ON THE TRACK.
Brenda Burton was a singularly obstinate young woman. Once she had
decided upon a scheme she never rested until she had carried it
through. And being thus minded toward the affairs of everyday life,
how much more obstinate was she likely to be touching a matter
concerning the safety of her husband. Leaving Mr. Scarse to make his
arrangements--and he had much to do--she herself ascertained full
particulars as to the route, and the cost of the journey.
"We can make for the Canary Islands to-morrow," she told her father.
"There is a Castle liner leaving in the afternoon. There we can pick
up the German boat, _Kaiser Fritz_, which goes on to Delagoa Bay."
"Can't we go straight to the Cape in an English boat and get a steamer
there to the bay?"
"Oh, yes, but the other way will be quicker, I think. The day after we
arrive at the Canaries we can pick up the German boat, and we sha'n't
have to transship at the Cape. I don't think we can do better."
"Well, as you please," said he. "I should like to go in the _Kaiser
Fritz_ myself; it would afford me an excellent opportunity for
learning the true opinions of the Germans about this--to my
thinking--most unjust war."
Brenda shrugged her shoulders. "I dare say they will be disagreeable,"
she said. "They are so jealous of us, and if our country went
to the wall--which she never will do," interpolated she,
patriotically--"Germany would be in a very bad position. She would
not be the overwhelming power she hopes to be with France and Russia
at her heels. But don't let us talk politics. All I want is to make
use of their boat to reach Delagoa Bay. Give me a check, father, and I
will take the passages. To-morrow you must be ready to get as far as
Southampton."
So, like the quick-witted woman she was, she attended to all the
business, and her father found, to his astonishment, that he had
nothing to do but step on board the liner. Lady Jenny Malet came to
see them off. She could do nothing against Van Zwieten at present; but
there was no knowing what he might do at any moment, and they must be
prepared to checkmate him. So she gave Mrs. Burton a registered
address, in case she might have to communicate with her, and did her
best to cheer her.
"I feel sure you will find him all right, dear," she said, as she
kissed the girl. "He is not the man to be shot by a scoundrel like Van
Zwieten. And you can coax Kruger into doing what you want. You are
pretty enough to do what you like with him."
Brenda smiled faintly--the first smile for many day's. "I don't think
that will have much influence with a man like Kruger," she said.
"Nonsense, my dear. He is a man, and men are always susceptible. I'm
sure you have had enough experience of that," sighed Lady Jenny. "All
your troubles have arisen out of that horrid Van Zwieten being in love
with you."
Brenda was not much comforted by this view of the situation. She hoped
rather to move Mr. Kruger by an appeal to his religious convictions,
though these were of the stern cast of the Old Testament. However, it
was in a very hopeful frame of mind that she went on board the liner,
and she cabled to Wilfred at Spearman's Camp telling him that she was
coming out. In the hope of making things as safe as possible for her
husband, she cabled also to Van Zwieten. Surely, when he received
that, he would do nothing at all events, until he had seen and come to
terms with her. What those terms would be she could not guess. But she
imagined they would include a suggestion that she should obtain a
divorce from Harold. He was, as she well knew, quite as obstinate as
his respected President--and with none of his morality or his
religion. In fact, Brenda was going to Pretoria without any sort of
definite idea save one--that somehow or other she would save her
husband from this man. That was her sole object, and achieve it she
would by hook or by crook; and she had every confidence in her own
capacity to outwit the Dutchman, wily as he was. And the days of calm
and peace on board the boat afforded her ample time for conjecture and
reflection. She had grown now to hate this man with a hatred that
would only be appeased by his destruction.
They made a quick run to the islands, and the sea air did her the
world of good. There were many passengers on board; but to no one of
them did she in any way confide. Sad at heart, she kept very much to
herself, and either read or indulged in her own thoughts. Her
father was, socially speaking, anything but popular among his
fellow-passengers. Air his Little England opinions he would, with the
result that the majority of the passengers, having relatives at the
front, gave him a wide berth. He made not a single convert; and all
those whom he tried to argue round to his own way of thinking were
glad enough when he got off at Madeira.
