A Cabinet Secret : Chapter 10

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Chapter ten of A Cabinet's Secret by Guy Boothby This
LibriVox recording is in the Pubblic domain. Reading by Maperard,
Chapter ten. For some minutes after the Commander in Chief
had finished speaking, I stood staring down at the white
whirl of water below me, wrapped in what I might term,

(00:22):
for want of a better simile, and overwhelming bewilderment of terror.
There could be no doubt that the construction he had
placed upon what he had heard was a correct one.
Yet it seemed beyond belief as I reviewed it in
my mind that there could exist men in the world
so base, so callous as to even contemplate putting such

(00:48):
a scheme into execution. And yet what other construction could
we place upon it? Are you quite sure that you
have told it to me exactly as you heard it,
I said, trying to speak calmly, as you are aware
the mere substitution of one word for another, or the

(01:08):
change of a sentence, might make all the difference. Oh no,
he said, I am absolutely certain that I have repeated
the conversation word for word as I heard it. In fact,
I should be prepared to stake my life upon it
very well. Now let us look at the matter from

(01:30):
every point of view. You say that Riefenberg asserted that
a certain something, when fully wound up, would run for
an hour? Is that not so? The commander in chief nodded.
In that case, I continued, we may believe ourselves to
be right if we describe that something as a clockwork machine.

(01:53):
We may also be sure that if the explosion to
which he referred is to take place, it will be
when the machine has run for the allotted time. In
other words, it is an anarchist bomb, of superior construction,
and capable of being set, like an alarum clock, to
go off at a given time. The mere fact that

(02:16):
it is to be placed in the stoke hole shows
that it is to be used on board a steamer,
and it is scarcely likely to be on any other
than this boat. Putting all these things together, we arrive
at this conclusion. The day after tomorrow another vessel is
due to join us our countors, and the crew of

(02:40):
this boat will leave her and go aboard the newcomer,
having previously set the machine going, And and we shall
be left locked in our cabins to drown like rats
in a trap. Said my companion in an awed whisper
that I take it is the idea, I answered, slowly,

(03:02):
My god Mandeville, how can you speak so quietly? Don't
you realize what an awful position we are placed in.
I realize it perfectly, I answered. I am trying to
think what we can do to save ourselves. The situation
was so terrible that for a few moments I stood

(03:23):
looking across the waste of water, seeing nothing but a
man locked in his cabin, knowing that the ship was sinking,
and battling vainly for life. The day after tomorrow, the
day after to morrow, the words rang in my brain
like the tolling of a funeral knell. Surely there must

(03:43):
be a way out of it, if we can only
find it, I said, some manner in which we can
thwart these murderous ruffians. Let us put our wits to
work with all speed, and see whether or not we
can find a loophole of escape. I have been doing
that all the afternoon, the commander in chief replied, but

(04:04):
so far without any success. If we are locked in
our cabins, I don't see how it will be possible
for us to do anything. A mouse can find in
a trap when a servant girl plunges it into a
bucket of water, is not more helpless than we shall be. Come, Come,
old friend, I said, you must not give way like that.

(04:27):
I don't think any man can accuse me of cowardice,
he replied, But I must confess that when I think
of what may happen the day after tomorrow, my courage
fails me. But it's not going to happen, I answered,
make up your mind to that. As I said just now,
there must be a way out of it, and we've

(04:48):
got to find it. In the meantime, we must endeavor,
if possible, to let the others know the position of affairs.
Though how that's to be managed, I must confess, I
don't quite at sea. It is not possible to approach
their cabins, and according to the new arrangement, we are
not allowed to come into personal contact with them. Could

(05:12):
it not be managed by means of the portholes? My
companion inquired, Your cabin and that occupied by castelan a joint.
I believe that is so, I replied, But I could
not reach a quarter of the distance that separates his
porthole from mine, and I have nothing in my cabin
to assist me. But we must think it over and

(05:34):
see what can be done. Now we had better begin
to pace the deck again, or they may grow suspicious.
Without We set out and for upwards of an hour
religiously patrolled the poop. At the end of that time
we were ordered below, and when my cabin door was
locked upon me, I sat myself down on my locker

(05:56):
and put my brains to work. The first point to
be decided, as I have said above, was how we
were to communicate with the others. The second, and all
important was to find a means of escape from the
doom that had been prepared for us. At last, my
head in a whirl, I turned into bed and endeavored

(06:19):
to divert my mind from the burden it carried. The
attempt was useless. However, as may be easily understood, think
of what I would. My thoughts invariably came back to
the same subject. I recalled that knight in Paris, when
the eyes of the woman we had known as the
Countess de Bonezza had exercised such a strange effect upon me.

