CHAPTER XXV
A SEA-FIGHT ON LAKE SUPERIOR
As no other schooner was in sight, and as this one was standing offthe coast when discovered, the _Broncho_ people had from the veryfirst believed her to be the one they wanted. Her hoisting of Britishcolors strengthened this belief, and it was finally confirmed byConnell's recognition of her captain. Until that moment, however, theyhad entertained serious doubts as to whether they should find Peverilon board; for it did not seem credible that even a smuggler,accustomed to running great risks, would dare abduct and forciblycarry off an American citizen. They did not know of the temptingreward promised to the schooner's captain for doing that very thing,nor of his determination to make this his last voyage on the greatlake. So they anxiously awaited his answer to the question:
"Have you a man named Richard Peveril aboard your craft?"
When it came, although it was neither yes nor no, it so thoroughlyconfirmed their suspicions that they had no hesitation in attemptingto rescue their friend by force, and the _Broncho's_ men gave a yellof delight as the two vessels crashed together.
On board the tug this moment had been foreseen and prepared for. Twosmall anchors had been got ready to serve as grappling-irons, and eachman had been told off for special duty. The regular crew of four menhad been materially strengthened by the addition of the twopassengers; but, as the engineer must be left on board under allcircumstances, the available fighting force was reduced to five. As ithappened, this was the exact number on board the schooner. So, as the_Bronchos_ scrambled to her deck, each singled out an individual andwent for him.
The vessel had been thrown into the wind by the collision, her sailswere thrashing to and fro with a tremendous clatter, which, combinedwith a roar of escaping steam from the tug, created such direconfusion among the smugglers as rendered them almost incapable ofresistance. In fact, their captain was the only one who made a show offighting; and, springing at him with a howl of delight, Mike Connellsent him sprawling to the deck with a single blow. Then the Irishmandove down the companionway, cast a hasty glance about the littlecabin, and made for the only door in sight. A couple of vigorous kicksburst it open, and in another minute Richard Peveril was again a freeman.
As the two friends reached the deck, Connell uttered a wild Irish yellof triumph, while the released captive, who now gained his firstinkling of what had taken place, stared about him in bewilderment.
Then he burst into a shout of laughter at the spectacle of four men,one of whom was the dignified manager of the great White Pine MiningCompany, calmly sitting on the prostrate bodies of four others, whilea fifth, who had just struggled to his feet with a very ruefulcountenance, suddenly dropped to the deck again as he caught sight ofConnell.
Greeting Peveril with a hearty cheer, and carrying him with them, the_Bronchos_ regained their ship and cast off the lines that held her tothe schooner. As these were loosed her jingle-bell rang merrily, herscrew churned the dimpled waters into a yeasty foam, and, with aderisive farewell yell from her exultant crew, she dashed away,leaving her recent antagonist enveloped in a cloud of sulphuroussmoke. The whole affair had occupied just five minutes.
There was no lack of entertainment on board the good tug _Broncho_ asshe again headed southward and ploughed her way briskly towardsLaughing Fish, for every one had thrilling stories to tell or to hear.
"It seems to me," remarked Major Arkell to Peveril, after listeningattentively to the young man's narration, "that you have managed tocompress a greater number of desperate adventures and hair-breadthescapes into a short space of time than any other man in the CopperCountry. I, for instance, have been here for ten years, and haven'tyet had an adventure worth the telling."
"Not even the one of this morning?"
"Oh, that was only an incident compared with what has happened to you.How do you manage it? Do you always find such stirring times whereveryou go?"
"No, indeed," laughed Peveril; "until very recently I have led a mostquiet and uneventful life. Even now I would gladly exchange all myadventures, as you are pleased to call them, for the smallest scrap ofinformation regarding the mine that I came out here to find."
"Haven't you learned anything concerning your Copper Princess yet?"
"Not one word."
"That's strange! I wonder if it can be located in the Ontonagonregion?"
"I had just about made up my mind to visit that section and find out,"replied Peveril. "That is, if I have earned enough money while workingfor you to pay my travelling expenses."
"I guess you have," laughed the major; "but I can't let you go yet awhile, for I shall want you to help me settle accounts with that oldfellow who stole our logs. Besides, you have so aroused my curiosityregarding those prehistoric workings of yours that I should like verymuch to visit them. Do you think you could find the entrance again?"
"Which entrance--the hole down which I was thrown, or the one throughwhich I crawled out?"
"The one by which you were introduced to them, of course. From yourown account, the other is altogether too small for comfort, and thechances of being shot for trespass are altogether too great in itsvicinity."
