the Inspector

said.

"Ah! I'm afraid of that I can tell you but little. He has been twice

declared bankrupt, and the last time there was some fuss made over his

schooner, the _Merry Duchess_."

"He possesses a schooner, then?"

"Oh, yes! A nice boat. She's in harbour now."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Goddard. I am obliged to you for your

assistance in this matter."

"Don't mention it. I hope that what I have told you may prove of service

to you."

"I'm sure it will. Good-day."

"Good-day, gentlemen."

He accompanied us to the door, and then bade us farewell. "Now what are

we to do?" I asked.

"Well, first, I am going back to the office to put a man on to find this

schooner, and then I'm going to take an hour or two's rest. By that time

we shall know enough to be able to lay our hands on Dr. Nikola and his

victim, I hope."

"God grant we may!"

"Where are you going now?"

"Back to Potts Point," I answered.

We thereupon bade each other farewell and set off in different

directions.

When I reached Mr. Wetherell's house I learned from the butler that his

master had fallen asleep in the library. Not wishing to disturb him, I

inquired the whereabouts of my own bedroom, and on being conducted to

it, laid myself down fully dressed upon the bed. So utterly worn out was

I, that my head had no sooner touched the pillow than I was fast asleep.

How long I lay there I do not know, but when I woke it was to find Mr.

Wetherell standing beside me, holding a letter in his hand. He was white

as a sheet, and trembling in every limb. "Read this, Mr. Hatteras," he

cried. "For Heaven's sake tell me what we are to do!"

I sat up on the side of the bed and read the letter he handed to me. It

was written in what was evidently a disguised hand, on common

note-paper, and ran:----

"TO MR. WETHERELL,

"POTTS POINT, SYDNEY

"DEAR SIR,

"This is to inform you that your daughter is in very safe keeping.

If you wish to find her you had better be quick about it. What's

more, you had better give up consulting the police, and such like,

in the hope of getting hold of her. The only way you _can_ get her

will be to act as follows: At eight o'clock to-night charter a boat

and pull down the harbour as far as Shark Point. When you get

there, light your pipe three times, and some one in a boat near by

will do the same. Be sure to bring with you the sum of _one hundred

thousand pounds in gold, and--this is most important--bring with

you the little stick you got from China Pete, or do not come at

all_. Above all, do not bring more than one man. If you do not put

in an appearance you will not hear of your daughter again.

Yours obediently,

"THE MAN WHO KNOWS."

CHAPTER IV

FOLLOWING UP A CLUE

For some moments after I had perused the curious epistle Mr. Wetherell

had brought to my room I remained wrapped in thought.

"What do you make of it?" my companion asked.

"I don't know what to say," I answered, looking at it again. "One thing,

however, is quite certain, and that is that, despite its curious

wording, it is intended you should take it seriously."

"You think so?"

"I do indeed. But I think when the Inspector arrives it would be just as

well to show it to him. What do you say?"

"I agree with you. Let us defer consideration of it until we see him."

When, an hour later, the Inspector put in an appearance, the letter was

accordingly placed before him, and his opinion asked concerning it. He

read it through without comment, carefully examined the writing and

signature, and finally held it up to the light. Having done this he

turned to me and said:

"Have you that envelope we found at the _Canary Bird_, Mr. Hatteras?"

I took it out of my pocket and handed it to him. He then placed it on

the table side by side with the letter, and through a magnifying-glass

scrutinized both carefully. Having done so, he asked for the envelope in

which it had arrived. Mr. Wetherell had thrown it into the waste-paper

basket, but a moment's search brought it to light. Again he scrutinized

both the first envelope and the letter, and then compared them with the

second cover. "Yes, I thought so," he said. "This letter was written

either by Nikola, or at his desire. The paper is the same as that he

purchased at the stationer's shop we visited."

"And what had we better do now?" queried Wetherell, who had been eagerly

waiting for his opinion.

"We must think," said the Inspector. "In the first place, I suppose you

don't feel inclined to pay the large sum mentioned here?"

"Not if I can help it, of course," answered Wetherell. "But if the worst

comes to the worst, and I cannot rescue my poor girl any other way, I

would sacrifice even more than that."

"Well, we'll see if we can find her without compelling you to pay

anything at all," the Inspector cried. "I've got an idea in my head."

"And what is that?" I cried; for I, too, had been thinking out a plan.

"Well, first and foremost," he answered, "I want you, Mr. Wetherell, to

tell me all you can about your servants. Let us begin with the butler.

How long has he been with you?"

"Nearly twenty years."

"A good and trustworthy servant, I presume?"

"To the last degree. I have implicit confidence in him."

"Then we may dismiss him from our minds. I think I saw a footman in the

hall. How long has he been with you?"

"Just about three months."

"And what sort of a fellow is he?"

"I really could not tell you very much. He seems intelligent, quick and

willing, and up to his work."

"Is your cook a man or a woman?"

"A woman. She has been with me since before my wife's death--that is to

say, nearly ten years. You need have no suspicion of her."

"Housemaids?"

"Two. Both have been with me some time, and seem steady, respectable

girls. There is also a kitchen maid; but she has been with me nearly as

long as my cook, and I would stake my reputation on her integrity."

"Well, in that case, the only person who seems at all suspicious is the

footman. May we have him up?"

"With pleasure. I'll ring for him."

Mr. Wetherell rang the bell, and a moment later it was answered by the

man himself.

"Come in, James, and shut the door behind you," his master said.

The man did as he was ordered, but not without looking, as I thought, a

little uncomfortable. The Inspector I could see had noticed this too,

for he had been watching him intently ever since he had appeared in the

room.

"James," said Mr. Wetherell, "the Inspector of Police wishes to ask you

a few questions. Answer him to the best of your ability."

"To begin with," said the Inspector, "I want you to look at this

envelope. Have you seen it before?"

He handed him the envelope of the anonymous letter addressed to Mr.

Wetherell. The man took it and turned it over in his hands.

"Yes, sir," he said, "I have seen it before; I took it in at the front

door."

"From whom?"

"From a little old woman, sir," the man answered.

"A little old woman!" cried the Inspector, evidently surprised. "What

sort of woman?"

"Well, sir, I don't know that I can give you much of a description of

her. She was very small, had a sort of nut-cracker face, a little black

poke bonnet, and walked with a stick."

"Should you know her again if you saw her?"

"Oh yes, sir."

"Did she say anything when she gave you the letter?"

"Only, 'For Mr. Wetherell, young man.' That was all, sir."

"And you didn't ask if there was an answer? That was rather a singular

omission on your part, was it not?"

"She didn't give me time, sir. She just put it into my hand and went

down the steps again."

"That will do. Now, Mr. Wetherell, I think we'd better see about getting

that money from the bank. You need not wait, my man."

The footman thereupon left the room, while both Mr. Wetherell and I

stared at the Inspector in complete astonishment. He laughed.

"You are wondering why I said that," he remarked.

"I must confess it struck me as curious."

"Well, let me tell you I did it with a purpose. Did you notice that

young man's face when he entered the room and when I gave him the

letter? There can be no doubt about it, he is in the secret."

"You mean that he is in Nikola's employ? Then why don't you arrest him?"

"Because I want to be quite certain first. I said that about the money

because, if he is Nikola's agent, he will carry the information to him,

and by so doing keep your daughter in Sydney for at least a day longer.

Do you see?"

"I do, and I admire your diplomacy. Now what is your plan?"

"May I first tell mine?" I said.

"Do," said the Inspector, "for mine is not quite matured yet."

"Well," I said, "my idea is this. I propose that Mr. Wetherell shall

obtain from his bank a number of gold bags, fill them with lead discs to

represent coin, and let it leak out before this man that he has got the

money in the house. Then to-night Mr. Wetherell will set off for the

water-side. I will row him down the harbour disguised as a boatman. We

will pick up the boat, as arranged in that letter. In the meantime you

must start from the other side in a police boat, pull up to meet us, and

arrest the man. Then we will force him to disclose Miss Wetherell's

whereabouts, and act upon his information. What do you say?"

"It certainly sound feasible," said the Inspector, and Mr. Wetherell

nodded his head approvingly. At that moment the Marquis entered the

room, looking much better than when we had found him on the preceding

night, and the conversation branched off into a different channel.

My plot seemed to commend itself so much to Mr. Wetherell's judgment,

that he ordered his carriage and drove off there and then to his bank,

while I went down to the harbour, arranged about a boat, and having done

so, proceeded up to the town, where I purchased a false beard, an old

dungaree suit, such as a man loafing about the harbour might wear, and a

slouch hat of villainous appearance. By the time I got back to the house

Mr. Wetherell had returned. With great delight he conducted me to his

study, and, opening his safe, showed me a number of canvas bags, on each

of which was printed £1,000.

"But surely there are not £100,000 there?"

"No," said the old gentleman with a chuckle. "There is the counterfeit

of £50,000 there; for the rest I propose to show him these."

So saying, he dived his hand into a drawer and produced a sheaf of crisp

bank-notes.

"There--these are notes for the balance of the amount."

"But you surely are not going to pay? I thought we were going to try to

catch the rascals without letting any money change hands."

"So we are, do not be afraid. If you will only glance at these notes you

will see that they are dummies, every one of them. They are for me to

exhibit to the man in the boat; in the dark they'll pass muster, never

fear."

"Very good indeed," I said with a laugh. "By the time they can be

properly examined we shall have the police at hand ready to capture

him."

"I believe we shall," the old gentleman cried, rubbing his hands

together in delight--"I believe we shall. And a nice example we'll make

of the rascals. Nikola thinks he can beat me; I'll show him how mistaken

he is!"

And for some time the old gentleman continued in this strain,

confidently believing that he would have his daughter with him again by

the time morning came. Nor was I far behind him in confidence. Since

Nikola had not spirited her out of the country my plot seemed the one of

all others to enable us to regain possession of her; and not only that,

but we hoped it would give us an opportunity of punishing those who had

so schemed against her. Suddenly an idea was born in my brain, and

instantly I acted on it.

"Mr. Wetherell," I said, "supposing, when your daughter is safe again, I

presume so far as once more to offer myself for your son-in-law, what

will you say?"

"What will I say?" he cried. "Why, I will tell you that you shall have

her, my boy, with ten thousand blessings on your head. I know you now;

and since I've treated you so badly, and you've taken such a noble

revenge, why, I'll make it up to you, or my name's not Wetherell. But we

won't talk any more about that till we have got possession of her; we

have other and more important things to think of. What time ought we to

start to-night?"

"The letter fixes the meeting for ten o'clock; we had better be in the

boat by half-past nine. In the meantime I should advise you to take a

little rest. By the way, do you think your footman realizes that you

have the money?"

"He ought to, for he carried it up to this room for me; and, what's

more, he has applied for a holiday this afternoon."

"That's to carry the information. Very good; everything is working

excellently. Now I'm off to rest for a little while."

"I'll follow your example. In the meantime I'll give orders for an early

dinner."

