May 15, 2025 • 23 mins
Experience an enthralling journey through time and geography with this captivating series by Guy Newell Boothby, an Australian writer who gained fame during his years in London. Embark on the first of five books that delve into the mysterious world of Dr. Nikola, a criminal mastermind with an intriguing touch of occult. The narrative isnt just about Dr. Nikola, but about the characters who find themselves ensnared in his intricate web. This tale of adventure and romance takes you from Australia to the Middle East, the South Seas, and rural Hampshire, as the protagonist battles against Dr. Nikola and his accomplices. Boothbys vivid portrayal of exotic locations and the underlying sense of mystery transports you back to the era of hardened empire builders and imperialists, offering a nostalgic appeal.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Part two, Chapter six of A Bid for Fortune by
Guy Boothby. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings
are in the public domain. Chapter six conclusion. Once we
had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards
the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass,
(00:22):
nearly absorbed in the general shadow. Not a light showed itself,
and everything was as still as the grave. The only
noise to be heard was the steady dip dip of
the oars in the smooth water, and now and then
the chirp of the rolucks. For nearly half an hour
we pulled on, pausing at intervals to listen, but nothing
of an alarming nature met our ears. The island was
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every moment growing larger, the beach more plain to the eye,
and the hill more clearly defined. As soon as the
boat grounded, we sprang out, and, leaving one hand to
look after her, made our way ashore. It was a
strange experience, that landing on a strange beach, on such
an errand and at such an hour, But we were
all too much taken up with the work which lay
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before us to think of that. Having left the water's edge,
we came to a standstill beneath the group of palms
and discussed the situation. As the command of the expedition
had fallen upon me, I decided upon the following course
of action. To begin with, I would leave the party
behind me and set out by myself to ascertain the
whereabouts of the hut. Having discovered this, I would return,
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and we would thereupon make our way inland and endeavor
to capture it. I explained the idea and as few
words as possible to my followers, and then bidding them
wait for me where they were, at the same time
warning them against letting their presence be discovered. I set
off up the hill in the direction I knew the
plateau to lie. The undergrowth was very thick and the
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ground rocky. For this reason, it was nearly twenty minutes
before I ready the top of the hill. Then down
the other side, I crept, dicking my way carefully and
taking infinite precautions that no noise should serve to warn
our foes of my coming. At last I reached the
plateau and looked about me. A small perpendicular cliff some
sixty feet in height was before me, so throwing myself
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down upon my stomach, I wriggled my way to its edge.
When I got there, I looked over and discovered three
well built huts on a little plateau at the cliff's base.
The same moment, a roar of laughter greeted my ears
from the building on the left. It was followed by
the voice of a man singing to the accompaniment of
a banjo under cover of his music. I rose to
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my feet and crept back through the bushes by the
track along which I had come. I knew enough to
distribute my forces. Now having reached my friends again, I
informed them of what I had seen, and we then
arranged the mode of attack as follows. The mate of
the yacht, with two of the hands, would pass round
the hill to the left of the plateau. Weather All
and another couple of men would take the right side,
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while Beckenham and myself crept down on the back. Not
a sound was to be made or a shot fired
until I blew my whistle. Then, with one last word
of caution, we started our climb. By this time the
clouds had cleared off the sky and the stars shone brightly.
Once more. I arrived at the small precipice behind the huts, and,
having done so, sat down for a few moments to
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give the other parties time to take up their positions.
Then signing to Beckenham to accompany me, I followed the
trend of the precipice along till I discovered a place
where we might descend in safety. In less than a
minute we were on the plateau below, creeping towards the
center hut. Still our approach was undetected. Bidding Beckon them
in a whisper to wait for me, I crept cautiously
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round to the front, keeping as much as possible in
the shadow. As soon as I had found the door,
I tiptoed towards it and prepared to force my way inside.
But I had an adventure in store for me which
I had not anticipated. Seated in the doorway, almost hidden
in the shadow, was the figure of a man. He
must have been asleep, for he did not become aware
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of my presence until I was within a foot of him.
Then he sprang to his feet and was about to
give the alarm. Before he could do so, however, I
was upon him. A desperate hand to hand struggle followed,
in which I fought solely for his throat. This, once obtained,
I tightened my fingers upon it and squeezed until he
fell back unconscious. It was like a horrible nightmare, that combat,
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without noise in the dark entry of the hut, and
I was more than thankful that it ended so satisfactorily
for me. As soon as I had disentangled myself, I
rose to my feet and proceeded across his body into
the hut itself. A swing door led from the porch,
and this I pushed open. Who is it and what
do you want? Said a voice which I should have
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recognized anywhere. In answer, I took Phyllis in my arms, and,
whispering my name, I kissed her over and over again.
She uttered a little cry of astonishment and delight, Then,
bidding her step quietly, I passed out into the starlight,
leading her after me. As we were about to make
for the path by which I had descended, Beckenham stepped forward.
