CHAPTER XVI.
The men had been ashore, had found the rope cut in several places, andthe dog gone. The circumstances were so suspicious and frought with somuch danger to them, that they decided upon the immediate removal ofthe child. On their return toward the cabin, Rutley discovered a faintglimmer of light within, and in a whisper, called Jack's attention toit.
"I am sure I blew it out," Jack whispered, alarmed.
"Do you think the child awakened and struck a match?" again whisperedRutley.
"No; no matches within her reach. Perhaps Virginia has come. Hello! Astrange boat here."
"The light moves," continued Rutley, in a whisper.
"I will get out here," whispered Jack, and he sprang out of the boatquietly onto the platform. "Take the boat to the other end of thecabin."
As he opened the door, the profile of the women and child appeared,dimly outlined by the match light held in Virginia's hand.
As she staggered back, surprised and terrified, for the moment, Jackpushed his way in, closed the door, bolted and locked it, and put thekey in his pocket. Then he struck a match and lighted the lamp.
"Virginia drew back with a slight terrified exclamation,'Oh!' Jack Shore stood in the doorway."]
After surveying the group, he gruffly laughed.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, Signora make a da bold a break in a da house, eh?Ha, ha, ha, ha. Eesa try tak a Daize from a da nicey home, eh? Ha, ha,ha, ha."
"Yes," she replied, without hesitation or a qualm of fear in hervoice. "That was my intention, but the devil's emissary has blockedit."
Without a trace of fear, quietly and strangely free from agitation,Constance made her way to the door, and laid her hand on the bolt tounfasten it.
Jack took hold of her small, round wrist, turned her about and pushedher back a few paces. "Note a beez in a da hurry, Signora."
"Who are you?" she timidly asked.
"Ha, ha, ha, hic, Eesa compan-e-on say I beez a da devil," Jacklaughed jeeringly.
"Oh, very well," she replied, mildly. "The devil is always hungry forsomeone. Who do you want now?"
"A Daize, a da Daize. Yous a lak a me, eh, a Daize?"
"No, no; the devil shall not have my heart. My precious darling now."And Constance shrank from him, pressing the little form tighter to herbreast.
"But you may have money," she indifferently added.
Jack smiled and bowed obsequiously.
"Ten-na years eesa sella da banans, turnoppsis, carrottsis,cababbages--mak a da mon, naw! Now eesa steal a da kid, do anyting fora mak a da mon. Da mon, da mon," he repeated slowly three times, withdeep-toned Dago emphasis. "Then eesa-go back a da sunny Italia," aphrase that escaped his lips as though shot from a rapid firer.
In the meantime Rutley had entered from the other door, locked it, andsoftly crept to the partition door, where he stood listening andnoting, through the small glass panel, the situation within.
Scorning preliminaries, Virginia said:
"I have brought you all that I could get. Take it!" And she laid apackage of crisp banknotes on the table. Jack's eyes bulged andglistened at the sight of so much money within his grasp. He eagerlypicked up the package, which was fastened in the middle by a band ofpaper, flipped the ends of the banknotes back and forth with hisfinger, then proceeded to count the money. His action wasbusiness-like.
Without unfastening the band, he held one end of the package firmlydown on the table with the knuckles of his left hand, doubled theother end back, and held it with his fingers and let each note slipback separately to a flat position on the table, until he counted themall.
Meanwhile Virginia had gently pushed Constance to the seat, and as shewatched him she muttered, as though speaking to herself: "I could getno more than ten thousand dollars. If that will not satisfy him, thenlet fate come to the rescue, for a life hangs on the issue tonight."
"Turnoppsis, Carrottsis, Ca-babbages, Ta-rah-rah. Eesa fat a da pack,"said Jack, as he thrust the package of money inside his vest. "Saw daood, hic"--But it appearing loose and risky to keep it there, he tookit out, rolled it up and forced it in his trousers' back pocket."Black a da boots, hic." Still feeling dissatisfied with the securityof either pocket he at last put it in the inside pocket of his coat,hanging near the lamp over the table. And then he turned to Virginia.
