A NIGHT ADVENTURE ON THE RIVER
The fact that Vasco’s companions--presumably his fellow-officers--were
playing at being sailors, increased the need for extreme caution. I
dropped back and followed at a distance, contented to keep the three
men just in sight.
They made straight for the landing-stage, got aboard a small launch in
which another man was waiting, and cast off at once and headed out into
the estuary. They were going to the _Rampallo_, of course; and equally
of course I must manage to get on board after them.
I could not follow immediately, however, as the noise of my launch
would be heard and a dozen suspicions started. I guessed that a
conference was to be held on the yacht about the information which
Vasco had brought; but why such a place was chosen for it baffled me.
The reason could not be merely the desire for absolute privacy which
had induced me to take Dagara to the _Stella_. These men must have a
dozen places in the city where they could meet without a remote chance
of being overheard.
Still I had to deal with facts, and the controlling fact now was
that the papers were on Vasco and he was going to the yacht. I must
therefore follow him or throw up the sponge.
While I was waiting Burroughs arrived. “I lost you in the Rua Sao
Benito, Ralph,” he explained, “so I thought it best to come on to the
launch. Why are you here?”
I told him briefly what had occurred, and what I meant to do, and in a
few minutes we were on our way to the _Stella_.
“You’re taking risks,” he said, as we sat talking it over.
“I can’t help that, but in fact I’m not so sure there are any. My idea
is this. As soon as we reach the yacht, get the _Firefly_ launched.”
This was a small electric launch I had on the yacht. “You and I will
drop down in her to the _Rampallo_. She runs with scarcely a sound, and
we’ll see whether any look-out is kept on her. I shall be surprised
if there is; and if not, I shall climb aboard without any trouble. If
there is one, you must manage to keep him watching you at the stern
while I swim to the bow and get aboard by the anchor cable. Once on
board, I’ll shift for myself. If necessary I’ll silence him.”
“It sounds all right to you, perhaps,” he grumbled.
“It’s got to be all right, Jack. The worst that can happen is that I
shall be discovered and have to make a bolt of it. I suppose I can dive
well enough to jump from a yacht’s bulwarks. But even if the beggars
get hold of me, I suppose you can make enough row to scare them. Have
the launch within hail, if you like, with the skipper and four or five
of the men. There’s no personal risk at all--the only risk is that I
may fail to find out things.”
“But if they caught you they might shoot first and jaw afterwards,” he
objected.
“A dozen ‘ifs’ suggest a dozen ‘mights,’ of course. But I’m not likely
to give them much of a chance.”
“They’d be justified if they took you for a thief.”
“They won’t be thinking about thieves. They’re much more likely to be
fearing the police and be scared out of their skins. Anyway, it’s the
best plan I can think of, and it’s got to be done.”
When we reached the _Stella_ I threw off the clothes I had been wearing
and dressed for the venture. I had of course to render myself as
little conspicuous as possible for the spy work on the _Rampallo_, and
had also to be careful not to wear anything which would hamper me too
much if I had to take to the water.
So I chose a set of very dark grey combinations which fastened close
up to the neck, and a pair of dark rubber-soled shoes. A dark cloak
to wear in the _Firefly_ completed a costume in which I looked like a
cross between a Harlequin and a Guy Fawkes conspirator.
By the time these preparations were complete Burroughs had launched the
_Firefly_ and we were soon off. The moon was not due for an hour and
the night was dark enough to conceal us.
The _Firefly_ glided almost noiselessly through the waters at the slow
pace we deemed best, and we switched off the motor every now and again
and let the boat drift. The darkness made it a little difficult to pick
up the _Rampallo_, which had no light, but Burroughs glanced now and
then at the compass by the flash of an electric torch, and thus kept
his course.
“What weapon have you?” he whispered once.
“Why, none, of course. I’m not going throat-slitting. I am only going
to use my ears.”
“There she is,” he said suddenly, and pointed ahead. His eyes were
keener than mine, but I made her out soon afterwards.
We drifted down close to her, keeping our eyes fixed on her for any
sign that a look-out was kept.
“I don’t think there is any one on the deck,” he whispered.
She was lying between us and the twinkling lamps of the city, and as
we drifted nearer, her outline showed up against the lights and the
reflexion of them in the sky.
All was as still as a vault; and not a single porthole gave out so much
as the glimmer of a match.
A sickening feeling of disappointment began to creep over me at the
fear that there was no one on board.
“Sheer down alongside, Jack,” I whispered.
No one challenged us as we dropped under the lee of the hull. I fended
the _Firefly_ off with my hands and then worked her round under the
stern.
Here was confirmation of my fear in the disconcerting discovery that
the launch, which I had confidently expected to find either astern or
alongside, was not there.
“There’s no one on her, Ralph,” said Burroughs.
“I shall get aboard and see. Drop astern and then circle round at a
distance to the bow.”
We drifted far enough for our little propeller to be out of earshot and
then made a sweep round to the bow.
“What do you think it means?” he whispered.
“I’m afraid I’ve backed the wrong horse. But I can’t think of anywhere
else for that launch to go. When I get aboard stand off up the bay so
that you can keep a look-out for me. The reflection of the city light
in the sky will be enough for you to see any signal I make to you.”
“You can do better than that. Take the electric torch. You can show a
light then even if you have to swim for it.”
“That’s a happy thought,” I exclaimed, and tucked it inside my vest.
“If there’s any trouble I shall be able to make racket enough for you
to hear me, and you can come aboard after me.”