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At the same instant, the man with whom I had
been wrestling came to his senses and gave a shout
of alarm. In an instant there was a noise of
scurrying feet and a great shouting of orders, make for
the boats. I cried at the top of my voice,
and taken Phyllis by the hand, set off as quickly
as I could go. At the path Beckenham a cisterner
on the other side. If I lived to be a hundred,
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I shall never forget that mush up the hill, in
and out of the trees and bushes, scratching ourselves and
tearing our clothes, we dashed, conscious only of the necessity
for speed. Before we were half way down the other side,
Phyllis's strength was quite exhausted, so I took her in
my arms and carried her the remainder of the distance.
At last we reached the boat and jumped on board.
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The rest of the party were already there, and the
word having been given, we prepared to row out to
the yacht. But before we could push off, a painful
surprise was in store for us. The marquis, who had
been counting the part, he cried, where's mister Weatherall we
looked round upon each other, and surely enough the old
gentleman was missing. Discovering this, Phyllis nearly gave way and
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implored us to go back at once to find him.
But having rescued her with so much difficulty, I did
not wish to run any risk of letting her fall
into her enemy's hands again, So selecting four volunteers from
the party, I bathe the rest pull the boat out
to the yacht, and give miss weatherall to the captain's charge,
while the others accompanied me ashore again in search of
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a father. Having done this, the boat was to return
and wait for us. Quickly we splashed our way back
to the beach, and then, plunging into the undergrowth, began
our search for the missing man, as we did not
know where to search. It was not looking for a
needle in a bundle of hay, but presently one of
the hands remembered having seen him descending the hill, so
we devoted our attentions to that side. For nearly two
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hours we toiled up and down, but without success. Not
a sign of the old gentleman was to be seen.
Could he have mistaken his way and be even now
searching for us on another beach. To make sure of this,
we set off and thoroughly searched the two bays in
the direction he would most likely have taken, but still
without success. Perhaps he'd been captured and carried back to
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the huts. In that case, we'd better proceed thither and
try to rescue him. This, however, was a much more
serious undertaking, and you may imagine it was with considerable
care that we approached the plateau again. When we reached it,
the huts were quiet, as when I first made their acquaintance.
Not a sound came up to the top of the
little precipice, save the rustling of the wind and the
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palms at its foot. It seemed difficult to believe that
there had been such a tumult on the spot so
short a time before. Again, with infinite care, we crept
down to the buildings, this time, however, without encountering the soul.
The first was empty, so as the second, so as
the third. The result was quite unexpected and rendered the
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situation even more serious than before. By the time we
had thoroughly explored the plateau and its surroundings, it was
nearly daylight, and still we had discovered no trace of
the missing man. Just as the sun rose above the
sea Lion, we descended the hill again, and I commenced
a second search along the beach, with no better luck, however,
than on the previous occasion, weather all and our assailants
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seemed to have completely disappeared from the island. About six o'clock.
Thoroughly worn out, we returned to the spot where the
boat was waiting for us. What was to be done?
We could not, for obvious reasons, leave the island and
abandon the old gentleman to his fate, And yet it
seemed useless to remain there looking for him, when he
might have been spirited away elsewhere. Suddenly, one of the
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crew had been loitering behind, came into view, waving something
in his hand. As he approached, we could see that
it was a sheet of paper, and when he gave
it into my hands, I read as follows. If you
crossed the island to the north beach, you will find
a small cliff, in which is a large cave a
little above high water mark. There you will cover the
man for whom you are searching. There was no signature
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to this epistle, and the writing was quite unfamiliar to me,
but I had no reason to doubt its authenticity. Where
did you discover this iron? Quired of the man who
had brought it? Fastened to one of them prickly bushes
up on the beach there, Sir, he answered, well, the
only thing for us to do now is to set
off to the north shore and hunt for the cave.
Two of you had better take the boat back to
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the yacht and ask the captain to follow us round.
As soon as the boat was under way, we picked
up our rifles and set off for the north beach.
It was swelteringly hot by this time, and as may
be imagined, we were all dead tired after our long
night's work. However, the men knew they would be amply
rewarded if we could affect the rescue of the man
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for whom we had been searching, so they pushed on.
At last, we turned the cave and entered the bay
which constituted the north end of the island. It was
not a large beach on this side, but it had
at its western end a curious line of small cliffs,
in the center of which a small black spot could
be discerned, looking remarkably like the entrance to a cave.
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Towards this we pressed, forgetting our weariness in the excitement
of the search. It was a cave, and a large one.
So far the letter was correct. Preparing ourselves in case
of surprise. We approached the entrance, calling mister Weatherall's name.
As our shouts died away, a voice came out in answer,
and thereupon we rushed in A remarkable sight met our eyes.
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In the center of the cave was a stout upright post,
some six or eight feet in height, and securely tied
to this was the Colonial Secretary of New South Wales.
In less time, almost than it takes to tell, we
had cast loose the ropes which bound him and led him,
for he was too weak to stand alone out into
the open air. While it was resting, he inquired after
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his daughter, and, having learned that she was safe, gave
us the following explanation. Addressing himself to me, he said,
when you cried make for the boats, I ran up
the hill with the others as fast as I could go.