"Eesa part a da mon? Hic. Much a beez a da tanks, Signora."
"You will now liberate the child?" she pleaded, in faltering speech.
"Ta-rah-rah! You sa fetch a me only a da half!" exclaimed Jack,feigning surprise at her request.
"Yousa da rich. Gotta da mon a plent. Go, Signora, get a moores a damon. Leave a Daize a da here."
"Mr. Golda, I'll not stay. I am going home with mamma!" and Dorothypouted indignantly.
Seeing him obdurate, and fearing the effect of a forcible separationfrom her mother now so fondly clasped in her arms, Virginia resolvedto try persuasion once more, before putting into execution the plansshe had matured as a last and desperate resort. With blanched face,its very seriousness compelling attention, she said, in a falteringvoice:
"If your heart is human you cannot look upon that stricken motherwithout feeling that in the last great day the Judge of all will judgeyou as you now deal with her."
He turned from her without a word, derision betrayed in his face,contempt in his action. It, however, placed Jack in a dilemma. Therethe mother, for whom he felt a kindly interest, quietly resting withher lost darling in her arms, yet ever and anon a scared, haunted lookflitted from her eyes.
He looked at the girl a moment, then broke into low, derisivelaughter.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha. Eesa fine a da lady. He, he, he, he. Signora beez ada accomplice ova da conspirator to break a up a da brodder's home,eh? Signora good a da lady."
"Ha, ha, ha, ha," and suddenly lowering his voice, said:
"Turnoppsis, Carrottsis, Ca-babbages," then paused and picked up thebottle to take a drink. "If the child goes home now," he thought,"Phil gets no reward; no," and he set the bottle down on the tablewith a bang, without taking the premeditated drink.
"No, Ma sees a Daize a beez a da safe. Ma sees no a da harm come aDaize."
"I have brought you all the money I could obtain, and now I demandthat you release the child," Virginia said, firmly.
"Eesa be damn! Yous a fetch a me a da mon, a da rest, ten a thous, anan--a Daise beez a da liber. Eesa da late a now, Signora. Much a betfor a youse a da go home, hic."
Virginia's blanched but resolute face indicated that the criticalmoment had arrived. Then her voice quivered slightly, as withsuppressed, quiet dignity, she said: "I shall give you no more."
The declaration aroused Constance. She looked up. "Yes, oh, yes; givehim more!" she exclaimed, in plaintive alarm. "He shall have amillion, two million; I will get it for him."
The extravagant offer, the soft, troubled, pensive stare, caused Jackto straighten up and gaze directly at her.
Virginia's alert eyes at once caught the superstitious fear that hadsuddenly betrayed itself in his face.
"Don't you see her mind is giving way!" she exclaimed, and while hestood staring at Constance, she seized the occasion as one favorablefor escape.
"Come dear," she urged, "he will not stop us now."
"It is dangerous," was the soft, helpless reply. "The clouds arethickening, and the storm will soon burst."
"Courage, dear, the clouds will soon roll by. Come," Virginia urged,half lifting her to her feet.
"Oh, very well, we must go," was the indifferent response.
A step forward, and again that timid, startled, fawn-like terrorovercame her. "Oh, dear," she plaintively exclaimed, "the boat rocks;hold fast to me, sweetheart." And she halted with a swinging motion,as though her limbs were incapable of firmly sustaining her.
With distended eyes. Jack stared at her. "Heavens!" he thought; "Icannot separate that poor mother from her child. I cannot do it. IfPhil wants the reward he must take the child home himself."
The th
ought was scarcely developed when the voice of his partner rangout from the other room, hoarse, disguised, and peremptory:
"What's the matter with you? Separate them! Take the kid and turn thewoman out."
