Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England
The Cruise of the Thetis
A Tale of the Cuban Insurrection
By Harry Collingwood
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The Thetis is a fast motor-cruiser. The story takes us to Cuba, and
we visit various places in it (even Guantanamo!). There has been an
insurrection there and our heroes get themselves involved.
The book used was very well printed, and so the transcription was easy,
and we think it has been well-done.
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THE CRUISE OF THE THETIS
A TALE OF THE CUBAN INSURRECTION
BY HARRY COLLINGWOOD
CHAPTER ONE.
A FRIEND--AND A MYSTERIOUS STRANGER.
"Hillo, Singleton, old chap, how are you?" exclaimed a young fellow of
about eighteen years of age, as he laid his hand upon the shoulder of a
lad about his own age, who, on a certain fine July day in the year of
grace 1894, was standing gazing into the window of a shop in Piccadilly.
The speaker was a somewhat slightly-built youth, rather tall and slim,
by no means ill-looking, of sallow complexion and a cast of features
that betrayed his foreign origin, although his English was faultless.
The young man whom he had addressed was, on the other hand, a typical
Englishman, tall, broad, with "athlete" written large all over him; fair
of skin, with a thick crop of close-cut, ruddy-golden locks that curled
crisply on his well-shaped head, and a pair of clear, grey-blue eyes
that had a trick of seeming to look right into the very soul of anyone
with whom their owner happened to engage in conversation. Just now,
however, there was a somewhat languid look in those same eyes that,
coupled with an extreme pallor of complexion and gauntness of frame,
seemed to tell a tale of ill health. The singularly handsome face,
however, lighted up with an expression of delighted surprise as its
owner turned sharply round and answered heartily:
"Why, Carlos, my dear old chap, this is indeed an unexpected pleasure!
We were talking about you only last night--Letchmere, Woolaston,
Poltimore, and I, all old Alleynians who had foregathered to dine at the
Holborn. Where in the world have you sprung from?"
"Plymouth last, where I arrived yesterday, _en route_ to London from
Cuba," was the answer. "And you are the second old Alleynian whom I
have already met. Lancaster--you remember him, of course--came up in
the same compartment with me all the way. He is an engineer now in the
dockyard at Devonport, and was on his way to join his people, who are
off to Switzerland, I think he said."
"Yes, of course I remember him," was the answer, "but I have not seen
him since we all left Dulwich together. And what are you doing over
here, now--if it is not an indiscreet question to ask; and how long do
you propose to stay?"
The sallow-complexioned, foreign-looking youth glanced keenly about him
before replying, looked at his watch, and then remarked:
"Close upon half-past one--lunch-time; and this London air of yours has
given me a most voracious appetite. Suppose we go in somewhere and get
some lunch, to start with; afterwards we can take a stroll in the Park,
and have a yarn together--that is to say, if you are not otherwise
engaged."
"Right you are, my boy; that will suit me admirably, for I have no other
engagement, and, truth to tell, was feeling somewhat at a loss as to how
to dispose of myself for the next hour or two. Here you are, let us go
into Prince's," answered Singleton. The two young men entered the
restaurant, found a table, called a waiter, and ordered lunch; and while
they are taking the meal the opportunity may be seized to make the
reader somewhat better acquainted with them.
There is not much that need be said by way of introduction to either of
them. Carlos Montijo was the only son of Don Hermoso Montijo, a native
of Cuba, and the most extensive and wealthy tobacco planter in the
Vuelta de Abajo district of that island. He was also intensely
patriotic, and was very strongly suspected by the Spanish rulers of Cuba
of regarding with something more than mere passive sympathy the efforts
that had been made by the Cubans from time to time, ever since '68, to
throw off the Spanish yoke. He was a great admirer of England, English
institutions, and the English form of government, which, despite all its
imperfections, he considered to be the most admirable form of government
in existence. It was this predilection for things English that had
induced him to send his son Carlos over to England, some nine years
prior to the date of the opening of this story, to be educated at
Dulwich, first of all in the preparatory school and afterwards in the
College. And it was during the latter period that Carlos Montijo became
the especial chum of Jack Singleton, a lad of the same age as himself,
and the only son of Edward Singleton, the senior partner in the eminent
Tyneside firm of Singleton, Murdock, and Company, shipbuilders and
engineers. The two lads had left Dulwich at the same time, Carlos to
return to Cuba to master the mysteries of tobacco-growing, and Singleton
to learn all that was to be learnt of shipbuilding and engineering in
his father's establishment. A year ago, however, Singleton senior had
died, leaving his only son without a near relation in the world--Jack's
mother having died during his infancy: and since then Jack, as the
dominant partner in the firm, had been allowed to do pretty much as he
pleased. Not that he took an unwise advantage of this freedom--very far
from it: he clearly realised that, his father being dead, there was now
a more stringent necessity than ever for him to become master of every
detail of the business; and, far from taking things easy, he had been
working so hard that of late his health had shown signs of giving way,
and at the moment when we make his acquaintance he was in London for the
purpose of consulting a specialist.