We dined at seven o'clock sharp, and at half-past eight I went off to my

room to don my disguise; then, bidding the Marquis good-bye--much to the

young gentleman's disgust, for he was most anxious to accompany us--I

slipped quietly out of my window, crossed the garden--I hoped

unobserved--and then went down to the harbour side, where the boat I had

chartered was waiting for me. A quarter of an hour later Wetherell's

carriage drove up, and on seeing it I went across and opened the door.

My disguise was so perfect that for a moment the old gentleman seemed

undecided whether to trust me or not. But my voice, when I spoke,

reassured him, and then we set to work carrying the bags of spurious

money down to the boat. As soon as this was accomplished we stepped in.

I seated myself amid-ships and got out the oars, Mr. Wetherell taking

the yoke-lines in the stern. Then we shoved off, and made our way out

into the harbour.

It was a dull, cloudy night, with hardly a sign of a star in the whole

length and breadth of heaven, while every few minutes a cold, cheerless

wind swept across the water. So chilly indeed was it that before we had

gone very far I began to wish I had added an overcoat to my other

disguises. We hardly spoke, but pulled slowly down towards the island

mentioned in the letter. The strain on our nerves was intense, and I

must confess to feeling decidedly nervous as I wondered what would

happen if the police boat did not pull up to meet us, as we had that

morning arranged.

A quarter to ten chimed from some church ashore as we approached within

a hundred yards of our destination. Then I rested on my oars and waited.

All round us were the lights of bigger craft, but no rowing-boat could I

see. About five minutes before the hour I whispered to Wetherell to make

ready, and in answer the old gentleman took a matchbox from his pocket.

Exactly as the town clocks struck the hour he lit a vesta; it flared a

little and then went out. As it did so a boat shot out of the darkness

to port. He struck a second, and then a third. As the last one burned up

and then died away, the man rowing the boat I have just referred to

struck a light, then another, then another, in rapid succession. Having

finished his display, he took up his oars and propelled his boat towards

us. When he was within talking distance he said in a gruff voice:

"Is Mr. Wetherell aboard?"

To this my companion immediately answered, with a tremble in his voice,

"Yes, here I am!"

"Money all right?"

"Can you see if I hold it up?" asked Mr. Wetherell. As he spoke a long,

black boat came into view on the other side of our questioner, and

pulled slowly towards him. It was the police boat.

"No, I don't want to see," said the voice again. "But this is the

message I was to give you. Pull in towards Circular Quay and find the

_Maid of the Mist_ barque. Go aboard her, and take your money down into

the cuddy. There you'll get your answer."

"Nothing more?" cried Mr. Wetherell.

"That's all I was told," answered the man, and then said, "Good-night."

At the same moment the police boat pulled up alongside him and made

fast. I saw a dark figure enter his boat, and next moment the glare of a

lantern fell upon the man's face. I picked up my oars and pulled over to

them, getting there just in time to hear the Inspector ask the man his

name.

"James Burbidge," was the reply. "I don't know as how you've got

anything against me. I'm a licensed waterman, I am."

"Very likely," said the Inspector; "but I want a little explanation from

you. How do you come to be mixed up in this business?"

"What--about this 'ere message, d'you mean?"

"Yes, about this message. Where is it from? Who gave it to you?"

"Well, if you'll let me go, I'll tell you all about it," growled the

man. "I was up at the _Hen and Chickens_ this evenin', just afore dark,

takin' a nobbler along with a friend. Presently in comes a cove in a

cloak. He beckons me outside and says, 'Do you want to earn a

sufring?'--a sufring is twenty bob. So I says, 'My word, I do!' Then he

says, 'Well, you go out on the harbour to-night, and be down agin Shark

Point at ten?' I said I would, and so I was. 'You'll see a boat there

with an old gent in it,' says he. 'He'll strike three matches, and you

do the same. Then ask him if he's Mr. Wetherell. If he says "Yes," ask

him if the money's all right? And if he says "Yes" to that, tell him to

pull in towards Circular Quay and find the _Maid of the Mist_ barque.

He's to take his money down to the cuddy, and he'll get his answer

there.' That's the truth so 'elp me bob! I don't know what you wants to

go arrestin' of an honest man for."

The Inspector turned to the water police.

"Does any man here know James Burbidge?"

Two or three voices immediately answered in the affirmative, and this

seemed to decide the officer, for he turned to the waterman again and

said, "As some of my men seem to know you, I'll let you off. But for

your own sake go home and keep a silent tongue."

He thereupon clambered back into his own boat and bade the man depart.

In less time than it takes to tell he was out of sight. We then drew up

alongside the police boat.

"What had we better do, Mr. Inspector?" asked Mr. Wetherell.

"Find the _Maid of the Mist_ at once. She's an untenanted ship, being

for sale. You will go aboard, sir, with your companion, and down to the

cuddy. Don't take your money, however. We'll draw up alongside as soon

as you're below, and when one of their gang, whom you'll despatch for

it, comes up to get the coin, we'll collar him, and then come to your

assistance. Do you understand?"

"Perfectly. But how are we to know the vessel?"

"Well, the better plan would be for you to follow us. We'll pull to

within a hundred yards of her. I learn from one of my men here that

she's painted white, so you'll have no difficulty in recognizing her."

"Very well, then, go on, and we'll follow you."

The police boat accordingly set off, and we followed about fifty yards

behind her. A thick drizzle was now falling, and it was by no means an

easy matter to keep her in sight. For some time we pulled on. Presently

we began to get closer to her. In a quarter of an hour we were

alongside.

"There's your craft," said the Inspector, pointing as he spoke to a big

vessel showing dimly through the scud to starboard of us. "Pull over to

her."

I followed his instructions, and, arriving at the vessel's side, hitched

on, made the painter fast, and then, having clambered aboard, assisted

Mr. Wetherell to do the same. As soon as we had both gained the deck we

stood and looked about us, at the same time listening for any sound

which might proclaim the presence of the men we had come to meet; but

save the sighing of the wind in the shrouds overhead, the dismal

creaking of blocks, and the drip of moisture upon the deck, no sign was

to be heard. There was nothing for it, therefore, but to make our way

below as best we could. Fortunately I had had the forethought to bring

with me a small piece of candle, which came in very handily at the

present juncture, seeing that the cuddy, when we reached the companion

ladder, was wrapt in total darkness. Very carefully I stepped inside,

lit the candle, and then, with Mr. Wetherell at my heels, made my way

down the steps.

Arriving at the bottom we found ourselves in a fair-sized saloon of the

old-fashioned type. Three cabins stood on either side, while from the

bottom of the companion ladder, by which we had descended, to a long

cushioned locker right aft under the wheel, ran a table covered with

American cloth. But there was no man of any kind to be seen. I opened

cabin after cabin, and searched each with a like result. We were

evidently quite alone in the ship.

"What do you make of it all?" I asked of Mr. Wetherell.

"It looks extremely suspicious," he answered. "Perhaps we're too early

for them. But see, Mr. Hatteras, there's something on the table at the

farther end."

So there was--something that looked very much like a letter. Together we

went round to the end of the table, and there, surely enough, found a

letter pinned to the American cloth, and addressed to my companion in a

bold but rather quaint handwriting.

"It's for you, Mr. Wetherell," I said, removing the pins and presenting

it to him. Thereupon we sat down beside the table, and he broke the seal

with trembling fingers. It was not a very long epistle, and ran:--

"MY DEAR MR. WETHERELL,--

"Bags of imitation money and spurious bank-notes will not avail

you, nor is it politic to arrange that the Water Police should meet

you on the harbour for the purpose of arresting me. You have lost

your opportunity, and your daughter accordingly leaves Australia

to-night. I will, however, give you one more chance--take care that

you make the most of it. The sum I now ask is £150,000 _with the

stick given you by China Pete_, and must be paid without inquiry of

any sort. If you are agreeable to this, advertise as follows, 'I

will Pay--W., and give stick!' in the agony column _Sydney Morning

Herald_, on the 18th, 19th, and 20th of this present month.

Arrangements will then be made with you.

"THE MAN WHO KNOWS."

"Oh, my God, I've ruined all!" cried Mr. Wetherell as he put the letter

down on the table; "and--who knows?--I may have killed my poor child!"

Seeing his misery, I did my best to comfort him; but it was no use. He

seemed utterly broken down by the failure of our scheme, and, if the

truth must be told, my own heart was quite as heavy. One thing was very

certain, there was a traitor in our camp. Some one had overheard our

plans and carried them elsewhere. Could it be the footman? If so, he

should have it made hot for him when I got sufficient proof against him;

I could promise him that most certainly. While I was thinking over this,

I heard a footstep on the companion stairs, and a moment later the

Inspector made his appearance. His astonishment at finding us alone,

reading a letter by the light of one solitary candle, was unmistakable,

for he said, as he came towards us and sat down, "Why, how's this? Where

are the men?"

"There are none. We've been nicely sold," I answered, handing him the

letter. He perused it without further remark, and when he had done so,

sat drumming with his fingers upon the table in thought.

"We shall have to look in your own house for the person who has given us

away, Mr. Wetherell!" he said at last. "The folk who are running this

affair are as cute as men are made nowadays; it's a pleasure to measure

swords with them."

"What do you think our next move had better be?"

"Get home as fast as we can. I'll return with you, and we'll talk it

over. It's no use our remaining here."

We accordingly went on deck, and descended to our wherry again. This

time the Inspector accompanied us, while the police boat set off down

the harbour on other business. When we had seen it pull out into the

darkness, we threw the imitation money overboard, pushed off for the

shore, landed where we had first embarked, and then walked up to Mr.

Wetherell's house. It was considerably after twelve o'clock by the time

we reached it, but the butler was still sitting up for us. His

disappointment seemed as keen as ours when he discovered that we had

returned without his young mistress. He followed us up to the study with

spirits and glasses, and then at his master's instruction went off to

bed.

"Now, gentlemen," began Mr. Wetherell, when the door had closed upon

him, "let us discuss the matter thoroughly. But, before we begin, may I

offer you cigars?"

The Inspector took one, but I declined, stating that I preferred a pipe.

But my pipe was in my bedroom, which was on the other side of the

passage; so asking them to wait for me, I went to fetch it. I left the

room, shutting the door behind me. But it so happened that the pipe-case

had been moved, and it was some minutes before I could find it. Having

done so, however, I blew out my candle, and was about to leave the room,

which was exactly opposite the study, when I heard the green baize door

at the end of the passage open, and a light footstep come along the

corridor. Instantly I stood perfectly still, and waited to see who it

might be. Closer and closer the step came, till I saw in the half dark

the pretty figure of one of the parlour maids. On tip-toe she crept up

to the study door, and then stooping down, listened at the keyhole.

Instantly I was on the alert, every nerve strained to watch her. For

nearly five minutes she stood there, and then with a glance round,

tiptoed quietly along the passage again, closing the baize door after

her.

When she was safely out of hearing I crossed to the study. Both the

Inspector and Mr. Wetherell saw that something had happened, and were

going to question me. But I held up my hand.

"Don't ask any questions, but tell me as quickly, and as nearly as you

can, what you have been talking about during the last five minutes," I

said.

"Why?"

"Don't stop to ask questions. Believe in the importance of my haste.