(06:43):
I remembered the nameless horror they had inspired in me,
and the sleepless nights I had had. In consequence, I
also recalled our first meeting and our crossing to London together.
Who would have dreamt then that that meeting would have
ended in this terrible fashion. Hour by hour, the night

(07:04):
wore on until the faint, weird light of dawn crept
into the sky. We might now say that to morrow
we should know our fate. Then, tired of tumbling and
tossing in my bunk, I left it and stood at
the open porthole, watching the great gray waves go by.
There was a fair sea running, and in consequence the

(07:27):
steamer was rolling heavily. If only I could find some
means of communicating with Castellan, I said to myself, for
the hundredth time, he and Waller might put their wits
to work and possibly hit upon a scheme that would
save us. Then, in a flash, as is generally the way,
an idea occurred to me. If I were permitted a

(07:50):
chance of carrying it out, it was quite within the
bounds of possibility that it might succeed. Taking my letter
case from my pocket, I selected a clean half sheet
of notepaper and wrote upon it a letter to the
Colonial Secretary. In it, I told him what the commander
in chief had discovered and what our suspicions were. I

(08:13):
begged him to tell Waller, and between them to try
and think out a scheme for our deliverance. When I
had finished, I made the note into a cocked hat
and slipped it into my pocket. I might here remark
that the doors of the various cabins opened directly into
the salon, and that at the foot of each door

(08:34):
there was the space of nearly an inch. My object,
therefore was to get the note under the door without
our jailers observing what I was doing. At first glance,
this would appear a difficult matter to accomplish, but I
had every confidence in my plan and was determined to
make the attempt. As good fortune had it, Castelen's cabin

(08:56):
was almost directly behind my seat in the saloon, and
this was a point in my favor. Having settled upon
an idea for delivering this note, I was in a
fever to put it into execution. It seemed as if
the breakfast hour would never arrive. But at last the
door was unlocked, and I was informed that the meal

(09:18):
was upon the table. Now or never must my scheme
be carried out. As I have said, the ship was
rolling heavily, and for this reason I clutched at the
rail running along the side of the saloon, while with
my left I made a feint of reaching the back
of the seat at the table. Then abandoning the rail,

(09:39):
I staggered forward just as the ship was finishing her
downward roll. The natural consequence was that I lost my
footing as she came up again, and found myself lying
in a heap upon the floor of the salon just
before Castellan's cabin. While in this position it was quite
easy to push the note underneath the without attracting attention.

(10:02):
This accomplished. I staggered to my feet and to my
position at the table, flattering myself that the whole thing
had been so natural that the suspicions of our captors
could not possibly have been aroused. Our meal at an end,
I followed the Commander in chief to the deck above well.

(10:24):
I said, when we reached the taffrail, have you anything
to tell me? Nothing, he answered lugubriously. I lay awake
all night, puzzling my brains, but without success. If only
we could communicate with Castellan, I feel sure he would
be able to work out some scheme. It is already done,

(10:47):
I replied, I managed to get a note to him
this morning. You did, he said, with a look of
incredulity upon his face. Then how on earth did you
manage it by giving myself a bump which I shall
remember for some hours to come, I replied, You observe

(11:07):
the fall I had in this alone when trying to
reach the breakfast table. Yes, I noticed it, he answered,
But what had that to do with it? Everything in
the world, I said. Perhaps it did not strike you
that my fall took place outside Castellan's cabin door. That
was when I got the note to him. If you

(11:28):
did not see it, it is more than probable that
the others did not. In that case, we need have
no fears in that direction. There is the making of
a stratagist in you, he said, with the first smile
upon his face. I had seen there since he told
me his dreadful news. Many thanks. Now, the next thing

(11:50):
to consider is how is Castelan to reply. He'll find
a way, my companion replied, Never fear. Castelline is a
resourceful man, and all I hope is that he'll find
a way of getting us out of this hole. If
we could only manage to get out of our cabins,

(12:12):
there might be some chance for us. But so far
as I can see, there is not the slightest possibility
of being able to do that. What is more, to
the point, did you observe that they are making assurance
doubly sure by putting a padlock on each cabin door. No?
I did not notice it, I replied, How do you

(12:34):
know it, because the carpenter was at work on my
door before breakfast. He answered, If this were so, our
case was indeed hopeless, for while we might be able
to force the lock, it would be impossible to break
through both lock and staple. When we returned to the saloon,

(12:54):
I found that what my companion had said was only
too true. The man had placed the necessary fittings on
each of my friend's cabin doors, and was just commencing
on mine. He stood aside to let me pass, and
as he did so, I noticed that behind the flap
of his tool basket, and less than a couple of

(13:15):
inches from the door, lay a small gimblet, which doubtlessly
he had been using for the work he had been
engaged upon. As I saw it, a longing to possess it,
such as I never had for anything in my life,
came over me. If only I could get it into
the cabin, unobserved, it would be worth more to me

(13:36):
than a hundred times its weight in gold. Was it possible, however,
to secure it? I had only a second in which
to hit upon a scheme, but that was sufficient. Putting
my hand to my waistcoat, I gave a tug at
the cord which carried my eye glass. It snapped, and
the glass rolled away across the floor towards the spot

(13:59):
where the man was standing. He stooped to pick it up,
but before he had time to stand upright again, I
had given the gimlet a push with my foot, and
it was inside the cabin. When the man returned the
glass to me. I gave him a coin for his trouble,
thanked him, and then walked into my cabin and shut
the door. Once that was closed behind me, I picked

(14:21):
up my treasure and thrust it under the mattress of
my bunk. The question the next few minutes would have
to decide was whether the loss would be discovered, and,
if so, whether the man would accuse me of taking it.
So invaluable. Would it be to me that I felt
as though I would have fought the world for its possession.