Then it was Virginia realized that she had two men to deal withinstead of one.
Undaunted, her courage arose to the occasion. She had come preparedfor trouble of a most serious nature, and in her determination tosucceed, it mattered little, now that she had shaken off the firsttrembling of fear, whether one or more men stood in her way.
She stepped over close to Jack, bent forward and looked up sideways inhis face, a magnetic fire scintillating from her eyes that seemed topierce his inmost thought, and slowly drew his gaze to her. Under thespell Jack forgot his assumed character, for once he forgot to use theDago dialect.
"Don't look at me in that way; it was not all my work," he said,apologetically.
He had spoken in plain English. Yet in Virginia's tensely excitedframe of mind it passed unchallenged.
"You acknowledge a share in it. And if you lay a hand on her child,I'll call down upon you the blasphemy of a madhouse."
The art she employed to play upon his heightened imagination wasintensely eloquent, and exquisitely enacted. On the impulse of themoment the threat served to unnerve him completely and had Jack beenthe only one to deal with, their escape at that moment would have beencertain.
A prey to his own secret superstition, though openly ridiculedtheosophy, Jack stood spellbound, his fear distorted by the influenceof the liquor he had drunk.
True, Rutley had braced him some, but Virginia threw about him a glowof such awesome consequences that he again weakened and unconsciouslyrepeated under his breath: "The curse of a madhouse! Oh, I can't doit! I'm a bit human yet."
Then came a second roar from Rutley, impatient and contemptuous.
"Separate them, you chicken-hearted knave! Separate them, damn you,and be quick about it, too!" A slight jar at that moment struck thecabin.
Jack came out of his semi-trance with a shudder and, recovering hisnerve, seemed to be disgusted at his momentary weakness, and forthwithhe attempted to get between the women and the cabin door, addressingthe child:
"A Daize a mus stay a dare. Yous a lak a me, eh a Daize?"
"Wretch, stand back!" Virginia commanded. She realized that thesupreme moment had come.
Jack leered at her. Without further heed he addressed the child:
"A Daize, yous a da know I beez a kind to you," and he took hold ofher arms. "Let a da go Eesa say hic. Let a da go da kid."
"No, no!" Constance cried, as she resisted his effort to separatethem. "You shall not have my darling! You shall not take her again."
"Take your villainous hands off!" ordered Virginia, and at the sametime she dealt him a stinging blow in the face, which caused him toloose his hold on Dorothy and stagger back.
At that moment, too, he was startled by footsteps on the roof. Hepaused with a confused idea whether the sound on the roof had notreally emanated from Rutley in the other room. Concluding in favor ofthe latter, he continued: "Yous a da defy a me eh, hic, sacramente!Eesa mak a da let a go da kid, or eesa break a da arm."
Meanwhile Virginia had placed herself between Constance and Jack and,drawing a revolver from under her jacket, leveled it at him.
Utterly reckless of her own danger, and her eyes ablaze with daringshe exclaimed in a voice low and thrilling with intense determination,"Stand where you are, you vile epitome of a man! Dare try to bar ourway out, and witness heaven, I'll rid the earth of a scoundrel toolong infesting it!"
A quaking pause followed, more trying to her nerves than the peril ofthe situation itself, and she backed toward the door.
Her action provoked an exclamation from Jack. "God, the girl's game!"He stood mentally measuring the space that separated them, while acunning leer developed on his face. He was about to spring, when Sam'sshuffling on the roof became distinct.
"Another accomplice! God protect the child!" murmured Virginia. Andthen in the moment of her dismay, Jack sprang forward and grasped herpistol hand. She fired, but the excitement had unnerved her, and thebullet went wide of its mark.
In the struggle that ensued he forced her down on her knees, wrenchedthe weapon from her hand. As he was placing it in his pocket, itslipped from his grasp and slid along the floor, where it lay beyondhis reach, near the partition door. Then he leered at her, andpinioned her hands behind her. "Now kiss a da me."