"I expect I could find the locality, but I hate the idea of ever goingnear it again. I don't think you can imagine what I suffered whiledown there. I am sure the place will haunt my worst dreams during theremainder of my life."
"By going down again with plenty of light, company, and an assuredmeans at leaving at any moment, the place will present a verydifferent and much more cheerful aspect. Besides, the ancient toolsthat you mention as existing in such numbers down there are becomingso scarce as to be very valuable and well worth collecting. So, on thewhole, I think we had better go and take a look at your prehistoricdiggings this very day."
"Very well, sir. Since you insist upon it, I will act as your guide;but I must confess that I shall be heartily glad to leave this part ofthe country and return to the civilization of Red Jacket."
"Civilization of Red Jacket is good!" laughed the other. "How longsince you considered it as civilized?"
"Ever since I left there and found out how much worse other placescould be."
As a result of this conversation, four men left Laughing Fish soonafter the tug again dropped anchor in its cove, and took to the trailthat two of them had followed before. These two were Peveril andConnell. The others were the White Pine manager and Captain Spillins.Arrived at the point from which "Darrell's Folly" could be seen, theyturned abruptly to the right and plunged into the woods.
Only too well did Peveril remember the path over which he had beendragged a helpless captive only three days before. But the way seemedshorter now than then, and he was surprised to discover the dreadedshaft within a few hundred feet of the trail they had just left.
They had brought ropes with them, as well as an axe, and candles inabundance. Now, after cutting away the bushes from the shaft-mouth,and measuring its depth by letting down a lighted candle until it wasextinguished in the water at the bottom, they prepared for thedescent. The major was to go first, and Peveril, whose dread of theundertaking had been partially overcome, was to follow. The otherswere to remain on the surface to pull their companions up, when theirexplorations should be finished.
So Major Arkell seated himself in a loop of the rope, swung over theedge of the old shaft, and was slowly lowered until the measuredlength had run out. Then the others, peering anxiously down fromabove, saw his twinkling light swing back and forth until it suddenlydisappeared. A moment later the rope was relieved of its strain, andthey knew that its burden had been safely deposited on the rockyplatform described by Peveril. He went next, and was quickly landed insafety beside his companion.
"It is an old working, sure as you live!" exclaimed the major, who wasexamining the walls of the gallery with a professional eye. "And hereare the tools you spoke of. Beautiful specimens, by Jove! Finest Iever saw. We must have them all up--every one. But let us go back apiece and examine the drift. First time I ever knew of thos
e oldfellows drifting, though. They generally only worked in open pitsuntil they struck water, and then quit. Didn't seem to have any ideaof pumps."
Still filled with his recent horror of the place, Peveril tried todissuade the other from penetrating any farther into the workings, butin vain; and so, each bearing a lighted candle, they set forth. At theseveral piles of material, previously noted as barring the way, themajor uttered exclamations of delight and astonishment.
"It is copper!" he cried. "Mass copper, almost pure! The very richestspecimens I have ever seen! Why, man, the old mine must have been abonanza, if it all panned out stuff like this! These piles wereevidently ready for removal when something interfered to prevent.Wonder what it could have been? Didn't find any bones, did you, orevidences of a catastrophe?"
"No. Nothing but what you see. Good heavens, major! What's that?"
With blanched faces the two stood and listened. Strong men as theywere, their very limbs trembled, while their hearts almost ceasedbeating.
Again it came from the black depths beyond them--a cry of agony,pitiful and pleading.
"Let's get out of this," whispered the major, clutching at Peveril'sarm and endeavoring to drag him back the way they had come. "I've hadenough."
"No," replied the other, resolutely; "we can't leave while some humanbeing is calling for deliverance from this awful place."
THE TWO MEN STOOD AND LISTENED]
"You don't think it a human voice?"
"I do, and at any rate I am going to see. There! Hear it?"
Again came the shrill cry, echoing from the rocky walls. "Help! ForGod's sake, don't leave us here to perish!"
At the sound Peveril sprang forward, and the major tremblinglyfollowed him.
Back in the gloom, a hundred yards from where they had halted, theycame upon a scene that neither will ever forget so long as he lives.
A slender youth and a white-haired man stood clinging to each other,and gazing with wildly incredulous eyes at the advancing lights.
"It is Richard Peveril, father! Oh, thank God! Thank God, sir, thatyou have come in time!" cried the younger of the two.
"Richard Peveril?" repeated the old man, huskily. "No, no, Mary! Itcan't be! It must not be! Richard Peveril is dead, and the contract isvoid. He has no claim on the Copper Princess. It is all mine. Mine andyours. But don't let him know. Keep the secret for one weeklonger--only one little week--then you may tell it to the world."