But I'm an old man and could not get along
as quickly as I wanted to, and for this reason
was soon left far behind. I must have been half
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way down the hill when a tall man dressed in
white stepped out from behind a bush, and, raising a rifle,
bade me come to a standstill. Having no time to
lift my own weapon, I was obliged to do as
he ordered me, and he thereupon told me to lay
down my weapon and right about face. In this fashion,
I was marched back to the huts we had just left,
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and then another man, having joined my captor, was conducted
across the island to this beach, where a boat was
waiting in it. I was pulled out to a small
schooner lying at anchor in the bay and ordered to
board her. Five minutes later I was conducted to the saloon.
Good evening, mister Weatherall this is indeed a pleasure, said
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a man sitting at the farther end of the table.
He was playing with a big black cat, and directly
I heard his voice. I knew that I was in
the presence of doctor Nikola. And how do you think
I am going to punish you, my friend, for giving
me all this trouble, he said, when I made no
reply to his first remark, You dare not do anything
to me, I answered, I demand, as you let me
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go this instant. I have a big score to settle
with you. If you will be warned by me, you
will cease to demand he answered, his eyes the while
burning like coals. You are an obstinate man. But though
you have put me to so much trouble and expense,
I will forgive you and come to terms with you.
Now listen to me if you will give me. At
that moment, the little vessel gave a heavy roll, and
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in trying to keep my footing on the sloping deck,
I fell over upon the table. As I did so,
the little Chinese stick slipped out of my pocket and
went rolling along directly into Nicholas's hands. He sprang forward
and seized it, and you may imagine his delight, with
a cry of triumph that made the cat leap from
his shoulder to a tall man by his side, and said,
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I've got it at last. Now let a boat's crew
take this man ashore and tie him to the stake
in the cave. Then devise some means of acquainting his
friends of his whereabouts. Be quick, for we sail in
an hour. Having given these orders, he turned to me
again and said, mister weatherall, this is the last transaction
we shall probably ever have together. All things considered, you
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are unlucky in escaping so easily. It would have saved
you a good deal if you had complied with my
request at first, however, all was well. That ends well,
and I congratulate you upon your charming daughter. Now goodbye,
and and I am off to affect a coup with
his stick, the magnitude of which you would never dream.
One last word of advice. Pause the second time I entreat,
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before you think of bulking Dr Nikola. I was going
to reply when I was twisted round and led up
on deck, where that scoundrel Baxter had the impudence to
make me a low bow. In less than quarter of
an hour, I was fastened to the post in that cave.
The rest you know. Now, let us get on board.
I see the boat is approaching. As soon as the
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surfboat had drawn up on the beach, we embarked and
were pulled out to the yacht. In a few moments
we were on deck and Phyllis was in her father's
arms again. By midday, the island had disappeared under the
sea lion, and by nightfall we were well on our
way back to Sydney. That evening, after dinner, Phyllis and
I patrolled the deck together and finally came to a
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stand still aft. It was as beautiful an evening as
any man or woman could desire. All round us was
the glassy sea, rising and falling as if asleep, while
overhead the tropic stars shone down with their wonderful brilliance. Phyllis,
I said, taking my darling's hand in mine and looking
into her face. What a series of adventures we had
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both passed through since the afternoon I first saw you
in the domain. Do you know that your father has
at last consented it to our marriage? I do, and
as it's to you, Dick, I owe my rescue, she said,
coming a little closer to me. He could do nothing else.
You have a perfect right to me. I have, and
I mean to assert it, I answered. If I had
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not found you, I should never have been happy again.
But Dick, there is one thing I don't at all understand.
At dinner this evening, the Captain addressed you as sir Richard.
What does that mean? Why? Of course you've not heard,
I cried, Well, I think it means that though I
cannot make you a marchioness, I can make you a
baronet's wife. It remains with you to say whether you
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will be Lady Hatterass or not. Then I explained how
I had inherited the title and estates. Her only reply
was to kiss me softly on the cheek. She had
scarcely done so before her father and Beckenham came along
the deck. Now, Phyllis, said the former, leading her to
a seat. Supposing you give us the history of your adventures.
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Remember we have heard nothing yet. Very well, where shall
I begin at the moment I left the house for
the ball Very good? Well, you must know that when
I arrived at Government House, I met missus Mayford, the
lady who had promised to chaperone me in the cloak room,
and we passed into the ballroom together. I danced the
first dance with Captain Hackworth, one of the aides, and
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engaged myself for the fourth to the Marquis of Beckenham.
The sham Marquis unfortunately put in the real one. It
proved to be unfortunate for me, also continued Phyllis, As
it was a square. We set it out in the
ante room leading off the drawing room, and while we
were there, the young gentleman did me in the honor
of proposing to me. It was terribly embarrassing for me,
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but I allowed him to see as unmistakably as possible
that I could give him no encouragement, and as the
introduction to the next world started, we parted the best
of friends. Ben half an hour later, just as I
was going to dance the answers, Missus Mayford came towards
me and drew me into the drawing room. Mister Baxter,
his Lordship's tutor, was with her, and I noticed that
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they both looked super naterally grave. Well is the matter,
I asked, becoming alarmed by her face. My DearS said she,
you must be brave. I have come to tell you
that your father has been taken ill and has sent
for you. Papa Ill, I cried, or I must go
home to him at once. I've taken the liberty of
facilitating that, said mister Baxter, by ordering the servants to
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call up your carriage, which is now waiting for you
at the door. If you will allow me, I will
conduct you to it. I apologize to my partner for
being compelled to leave him, and then went to the
cloak room. As soon as I was ready, I accompanied
mister Baxter to the door where the bruin was waiting.
