CHAPTER VI.
BUNOL'S PLOT.
The man who had said he was Henri Clairvaux, of Paris, was in truthMiguel Bunol, a scheming and villainous young Spaniard.
Bunol had first met Luke Durbin on the race track in New Orleans, and,being congenial rascals, they became very well acquainted. But Durbinwas a rather slow, thick-witted rascal, while Bunol was quick,pantherish and full of crooked schemes.
It was some time after this meeting, that Durbin became acquainted inChicago with Dunbar Budthorne, who had commenced a career of dissipationand seemed anxious to spend as swiftly as possible his portion of thefortune left him at the death of his mother.
Durbin saw his opportunity, and determined to help Budthorne get rid ofthat fortune. At that time Budthorne was plunging on the races, andDurbin professed to have "inside information" and tips of the greatestvalue. With the aid of assistants, who professed to be bookmakers orpool-room men, Durbin succeeded in getting several thousands of dollarsbelonging to the reckless young man.
This money he spent freely, and it simply whetted his appetite for more.
When Nadia Budthorne fully realized the pace at which her brother wasgoing she devised the plan of inducing him to take her abroad, hopingthat in this manner he would escape from his evil companions.
But ere leaving Chicago Budthorne went on one last spree, met Durbin ina saloon and told the rascal of his plans.
Durbin did not try to dissuade the fellow, but he took passage on thesame steamer, and it was during the voyage across that Nadia sufferedthe humiliation of an introduction to the man, who succeeded in keepingDunbar constantly under the influence of liquor and fleeced himawkwardly at cards.
In London Durbin ran across Miguel Bunol, who, with Hector Marsh,formerly a student at Fardale, as an assistant, was working a fakehypnotic and fortune-telling scheme.
Durbin told Bunol and Marsh about Budthorne and his pretty sister. Theyexpressed a desire to meet Budthorne, and directly the three of themwere concerned in the plot to ruin the young American.
But, as was entirely natural, being far shrewder than Luke Durbin,Miguel Bunol soon became the chief mover and head of the rascally trio.
On his first sight of Nadia, Bunol became infatuated, and two days laterhe announced to his companions that he was determined to make her hiswife.
"All the money you can get from her brother, Durbin, you shall have--youand Marsh," said the Spaniard. "I will help you get it from him, too.But for me I must have Nadia and her share of the fortune. My part ofthe graft this shall be."
To this the others agreed, yet not without some growling from Durbin.Bunol, however, had the power to command and control the man, and heexercised this power with little difficulty.
In truth, the Spaniard possessed hypnotic influence, although he had notfully developed it. This influence he brought to bear on Budthorne. Helikewise tried it on Nadia, but her mind was stronger, and shesuccessfully fought against his baleful influence.
Budthorne refused to believe his sister's assertion that his comradeswere cheating and robbing him; but at last, through the cleverness ofDick Merriwell, they were exposed, and he swore he would never againhave anything to do with them.
Fearing his will power would not be strong enough to hold out, Nadia hadinduced him to leave London and come north into Scotland, thinking therascals might be tricked and baffled.
But Bunol had succeeded in tracing them, while Marsh and Durbin remainedbehind and watched Merriwell's party, correctly fancying that Dick andhis friends intended to join the Budthornes later.
Dick, Brad, and Professor Gunn were followed to Edinburgh by the two. InEdinburgh, by the merest accident, the scoundrels learned that theBudthornes had gone to Kinross.
Without the knowledge of Dick and his friends, the very train that borethem north to Kinross carried Marsh and Durbin in another compartment.
Thus the opposing forces were gathering at a point on Lochleven, whereit seemed that another clash between them might occur.
Bunol had wired his pals in London, but not until after they had leftfor the north. He had received no answer from them.
Having left the Ben Clench and walked as far as the woods, the Spanishyouth turned and looked back. His keen eyes surveyed the house, and evenat that distance he fancied he saw one of the curtains move at an upperwindow.
"If they are looking," he muttered, "I am now too faraway for them torecognize me."
At the back of the inn he saw a small man appear and wave somethingwhite.
"It is well," muttered the rascal.
Then he turned and disappeared into the woods.
The trees broke the biting wind, but Bunol cursed the cold and thecountry.
Coming to a little footpath where the thin snow showed the imprints ofmany feet, he turned off and walked a short distance to the shore of thelake, on which lay a stout boat.
Sitting on a fallen tree near the boat was a sandy-haired, bearded,rough-looking man, who had a rather brutal face, and, judging by hismassive frame, possessed great strength.
"Well, MacLane, I am returned," said Miguel.
The man nodded.
"I see ye are," he said. "Did ye ha' guid luck?"
"Oh, yes; you were right in saying my birds were at the Ben Cleuch. Now,if Aaron keeps his part of the contract----"
"Fear nawt, he wi' keep it," nodded MacLane. "Aaron kens Rob MacLane fu'well, an' he dare na disobey me. He will come."
