CHAPTER V
It was a new experience to me to find myself at sea as a passenger, tohave no watches to keep, and no round of irksome duties to perform. Itwas a pleasant change to be able to turn into one's bunk at teno'clock and to enjoy a good night's rest, after being used to leavingit at midnight in order to go up and pace a cold and cheerless bridgefor four long hours at a time. I had a vague premonition that I shouldbe recognized as soon as I arrived on board. Strangely enough thisproved to be the case, for I had no sooner set foot on the promenadedeck, before a well-known voice hailed me.
"Hulloa, Dick Helmsworth," it said. "What on earth brings you aboardthis hooker?"
I turned and recognized the speaker as an old shipmate, who, likemyself, had once sailed with Harveston. But, more fortunate thanmyself, he had managed to retain his billet after so doing. In replyto his question I informed him that I was proceeding to Barbadoes onprivate business, and that I profoundly hoped I had abandoned the seaas a profession. From him I learnt the names of the various officersof the boat. For more reasons than one I was glad to hear that theywere unknown to me, and also that there was only one first-classpassenger for Barbadoes. He proved to be an old French priest, andfrom what I saw of him, I gathered that he would not be likely toremember me, or, indeed, any one else, when once he had left thevessel.
A good passage down Channel and a smooth crossing of the Bay carriedus well on our way. We reached Madeira in due course, and afterwardssettled down for the voyage across the Atlantic. Among other things, Ihad to familiarize myself with the character I was about to portray.To be a rich young Englishman, with a passion for yachting, would notat first thought seem a difficult part to play. It was not as easy,however, as it would appear. In order that it might come the morenaturally to me, I determined to cultivate a manner while on board. Iaccordingly spoke with a somewhat affected drawl, interlarded myspeech with "Reallies," "Bah Joves," "Don't you know," and otherexotic flowers of speech, until my old friend Kirby, the chiefofficer, found occasion to remonstrate with me.
"What on earth has come over you, Dick?" he cried. "You're asaffected as a school-girl. You'll have to come back to sea, my lad, oryou'll be developing into a masher of the worst type. It's veryevident that lying in at night don't suit you. You ought to be back onthe bridge again, standing your watch like a man."
"Not if I know it," I replied. "I've had enough of that sort of thingto last me a lifetime. Wait until you come into a bit of money, myboy, and then you'll see how nice it feels to watch others work."
"Egad! I wish I could," he answered. "I'd never trouble the brinyagain. Give me a cottage somewhere in the country, with a bit ofgarden, and some fowls to look after, and I wouldn't change placeswith the Czar of all the Russias."
Two days before we were due to reach Barbadoes, I made a resolve.This, in due course, took me along the alley-way to the barber's shop.As soon as the passenger whose hair he had been cutting departed, Iseated myself in the vacated chair, and when the barber asked me whathe could do for me, I put up my hand to my moustache.
"Take this off," I said.
The man gazed at me in astonishment. My moustache was a heavy one, andit was plain that he thought me mad to want to get rid of it.
"You don't mean to say, sir, that you want me to take it off," heremarked, as if he had not heard aright.
"That's exactly what I _do_ mean," I replied. "I want it out of theway."
He thereupon took up his scissors and began his work of destruction,but in a half-hearted fashion. When he had finished I sat up andlooked at myself in the glass. You may believe me or not, when I tellyou that I scarcely recognized the face I saw there.
"If I were to meet you in the street, my lad, I should pass you by," Isaid to myself. Then to the barber I added: "What a change it makes inmy appearance."
"It makes you look a different man, sir," the barber replied. "There'snot many gentlemen would have sacrificed a nice moustache like that."
I paid him, and, when I left the shop, went to my cabin. Once there, Iunlocked my trunk, and took from it a smart yachting cap and a leathercase, containing various articles I had purchased in London. One ofthese was an eye-glass, which, after several attempts, I managed tofix in my eye. Then, striking an attitude, I regarded myself in themirror above the washstand.
"Good-day, Mr. George Trevelyan," I muttered. "I'm very pleased tomake your acquaintance."
"Really, bah Jove, that's awfully good of you to say so," I answeredin my assumed voice. "I hope, bah Jove, we shall be very good friendsfor the time that we're destined to spend together."