During the progress of luncheon there had been, as was to be expected, a
brisk crossfire of question and answer between the two young men, in the
course of which Montijo had learned, among other things, that his friend
Jack had been ordered by the specialist to leave business very severely
alone for some time to come, and, if possible, to treat himself to at
least six months' complete change of air, scene, and occupation.
"It fortunately so happens," said Jack, "that my position in the firm
will enable me to do this very well, since Murdock, the other partner,
is, and has been since my father's death, the actual manager of the
business; and as he has been with us for nearly thirty years he knows
all that there is to know about it, and needs no assistance from me.
Also, I have at last completed the submarine which has been my pet
project for almost as long as I can remember, and now all that I need is
the opportunity to try her: indeed, but for Oxley's strict injunctions
to me to cut business altogether, I should certainly spend my holiday in
putting the boat to a complete series of very much more thorough and
exhaustive tests than have thus far been possible. As it is, I really
am at an almost complete loss how to spend my six months' holiday."
"Do you mean to say that you have no plans whatever?" demanded Montijo,
as he and his friend rose from the table to leave the restaurant.
"None but those of the most vague and hazy description possible,"
answered Singleton. "Oxley's orders are `change of scene, no work, and
a life in the open air'; I am therefore endeavouring to weigh the
respective merits of a cruise in my old tub the _Lalage_, and big-game
shooting somewhere in Central Africa. But neither of them seems to
appeal to me very strongly; the cutter is old and slow, while as for the
shooting project, I really don't seem to have the necessary energy for
such an undertaking, in the present state of my health."
"Look here, Jack," observed Montijo eagerly, as he slid his hand within
his friend's arm and the pair wheeled westward toward Hyde Park, "I
believe I have the very scheme to suit you, and I will expound it to you
presently, when we get into the Park and can talk freely without the
risk of being overheard. Meanwhile, what was it that you were saying
just now about a submarine? I remember, of course, that you were always
thinking and talking about submarines while we were at Dulwich, and also
that you once made a model which you tested in the pond, and which dived
so effectually that, unless you subsequently recovered her, she must be
at the bottom of the pond still."
"Ay," answered Jack with a laugh; "I remember that ill-fated model. No,
I never recovered her, but she nevertheless served her purpose; for her
mishap gave me my first really useful idea in connection with the design
of a submarine boat. And at last I have completed a working model which
thus far has answered exceedingly well. She is only a small affair, you
know, five feet in diameter by twenty-five feet long, but she is big
enough to accommodate two men--or even three, at a pinch. I have been
as deep as ten fathoms in her, and have no doubt she could descend to
twice that depth; while she has an underwater speed of twenty knots,
which she can maintain for five hours."
"By Jove, that's splendid--very much better than anything that anyone
else has done, thus far!" exclaimed Montijo admiringly. "You ought to
make your fortune with a boat of that sort. And you are pining for an
opportunity to subject her to a thoroughly practical test? Well, my
scheme, which I will explain in full when we get into the Park, will
enable you to do that."
"Is that so?" commented Jack. "Then that alone would very strongly
predispose me in favour of it. But why make such a secret of it, old
chap? Is it of such a character that a passer-by, catching a few words
of it, would be likely to hand us over to the nearest policeman as a
couple of conspirators?"
"Well, no; it is scarcely so bad as that," answered Montijo, laughing:
"but it is of such a nature that I would prefer not to speak of it, if
you don't mind, until we are somewhere in the Park where we can converse
freely without the fear of being overheard. You see, the Pater and I
are pretty well-known to--and not too well liked by--the Spanish
authorities in Cuba, and it is by no means certain that they may not
think it quite worth their while to have us watched over here;
therefore--"
"Yes, of course, I understand," returned Jack; "therefore for the
present `mum's the word', eh?"
Montijo nodded, and the two lads strode along, conversing upon various
topics, until they reached Hyde Park Corner, and swung in through the
Park gates, and so on to the grass.
"Ah, now at last I can speak freely!" remarked Montijo with a sigh of
relief. "First of all, Singleton," he continued, "you must understand
that what I am about to say will be spoken in the strictest confidence;
and, whether you should agree to my proposal or not, I must ask you to
pledge your honour as a gentleman that you will not repeat a single word
of what I say to anyone--anyone, mind you--without first obtaining my
consent, or that of my Pater."
"All right, Carlos, my boy," answered Singleton, cheerily; "I promise
and vow all that you ask. There is nobody on the face of this earth of
ours who can keep a secret better than I can, as you ought to know by
this time."
"Yes, I do know it, perfectly well," agreed Montijo. "Well," he
continued, "the fact is that the Pater and I have at last begun to
interest ourselves actively in Cuban politics. We Cubans, as you
perhaps know, have been trying, ever since '68, to induce the Spaniards
to govern us mildly and justly, but thus far all our efforts have been
fruitless: we are still being ground down and tyrannised over until the
lives of many of us have become a burden; neither the property, the
liberty, nor the life of any Cuban is safe to-day, unless he is well-
known to be a supporter of the Spanish Government. After more than a
quarter of a century of patient but ineffectual effort, therefore, it
has been determined to take up arms, strike a blow for liberty, and
never rest until Cuba is free from the hated Spanish yoke.
