"It occurred to me," she said, "that, if the launch had drifted to Mr.
McDonald's island, the canoe might have done so too; so I took a look
round. I'd been pretty much worried about having called the boy a spy
when he wasn't, and it worried me to think that he couldn't get away
from the place. I never liked the red-haired man. He was cruel to
Aggie's cat--but we've told you that.
"I knew that in the morning the detective would see the P.T.S., as we
called her, and he could get over and propose before breakfast. But when
I found the canoe--yes, I found it--I didn't intend to do anything more
than steal the detective's boat."
"Is that all?" said Charlie Sands sarcastically. "You disappoint me,
Aunt Letitia! With all the chances you had--to burn his pitiful little
tent, for instance, or steal his suitcase--"
"But on my way," Tish went on with simple dignity, "it occurred to me
that I could move things a step farther by taking the girl to Mr.
McDonald and letting him have his chance right away. Things went well
from the start, for she was standing alone, looking out over the river.
It was dark, except for the starlight, and I didn't know it was she. I
beached the canoe and she squealed a little when I spoke to her."
"Just what," broke in Charlie Sands, "does one say under such
circumstances? Sometime I may wish to abduct a young woman and it is
well to be prepared."
"I told her the young man she had expected was on Island Eleven and had
sent me to get her. She was awfully excited. She said they'd seen his
signal, but nothing of him. And when they'd found a number of feminine
things round they all felt a little--well, you can understand. She went
back to get a coat, and while she was gone I untied the canoes and
pushed them out into the river. I'm thorough, and I wasn't going to have
a lot of people interfering before we got things fixed."
It was here, I think, that Charlie Sands gave a low moan and collapsed
on the sofa. "Certainly!" he said in a stifled voice. "I believe in
being thorough. And, of course, a few canoes more or less do not
matter."
"Later," Tish said, "I knew I'd been thoughtless about the canoes; but,
of course, it was too late then."
"And when was it that you assaulted the detective?"
"He fired first," said Tish. "I never felt more peaceable in my life.
It's absurd for him to say that he was watching our camp, as he had
every night we'd been there. Who asked him to guard us? And the idea of
his saying he thought we were Indians stealing things, and that he fired
into the air! The bullets sang past me. I had hardly time to get my
revolver out of my stocking."
"And then?" asked Charlie Sands.
"And then," said Tish, "we went calmly down the river to Island Eleven.
We went rapidly, for at first the detective did not know I had shot a
hole in his canoe, and he followed us. It stands to reason that if I'd
shot his heel off he'd have known there was a hole in the boat. Luckily
the girl was in the bottom of the canoe when she fainted or we might
have been upset."
It was at this point, I believe, that Charlie Sands got his hat and
opened the door.
"I find," he said, "that I cannot stand any more at present, Aunt Tish.
I shall return when I am stronger."
* * * * *
So I shall go back to my own narrative. Really my justification is
almost complete. Any one reading to this point will realize the
injustice of the things that have been said about us.
We were despairing of Tish, as I have said, when we heard the shots and
then the approach of a canoe. Then Tish hailed us.
"Quick, somebody!" she said. "I have a cramp in my right leg."
[The canoeing position, kneeling as one must, had been always very
trying for her. She frequently developed cramps, which only a hot
footbath relieved.]
Mr. McDonald waded out into the water. Our beach fire illuminated the
whole scene distinctly, and when he saw the P.T.S. huddled in the canoe
he stopped as though he had been shot.
"How interesting!" said Hutchins from the bank, in her cool voice.
I remember yet Tish, stamping round on her cramped limb and smiling
benevolently at all of us. The girl, however, looked startled and
unhappy, and a little dizzy. Hutchins helped her to a fallen tree.
"Where--where is he?" said the P.T.S.
Tish stared at her. "Bless the girl!" she said. "Did you think I meant
the other one?"
"I--What other one?"
Tish put her hand on Mr. McDonald's arm. "My dear girl," she said, "this
young man adores you. He's all that a girl ought to want in the man she
loves. I have done him a grave injustice and he has borne it nobly. Come
now--let me put your hand in his and say you will marry him."
"Marry him!" said the P.T.S. "Why, I never saw him in my life before!"
We had been so occupied with this astounding scene that none of us had
noticed the arrival of the detective. He limped rapidly up the
bank--having lost his heel, as I have explained--and, dripping with
water, confronted us. When a red-haired person is pale, he is very pale.
And his teeth showed.
He ignored all of us but the P.T.S., who turned and saw him, and went
straight into his arms in the most unmaidenly fashion.
"By Heaven," he said, "I thought that elderly lunatic had taken you off
and killed you!"
He kissed her quite frantically before all of us; and then, with one arm
round her, he confronted Tish.
"I'm through!" he said. "I'm done! There isn't a salary in the world
that will make me stay within gunshot of you another day." He eyed her
fiercely. "You are a dangerous woman, madam," he said. "I'm going to
bring a charge against you for abduction and assault with intent to
kill. And if there's any proof needed I'll show my canoe, full of water
to the gunwale."
Here he kissed the girl again.
"You--you know her?" gasped Mr. McDonald, and dropped on a tree-trunk,
as though he were too weak to stand.
"It looks like it, doesn't it?"
Here I happened to glance at Hutchins, and she was convulsed with mirth!
Tish saw her, too, and glared at her; but she seemed to get worse. Then,
without the slightest warning, she walked round the camp-fire and kissed
Mr. McDonald solemnly on the top of his head.
"I give it up!" she said. "Somebody will have to marry you and take care
of you. I'd better be the person."
* * * * *
"But why was the detective watching Hutchins?" said Charlie Sands. "Was
it because he had heard of my Aunt Letitia's reckless nature? I am still
bewildered."
"You remember the night we got the worms?"
"I see. The detective was watching all of you because you stole the
worms."
"Stole nothing!" Tish snapped. "That's the girl's house. She's the Miss
Newcomb you read about in the papers. Now do you understand?"
"Certainly I do. She was a fugitive from justice because the cat found
dynamite in the woods. Or--perhaps I'm a trifle confused, but--Now I
have it! She had stolen a gold-mounted traveling-bag and given it to
McDonald. Lucky chap! I was crazy about Hutchins myself. You might tip
her the word that I'm badly off for a traveling-case myself. But what
about the P.T.S.? How did she happen on the scene?"
"She was engaged to the detective, and she was camping down the river.
He had sent her word where he was. The red flag was to help her find
him."