"That will only be until we get back to Barbadoes," Dick Helmsworthreplied. "After that, Mr. George Trevelyan, you can clear out as soonas you please. From that day forward I shall hope never to set eyes onyou again."
I thereupon placed the eye-glass in its case, put the cap back in thetrunk, and relocked the latter. After that I went on deck to receivethe chaff I knew would be showered upon me by my fellow-passengers.
Two days later, that is to say, on the twenty-ninth of the month, wereached the island of Barbadoes and came to anchor in the harbour ofBridgetown. When I had collected my baggage, I bade my friends onboard good-bye and made my way ashore. I had already carefullysearched the shipping, but I could see no sign of any yacht, such as Ihad been led to expect I should find awaiting me there. I did notworry myself very much about it, however, knowing that her captain hadbeen furnished with my address, and feeling sure that he wouldcommunicate with me as soon as he arrived. On landing I drove to theImperial Hotel and engaged rooms in my own name. I had intendedadopting my assumed cognomen on quitting the ship, but to my dismay Ilearnt that some of the passengers had also come ashore and were dueto lunch at my hotel. To have entered my name as Trevelyan upon thebooks, and have been addressed as Helmsworth in the hearing of theproprietor, might have sowed the seeds of suspicion in his mind. Andthis I was naturally anxious not to do. Later in the day thepassengers returned to the steamer, and she continued her voyage. As Iwatched her pass out of the bay I wondered whether I should ever seeher again. Before it would be possible for me to do so, many verystrange adventures would in all probability have happened to me.
On my return to the hotel, I inquired for the proprietor, whopresently came to me in the verandah.
"I expected to have met a friend here," I said, "a Mr. Trevelyan. I amgiven to understand, however, that he has not yet arrived?"
"There is no one staying in the hotel at present of that name," hereplied. "There was a Mr. Trevelyan here last year, but, if my memoryserves me, he was a clergyman."
"I'm afraid it cannot have been the same person," I said, with asmile. "By the way, should any one happen to call, and inquire forhim, I should be glad if you would give instructions that he is to seeme."
"I will do so with pleasure," the other replied. "At the same timeperhaps I had better reserve a room for your friend?"
"You need not do that," I answered. "There is no knowing when he willbe here. It is just possible I may pick him up in Jamaica."
Having thus put matters on a satisfactory footing I prepared to waitpatiently until news should reach me from Captain Ferguson. Though Isat in the verandah of the hotel and carefully scrutinized every onewho entered, I went to bed that night without seeing any person who atall answered the description I had been given of him. I spent thefollowing morning partly in the verandah of the hotel, and partlysearching the harbour for the yacht. I returned to lunch, however,without having discovered her. In the afternoon I went for a shortstroll, leaving word at the hotel that, should any one call to see me,he or she had better wait, for I should be back in an hour. When Ireturned I questioned the head waiter, but he assured me that no onehad called to see either Mr. Trevelyan or myself. Once more darknessfell, and once more after dinner I sat in the verandah smoking. Theevening was far advanced, and once more I was beginning to contemplateturning in, feeling certain that Ferguson would not put in anappearance that night, when a short,
stout individual came briskly upthe steps and entered the building. He was dressed entirely in white,and had a broad-brimmed Panama hat upon his head. He might have passedfor a merchant or a planter, but something, I cannot say what,instinctively told me that he belonged to the seafaring profession.After a few moments he reappeared again, this time accompanied by thehead waiter.
"This gentleman," the latter began, addressing me, "wishes to see Mr.Trevelyan. I told him that we had no one of that name staying at thehotel, but that you were Mr. Trevelyan's friend."
"That is certainly so," I said. "I presume you are Captain Ferguson?"
"That is my name," the other replied, and when the servant haddisappeared, he continued: "May I ask whom I am addressing?"
"My name is Helmsworth," I answered in a low voice, at the same timemotioning him to be seated. "A certain gentleman of the name ofSilvestre, however, thinks I had better be known by the name of theperson whom the waiter informed you had not yet arrived in theisland."
"In that case you are Mr. Trevelyan," he said in a whisper, drawinghis chair a little closer to mine as he did so, and closelyscrutinizing me. "Perhaps you have something for me?"
