A NOTABLE EXPEDITION
The position of the Chateaugay was accurately laid down on the chart
fifty miles to the westward of Spears Hill, which is about the
geographical centre of the Bermuda Islands. Captain Chantor had invited
his two passengers to his cabin for a conference in relation to the
proposed enterprise, after the observations had been worked up at noon,
on the fourth day after the departure from New York.
"Now, Mr. Gilfleur, if you will indicate the precise point at which you
desire to put off in your boat, I will have the ship there at the time
you require," said the captain, who had drawn a rough sketch of the
islands, and dotted upon it the points he mentioned in his statement.
"Of course you do not wish the ship to be seen from the islands,"
suggested the detective.
"Certainly not; for if the Dornoch is in port at St. George's that would
be warning her to avoid us in coming out, and she might escape by
standing off to the northward," replied the commander. "Besides, there
might be fishing-craft or other small vessels off the island that would
report the ship if she were seen. It is not advisable to go any nearer
to the islands till after dark. We will show no lights as we approach
your destination."
"How near Gibbs Hill light can you go with safety in the darkness,
Captain?" asked Mr. Gilfleur.
"I should not care to go nearer than ten miles; we could not be seen
from the shore at that distance, but we might be seen by some small
craft."
"That will do very well; and if you will make a point ten miles
south-west of Gibbs Hills light, I shall be exactly suited," added the
detective, as he made a small cross on the sketch near the place where
he desired to embark in the boat.
The conference was finished, and the two passengers went on deck to
inspect the craft which was to convey them to the islands. By order of
the commander the carpenter had overhauled the boat and made such
repairs as were needed. Every open seam had been calked, and a heavy
coat of paint had been put upon it. The sailmaker had attended to the
jib and mainsail, and everything was in excellent condition for the trip
to the shore.
"Is this the same boat that you used when you were in the Bermudas, Mr.
Gilfleur?" asked Christy, as they were examining the work which had been
done on the craft, its spars and sails.
"Oh, no; it was six years ago that I spent the winter in the islands. I
found this boat under a shed on a wharf in New York. It had been picked
up near the Great Abaco in the Bahama Islands by a three-master, on her
voyage from the West Indies," replied Mr. Gilfleur. "When I had formed
my plan of operations in the vicinity of Nassau, in order to obtain the
information the government desired, I bought this boat. When picked up,
the boat had her spars, sails, oars, water-breakers, and other articles
carefully stowed away on board of her; and it appeared as though she had
broken adrift from her moorings, or had been carried away by a rising
tide from some beach where those in charge of her had landed. I happened
to find the captain of the vessel that brought the boat to New York; and
he made me pay roundly for her, so that he got well rewarded for his
trouble in picking it up."
The Chateaugay stood due south till six o'clock at little more than half
speed, and when she came about her dead reckoning indicated that she was
seventy-five miles to the south-west of Gibbs Hill light. The weather
was very favorable for the proposed enterprise, with a moderate breeze
from the west. Mr. Gilfleur did not wish to leave the ship till after
midnight, for all he desired was to get inside the outer reefs before
daylight. The speed of the ship was regulated to carry out this idea.
The light so frequently mentioned in the conference is three hundred and
sixty-two feet above the sea level, for it is built on the highest point
of land in the south of the Bermudas, and could be seen at a distance of
thirty miles. At three bells in the first watch the light was reported
by the lookout, and the speed was reduced somewhat.
About this time the detective came out of his stateroom, and entered
that of Christy. He had smeared his face with a brownish tint, which
made him look as though he had been long exposed to the sun of the
tropics. He was dressed in a suit of coarse material, though it was not
the garb of a sailor. He had used the scissors on his long black
mustache, and given it a snarly and unkempt appearance. Christy would
not have known him if he had met him on shore.
"You look like another man," said he, laughing.
"A French detective has to learn the art of disguising himself; in fact,
he has to be an actor. Perhaps you will not be willing to believe it,
but I have played small parts at the Théâtre Français for over a year,
more to learn the actor's art of making himself up than because I had
any histrionic aspirations. I have worked up a case in the capacity of
an old man of eighty years of age," the detective explained. "When I
recovered the property of your father, stolen at Havre, I played the
part of a dandy, and won the confidence of the stewardess, though I came
very near having to fight a duel with the _voleur_ who was her 'pal' in
the robbery."
"Of course it will not do for me to wear my lieutenant's uniform,"
suggested Christy.
"Not unless you wish to have your head broken by the crews of the
blockade-runners you will find at St. George's," replied the Frenchman
significantly.
"I have some old clothes in my valise," added the lieutenant.