"It is in connection with this movement that the Pater and I are now in
England. It is now nearly a year since Senor Marti--the man who above
all others has been conspicuous in his efforts on behalf of Cuba--got
hold of the Pater and succeeded in convincing him that it is the duty of
every Cuban to do his utmost to free his country from the grasp of the
tyrant; and one of the first-fruits of this was the giving of an order
by the Pater--through a friend--for the construction of a fast steam-
yacht, to be used as may be required in the service of the country, but
primarily for the purpose of smuggling arms, ammunition, and necessaries
of all kinds into the island. Now, by a singular coincidence, this
friend and agent of the Pater chose your firm as that which should build
the yacht; and now we, having been advised that she is ready for
delivery--"
"What!" exclaimed Singleton, "you surely don't mean to say that Number
78 is your boat?"
"Yes," answered Montijo quietly; "that is the number by which she is at
present known, I believe."
"Then, Carlos, my dear boy, accept my most hearty congratulations!"
exclaimed Singleton. "Our naval constructor has let himself go, and
fairly outdone himself over that craft. It was a difficult task that
you gave him to do when you asked for a boat of not less than three
hundred tons on eight feet draught of water, and with a sea speed of
twenty-two knots; but he has done it, and the result is that you have,
in Number 78, the prettiest little boat that ever swam. Why, man, she
has already done twenty-four knots over the measured mile, on her full
draught of water, and in a fairly heavy sea; and she is the very
sweetest sea boat that it is possible to imagine. Of course we could
not have done it had we not boldly adopted the new-fashioned turbine
principle for her engines; but they work to perfection, and even when
she is running at full speed one can scarcely feel a tremor in her."
"I am delighted to receive so excellent an account of her," answered
Montijo, "and so will the Pater be when I tell him--or, rather, when you
tell him; for, Singleton, I want you to promise that you will dine with
us to-night, and make the Pater's acquaintance. He is the very dearest
old chap that you ever met--your own father, of course, excepted--and he
will be enchanted to make your acquaintance. He already knows you well
enough by name to speak of you as `Jack'."
"I will do so with pleasure," answered Singleton heartily. "I have no
other engagement, and after one has been to a theatre or a concert every
night for a week--as I have--one begins to wish for a change. And while
I don't wish to flatter you, Carlos, my boy, if your father is anything
like you he is a jolly good sort, and I shall be glad to know him. But
we have run somewhat off the track, haven't we? I understood that you
have some sort of proposal to make."
"Yes," answered Montijo, "I have. Let me see--what were we talking
about? Oh, yes, the yacht! Well, now that she is built, we are in
something of a difficulty concerning her--a difficulty that did not
suggest itself to any of us until quite recently. That difficulty is
the difficulty of ownership. She has been built for the service of
Cuba, but somebody must be her acknowledged owner; and if she is
admitted to be the property of the Pater, of Marti, or, in fact, of any
Cuban, she will at once become an object of suspicion to the Spanish
Government, and her movements will be so jealously watched that it will
become difficult, almost to the verge of impossibility, for her to
render any of those services for which she is specially intended. You
see that, Jack, don't you?"
"Certainly," answered Singleton, "that is obvious to the meanest
intellect, as somebody once remarked. But how do you propose to get
over the difficulty?"
"There is only one way that the Pater and I can see out of it," answered
Montijo, "and that is to get somebody who is not likely to incur Spanish
suspicion to accept the nominal ownership of the yacht, under the
pretence of using her simply for his own pleasure."
"Phew!" whistled Singleton. "That may be all right for the other
fellow, but how will it be for you? For that scheme to work
satisfactorily you must not only find a man who will throw himself heart
and soul into your cause, but also one whose honesty is proof against
the temptation to appropriate to himself a yacht which will cost not far
short of forty thousand pounds. For you must remember that unless the
yacht's papers are absolutely in order, and her apparent ownership
unimpeachable, it will be no good at all; she must be, so far at least
as all documentary evidence goes, the indisputable property of the
supposititious man of whom we have been speaking: and, that being the
case, there will be nothing but his own inherent honesty to prevent him
from taking absolute possession of her and doing exactly as he pleases
with her, even to selling her, should he be so minded. Now, where are
you going to find a man whom you can trust to that extent?"
"I don't know, I'm sure," answered Montijo; "at least, I didn't until I
met you, Jack. But if you are willing to be the man--"
"Oh, nonsense, my dear fellow," interrupted Jack, "that won't do at all,
you know!"
"Why not?" asked Montijo. "Is it because you don't care to interfere in
Cuban affairs? I thought that perhaps, as you are obliged to take a
longish holiday, with change of scene and interests, an outdoor life,
and so on, you would rather enjoy the excitement--"
"Enjoy it?" echoed Singleton. "My dear fellow, `enjoy' is not the word,
I should simply revel in it; all the more because my sympathies are
wholly with the Cubans, while I--or rather my firm, have an old grudge
against the Spaniards, who once played us a very dirty trick, of which,
however, I need say nothing just now. No, it is not that; it is--"
"Well, what is it?" demanded Montijo, seeing that Jack paused
hesitatingly.
