It was in truth the Sea Witch, and in order to understand how she
appeared off Hope Island so early that morning we must go back a few
hours in our story.
We left Judd and Mr. Avery standing upon the forward deck of the tug
Thetis not far from five o'clock the evening before. The tug was off
Beaver Tail, and had just sighted and begun her chase after the
retreating sloop. The wind was a strong one from the southwest, and the
Sea Witch was so rapid a sailer that at six o'clock the tug, though
running at a high rate of speed, had not gained over a half-mile upon
her. At seven o'clock they were still a mile apart, and it was now
evident that before the tug could overhaul her darkness would have
closed around.
Lest the suspicion of the burglars might be aroused, Mr. Avery had
requested Captain Bradley to keep the tug a point or two off of the
exact course of the sloop; so it happened that while the Sea Witch was
steadily working up toward the east shore of Buzzard's Bay the Thetis
was on a course that would have carried her into Vineyard Sound. But
Cuttyhunk Island was now just ahead, and the tug must soon alter her
course or she would lose sight of the sloop.
Captain Bradley was about to give the necessary orders to effect this
change, when a movement on the part of the Sea Witch caused him to alter
his purpose. Her helm had been thrown up, and swinging to the right,
she ran directly into Chuttyhunk Island.
"The rascals are going to hold on there to-night," said the captain as
he watched the sloop's course, "or else hold up to a later hour, and
then run into the main shore and separate. But whatever their purpose,
we have got them. I know like a book the cove they have entered, and
we'll keep up the east side of the island and land some one to watch
their movements. Before morning I'll promise to bag the whole gang."
A few minutes after the Thetis ran in under the east shore of Cuttyhunk,
and a boat landed the captain, Mr. Avery and Judd. Slowly and
cautiously, under the lead of the stalwart captain, they made their way
across to the west side. Here they found a little cove, and close
inshore, and sheltered by its curving arms, lay the Sea Witch at anchor.
A light was in her cabin, and a boat with two men in it was just pushing
off from her side.
"We are just in time, and may learn something to our advantage,"
whispered the captain, as he drew his companions back into the shelter
of a clump of trees.
The boat from the sloop landed almost directly opposite the concealed
men, and the two robbers jumped out and pulled it farther up the beach.
"There," said one, "that will stay there until we come back. The
captain said we would find the water down here to the right. Take the
bucket and come on."
The man addressed took a pail from the boat and followed the speaker
down the shore.
"That proves that the leader of the gang is acquainted with this cove,
and their coming here was intentional," remarked Captain Bradley in an
undertone as the men disappeared. "Fifty yards to the south is a small
spring, but a man must have been here before to know of it. So much
then we have learned, and we may get some more important facts out of
these fellows before they go back to the sloop."
Soon the men came back to their boat, one bringing the bucket of water,
and the other an armful of dead sticks he had gathered up. Putting
their burdens into the boat, they sat down upon the bow, filled their
pipes, and lighting them began to smoke, evidently in no hurry to
depart.
"I say, Tom," said one of them in a moment, "do you suppose we are going
to get out of this scrape all right?" and there was apprehension in his
voice.
"Oh! I think so," carelessly answered the other. "I see no reason to
believe we are even suspected; and to-morrow we will run down in the
neighborhood of Hyannis, wait until after dark, then scuttle the sloop,
and separate. From different stations in that vicinity we can work into
Boston, and once there, dispose of the booty, divide up, and be off to
some other part of the country for another job. It's a good, stiff haul
we've made this time; a cool thousand apiece."
"That is Bagsley," Judd said to his companions in a suppressed whisper.
The burglars finished their smoke without any further conversation that
was of special value to the listeners, and then pushed off the boat and
went back to the sloop.
As soon as they were out of hearing Judd turned to Captain Bradley and
asked:
"Couldn't we bring your yawl across to this cove, captain?"
"I think so. What then?" he asked, with interest.