(14:44):
I could plainly hear him driving in the last screws,
and afterwards placing the tools he had been using in
his basket with the others. A moment later the padlock
was placed on the door and locked, and then my
hearing told me that he was leaving this alone. When
all was safe, I took the gimblet from its hiding

(15:04):
place once more and regarded it with an interest that
I can assure you no article of that description had
ever inspired in me before now. If only it were
not discovered that I had it in my possession, I
felt that I should be able to make my escape
from the cabin when the proper time arrived. When we

(15:25):
went on deck after luncheon, I informed the Commander in
chief of my good fortune and of the use I
intended putting it too. His delight was as sincere as
my own, and we were about to discuss the possibilities
it opened up for us when I felt compelled to
take off the yachting cap Reefenberg had lent me on
the morning after my arrival on board, hitherto it had

(15:49):
been tolerably comfortable. Now it did not fit at all.
A nasty lump was pressing upon my forehead, And in
order to discover what oca, I lifted the strip of
leather inside to find a piece of paper there that
had certainly not been in the cap when I had
last worn it. One second's consideration was sufficient to convince

(16:13):
me that this was Castellan's method of conveying a message
to me. He must have worn my cap when on
deck and have placed the strip of paper in a
place where he knew I should be well nigh certain
to find it. Leaning on the taffrail, with our backs
turned to the sentry, I opened it and eagerly scanned

(16:34):
the contents. It ran as follows. Dear Mandeville, your letter
astounded me. The plot you speak of only serves to
show what a set of fiends we have fallen in with.
Since receiving it, I have been puzzling my brains for
a solution of the difficulty, but so far have discovered
no plan that could have the remotest prospect of success.

(16:59):
As you will by this time have noticed, our enemies
have taken double precautions to insure our remaining prisoners unless
we can manage to force our way out. At the
last moment, I fear that our fate is sealed. Should
any idea occur to either of us, I will communicate
with you again by the same means that I have

(17:21):
employed on this occasion. God bless you both, and may
he help us in our trouble. Your friend be seen.
When we had read it, I tore it into small
pieces and threw the fragments overboard. Half an hour later,
when we went below, I wrote him a brief note
in which I told him to be of good cheer,

(17:42):
for I thought I had hit upon a scheme which
might very possibly prove successful. This when next we were
on deck together, I placed in the hat, and on
the following morning had the satisfaction of finding it gone.
Try if you can to imagine with what feelings we
greeted the dawn of the day that was to mean

(18:03):
so much for us, who knew what the end of
it would be. The mere idea was quite bad enough,
but the uncertainty as to when the event we dreaded
would take place was much worse. It might not be
until towards evening, or it might be at any moment.
I was well aware that to carry out the plan

(18:25):
I had proposed to myself, namely the boring holes with
the gimblet round the lock and the hasp and staple
that secured the padlock, would take a long time, and,
if left until the last moment, would be useless. On
the other hand, for all our sakes, I dared not
begin the work while there was even the remotest chance

(18:48):
of our enemies discovering it. I was not afraid of
their looking behind the door, with a simple reason that
when I was out of the cabin, it was invariably
hitched back by means of a brass catch to the
end of the bunk, and there would be no reason
for them to examine it. Yet, if the point of
the gemlet should chance to penetrate the smooth surface round

(19:12):
the lock on the other side, detection would be certain
and the plot would fail by reason of it. Therefore,
when we returned from our warning spell on deck, I
embraced a momentary opportunity that presented itself and measured the
exact thickness of the door. Then, when the latter was
closed upon me and I was alone, I was able

(19:35):
to mark the gimlet to correspond Having allowed a sufficient
margin to ensure the point not going quite through the door,
I mapped out my plan of operations and set to work.
The gemelet was not a large one, nor was its
point particularly sharp. The labor was therefore prodigious. The tiny

(19:57):
box handle cut and blistered my hand. My face streamed
with perspiration. But still I worked on and on, remembering
always that not only my own life, but the lives
of my companions depended upon my exertions. By midday, more
than three parts of the work was accomplished. As a

(20:18):
memento of the occasion, large blisters covered the palm of
my hand, while every muscle of my arm ached as
if I had been placed upon the rack. That no
suspicions should be aroused, I removed every particle of sawdust
from the floor and dropped it out of the porthole
to be carried away by the breeze. By the time

(20:40):
I was summoned to the luncheon, only some twenty holes remained,
and these I resolved to complete as soon as we
were turned from our airing on deck. During the progress
of the meal, it was easily to be seen that
something unusual was going on. Our guards were un miss
mistakably excited, and I will do the older man, ser Gasta,

(21:04):
the credit of saying that he appeared sufficiently alive to
his own villainy to have no desire for conversation with
either the commander in chief or myself. Conrad, on the
other hand, was even more flippant than usual. I noticed
also that both men watched the deck uneasily, as though

(21:25):
they were momentarily expecting news from that quarter. If this
were so, they were destined to be disappointed, for the
meal ended as uneventfully as it had begun. According to custom.
We had left our chairs and were proceeding to the
door at the further end of the salon in order
to take our usual promenade, when a hail reached us

(21:48):
from the deck above Conrad's face, he was standing in
front of us at the time, turned as pale as
the cloth upon the table, and when he ordered us
back to our cabins a second or so later, it
was an advoice so unlike his own that I scarcely
recognized it. As for myself, a sudden and peculiar feeling

(22:10):
of composure had come over me. I felt sure the
vessel they were expecting was in sight, and that in
a short time they would be on their way to
board her, leaving us to meet with what fortitude we
might the miserable death they had arranged for us. To
have let them have the least suspicion that we were

(22:33):
aware of what they were about to do would have
been maddeness on our part, for in that case they
would either have killed us outright or have taken the
precaution of making our cabins so secure that we could
not possibly escape from them in time. Once in my cabin,
I went to the porthole and looked out as I expected.