Without looking at the coachman, I got in at the
same time, thanking my escort for his kindness. He shut
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the door and cried home to the coachman. Next moment,
we were spinning down the drive. As I was far
too much occupied thinking of you, Papa, I did not
notice the direction we were taking, and it was not
until the carriage stopped before a house in a back
street that I realized that something was wrong. Then the
door was opened, and a gentleman in evening dress begged
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me to alight. I did so, almost without thinking what
I was doing. I am sorry to say, your father
is not at all well, miss Weather, said the person
who helped me out. If you will be good enough
to step into my house, I will let the nurse
take you to him. Like a person in a dream,
I followed him into the dwelling. Where is my father
and how is it that he is here? I cried,
beginning to get frightened. You will know all when you
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see him, said my companion, throwing open the door of
a bedroom. I went in, and that door was also
shut upon me. Then I turned and faced the man.
What was he like? Cried Weatherall he was the man
you were telling us about at dinner, doctor nicholler Ah.
And then he politely but firmly informed me that I
was his prisoner, and that until you gave up something
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he had had for years been trying to obtain, he
would be compelled to detain me. I threatened, entreated, and
finally wept, but he was not to be moved. He
promised that no effort should be spared to make me comfortable,
but he could not let me go until he had
complied with his request. So I was kept there until
late one night, when I was informed that I must
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be ready to leave the house. A brewin was at
the door, and in this, securely guarded, I was conducted
to the harbor, where a boat was in waiting. In
this we were rowed out to a schooner, and I
was placed on board her. A comfortably furnished cabin was
allotted to me, and everything I could possibly want was
given me. That though the greatest consideration in all other
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matters was shown me, I could gather nothing of where
we were going or what my fate was to be,
nor could I discover any means of communicating with the shore.
About midnight we got under way and commenced our voyage.
Our destination was the island where you found me, and
how did Nikola treat you during the voyage and your
stay on Pippollannou? I asked, with invariable courtesy, She replied,
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a more admirable host no one could desire. I had
but to express a wish, and it was instantly gratified.
When we were clear of the land, I was allowed
on deck, My meals were served to me in a
cabin adjoining my own, and a stewardess had been specially
engaged to wait upon me. As far as my own
treatment went, I have nothing to complain of. But oh,
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you can't tell how thankful I was to get away.
I imagined all sorts of horrors. Well, God be thanked,
it's all done with now, I said earnestly. And what
is more, said Weatherill, you have one one of the
best husbands in the world, mister hatteras your hand Sir,
for this, my darling yours, God bless you both. A
week later, the eventful voyage was over and we were
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back in Sydney again. Then came our marriage. But with
your kind permission, I will only give you a very
bare description of that place. At the cathedral, the primate
officiating the Marquess of Beckenham was kind enough to act
as my best man, while the Colonial Secretary, of course,
gave his daughter away. But now I come to think
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of it, there is one point I must touch upon
in connection with that happy occasion. That was the arrival
of an important present. On the evening prior to the event,
we were sitting in the drawing room when the butler
brought in a square parcel on the salva and handed
it to Phyllis. Another present, I expect, she said, and
began to untie the string that bound it. When the
first cover was removed, a layer of tissue paper revealed itself,
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and after that a large Russia leather case came into view.
On pressing the spring, the cover lifted and revealed a
superb collet, as I believe it is called, of diamonds,
and resting against the lid a small card bearing this
inscription with heartiest congratulations and best wishes to Lady Hatteras
in memory of an unfortunate detention and a voyage to
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the Southern Seas from her sincere admirer, Doctor Nicoler. What
do you think of that? Well? To bring my long
story to a close, the great event passed off with
much a Claire we spent a honeymoon in the Blue Mountains,
and a fortnight later sailed once more for England in
the Olisabor. Both mister Weatherall, who has now resigned office
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in the Marquess of Beckenham, who is as manly a
fellow as you would meet anywhere in England, accompanied as home.