Notwithstanding the danger of her position, she managed to suppressher terror, and she exclaimed defiantly, "Never!" and with oneconcentrated desperate effort in which all the suppleness, strengthand agility of youth were called into action, succeeded in breakinghis grasp, and sprang to her feet.
Deprived of her revolver, yet she had foreseen such a contingency, andhad provided a last means of defense. She produced a small dagger fromher corsage. Her fingers tightened convulsively around the handle, andshe said in a trembling voice:
"Back, you ruffian! The point is poisoned! Beware!"
The action was so quick, and the blade glittered aloft with suchdeadly intent, that Jack leaped back.
Meanwhile Rutley's attention had been absorbed by the struggle goingon between Jack and Virginia, but when he heard the footsteps on theroof his alarm became manifest. "I must get the child at once, or allwill be lost," he muttered.
Hastily taking a handkerchief from his pocket, he tied it about thelower part of his face, then he swung open the partition door andentered, the same instant that Jack had forced Virginia to her knees.
Without a pause, he promptly made for Constance, grasped the child andtried to tear her from her mother.
Constance, too affrighted to scream, resisted with all her might.
"Let go, damn you--let go, or I'll drown her!" and with savage hands hewrenched Dorothy away from her. Trying to escape with Dorothy in hisarms, Rutley confronted Virginia.
"Release her!" she demanded.
He looked at the dagger, quivering ominously in her hand, and Dorothydropped from his nerveless hands and he jumped back beside Jack,hoarsely exclaiming, "God, she's a tartar!"
"Run to your mother, Dorothy! To the boat, Constance, quick!" urgedVirginia, as she stood erect, fearless and tragic between the men andtheir prey.
"Are we curs to be daunted by this Oregon girl, this slip of a woman?"exclaimed Rutley hoarsely.
"Beware! The edge is sharp, the poison deadly!" cautioned Virginia, ina voice that thrilled and which left no doubt as to her determinationto use the weapon to the limit of her ability.
Jack laughed--laughed low, hoarse and sarcastically. "He, he, he, he,he. Scarce da fine a lady--wid a da white a nice a hand. Mak-a eem alla da carmine, eh? He, he, he, he, he, he."
She made no reply, yet there darted from her eyes a lightning flash ofdesperate purpose.
Rutley clearly understood the sign and, leaning over close to Jack,whispered: "We must get the knife from her at all hazards."
"Signora, good a da lady, eh! Mak a da bloody fista, eh!" Jack leeredas he concentrated his gaze upon the girlish form drawn up to herfullest height before him.
Again he laughed low and hoarsely:
"Ha, ha, ha, ha! Eesa know a da way to fix 'em!"
Swiftly opening the partition door, he thrust in his hand, pulled acovering off from the bunk, then after closing the door, he proceededrapidly to tie the corners together, muttering meanwhile, "Eesa mak ada loop, lak a da bag. See! Ha, ha, ha, ha!"
To Virginia the trap appeared so simple and ingenious, its applicationso promising of success, that as she watched its preparation her heartleaped to the opportunity presented as a last chance.
"Attack them now--attack them now!" urged her judgment with startlingforce. Louder it seemed to grow, till at last, maddened by the veryrepugnance of its conception, a sickening sense of fear overpoweredher, her nerves suddenly collapsed, and she seemed to lose the powerof action.
Having completed the snare, which had ta
ken only a few moments toprepare. Jack bent forward, showing the white of his teeth as a wolfof its fangs when about to spring on its prey.
"Now together!" he whispered.
Virginia saw her danger and realized the crisis of all her efforts tomake atonement for the wrong she had caused Constance was at hand.
Again the affrighted despairing cry burst in an audible whisper fromher lips.