(22:55):
I had interpreted the hail from deck all right, for
coming swiftly towards us was a handsome vessel of the
yacht type. Already, as I could tell from the revolutions
of the screw, we had slackened at our pace and
were doing but little more than crawl through the water.
If we were to save ourselves, we had not a

(23:16):
moment to lose. Going to the bunk and procuring my gimlet,
I set about the completion of my task with feverish energy.
The blisters in the palm of my hand burnt like fire.
My arms still ached from its morning exertion. But I
kept steadily on, remembering that every turn of the little
point was bringing us one revolution nearer safety, only pausing

(23:39):
now and again to look out of the porthole in
order to note the vessel's progress. I continued the work
until only some half dozen holes were required to finish
the task. In the saloon outside, perfect silence reigned, and
I could guess why they were either preparing the machine

(24:00):
or making ready to leave the ship. It seemed to
me that I could hear the ticking of the clockwork
of the bomb. What if it were already in the
stoke hole and had been running for half an hour,
another half an hour might elapse before I should be
able to open the door. This thought sent the sweat
of pure terror rolling down my face and caused me

(24:23):
to work with feverish haste. At last I could see
the newcomer without moving from the door. She was still
little more than a mile away and was signaling our vessel. Overhead.
The tramp of feet was to be heard, followed by
the whine of a rope running through a sheep. A
moment later, a boat was lowered and lay for a

(24:45):
moment in full view of my porthole before she disappeared.
By this time I had thrown caution to the winds
and was boring my holes right through the door and
out on the other side. I had just finished the
last but one, and was about to withdraw the gimlet,
when without warning, the frail shaft broke off near the handle,

(25:07):
and the little instrument, which at a moment before had
been our connecting link with life, lay at my feet,
as useless as a straw. I gazed at it for
a moment, and then threw the handle from me with
a gesture of despair. If I had not already done
enough to make the door yield, my work would be

(25:27):
of no avail. Suddenly, a voice from the deck above
called through the skylight in the saloon. Conrad Well cried
the voice of Riefenberg in answer from his cabin on
the port side, What is it? What are you about
that you do not come? Don't you know that the
time is half gone? On hearing this, I sank back

(25:51):
upon the locker, almost beside myself with terror. My suspicions
were correct, after all, the machine had already been running
for half an hour. A few seconds later, a light
step sounded in the saloon and went clattering up the ladder.
I waited a few moments, and then, with agonizing curiosity,
got on to my feet and looked out the porthole

(26:13):
once more. I was just in time to see three
boats leave the side and push off in the direction
of the stranger. Riefenberg. Sargasta, and the man who had
waited upon us were in that nearest me. The rest
were filled with the officers and crew. As they drew
further away, they looked back at our doomed vessel, while Riefenberg,

(26:34):
upon whose face I can quite imagine that devilish smile
to be playing, took off his hat and waved it
to us, as if in ironical farewell. Then I sprang
off the locker, and, seizing the handle of the door,
pulled with all my strength. To my horror, it stood
the test. I tried again, with the same result, and

(26:57):
then fell back against the WASH's hand stand, hopeless for
the moment, to the very center of my being. All
the time, a little voice within me was telling me
that in the stoke hole, the wheels were going round remorselessly,
ticking off the seconds that separated us from death. Not
more than A couple of minutes could have elapsed, since

(27:19):
the men had deserted the ship, but to me they
seemed like hours. Then, gathering all my strength together for
one great effort, I once more gave the door a
terrific pull. This time I was more successful, for the
wood cracked. Another crash followed. The door gave way under
the strain, and I found myself stretched on my back

(27:42):
upon the floor. I was free, regaining my feet. I
did not hesitate. I had arranged the whole plan in
my mind beforehand, and did not waste a second considering
what should be done. Shouting to my companions that I
would free them in a few minutes, I rushed along
the salt down the little alleyway, passed the steward's cabin,

(28:03):
and so on to the main deck. Before a man
could have counted twenty, I was standing among the polished
wheels and rods of the engine room. Heaven Send, they
remained true of their decision to place it in the
stoke hole, I said to myself, as I descended the
narrow ladder that lent the furnace room below. It is

(28:24):
strange how, in moments of such awful mental anguish, the
mind will revert from the matter in hand to some
apparently trivial subject. On this occasion I remembered how many
years ago the chairman of a great steamship company had
been kind enough to take me over one of their
new vessels, and had shown me the engine room and

