CHAPTER XXXVIII
GEOFFREY GETS A SHOCK
Ralph Ravenspur had wandered along the cliffs and Geoffrey had followedhim. The latter came up to the blind man at the loneliest part of therugged granite, and there for a time they sat. Ralph was graver and moretaciturn than usual, till presently his head was raised and he seemed tobe listening to something intently.
"What is the matter?" Geoffrey asked.
"Somebody is close to us," Ralph explained. "Somebody is creeping up tous in the gorse. Nay, you need not move. We are safe here on this bareledge. There is one thing there is no cause to fear in dealing withthese miscreants, and that is firearms. Weapons of that description makea noise and your Oriental hates noise when he is out on the kill. Ah,what did I tell you? Somebody is close by."
A figure rose out of the gorse, a slender figure with a ragged beard andbrown face. The stranger crept along and dropped by Geoffrey's side.
"Don't be alarmed," he said. "It is only I--Tchigorsky."
Geoffrey was astonished, though he had no occasion to be. Ralph took thematter coolly. "I expected something like this," he said. "I knew youwould desire to see me, and that is why we came along the rocks."
Tchigorsky lay on his back puffing at a cigarette.
"Keep your eyes open," he said to Geoffrey. "One can't be tooparticular. Not that there is any danger, for I've sent those twowretches off on a wild-goose chase for an hour or two, and the she-devilis down with one of her blinding headaches. You wouldn't think she wasa woman whose heart is in a weak state, eh?"
"I shouldn't have supposed she had one," said Geoffrey. "Have you seenher?"
"I was in her company for a long time last night," Tchigorsky explained."I posed as one of the murderers of Voski; I gave her proofs of mysuccess."
"The forged Garuda stone," Ralph chuckled.
"The same," Tchigorsky said gravely. "It was a magnificent forgery, andcalculated to deceive those pious murderous old rascals at Lassa. At anyrate, I am now deep in the confidence of the princess, and attached toher subordinates, who are pledged to assist in wiping out the Ravenspurfamily."
Geoffrey sighed involuntarily. He would have liked to know why thisvendetta aimed at his family, but he knew that the question would beuseless. Still, he felt that a great deal had been gained during thelast few hours.
"Have you learned what the latest villainy is?" Ralph asked.
"Not yet. There is much uneasiness and alarm felt over the recentfailures, and my dusky allies are getting a little frightened. For thenext day or two I expect we shall lie low and plan some big _coup_.
"What I want to secure now are the princess' private papers. I know shehas them and is in regular communication with the priests at Lassa. Giveme these and I can expose the whole plot. Let me wipe these three peopleout, and then Lassa shall get a hint that will save further trouble fromthat quarter.
"A hint from the India Office that any more rascality will mean anexpedition to Lassa and the destruction of their temples will suffice.But first I must have my proofs. Without proofs I am helpless."
"Find them," Ralph croaked; "find them. Never mind the scandal, neverheed what people may say. Bring the matter home, hang those wretches,and we shall never more be troubled by this plague from the East. If Ihad my way I should shoot the whole lot."
"And be hanged for your pains," Tchigorsky replied. "Ah, my friend,there are serious flaws in the criminal laws of this fine country ofyours. Patience, patience. I shall find out everything in time."
"There is one thing I am curious to know," said Geoffrey. "I want toknow who was the girl on the cliff with Mrs. May that afternoon, thegirl who has such an amazing likeness to Marion. Have you discoveredthat, Tchigorsky?"
"That is what I am trying to get at myself," Tchigorsky replied withgreat gravity. "It is one of the mysteries of the campaign."
Geoffrey said no more on the point, chiefly because he had no more tosay. Yet it was haunting him now as it had done for some time past. Itfilled his mind as he made his way down the cliffs after luncheon. Andthen, to his surprise, as he gained the sands he saw a figure rise fromthe rocks and flit along the beach until it flashed round a distantpoint.
It was the girl who bore that surprising resemblance to Marion. She wasdressed, as before, in a blue skirt and red tam-o'-shanter.
With a sudden impulse Geoffrey followed. His feet flew over the heavysands, making no noise. As he turned the rocky point he saw no signs ofthe girl, but there on the beach with her sketch-book on her knee wasMarion herself, so deeply interested in manipulating her water colorsthat she did not see Geoffrey till he hailed her.
"Did you see her?" Geoffrey gasped.
Marion smiled at his excited face.