"So near as I can put it," answered Jack, "it is this. Your father
doesn't know me from Adam; and you only know as much as you learned of
me during the time that we were together at Dulwich. How then can you
possibly tell that I should behave on the square with you? How can you
tell that, after having been put into legal possession of the yacht, I
should not order you and your father ashore and forbid you both to ever
set foot upon her decks again?"
Montijo laughed joyously. "Never mind how I know it, Jack," he
answered. "I do know it, and that is enough. And if that is not a
sufficiently convincing argument for you, here is another. You will
admit that, in order to avoid the difficulty which I have pointed out,
we must trust somebody, mustn't we? Very well. Now I say that there is
no man in all the world whom I would so implicitly trust as yourself;
therefore I ask you, as a very great favour, to come into this affair
with us. It will just nicely fill up your six months' holiday--for the
whole affair will be over in six months, or less--and give you such a
jolly, exciting time as you may never again meet with during the rest of
your life. Now, what do you say to that?"
"I say that your Pater must be consulted before the matter is allowed to
go any further," answered Jack. "You can mention it to him between now
and to-night, if you like, and if the idea is agreeable to him we can
discuss it after dinner. And that reminds me that you have not yet
mentioned the place or the hour of meeting."
"We are staying at the Cecil, and we dine at seven sharp," answered
Montijo. "But don't go yet, old chap, unless I am boring you. Am I?"
"Do you remember my once punching your head at Dulwich for some trifling
misdemeanour?" asked Jack laughingly, as he linked his arm in that of
Montijo. "Very well, then. If you talk like that you will compel me to
do it again. Do you know, Carlos, this scheme of yours is rapidly
exercising a subtle and singularly powerful fascination over me? and
even if your father should hesitate to entrust his boat to me, I feel
very like asking him to let me take a hand in the game, just for the fun
of the thing. And what a splendid opportunity it would afford for
testing the powers of my submarine! Oh, by Jove, I think I must go, one
way or another!"
The two young men wandered about the Park for nearly an hour longer,
discussing the matter eagerly, and even going so far as to make certain
tentative plans; and then they separated and went their respective ways,
with the understanding that they were to meet again at the Cecil.
Jack was putting up at Morley's Hotel, in Trafalgar Square, and his
nearest way back to it was, of course, down Piccadilly; but as he passed
out through the Park gate he suddenly bethought himself of certain
purchases that he wished to make at the Army and Navy Stores, and he
accordingly crossed the road and entered the Green Park, with the
intention of passing through it and Saint James's Park, and so into
Victoria Street by way of Queen Anne's Gate and the side streets leading
therefrom. He had got about halfway across Green Park when he became
aware of quick footsteps approaching him from behind, and the next
moment he was overtaken and accosted by a rather handsome man,
irreproachably attired in frock-coat, glossy top-hat, and other garments
to match. The stranger was evidently a foreigner--perhaps a Spaniard,
Jack thought, although he spoke English with scarcely a trace of accent.
Raising his hat, he said:
"Pardon me, sir, but may I venture to enquire whether the gentleman from
whom you parted a few minutes ago happens to be named Montijo?"
"Certainly," answered Jack; "there can be no possible objection to your
making such an enquiry, somewhat peculiar though it is. But whether I
answer it or not must depend upon the reason which you may assign for
asking the question. It is not usual, here in England, for total
strangers to ask such personal questions as yours without being prepared
to explain why they are asked."
"Precisely!" assented the stranger suavely. "My reason for asking is
that I am particularly anxious to see Senor Montijo on very important
business of a strictly private nature, and should your friend happen to
be the gentleman in question I was about to ask if you would have the
very great goodness to oblige me with his present address."
"I see," said Jack. "What caused you to think that my friend might
possibly be the individual you are so anxious to meet?"
"Simply a strong general resemblance, nothing more," answered the
stranger.
"Then, my dear sir," said Jack, "since you saw my friend--for otherwise
you could not have observed his strong general resemblance to the person
whom you are so anxious to meet--will you permit me to suggest that
obviously the proper thing for you to have done was to accost him when
the opportunity presented itself to you, instead of following me.
Before I answer your question I am afraid I must ask you to favour me
with your card, as a guarantee of your _bona fides_, you know."
"Certainly," answered the stranger unhesitatingly, as he felt in the
breast pocket of his coat for his card-case. His search, however,
proved ineffectual, or at least no card-case was produced; and
presently, with an air of great vexation, he exclaimed:
"Alas! sir, I regret to say that I appear to have lost or mislaid my
card-case, for I certainly have not it with me. My name, however, is--
Mackintosh," with just the slightest perceptible hesitation.
"Mackintosh!" exclaimed Jack with enthusiasm; "surely not one of the
Mackintoshes of Inveraray?"
"Certainly, my dear sir," answered the stranger effusively. "You have
no doubt heard of us, and know us to be eminently respectable?"
"Never heard of you before," answered Jack, with a chuckle. "Good-
morning, Mr Mackintosh!" And with a somewhat ironical bow he left the
stranger gaping with astonishment.
"Now, what is the meaning of this, and what does Mr--Mackintosh--of
Inveraray--want with Carlos, I wonder?" mused the young man, as he
strode off across the Park. He considered the matter carefully for a
few minutes, and presently snapped his fingers as he felt that he had
solved the puzzle.