(28:46):
the stoke hole below. How little I had thought then
that my next visit to a similar place would be
in search of an infernal machine that was intended to
take my life. Rung by rung, I descended the ladder,
and when at last found myself in the stoke hole,
the furnaces were still alight, the men not have taken

(29:06):
the trouble to draw the fires. Their rakes and shovels
lay just as where they had thrown them down. But
not a trace of the object I was searching for
could I discover. Like a madman, I ran hither and thither,
hunting high and low. Indeed, it was not until I
was almost giving up the search in despair, and it

(29:28):
was going off to look elsewhere, that my diligence was rewarded.
Then in a corner I made out a black object
in shape not unlike a large band box. That it
was the bomb. There could be no doubt, for when
I placed my ear to its side, I could distinctly
hear the ticking of the clockwork within clutching it in

(29:50):
my arms, regardless of what would happen should the allotted
time expire while I was carrying it. I climbed the ladder,
passed through the engine room, and entered the alley beyond.
A mist was clouding my eyes. My breath came in
heavy gasps, but I heeded nothing save the necessity for
getting that devilish contrivance overboard and out of harm's way.

(30:15):
Reaching the bulwarks on the starboard side, that is to say,
on the side opposite to that on which the strange
vessel was lying, I raised it high above my head
and threw it from me. It struck the water with
a splash. A few bubbles followed it, and then it
was gone. So far as that was concerned, wheat were saved.

(30:37):
Having thrown the machine overboard, I made my way to
the saloon as quickly as possible. Much still remained to
be done. I could imagine with what impatience my companions
were awaiting my return, Being in ignorance of what was
going on, their anxiety must have been greater than mine.
Hastening to the captain's cabin on the port side, which

(30:59):
during our time term on board had been occupied by Segasta,
I flung open the door and hurried in to find
a scene of the wildest confusion. Clothes, papers, and books
were strewn about the floor in hopeless disorder. But the
articles which I had come in search of, the keys
of my friend's cabin doors, also those of the padlocks,

(31:22):
lay in a bunch before me upon the table. I
picked them up and hastened into the saloon once more.
In but little longer time than it takes to tell
the doors were opened, and they were at liberty and
the machine, cried Castelan, While the others looked the question overboard,

(31:43):
I answered, I hastened to get it out of the
way before coming to relieve you. God bless you, Manderville,
said Waller, taking my hand. You have saved our lives.
There can be no doubt of that. Put in the
commander in chief, and now what is to be done?
We must get away from the boat over there, I

(32:05):
answered Castellan. You have always had a liking for mechanics
and engineering. Do you think you could undertake the engines.
I think I could manage them at a pinch, he replied,
at any rate, I am quite willing to try. And
you I must go to the wheel, I answered, whatever happens,

(32:25):
we must give that vessel Yonder a run for her money.
Now let us be off, but be sure to keep
out of sight as you cross the deck. They'll be
waiting and watching for the explosion. In that case, Heaven
be thanked, they are doomed to disappointment, said Waller. Now, Castelan,
I said, if you can do us the favor of

(32:46):
setting this crazy old tub going again, we shall be grateful. Then,
turning to Waller and the commander in chief, I added,
I am sure, gentlemen, you will, for once in your lives,
condescend to officiate as stokers. Both were quick to express
their willingness to do all that lay in their power
to help. And then we left the saloon, and, keeping

(33:08):
under cover of the bulwarks, made our way along the
main deck to the midships of the vessel. In the
alleyway at the entrance to the engine room, we paused
for a moment, and Castellan held out his hand, which
I took without a word. The others followed suit, and
then I sped on towards the ladder leading to the bridge,

(33:29):
reaching the wheel house in front of the chart room.
For I had no intention of going upon the bridge itself.
I shouted down the tube to the engine room to
know how soon it would be possible for them to
put her ahead. I am starting her now, was the reply.
I am afraid, however, that it will be some time
before I can get much out of her. True to

(33:50):
his word, A moment later, the vessel began to draw
slowly ahead, but her speed was so slow as to
be scarcely perceptible. As I stood at the wheel I
wondered what they were doing on board the other vessel.
Fully half an hour had elapsed since they had left
the ship, and yet there had been no explosion. I
could distinguish the boats lying alongside her, and could well

(34:13):
imagine how puzzled their occupants must feel. Then a thought
came into my mind which almost brought my heart into
my mouth. What if they should suppose that something had
gone wrong with the mechanism at the bomb and should
return to the vessel to make sure of our destruction
by scuttling her themselves under the impulse of this new fear,

(34:35):
I applied my mouth to the speed and tube again.
For Heaven's sake, get all the speed you can on her,
I cried, I am afraid of their coming back. We
are doing our best, was the reply. The pressure is
rising steadily. I prayed that it might rise in time
to save us, and turn my attention to the wheel

(34:56):
once more. Then a sudden and very natural curiosity can
aim over me to discover, if possible, our whereabouts on
the seas. When I had first come on board, they
had talked about the North Sea, but I had now
quite convinced myself that this was not the case. At
the slow pace at which she was traveling, the vessel

(35:16):
required little or no watching, So leaving her to her
own devices, I went out of the wheel room by
the starboard door in order that I should not be
observed by the people on board the other vessel, and
so entered the old fashioned chart room. I quite expected
to find the chart there with a run marked out
upon it, and I was not disappointed. The navigator, whoever

(35:40):
he was, must have been both a careful and conscientious man,
for I found that he had pricked off his run
up to midday. I found it very easy therefore, to
settle our position. It proved to be as I expected.
We were not in the North Sea at all, and
so far as that chart was concerned, had never been there.