"See whom?" she asked. "Oh, yes, some girl did pass me; but I was sobusily engaged that I did not look up. How do you think my sketch isprogressing? I have been at it all the morning. Vera made me a smallbet that I should not finish it to day, so I am going to win my bet, orperish in the attempt."
Geoffrey was hardly listening. He recollected that there had been somelittle chaff at luncheon over some sketch, but he had paid little heedto the subject.
"It was the same girl," he said. "The girl so like you. Oh, Marion, howunfortunate you did not look up!"
"It was indeed," Marion replied. She appeared to be deeply interested."I would have given anything to see her. But it is not too late. Put mymaterials in your boat, Geoff, and I will follow up the cliffs. I can'tbe very much use--I'm afraid--but at any rate I may solve this much ofthe mystery."
Geoffrey returned to his boat. It seemed very strange to him that Marionshould not have seen the girl, and also that on each occasion these twoshould have been so close together without meeting.
Geoffrey pushed his boat out, got his sails up, and then stood out forthe bay. It was very quiet, and no other boats were to be seen. One ortwo of the upper windows of the castle were visible from there, but noother signs of habitation.
The breeze freshened as Geoffrey reached the open sea. Some distancefrom him a pile of wreckage covered with a mass of seaweed floated onthe water.
"I'll anchor here and get my lines out," said Geoffrey.
He luffed and as he did so a puff of wind filled the sail. The mast gavean ominous crack, and the whole thing snapped and went by the board.Geoffrey stared with widely open eyes. The wind was as nothing, barelyenough to belly the sail. Then he looked down and saw that the mast hadbeen almost sawn away. Somebody had cut it nearly through, so that thefirst puff would suffice.
Geoffrey felt vaguely alarmed and uneasy. He was a good four miles fromshore and was an indifferent swimmer. The sea was too dangerous andrough for bathing. There might be further treachery. He sat down andpulled hard at the oars with the idea of returning to the beach again.
As he bent his back to the work, he toppled over the seat with two shortstumps in his hands. The oars, too, had been sawed through and Geoffreywas helpless, four miles from land in an open boat, with no means ofprogress and nobody in sight.
The position was alarming. There would be nothing for it but to waituntil some passing craft came along and picked him up. But the time wentby without any sign of a boat and starvation might be the result. Norwas the position improved when it began to dawn upon Geoffrey that theboat was filling fast.
He saw that a large hole had been bored in the bottom and filled withsome kind of substance that slowly dissolved in the water. With a tindipper Geoffrey worked away with all his might, but he could only keepthe water from rising higher, and knew that the exertion would soon tellupon him.
"Help!" he cried. "Help! help! help!"
He ceased to call as suddenly as he had begun. What was the use ofcalling so long as nobody could hear him? And why waste the breath thatwould be so precious to him later? He could not see that the mass ofwreckage and seaweed had drifted close to the boat. He saw nothing tilla line thrown into the boat struck him smartly on the face. He lookedup.
"Can you
manage to keep her afloat?" a hoarse voice came from thewreckage.
"For an hour, perhaps," Geoffrey replied. "Why?"
"That will do," said the other. "I've got a paddle here. Hitch the ropeon to the nose of the boat and bail out for all you are worth. This isanother of the princess's little tricks. I expected it. Only it hasn'tturned out quite in the way that I anticipated. Now, bail away."
"Tchigorsky," Geoffrey gasped. "Tchigorsky!"
"Very much at your service. I rigged up this contrivance this morningand pushed off with it, not long before you came down. But never mindme. Stick to your dipper, and I'll tell you all about it when we areashore."
It was hard and weary work for both of them, but it was accomplished atlast. Geoffrey was utterly exhausted when the boat was safely beached,and Tchigorsky, too, felt the effect of his exertions. He lifted himselfcautiously off his raft and made a dart for one of the caves.
Inside he had dry clothing, long flowing robes, wig, and hair for hisface, pigments that changed the hue of one hemisphere to that ofanother. Geoffrey, limp and exhausted, watched the artistictransformation with admiration.
"It's wonderful," he said, "but then you are a wonderful man,Tchigorsky. How did it all happen? Who did it?"
Tchigorsky smiled as he touched up his face.
"It was inspired by a woman and carried out by a woman," he said. "Idared not warn you before you started, and indeed I expected furtherdevelopments. But a woman doctored your boat for you."
Geoffrey started as an idea came to him.
"Was she young and good looking?" he asked "Dressed in----"
"Dressed," Tchigorsky smiled, "in a blue serge dress and a redtam-o'-shanter. I need not ask if you have met the lady before."