"I don't believe he is in the least anxious to obtain Montijo's
address," he mused, "otherwise he would have followed Carlos--not me!
But I suspect that he has been quietly dogging Carlos, with a view to
discovering what friends he and his father make here in England; and,
having seen Carlos and me together for some hours to-day, he was
desirous of obtaining an opportunity to become acquainted with my
features and general appearance. Shouldn't wonder if he follows me up
and tries to discover where I live--yes, there the beggar is, obviously
following me! Very well, I have no objection; on the contrary, the task
of dodging him will add a new zest to life. And I'll give him a good
run for his money!"
And therewith Jack, who had thus far been sauntering very quietly along,
suddenly stepped out at his smartest pace, and was greatly amused to
observe the anxiety which the stranger evinced to keep up with him. Out
through the gate by the corner of Stafford House grounds strode Jack,
across the Mall, through the gate into Saint James's Park, and along the
path leading to the bridge, where he stopped, ostensibly to watch some
children feeding the ducks, but really to see what the stranger would
do. Then on again the moment that the latter also stopped, on past the
drinking fountain and through the gate, across Birdcage Walk, and so
into Queen Anne's Gate, a little way along York Street, then to the left
and through into Victoria Street, across the road, and into the main
entrance of the Army and Navy Stores. As he ran up the steps he glanced
over his shoulder and saw his pursuer frantically striving to dodge
between a 'bus and a hansom cab and still to keep his eyes on Jack, who
passed in through the heavy swing doors, through the grocery department,
sharp round to the right through the accountant's office into the
perfumery department, and so out into Victoria Street again, making
sure, as he passed out, that he had baffled his pursuer. Turning to the
left, Jack then walked a little way down the street towards Victoria
Station until he saw a Camden Town 'bus coming up, when he quietly
crossed the road, boarded the 'bus, and ten minutes later stepped off it
again as it pulled up at its stopping-place at the corner of Trafalgar
Square. Jack now looked carefully round once more, to make quite sure
that he had thrown "Mr Mackintosh" off the scent, satisfied himself
that the individual in question was nowhere in sight, and entered his
hotel.
CHAPTER TWO.
LIEUTENANT MILSOM, R.N.
The evening was fine, and the distance not far from Morley's to the
Cecil; Jack therefore did not trouble to take a cab, but, slipping on a
light dust-coat over his evening dress, set out to walk down the Strand
on his way to dine with his friend. As he went his thoughts were
dwelling upon the incident of his afternoon encounter with the
mysterious "Mr Mackintosh, of Inveraray"; and he decided that he would
let Carlos and his father know that someone appeared to be taking rather
a marked interest in them and their movements. A walk of some ten
minutes' duration sufficed to take him to his destination; and as he
turned in at the arcade which gives access to the hotel from the Strand,
whom should he see but the mysterious stranger, apparently intently
studying the steamship advertisements displayed in one of the windows of
the arcade, but in reality keeping a sharp eye upon the hotel entrances.
"Ah!" thought Jack; "watching, are you? All right; I'll see if I can't
give you a bit of a scare, my friend!" And, so thinking, the young
giant walked straight up to the stranger, and, gripping him firmly by
the arm, exclaimed:
"Hillo, Mackintosh, waiting for Mr Montijo, eh? Is this where he is
stopping? Because, if so, we may as well go in together, and see if he
is at home. The sight of you reminds me that I rather want to see him
myself. Come along, old chap!" And therewith Jack, still retaining his
grip upon the stranger's arm, swung him round and made as though he
would drag him along to the hotel.
"Carrajo! How dare you, sir!" exclaimed the stranger, vainly striving
to wrench himself free from Jack's grasp. "Release me, sir; release me
instantly, you young cub, or I will call a policeman!"
"What!" exclaimed Jack, in affected surprise; "don't you wish to see
your friend Montijo? Very well; run along, then. But take notice of
what I say, Mr Mackintosh; if I find you hanging about here again I
will call a policeman and give you in charge as a suspicious character.
Now, be off with you, and do not let me see you again."
And, swinging him round, Jack thrust him away with such force that it
was with difficulty the man avoided falling headlong into the carriage-
way. Then, calmly passing into the hotel, Singleton enquired for Senor
Montijo, and was ushered to that gentleman's private suite of rooms by
an obsequious waiter.
He found both father and son waiting for him in a very pretty little
drawing-room, and, Carlos having duly introduced his friend, the three
stood chatting together upon the various current topics of the day until
dinner was announced, when they filed into a small dining-room
adjoining. Here also the conversation was of a strictly general
character, so long, at least, as the waiters were about; but at length
the latter withdrew, and the two young men, at Senor Montijo's request,
drew up their chairs closer to his.
Don Hermoso Montijo was a man in the very prime of life, being in his
forty-third year; and, fortune having been kind to him from the first,
while sickness of every description had carefully avoided him, he looked
even younger than his years. He was a tall, powerful, and strikingly
handsome man, of very dark complexion, with black hair, beard, and
moustache, and dark eyes that sparkled with good humour and vivacity;
and his every movement and gesture were characterised by the stately
dignity of the true old Spanish hidalgo. He had spoken but little
during dinner, his English being far from perfect; moreover, although he
had paid the most elaborately courteous attention to what Jack said, his
thoughts had seemed to be far away. Now, however, he turned to his
guest and said, with an air of apology:
"Senor Singleton, I must pray you to me pardon if I have silent been
during--the--meal--of dinner, but I have not much of English, as you
have doubtless noticed. Have you the Spanish?"