"I don't like the idea of putting you in a humiliating position, Mr.
Passford, but I have not told you all my plans."
"I will take any position you assign to me, for I am now to be a
volunteer in your service."
"I intend to represent myself as a French gentleman of wealth, who has
passed the winter in the Bahama Islands in search of health, and found
it in abundance," said Mr. Gilfleur, with a pleasant smile on his face,
as though he really enjoyed the business in which he was at present
engaged.
"Have you ever been in the Bahamas?" asked Christy.
"All through them, including Nassau. If I had not, I should not have
brought that boat with me. I made a trip in an English steamer from the
Bermudas, which had occasion to visit nearly all the islands; and I
passed about two months of my stay in this region on that cruise,"
replied the detective.
"But how far is it from the Bermudas to the nearest point in the
Bahamas? Will people believe that we came even from the Great Abaco in
an open boat?" inquired Christy. "What is the distance?"
"I estimate it at about seven hundred and fifty miles. That is nothing
for a boat like mine, though I should not care to undertake it in the
hurricane season," replied Mr. Gilfleur. "By the way, we must borrow
some charts of this region from the captain, though only to keep up
appearances."
"You have not told me in what character I am to be your companion,"
suggested Christy.
"As my servant, if you do not rebel at the humiliation of such a
position, though I promise to treat you very kindly, and with all proper
consideration," laughed the Frenchman.
"I have not the slightest objection to the character; and I will
endeavor to discharge my duties with humility and deference," responded
the lieutenant in the same vein.
"Now let me see what sort of a suit you have for your part," added the
detective.
Christy took from his valise a suit he had worn as a subordinate officer
when he was engaged in the capture of the Teaser. It was approved by his
companion, and he dressed himself in this garb.
"But you have been bleached out by your long stay at Bonnydale, and your
complexion needs a little improvement," said Mr. Gilfleur, as he went to
his room for his tints.
On his return he gave to the face of the officer the same sun-browned
hue he had imparted to his own. While he was so employed, he explained
that the tint was a fast color under ordinary circumstances, and in what
manner it could be easily removed, though it would wear off in about a
week.
"Now, you need only a little touching up," continued the detective, when
he had completed the dyeing process. "You will be amazed at the change
produced in the expression of a person by a few touches of paint
skilfully applied," and he proceeded to make the alteration proposed.
When he had finished his work, Christy looked in the glass, and declared
that he should hardly know himself. The preparations were completed, and
the French gentleman and his servant were ready to embark. But it was
only eleven o'clock, and both of them turned in for a nap of a couple of
hours. The captain had retired early in the evening, and the
quartermaster conning the wheel was steering for the light, the
Chateaugay making not more than six knots an hour.
At one o'clock the commander was called, in accordance with his order to
the officer of the watch. He went on deck at once, had the log slate
brought to him, and made some calculations, which resulted in an order
to ring two bells, which meant "Stop her." Then he went to the ward room
himself, and knocked at the doors of his two passengers. Mr. Gilfleur
and Christy sprang from their berths, and the two doors were opened at
once. No toilet was necessary, for both of them had lain down with their
clothes on.
"Pray, who might you be?" demanded the captain, laughing heartily when
the detective showed himself in his new visage and dress. "Can you
inform me what has become of Mr. Gilfleur?"
"He has stepped out for a couple of days, and Monsieur Rubempré has
taken his place," replied the detective.
"And who is this gentleman?" asked Captain Chantor, turning to his other
passenger, who was quite as much changed in appearance.
"Contrary to his usual custom, he does not claim to be a gentleman just
now. This is Christophe, my servant, employed as such only for a couple
of days," answered Monsieur Rubempré.
"All right, Mr. Rubumper! Three bells have just been struck, and the
watch are putting your boat into the water," continued the commander.
"I have directed the steward to fill your breaker with water, and put a
small supply of provisions into the craft. We shall be ready for you in
about half an hour."
"We are all ready at this moment," replied Monsieur Rubempré; for both
of the passengers had agreed to call each other by their assumed names
at once, so as to get accustomed to them, and thus avoid committing
themselves in any moment of excitement.
The detective came out of his room with a valise in his hand, which he
had packed with extreme care, so that nothing should be found in it, in
case of accident, to compromise him. He had superintended the placing of
Christy's clothing in one of his valises. He objected to the initials,
"C. P.," worked on his linen; but the owner had no other, and the
difficulty was compromised by writing the name of "Christophe Poireau"
on a number of pieces of paper and cards, and attaching a tag with this
name upon it to the handle.
Both of them put on plain overcoats, and went on deck, where the boat,
which had the name of Eleuthera painted on the stern, had already been
committed to the waves.