What was it?"

"I have only been giving Mr. Wetherell a notion of the steps I propose

to take," said the Inspector.

"Thank you. Now I'm off. Don't sit up for me, Mr. Wetherell; I'm going

to follow up a clue that may put us on the right scent at last. I don't

think you had better come, Mr. Inspector, but I'll meet you here again

at six o'clock."

"You can't explain, I suppose?" said the latter, looking a little

huffed.

"I'm afraid not," I answered; "but I'll tell you this much--I saw one of

the female servants listening at this door. She'll be off, if I mistake

not, with the news she has picked up, and I want to watch her.

Good-night."

"Good-night, and good luck to you."

Without another word I slipped off my boots, and carrying them in my

hand, left the room, and went downstairs to the morning-room. This

apartment looked out over the garden, and possessed a window shaded by a

big tree. Opening it, I jumped out and carefully closed it after me.

Then, pausing for a moment to resume my boots, I crept quietly down the

path, jumped a low wall, and so passed into the back street. About fifty

yards from the tradesmen's entrance, but on the opposite side of the

road, there was a big Moreton Bay fig-tree. Under this I took my stand,

and turned a watchful eye upon the house. It was a dark night, so that

it would have been extremely difficult for any one across the way to

have detected my presence.

For some minutes I waited, and was beginning to wonder if I could have

been deceived, when I heard the soft click of a latch, and next moment a

small dark figure passed out into the street, and closed the gate after

it. Then, pausing a moment as if to make up her mind, for the mysterious

person was a woman, she set off quickly in the direction of the city. I

followed about a hundred yards behind her.

With the exception of one policeman, who stared very hard at me, we did

not meet a soul. Once or twice I nearly lost her, and when we reached

the city itself I began to see that it would be well for me to decrease

the difference that separated us, if I did not wish to bid good-bye to

her altogether. I accordingly hastened my steps, and in this fashion we

passed up one street and down another, until we reached what I cannot

help thinking must have been the lowest quarter of Sydney. On either

hand were Chinese names and sign-boards, marine stores, slop shops, with

pawnbrokers and public-houses galore; while in this locality few of the

inhabitants seemed to have any idea of what bed meant. Groups of

sullen-looking men and women were clustered at the corners, and on one

occasion the person I was pursuing was stopped by them. But she

evidently knew how to take care of herself, for she was soon marching on

her way again.

At the end of one long and filthily dirty street she paused and looked

about her. I had crossed the road just before this, and was scarcely ten

yards behind her. Pulling my hat well down to shade my face, and

sticking my hands in my pockets, I staggered and reeled along, doing my

best to imitate the gait of a drunken man. Seeing only me about, she

went up to the window of a corner house and tapped with her knuckles

thrice upon the glass. Before one could have counted twenty the door of

the dwelling was opened, and she passed in. Now I was in a nasty

fix--either I must be content to abandon my errand, or I must get inside

the building, and trust to luck to procure the information I wanted.

Fortunately, in my present disguise the girl would be hardly likely to

recognize her master's guest. So giving them time to get into a room, I

also went up to the door and turned the handle. To my delight it was

unlocked. I opened it, and entered the house.

The passage was in total darkness; but I could make out where the door

of the room I wanted to find was located by a thin streak of light low

down upon the floor. As softly as I possibly could, I crept up to it,

and bent down to look through the keyhole. The view was necessarily

limited, but I could just make out the girl I had followed sitting upon

a bed; while leaning against the wall, a dirty clay pipe in her mouth,

was the vilest old woman I have ever in my life set eyes on. She was

very small, with a pinched-up nut-cracker face, dressed in an old bit of

tawdry finery, more than three sizes too large for her. Her hair fell

upon her shoulders in a tangled mass, and from under it her eyes gleamed

out like those of a wicked little Scotch terrier ready to bite. As I

bent down to listen I heard her say:--

"Well, my pretty dear, and what information have you got for the

gentleman, that brings you down at this time of night?"

"Only that the _coppers_ are going to start at daylight looking for the

_Merry Duchess_. I heard the Inspector say so himself."

"At daylight, are they?" croaked the old hag. "Well, I wish 'em joy of

their search, I do--them--them! Any more news, my dear?"

"The master and that long-legged slab of a Hatteras went out to-night

down the harbour. The old man brought home a lot of money bags, but what

was in 'em was only dummies."

"I know that, too, my dear. Nicely they was sold. Ha! ha!"

She chuckled like an old fiend, and then began to cut up another pipe of

tobacco in the palm of her hand like a man. She smoked negro head, and

the reek of it came out through the keyhole to me. But the younger woman

was evidently impatient, for she rose and said:--

"When do they sail with the girl, Sally?"

"They're gone, my dear. They went at ten to-night."

At this news my heart began to throb painfully.

"They weren't long about it," said the younger girl.

"That Nikola's not long about anything," remarked the old woman.

"I hope Pipa Lannu will agree with her health--the stuck-up minx--I do!"

the younger remarked spitefully. "Now where's the money he said I was to

have. Give it to me and let me be off. I shall get the sack if this is

found out."

"It was five pound I was to give yer, wasn't it?" the elder woman said.

"Ten," said the younger sharply. "No larks, Sally. I know too much for

you!"

"Oh, you know a lot, honey, don't you? Of course you'd be expected to

know more than old Aunt Sally, who's never seen anything at all,

wouldn't you? Go along with you!"

"Hand me over the money, I say, and let me be off!"

"Of course you do know a lot more, don't you? There's a pound!"

While they were wrangling over the payment I crept down the passage

again to the front door. Once I had reached it, I opened it softly and

went out, closing it carefully behind me. Then I took to my heels and

ran down the street in the direction I had come. Inquiring my way here

and there from policemen, I eventually reached home, scaled the wall,

and went across the garden to the morning-room window. This I opened,

and by its help made my way into the house and upstairs. As I had

expected that he would have gone to bed, my astonishment was

considerable at meeting Mr. Wetherell on the landing.

"Well, what have you discovered?" he asked anxiously as I came up to

him.

"Information of the greatest importance," I answered; "but one other

thing first. Call up your housekeeper, and tell her you have reason to

believe that one of the maids is not in the house. Warn her not to

mention you in the matter, but to discharge the girl before breakfast.

By the time you've done that I'll have changed my things and be ready to

tell you everything."

"I'll go and rouse her at once; I'm all impatience to know what you have

discovered."

He left me and passed through the green baize door to the servants'

wing; while I went to my bedroom and changed my things. This done, I

passed into the study, where I found a meal awaiting me. To this I did

ample justice, for my long walk and the excitement of the evening had

given me an unusual appetite.

Just as I was cutting myself a third slice of beef Mr. Wetherell

returned, and informed me that the housekeeper was on the alert, and

would receive the girl on her reappearance.

"Now tell me of your doings," said the old gentleman.

I thereupon narrated all that had occurred, and when I had finished, he

said:--

"Do you believe then that my poor girl has been carried off by Nikola to

this island called Pipa Lannu?"

"I do."

"Well, then, what are we to do to rescue her? Shall, I ask the

Government to send a gunboat down?"

"If you think it best; but, for my own part, I must own I should act

independently of them. You don't want to make a big sensation, I

presume; and remember, to arrest Nikola would be to open the whole

affair."

"Then what do you propose?"

"I propose," I answered, "that we charter a small schooner, fit her out,

select half a dozen trustworthy and silent men, and then take our

departure for Pipa Lannu. I am well acquainted with the island, and,

what's more, I hold a master's certificate. We would sail in after dark,

arm all our party thoroughly, and go ashore. I expect they will be

keeping your daughter a prisoner in a hut. If that is so, we will

surround it and rescue her without any trouble, and, what is better

still, without any public scandal. What do you think?"

"I quite agree with what you say. I think it's an excellent idea; and,

while you've been speaking, I too have been thinking of something.

There's my old friend McMurtough, who has a nice steam yacht. I'm sure

he'd be willing to let us have the use of her."

"Where does he live?--far from here?"

"His office would be best; we'll go over and see him directly after

breakfast if you like."

"By all means. Now I think I'll go and take a little nap; I feel quite

worn out. When the Inspector arrives you will be able to explain all

that has happened; but I think I should ask him to keep a quiet tongue

in his head about the island. If it leaks out at all, it may warn them,

and they'll be off elsewhere--to a place perhaps where we may not be

able to find them."

"I'll remember," said Mr. Wetherell, and thereupon I retired to my room,

and, having partially undressed, threw myself upon my bed. In less than

two minutes I was fast asleep, never waking until the first gong sounded

for breakfast; then, after a good bath, which refreshed me wonderfully,

I dressed in my usual habiliments, and went downstairs. Mr. Wetherell

and the Marquis were in the dining-room, and when I entered both he and

the Marquis, who held a copy of the _Sydney Morning Herald_ in his hand,

seemed prodigiously excited.

"I say, Mr. Hatteras," said the latter (after I had said

"Good-morning"), "here's an advertisement which is evidently intended

for you!"

"What is it about?" I asked. "Who wants to advertise for me?"

"Read for yourself," said the Marquis, giving me the paper.

I took it, and glanced down the column to which he referred me until I

came to the following:--

"Richard Hatteras.--If this should meet the eye of Mr. Richard Hatteras,

of Thursday Island, Torres Straits, lately returned from England, and

believed to be now in Sydney; he is earnestly requested to call at the

office of Messrs. Dawson & Gladman, Solicitors, Castlereagh Street,

where he will hear of something to his advantage."

There could be no doubt at all that I was the person referred to; but

what could be the reason of it all? What was there that I could possibly

hear to my advantage, save news of Phyllis, and it would be most

unlikely that I would learn anything about the movements of the gang who

had abducted her from a firm of first-class solicitors such as I

understood Messrs. Dawson & Gladman to be. However, it was no use

wondering about it, so I dismissed the matter from my mind for the

present, and took my place at the table. In the middle of the meal the

butler left the room, in response to a ring at the front door. When he

returned, it was to inform me that a man was in the hall, who wished to

have a few moments' conversation with me. Asking Mr. Wetherell to excuse

me, I left the room.

In the hall I found a seedy-looking individual of about middle age. He

bowed, and on learning that my name was Hatteras, asked if he might be

permitted five minutes alone with me. In response, I led him to the

morning-room, and having closed the door, pointed to a seat. "What is

your business?" I inquired, when he had sat down.

"It is rather a curious affair to approach, Mr. Hatteras," the man

began. "But to commence, may I be permitted to suggest that you are

uneasy in your mind about a person who has disappeared?"

"You may certainly suggest that, if you like," I answered cautiously.

"If it were in a man's power to furnish a clue regarding that person's

whereabouts, it might be useful to you, I suppose," he continued,

craftily watching me out of the corners of his eyes.

"Very useful," I replied. "Are you in a position to do so?"

"I might possibly be able to afford you some slight assistance," he went

on. "That is, of course, provided it were made worth my while."

"What do you call 'worth your while'?"

"Well, shall we say five hundred pounds? That's not a large sum for

really trustworthy information. I ought to ask a thousand, considering

the danger I'm running in mixing myself up with the affair. Only I'm a

father myself, and that's why I do it."