The _Kaiser Fritz_ came up to time and Brenda soon found herself on
the way south. She did not much fancy the foreign boat--officers, crew
and passengers being all pro-Boer to a man. They were polite enough to
the English lady, but they took no trouble to disguise their real
opinions. The captain expressed some surprise that she should be going
to Delagoa Bay, and seemed inclined to suspect some political
significance in her doing so, though it was difficult to see what
grounds he could have had for such an absurd idea. And Mrs. Burton did
not enlighten him, but left the matter to her father. Mr. Scarse
intimated that his daughter was going to Pretoria to nurse her wounded
husband, an explanation which seemed to appeal to the sentimental
Germans. After that they were increasingly polite to her. But she
preferred her own cabin. Her father was more companionable; but even
he found but scant pleasure in their outspoken opinions on the subject
of England, and her inevitable downfall, as they put it. Even he, with
his Little England proclivities, felt his patriotism awake in the most
alarming manner at the way these foreigners jeered and scoffed.
Smarting under the insults, he developed quite a Jingo feeling, much
to his daughter's amusement; and he ended by withdrawing himself as
much as possible from the society of all on board. Father and daughter
were a good deal together, and both looked forward eagerly to the end
of a disagreeable voyage.
One night, when they were south of the Line, they were on deck
together. The heavens were bright with stars, and the great grey
circle of the sea lay round them like a trackless desert. Most of
those on board were down below, and the two had the deck to
themselves. Brenda was disinclined for conversation. Her mind was, as
usual, full of thoughts of her husband, and the only feeling she
seemed cognizant of was one of joy in the thought that every day was
bringing her nearer to him. Mr. Scarse broke the silence.
"Brenda," he said, "did Lady Jenny say anything about that murder?"
"Very little. She said that Van Zwieten had accused her of the crime,
and that she was innocent. Of course I told her that I had never
dreamed of such a thing, and never would have credited it for one
moment."
"H'm! At one time I thought myself that she might be guilty," he said.
"But I know now that I was wrong. That piece of crape certainly was
suspicious. But poor Scarse told me that in his struggle with Malet
the scarf had been torn. I never noticed it myself when I burned it. I
suppose that Malet kept it in his hand without being aware of it."
"Very likely. At all events, I am sure Lady Jenny is innocent--as
innocent as my uncle. He is happy, I hope?"
"In the asylum? Yes, poor fellow, he is as happy as he can be
anywhere. He has every comfort, and kind treatment. But I fear he will
not live long. Van Zwieten gave him a fright by threatening to
denounce him for the murder, unless he told his sad story. Some of it
he did tell, but not all. I was foolish enough to relate the rest of
it to Van Zwieten. But I had no alternative at the time. He was quite
capable of making a scandal. Brenda, who did kill Malet? Every day the
thing seems to become more obscure."
"Well, father, I can't help thinking it was Van Zwieten. Lady Jenny
thinks so too."
"You don't say so? But the revolver--it was Harold's."
"Harold left them--that is, he left a case of two revolvers behind
him, and both were in the library--in Mr. Malet's library on that
night. Van Zwieten came to see him, and took one of them with him--at
least, that is what Lady Jenny thinks."
"Brenda, that sounds improbable. Why should he kill Malet? He hardly
knew him, child."
"Indeed, you are wrong there, father," she said, "he knew him only too
well. Listen!" and she related the story the widow had told her
concerning her husband's treachery toward his own country. Mr. Scarse
was deeply indignant and indulged in language unusually strong for
him. Little Englander though he was, and misguided on many points
though he might be, he was an honest and an honorable man; and he
could not understand how a man in Mr. Malet's position could have so
deliberately played the part of traitor. When he was in possession of
all the facts, he quite agreed with Brenda that Van Zwieten was the
culprit.
"Then we'll bring him to book," he said angrily. "I will force him to
confess."