Jack laughed as he replied in that language: "What I have, Senor, I owe
entirely to Carlos here. He may perhaps have told you that we two used
to amuse ourselves by teaching each other our respective tongues. But I
am afraid I was rather a dull scholar; and if my Spanish is only half as
good as Carlos's English I shall be more than satisfied."
"I am afraid I am unable to judge the quality of Carlos's English,"
answered Don Hermoso, "but I beg to assure you, Senor, that your Spanish
is excellent; far better, indeed, than that spoken by many of my own
countrymen. If it be not too tedious to you, Senor, I would beg you to
do me the favour of speaking Spanish for the remainder of the evening,
as I find it exceedingly difficult to make myself quite clearly
understood in English."
Jack having expressed his perfect readiness to fall in with this
suggestion, Don Hermoso continued:
"Carlos has been telling me what passed between you and him to-day,
Senor Singleton, and although I was naturally somewhat disinclined to
give an unqualified assent to his suggestion before I had seen you,
permit me to say that now, having seen, watched, and conversed with you,
nothing will give me greater pleasure than to endorse his proposal,
unless it be to hear that you agree to it."
"To be perfectly candid, Don Hermoso, I feel very strongly inclined to
do so," answered Jack. "But before I can possibly give my assent to
Carlos's proposal you must permit me to clearly indicate the risks to
you involved in it. You know absolutely nothing of me, Senor, beyond
what you have learned from your son; and it is in the highest degree
essential that you should clearly understand that what Carlos suggested
to me this afternoon involves you in the risk of losing your yacht, for
the carrying into effect of that proposal would make the vessel
positively my own, to do as I pleased with; and if I should choose to
retain possession of her, neither you nor anybody else could prevent
me."
"I very clearly understand all that, my dear young friend," answered Don
Hermoso, "and I am perfectly willing to take the risks, for several
reasons. In the first place, if you were the kind of individual to do
what you have just suggested, I do not for an instant believe that you
would have warned me that the proposal involved me in the risk of losing
my yacht. In the next place, although, as you say, I know little or
nothing about you, my son Carlos knows you pretty intimately, and I can
rely upon his judgment of you. And, finally, I do not believe that any
Englishman in your position would or could be guilty of such infamous
conduct as you have suggested. The fact is that we shall certainly be
obliged to trust somebody--for if it were once known that the yacht
belonged to me she would be so strictly watched that we could do little
or nothing with her; and I would naturally trust you, rather than a
stranger."
"Of course," answered Jack, "that is only natural, and I can quite
understand it. Nevertheless I will not give you an answer at present;
you must have sufficient time to think the matter over at leisure, and
perhaps while doing so you may hit upon some alternative scheme that
will suit you better. Meanwhile, let me tell you of a little adventure
that I had this afternoon, just after I had parted from you, Carlos--and
its continuation this evening. It will perhaps interest you, for I am
greatly mistaken if it does not concern you both, even more than it does
me."
And therewith Jack proceeded to give a humorous relation of his two
encounters with the foreign-looking gentleman claiming to be one of the
Mackintoshes of Inveraray. When at length he finished, father and son
looked at each other with glances of alarm, and simultaneously
exclaimed:
"Now, who can that possibly be?"
"Your description of the man does not in the least degree suggest any
particular individual to me," continued Don Hermoso; "but that, of
course, is not surprising, for a man must have a singularly striking
personality to allow of his being identified from verbal description
only. But let him be who he may, I am quite disposed to agree with you
that his object in accosting you this afternoon was to enable him to
familiarise himself with your personal appearance; while the fact that
you caught him watching the hotel this evening would seem to indicate
that our presence in London is known, and that our visit is regarded
with a certain amount of suspicion. This only strengthens my conviction
that your aid, my dear Senor Singleton, will be of the greatest value to
us, if we can succeed in persuading you to give it."
Don Hermoso's manner was such as to leave no room for doubt in the mind
of Singleton as to the sincerity of the Cuban, while the latter and his
son were easily able to see that their proposal strongly appealed to the
adventurous spirit of the young Englishman: it is therefore not
surprising that ere they parted that evening Singleton had definitely
agreed to become, for the time being, the apparent owner of the new
steam-yacht, and to take part in the gun-running adventure; also
agreeing to take along with him the working model of his submarine,
which all three were of opinion might be found exceedingly useful, while
the service upon which they were about to engage would afford Jack an
opportunity to put the craft to the test of actual work.