"Well, then let us go back to the tug and give your men orders to bring
her around to this side of the island, and lie in wait off the southern
point of the cove. Then we will return to the shore in the yawl, bring
it over here, and wait until the burglars are quiet for the night. At
the proper time we will go silently off to the sloop, shut down her
hatch, give the tug the signal to come on, and boat and men are ours."
Mr. Avery and the captain discussed the plan at some length. It would
involve hard work, but would offer two special advantages: They would
approach the sloop from a quarter that danger would be the least
suspected, and hence the chances of success would be materially
strengthened. Again, in case of discovery, a force would be on both the
sea and the land side of the Sea Witch, and the burglars would be less
likely to escape. With a little change in the details, Judd's
suggestion was adopted.
The captain went back to the tug and gave orders for her to go around to
the other side of the island; he then returned to the shore, and under
the united efforts of the trio the yawl was carried over to the cove and
safely launched there. Then the lad was sent down to the southern point
to watch for the arrival of the tug. When a light was flashed three
times in succession from her starboard quarter he was to know that she
was in readiness and waiting only for a return signal to steam down into
the cove. Going back with this information to Mr. Avery and Captain
Bradley, the boat was then to be shoved off and the visit to the sloop
made.
Judd reached the point safely and began his watch. A half-hour passed,
and then through the darkness he saw the light of the tug for a brief
moment as she rounded the southern end of Cuttyhunk and came due north.
She came slowly, that as little sound as possible might escape her, and
another half-hour elapsed before he received the signal. Then every
light about the vessel suddenly went out, and the most watchful observer
would not have suspected she was lying in wait there.
Rising from the ground, Judd swiftly but noiselessly went along the
shore toward the place where his companions were waiting for his return.
He had nearly reached the spot where he thought the boat ought to be,
when a dark form rose up suddenly before him.
"Captain," he exclaimed, in a low tone.
"Yes," was the reply, and Captain Bradley stepped along to his side. "I
thought you were long in coming," he then explained, "and so had started
to look you up."
"Has there been any movement on the part of the burglars?" the lad
asked, as they now went on to the boat, where they found Mr. Avery.
"None," replied the captain. "We occasionally hear sounds of laughter,
and think they are all in the cabin, and the question arises whether we
had better go off at once or wait until all is quiet on the sloop."
"They will be likely to set a watch later," said Judd quickly. "If we
can run off now and get under the starboard side of the sloop without
being discovered, I will agree to shut down the hatch and fasten it
before a single one can escape. We shall then have them at a
disadvantage, and can compel them to come out one by one, and disarm and
bind them."
"Well, we will try it," was the decision of his companions, and the boat
was pushed off and slowly sculled by Captain Bradley toward the sloop.
Mr. Avery sat amidships, while Judd occupied the extreme bow. All had
their revolvers in readiness and were alert for the very first
indication that they had been discovered.
Silently the boat approached the sloop, which swung bow toward it. In
and under the shadow cast even in the darkness by her bow the yawl
swiftly shot, and then stopped. The voices of the burglars could be
distinctly heard, and they were evidently making the night ring with
their songs and laughter. Sounds of drinking and feasting suggested,
also, that they were still at their supper. No one was on deck, and no
thought of capture had apparently come to the robbers' minds.
Again the yawl moved silently forward, and paused under the starboard
quarter of the sloop, and just adjacent to her cabin. Judd knew his
time for action had come, and he arose and braced himself for it.
The opening into the cabin was for convenience and ventilation made in
two parts--one upright, the other horizontal. The upright portion was a
door, and swung upon hinges from the starboard side of the cabin toward
its larboard end. The horizontal part was a sliding hatch at the top of
the cabin, and to close it, it had to be shoved toward the stern-end of
the cabin, directly over the upright, where it fastened down into its
place with an iron clamp. Both swinging door and sliding hatch were
made of solid wood, and when closed and fastened could not easily be
opened from the inside of the cabin.