And it was to the latter seaside residence that we
went immediately on our arrival in the mother country. My
own new forest residence is being thoroughly renovated and will
be ready for occupation in the spring. And now, as
to the other persons who have figured most prominently in
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my narrative of Niccola, Baxter, Eastover or Prendergast, I have
never heard since what gigantic coup the first name intends
to accomplish with a little Chinese stick, the possession of
which proved so fatal to weather All is beyond my
power to tell. I am only too thankful, however, that
I am able to say that I am not in
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the least concerned in it. I am afraid of Niccola,
and I confess it. And with this honest expression of
my feelings and my thanks for your attention and forbearance,
I will beg your permission to bring the curtain down
upon the narrative of my bid for fortune. End of
Part two, Chapter six recording by Peter John Keeble of Nottingham,
(23:16):
United Kingdom. End of Bid for Fortune or Doctor Nicholas
Vendetta by Guy boothby
Part two, Chapter six of A Bid for Fortune by
Guy Boothby. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings
are in the public domain. Chapter six conclusion. Once we
had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards
the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass,
(00:22):
nearly absorbed in the general shadow. Not a light showed itself,
and everything was as still as the grave. The only
noise to be heard was the steady dip dip of
the oars in the smooth water, and now and then
the chirp of the rolucks. For nearly half an hour
we pulled on, pausing at intervals to listen, but nothing
of an alarming nature met our ears. The island was
(00:45):
every moment growing larger, the beach more plain to the eye,
and the hill more clearly defined. As soon as the
boat grounded, we sprang out, and, leaving one hand to
look after her, made our way ashore. It was a
strange experience, that landing on a strange beach, on such
an errand and at such an hour, But we were
all too much taken up with the work which lay
(01:07):
before us to think of that. Having left the water's edge,
we came to a standstill beneath the group of palms
and discussed the situation. As the command of the expedition
had fallen upon me, I decided upon the following course
of action. To begin with, I would leave the party
behind me and set out by myself to ascertain the
whereabouts of the hut. Having discovered this, I would return,
(01:30):
and we would thereupon make our way inland and endeavor
to capture it. I explained the idea and as few
words as possible to my followers, and then bidding them
wait for me where they were, at the same time
warning them against letting their presence be discovered. I set
off up the hill in the direction I knew the
plateau to lie. The undergrowth was very thick and the
(01:51):
ground rocky. For this reason, it was nearly twenty minutes
before I ready the top of the hill. Then down
the other side, I crept, dicking my way carefully and
taking infinite precautions that no noise should serve to warn
our foes of my coming. At last I reached the
plateau and looked about me. A small perpendicular cliff some
sixty feet in height was before me, so throwing myself
(02:13):
down upon my stomach, I wriggled my way to its edge.
When I got there, I looked over and discovered three
well built huts on a little plateau at the cliff's base.
The same moment, a roar of laughter greeted my ears
from the building on the left. It was followed by
the voice of a man singing to the accompaniment of
a banjo under cover of his music. I rose to
(02:35):
my feet and crept back through the bushes by the
track along which I had come. I knew enough to
distribute my forces. Now having reached my friends again, I
informed them of what I had seen, and we then
arranged the mode of attack as follows. The mate of
the yacht, with two of the hands, would pass round
the hill to the left of the plateau. Weather All
and another couple of men would take the right side,
(02:57):
while Beckenham and myself crept down on the back. Not
a sound was to be made or a shot fired
until I blew my whistle. Then, with one last word
of caution, we started our climb. By this time the
clouds had cleared off the sky and the stars shone brightly.
Once more. I arrived at the small precipice behind the huts, and,
having done so, sat down for a few moments to
(03:19):
give the other parties time to take up their positions.
Then signing to Beckenham to accompany me, I followed the
trend of the precipice along till I discovered a place
where we might descend in safety. In less than a
minute we were on the plateau below, creeping towards the
center hut. Still our approach was undetected. Bidding Beckon them
in a whisper to wait for me, I crept cautiously
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round to the front, keeping as much as possible in
the shadow. As soon as I had found the door,
I tiptoed towards it and prepared to force my way inside.
But I had an adventure in store for me which
I had not anticipated. Seated in the doorway, almost hidden
in the shadow, was the figure of a man. He
must have been asleep, for he did not become aware
(04:03):
of my presence until I was within a foot of him.
Then he sprang to his feet and was about to
give the alarm. Before he could do so, however, I
was upon him. A desperate hand to hand struggle followed,
in which I fought solely for his throat. This, once obtained,
I tightened my fingers upon it and squeezed until he
fell back unconscious. It was like a horrible nightmare, that combat,
(04:24):
without noise in the dark entry of the hut, and
I was more than thankful that it ended so satisfactorily
for me. As soon as I had disentangled myself, I
rose to my feet and proceeded across his body into
the hut itself. A swing door led from the porch,
and this I pushed open. Who is it and what
do you want? Said a voice which I should have
(04:44):
recognized anywhere. In answer, I took Phyllis in my arms, and,
whispering my name, I kissed her over and over again.
She uttered a little cry of astonishment and delight, Then,
bidding her step quietly, I passed out into the starlight,
leading her after me. As we were about to make
for the path by which I had descended, Beckenham stepped forward.
(05:05):
At the same instant, the man with whom I had
been wrestling came to his senses and gave a shout
of alarm. In an instant there was a noise of
scurrying feet and a great shouting of orders, make for
the boats. I cried at the top of my voice,
and taken Phyllis by the hand, set off as quickly
as I could go. At the path Beckenham a cisterner
on the other side. If I lived to be a hundred,
(05:27):
I shall never forget that mush up the hill, in
and out of the trees and bushes, scratching ourselves and
tearing our clothes, we dashed, conscious only of the necessity
for speed. Before we were half way down the other side,
Phyllis's strength was quite exhausted, so I took her in
my arms and carried her the remainder of the distance.
At last we reached the boat and jumped on board.