(36:02):
Our true position was three degrees or thereabouts west of
a chill head on the west coast of Ireland. I
had just convinced myself on this point when I chanced
to look out of the window on the port side.
Almost before I had time to think, I was back
in the wheel room once more. The boats are returning,

(36:23):
I shouted down the tube in a voice that might
have been heard a couple of hundred yards away, and
then added, illogically, can you do nothing? I looked again,
and sure enough two of the boats were heading directly
for us. It was plain that they had noticed something suspicious,
either from the smoke escaping from the funnel or the

(36:45):
splashing of the screw astern. Otherwise they would not have
deemed it necessary to send a second boat. They must
have guessed that we had escaped from our cabins and
that we had taken charge of the ship. For a moment,
a feeling of exultation seized me as I thought of
the disappointment and rage which must be filling their hearts.

(37:05):
The feeling, however, was short lived. Let them once get aboard,
I reflected, And I did not see how we were
to prevent them, And the end, so far as we
were concerned, would be the same as though the bomb
I had thrown overboard had been allowed to do its
deadily work. I looked out again to discover that the

(37:26):
leading boat was now less than a quarter of a
mile away. So close indeed was she that I could
plainly see the men in her, the dark men who
had officiated as steward in the bows, and Sargasta and
Conrad in the stern. Every stroke of the oars was
bringing her nearer, and already the man in the bows

(37:46):
was getting his boat hook ready to hitch on to
the accommodation ladder. In another two or three minutes at
most they would have been aboard. Then, in a voice
which at any other time I should not have recognized
for my own, I shouted down the tube, for Heaven's sake,
give her steam. They are close alongside. Then came back

(38:10):
the answer, I shall not forget as long as I live.
It's all right now I can let her go. I
had scarcely withdrawn my ear from the tube before I
felt a throb run through the vessel, and she was
going ahead at a speed that could scarcely have been
less than eight knots an hour. Throwing prudence to the winds,

(38:31):
I ran out to the deck and looked at the boats,
now lying motionless upon the water some considerable distance astern.
One of the occupants of the first boat was standing up,
watching us through a pair of glasses. Then realizing that
it was hopeless for them to think of catching us,
the boat's head was turned and they pulled back at

(38:52):
a fast pace towards the yacht. That it would be
necessary for the latter to remain in order to pick
them up was quite certain, and in this lay our
chance of obtaining a good start. Through the medium of
the speaking tube, I shouted words of encouragement to the
engine room below. It needed only a glance over the

(39:13):
side to be assured that our speed was materially increasing.
If only we could manage to keep it up until nightfall,
it was just possible we might manage to escape. After all,
at one time or another I have sailed many an
exciting race, but never won for such a big stake
as that we were now contesting. It was nearly five

(39:36):
o'clock by this time, and the afternoon was rapidly drawing in.
In half an hour it would be dark then. If
we were not overhauled and captured before our opportunity would
come kind. However, as providence had so far been even greater,
good fortune was still in store for us. I remember

(39:57):
that I had just called down to the engine room,
know if one of them could come up to me
for a consultation. The commander in chief was selected, and
it was not long before he made his appearance before me, collarless,
with his shirt sleeves rolled up and be grind from
head to foot with cold dust. Where is she? He asked,

(40:17):
as soon as he reached me. In answer, I led
him to the door of the wheel room and pointed
astern she has got the boats aboard and will be
after us in a few minutes. I said, Let us
hope that we shall be able to show them a
good pair of heels. Can she do any more than
her present running? Not very much, my companion replied, we

(40:39):
are all inexperienced down below. You know, if you could
see Castelean's face as I saw just now you would
see the very picture of anxiety. He says, he doesn't
know at what moment he may turn a wrong handle
and blow us to pieces. I trust he will not
do so just yet, I answered, Tell him we are

(41:02):
all agreed that he is doing splendidly. And now let
us see how our friend, the enemy is get Why
what's this? What's become of the yacht? I can't see her.
We stood at the wheelhouse door, but we could see
no sign of the yacht. Providence had sent to our
assistance one of those extraordinary fogs which spring up so

(41:25):
quickly on the west coast of Ireland. And this was
the stroke of good fortune to which I have already referred.
A moment before, the sea had been as open as
a mill pond. Now it was covered with an impenetrable
blanket of mist. If we don't run into anything, or
anything doesn't run into us, I fancy we shall be

(41:47):
able to give her the slip, after all, I said. Now,
the matter to be settled is the course we are
to pursue. Shall we continue as we are going, that
is to say, parallel with the coast, or shall we
bring her head due west and make for the open sea.
There can be no doubt that, under the present circumstances,

(42:09):
the open sea is the right place for us. My
companion replied, the western coast line of Ireland is proverbially treacherous,
and if this fog continues, we ought to have plenty
of sea room about us. I agree with you and
the others. What do they say? They are willing to
fall in with anything we may decide, he answered. In