"I have a letter," I replied, thinking at the same time that I hadseen his face somewhere before. "What have you for me?"
"This," he replied laconically, and in his turn produced a smallsilver coin, which he handed to me.
I rose from my chair and carried it down the verandah as far as thehall door. The light there enabled me to see that it was stamped withthe name of Equinata. I thereupon returned to the captain, and handedhim the letter Don Guzman had given me for him.
"And where is the yacht?" I inquired.
"In the harbour," he replied. "We got in at dark, and she is coalingnow as fast as we can get the stuff aboard. When will you be ready tostart?"
"Whenever you please," I replied. "The sooner we are out of this placethe better for all people concerned."
"Would nine o'clock to-morrow morning be convenient to you?"
"It would suit me admirably. How am I to get my traps aboard?"
"If you will have them sent down to the wharf I will arrange therest," he answered. "The boat for Santa Lucia will be in shortly afterdaylight, and the hotel folk will naturally suppose that you have goneaboard her. Of course you understand, Mr. Helms--Mr. Trevelyan, Imean, that in this matter I am acting under your orders, and that Ishall endeavour to do all in my power to bring the business upon whichwe are engaged to a satisfactory conclusion."
"You quite understand what is required of me?" I asked.
"Perfectly," he answered. "My instructions have been most complete."
"And what do you think of it?"
"I think you will have all your work cut out for you," he replied."Don Fernandez is as sharp as a weasel and as cunning as a fox. Butperhaps it would be better for us to say no more upon the matter, atleast at present. We can talk it over if we want to, with greatersafety, on board. And now, if you don't mind, I'll bid you good-night.I've got a lot of work to get through before we leave to-morrowmorning."
We shook hands, and after he had promised to have a boat ready for meat nine o'clock next morning, he bade me good-night and left me.
From the little I had seen of him, I liked the look of the man. Hehad a resolute air about him, and it struck me that in him I had foundone who was likely to prove himself a useful ally. But where on earthhad I seen him before? For the life of me I could not remember.Lighting another cigar, I seated myself, and once more pondered overthe matter. When the cigar was finished I retired to my room to fallasleep directly I was in bed, and to dream that I was abducting theChairman and Directors of my old Company, and that I was flyingthrough the air with them in a balloon built on the principles of amotor-car.
Next morning I was astir early, had had my breakfast, had paid mybill, and had seen my trunks on their way to the wharf, before aquarter to nine. On my arrival at the water's side, however, there wasno sign of any yacht's boat. Some distance out I could perceive theInter-Colonial mail steamer with a crowd of boats about her, and adozen cables or so distant from her a handsome white yacht, which, Igathered, was to be my home for the next few weeks. I had justrewarded the porters, who had brought my luggage down, and had sentthem about their business, when a neat gig, pulled by four men andsteered by a fifth, came into view round the end of the jetty. Pullingup at the steps below me, the coxswain touched his hat and inquiredwhether he was addressing Mr. Trevelyan. Upon my answering in theaffirmative, two of his men jumped ashore, and carried my baggage downto the boat. I thereupon took my place in the stern and we set off.
"That, I presume, is the _Cynthia_, lying astern of the mail-boat?" Isaid to the coxswain, as we pulled out into the harbour.
"Yes, sir, that's the _Cynthia_," he replied. "When you get a bitcloser, sir, you'll say she's as fine a craft as you'd see in a longday's sail."
He certainly spoke the truth. The vessel in question could scarcelyhave been less than a thousand tons. (As a matter of fact that was hertonnage.) To my thinking, however, she was somewhat heavily sparredfor her size, but the coxswain hastened to assure me a better sea-boatcould not be found.
Captain Ferguson met me at the gangway, and saluted me as if I werereally owner of the vessel and not a make-believe, such as I reallywas.
"You will find your cabin prepared for you," he said. "If you willpermit me I'll show you to it."
Then, going on ahead, he conducted me into the main companion, andthrough an elegant saloon to a large and most comfortable cabin,evidently built and intended for the owner. It was a gorgeous affair.Indeed, the luxury of the vessel, what I had seen of it, astonishedme. I had overhauled many yachts in my time, but had never seen onelike this before. She was as spic and span as if she had only justleft the builder's hands.