These important points having been arranged, it was further agreed that,
since the two Montijos were evidently under Spanish surveillance, they
should advertise their connection with the yacht as little as possible,
leaving the matters of the final trials of the vessel, the payment of
the last instalment of her cost, and her transfer to Jack's ownership
entirely in the hands of the agent who had thus far managed the business
for them; taking a holiday on the Continent, meanwhile, and joining the
vessel only at the last moment prior to her departure for Cuba. And it
was further arranged that the ordering and shipment of the arms,
ammunition, and supplies destined for the use of the insurgents should
also be left absolutely in the hands of the agent and Jack conjointly;
by which means the Montijos would effectually avoid embroilment with the
Spanish authorities, while it was hoped that, by occupying the attention
of those authorities themselves, that attention would be completely
diverted from Jack and the yacht. The settlement of these details and
of others incidental to them kept the three conspirators busy until
nearly midnight, when Jack rose to go, having already arranged to leave
the hotel by the side entrance in order to baffle the eminently
respectable "Mr Mackintosh", should that individual happen to be still
on the watch. As it happened, he was; for upon leaving the hotel Jack
sauntered along the Embankment as far as Waterloo Bridge, then made his
way up into Lancaster Place, and there took a cab, in which he drove up
the Strand, where he saw his man, evidently on guard, strolling slowly
to and fro in front of the main entrance to the Cecil.
Now Jack, although a yacht owner, was not a member of any yacht club,
his cutter _Lalage_ being such an out-of-date craft, and so seldom in
use, that he had not thus far thought it worth while to very intimately
identify himself with what is the Englishman's pastime _par excellence_.
But as he thought over the events of the evening while smoking a final
pipe before turning in that night, it occurred to him that if he was to
successfully pose as the owner of a fine new steam-yacht, it was
imperative that he should become a member of some smart club; and as he
happened to have two or three intimate friends who belonged to the Royal
Thames, he decided upon attempting to procure election into that
somewhat exclusive club. Accordingly, the next morning he addressed
letters to those friends, requesting them to undertake the matter of his
election, with the result, it may here be mentioned, that about three
weeks later he received a communication from the secretary of the club,
intimating his enrolment, and requesting the payment of his entrance fee
and first subscription. This matter having been attended to, Jack next
addressed a letter to Senor Montijo's agent, making an appointment with
him for the afternoon; and then went out to interview his tailor and
outfitter, for the purpose of procuring a suitable outfit.
Then it occurred to him that for the especial work which the new yacht
was required to do she would need a first-rate crew, every man of whom
must be absolutely to be depended upon under all circumstances. The
eight or ten hands comprising the crew of the _Lalage_ were all well-
known to him, having indeed belonged to the cutter for years, while she
was still the property of Jack's father, and they would doubtless serve
as the nucleus of the new ship's crew: but of course they would go but a
little way towards the manning of a steam-yacht of three hundred and
forty tons measurement; while Perkins, satisfactory as he had proved
himself in his capacity of skipper of the cutter, would never do as
commander of the new ship--though he might perhaps make a very good
chief officer. Having arrived at this point in his meditations, Jack
suddenly bethought himself of Lieutenant Philip Milsom, R.N. (retired),
who would make a perfectly ideal skipper for the new craft, and would
probably be glad enough to get to sea again for a few months, and
supplement his scanty income by drawing the handsome pay which the
captain of a first-class modern steam-yacht can command. Whereupon the
young man turned into the next telegraph office that he came to, and
dispatched a wire to Milsom, briefly informing him that he had heard of
a berth which he thought would suit him, and requesting him to call at
Morley's Hotel on the following day. And at lunch-time Jack received a
letter from Carlos Montijo, announcing the departure of his father and
himself for Paris, _en route_ for Switzerland, and containing an
itinerary and list of dates for Singleton's guidance in the event of his
finding it necessary to communicate with them.
Jack had finished his luncheon, and was taking a cup of coffee with his
cigarette in the smoke-room, when a waiter entered, bearing a card the
owner of which was enquiring for Mr Singleton. The card bore the name
of "James M. Nisbett", and Jack knew that Senor Montijo's agent had
arrived. He accordingly directed the waiter to show Mr Nisbett up into
his private sitting-room.
Mr Nisbett was one of those agents whose business is generally brought
to them by foreign and colonial clients; and his transactions consisted
of obtaining for and forwarding to those clients anything and everything
that they might chance to require, whether it happened to be a pocket
knife, a bridal trousseau, or several hundred miles of railway; a
needle, or an anchor. And, being a keen man of business, it was only
necessary to mention to him the kind of article required, and he was at
once prepared to say where that article might be best obtained. Also,
being a tremendously busy man, he was wont to get straight to business,
without any circumlocution; and he did so in the present instance by
producing a letter which he had that morning received from Don Hermoso
Montijo, detailing the arrangement arrived at on the previous night
between himself and Jack, and authorising Nisbett to act upon Jack's
instructions precisely as though these instructions emanated directly
from Don Hermoso himself. This letter very effectually cleared the
ground, and Jack at once began to detail to Nisbett full particulars of
all the arms, ammunition, stores, and articles generally which it was
intended to put on board the yacht for conveyance to Cuba; after which
arrangements were made for the final trials of the yacht prior to her
acceptance by Nisbett on behalf of his clients, and her subsequent
transference to Jack's ownership. It was perfectly clear to Jack that
this last arrangement was distinctly unpalatable to Nisbett, who thought
he saw in it some deep-laid scheme for the theft of the yacht from her
actual owners; but when Jack explained the reasons which had actuated
the Montijos in making the proposal, and further cheerfully offered to
consent to any alternative scheme which would achieve the same result,
the man at once gave in, frankly admitting that the arrangement already
come to was the best that could be suggested. He remained with Jack two
full hours, carefully discussing with him every point affecting the
success of the expedition; and when at length he retired he was fully
primed with all the information necessary to enable him to
satisfactorily perform his share of the task.