All this Judd knew; and he was, moreover, at the one point where he
could reach both parts that were to be closed without himself being
seen. For a brief moment he steadied himself on the bow of the yawl;
then laying one hand on the rail of the sloop, he jumped lightly on
board. His weight swayed the craft somewhat, but before the burglars,
surprised at the sudden lurch, could spring even to their feet, he had
reached the opening. In an instant his left hand swung-to the upright
door and his right hand shoved the slide into place; down came the clamp
with a jerk; the iron bar was thrust into the socket, and all was secure
before the burglars had recovered from their first shock of surprise.
Loud curses now followed, and heavy blows were struck upon the closed
door. Then a voice cried:
"Open that hatch, or we'll fire through it!" and the click of a revolver
was heard.
"Two can play at that game, my hearties," rang out the voice of the
stalwart captain as he sprung on board, followed by Mr. Avery.
Then he drew his revolver and fired twice in the air. It was the signal
for the tug to approach.
These movements on the part of the captors were not without their effect
on the imprisoned men. A silence suddenly fell upon them, broken at
length by the leader of the gang asking:
"Who are you, and what do you mean by closing us up in here? You will
find it is a joke we will not stand."
"And you will find it is no joke at all," responded Mr. Avery, promptly.
"I am an officer in pursuit of you on three or four charges, the last
and least of which is running away with this sloop. We have a tug close
at hand, and outnumber you in men and weapons, as well as in the
advantage of situation. So I advise you to keep perfectly quiet."
The sound of the approaching tug was plainly discernible, to confirm his
words, and silence again fell on the discomfited burglars.
"We are in Massachusetts waters; how dare you trouble us?" one of the
men, after awhile, called out.
"I believe a man has a right to his property wherever he finds it,"
responded Mr. Avery, coolly; "and one of the owners of this sloop is on
board now. We are just going to hitch on to the craft, at his request,
and tow her home. It is your misfortune to be in her just at this time,
but we cannot stop now to let you get off. As to your arrest, we'll see
to that when we are in Rhode Island waters."
The tug had now come alongside of the captured vessel, and her anchor
was weighed and she was lashed to the larger boat, so that a passage
from one to the other could be easily made. Then the word was given,
and the Thetis steamed rapidly off on her return.
When out so far from land that any escape of the prisoners was
impossible, the door of the sloop's cabin was unfastened, and the men
were ordered out one lay one. Bagsley and the leader of the gang showed
a little disposition to fight at first, but when their three comrades
yielded they evidently thought discretion the better part of valor, and
sullenly obeyed.
Each one, as he came out, was disarmed and bound; then all were returned
to the cabin of the sloop. Bagsley, when he first caught sight of Judd
Floyd, seemed to think that he was Budd Boyd, but learned his mistake at
once when he was questioned as to Budd's whereabouts, and angrily
refused to tell. One of his companions, however, revealed that the lad
had been left bound on Patience Island, and Mr. Avery consented, at
Judd's urgent request, to visit the island early in the morning and
release Budd.
At midnight, or a little after, the Thetis was in Newport. A strong
guard was placed over the captured men, and Mr. Avery and Judd took
possession of two of the tug's bunks, and slept soundly until early
morning. Then a breakfast was furnished the prisoners one by one, after
which they were again bound securely and replaced in the cabin of the
sloop. Mr. Avery drew his check for one hundred dollars and gave it to
Captain Bradley; then he and Judd entered the sloop and set sail for
Patience Island.
As they came out of the east passage they saw a boat with a single
occupant crossing over from Prudence Island toward the south end of
Hope, and the moment it turned and was pulled rapidly for the latter
Judd suspected who the occupant was. When a little nearer, he was sure
it was Budd, whom he was seeking, and who had in some way escaped from
his bonds; so he sent forth the three yells that he knew his partner
would recognize, and which caused him to turn about, and with both
surprise and joy come on to meet the approaching sloop; a surprise and
joy that was destined to merge into a feeling of triumph when he learned
what and whom the sloop contained.