"That will do no good, father. The truth cannot come to light without
the story of Mr. Malet's treachery being known; and Lady Jenny is more
than anxious to avoid that. No, Van Zwieten must be left to the
punishment of his own conscience."
"I don't think that will trouble him much," Mr. Scarse said grimly.
"How I have been deceived in that man! I am sure, when I tell Kruger
his true character, he will have nothing to do with him."
Brenda did not contradict this statement, although she felt pretty
certain that the foxy old President was very little better himself.
How her father could reconcile the opinion he held that Kruger was an
honest, harmless old man with the fact that he had forced this
terrible war upon England was more than she could understand. She
wondered if, when her father got to Pretoria, his discovery of the
true aims of the Transvaal Government would be at all modified. But of
this she had her doubts. He was the most obstinate of men, and an
angel from heaven could not have altered his opinion once it had been
formed. Knowing this, she never argued with him. It was absolutely
futile, and only caused trouble.
At the Cape the vessel stopped for a time. Brenda did not go ashore.
She felt too sad and heavy at heart to take any interest in the sight
of new scenes and new people. She sat on the deck and looked at the
smiling land, at the glitter of the water as it danced in the hot
tropical sun. The azure of sky and sea, the transports, merchant
ships, and men-of-war, the whiteness of the city set in groves of
green, the whole lying under the shadow of Table Mountain, all went to
form a picture unsurpassable in its peculiar beauty. It was her first
sight of Africa. But it might be Harold's grave, and she hated it for
its very beauty. She would have had all Nature mourn for her dear one.
Mr. Scarse went on shore and returned with the latest war news. The
tactics seemed to be mostly of a defensive order. General French had
driven back a Boer force which had attacked Colesberg, and the gallant
Ladysmith garrison had repelled a terrible assault. The Cape Town
people were in high glee over this last success, anticipating, as they
did, that the Boers would now be disheartened. And no doubt it might
have had this effect for a time; but the Teutonic race is not so
easily beaten or discouraged. Mr. Scarse remarked on this when they
left for Delagoa Bay.
"The difficulty of this war," he said, "is, that for the first time
Teuton is fighting against Teuton. The very dogged courage which has
enabled us to win so many battles against the Latin nations is being
used against us by the Boers. We do not know when we are beaten
either. But this will not be the easy task we thought, and the
struggle will go on till one or other of the combatants is utterly
crushed."
"Oh, England will win!" Brenda said confidently.
"I believe she will. I can't imagine England being beaten. But, as I
said before, it will be no easy task. By this time they have found
that out. My wonder is that they could not see that England had met a
foe with courage and determination equal to her own. If she conquers,
it will be one of her greatest achievements."
"She _will_ conquer," his daughter repeated, and she refused to
discuss the subject further. That Britain could fail never entered her
head.
The _Kaiser Fritz_ did not stop at Durban, somewhat to the
astonishment of Mr. Scarse, as he had understood that it was
customary, and on applying to the captain he received a gruff and
discourteous reply. The man seemed anxious, and was always sweeping
the sea with his glass. There was one other Englishman on board, and
Mr. Scarse asked him if he could make out what all this anxiety and
incivility meant.
"Perhaps she's got contraband goods on board. Ammunition and guns,"
was the reply. "These boats usually call at Durban! My own opinion is
that the captain does not want to have his ship searched."
"But, my dear sir, Germany is neutral."
"I dare say," the young fellow said with a grin. "Germany is anything
that suits her book. If she can smuggle in ammunition to assist the
Boers you may be sure she will do it. My good sir, what with
mercenaries in the Boer army, bread-stuffs, ammunition, guns and
rifles being imported, we are fighting, not only the Transvaal, but
the entire Continent of Europe. The Powers would give their ears to
see us smashed!"
This was a somewhat new view to take of the matter, and one which did
not commend itself to Mr. Scarse. He had looked upon the Boers as a
handful of honest, God-fearing farmers--his favorite expression when
speaking of them--struggling for their freedom against the
overwhelming power of Great Britain. That they had colossal armaments,
hundreds of mercenaries, and clever agents scheming for them all over
the world, had never entered his head. In further conversations with
this young Englishman he received considerable enlightenment, and he
began to modify his views somewhat as to the absolute guilessness of
Oom Paul and his gang. But he kept his opinions to himself.