"I see. Well, let me tell you, I consider five hundred too much."

"Well then I'm afraid we can't trade. I'm sorry."

"So am I. But I'm not going to buy a pig in a poke."

"Shall we say four hundred, then?"

"No. Nor three--two, or one. If your information is worth anything, I

don't mind giving you fifty pounds for it. But I won't give a halfpenny

more."

As I spoke, I rose as if to terminate the interview. Instantly my

visitor adopted a different tone.

"My fault is my generosity," he said. "It's the ruin of me. Well, you

shall have it for fifty. Give me the money, and I'll tell you."

"By no means," I answered. "I must hear the information first. Trust to

my honour. If what you tell me is worth anything, I'll give you fifty

pounds for it. Now what is it?"

"Well, sir, to begin with, you must understand that I was standing at

the corner of Pitt Street an evening or two back, when two men passed me

talking earnestly together. One of 'em was a tall strapping fellow, the

other a little chap. I never saw two eviller looking rascals in my life.

Just as they came alongside me, one says to the other, 'Don't be afraid;

I'll have the girl at the station all right at eight o'clock sharp.' The

other said something that I could not catch, and then I lost sight of

them. But what I had heard stuck in my head, and so I accordingly went

off to the station, arriving there a little before the hour. I hadn't

been there long before the smallest of the two chaps I'd seen in the

street came on to the platform, and began looking about him. By the face

of him he didn't seem at all pleased at not finding the other man

waiting for him. A train drew up at the platform, and presently, just

before it started, I saw the other and a young lady wearing a heavy veil

come quickly along. The first man saw them, and gave a little cry of

delight. 'I thought you'd be too late,' says he. 'No fear of that,' says

the other, and jumps into a first-class carriage, telling the girl to

get in after him, which she does, crying the while, as I could see. Then

the chap on the platform says to the other who was leaning out of the

window, 'Write to me from Bourke, and tell me how she gets on.' 'You

bet,' says his friend. 'And don't you forget to keep your eye on

Hatteras.' 'Don't you be afraid,' answered the man on the platform. Then

the guard whistled, and the train went out of the station. Directly I

was able to I got away, and first thing this morning came on here. Now

you have my information, and I'll trouble you for that fifty pound."

"Not so fast, my friend. Your story seems very good, but I want to ask a

few questions first. Had the bigger man--the man who went up to Bourke,

a deep cut over his left eye?"

"Now I come to think of it, he had. I'd forgotten to tell you that."

"So it was he, then? But are you certain it was Miss Wetherell? Remember

she wore a veil. Could you see if her hair was flaxen in colour?"

"Very light it was; but I couldn't see rightly which colour it was."

"You're sure it was a light colour?"

"Quite sure. I could swear to it in a court of law if you wanted me to."

"That's all right then, because it shows me your story is a fabrication.

Come, get out of this house or I'll throw you out. You scoundrel, for

two pins I'd give you such a thrashing as you'd remember all your life!"

"None o' that, governor. Don't you try it on. Hand us over that fifty

quid."

With that the scoundrel whipped out a revolver and pointed it at me. But

before he could threaten again I had got hold of his wrist with one

hand, snatched the pistol with the other, and sent him sprawling on his

back upon the carpet.

"Now, you brute," I cried, "what am I going to do with you, do you

think? Get up and clear out of the house before I take my boot to you."

He got up and began to brush his clothes.

"I want my fifty pound," he cried.

"You'll get more than you want if you come here again," I said. "Out you

go!"

With that I got him by the collar and dragged him out of the room across

the hall, much to the butler's astonishment, through the front door, and

then kicked him down the steps. He fell in a heap on the gravel.

"All right, my fine bloke," he said as he lay there; "you wait till I

get you outside. I'll fix you up, and don't you make no mistake."

I went back to the dining-room without paying any attention to his

threats. Both Mr. Wetherell and Beckenham had been witnesses of what had

occurred, and now they questioned me concerning his visit. I gave them

an outline of the story the man had told me and convinced them of its

absurdity. Then Mr. Wetherell rose to his feet.

"Now shall we go and see McMurtough?"

"Certainly," I said; "I'll be ready as soon as you are."

"You will come with us, I hope, Lord Beckenham?" Wetherell said.

"With every pleasure," answered his lordship, and thereupon we went off

to get ready.

Three-quarters of an hour later we were sitting in Mr. McMurtough's

office. The upshot of the interview was that Mr. McMurtough fell in with

our plans as soon as we had uttered them, and expressed himself

delighted to lend his yacht in such a good cause.

"I only wish I could come with you," he said; "but unfortunately that is

quite impossible. However, you are more than welcome to my boat. I will

give you a letter, or send one to the Captain, so that she may be

prepared for sea to-day. Will you see about provisioning her, or shall

I?"

"We will attend to that," said Wetherell. "All the expenses must of

course be mine."

"As you please about that, my old friend," returned McMurtough.

"Where is she lying?" asked Wetherell.

The owner gave us the direction, and then having sincerely thanked him,

we set off in search of her. She was a nice craft of about a hundred and

fifty tons burden, and looked as if she ought to be a good sea boat.

Chartering a wherry, we were pulled off to her. The captain was below

when we arrived, but a hail brought him on deck. Mr. Wetherell then

explained our errand, and gave him his owner's letter. He read it

through, and having done so, said--

"I am at your service, gentlemen. From what Mr. McMurtough says here I

gather that there is no time to lose, so with your permission I'll get

to work at once."

"Order all the coal you want, and tell the steward to do the same for

anything he may require in his department. The bills must be sent in to

me."

"Very good, Mr. Wetherell. And what time will you be ready?"

"As soon as you are. Can you get away by three o'clock this afternoon,

think you?"

"Well, it will be a bit of a scramble, but I think we can manage it.

Anyhow, I'll do my best, you may be sure of that, sir."

"I'm sure you will. There is grave need for it. Now we'll go back and

arrange a few matters ashore. My man shall bring our baggage down later

on."

"Very good, sir. I'll have your berths prepared."

With that we descended to the boat again, and were pulled ashore.

Arriving there, Mr. Wetherell asked what we should do first.

"Hadn't we better go up to the town and purchase a few rifles and some

ammunition?" I said. "We can have them sent down direct to the boat."

"A very good suggestion. Let us go at once."

We accordingly set off for George Street--to a shop I remembered having

seen. There we purchased half a dozen Winchester repeaters, with a good

supply of ammunition. They were to be sent down to the yacht without

fail that morning. This done, we stood on the pavement debating what we

should do next. Finally it was decided that Mr. Wetherell and Beckenham

should go home to pack, while I made one or two other small purchases,

and then join them. Accordingly, bidding them good-bye, I went on down

the street, completed my business, and was about to hail a cab and

follow them, when a thought struck me: Why should I not visit Messrs.

Dawson & Gladman, and find out why they were advertising for me? This I

determined to do, and accordingly set off for Castlereagh Street.

In a small room leading off the main passage, three clerks were seated.

To them I addressed myself, asking if I might see the partners.

"Mr. Dawson is the only one in town, sir," said the boy to whom I spoke.

"If you'll give me your name, I'll take it in to him."

"My name is Hatteras," I said. "Mr. Richard Hatteras."

In less than two minutes the clerk returned, and begged me to follow

him, which I did. At the end of a long passage we passed through a

curtained doorway, and I stood in the presence of the chief partner.

"I have great pleasure in making your acquaintance, Mr. Hatteras," he

said, as I came to an anchor in a chair. "You noticed our advertisement,

I presume?"

"I saw it this morning," I answered. "And it is on that account I am

here."

"One moment before we proceed any further. Forgive what I am about to

say--but you will see yourself that it is a point I am compelled not to

neglect. Can you convince me as to your identity?"

"Very easily," I replied, diving my hand into my breast-pocket and

taking out some papers. "First and foremost, here is my bank-book. Here

is my card-case. And here are two or three letters addressed to me by

London and Sydney firms. The Hon. Sylvester Wetherell, Colonial

Secretary, will be glad, I'm sure, to vouch for me. Is that sufficient

to convince you?"

"More than sufficient," he answered, smiling. "Now let me tell you for

what purpose we desired you to call upon us." Here he opened a drawer

and took out a letter. "First and foremost, you must understand that we

are the Sydney agents of Messrs, Atwin, Dobbs & Forsyth, of Furnival's

Inn, London. From them, by the last English mail, we received this

letter. I gather that you are the son of James Dymoke Hatteras, who was

drowned at sea in the year 1880?"

"I am."

"Your father was the third son of Sir Edward Hatteras of Murdlestone, in

the county of Hampshire?"

"He was."

"And the brother of Sir William, who had one daughter, Gwendoline Mary?"

"That is so."

"Well, Mr. Hatteras, it is my sad duty to inform you that within a week

of your departure from England your cousin, the young lady just referred

to, was drowned by accident in a pond near her home, and that her

father, who had been ailing for some few days, died of heart disease on

hearing the sad tidings. In that case, so my correspondents inform me,

there being no nearer issue, you succeed to the title and estates--which

I also learn are of considerable value, including the house and park,

ten farms, and a large amount of house property, a rent roll of fifteen

thousand a year, and accumulated capital of nearly a hundred thousand

pounds."

"Good gracious! Is this really true?"

"Quite true. You can examine the letter for yourself."

I took it up from the table and read it through, hardly able to believe

my eyes.

"You are indeed a man to be envied, Mr. Hatteras," said the lawyer. "The

title is an old one, and I believe the property is considered one of the

best in that part of England."

"It is! But I can hardly believe that it is really mine."

"There is no doubt about that, however. You are a baronet as certainly

as I am a lawyer. I presume you would like us to take whatever action is

necessary?"

"By all means. This afternoon I am leaving Sydney, for a week or two,

for the Islands. I will sign any papers when I come back."

"I will bear that in mind. And your address in Sydney is----"

"Care of the Honourable Sylvester Wetherell, Potts Point."

"Thank you. And, by the way, my correspondents have desired me on their

behalf to pay in to your account at the Oceania the sum of five thousand

pounds. This I will do to-day."

"I am obliged to you. Now I think I must be going. To tell the truth, I

hardly know whether I am standing on my head or my heels."

"Oh, you will soon get over that."

"Good-morning."

"Good-morning, Sir Richard."

With that, I bade him farewell, and went out of the office, feeling

quite dazed by my good fortune. I thought of the poor idiot whose end

had been so tragic, and of the old man as I had last seen him, shaking

his fist at me from the window of the house. And to think that that

lovely home was mine, and that I was a baronet, the principal

representative of a race as old as any in the country-side! It seemed

too wonderful to be true!

Hearty were the congratulations showered upon me at Potts Point, you may

be sure, when I told my tale, and my health was drunk at lunch with much

goodwill. But our minds were too much taken up with the arrangements for

our departure that afternoon to allow us to think very much of anything

else. By two o'clock we were ready to leave the house, by half-past we

were on board the yacht, at three-fifteen the anchor was up, and a few

moments later we were ploughing our way down the harbour.