(05:48):
The rest of the party were already there, and the
word having been given, we prepared to row out to
the yacht. But before we could push off, a painful
surprise was in store for us. The marquis, who had
been counting the part, he cried, where's mister Weatherall we
looked round upon each other, and surely enough the old
gentleman was missing. Discovering this, Phyllis nearly gave way and
(06:10):
implored us to go back at once to find him.
But having rescued her with so much difficulty, I did
not wish to run any risk of letting her fall
into her enemy's hands again, So selecting four volunteers from
the party, I bathe the rest pull the boat out
to the yacht, and give miss weatherall to the captain's charge,
while the others accompanied me ashore again in search of
(06:31):
a father. Having done this, the boat was to return
and wait for us. Quickly we splashed our way back
to the beach, and then, plunging into the undergrowth, began
our search for the missing man, as we did not
know where to search. It was not looking for a
needle in a bundle of hay, but presently one of
the hands remembered having seen him descending the hill, so
we devoted our attentions to that side. For nearly two
(06:54):
hours we toiled up and down, but without success. Not
a sign of the old gentleman was to be seen.
Could he have mistaken his way and be even now
searching for us on another beach. To make sure of this,
we set off and thoroughly searched the two bays in
the direction he would most likely have taken, but still
without success. Perhaps he'd been captured and carried back to
(07:16):
the huts. In that case, we'd better proceed thither and
try to rescue him. This, however, was a much more
serious undertaking, and you may imagine it was with considerable
care that we approached the plateau again. When we reached it,
the huts were quiet, as when I first made their acquaintance.
Not a sound came up to the top of the
little precipice, save the rustling of the wind and the
(07:36):
palms at its foot. It seemed difficult to believe that
there had been such a tumult on the spot so
short a time before. Again, with infinite care, we crept
down to the buildings, this time, however, without encountering the soul.
The first was empty, so as the second, so as
the third. The result was quite unexpected and rendered the
(07:57):
situation even more serious than before. By the time we
had thoroughly explored the plateau and its surroundings, it was
nearly daylight, and still we had discovered no trace of
the missing man. Just as the sun rose above the
sea Lion, we descended the hill again, and I commenced
a second search along the beach, with no better luck, however,
than on the previous occasion, weather all and our assailants
(08:20):
seemed to have completely disappeared from the island. About six o'clock.
Thoroughly worn out, we returned to the spot where the
boat was waiting for us. What was to be done?
We could not, for obvious reasons, leave the island and
abandon the old gentleman to his fate, And yet it
seemed useless to remain there looking for him, when he
might have been spirited away elsewhere. Suddenly, one of the
(08:41):
crew had been loitering behind, came into view, waving something
in his hand. As he approached, we could see that
it was a sheet of paper, and when he gave
it into my hands, I read as follows. If you
crossed the island to the north beach, you will find
a small cliff, in which is a large cave a
little above high water mark. There you will cover the
man for whom you are searching. There was no signature
(09:03):
to this epistle, and the writing was quite unfamiliar to me,
but I had no reason to doubt its authenticity. Where
did you discover this iron? Quired of the man who
had brought it? Fastened to one of them prickly bushes
up on the beach there, Sir, he answered, well, the
only thing for us to do now is to set
off to the north shore and hunt for the cave.
Two of you had better take the boat back to
(09:23):
the yacht and ask the captain to follow us round.
As soon as the boat was under way, we picked
up our rifles and set off for the north beach.
It was swelteringly hot by this time, and as may
be imagined, we were all dead tired after our long
night's work. However, the men knew they would be amply
rewarded if we could affect the rescue of the man
(09:44):
for whom we had been searching, so they pushed on.
At last, we turned the cave and entered the bay
which constituted the north end of the island. It was
not a large beach on this side, but it had
at its western end a curious line of small cliffs,
in the center of which a small black spot could
be discerned, looking remarkably like the entrance to a cave.
(10:06):
Towards this we pressed, forgetting our weariness in the excitement
of the search. It was a cave, and a large one.
So far the letter was correct. Preparing ourselves in case
of surprise. We approached the entrance, calling mister Weatherall's name.
As our shouts died away, a voice came out in answer,
and thereupon we rushed in A remarkable sight met our eyes.
(10:31):
In the center of the cave was a stout upright post,
some six or eight feet in height, and securely tied
to this was the Colonial Secretary of New South Wales.
In less time, almost than it takes to tell, we
had cast loose the ropes which bound him and led him,
for he was too weak to stand alone out into
the open air. While it was resting, he inquired after
(10:53):
his daughter, and, having learned that she was safe, gave
us the following explanation. Addressing himself to me, he said,
when you cried make for the boats, I ran up
the hill with the others as fast as I could go.
But I'm an old man and could not get along
as quickly as I wanted to, and for this reason
was soon left far behind. I must have been half
(11:15):
way down the hill when a tall man dressed in
white stepped out from behind a bush, and, raising a rifle,
bade me come to a standstill. Having no time to
lift my own weapon, I was obliged to do as
he ordered me, and he thereupon told me to lay
down my weapon and right about face. In this fashion,
I was marched back to the huts we had just left,
(11:36):
and then another man, having joined my captor, was conducted
across the island to this beach, where a boat was
waiting in it. I was pulled out to a small
schooner lying at anchor in the bay and ordered to
board her. Five minutes later I was conducted to the saloon.
