"I know," I said, "and I haven't thanked you yet. It was uncommonly
good of you to come over and look after him as you did."
"Oh, you mustn't say that," he protested. "I was very pleased to be
of any use. I have given up practice for some years, but I am always
ready to do anything I can in an emergency." He paused. "I only
wish I had been more successful," he added. "It was one of those
cases, though, in which medical skill is practically helpless. Heart
failure, you know, on the top of double pneumonia."
I nodded "I never met my uncle," I said, "but I imagine that he had
led a pretty hard life. I suppose that's bound to tell when it comes
to the point."
His blue eyes rested curiously on mine. "You never actually met
him?" he repeated. "I suppose you knew a good deal about him though?"
"Precious little," I said frankly. "He went off to South America
when I was about five years old, and the next thing I heard of him
was Mr. Drayton's cable telling me that he was dead."
"Why, it's quite a romance," he exclaimed in his easy, almost
drawling manner. "You were evidently born under a lucky star. There
are not many people who drop into a fortune from relations that
they've never spoken to." His glance wandered round the room, as
though noting its various features. "Not that it's everyone's
property," he went on with a smile. "Jolly enough in the summer, of
course, but it's a bleak and desolate place in the winter, I give you
my word. I have often wondered what induced your uncle to shut
himself up here."
"I suppose it appealed to him," I said. "There's no accounting for
tastes."
Dr. Manning took a sip of his whisky and soda and set down the glass.
"I believe Mr. Drayton spoke to you about my proposal," he said. "I
mean the idea some of us had of starting a yachting club here."
"He did mention it," I replied, "and I'm very sorry to disappoint
you. The fact is that I haven't any wish to let the place. I mean
to live here myself."
He took my refusal with the most perfect good humour.
"I'm delighted to hear it," he answered. "Of course, if you are
particularly set on the island itself there's no more to be said. I
thought, however, that you might prefer to be on the mainland. It's
much more convenient and cheerful in some ways. There are one or two
very jolly little places in the market that could be picked up for a
mere song, and we should be prepared to give you a good rent for
Greensea. You see, it's just exactly suited for what we want."
"It isn't a question of money," I said. "As far as that goes, the
terms you offered through Mr. Drayton were exceedingly handsome. The
point is that I am quite contented where I am. I have always wanted
to have an island of my own, and now I have got one I mean to stick
to it."
"Well, if that's the situation," he returned with a laugh, "we
mustn't bother you about it any further." He finished his whisky and
soda, and, putting his hand in his pocket, pulled out a small
cigarette case.
"Won't you have a cigar?" I suggested.
He shook his head. "No, thanks. I never smoke anything but Egyptian
cigarettes. A friend of mine sends them to me over from Cairo. Will
you try one?"
He held out the case, and both Ross and I helped ourselves.
"I suppose you will be importing servants if you are going to settle
down here?" he said. "Your uncle, you know, wouldn't have anyone
else on the island except that one man of his."
"What do you think of Bascomb?" I asked.
He blew out a long wreath of smoke. "Well, it's hardly my place to
criticise him," he answered, smiling, "but to be quite candid, I
should get rid of him as soon as possible if I were in your shoes. I
don't want to do the fellow an injustice, but from what I saw of him
while I was here I mistrust him profoundly."
Ross glanced at me with rather a triumphant expression.
"I daresay you're right," I said. "He certainly doesn't err on the
side of cheerfulness."
As a matter of fact, his warning, though doubtless a well-intended
one, only increased my determination not to act hastily in the
matter. There is a regrettable streak of obstinacy in my character
which always gets up against other people's advice, and, in addition
to that, I had an unaccountable feeling inside me that Bascomb was
not really as black as he was painted. In spite of his surliness, he
gave me the impression of being an honest fellow, and when it comes
to judging character I am prepared to back my instincts against a
good deal of circumstantial evidence.
Something, however, urged me to keep my ideas to myself, so, changing
the conversation, I asked Manning if he could tell me anything about
the prospects of wild fowling during the coming winter. I had
evidently hit on the right source of information, for he at once
began to discuss the subject in a fashion which showed me that he
knew every creek and marsh throughout the length and breadth of the
estuary.