The following morning brought Jack a visitor of a very different but
equally thorough type, in the person of Lieutenant Philip Milsom, R.N.,
who sent in his card while the young man was still dawdling over a
rather late breakfast.
"Bring the gentleman in here," ordered Jack; and a minute later the
waiter re-appeared, conducting a dapper-looking, clean-shaven man of
medium height, attired in a suit of blue serge, the double-breasted
jacket of which he wore buttoned tight to his body. This individual
spotted Jack instantly, and, pushing the waiter on one side, bustled up
with outstretched hand to the table at which the young man was sitting,
exclaiming in a brisk, cheery voice:
"Hillo, Jack, my hearty, what cheer? Gad! what a big lump of a chap you
have become since I saw you last--how long ago?--ay, it must be more
than two years. But, nevertheless, I should have known you anywhere,
from your striking likeness to your poor father. Well, and how are you,
my lad, eh? Not very much the matter with you, I should say--and yet I
don't know; you look a trifle chalky about the gills, and your clothes
seem to hang rather more loosely than they should. What have you been
doing with yourself, eh?"
"Oh, nothing very dreadful!" laughed Jack, "only overworking myself a
trifle, so I am told. But sit down, there's a good fellow, and--have
you breakfasted, by the way?"
"Breakfasted very nearly three hours ago, my boy," was the answer. "But
if you want me to join you--I see you are still busy at it--don't be
bashful, but say so straight out, and I'll not refuse, for the journey
up has given me a fresh appetite."
"That's right," said Jack. "Now, which will you have, coffee or tea?
And you can take your choice of ham and eggs, steak, chop, and fish."
"Thanks!" said Milsom, "I'll take coffee--and a steak, rather underdone.
And while the steak is getting ready I'll amuse myself with one of
those rolls and a pat of butter, if you don't mind. I got your
telegram, by the way, or of course I shouldn't be here. What is the
job, my boy, eh? I suppose it is something that a gentleman may
undertake, or you wouldn't have thought of me, eh?"
"Of course," said Jack; "that is to say, I think so. But you must judge
for yourself whether the post is such as you would care to accept. The
fact is that, as I told you just now, I have been overworking myself;
and a specialist whom I have come down here to consult tells me that I
must take a long holiday in the open air. I have therefore decided to
go on a yachting cruise--to the West Indies, probably--and I want you to
take command of the ship for me. She is a brand-new, three-hundred-and-
forty-ton steam-yacht, of eight hundred indicated horse-power, and her
guaranteed sea speed is twenty-two knots."
Milsom pursed up his lips and gave vent to a prolonged whistle as Jack
enunciated these particulars; then his features relaxed into a broad
smile as he extended his right hand across the table to Jack,
exclaiming:
"I'm your man! As I came along in the train this morning I was
cogitating what was the smallest amount of pay that I would take for
this job--whatever it might be; but, by the piper, Jack, the mere
pleasure of commanding such a craft would be payment enough for me, and
I'm quite willing to take it on free, gratis, and for nothing, if you
say so."
"The pay," said Jack, "will be at the rate of thirty pounds sterling per
calendar month, with uniform and your keep, of course, thrown in."
"Good enough!" exclaimed Milsom enthusiastically. "You may take it that
upon these terms I accept the command of the--what's her name?"
"She is so new," said Jack, "that she has not yet been given a name. At
present she is known simply as Number 78. But"--lowering his voice--"I
have not yet told you everything; you had better wait until you have
heard all that I have to say before you definitely decide. Meanwhile,
here comes your steak and some fresh coffee, so you had better get your
breakfast; and when you have finished we will both go up to my private
room."
"Right ho!" acquiesced Milsom, who forthwith turned his attention to his
second breakfast, saying very little more until he intimated that he had
finished, and was now quite ready to resume the discussion of the matter
that had brought him up to town. Accordingly, Jack conducted his friend
up to his private sitting-room, waved him into a chair, and took one
himself.
"Ah!" exclaimed Milsom, in a tone that conveyed his complete
satisfaction with things in general; "this is all right. I suppose, by
the way, a chap may smoke here, mayn't he?"
"Of course," said Jack; "smoke away as hard as you please, old man.
Have a cigar?"
"No, thanks," answered the Navy man; "good, honest, stick tobacco,
smoked out of a well-seasoned brier, is good enough for me--unless one
can get hold of a real, genuine Havana, you know; but they are scarcely
to be had in these days."
"All the same, I think we may perhaps manage to get hold of one or two
where we are going," said Jack; "that is to say, if you are still
willing to take on the job after you have heard what I am bound to tell
you."
"Ah!" exclaimed Milsom; "something in the background, eh? Well, it
can't be very terrible, I fancy, Jack, or you would not be mixed up in
it. However, heave ahead, my lad, and let us hear the worst, without
further parley."