"I think he will," agreed Bunol. "I looked back, and a small man wavedsomething at me from the back of the house."
"That were Aaron. I told him to follow ye, man, when he left, but totake guid care he were no' observed. He will be here."
"Well, I hope he comes soon, for this devil's weather is uncomfortable."
"Hoot man! Ye dinna ken what cauld weather is."
"If that's the case, I don't want to know," retorted Bunol. "This isquite enough for me."
They sat on the log, talking in low tones, until a little, bent man,with a shawl wrapped about his shoulders, came gliding softly throughthe woods and stood before them.
"Here's Aaron," said MacLane. "Aaron, this is the man I would ha' yemeet."
Aaron said nothing, but surveyed Bunol with a pair of small eyes thatwere set close together and were filled with a light of mingled cunningand simplicity. It was not the face of a man to trust, yet for fiveyears Aaron had been with the Widow Myles, and had seemed faithful as agrateful dog.
"Tell Aaron what ye want, man," said MacLane. "He will do it."
"Aaron, at the inn there are two guests--a brother and a sister."
The little man in the shawl bobbed his little head.
"I will not attempt to explain my reasons to you, Aaron," the Spanishyouth went on; "but this night MacLane and I will get our hands on theman, and you must help us. You will be paid well."
"I ha' told him that," interrupted the huge man. "I gied him the sillerye ga' me. Did I no gie ye th' siller, Aaron?"
"Yes," said Aaron, "I ha' the siller."
"You shall have twice as much more if you follow directions faithfully,"promised Bunol, and the eyes of the little man glowed greedily. "If youare half as shrewd as MacLane says, you'll get into no trouble over it.You wait on the guests at table?"
Aaron nodded.
"What does Budthorne drink at supper?"
"A cup o' tay."
"Well, see this package," said the Spaniard, holding: up a tiny package."It contains a powder. To-night you must contrive to get it intoBudthorne's cup of tea."
"It is poison!" said Aaron fearfully.
"Nothing of the sort. Budthorne has been a drinking man, but he istrying to stop. The effect of this powder will be to make him crazy forliquor. Twenty minutes after he takes the powder he'll be ready tobarter his soul for one drink. Then, Aaron--listen closely--you mustcontrive to meet him and tell him somehow that you can get him a drink.Tell him to step outside the house and come round to the back, promisingto meet him with liquor
, but state that the stuff is some you havestolen from the widow. Do you understand?"
"I do," said Aaron. "But what will happen when he comes out?"
"MacLane and I will be hidden there. We'll fall on Budthorne and carryhim off. MacLane is strong as a giant, and we'll have little trouble."
"Na! na!" exclaimed Aaron. "It is I that will hae th' trouble!"
"It is not necessary."
"What can I say?"
"You must tear your clothes, rumple your hair, cover yourself with dirt,and half an hour after we have carried Budthorne away you may appear andtell how he came outside, you spoke to him, and then you both wereattacked by a band of armed men, who struck you senseless. Of course youwill not know what has happened to Budthorne."
"I must ken, man," said Aaron grimly. "I dinna want ma neck strecht. Icanna hae hand in murder."
Bunol laughed.
"But it's not murder."
"Then what is't?"
"We are going to make Budthorne a prisoner for reasons of my own. He'llnot be harmed, and in due time he'll have his liberty."
Aaron seemed doubtful. He turned fearfully to MacLane.
"Maun I do it?" he asked.
"Yea," growled the big man.
Aaron was afraid of MacLane, but now he almost fiercely declared:
"I will na do it 'less I know where ye tak' him."
"Why do you want to know that?" impatiently demanded Bunol.
"Ye ha' to satisfy me," stubbornly said the little man. "I ha' to knowye really mean to keep him captive wi'out doing him harm. 'Less ye tellme where ye tak' him, I will no do it."
MacLane knew Aaron to be immovable as the Scottish hills once he had sethis mind on anything, and therefore he turned to the Spanish youth,saying:
"Ye hae to tell him, man."
"But can he be trusted?"
"Aaron will na dare to betray me, but he has his whims, an' ye'll hae tohumor him."
Bunol hesitated, not fancying the idea of trusting the little man withthe foolishly shrewd face to such an extent.
"It's against my judgment," he declared.
"Then tak' th' judgment o' Rob MacLane. Ye canna do anything wi' Aarontill ye trust him fully, as he thinks he has tae trust ye."
"All right," said the Spanish youth. "He will be taken to the old castleon the island, Aaron."
"Wha Queen Mary were kept a captive?"
"Yes."
"An' ye swear to harm him nawt?"
"Sure. I'm going to make his sister marry me. It's a way they have inAmerica of winning a bride. The Americans like it."
"It's a way they had years syne in Scotland," chuckled MacLane, "only itwas th' lassie hersel' th' lover stole awa'."
"Is that a'?" exclaimed Aaron, apparently relieved.
"That is all."
The little man took the powder.
"I will do all ye ask," he promised.