Our search for Phyllis had reached another stage.

CHAPTER V

THE ISLANDS, AND WHAT WE FOUND THERE

To those who have had no experience of the South Pacific the constantly

recurring beauties of our voyage would have seemed like a foretaste of

Heaven itself. From Sydney, until the Loyalty Group lay behind us, we

had one long spell of exquisite weather. By night under the winking

stars, and by day in the warm sunlight, our trim little craft ploughed

her way across smooth seas, and our only occupation was to promenade or

loaf about the decks and to speculate as to the result of the expedition

upon which we had embarked.

Having sighted the Isle of Pines we turned our bows almost due north and

headed for the New Hebrides. Every hour our impatience was growing

greater. In less than two days, all being well, we should be at our

destination, and twenty-four hours after that, if our fortune proved in

the ascendant, we ought to be on our way back with Phyllis in our

possession once more. And what this would mean to me I can only leave

you to guess.

One morning, just as the faint outline of the coast of Aneityum was

peering up over the horizon ahead, Wetherell and I chanced to be sitting

in the bows. The sea was as smooth as glass, and the tinkling of the

water round the little vessel's nose as she turned it off in snowy lines

from either bow, was the only sound to be heard. As usual the

conversation, after wandering into other topics, came back to the

subject nearest our hearts. This led us to make a few remarks anent

Nikola and his character. I could not help asking him for an

explanation.

"You want to know how it is that I am so frightened of Nikola?" he

asked. "Well, to give you my reason will necessitate my telling you a

story. I don't mind doing that at all, but what I am afraid of is that

you may be inclined to doubt its probability. However, if you want to

hear it you shall."

"I should like to above all things," I replied. "I have been longing to

ask you about it for some time past, but could not quite screw up my

courage."

"Well, in the first place," Mr. Wetherell said, "you must understand

that before I became a Minister of the Crown, or indeed a Member of

Parliament at all, I was a barrister with a fairly remunerative

practice. That was before my wife's death and when Phyllis was at

school. Up to the time I am going to tell you about I had taken part in

no very sensational case. But my opportunity for earning notoriety was,

though I did not know it, near at hand. One day I was briefed to defend

a man accused of the murder of a Chinaman aboard a Sydney vessel on a

voyage from Shanghai. At first there seemed to be no doubt at all as to

his guilt, but by a singular chance, with the details of which I will

not bore you, I hit upon a scheme which got him off. I remember the man

perfectly, and a queer fellow he was, half-witted, I thought, and at the

time of the trial within an ace of dying of consumption. His gratitude

was the more pathetic because he had not the wherewithal to pay me.

However, he made it up to me in another way.

"One wet night, a couple of months or so after the trial, I was sitting

in my drawing-room listening to my wife's music, when a servant entered

to tell me that a woman wanted to see me. I went out into the passage to

find waiting there a tall buxom lass of about five-and-twenty years of

age. She was poorly dressed, but in a great state of excitement.

"'Are you Mr. Wetherell?' she said; 'the gentleman as defended China

Pete in the trial the other day?'

"'I am,' I answered. 'What can I do for you? I hope China Pete is not in

trouble again?'

"'He's in a worse trouble this time, sir,' said the woman. 'He's dyin',

and he sent me to fetch you to 'im before he goes.'

"'But what does he want me for?' I asked rather suspiciously.

"'I'm sure I dunno,' was the girl's reply. 'But he's been callin' for

you all this blessed day: "Send for Mr. Wetherell! send for Mr.

Wetherell!" So off I came, when I got back from work, to fetch you. If

you're comin', sir, you'd best be quick, for he won't last till

mornin'.'

"'Very well, I'll come with you at once,' I said. Then, having told my

wife not to sit up for me, I followed my strange messenger out of the

house.

"For nearly an hour we walked on and on, plunging deeper into the lower

quarter of the town. All through the march my guide maintained a rigid

silence, walking a few paces ahead, and only recognizing the fact that I

was following her by nodding in a certain direction whenever we arrived

at cross thoroughfares or interlacing lanes.

"At last we arrived at the street she wanted. At the corner she came

suddenly to a standstill, and putting her two first fingers into her

mouth blew a shrill whistle, after the fashion of street boys. A moment

later a shock-headed urchin about ten years old made his appearance from

a dark alley and came towards us. The woman said something to him, which

I did not catch, and then turning sharply to her left hand beckoned to

me to follow her.

"From the street itself we passed, by way of a villainous alley, into a

large courtyard, where brooded a silence like that of death. Indeed, a

more weird and desolate place I don't remember ever to have met with.

Not a soul was to be seen, and though it was surrounded by houses, only

two feeble lights showed themselves. Towards one of these my guide made

her way, stopping on the threshold. Upon a panel she rapped with her

fingers, and as she did so a window on the first floor opened, and the

boy we had met in the street looked out.

"'How many?' inquired the woman, who had brought me, in a loud whisper.

"'None now,' replied the boy; 'but there's been a power of Chinkies

hereabouts all the evenin', an' 'arf an hour ago there was a gent in a

cloak.'

"Without waiting to hear any more the woman entered the house and I

followed close on her heels. The adventure was clearly coming to a head

now.

"When the door had been closed behind us the boy appeared at the top of

a flight of stairs with a lighted candle. We accordingly ascended to

him, and having done so made our way towards a door at the end of the

abominably dirty landing. At intervals I could hear the sound of

coughing coming from a room at the end. My companion, however, bade me

stop, while she went herself into the room, shutting the door after her.

I was left alone with the boy, who immediately took me under his

protection, and for my undivided benefit performed a series of highly

meritorious acrobatic performances upon the feeble banisters, to his own

danger, but apparent satisfaction. Suddenly, just as he was about to

commence what promised to be the most successful item in his

_repertoire_, he paused, lay flat on his stomach upon the floor, and

craned his head over the side, where once banisters had been, and gazed

into the half dark well below. All was quiet as the grave. Then, without

warning, an almond-eyed, pigtailed head appeared on the stairs and

looked upwards. Before I could say anything to stop him, the youth had

divested himself of his one slipper, taken it in his right hand, leaned

over a bit farther, and struck the ascending Celestial a severe blow on

the mouth with the heel of it. There was the noise of a hasty descent

and the banging of the street door a moment later, then all was still

again, and the youngster turned to me.

"'That was Ah Chong,' he said confidentially. 'He's the sixth Chinkie

I've landed that way since dark.'

"This important piece of information he closed with a double-jointed

oath of remarkable atrocity, and, having done so, would have recommenced

the performance of acrobatic feats had I not stopped him by asking the

reason of his action. He looked at me with a grin,--

"'I dunno, but all I cares is that China Pete in there gives me a sprat

(sixpence) for every Chinkie what I keeps out of the 'ouse. He's a rum

one is China Pete; an' can't he cough--my word!" he concluded.

"I was about to put another question when the door opened and the girl

who had brought me to the house beckoned me into the room. I entered and

she left me alone with the occupant.

"Of all the filthy places I have ever seen--and I have had the ill-luck

to discover a good many in my time--that one eclipsed them all. On the

bed, propped up by pillows and evidently in the last stage of collapse,

was the man called China Pete. When we were alone together he pointed to

a box near the bed and signified that I should seat myself. I did so, at

the same time taking occasion to express my sorrow at finding him in

this lamentable condition. He made no reply to my civilities, but after

a little pause found strength enough to whisper. 'See if there's anybody

at the door.' I went across, opened the door and looked into the

passage, but save the boy, who was now sitting on the top step of the

stairs at the other end, there was not a soul in sight. I told him this,

and having again closed the door, sat down on the box and waited for him

to speak.

"'You did me a good turn, Mr. Wetherell, over that trial,' the invalid

said at last, 'and I couldn't make it worth your while.'

"'Oh, you mustn't let that worry you,' I answered soothingly. 'You would

have paid me if you had been able.'

"'Perhaps I should, perhaps I shouldn't, anyhow I didn't, and I want to

make it up to you now. Feel under my pillow and bring out what you find

there.'

"I did as he directed me and brought to light a queer little wooden

stick about three and a half inches long, made of some heavy timber and

covered all over with Chinese inscriptions; at one end was a tiny bit of

heavy gold cord much tarnished. I gave it to him and he looked at it

fondly.

"'Do you know the value of this little stick?' he asked after a while.

"'I have no possible notion,' I replied.

"'Make a guess,' he said.

"To humour him I guessed five pounds. He laughed with scorn.

"'Five pounds! O ye gods! Why, as a bit of stick it's not worth five

pence, but for what it really is there is not money enough in the world

to purchase it. If I could get about again I would make myself the

richest and most powerful man on earth with it. If you could only guess

one particle of the dangers I've been through to get it you would die of

astonishment. And the irony of it all is that now I've got it I can't

make use of it. On six different occasions the priests of the Llamaserai

in Peking have tried to murder me to get hold of it. I brought it down

from the centre of China disguised as a wandering beggar. That business

connected with the murder of the Chinaman on board the ship, against

which you defended me, was on account of it. And now I lie here dying

like a dog, with the key to over ten millions in my hand. Nikola has

tried for five years to obtain it, without success however. He little

dreams I've got it after all. If he did I'd be a dead man by now.'

"'Who is this Nikola then?' I asked.

"'Dr. Nikola? Well, he's Nikola, and that's all I can tell you. If

you're a wise man you'll want to know no more. Ask the Chinese mothers

nursing their almond-eyed spawn in Peking who he is; ask the Japanese,

ask the Malays, the Hindoos, the Burmese, the coal porters in Port Said,

the Buddhist priests of Ceylon; ask the King of Corea, the men up in

Thibet, the Spanish priests in Manilla, or the Sultan of Borneo, the

ministers of Siam, or the French in Saigon--they'll all know Dr. Nikola

and his cat, and, take my word, they fear him.'

"I looked at the little stick in my hand and wondered if the man had

gone mad.

"'What do you wish me to do with this?' I asked.

"'Take it away with you,' he answered, 'and guard it like your life, and

when you have occasion, use it. Remember you have in your hand what will

raise a million men and the equivalent of over ten mil----'

"At this point a violent fit of coughing seized him and nearly tore him

to pieces. I lifted him up a little in the bed, but before I could take

my hands away a stream of blood had gushed from his lips. Like a flash

of thought I ran to the door to call the girl, the boy on the stairs

re-echoed my shout, and in less time than it takes to tell the woman was

in the room. But we were too late--_China Pete was dead_.

"After giving her all the money I had about me to pay for the funeral, I

bade her good-bye, and with the little stick in my pocket returned to my

home. Once there I sat myself down in my study, took my legacy out of my

pocket and carefully examined it. As to its peculiar power and value, as

described to me by the dead man, I hardly knew what to think. My own

private opinion was that China Pete was not sane at the time he told me.

And yet, how was I to account for the affray with the Chinaman on the

boat, and the evident desire the Celestials in Sydney had to obtain

information concerning it? After half an hour's consideration of it I

locked it up in a drawer of my safe and went upstairs to bed.