"Help! Help! Oh, God in heaven, help!" Just what Jack would have donein his fury it is impossible to say, for the liquor had frenzied him,and Virginia's stubborn resistance had aroused in him a latent devil.His intention, whatever it may have been, was frustrated by Sam, whoat that moment smashed in the window, covered him with his revolverand shouted, "Throw up your hands!"
The crash of broken glass arrested Jack's attention, and upon lookingaround he discovered the muzzle of a large caliber revolver thrustthrough the broken window and leveled straight at him.
So sudden was the surprise, so unexpected and imminent the danger,that he automatically flung up his hands.
Upon crossing the island, after leaving Thorpe and the detective atthe edge of the wood, Sam had immediately boarded the launch, andstowing the dog in a comfortable position on cotton waste in the"fo-castle," directed the engineer to proceed to the north end of theisland.
On arriving at the point agreed upon, aside from the cabin's range ofcity lights, Sam got into a small boat, provided for the occasion, andpushed ashore, after having conveyed Thorpe and the detective on boardthe launch.
A consultation was held, and it was arranged that the detective andSmith, who had remained in the launch, should go in the small boat,assail the south door and cut off escape in that direction, whileThorpe and Sam in the launch would take a position at the main door ofthe cabin.
After securing an axe from the launch, the detective and Smithproceeded as quickly as possible on their mission. Instead of rowing,they paddled along, Indian fashion, the dip of the blades scarcelydisturbing the silence that enveloped them. The launch steamed slowlyalong in the boat's wake, and just as noiselessly, and was the firstto touch one of the logs which supported the cabin.
They heard voices within that seemed feminine and familiar to both Samand Thorpe, though uncertain on account of the low tone.
As prearranged, Sam stealthily clambered up on the roof and crawled tothe starboard side, where he lay flat on his stomach, and peered headdown, in through the loose curtained four-paned window. What he sawprompted him to instantaneous action, and the crash of broken glassfollowed.
Rutley immediately grasped the situation as one fraught with thegravest peril. He saw that Sam's revolver covered Jack, and saw, too,that a few feet nearer the partition door would place him in aposition out of line of Sam's aim, as the small cupboard, beside thewindow, formed an angle that sheltered that part of the room. On theinstant, therefore, he leaped toward the partition door. As he sprangtoward the door, his eyes fastened on Jack's coat. To secure thepackage of money from its pocket was, for his deft fingers, but thework of a moment; then into the sleeping room he darted and closed thedoor.
While Jack's hands were up, Thorpe called from the outside to open thedoor. At the same time he shook it violently, and began to batter itwith the axe.
During this time Constance stood with her back to the wall, her armsstraight down by her side, with the palms of her hands flattenedagainst the boards, as one seeks support at times on a ship at sea.She appeared insensible alike to fear or position. Yet the horror ofthe affair shone in her distended eyes.
"The boat rocks, the storm is upon us," she muttered.
At the moment Smith commenced to batter the other door of the cabin,Jack took the chance, and sprang to one side, out of line of Sam'srevolver.
"It's the police!" he exclaimed wildly, and in the panic that seizedhim he quite forgot his assumed character.
He picked up the revolver that he had wrenched from Virginia, andwhich lay upon the floor, and his attitude became so threatening andmalignant as to cause her to utter a slight terrified scream.
Even Dorothy's large innocent eyes blazed, and she struck at him indefense of Virginia. "Mr. Golda, you're a bad, bad man."
The child's voice raised in Jack a "forlorn hope," for he muttered,"Dorothy shall be my guarantee of escape."
Simultaneously the door flew open under Thorpe's blows, and he stoodin the entrance.
"Oh, papa, papa!" cried Dorothy, as she ran toward him.
Seeing his opportunity, Jack desperately clutched the child with hisleft hand. Swinging Dorothy in front of him, and before her father, hepointed the revolver at her head, and in that position addressed himin a sort of screeching yell, "Stop!"