When I had seen my baggage arranged, I ascended to the deck, where Ifound Captain Ferguson in the act of getting under weigh. Ten minutesor so later, our anchor was aboard and we were steaming slowly out ofthe harbour. In an hour the island lay like a black dot upon thehorizon behind us, and a few minutes later had vanished altogether. Iwas seated in the cabin with Captain Ferguson at the time, and when herang the bell and ordered the servant who answered it to bring up abottle of champagne, we pledged each other in it, and drank to thesuccess of our enterprise.
"It's a small world, sir," he said at last, as he set down his glass,"and few of us really understand _how_ small it is. I wonder whatyou'll say when you hear what I've got to tell you. I remember oncebeing in Hong Kong. It was in the wet season, and I was on my way outto Japan to meet a boat in Nagasaki, that I was to take over on behalfof the Company I was then serving. On the evening of my arrival inHong Kong I went ashore to dine with some friends, and didn't start tocome off to the mail-boat until pretty late. When I did I hired asampan and told one of the crew where my ship was. Thinking that heunderstood, I took my place under the covered arrangement that thoseboats have, and away we went. Perhaps I may have been a bit drowsyafter the festivities of the evening. I'll not say anything aboutthat, either way. The fact, however, remains, that we had not gonevery far before I became conscious that there was something wrong. Itseemed to me as if the tilt, or cover, under which I was sitting, wascoming down upon me. I sprang to my feet and endeavoured to push itup, giving a shout as I did so."
All this time I had been listening to him with ill-concealedimpatience. As I have already remarked, it had struck me on theprevious evening that I had seen the man's face somewhere before.
"I think I can tell you the rest," I interrupted. "A ship's boathappened to be passing at the moment, and, on hearing your shout, shecame alongside and a couple of men in her sprang aboard the sampan. Iwas one of those men. We bowled over the owner of the craft, andpulled you out from under the cover, just as you were about done for.Good heavens! I thought I recognized you last night at the hall door,and now you bring that adventure back to my mind, I remember youperfectly."
"And I you," he
answered. "I've been puzzling my brains about yourface all night. You had a moustache then, but I should know you nowagain. I don't think, Mr. Trevelyan, you will find me go into thisbusiness any the less warmly for what you did for me that night."
"You were right when you declared it to be a small world," I said."Fancy our meeting again and on such an errand as this."
I then proceeded to question him concerning the officers and men underhis charge.
"My chief officer," he said, "is a man of the name of Burgin. He hasseen a good deal of rough-and-tumble work in various parts of theworld, and, as I have satisfactorily proved, can be thoroughly reliedon when it comes to a pinch. The second is a young fellow of the nameof Brownlow. He took part in the last Cuban expedition, and had a bitof fighting afterwards in the Philippines. The crew number thirty alltold, and have been most carefully selected. I have tested them inevery way, and feel sure they can be reckoned upon to do their duty.Now perhaps you'd like to have a look round the vessel? You've seennext to nothing of her yet."
He accordingly conducted me over the yacht from stem to stern, until Iwas familiar with every detail. If I were to pose as a youngEnglishman whose hobby was yachting, I could scarcely have had a finercraft wherewith to indulge my fancy. She was a Clyde-built vessel of,as I have already said, exactly a thousand tons; her length was notfar short of two hundred and fifty feet. Her engine-room wasamidships, and was as perfectly fitted as everything else. Thedrawing-room was a model of beauty, while the saloon was capable ofseating at least fifty persons. The quarters of the officers and crewleft nothing to be desired on the score of comfort. Only on onequestion was the captain at all reticent, and that was concerning theidentity of the yacht's owner. Her papers, I discovered, were made outin my name, or rather, I should say, in my assumed name, but whethershe was the property of Silvestre, or of somebody else, I was neverable to ascertain.
Though Silvestre had informed me that, from the moment I set foot onboard, I should be considered the yacht's owner, I had not attachedany great importance to the remark. I soon discovered, however, thatthere was more in it than I supposed. For instance, when I was toldthat evening that dinner was upon the table, I made my way to mycabin, prepared myself for it, and entered the saloon to find that Iwas expected to dine in solitary grandeur. Two men-servants werepresent to wait upon me, but there was no sign of the captain.
