THE PAPERS ON THE WRECK.
As the waters of the bay were quiet, it did not take Ben long to row Dr.
Mackey over to the wreck on the rocks.
"Be careful how you steps out, sah," said the colored man. "De rocks am
slippery, an' you kin twist an ankle widout half tryin', sah."
"I will be careful, Ben. So this is the wreck?"
"Yes, sah."
"I presume all that was movable in the ship has been carried off?"
"Long ago, sah."
"But the inside of the ship itself was not torn out?"
"No, sah. De folks around yeah is too afraid ob ghosteses fo' dat."
"Ah, yes! so I heard--at least, I would suppose so," replied the doctor,
in some confusion. "By the way, you need not remain here. I will visit
the wreck alone. You can come back in an hour or so."
"Wery well, massah."
"But don't forget to come back. I don't want to be left here all night."
"Don't worry, sah; I'll be back fo' dat dollah, sah," and Ben grinned.
"Oh, yes! I forgot about the dollar. Well, you shall have it when you
take me back to shore."
The doctor walked slowly toward the wreck, glancing back several times
to see if Old Ben was following him.
The colored man rowed away in a thoughtful mood.
"Somet'ing is on dat man's mind, suah!" he muttered to himself. "He's
gwine ter do somet'ing."
With difficulty the surgeon climbed up to the deck of the wreck. A
desolate spectacle presented itself. Everything was charred by the fire.
"Truly a nice place to come to," said the man to himself. "Now,
supposing this thing turns out a wild-goose chase, after all? Let me
see, the stateroom was No. 15. I wonder if I can still locate it?"
With caution he descended the companion way and entered the main cabin
of the stranded vessel. Here he drew from his pocket a candle and lit
it.
He walked slowly toward the side of the cabin until he reached a
stateroom bearing the number 7 upon the door.
"Seven," he murmured. "And the second from this is eleven. That shows
the numbers on this side are all odd. The next must be thirteen, and the
next fifteen."
He held the candle to the door, but the number plate was gone. Without
hesitation he pushed upon the door, which was already partly open. It
fell back, exposing the interior of the stateroom, now bare of all
things movable, and covered with dust and cobwebs.
"A dirty job this," he murmured, and set the candle down upon a beam
running along the side of a wall. He gazed around the stateroom
curiously, as if hardly knowing what to do next.
"The little closet was set in the wall at the foot of the bed. Now which
was the foot of the bed? I'll try both ends." He did so, tapping on the
woodwork with his knuckles. Presently he found a hole where there had
once been a small knob.
"The closet, sure enough!" he cried, and his face took on a new
interest. "Now where is that door-knob?"
He hunted on the floor, but no knob came to view. But a bent nail was
handy, and this he inserted into the hole sideways, and pulled with all
his force. There was a slight creak, and a small door came open,
revealing a dark closet about a foot square and equally deep.
If the room was dirty the closet was more so, for a crack at the top had
let in both dirt and water, and at first he could see nothing but a
solid cake of dirt before him. Digging into this, he presently uncovered
a heavy tin box, painted black.
"Eureka! the box at last!" he cried, in a tone full of pleasure. "I am
the lucky one, after all!"
He brought the tin box forth and brushed it off. There was a little
padlock in front, and this was locked. Bringing a bunch of keys from his
pocket, he began to try them, one after another. At last he found one to
fit, and opened the box.
"The papers at last!" he murmured, and his eyes gleamed with
expectation. "Let me see what there is." He turned them over. "The
marriage certificate for one, and letters from his father about that
property. And other letters from her folks--all here, and just what I
wanted." He shoved the documents back into the box. "The fortune is
mine!"
Returning to the closet he cleaned it out thoroughly, to learn if it
contained anything more of value. But there was nothing more there, and
presently he blew out the candle, hid the tin box under his coat, and
returned to the deck.
Ben was rowing not far away and saw the doctor wave his hand.
"Is yo' ready, massah?" he called out.
"Yes, Ben."
The colored man said no more, but rowed inshore, and in the meantime the
doctor hurried down to meet him.
"Did you find any gold, massah?" asked the colored man, his white teeth
gleaming.
"Gold! Why, you foolish nigger, what chance is there of finding gold on
a wreck over ten years old? The best thing you can do is to break the
boat to pieces and take the wood ashore for fuel."
"But de ghosteses, massah! Besides, Mrs. Ruthven wouldn't let us touch
dat wrack nohow."
"On account of the boy, I suppose."
"Yes, massah."
"To tell the truth, my man, I have now as much interest in that ship as
has that boy or Mrs. Ruthven. It brings back an exciting passage in my
life. My visit to the wreck was made to satisfy me concerning several
important questions. I was one of the passengers on that ill-fated
ship!"
"Golly, massah, yo' don't really mean dat?" And Old Ben's eyes opened
widely.
"Yes, I do. I suspected it before; now I am dead certain of it."
At this declaration Old Ben grew quite excited.
"And did yo' know Massah Jack's fadder, sah?"
"Yes, my man, I knew him very well," and there was a significant smile
on the doctor's face as he spoke.
"And was he a gen'man, sah? St. John Ruthven t'inks he was common white
trash."
"He was a gentleman of high family--the son of an English nobleman,
although born in this country."
"An' Jack's mudder, sah?"
"Was an American lady--a lady belonging to one of the first families of
Massachusetts."
"Golly, a Northerner!" and Ben's face became a study.
"Yes."
"Yo' must visit de house, sah, and tell Mrs. Ruthven 'bout dis. She will
want to heah de partic'lars wery much, sah."
"Yes, I will visit the Ruthven home," replied the doctor.
"Yo' know de way, sah?"
"I believe I do."
"I can show yo' de way, an' will do it willingly. So you knew Jack's
fadder an' mudder! Golly, but aint dat strange--after all dese yeahs,
too! Jack will want to see yo', ob course."
"And I shall want to see Jack," replied the medical man.
"Jack's a fine lad, sah."
"I am glad to hear it." But, as he spoke, the face of Dr. Mackey became
a study.
"Yes, sah; aint no bettah boy in all dese parts, sah."
While talking Ben was rowing steadily, and it was not long before the
pair reached shore.
Then the boat was made fast, the oars put away, and the doctor and the
colored man started for the Ruthven mansion.