Good evening, mister Weatherall this is indeed a pleasure, said
(11:56):
a man sitting at the farther end of the table.
He was playing with a big black cat, and directly
I heard his voice. I knew that I was in
the presence of doctor Nikola. And how do you think
I am going to punish you, my friend, for giving
me all this trouble, he said, when I made no
reply to his first remark, You dare not do anything
to me, I answered, I demand, as you let me
(12:17):
go this instant. I have a big score to settle
with you. If you will be warned by me, you
will cease to demand he answered, his eyes the while
burning like coals. You are an obstinate man. But though
you have put me to so much trouble and expense,
I will forgive you and come to terms with you.
Now listen to me if you will give me. At
that moment, the little vessel gave a heavy roll, and
(12:40):
in trying to keep my footing on the sloping deck,
I fell over upon the table. As I did so,
the little Chinese stick slipped out of my pocket and
went rolling along directly into Nicholas's hands. He sprang forward
and seized it, and you may imagine his delight, with
a cry of triumph that made the cat leap from
his shoulder to a tall man by his side, and said,
(13:02):
I've got it at last. Now let a boat's crew
take this man ashore and tie him to the stake
in the cave. Then devise some means of acquainting his
friends of his whereabouts. Be quick, for we sail in
an hour. Having given these orders, he turned to me
again and said, mister weatherall, this is the last transaction
we shall probably ever have together. All things considered, you
(13:26):
are unlucky in escaping so easily. It would have saved
you a good deal if you had complied with my
request at first, however, all was well. That ends well,
and I congratulate you upon your charming daughter. Now goodbye,
and and I am off to affect a coup with
his stick, the magnitude of which you would never dream.
One last word of advice. Pause the second time I entreat,
(13:49):
before you think of bulking Dr Nikola. I was going
to reply when I was twisted round and led up
on deck, where that scoundrel Baxter had the impudence to
make me a low bow. In less than quarter of
an hour, I was fastened to the post in that cave.
The rest you know. Now, let us get on board.
I see the boat is approaching. As soon as the
(14:10):
surfboat had drawn up on the beach, we embarked and
were pulled out to the yacht. In a few moments
we were on deck and Phyllis was in her father's
arms again. By midday, the island had disappeared under the
sea lion, and by nightfall we were well on our
way back to Sydney. That evening, after dinner, Phyllis and
I patrolled the deck together and finally came to a
(14:32):
stand still aft. It was as beautiful an evening as
any man or woman could desire. All round us was
the glassy sea, rising and falling as if asleep, while
overhead the tropic stars shone down with their wonderful brilliance. Phyllis,
I said, taking my darling's hand in mine and looking
into her face. What a series of adventures we had
(14:53):
both passed through since the afternoon I first saw you
in the domain. Do you know that your father has
at last consented it to our marriage? I do, and
as it's to you, Dick, I owe my rescue, she said,
coming a little closer to me. He could do nothing else.
You have a perfect right to me. I have, and
I mean to assert it, I answered. If I had
(15:14):
not found you, I should never have been happy again.
But Dick, there is one thing I don't at all understand.
At dinner this evening, the Captain addressed you as sir Richard.
What does that mean? Why? Of course you've not heard,
I cried, Well, I think it means that though I
cannot make you a marchioness, I can make you a
baronet's wife. It remains with you to say whether you
(15:34):
will be Lady Hatterass or not. Then I explained how
I had inherited the title and estates. Her only reply
was to kiss me softly on the cheek. She had
scarcely done so before her father and Beckenham came along
the deck. Now, Phyllis, said the former, leading her to
a seat. Supposing you give us the history of your adventures.
(15:55):
Remember we have heard nothing yet. Very well, where shall
I begin at the moment I left the house for
the ball Very good? Well, you must know that when
I arrived at Government House, I met missus Mayford, the
lady who had promised to chaperone me in the cloak room,
and we passed into the ballroom together. I danced the
first dance with Captain Hackworth, one of the aides, and
(16:16):
engaged myself for the fourth to the Marquis of Beckenham.
The sham Marquis unfortunately put in the real one. It
proved to be unfortunate for me, also continued Phyllis, As
it was a square. We set it out in the
ante room leading off the drawing room, and while we
were there, the young gentleman did me in the honor
of proposing to me. It was terribly embarrassing for me,
(16:36):
but I allowed him to see as unmistakably as possible
that I could give him no encouragement, and as the
introduction to the next world started, we parted the best
of friends. Ben half an hour later, just as I
was going to dance the answers, Missus Mayford came towards
me and drew me into the drawing room. Mister Baxter,
his Lordship's tutor, was with her, and I noticed that
(16:58):
they both looked super naterally grave. Well is the matter,
I asked, becoming alarmed by her face. My DearS said she,
you must be brave. I have come to tell you
that your father has been taken ill and has sent
for you. Papa Ill, I cried, or I must go
home to him at once. I've taken the liberty of
facilitating that, said mister Baxter, by ordering the servants to
(17:19):
call up your carriage, which is now waiting for you
at the door. If you will allow me, I will
conduct you to it. I apologize to my partner for
being compelled to leave him, and then went to the
cloak room. As soon as I was ready, I accompanied
mister Baxter to the door where the bruin was waiting.