"Where is Captain Ferguson?" I inquired of one of the men when I hadwaited some two or three minutes for him to put in an appearance.
"He dines in the officers' mess, sir," the man replied.
Resolving to remedy this state of things on the morrow, and feelingthat it was of no use my sending for him that night, I proceeded withmy dinner without further remark. Accustomed as I was to good livingon board a mail-boat, I can only say that, in all my experience, I hadnever met with anything like the meal that was served to me thatevening. If Silvestre had given orders that my comfort was to bestudied, he had certainly been carefully obeyed. When I rose from thetable I went to my cabin, changed my coat, filled a pipe, and mountedwith it to the bridge. Ferguson met me by the chart-room door, andexpressed the hope that I had been made comfortable. I told him thatthe only fault I had to find was on the score of company, and went onto say that I expected him for the future to take his meals with me.
"It would be out of place for a captain to dine with his owner untilhe is invited to do so," he said, with a laugh. "However, if you wishit, I shall be very pleased to do so in the future."
I remember that it was a beautiful night; the sea was like glass, andthe great stars overhead were reflected in the deep as in a mirror. AsI smoked my pipe I thought of Molly, and wondered what she was doingat that moment. That I was a trifle homesick I will not deny. At teno'clock Ferguson invited me to his cabin, and for about an hour we satthere discussing the business that lay before us. He had never visitedEquinata before, but he was conversant with the character of thecountry. Having procured a chart from a locker, he made me aware ofthe whereabouts of the President's palace; showed me where he thoughtit would be best for the yacht to lie, and various other details thathad struck him as being applicable to the case in hand.
"And now one other question: What do you know of Fernandez himself?" Iinquired, when he had rolled up the chart and replaced it in thelocker.
"Only what I have heard," he replied. "He is an exceedingly cleverman, and as unscrupulous as any president who has ruled in SouthAmerica, not excluding our friend Silvestre. It is quite certain thatif he has the least suspicion of what we are after, ours is likely tobe a short shrift. I presume you thought the whole business out wellbefore you embarked upon it?"
I answered to the effect that I had given it all due consideration,and that whatever chances there might be I was prepared to take them.There was one question, however, that I had been desirous of puttingto him ever since I had been on board, and now that we were alonetogether I resolved to ask it, and to risk his refusal to reply.
"With regard to Don Guzman de Silvestre," I said, "what do you know ofhim?"
Somewhat to my surprise he was quite frank with me.
"I know very little of him," he answered, "except that I owe mypresent position to him. Of one thing, however, I am aware, and thatis the fact that he is not a man to be trifled with."
After a while I bade him good-night, and left him to go below to mycabin. Before entering the companion, however, I leant upon thebulwarks and gazed across the sea. Scarcely a sound broke thestillness of the night; the monotonous pacing of the officer of thewatch, the look-out's cry, "All's well," and the throbbing of theengines, were all that broke the silence. I went over my talk withFerguson again. After what he had said it appeared to me that thetask I had undertaken was an almost hopeless one. One little mistakeand my life would pay the forfeit. Failure seemed certain, and in thatcase what would happen to Molly and my mother? They would hope againsthope, waiting for the man who would never return. I told myself that Iwas a fool ever to have had anything to do with the business. What wasDon Guzman de Silvestre and his ambition to me? Why should I risk mylife and my dear one's happiness for the sake of a paltry ten thousandpounds? In sheer disgust I turned on my heel and went to my cabin.Whatever my thoughts may have been on deck, they certainly did nottrouble me very much below. I slept like a top all night, and when Icame on deck next morning I had well-nigh forgotten my melancholymusings of the previous evening.
For the next four days our life scarcely varied. I read and smoked ondeck, chatted with Ferguson, improved my acquaintance with the otherofficers, and counted the days until we should reach our destination.As you may suppose, it was a welcome moment when the skipper announcedthat we were only a matter of ten hours' steaming from the Republic ofEquinata. Next morning a faint smudge was discernible on the horizonstraight ahead of us; by breakfast-time this had taken to itself theappearance of land, and when I returned to the bridge after my meal, arange of mountain peaks were plainly to be seen. By ten o'clock wewere near enough to discern the entrance to the harbour, and byhalf-past we were steaming in between the heads, to drop our anchor inthe bay.