"Next day China Pete was buried, and by the end of the month I had

well-nigh forgotten that he had ever existed, and had hardly thought of

his queer little gift, which still reposed in the upper drawer of my

safe. But I was to hear more of it later on.

"One night, about a month after my coming into possession of the stick,

my wife and I entertained a few friends at dinner.

"As the clock struck eleven I said good-night to the last of my guests

upon the door-step. The carriage had not gone fifty yards down the

street before a hansom drew up before my door and a man dressed in a

heavy cloak jumped out. Bidding the driver wait for him he ran up my

steps.

"'Mr. Wetherell, I believe?' he said. I nodded and wished him

'good-evening,' at the same time asking his business.

"'I will tell you with pleasure,' he answered, 'if you will permit me

five minutes alone with you. It is most important, and as I leave Sydney

early to-morrow morning you will see that there is not much time to

spare.'

"I led the way into the house and to my study, which was in the rear,

overlooking the garden. Once there I bade him be seated, taking up my

position at my desk.

"Then, in the light of the lamp, I became aware of the extraordinary

personality of my visitor. He looked at me very searchingly for a moment

and then said: 'My business will surprise you a little I expect, Mr.

Wetherell. First, if you will allow me I will tell you something about

myself and then ask you a question. You must understand that I am pretty

well known as an Eastern traveller; from Port Said to the Kuriles there

is hardly a place with which I am not acquainted. I have a hobby. I am a

collector of Eastern curios, but there is one thing I have never been

able to obtain.'

"'And that is?'

"'A Chinese executioner's symbol of office.'

"'But how can I help you in that direction?' I asked, completely

mystified.

"'By selling me one that has lately come into your possession,' he said.

'It is a little black stick, about three inches long and covered with

Chinese characters. I happened to hear, quite by chance, that you had

one in your possession, and I have taken a journey of some thousands of

miles to endeavour to purchase it from you.'

"I went across to the safe, unlocked it, and took out the little stick

China Pete had given me. When I turned round I almost dropped it with

surprise as I saw the look of eagerness that rose in my visitor's face.

But he pulled himself together and said, as calmly as he had yet

addressed me:

"'That is the very thing. If you will allow me to purchase it, it will

complete my collection. What value do you place upon it?'

"'I have no sort of notion of its worth,' I answered, putting it down on

the table and looking at it. Then in a flash a thought came into my

brain, and I was about to speak when he addressed me again.

"'Of course my reason for wishing to buy it is rather a hare-brained

one, but if you care to let me have it I will give you fifty pounds for

it with pleasure.'

"'Not enough, Dr. Nikola,' I said with a smile.

"He jumped as if he had been shot, and then clasped his hands tight on

the arm of his chair. My random bolt had gone straight to the heart of

the bulls-eye. This man then _was_ Dr. Nikola, the extraordinary

individual against whom China Pete had warned me. I was determined now

that, come what might, he should not have the stick.

"'Do you not consider the offer I make you a good one then, Mr.

Wetherell?' he asked.

"'I'm sorry to say I don't think the stick is for sale,' I answered. 'It

was left to me by a man in return for a queer sort of service I rendered

him, and I think I should like to keep it as a souvenir.'

"'I will raise my offer to a hundred pounds in that case,' said Nikola.

"'I would rather not part with it,' I said, and as I spoke, as if to

clinch the matter, I took it up and returned it to the safe, taking care

to lock the door upon it.

"'I will give you five hundred pounds for it,' cried Nikola, now

thoroughly excited. 'Surely that will tempt you?'

'I'm afraid an offer of ten times that amount would make no difference,'

I replied, feeling more convinced than ever that I would not part with

it.

"He laid himself back in his chair, and for nearly a minute and a half

stared me full in the face. You have seen Nikola's eyes, so I needn't

tell you what a queer effect they are able to produce. I could not

withdraw mine from them, and I felt that if I did not make an effort I

should soon be mesmerized. So, pulling myself together, I sprang from my

chair, and, by doing so, let him see that our interview was at an end.

However, he was not going without a last attempt to drive a bargain.

When he saw that I was not to be moved his temper gave way, and he

bluntly told me that I would _have_ to sell it.

"'There is no compulsion in the matter,' I said warmly. 'The curio is my

own property, and I will do just as I please with it.'

"He thereupon begged my pardon, asked me to attribute his impatience to

the collector's eagerness, and after a few last words bade me

'good-night,' and left the house.

"When his cab had rolled away I went back to my study and sat thinking

for awhile. Then something prompted me to take the stick out from the

safe. I did so, and sat at my table gazing at it, wondering what the

mystery might be to which it was the key. That it was not what Dr.

Nikola had described it I felt certain.

"At the end of half an hour I put it in my pocket, intending to take it

upstairs to show my wife, locked the safe again and went off to my

dressing-room. When I had described the interview and shown the stick to

my wife I placed it in the drawer of the looking-glass and went to bed.

"Next morning, about three o'clock, I was awakened by the sound of some

one knocking violently at my door. I jumped out of bed and inquired who

it might be. To my intense surprise the answer was 'Police!' I therefore

donned my dressing-gown, and went out to find a sergeant of police on

the landing waiting for me.

"'What is the matter?' I cried.

"'A burglar!' was his answer. 'We've got him downstairs; caught him in

the act.'

"I followed the officer down to the study. What a scene was there! The

safe had been forced, and its contents lay scattered in every direction.

One drawer of my writing-table was wide open, and in a corner,

handcuffed, and guarded by a stalwart constable, stood a Chinaman.

"Well, to make a long story short, the man was tried, and after denying

all knowledge of Nikola--who, by the way, could not be found--was

convicted, and sentenced to five years' hard labour. For a month I heard

no more about the curio. Then a letter arrived from an English solicitor

in Shanghai, demanding from me, on behalf of a Chinaman residing in that

place, a little wooden stick covered with Chinese characters, which was

said to have been stolen by an Englishman, known in Shanghai as China

Pete. This was very clearly another attempt on Nikola's part to obtain

possession of it, so I replied to the effect that I could not entertain

the request.

"A month or so later--I cannot, however, be particular as to the exact

date--I found myself again in communication with Nikola, this time from

South America. But there was this difference this time: he used

undisguised threats, not only against myself, in the event of my still

refusing to give him what he wanted, but also against my wife and

daughter. I took no notice, with the result that my residence was again

broken into, but still without success. Now I no longer locked the

talisman up in the safe, but hid it in a place where I knew no one could

possibly find it. My mind, you will see, was perfectly made up; I was

not going to be driven into surrendering it.

"One night, a month after my wife's death, returning to my house I was

garrotted and searched within a hundred yards of my own front door, but

my assailants could not find it on me. Then peculiar pressure from other

quarters was brought to bear; my servants were bribed, and my life

became almost a burden to me. What was more, I began to develop that

extraordinary fear of Nikola which seems to seize upon every one who has

any dealings with him. When I went home to England some months back, I

did it because my spirits had got into such a depressed state that I

could not remain in Australia. But I took care to deposit the stick with

my plate in the bank before I left. There it remained till I returned,

when I put it back in its old hiding-place again.

"The day after I reached London I happened to be crossing Trafalgar

Square. Believing that I had left him at least ten thousand miles away,

you may imagine my horror when I saw Dr. Nikola watching me from the

other side of the road. Then and there I returned to my hotel, bade

Phyllis pack with all possible despatch, and that same afternoon we

started to return to Australia. The rest you know. Now what do you think

of it all?"

"It's an extraordinary story. Where is the stick at the present moment?"

"In my pocket. Would you like to see it?"

"Very much, if you would permit me to do so."

He unbuttoned his coat, and from a carefully contrived pocket under the

arm drew out a little piece of wood of exactly the length and shape he

had described. I took it from him and gazed at it carefully. It was

covered all over with Chinese writing, and had a piece of gold silk

attached to the handle. There was nothing very remarkable about it; but

I must own I was strangely fascinated by it when I remembered the misery

it had caused, the changes and chances it had brought about, the weird

story told by China Pete, and the efforts that had been made by Nikola

to obtain possession of it. I gave it back to its owner, and then stood

looking out over the smooth sea, wondering where Phyllis was and what

she was doing. Nikola, when I met him, would have a heavy account to

settle with me, and if my darling reported any further cruelty on his

part I would show no mercy. But why had Mr. Wetherell brought the curio

with him now? I put the question.

"For one very good reason," he answered. "If it is the stick Nikola is

after, as I have every right to suppose, he may demand it as a ransom

for my girl, and I am quite willing to let him have it. The wretched

thing has caused sufficient misery to make me only too glad to be rid of

it."

"I hope, however, we shall be able to get her without giving it up," I

said. "Now let us go aft to lunch."

The day following we were within a hundred miles of our destination, and

by mid-day of the day following that again were near enough to render it

advisable to hold a council over our intended movements. Accordingly, a

little before lunch time the Marquis, Wetherell, the skipper and myself,

met under the after awning to consider our plan of war.

"The first matter to be taken into consideration, I think, Mr.

Wetherell," said the skipper, "is the point as to which side of the

island we shall bring up on."

"You will be able to settle that," answered Wetherell, looking at me.

"You are acquainted with the place, and can best advise us."

"I will do so to the best of my ability," I said, sitting down on the

deck and drawing an outline with a piece of chalk. "The island is shaped

like this. There is no reef. Here is the best anchorage, without doubt,

but here is the point where we shall be most likely to approach without

being observed. The trend of the land is all upward from the shore, and,

as far as I remember, the most likely spot for a hut, if they are

detaining Miss Wetherell there, as we suppose, will be on a little

plateau looking south, and hard by the only water on the island."

"And what sort of anchorage shall we get there, do you think?" asked the

skipper, who very properly wished to run no risk with his owner's boat.

"Mostly coral. None too good, perhaps, but as we shall have steam up,

quite safe enough."

"And how do you propose that we shall reach the hut when we land?"

"I have been thinking that out," I said, "and I have come to the

conclusion that the best plan would be for us to approach the island

after dark, to heave to about three miles out and pull ashore in the

boat. We will then ascend the hill by the eastern slope and descend upon

them. They will probably not expect us from that quarter, and it will at

least be easier than climbing the hill in the face of a heavy fire. What

do you say?"

They all agreed that it seemed practicable.

"Very good then," said the skipper, "we'll have lunch, and afterwards

begin our preparations." Then turning to me, "I'll get you to come into

my cabin, Mr. Hatteras, by-and-by and take a look at the Admiralty

chart, if you will. You will be able probably to tell me if you think it

can be relied on."

"I'll do so with pleasure," I answered, and then we went below.

Directly our meal was over I accompanied the skipper to look at the

chart, and upon it we marked our anchorage. Then an adjournment was made

aft, and our equipment of rifles and revolvers thoroughly overhauled. We

had decided earlier that our landing party should consist of eight

men--Wetherell, Beckenham, the mate of the yacht, myself, and four of

the crew, each of whom would be supplied with a Winchester repeating

rifle, a revolver, and a dozen cartridges. Not a shot was to be fired,

however, unless absolutely necessary, and the greatest care was to be

taken in order to approach the hut, if possible, without disturbing its

inmates.