"There's plenty of sport," he added, "any amount of it; only, if you
don't mind my giving you a tip, you want to be a little careful how
you go about it. The fact is that some of these fellows round
here--the professional gunners, I mean--are as jealous as hell. They
are a rough lot, and I wouldn't put much beyond them when they get
really nasty."
I looked at him with some surprise. I had run across a certain
number of these gentry when I had been messing around in the motor
launch with Bobby Dean, and although they were a queer crowd in their
way, I should never have suspected them of being dangerous.
"You don't mean to say they'd take a pot shot at one," I said, "or
anything bloodthirsty of that sort?"
"It sounds rather a large order," he admitted. "All the same, when I
first came here I had a couple of devilish narrow escapes. They may
have been accidents, of course, but if so--" He shrugged his
shoulders in a fashion that was sufficiently expressive.
"It doesn't seem to have interfered much with your shooting," put in
Ross.
"Oh, I'm all right now," he replied easily. "I'm well in their good
books because I have doctored up two or three of them when they were
seedy, and I suppose they feel grateful to me in their way." He
turned to me. "I thought I ought to mention it though, just to put
you on your guard."
"Thanks very much," I said. "I'm not a nervous person, but I'll keep
my eyes open in case anyone should mistake me for a duck."
As though suddenly thinking of the time, Dr. Manning glanced at the
slim gold watch which he wore upon his wrist.
"I must be off," he announced. "I'm expecting some friends on the
barge at half-past three." He rose to his feet and shook hands with
both of us. "I shall see you again before very long, I suppose?" he
added, addressing himself to me.
"I shall be down here for good in three or four days' time," I said.
"Well, don't forget to make use of me," he returned. "If you would
like to be put up for the club at Shalston or anything of that sort
you have only got to let me know."
I thanked him again, and we all walked down together to the
landing-stage, where he got into his boat and started off on his
return journey.
Ross and I stood for a minute watching the long wake of foam that he
left behind him as he sped rapidly away into the distance.
"I am beginning well," I said. "It's something to have made friends
with one's next-door neighbour."
Ross, who was still staring at the retreating dinghy, indulged in a
rather doubtful grunt.
"I suppose he's all right," he said half reluctantly. "I can't say I
cottoned to him much myself. He's too damned good-looking for my
taste."
"There doesn't seem to be much love lost between him and Bascomb," I
remarked. "I wonder what the trouble is."
"God knows," returned Ross, "but on that point at least my sympathies
are with the doctor." He turned away from the water, and we strolled
back side by side towards the house. "Do you think there's anything
in this yarn of his about the natives? If so, it looks to me as if
you were up against a pretty breezy proposition."
"I'm not worrying myself," I replied placidly. "Somebody wants to
assassinate me already--that's quite plain--and a few extra hands on
the job won't make much difference. After all, one can only die
once."
"That's the spirit, my lad," observed Ross, slapping me on the
shoulder. "All the same, I don't like to think of you stuck down
here on your little lonesome. I've half a mind to chuck my sister
and come and keep you company."
"No you won't," I said firmly. "You trot off to Bath like a good
boy. If things get too hot I'll rout out somebody else to share the
racket."
We reached the front door just as I spoke, and almost simultaneously
Bascomb came into view round a corner of the shrubbery, with Satan
still at his heels. I hesitated for a moment, wondering what was the
best thing to do. Should I take him to task there and then, or would
it be better to wait until I returned to the island and was properly
settled into the house? I decided on the latter course, and, leaving
Ross, walked forward to where he was standing.
"We shall be off in a few minutes, Bascomb," I said "I must leave the
rest of the island until I come back."
He met my gaze quite steadily, though the same sullen expression
still lingered in his eyes.
"Very well, sir," he said. "When shall I expect you?"
"I don't know for certain," I replied. "About Wednesday or Thursday,
I expect, but I'll send a line and let you know." I paused. "Is
there anything you want for the house--anything I can have sent down
from London?"
He shook his head. "There's no trouble about gettin' food," he
answered. "All the Shalston tradesmen deliver at Pen Mill, and, as
far as liquor goes the cellar's just full up with it."
My opinion of Uncle Richard underwent a slight improvement.
"That's good news," I said. "How are you off for money?"
"I've got enough to go on with. Mr. Drayton gave me twenty pound
last time 'e was down 'ere." He hesitated for a moment, and then
added gruffly: "Beggin' your pardon, sir, but might I ask what
arrangements you're thinkin' o' makin'?"
