DR. MACKEY SHOWS HIS HAND.
"Well, what do these fellows intend to do with me, anyway?"
It was Jack who asked himself the question, as he sat up, after quite a
long sleep.
He was a close prisoner in a little cabin far up the mountain side. His
hands were bound tightly behind him and were made fast to a heavy wooden
stake driven into the hard mud flooring.
Night had come and gone, and all of the Confederates had left him. Now
it was almost night again.
"If they would only give me something to eat and to drink," he went on.
He was very dry, and his stomach was empty.
Half an hour later a footstep sounded outside, and Dr. Mackey appeared,
carrying a knapsack filled with provisions, and a canteen of water.
"Sorry I had to keep you waiting. Jack," he said, as he set the articles
down and proceeded to liberate our hero. "But I had the whole affair to
smooth over, and I had also to get Gendron out of the muss," and he
smiled grimly.
"Dr. Mackey, why do you treat me in this fashion?" demanded Jack.
"Because I want you to come to your senses and understand that I am your
father."
"Do you think you are treating me as a father should?"
"A son who will not obey must be made to obey. Here, I have brought you
something to eat and to drink. Fall to and make the most of it."
It would have been foolish to refuse the invitation, and our hero began
to eat without delay. The surgeon watched him curiously.
"Jack, don't you think you are acting the part of a fool?" said the man
presently.
"No, I do not."
"I offer you a name, a good home, and your share of a large fortune, and
yet you turn your back on me and my offers."
"Have you a large fortune coming to me?"
"There is a large fortune coming to both of us. You shall have your full
share of it--providing you will do as I wish."
"And what do you wish?"
"Well, in the first place, I wish you to let the world know that you are
fully satisfied that I am your father."
"And after that?"
"After that I will resign my commission as a surgeon in the Confederate
army and take the necessary steps to claim the fortune which awaits us."
"Why haven't you claimed the fortune before?"
"Because I had to prove that my wife had been drowned, and had also to
prove that you were either alive or dead. Had you been dead, I could
have taken the fortune for my own. But you are not dead, and so I am
willing you shall have your share."
"Where is this fortune?"
"Never mind about that now. I will give you my word that, if all goes
well, you shall have your full share."
"And how much will that be?"
"Not less than fifty or sixty thousand dollars. The whole fortune is
worth over a hundred thousand dollars."
It must be confessed that our hero was staggered for a moment. The sum
was certainly a large one--a good deal more than the Ruthven plantation
was worth.
"It's a lot of money," he said, at last.
"Indeed it is, my boy. We can be happy on that amount for the rest of
our lives."
"But you haven't proved to me that you are my father," went on Jack
abruptly.
The crafty face of the surgeon fell, and he bit his lip.
"What more proof do you require?" he said coldly. "Do you suppose I
would wish to divide that fortune with a stranger?"
"I presume not, nor would I wish to divide any fortune that was coming
to me with a stranger."
"Ha! what do you mean?" gasped the medical man.
"I mean just this: That fortune may be coming to me, and you may be
trying to gain possession of it by palming yourself off as my father."
The shot told, and Dr. Mackey staggered back and turned pale.
"Jack, you think you are smart, but you don't know what you are saying,"
he stormed.
"Perhaps I do, Dr. Mackey. One thing I do know--you are not to be
trusted."
"What? This to my face?"
"You took the part of Gendron, when you knew he was nothing but a
guerrilla and a horse-thief."
"I know nothing of the kind. Gendron has a good record behind him. He
was shot, and that may have hurt his brain."
"I don't believe that fairy tale. To my mind, you sided with him because
you were afraid he would expose you."
"Boy, you are growing more bold. Don't you realize that you are in my
power?"
"Am I?"
"Yes, you are--absolutely in my power. And you have got to do as I wish,
or you'll take the consequences."
As Dr. Mackey spoke, he began to walk up and down the cabin nervously.
"What do you mean by my taking the consequences?"
"You'll find that out later."
"Would you kill me?"
"I would make you mind me--as a son should."
"I would rather do without the fortune than have you for a father, Dr.
Mackey."
"Well, there is no love lost between us, when it comes to that, boy."
"Then you are willing to admit that you care more for the fortune than
you do for me?"
"Why shouldn't I--after the way you have acted toward me? No father
wishes a son who hates him."
"I will agree with you there," answered Jack slowly.
"If you don't wish to live with me, well and good--after we have our
money. You can take your share and I'll take mine--and that will be the
end of it."
"And you will let me return to the Ruthven plantation, if I wish?"
"Yes. But not until everything is settled."
"And what must I do to help settle it?"
"You must sign a paper acknowledging me as your father, and must bear
witness to the fact of your being wrecked on this shore, and that your
mother is dead. We will have to get Old Ben for another witness."
"And after that?"
"After that I will take the next step."
"You will not tell me more now?"
"No. I don't know whether I can trust you or not."
"But why this secrecy, if everything is aboveboard?"
"As I explained to Mrs. Ruthven, some distant relatives hold the fortune
now, and if they learn of what I am doing they will at once take steps
to head my claim off. I wish to spring a surprise on them."
"But if the claim is a just one, and half the property is coming to me,
you do not suppose I am going to tell them in advance of what you intend
to do."
"Boy, you do not understand such matters--you are not old enough,"
growled the surgeon. "Once more, and for the last time, will you do as I
wish you to?"
"I will not promise yet."
"Then you shall remain here, a prisoner."
"For how long?"
"Until you come to your senses and agree to do as I wish."
A few words more passed, and then Dr. Mackey made our hero a prisoner
again, and took up the canteen and the knapsack.
"You may have to remain alone for a long time," he said, on departing.
"But if you get lonely and hungry, remember it is your own fault."
"I think you are a brute!" cried Jack after him. Then he listened and
heard the surgeon's footsteps receding rapidly. Soon all became quiet.
Hour after hour went by, and nobody came near our hero. It was indeed
lonely, and as the time passed his heart sank within him.
Then Jack heard the faint patter of footsteps over the dry leaves
surrounding the cabin. The sounds came closer.
"Perhaps it's a dog," he thought. "I hope it is one from our plantation,
on the hunt for me."
At last a shadow fell across the open cabin doorway and the figure of a
strange creature came slowly into view. At the sight Jack could not
suppress a scream. The visitor was a mountain wild cat!