When the arms had been distributed and carefully examined, the sixteen

foot surf-boat was uncovered and preparations made for hoisting her

overboard. By the time this was done it was late in the afternoon, and

almost soon enough for us to be thinking about overcoming the distance

which separated us from our destination.

About dusk I was standing aft, leaning against the taff-rail, when

Beckenham came up and stood beside me. It was wonderful what a

difference these few months had made in him; he was now as brown as a

berry, and as fine-looking a young fellow as any man could wish to see.

"We shall be picking up the island directly," I said as he came to an

anchor alongside me. "Do you think you ought to go to-night? Remember

you will run the risk of being shot!"

"I have thought of that," he said. "I believe it's my duty to do my best

to help you and Mr. Wetherell."

"But what would your father say if he knew?"

"He would say that I only did what was right. I have just been writing

to him, telling him everything. If anything _should_ happen to me you

will find the letter on the chest of drawers in your cabin. I know you

will send it on to him. But if we both come out of it safely and rescue

Miss Wetherell I'm going to ask a favour."

"Granted before I know what it is!"

"It isn't a very big one. I want you to let me be your best man at your

wedding?"

"So you shall. And a better I could not possibly desire."

"I like to hear you say that. We've been through a good deal together

since we left Europe, haven't we?"

"We have, and to-night will bring it to a climax, or I'm much mistaken."

"Do you think Nikola will show fight?"

"Not a doubt about it I should think. If he finds himself cornered he'll

probably fight like a demon."

"It's Baxter I want to meet."

"Nikola is my man. I've a big grudge against him, and I want to pay it."

"How little we thought when we were cruising about Bournemouth Bay

together that within such a short space of time we should be sailing the

South Pacific on such an errand! It seems almost too strange to be

possible."

"So it does! All's well that ends well, however. Let's hope we're going

to be successful to-night. Now I'm going on the bridge to see if I can

pick the land up ahead."

I left him and went forward to the captain's side. Dusk had quite fallen

by this time, rendering it impossible to see very far ahead. A hand had

been posted in the fore-rigging as a look-out, and every moment we

expected to hear his warning cry; but nearly an hour passed, and still

it did not come.

Then suddenly the shout rang out, "Land ahead!" and we knew that our

destination was in sight. Long before this all our lights had been

obscured, and so, in the darkness--for a thick pall of cloud covered the

sky--we crept up towards the coast. Within a couple of minutes of

hearing the hail every man on board was on deck gazing in the direction

in which we were proceeding.

By tea time we had brought the land considerably nearer, and by eight

o'clock were within three miles of it. Not a sign, however, of any craft

could we discover, and the greatest vigilance had to be exercised on our

part to allow no sign to escape us to show our whereabouts to those

ashore. Exactly at nine o'clock the shore party, fully armed, assembled

on deck, and the surf-boat was swung overboard. Then in the darkness we

crept down the gangway and took our places. The mate was in possession

of the tiller, and when all was ready we set off for the shore.

CHAPTER VI

CONCLUSION

Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land,

the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general

shadow. Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the

grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in

the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks. For nearly

half an hour we pulled on, pausing at intervals to listen, but nothing

of an alarming nature met our ears. The island was every moment growing

larger, the beach more plain to the eye, and the hill more clearly

defined.

As soon as the boat grounded we sprang out and, leaving one hand to look

after her, made our way ashore. It was a strange experience that landing

on a strange beach on such an errand and at such an hour, but we were

all too much taken up with the work which lay before us to think of

that. Having left the water's edge we came to a standstill beneath a

group of palms and discussed the situation. As the command of the

expedition had fallen upon me I decided upon the following course of

action: To begin with, I would leave the party behind me and set out by

myself to ascertain the whereabouts of the hut. Having discovered this I

would return, and we would thereupon make our way inland and endeavour

to capture it. I explained the idea in as few words as possible to my

followers, and then, bidding them wait for me where they were, at the

same time warning them against letting their presence be discovered, I

set off up the hill in the direction I knew the plateau to lie. The

undergrowth was very thick and the ground rocky; for this reason it was

nearly twenty minutes before I readied the top of the hill. Then down

the other side I crept, picking my way carefully, and taking infinite

precautions that no noise should serve to warn our foes of my coming.

At last I reached the plateau and looked about me. A small perpendicular

cliff, some sixty feet in height, was before me, so throwing myself down

upon my stomach, I wriggled my way to its edge. When I got there I

looked over and discovered three well-built huts on a little plateau at

the cliff's base. At the same moment a roar of laughter greeted my ears

from the building on the left. It was followed by the voice of a man

singing to the accompaniment of a banjo. Under cover of his music I rose

to my feet and crept back through the bushes, by the track along which I

had come. I knew enough to distribute my forces now.

Having reached my friends again I informed them of what I had seen, and

we then arranged the mode of attack as follows: The mate of the yacht,

with two of the hands, would pass round the hill to the left of the

plateau, Wetherell and another couple of men would take the right side,

while Beckenham and myself crept down from the back. Not a sound was to

be made or a shot fired until I blew my whistle. Then, with one last

word of caution, we started on our climb.

By this time the clouds had cleared off the sky and the stars shone

brightly. Once more I arrived at the small precipice behind the huts,

and, having done so, sat down for a few moments to give the other

parties time to take up their positions. Then, signing to Beckenham to

accompany me, I followed the trend of the precipice along till I

discovered a place where we might descend in safety. In less than a

minute we were on the plateau below, creeping towards the centre hut.

Still our approach was undetected. Bidding Beckenham in a whisper wait

for me, I crept cautiously round to the front, keeping as much as

possible in the shadow. As soon as I had found the door, I tiptoed

towards it and prepared to force my way inside but I had an adventure in

store for me which I had not anticipated.

Seated in the doorway, almost hidden in the shadow, was the figure of a

man. He must have been asleep, for he did not become aware of my

presence until I was within a foot of him. Then he sprang to his feet

and was about to give the alarm. Before he could do so, however, I was

upon him. A desperate hand-to-hand struggle followed, in which I fought

solely for his throat. This once obtained I tightened my fingers upon it

and squeezed until he fell back unconscious. It was like a horrible

nightmare, that combat without noise in the dark entry of the hut, and I

was more than thankful that it ended so satisfactorily for me. As soon

as I had disentangled myself, I rose to my feet and proceeded across his

body into the hut itself. A swing door led from the porch, and this I

pushed open.

"Who is it, and what do you want?" said a voice which I should have

recognized anywhere.

In answer I took Phyllis in my arms and, whispering my name, kissed her

over and over again. She uttered a little cry of astonishment and

delight. Then, bidding her step quietly, I passed out into the

starlight, leading her after me. As we were about to make for the path

by which I had descended, Beckenham stepped forward, and at the same

instant the man with whom I had been wrestling came to his senses and

gave a shout of alarm. In an instant there was a noise of scurrying feet

and a great shouting of orders.

"Make for the boats!" I cried at the top of my voice, and, taking

Phyllis by the hand, set off as quickly as I could go up the path,

Beckenham assisting her on the other side.

If I live to be a hundred I shall never forget that rush up the hill. In

and out of trees and bushes, scratching ourselves and tearing our

clothes, we dashed; conscious only of the necessity for speed. Before we

were half-way down the other side Phyllis's strength was quite

exhausted, so I took her in my arms and carried her the remainder of the

distance. At last we reached the boat and jumped on board. The rest of

the party were already there, and the word being given we prepared to

row out to the yacht. But before we could push off a painful surprise

was in store for us. The Marquis, who had been counting the party,

cried: "_Where is Mr. Wetherell?_"

We looked round upon each other, and surely enough the old gentleman was

missing. Discovering this, Phyllis nearly gave way, and implored us to

go back at once to find him. But having rescued her with so much

difficulty I did not wish to run any risk of letting her fall into her

enemies' hands again; so selecting four volunteers from the party, I

bade the rest pull the boat out to the yacht and give Miss Wetherell

into the captain's charge, while the others accompanied me ashore again

in search of her father. Having done this the boat was to return and

wait for us.

Quickly we splashed our way back to the beach, and then, plunging into

the undergrowth, began our search for the missing man. As we did not

know where to search, it was like looking for a needle in a bundle of

hay, but presently one of the hands remembered having seen him

descending the hill, so we devoted our attentions to that side. For

nearly two hours we toiled up and down, but without success. Not a sign

of the old gentleman was to be seen. Could he have mistaken his way and

be even now searching for us on another beach? To make sure of this we

set off and thoroughly searched the two bays in the direction he would

most likely have taken. But still without success. Perhaps he had been

captured and carried back to the huts? In that case we had better

proceed thither and try to rescue him. This, however, was a much more

serious undertaking, and you may imagine it was with considerable care

that we approached the plateau again.

When we reached it the huts were as quiet as when I had first made their

acquaintance. Not a sound came up to the top of the little precipice

save the rustling of the wind in the palms at its foot. It seemed

difficult to believe that there had been such a tumult on the spot so

short a time before.

Again with infinite care we crept down to the buildings, this time,

however, without encountering a soul. The first was empty, so was the

second, and so was the third. This result was quite unexpected, and

rendered the situation even more mysterious than before.

By the time we had thoroughly explored the plateau and its surroundings

it was nearly daylight, and still we had discovered no trace of the

missing man. Just as the sun rose above the sea line we descended the

hill again and commenced a second search along the beach, with no better

luck, however, than on the previous occasion. Wetherell and our

assailants seemed to have completely disappeared from the island.

About six o'clock, thoroughly worn out, we returned to the spot where

the boat was waiting for us. What was to be done? We could not for

obvious reasons leave the island and abandon the old gentleman to his

fate, and yet it seemed useless to remain there looking for him, when he

might have been spirited away elsewhere.

Suddenly one of the crew, who had been loitering behind, came into view

waving something in his hand. As he approached we could see that it was

a sheet of paper, and when he gave it into my hands I read as follows:--

_"If you cross the island to the north beach you will find a small cliff

in which is a large cave, a little above high-water mark. There you will

discover the man for whom you are searching."_

There was no signature to this epistle, and the writing was quite

unfamiliar to me, but I had no reason to doubt its authenticity.

"Where did you discover this?" I inquired of the man who had brought it.

"Fastened to one of them prickly bushes up on the beach there, sir," he

answered.

"Well, the only thing for us to do now is to set off to the north shore

and hunt for the cave. Two of you had better take the boat back to the

yacht and ask the captain to follow us round."

As soon as the boat was under weigh we picked up our rifles and set off

for the north beach. It was swelteringly hot by this time, and, as may

be imagined, we were all dead tired after our long night's work.

However, the men knew they would be amply rewarded if we could effect

the rescue of the man for whom we had been searching, so they pushed on.

At last we turned the cape and entered the bay which constituted the

north end of the island. It was not a large beach on this side, but it

had, at its western end, a curious line of small cliffs, in the centre

of which a small black spot could be discerned looking remarkably like

the entrance to a cave. Towards this we pressed, forgetting our

weariness in the excitement of the search.

It _was_ a cave, and a large one. So far the letter was correct.

