Gordon Craig Part 22

"You are under steam?"

"Exactly; auxiliary steam power."

"In what trade?"

"Operated for pleasure exclusively," a slight tone of mockery in the soft voice. "A rather expensive luxury, of course, but available all the year around in this lat.i.tude."

"I failed to catch the captain's name--yours, I presume?"

He laughed, pausing to light another cigarette.

"Still it is one you seem fairly familiar with--Henley, Philip Henley."

CHAPTER XXII

I CHANGE FRONT

This statement of his ident.i.ty, spoken calmly, and smilingly, was such a surprise that I could but stare at the man, half convinced I had misunderstood his words.

"You see, Craig," he continued quietly, apparently comprehending my state of mind, "your little game is up. Not a bad plan originally--something of a criminal genius that fellow Neale--but he failed to count on the fact that I was very much alive, and fully capable of attending to my own affairs. By the way, what part did the girl play in this little conspiracy? Merely a friend of yours, who came along for company?"

"Certainly not," I replied indignantly. "Have you seen her?"

"Not yet; I preferred coming to an understanding with you first."

"A condition you may not find as easy as you antic.i.p.ate," I retorted, angered at his cool insolence. "If you are Philip Henley, then the lady you are holding prisoner is your wife."

He laughed, leaning back again in his chair.

"Well, hardly. I rather surmised that was the idea from a sentence or two, in these instructions," and he touched a bundle of papers on the desk. "Careless way to carry such evidence around--shows the amateur.

Thought it would add to the appeal to justice for Henley to have a wife, I presume. Why not a child also? Permit me to state, my dear sir, that I possess no such enc.u.mbrance."

"It happens," I contended coldly, "that I have seen the marriage certificate."

He sat up stiffly, the sarcastic grin leaving his face, and replaced by an expression of vindictiveness.

"Oh, you have! As much a forgery as some of these other precious doc.u.ments. You win certainly grant that I ought to know whether I am married or not?"

"I made no a.s.sertion relative to that."

"What did you a.s.sert?"

"That Philip Henley was married, and that his wife--or widow, as the case may be--is the lady who accompanied me to Carrollton."

He leaned forward, both arms on the desk, his black eyes narrowed into mere slits.

"Oh, I see," finally. "Driven out of one position, like a good general, you have another in reserve. You are more of an antagonist than I had supposed, Craig. So now it is the widow who claims the ducats. Am I also to understand that you are prepared to submit proof of the death of Philip Henley? By the saints; I am becoming interested."

"Naturally, if you claim to be the man. I have not said he was dead, for I do not know. I came down here believing him alive. His wife is almost convinced otherwise. All I am actually certain about now is that you are not the man."

"You are extremely free-spoken for a fellow in your condition. You will at least confess that I am master on board this ship; that my word here is law, and you are in my power."

"Yes."

"Then why expose yourself, and that young woman, to unnecessary danger?

To be frank, Craig, I sent for you just now in a friendly spirit. You can be decidedly useful to me, and I can afford to pay well for services rendered. Now wait! don't break in until I am through. I know who you are, and how you originally became involved in this affair. You have no personal interest in the final outcome, so you receive the amount promised. You are a mere soldier of fortune, an adventurer. Good! Then it is certainly to your interest to be on the winning side. What did Neale, and that other fellow--Vail--offer?"

I sat looking at him steadily for a moment. That he was a shrewd, scheming villain I had no doubt, but the one question which controlled my answer was the thought of how I could best serve her. If I followed my inclination, told him frankly that I had already deserted my allegiance to those men in the North, and only remained loyal to the woman, the confession would possibly react upon us both. We would be held prisoners indefinitely. If, on the other hand, I appeared to hesitate, a way of service might be opened before me, and, with it, a path to freedom, for us both. The decision had to be made quickly.

"Never mind the sum," I said soberly. "I am not altogether mercenary, although I need money. I 'll say this, however, and you can take it for what it may be worth. I originally came into this game believing I was doing a kindness to a helpless man who was being defrauded of his rights. There is no necessity of my going into details, but Neale told me an apparently straight story, and convinced me my part was a mere form. Later I learned different, and promptly quit. I have n't sent in a line of report to my employers."

"What convinced you of the fraud?"

"A conversation with Mrs. Henley."

"Oh, the woman, hey!" his tone again sarcastic. "Always the woman; more to be valued than great riches, aye! even than fine gold. Good Lord, Craig, don't be a wooden-headed fool. I tell you plainly Philip Henley was never married, and I know. This girl is a mere adventuress unworthy of any consideration."

"You claim still to be Henley?" I asked, stifling my indignation.

"Not only claim, but am. My ident.i.ty is already firmly established in court. Lawyers have the final papers ready to file."

"You do not in any way resemble the photograph shown me of the man."

"A fake picture; we have known something of Neale's plans from the first."

The man was apparently so confident, that I began to doubt my own conclusions, and yet I could not doubt her. Whatever other falsehoods might compa.s.s me about, she was to be implicitly trusted.

"Is the woman on board?" I questioned.

He hesitated just an instant.

"Yes."

"Will you have her brought here?"

He walked across the cabin twice, turning the proposition over in his mind. Apparently concluding that the ordeal might as well be over with first as last, he opened the door, and gave an order to Peters. Then he returned to his seat at the desk.

"This is all silly enough, Craig, but I might as well convince you both now, as later, that I hold the cards. The lady may try a bluff, if she is that kind, but it will be soon over."

We waited silently, and I endeavored swiftly to formulate a satisfactory course of action. In spite of all my faith in her--which could never waver--it was clearly evident this fellow had us helpless in his grasp. If I was to become free to act it could only be by yielding to his expressed desires, and apparently accepting his claims.

That this would separate me for the time from Mrs. Henley, alienate her friendship, was a certainty. Yet I must risk all this even to be of real service. The end would justify the means. We were confronted by no common scoundrel, and here was a case where fire could only be fought with flame. I did not for an instant believe he was Philip Henley, yet he was apparently fortified with strong evidence to sustain that claim. The very fact that he so strenuously denied that Philip was married, convinced me he was an impostor, that he had never even heard of this secret wedding. Probably the Judge had not mentioned it while living, nor written any memoranda concerning it. Yet Neale knew, and there could be no question as to the truth of the matter. In view of all I decided openly to cast my fortunes with the man, and appear angry at the deceit with which she had ensnared me. I dreaded the result, the expression my apparent desertion would bring to her face, but this seemed the only was possible for me to unmask the fellow. He had clearly enough catalogued me in his own cla.s.s, as one who would serve any master for sufficient reward. Very well, let him so continue to think, until I could turn the tables, and pay him back in his own coin. And the quickest way in which to convince him that I was altogether his man, was to denounce the girl in his presence, and frankly avow myself on his side. Difficult as this task would prove--at least until I could make some explanation to her--it was the sensible course to pursue. I hardened myself to it, my eyes on the outlines of the man's face, as he shuffled the papers on his desk.

"Do you mind telling me where this vessel is bound?" I asked, not only curious to learn, but also anxious to break the silence.

"No objections whatever, Craig, if I knew myself," he answered carelessly. "The _Sea Gull_ being my property sails on my orders, and, at present, those orders are merely to put out to sea."