CHAPTER XXVII
A FAIR TRAITOR
"Now will you be good?" cried Reggie Vanderpool to DeMille as Montywent down the companionway. The remark was precisely what was needed,for the pent-up feelings of the entire company were now poured forthupon the unfortunate young man. "Subway" Smith was for hanging him tothe yard arm, and the denunciation of the others was so decisive thatReggie sought refuge in the chart house. But the atmosphere had beenmaterially cleared and the leaders of the mutiny were in a position togo into executive session and consider the matter. The women waited ondeck while the meeting lasted. They were unanimous in the opinion thatthe affair had been badly managed.
"They should have offered to stay by the ship providing Monty would letDeMille manage the cruise," said Miss Valentine. "That would have beena concession and at the same time it would have put the cruise on aneconomical basis."
"In other words, you will accept a man's invitation to dinner if hewill allow you to order it and invite the other guests," said Peggy,who was quick to defend Monty.
"Well that would be better than helping to eat up every bit of food hepossessed." But Miss Valentine always avoided argument when she couldand gave this as a parting thrust before she walked away.
"There must be something more than we know about in Monty'sextravagance," said Mrs. Dan. "He isn't the kind of man to squander hislast penny without having something left to show for it. There must bea method in his madness."
"He has done it for us," said Peggy. "He has devoted himself all alongto giving us a good time and now we are showing our gratitude."
Further discussion was prevented by the appearance of the conspiringcommittee and the whole company was summoned to hear DeMille's reportas chairman.
"We have found a solution of our difficulties," he began, and hismanner was so jubilant that every one became hopeful. "It is desperate,but I think it will be effective. Monty has given us the privilege ofleaving the yacht at any port where we can take a steamer to New York.Now, my suggestion is that we select the most convenient place for allof us, and obviously there is nothing quite so convenient as Boston."
"Dan DeMille, you are quite foolish," cried his wife. "Who everconceived such a ridiculous idea?"
"Captain Perry has his instructions," continued DeMille, turning to thecaptain. "Are we not acting along the lines marked out by Brewsterhimself?"
"I will sail for Boston if you say the word," said the thoughtfulcaptain. "But he is sure to countermand such an order."
"He won't be able to, captain," cried "Subway" Smith, who had for sometime been eager to join in the conversation. "This is a genuine,dyed-in-the-wool mutiny and we expect to carry out the original plan,which was to put Mr. Brewster in irons, until we are safe from allopposition."
"He is my friend, Mr. Smith, and at least it is my duty to protect himfrom any indignity," said the captain, stiffly.
"You make for Boston, my dear captain, and we'll do the rest," saidDeMille. "Mr. Brewster can't countermand your orders unless he sees youin person. We'll see to it that he has no chance to talk to you untilwe are in sight of Boston Harbor."
The captain looked doubtful and shook his head as he walked away. Atheart he was with the mutineers and his mind was made up to assist themas long as it was possible to do so without violating his obligationsto Brewster. He felt guilty, however, in surreptitiously giving theorder to clear for Boston at daybreak. The chief officers were let intothe secret, but the sailors were kept in darkness regarding thedestination of the "Flitter."
Montgomery Brewster's guests were immensely pleased with the scheme,although they were dubious about the outcome. Mrs. Dan regretted herhasty comment on the plan and entered into the plot with eagerness. Inaccordance with plans decided upon by the mutineers, Monty's stateroomdoor was guarded through the night by two of the men. The next morningas he emerged from his room, he was met by "Subway" Smith and DanDeMille.
"Good morning," was his greeting. "How's the weather to-day?"
"Bully," answered DeMille. "By the way, you are going to have breakfastin your room, old man."
Brewster unsuspectingly led the way into his stateroom, the twofollowing.
"What's the mystery?" he demanded.
"We've been deputized to do some very nasty work," said "Subway," as heturned the key in the door. "We are here to tell you what port we havechosen."
"It's awfully good of you to tell me."
"Yes, isn't it? But we have studied up on the chivalrous treatment ofprisoners. We have decided on Boston."
"Is there a Boston on this side of the water?" asked Monty in mildsurprise.
"No; there is only one Boston in the universe, so far as we know. It isa large body of intellect surrounded by the rest of the world."
"What the devil are you talking about? You don't mean Boston,Massachusetts?" cried Monty, leaping to his feet.
"Precisely. That's the port for us and you told us to choose forourselves," said Smith.
"Well, I won't have it, that's all," exclaimed Brewster, indignantly."Captain Perry takes orders from me and from no one else."
"He already has his orders," said DeMille, smiling mysteriously.
"I'll see about that." Brewster sprang to the door. It was locked andthe key was in "Subway" Smith's pocket. With an impatient exclamationhe turned and pressed an electric button.
"It won't ring, Monty," explained "Subway." "The wire has been cut.Now, be cool for a minute or two and we'll talk it over."