Preparing ourselves, in case of surprise, we approached the entrance,

calling Mr. Wetherell's name. As our shouts died away a voice came out

in answer, and thereupon we rushed in.

A remarkable sight met our eyes. In the centre of the cave was a stout

upright post, some six or eight feet in height, and securely tied to

this was the Colonial Secretary of New South Wales.

In less time almost than it takes to tell, we had cast loose the ropes

which bound him, and led him, for he was too weak to stand alone, out

into the open air. While he was resting he inquired after his daughter,

and having learned that she was safe, gave us the following explanation.

Addressing himself to me he said:

"When you cried 'Make for the boats,' I ran up the hill with the others

as fast as I could go; but I'm an old man and could not get along as

quickly as I wanted to, and for this reason was soon left far behind. I

must have been half-way down the hill when a tall man, dressed in white,

stepped out from behind a bush, and raising a rifle bade me come to a

standstill. Having no time to lift my own weapon I was obliged to do as

he ordered me, and he thereupon told me to lay down my weapon and

right-about face. In this fashion I was marched back to the huts we had

just left, and then, another man having joined my captor, was conducted

across the island to this beach, where a boat was in waiting. In it I

was pulled out to a small schooner lying at anchor in the bay and

ordered to board her; five minutes later I was conducted to the saloon.

"'Good-evening, Mr. Wetherell. This is indeed a pleasure,' said a man

sitting at the farther end of the table. He was playing with a big black

cat, and directly I heard his voice I knew that I was in the presence of

Dr. Nikola.

"'And how do you think I am going to punish you, my friend, for giving

me all this trouble?' he said when I made no reply to his first remark.

"'You dare not do anything to me,' I answered. 'I demand that you let me

go this instant. I have a big score to settle with you.'

"'If you will be warned by me you will cease to demand,' he answered,

his eyes the while burning like coals. 'You are an obstinate man, but

though you have put me to so much trouble and expense I will forgive you

and come to terms with you. Now listen to me. If you will give me----'

"At that moment the little vessel gave a heavy roll, and in trying to

keep my footing on the sloping deck I fell over upon the table. As I did

so the little Chinese stick slipped out of my pocket and went rolling

along directly into Nikola's hands. He sprang forward and seized it, and

you may imagine his delight. With a cry of triumph that made the cat

leap from his shoulder, he turned to a tall man by his side and said:

"'I've got it at last! Now let a boat's crew take this man ashore and

tie him to the stake in the cave. Then devise some means of acquainting

his friends of his whereabouts. Be quick, for we sail in an hour.'

Having given these orders he turned to me again and said:

"'Mr. Wetherell, this is the last transaction we shall probably ever

have together. All things considered, you are lucky in escaping so

easily. It would have saved you a good deal if you had complied with my

request at first. However, all's well that ends well, and I congratulate

you upon your charming daughter. Now, good-bye; in an hour I am off to

effect a _coup_ with this stick, the magnitude of which you would never

dream. One last word of advice: pause a second time, I entreat, before

you think of baulking Dr. Nikola.'

"I was going to reply, when I was twisted round and led up on deck,

where that scoundrel Baxter had the impudence to make me a low bow. In

less than a quarter of an hour I was fastened to the post in that cave.

The rest you know. Now let us get on board; I see the boat is

approaching."

As soon as the surf-boat had drawn up on the beach we embarked and were

pulled out to the yacht. In a few moments we were on deck, and Phyllis

was in her father's arms again. By mid-day the island had disappeared

under the sea line, and by nightfall we were well on our way back to

Sydney.

That evening, after dinner, Phyllis and I patrolled the deck together,

and finally came to a standstill aft. It was as beautiful an evening as

any man or woman could desire. All round us was the glassy sea, rising

and falling as if asleep, while overhead the tropic stars shone down

with their wonderful brilliance.

"Phyllis," I said, taking my darling's hand in mine and looking into her

face, "what a series of adventures we have both passed through since

that afternoon I first saw you in the Domain! Do you know that your

father has at last consented to our marriage?"

"I do. And as it is to you, Dick, I owe my rescue," she said, coming a

little closer to me, "he could do nothing else; you have a perfect right

to me."

"I have, and I mean to assert it!" I answered. "If I had not found you,

I should never have been happy again."

"But, Dick, there is one thing I don't at all understand. At dinner this

evening the captain addressed you as Sir Richard. What does that mean?"

"Why, of course you have not heard!" I cried. "Well, I think it means

that though I cannot make you a marchioness, I can make you a baronet's

wife. It remains with you to say whether you will be Lady Hatteras or

not." Then I explained how I had inherited the title and estates.

Her only reply was to kiss me softly on the cheek.

She had scarcely done so before her father and Beckenham came along the

deck.

"Now, Phyllis," said the former, leading her to a seat, "supposing you

give us the history of your adventures. Remember we have heard nothing

yet."

"Very well. Where shall I begin? At the moment I left the house for the

ball? Very good. Well, you must know that when I arrived at Government

House I met Mrs. Mayford--the lady who had promised to chaperone me--in

the cloak-room, and we passed into the ball-room together. I danced the

first dance with Captain Hackworth, one of the _aides_, and engaged

myself for the fourth to the Marquis of Beckenham."

"The sham Marquis, unfortunately," put in the real one.

"It proved to be unfortunate for me also," continued Phyllis. "As it was

a square we sat it out in the ante-room leading off the drawing-room,

and while we were there the young gentleman did me the honour of

proposing to me. It was terribly embarrassing for me, but I allowed him

to see, as unmistakably as possible, that I could give him no

encouragement, and, as the introduction to the next waltz started, we

parted the best of friends. About half an hour later, just as I was

going to dance the lancers, Mrs. Mayford came towards me and drew me

into the drawing-room. Mr. Baxter, his lordship's tutor, was with her,

and I noticed that they both looked supernaturally grave.

"'What is the matter?' I asked, becoming alarmed by her face.

"'My dear,' said she, 'you must be brave. I have come to tell you that

your father has been taken ill, and has sent for you.'

"'Papa ill!' I cried. 'Oh, I must go home to him at once'

"'I have taken the liberty of facilitating that,' said Mr. Baxter, 'by

ordering the servants to call up your carriage, which is now waiting for

you at the door. If you will allow me, I will conduct you to it?'

"I apologized to my partner for being compelled to leave him, and then

went to the cloak-room. As soon as I was ready I accompanied Mr. Baxter

to the door, where the brougham was waiting. Without looking at the

coachman I got in, at the same time thanking my escort for his kindness.

He shut the door and cried 'Home' to the coachman. Next moment we were

spinning down the drive.

"As I was far too much occupied thinking of you, papa, I did not notice

the direction we were taking, and it was not until the carriage stopped

before a house in a back street that I realized that something was

wrong. Then the door was opened, and a gentleman in evening dress begged

me to alight. I did so, almost without thinking what I was doing.

"'I am sorry to say your father is not at all well, Miss Wetherell,'

said the person who helped me out. 'If you will be good enough to step

into my house I will let the nurse take you to him.'

"Like a person in a dream I followed him into the dwelling.

"'Where is my father? and how is it that he is here?' I cried, beginning

to get frightened.

"'You will know all when you see him,' said my companion, throwing open

the door of a bedroom. I went in, and that door was also shut upon me.

Then I turned and faced the man."

"What was he like?" cried Wetherell.

"He was the man you were telling us about at dinner--Dr. Nikola."

"Ah! And then?"

"He politely but firmly informed me that I was his prisoner, and that

until you gave up something he had for years been trying to obtain he

would be compelled to detain me. I threatened, entreated, and finally

wept, but he was not to be moved. He promised that no effort should be

spared to make me comfortable, but he could not let me go until you had

complied with his request. So I was kept there until late one night,

when I was informed that I must be ready to leave the house. A brougham

was at the door and in this, securely guarded, I was conducted to the

harbour, where a boat was in waiting. In this we were rowed out to a

schooner, and I was placed on board her. A comfortably furnished cabin

was allotted to me, and everything I could possibly want was given me.

But though the greatest consideration in all other matters was shown me,

I could gather nothing of where we were going or what my fate was to be,

nor could I discover any means of communicating with the shore. About

midnight we got under weigh and commenced our voyage. Our destination

was the island where you found me."

"And how did Nikola treat you during the voyage and your stay on Pipa

Lannu?" I asked.

"With invariable courtesy," she replied. "A more admirable host no one

could desire. I had but to express a wish, and it was instantly

gratified. When we were clear of the land I was allowed on deck; my

meals were served to me in a cabin adjoining my own, and a stewardess

had been specially engaged to wait upon me. As far as my own treatment

went, I have nothing to complain of. But oh, you can't tell how thankful

I was to get away; I imagined all sorts of horrors."

"Well, God be thanked, it's all done with now," I said earnestly.

"And what is more," said Wetherell, "you have won one of the best

husbands in the world. Mr. Hatteras, your hand, sir; Phyllis, my

darling, yours! God bless you both."

A week later the eventful voyage was over, and we were back in Sydney

again.

Then came our marriage. But, with your kind permission, I will only give

you a very bare description of that. It took place at the cathedral, the

Primate officiating. The Marquis of Beckenham was kind enough to act as

my best man, while the Colonial Secretary, of course, gave his daughter

away.

But now I come to think of it, there is one point I _must_ touch upon in

connexion with that happy occasion, and that was the arrival of an

important present on the evening prior to the event.

We were sitting in the drawing-room when the butler brought in a square

parcel on a salver and handed it to Phyllis. "Another present, I

expect," she said, and began to untie the string that bound it.

When the first cover was removed a layer of tissue paper revealed

itself, and after that a large Russia leather case came into view. On

pressing the spring the cover lifted and revealed a superb _collet_--as

I believe it is called--of diamonds, and resting against the lid a small

card bearing this inscription:--

_"With heartiest congratulations and best wishes to Lady Hatteras,

in memory of an unfortunate detention and a voyage to the Southern

Seas,_

_"From her sincere admirer,_

_"Dr. Nikola."_

What do you think of that?

Well, to bring my long story to a close, the Great Event passed off with

much _éclat_. We spent our honeymoon in the Blue Mountains, and a

fortnight later sailed once more for England in the _Orizaba_. Both Mr.

Wetherell--who has now resigned office--and the Marquis of Beckenham,

who is as manly a fellow as you would meet anywhere in England,

accompanied us home, and it was to the latter's seaside residence that

we went immediately on our arrival in the mother country. My own New

Forest residence is being thoroughly renovated, and will be ready for

occupation in the spring.

And now as to the other persons who have figured most prominently in my

narrative. Of Nikola, Baxter, Eastover, or Prendergast I have never

heard since. What gigantic _coup_ the first-named intends to accomplish

with the little Chinese stick, the possession of which proved so fatal

to Wetherell, is beyond my power to tell. I am only too thankful,

however, that I am able to say that I am not in the least concerned in

it. I am afraid of Nikola, and I confess it. And with this honest

expression of my feelings, and my thanks for your attention and

forbearance, I will beg your permission to ring the curtain down upon

the narrative of my BID FOR FORTUNE.

THE END