"How do you mean?" I asked.
"Well, I was wonderin' if you wanted me. Mebbe you'll be bringin'
your own folk along with you."
"You looked after my uncle while he was alive, didn't you?" I asked.
"Yes," he said bluntly, "I reckon 'e was satisfied, but it don't
foller you won't 'ave different ideas."
"That depends on you," I said. "If you make me comfortable I shall
be quite contented with the arrangement--at all events for the
present."
He was evidently rather surprised, but the satisfaction in his face
was unmistakable.
"I'll do my best," he said. "No one can't do more than that." He
glanced down at Satan, who was sitting patiently by his side. "'Ow
about the dog?" he demanded suspiciously. "You won't be wantin' to
get rid of 'im?"
"Not likely," I said, with some feeling. "He's one of the chief
attractions of the place from my point of view."
At this moment, as luck would have it, Satan rose leisurely to his
feet, and, strolling across, thrust his wet muzzle into the palm of
my hand. The timely demonstration evidently had a considerable
effect upon Bascomb, for he looked up at me with a sudden respect
that had hitherto been absent from his manner.
"'E's taken to you proper, sir," he observed; "an' wot's more, 'e's
worth 'avin' as a friend, that dog is. If 'e was around, and any
bloke was to try a dirty trick on you, 'e'd tear the throat out of
'im before 'e knew wot 'ad 'appened."
"I'm very pleased to hear it," I said heartily, and, having bestowed
several more encouraging pats on my new and useful ally, I followed
Ross into the house.
I found him in the dining-room in the act of helping himself to
another whisky and soda.
"It's time we were making a start," I said, copying his example.
"There are no lights on the car, and it will take us at least three
hours to get back to town."
"I'm ready," he replied. "I didn't like to leave all this drink
behind, though. It's putting temptation in Bascomb's way."
"You needn't have worried yourself," I explained. "There's a whole
cellar full of it downstairs, and of course he's got the key."
Ross nodded his head in mock amazement. "Good Lord! And yet the
silly fool hasn't even the sense to try and keep his job. I suppose
you'll give him the sack now you've heard the doctor's opinion of
him?"
"I daresay," I returned evasively. "I'm keeping him on for the
present, though. It's no good throwing away dirty water until one's
got clean."
We went down to the landing-stage and stepped into our boat, which
Bascomb had busied himself in making ready for us. He and Satan
remained standing on the shore as we pulled out into the estuary--two
motionless black figures against the lonely background of trees and
shrubs. To my imagination they seemed to me to strike a curiously
grim and forbidding note, well in keeping with the reputation for
unsociability that Greensea Island had evidently earned. In view of
certain possible contingencies, however, this was distinctly a fault
on the right side, and I looked back at them both with a certain
growing sense of comfort and confidence. If my uncle's legacy was a
trifle unhealthy, I was beginning to think that he had at least left
me the means of dealing with it in a thoroughly practical fashion.
We had no difficulty this time in making the passage, for the tide
was now at its lowest, and were able to row straight across to the
jetty. We abandoned the boat to the charge of Jim, who was waiting
for us, and going up to the Gunner's Arms, routed out our chauffeur
from a comfortable seat in the bar parlour.
"You've got back all right then, sir," observed the landlord. "I
hope you found the place come up to what you expected?"
"Quite, thank you," I said. "I think I shall be as happy and
contented there as my uncle was."
He eyed me for a moment with the same air of peculiar interest, but
beyond thanking me for the five shillings which I gave him he offered
no further remarks.
Three minutes later we were spinning up the long incline, at the top
of which we had paused in the morning to view my new property. At
the very point where we had halted the road turned away to the left,
winding off inland towards the railway junction at Torrington.
We were just rounding this corner when the unexpected blast of a horn
caused our chauffeur to pull in hastily to the near side. As he did
so a big car suddenly swept into view, coming from the opposite
direction. How we avoided each other I don't know, for the fleeting
glimpse which I had caught of the man alongside the driver put
everything else for the moment completely out of my head.
Ross sprang up in his seat, and stared back in amazement over the top
of the tonneau.
"Well I'm damned!" he exclaimed, turning to me. "If that wasn't our
friend de Roda it must have been his twin brother!"