Brewster stormed for five minutes, the "delegation" sitting calmly by,smiling with exasperating confidence. At last he calmed down and interms of reason demanded an explanation. He was given to understandthat the yacht would sail for Boston and that he would be kept aprisoner for the entire voyage unless he submitted to the will of themajority.
Brewster listened darkly to the proclamation. He saw that they hadgained the upper hand by a clever ruse, and that only strategy on hispart could outwit them. It was out of the question for him to submit tothem now that the controversy had assumed the dignity of a struggle.
"But you will be reasonable, won't you?" asked DeMille, anxiously.
"I intend to fight it out to the bitter end," said Brewster, his eyesflashing. "At present I am your prisoner, but it is a long way toBoston."
For three days and two nights the "Flitter" steamed westward into theAtlantic, with her temporary owner locked into his stateroom. Theconfinement was irksome, but he rather liked the sensation of beinginterested in something besides money. He frequently laughed to himselfover the absurdity of the situation. His enemies were friends, true anddevoted; his gaolers were relentless but they were considerate. Theoriginal order that he should be guarded by one man was violated on thefirst day. There were times when his guard numbered at least tenpersons and some of them served tea and begged him to listen to reason.
"It is difficult not to listen," he said fiercely. "It's like holding aman down and then asking him to be quiet. But my time is coming."
"Revenge will be his!" exclaimed Mrs. Dan, tragically.
"You might have your term shortened on account of good conduct if youwould only behave," suggested Peggy, whose reserve was beginning tosoften. "Please be good and give in."
"I haven't been happier during the whole cruise," said Monty. "On deckI wouldn't be noticed, but here I am quite the whole thing. Besides Ican get out whenever I feel like it."
"I have a thousand dollars which says you can't," said DeMille, andMonty snapped him up so eagerly that he added, "that you can't get outof your own accord."
Monty acceded to the condition and offered odds on the proposition tothe others, but there were no takers.
"That settles it," he smiled grimly to himself. "I can make a thousanddollars by staying here and I can't afford to escape."
On the third day of Monty's imprisonment the "Flitter" began to rollheavily. At first he gloated over the discomfort of his guards, whoobviously did not like to stay below. "Subway" Smith and Bragdon wereo
n duty and neither was famous as a good sailor. When Monty lighted hispipe there was consternation and "Subway" rushed on deck.
"You are a brave man, Joe," Monty said to the other and blew a cloud ofsmoke in his direction. "I knew you would stick to your post. Youwouldn't leave it even if the ship should go down."
Bragdon had reached the stage where he dared not speak and was busyinghimself trying to "breathe with the motion of the boat," as he hadcalled it.
"By Gad," continued Monty, relentlessly, "this smoke is getting thick.Some of this toilet water might help if I sprinkled it about."
One whiff of the sweet-smelling cologne was enough for Bragdon and hebolted up the companionway, leaving the stateroom door wide open andthe prisoner free to go where he pleased. Monty's first impulse was tofollow, but he checked himself on the threshold.
"Damn that bet with DeMille," he said to himself, and added aloud tothe fleeting guard, "The key, Joe, I dare you to come back and get it!"
But Bragdon was beyond recall and Monty locked the door on the insideand passed the key through the ventilator.
On deck a small part of the company braved the spray in the lee of thedeck house, but the others had long since gone below. The boat waspitching furiously in the ugliest sea it had encountered, and there wasanxiety underneath Captain Perry's mask of unconcern. DeMille and Dr.Lotless talked in the senseless way men have when they try to concealtheir nervousness. But the women did not respond; they were in no moodfor conversation.
Only one of them was quite oblivious to personal discomfort and danger.Peggy Gray was thinking of the prisoner below. In a reflection of herown terror, she pictured him crouching in the little state-room, like adoomed criminal awaiting execution, alone, neglected, forgotten,unpitied. At first she pleaded for the men for his release, but theyinsisted upon waiting in the hope that a scare might bring him to hissenses. Peggy saw that no help was to be secured from the other women,much as they might care for Brewster's peace of mind and safety. Herheart was bitter toward every one responsible for the situation, andthere was dark rebellion in her soul. It culminated finally in aresolve to release Monty Brewster at any cost.
With difficulty she made her way to the stateroom door, clinging tosupports at times and then plunging violently away from them. For someminutes she listened, frantically clutching Brewster's door and thewall-rail. There was no guard, and the tumult of the sea drowned everysound within. Her imagination ran riot when her repeated calls were notanswered.
"Monty, Monty," she cried, pounding wildly on the door.
"Who is it? What is the trouble?" came in muffled tones from within,and Peggy breathed a prayer of thanks. Just then she discovered the keywhich Monty had dropped and quickly opened the door, expecting to findhim cowering with fear. But the picture was different. The prisoner wasseated on the divan, propped up with many pillows and reading with theaid of an electric light "The Intrusions of Peggy."