We stopped the propeller then and drifted down till I could reach the
yacht’s cable. I swarmed up this and, using the greatest caution, got a
grip and hauled myself up until I could see along the deck.
It was quite deserted, so I climbed on to the forecastle and crept
along as stealthily as a cat stalking a bird and almost as noiselessly.
I had reached almost amidships when I discovered that some one was on
board after all. The glow from a lamp showed through the partly open
companion of the saloon. Doubling my caution I lay at full length on
the deck and approached the opening.
Whoever he was he was able to afford very good cigars, for the scent of
one reached me. I lay listening intently. I heard the crackle of papers
as they were turned over; the rustle of some one moving in his chair, a
sound of stertorous breathing; the clink of a bottle against a glass,
and again the crackle of papers as the man, whoever he was, resumed his
writing or reading.
For many minutes there was no other sound. Then the man struck a match
as he lit a fresh cigar, and pushed aside the papers with a breath of
relief. Then silence for a while, broken at length by a gasp and a
snore.
“Wake up, you drunken young pig!”
At this I nearly uttered a cry of astonishment. It was Sampayo’s voice;
and in a second I understood what had so baffled me--why the papers had
been brought to the _Rampallo_.
Sampayo was hiding on it from me. That removal of his goods and all
the evidences of flight which Bryant had seen were just play-acting to
mislead me into the belief that he had bolted, and being afraid to be
seen on shore he had arranged for his associates to come to the boat.
That they were coming was soon plain. Sampayo roused the man he had
spoken to; and the answer was in Vasco’s voice, thick with drink.
“Go on deck, you young fool, and see if there are any signs of the
launch. They ought to be here by now.”
“Leave me alone,” grunted Vasco thickly.
“I must go myself then,” was the reply with an oath.
I slipped away forward and hid myself under the lee of the forecastle
hatchway. Sampayo came out on deck and stood smoking and listening and
peering through the darkness for the expected launch.
Presently, I heard the quick throb of her propeller, and in a few
minutes she reached the yacht and three or four men, I could not
distinguish the exact number, came on board, and all went down below at
once.
Anxious not to miss a word of what passed I hastened along the deck to
my former position, and had just passed the hatchway leading below to
the saloon when some one came running up the companion way.
In a second I rolled into the scuppers lying as still as death.
“I fastened her all right,” protested some one.
“For Heaven’s sake, make sure. You’re not much of a hand at sailors’
knots,” was the laughing reply.
Two men came out and hurried across the deck. One of them got down into
the launch; and the other stood watching.
“It’s all right. As fast as a steeple.”
“It would be a pretty mess if she got adrift.”
The men came on deck again and they both returned toward the companion
way.
“I suppose everything’s all right on the deck,” said one.
“What should be wrong?”
“Nothing. Only I’ve got an infernally uneasy feeling.”
“Not going to back out at the last minute, are you? We shall be in a
pretty bad way to-morrow night if we have to go without the only man
who knows anything about managing the boat.”
“Who said anything about backing out? We’re all in it now, sink or
swim. But--oh, hang presentiments,” he broke off irritably.
“Well, I’ll get a lantern if you like and look round the deck. But it’s
all rot.”
“I’ve half a mind you shall.”
As he said this he came a couple of paces toward me, and I began to
think any number of unpleasant things.
“I won’t be a minute,” said the other and ran down below.
Move I dare not. The man was too close to me, and the instant the other
returned with a light, my discovery was certain. All I could do was to
plan how to escape. I decided to lie still until actually discovered,
and then trust to their astonishment, giving me time to jump over the
side and swim for it.
The few seconds that followed were among the longest of my life. But
just as I heard the second man coming with the lantern, some one below
called to the man close to me by name.
“Gompez!”
He went a couple of steps down the companion way and replied that he
was going to see that all was snug on deck, and before the words were
out of his mouth I was half-way to the stern.
Then followed the grimmest game of hide and seek I have ever had to
play. But the odds were on my side. The two men went carefully round
the deck; but, fool-like, kept together. The light of the lantern
showed me exactly where they were all the time, and by skulking from
cover to cover I had little difficulty in keeping out of their way.
My movements were absolutely noiseless, and the dark grey costume I had
fortunately put on made it almost impossible for them to see me.
I had one other narrow escape. I had worked my way back again to the
companion while they were in the bows, when another man came out and
called to them sharply to be quick. I was crouched so close to him that
he could have touched me if he had stretched out a hand in my direction.
But instead of that he went a few steps toward the others and I turned
and slipped away in the opposite direction.
Two or three minutes later the three went below, the newcomer
expressing a strong opinion about the folly of having shown a light.
Giving them time to join the rest of the party below, I crawled back to
the companion and settled myself to listen once more.
Barosa’s was the first voice I heard distinctly. “We needn’t waste any
more time in discussing it. Captain Gompez was quite right to satisfy
himself and as we are indebted to him for having the boat at all, it
is surely ungracious to charge him with wasting a few minutes for this
purpose. And now, please, will you let me explain exactly what are the
arrangements for to-morrow? Major Sampayo has carefully examined these
papers, and every detail is as I told you it would be.”
There was a murmur of interest, followed by a pause, and then Barosa
spoke again.
“I have news of the greatest importance for you, gentlemen, and that
you may appreciate it fully, I shall be obliged if you will carefully
study this plan of the scene.”
A considerable rustling of papers followed as the plans were handed
round, the whispering of many questions, and then another pause of
silent, almost breathless expectancy.