Thorpe stood horror-stricken. His heart leaped to his throat. "My God!madman, what will you do?" he hoarsely exclaimed, and motioned as ifto rescue the child.
With a tighter clutch, and a more maddening menace, Jack againaddressed him, "Stop, not a step nearer!" And to emphasize hispurpose, he placed the muzzle of the revolver close to her head.
Observing the desperate peril in which Dorothy was placed, and with acourage born of horror and despair, Virginia stole to Jack's back, andwith a wild frantic scream of "Save her!" seized his pistol handbetween both her own, and in the struggle that immediately ensued, andin which all her strength was exerted, the weapon fell to the floor.
And then Sam tore open the broken window, swung himself through to thefloor, and instantly grappled with Jack.
Virginia's attack forced Jack to release Dorothy, who was immediatelygathered in her father's arms.
"Safe, my blessed child, safe!" he fervently exclaimed.
And then poor Virginia, courageous, strong-minded, kind-hearted,passionate Virginia, having sustained the frightful nervous straintill the last moment, swayed, and sank to the floor in a swoon.
Meanwhile Constance stood beside the cabin door, staring at the men ina dazed and vacant manner. She had heard Virginia, and repeatedmechanically, "Save Dorothy!" and now repeated after Mr. Thorpe, intones as though a very dear voice had kindled a spark calling backloving recollections. She drew her hand across her brow, as thoughtrying to clear away some web that obscured her memory, and stared ather husband like one suddenly awakened from a dream. A moment afterand she whispered with awe in her voice, "John! John!"
Almost immediately Rutley had returned to the room without the child,but with Jack's money, the door near him was being battered. He atonce concluded that the game was up, and his own safety necessitatedan immediate escape. How? He must decide at once.
How many surrounded the cabin? Ha! If he only knew, and then the hatchoccurred to him.
He knew the big logs upon which the cabin was built raised it some tenor twelve inches above water. There lay his way--out--quick. He liftedthe cover, and silently sank beneath the floor between the logs.
Then he let the trap door fall back in position above him, just as thecabin door gave way and the detective entered, followed by Smith, whohandled an axe.
It was then that Constance seemed to recover suddenly her reason, forshe rushed toward her husband with outstretched arms, exclaiming in avoice fraught with rapturous thanksgiving, "John! John and Dorothy!"An inexpressible joy shone in her eyes.
But her advance was met with a cold, stern frown and a backward waveof the hand. Not a word escaped him.
For a moment she stood irresolute; then she passed the tips of herfingers across her brow again and again--"Oh, this horrible dream thatI cant' shake off!" Again she seemed to recover her reason and hervoice, soft and sobbing, said, "John, you don't believe me shamelessand debased, do you? You can't believe it, for it is false, false, Isay! and the boat won't clear from it! Let me help"--and her voicehardening, she went on--"Give me a paddle. We must escape. SaveDorothy!" and she threw out her hands to him appealingly.
A swift compassionate look swept across Thorpe's face. The first doubtof his wife's guilt had seized upon his brain, and he said chokingly,"My God, is it possible my wife
is innocent?"
He had half turned around to her, but on remembering the ring, hisface again set stern, then without another word he waved her back witha single motion of his hand.
But the sound of his voice had once more stirred up a filament ofintelligence and she sobbed, "John! John!" She got no further. She sawhim turn away and, placing her hand to her side, trembled, and with amoan on her lips, sank down beside Virginia.
And at that moment the detective appeared in the partition doorway andwas followed closely by Smith, who, upon seeing the prostrate woman,senseless on the floor, at once concluded a foul crime had beencommitted, and exclaimed, with horror and rage on his face:
"Oh, the murtherin' blackguard!"
In the struggle Jack broke from Sam and stooped to pick up therevolver. But Sam, coached in Texas, had him covered with his ownrevolver in a twinkling, and with the characteristic side movement ofhis head, said with a grin of satisfaction, "If you touch it, I'llsend a bullet through your brain!"