Phroso Part 54

'Why, what will you do?'

'Do? Go. The captain's on board; the gunboat can't overtake us.

Besides they won't suspect anything on board of her. Denny, run and tell Phroso not to show herself till I bid her. The captain thinks she's up at the house. We'll start as soon as you're ready, Hog.'

'But, my lord--'

'Charley, old man--!'

'I tell you I won't stand it. Are you game, or aren't you?'

Denny paused for a moment, poising himself on his heels.

'What a lark!' he exclaimed then. 'All right. I'll put Phroso up to it;' and he disappeared in the direction of her cabin.

I stood for a moment looking at the gunboat, where the leisurely operations went on undisturbed, and at the harbour and street beyond.

I shook my head reprovingly at Neopalia; the little island was always leading me into indiscretions. Then I turned and made my way back to where my unsuspecting victim was peacefully consuming cigarettes.

Mouraki Pasha would not have been caught like this. Heaven be thanked, I was not dealing with Mouraki Pasha.

'Demetri had some good in him, after all,' I thought, as I sat down by the captain, and told him that we should be on our way in five minutes. He exhibited much satisfaction at the prospect.

The five minutes pa.s.sed. Hogvardt, who acted as our skipper, gave his orders to our new and smiling crew of islanders. We began to move. The captain and I came up from below and stood on deck. He looked seaward, antic.i.p.ating his excursion, I landward, reviewing mine. A few boys waved their hands, a woman or two her handkerchief. The little harbour began to recede; the old grey house on the hill faced me in its renewed tranquility.

'Well, good-bye to Neopalia!' I had said, with a sigh, before I knew it.

'I beg your pardon, Lord Wheatley?' said the captain, wheeling round.

'For a few hours,' I added, and I went forward and began to talk with Hogvardt. I had some things to arrange with him. Presently Watkins appeared, announcing luncheon. I rejoined the captain.

'I thought,' said I, 'that we'd have a run straight out first and look at Mouraki's death-place on our way home.'

'I'm entirely in your hands,' said he most courteously, and with more truth than he was aware of.

Denny, he and I went down to our meal. I plied the captain with the best of our cheer. In the safe seclusion of the yacht, the champagne-cup, mixed as Watkins alone could mix it, overcame his religious scruples; the breach, once made, grew wider, and the captain became merry. With his coffee came placidity, and on placidity followed torpor. Meanwhile the yacht bowled merrily along.

'It's nearly two o'clock,' said I. 'We ought to be turning. I say, captain, wouldn't you like a nap? I'll wake you long before we get to Neopalia.'

Denny smiled indiscreetly at this form of promise, and I covertly nudged him into gravity.

The captain received my proposal with apologetic grat.i.tude. We left him curled up on the seat and went on deck. Hogvardt was at the wheel; a broad smile spread over his face.

'At this rate, my lord,' said he, 'we shall make Cyprus in no time.'

'Good,' said I; and I did two things. I called Phroso and I loaded my revolver; a show of overwhelming force is, as we often hear, the surest guarantee of peace.

Denny now took a turn at the wheel; old Hogvardt went to eat his dinner. Phroso appeared, and she and I sat down in the stern, watching where Neopalia lay, now a little spot on the horizon; and then I myself told Phroso, in my own way, why I had so sorely neglected her all the morning; for Denny's explanation had been summary and confused. She was fully ent.i.tled to my excuses and had come on deck in a state of delightful resentment, too soon, alas, banished by surprise and apprehension.

An hour or two pa.s.sed thus very pleasantly; for the terror of Constantinople soon reconciled Phroso to every risk; her only fear was that she would never again be allowed to land in Neopalia. For this also I tried to console her and was, I am proud to say, succeeding very tolerably, when I looked up at the sound of footsteps. They came evenly towards us: then they suddenly stopped dead. I felt for my revolver; and I observed Denny carelessly strolling up, having been relieved again by Hogvardt. The captain stood motionless, three yards from where Phroso and I sat together. I rose with an easy smile.

'I hope you've enjoyed your nap, captain,' said I; and at the same moment I covered him with my barrel.

He was astounded. Indeed, well he might be. He stared helplessly at Phroso and at me. Denny was at his elbow now and took his arm in tolerant good humour.

'You see we've played a little game on you,' said Denny. 'We couldn't let the lady go to Constantinople. It isn't at all a fit place for her, you know.'

I stepped up to the amazed man and told him briefly what had occurred.

'Now, captain,' I went on, 'resistance is quite useless. We're running for Cyprus. It belongs to you, I believe, in a sense--I'm not a student of foreign affairs--but I think we shall very likely find an English ship there. Now if you'll give your word to hold your tongue when we're at Cyprus, you may lodge as many complaints as you like directly we leave; indeed I think you'd be wise, in your own interests, to make a protest. Meanwhile we can enjoy the cruise in good-fellowship.'

'And if I refuse?' he asked.

'If you refuse,' said I, 'I shall be compelled to get rid of you--oh, don't misunderstand me. I shall not imitate your Governor. But it's a fine day, we have an excellent gig, and I can spare you two hands to row you back to Neopalia or wherever else you may choose to go.'

'You would leave me in the gig?'

'With the deepest regret,' said I, bowing. 'But I am obliged to put this lady's safety above the pleasure of your society.'

The unfortunate man had no alternative and, true to the creed of his nation, he accepted the inevitable. Taking the cigarette from between his lips, he remarked, 'I give the promise you ask, but nothing more,'

bowed to Phroso, and, going up to her, said very prettily, 'Madame I congratulate you on a resolute lover.'

Now hardly had this happened when our look-out man called twice in quick succession, 'Ship ahead!' At once we all ran forward, and I s.n.a.t.c.hed Denny's binocular from him. There were two vessels visible, one approaching on the starboard bow, the other right ahead. They appeared to be about equally distant. I scanned them eagerly through the gla.s.s, the others standing round and waiting my report. Nearer they came, and nearer.

'They're both ships of war,' said I, without taking the gla.s.s from my eyes. 'I shall be able to see the flags in a minute.'

A hush of excited suspense witnessed to the interest of my news. I found even the impa.s.sive captain close by my elbow, as though he were trying to get one eye on to the lens of the gla.s.s.

My next remark did nothing to lessen the excitement.

'The Turkish flag, by Jove!' I cried; and, quick as thought, followed from the captain:

'My promise didn't cover that, Lord Wheatley.'

'Shall we turn and run for it!' asked Denny in a whisper.

'They'd think that queer,' cautioned Hogvardt, 'and if she came after us, we shouldn't have a chance.'

'The English flag, by Jupiter!' I cried a second later, and I took the gla.s.s from my strained eyes. The captain caught eagerly at it and looked; then he also dropped it, saying,

'Yes, Turkish and English; both will come within hail of us.'

'It's a race, by Heaven!' cried Denny.

The two vessels were approaching us almost on the same course, for each had altered half a point, and both were now about half a point on our starboard bow. They would be very close to one another by the time they came up with us. It would be almost impossible for us by any alteration of our course to reach one before the other.

'Yes, it's a race,' said I, and I felt Phroso's arm pa.s.sed through mine. She knew the meaning of the race. Possession is nine points of the law, and in a case so doubtful as hers it was very unlikely that the ship which got possession of her would surrender her to the other.

Which ship was it to be?

'Are we going to cause an international complication?' asked Denny in a longing tone.