The _Kaiser Fritz_ did not slip past Durban as her captain had
expected. When at dawn she was almost abreast of that port she was
brought to by an English cruiser. There was a polite signal to "Heave
to!" and the German captain, with much bad language, felt himself
forced to comply with the request. The news travelled quickly through
the ship, and every one came on deck, amongst the foreigners being
Brenda and her father and the young Englishman. The Germans were
savage, and talked a great deal about the insult to the flag of the
Fatherland. Abuse of England was rife, and as she listened Brenda felt
her blood boil.
Under the saffron sky of the dawn lay the menacing form of the
cruiser, displaying the glorious flag of England. Across the deep blue
of the sea came a large boat manned by the bluejackets, and no sooner
were they alongside than a smart officer jumped on deck with a request
to see the papers of the _Kaiser Fritz_. The captain blustered and
swore in high and low Dutch; but the officer, though scrupulously
polite, was quite firm. At last the papers were produced and examined,
but no contraband goods appearing on the manifest, the vessel was
allowed to proceed on her way, to the unbounded delight of the
captain, whilst the English officer swore under his breath. The latter
felt confident that there were guns and ammunition on board, and that
the manifest was false. However, he had to appear satisfied, and
prepared to return to his ship. But before leaving, he asked if Mr.
Scarse and Mrs. Burton were on board.
"I am Mr. Scarse," said that gentleman, a good deal surprised to hear
his name suddenly spoken by this stranger, "and this is Mrs. Burton.
But how did you know we were here?"
"I will explain that when you are on board our boat, sir."
"But we are going on to Delagoa Bay," said Brenda.
"In search of Captain Burton?" returned the lieutenant. "In that case
there is no need for you to go further. Captain Burton has escaped,
and is now at Durban."
Poor Brenda nearly fainted at this joyful and unexpected news; but the
eyes of the ship--envious foreign eyes--were upon her, and she
struggled bravely to keep herself in hand. The officer repeated his
information, and asked them to get their things together with all
speed as the German was anxious to proceed. Hardly believing the
joyful news that Harold was out of the power of Van Zwieten, father
and daughter went below, hastily got together their belongings, and
were soon on their way to the cruiser. The Germans gave vent to an
ironical "Hoch!"
"Brutes!" muttered the lieutenant. "Give way, men! Are you
comfortable, Mrs. Burton?"
"Quite--thank you," she said; "but how did you know I was on board
that _Kaiser Fritz?_ How did Captain Burton escape? How did----"
"You will get answers to all these questions on board the _Juno_, Mrs.
Burton. But I may tell you that we expected to find you and Mr. Scarse
on board the _Kaiser Fritz_. Of course we came in search of
contraband; but we were able to kill two birds with one stone by
picking you up as well. I am very glad of it too!" and the young man,
who had the true sailor's eye for beauty, looked as though he meant
what he said.
The boat slipped under the grey bulk of the cruiser, and they were
assisted up the side--a matter of some difficulty in mid-ocean--and
were received by the captain. Then he anxiously asked for his
officer's report concerning the suspected contraband. It was evidently
a disappointment to him, and full steam ahead for Durban was then
ordered. The boat was swung on the davits, the screw revolved, and in
a few moments the _Juno_ was getting along at a great rate. Then the
captain took Brenda by the arm and led her down to a cabin.
"You know that your husband has escaped, Mrs. Burton?" he asked,
smiling.
"Yes, but how did he get away? I feel so bewildered at all----"
"Will you walk in there, please?" was the reply. "Some one is waiting
to explain."
Brenda began to tremble. Something told her what she might expect. As
she entered, she saw a man in khaki, tall and slim, waiting for her
with outstretched arms. She uttered a cry of joy. "Oh, Harold! Harold!
my darling boy! At last! at last!"
And she fell into her husband's arms.