(42:32):
that case, let us steer for the open sea, I said,
and put the wheel over. As they did so, the
vessel's head turned slowly round, and when I had got
her into the position I wanted, I resigned the wheel
to my companion, telling him to keep her as she
was going, while I went into the next cabin to
look at the chart. On examining it, I was relieved

(42:55):
to find that, according to the course we were now
steering and the speed of which we were traveling, it
would be all straightforward sailing for some hours to come.
By this time, the vessel was encompassed in a white shroud,
so that it was impossible to see more than a
few yards ahead. As an example, I might remark that

(43:16):
from the wheelhouse even the foremast was invisible. Not a
sound was to be heard save the throbbing of the
engines and the dripping of the moisture upon the deck. Nevertheless,
regardless of consequences, we steamed steadily on, trusting to do
the good fortune which had followed us so far to
keep any vessel out of our way. When I returned

(43:39):
to the wheel room, the Commander in Chief left for below,
promising on his arrival there to send Waller to the
cutting in search of food, the necessity for husband and
our strength. In view of the work we had before us,
was apparent to all that the General was successful in
his search was by the fact that when he joined

(44:02):
me a quarter of an hour later, he brought with
him a bottle of claret, some excellent ham, and enough
bread and cheese to have satisfied two men with appetites
bigger than my own. After he had left me, I
lighted the glimpse in the binnacle, and then fell to
work upon the food. So far as that night is concerned,
there is little else to chronicle. Hour after hour, that

(44:26):
is to say, until ten o'clock, we continued our due
westerly coast, and then left the fog behind us as suddenly,
as it had overtaken us. Overhead, the stars shone brilliantly,
while the sea, save for the long Atlantic swell, was
as smooth as glass. Though I searched the waste of

(44:48):
water as far as my eye could reach, not a
sign of a vessel could be discovered. Having satisfied myself
upon this point, I made the wheel secure and set
off in search of the ship's lights. These I discovered
in the forecastle, and when I had placed them in position,
I lighted them, and then returned to the wheel room.
I had not been there many minutes before the sound

(45:10):
of a footstep on the deck outside attracted my attention,
and a minute later Castelen stood before me. No one
would have recognized in the figure he presented, the trim,
well dressed Colonial secretary of a few months before. All well,
so far Mandeville, he said, cheerily, But I can tell
you it's terribly anxious work below. I've just run up

(45:34):
to obtain a breath of fresh air and to see
what you are doing. I am afraid you must be
very tired, not more tired than you are I expect,
I answered, I intend bringing her head round to southwest
in a few minutes that should put us in the
track of ships. By daylight, our luck will have deserted us. Indeed,

(45:56):
if we cannot find one and get them to take
us aboard, do you think you can manage to hold
out below until then? We must? He replied. There is
nothing else for it. This has been a terrible day, Manderville.
We ought to be thankful that we have come so
well out of it. Here here to that, I answered,

(46:16):
And now I must be getting back to the engine room.
He said, call through the tube if you want anything,
won't you? I promised to do so, and then, with
another good wish, he bade me farewell and disappeared. When
he had gone, I brought the vessel's head round to
the course indicated, and then settled myself down to a
long night's vigil. How wearying it was, I must leave

(46:39):
my readers to imagine. The night was bitterly cold. But
I was so wrapped up in what I was doing
that I paid small heed to that. At regular intervals
I left the wheel room and went to the bridge
above to make sure that no vessel was in sight.
Then I would return to my post and remain there
for another quarter of an hour. It was wearying work,

(47:01):
and more than once I was so nearly overpowered by
sleep that it became necessary for me to stap my
feet and pinch myself in order to keep awake. At last,
after what seemed an eternity of waiting, the first signs
of approaching day were to be observed in the sky.
Then a faint gray light overspread the sea, touching the

(47:22):
little waves until they had the appearance of frosted silver.
When it was quite light, I left the whale and
made my way up to the bridge. Still no sail
was in sight, and for all I could see, to
the contrary, hours might have been the only vessel upon
the ocean. At seven o'clock, when I was beginning to
feel faint for want of food, I spoke through the

(47:45):
tube to Castellan, asking him to send one of his
companions in search of a meal. He informed me that
Waller would go immediately, and on hearing that, I returned
to my post. I had not been there many minutes
before I heard a shout outside, and Waller, excited beyond measure,
made his appearance at the wheelhouse door. A ship, A ship,

(48:08):
he cried, A man of war. If I'm not mistaken
and not more than five miles away. Before he could
say anything more, I was out on the deck beside him,
holding on to the rail and watching a large black
man of war coming up hand over hand. She was
certainly not more than five miles distant, and every moment

(48:28):
brought her nearer. Hastening to the engine room toobe I
called to Casteland to stop our vessel, then, asking Waller
to take the wheel, I ran off to the signal
locker and the companion hatch to pick out the union
jack and to bend it on the peak hallyards occupied
scarcely more time than it takes to tell. Then I

(48:51):
ran it up to half mast as a signal of distress,
and having done so, went off to the taffrail and
waited for the other vessel to come up to us.
She made an imposing picture in the bright morning light
as she came, cleaving her way through the water, and
when I remembered all that her coming meant to us,