Without looking at the coachman, I got in at the
same time, thanking my escort for his kindness. He shut
(17:43):
the door and cried home to the coachman. Next moment,
we were spinning down the drive. As I was far
too much occupied thinking of you, Papa, I did not
notice the direction we were taking, and it was not
until the carriage stopped before a house in a back
street that I realized that something was wrong. Then the
door was opened, and a gentleman in evening dress begged
(18:03):
me to alight. I did so, almost without thinking what
I was doing. I am sorry to say, your father
is not at all well, miss Weather, said the person
who helped me out. If you will be good enough
to step into my house, I will let the nurse
take you to him. Like a person in a dream,
I followed him into the dwelling. Where is my father
and how is it that he is here? I cried,
beginning to get frightened. You will know all when you
(18:26):
see him, said my companion, throwing open the door of
a bedroom. I went in, and that door was also
shut upon me. Then I turned and faced the man.
What was he like? Cried Weatherall he was the man
you were telling us about at dinner, doctor nicholler Ah.
And then he politely but firmly informed me that I
was his prisoner, and that until you gave up something
(18:49):
he had had for years been trying to obtain, he
would be compelled to detain me. I threatened, entreated, and
finally wept, but he was not to be moved. He
promised that no effort should be spared to make me comfortable,
but he could not let me go until he had
complied with his request. So I was kept there until
late one night, when I was informed that I must
(19:09):
be ready to leave the house. A brewin was at
the door, and in this, securely guarded, I was conducted
to the harbor, where a boat was in waiting. In
this we were rowed out to a schooner, and I
was placed on board her. A comfortably furnished cabin was
allotted to me, and everything I could possibly want was
given me. That though the greatest consideration in all other
(19:32):
matters was shown me, I could gather nothing of where
we were going or what my fate was to be,
nor could I discover any means of communicating with the shore.
About midnight we got under way and commenced our voyage.
Our destination was the island where you found me, and
how did Nikola treat you during the voyage and your
stay on Pippollannou? I asked, with invariable courtesy, She replied,
(19:57):
a more admirable host no one could desire. I had
but to express a wish, and it was instantly gratified.
When we were clear of the land, I was allowed
on deck, My meals were served to me in a
cabin adjoining my own, and a stewardess had been specially
engaged to wait upon me. As far as my own
treatment went, I have nothing to complain of. But oh,
(20:18):
you can't tell how thankful I was to get away.
I imagined all sorts of horrors. Well, God be thanked,
it's all done with now, I said earnestly. And what
is more, said Weatherill, you have one one of the
best husbands in the world, mister hatteras your hand Sir,
for this, my darling yours, God bless you both. A
week later, the eventful voyage was over and we were
(20:41):
back in Sydney again. Then came our marriage. But with
your kind permission, I will only give you a very
bare description of that place. At the cathedral, the primate
officiating the Marquess of Beckenham was kind enough to act
as my best man, while the Colonial Secretary, of course,
gave his daughter away. But now I come to think
(21:01):
of it, there is one point I must touch upon
in connection with that happy occasion. That was the arrival
of an important present. On the evening prior to the event,
we were sitting in the drawing room when the butler
brought in a square parcel on the salva and handed
it to Phyllis. Another present, I expect, she said, and
began to untie the string that bound it. When the
first cover was removed, a layer of tissue paper revealed itself,
(21:25):
and after that a large Russia leather case came into view.
On pressing the spring, the cover lifted and revealed a
superb collet, as I believe it is called, of diamonds,
and resting against the lid a small card bearing this
inscription with heartiest congratulations and best wishes to Lady Hatteras
in memory of an unfortunate detention and a voyage to
(21:47):
the Southern Seas from her sincere admirer, Doctor Nicoler. What
do you think of that? Well? To bring my long
story to a close, the great event passed off with
much a Claire we spent a honeymoon in the Blue Mountains,
and a fortnight later sailed once more for England in
the Olisabor. Both mister Weatherall, who has now resigned office
(22:08):
in the Marquess of Beckenham, who is as manly a
fellow as you would meet anywhere in England, accompanied as home.
And it was to the latter seaside residence that we
went immediately on our arrival in the mother country. My
own new forest residence is being thoroughly renovated and will
be ready for occupation in the spring. And now, as
to the other persons who have figured most prominently in
(22:30):
my narrative of Niccola, Baxter, Eastover or Prendergast, I have
never heard since what gigantic coup the first name intends
to accomplish with a little Chinese stick, the possession of
which proved so fatal to weather All is beyond my
power to tell. I am only too thankful, however, that
I am able to say that I am not in
(22:50):
the least concerned in it. I am afraid of Niccola,
and I confess it. And with this honest expression of
my feelings and my thanks for your attention and forbearance,
I will beg your permission to bring the curtain down
upon the narrative of my bid for fortune. End of
Part two, Chapter six recording by Peter John Keeble of Nottingham,
(23:16):
United Kingdom. End of Bid for Fortune or Doctor Nicholas
Vendetta by Guy boothby
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