(49:11):
I could have kissed her very decks in thankfulness. Returning
to the bridge, I found Castelen, the commander in chief,
and Waller awaiting me. There not a word passed between
us for some moments we stood gazing at the queen's
ship in silence, waiting to see what she would do.
Then a stream of signals broke out at her mast head,

(49:32):
but as it was impossible for us to interpret them
without the necessary code, we were obliged to disregard them.
She must have understood this, for she gradually drew closer
until she was less than half a mile distant, when
she came to a standstill. Shortly after, we distinctly heard
a boat piped away, saw it leave her side, and

(49:54):
watched it come towards us. A large lump was steadily
rising in my throat as as I saw the blue
jackets at the oars and the officer seated in the stern,
and I felt that I was getting perilously near making
a fool of myself, turning the water under her bows
into snow white foam. The boat drew alongside, then the

(50:17):
handsome young officer ascended the accommodation ladder. We had by
this time descended to the main deck to receive him.
That he did not recognize us, and he might very
well not have done so, was evident from the fashion
in which he addressed us, Well, my men, He began
glancing from one to the other of us, as if

(50:40):
to satisfy himself as to which was the leader. What
is the meaning of your distress signals? From what I
can see her, your boat looks right enough. There is
no fault to be found with the boat, I answered,
realizing in an instant the position of affairs. The truth is,
we want to be taken off her. It is in

(51:00):
possible to work her with only four men. But what
has become of the rest of the crew, he asked,
looking round as if he expected to see them somewhere about.
They left her yesterday, I answered, unable, despite the gravity
of the situation, to refrain from mystifying him. The youth

(51:21):
was so full of his own importance, and so inclined
to be overbearing, that I could not help myself and pray.
What rank do you forehold on board her? He asked,
evidently not a little surprised by our appearances. We are passengers,
said the commander in chief, and as my friend says,

(51:43):
we are extremely anxious to leave the ship and go
aboard your vessel. That's all very well, he answered curtly,
but I don't think it will do. The skipper won't
hear of it, don't you know? But for the present,
what are your names? Here was the opportunity for which
I had been waiting. This gentleman is the right Honorable

(52:06):
Benjamin Castellan, Secretary of State for the Colonies, I said,
pointing to Castelan, this is the Commander in Chief of
the British Army, and my friend on your left is
Sir William Waller, who some little time ago was appointed
Commander in Chief of the British forces in South Africa.
Stow that the officer answered angrily, you'd better not play

(52:30):
the fool with me. What do you take me for?
At the same time I noticed that he looked curiously
from one to the other of us, as if he
could not altogether trust his own judgment. Then he added,
you know very well that the four gentlemen you speak
of are dead. You will find, my friend, when you
come to know us better, that there is likely to

(52:52):
be a difference of opinion on that score, said the
Commander in Chief quietly. My own is that they are
very much alive. Perhaps it would be as well for
one of us to write a note to the Captain.
Castelan put in, Then, turning to the lieutenant, He continued,
I think it would be better for you to believe

(53:13):
our story, my friend. What you have been told, as
you will admit when you have heard all we have
to say, is quite correct that we are the people
in question. I shall soon hope to convince you. Will
you accompany us to the saloon or do you prefer
to remain here? He came with us to the cutty,

(53:33):
and when we had found paper and ink in the
captain's stateroom, Castellan sat down and wrote a note to
the commander of the ship. This was despatched by the
boat that had brought the lieutenant, and in less than
half an hour Captain Brakeford was ascending the steps of
the accommodation ladder. In the meantime, we had made ourselves

(53:54):
as presentable as possible, and had quite succeeded in convincing
the lieutenant of the truth about our story. He was
profuse in his apologies for his manner towards us, but
we bade him think no more about it. He might
very well have been forgiven for not having recognized us.
I must leave you to imagine the Captain's surprise at

(54:15):
finding us in such a strange position. He prophesied, a
tremendous sensation in England when our story should become known.
You are quite certain I suppose that it was off
a chill head that you parted company with the yacht,
he asked, when he had heard our adventures. Quite certain,

(54:36):
I replied. But if you would care to convince yourself
on that score, and will come with me to the
chart room, I will show you the chart worked out
by the officer of the watch up to noon yesterday.
He did so, took certain notes, and then invited us
to accompany him to the warship. The necessary officers and
crew had already arrived to take possession of our own vessel,

(55:00):
and when all was ready, we bade the old tub farewell.
She had been the theater of one of the most
singular adventures of the century, and but for the fact
of my having obtained possession of that gimlet might now
have been lying at the bottom of the ocean, with
us blocked up in her on board the man of war.

(55:22):
A consultation was held, and as a result, the captain
decided to set off at once in search of the
mysterious yacht, and afterwards to land us at a port,
whence we could easily reach London in the meantime, gentlemen,
permit me to offer you the best hospitality in my power,
he said, I think in being permitted to rescue you,

(55:44):
I should deem myself the most fortunate man in the
British Navy to day, to rescue four such gentlemen is
not a chance that falls to a man's lot very often.
Needless to say, we quite agreed with him. End of
Chapter ten.