In Strange Company: A Story of Chili and the Southern Seas

by Guy Boothby

  CHAPTER VII.

  BATAVIA--A STRANGE MEETING.

  When I realized that the Kanaka boy, Rhotoma Jimmy, was really dead, theshock the discovery gave me may be better imagined than described. I wasthe last person, I told myself, to take a fellow-creature's life withoutadequate reason, and if it came to that, I had only struck the man inpurest self-defence. Indeed, had I not closed with him, he wouldundoubtedly have murdered me. It was fortunate, I thought, that theAlbino had come on deck in time to witness the conclusion of the affair.

  Ordering the body to be taken forrard, I stumped the deck for nearly anhour, endeavouring to make the Albino see how it had happened. Hismanner struck me as odd; but I was too agitated to attach muchimportance to that. Among other things, also, I questioned him about thefuture; I told him that I did not like being so much in his debt, andfinally asked him to take the schooner in lieu of payment. He hesitatedfor a while, and then requested a day or two to think it over. Butduring the evening he returned to the subject, and stated that he haddecided to do what I asked. Thereupon we drew up the necessarydocuments, and when I had signed them the _Mother of Pearl_ was nolonger my property. Little did I see how artfully my ruin had beencontrived.

  Next morning we were abreast the Java coast; Madura on our starboardbow, Sourabaya away to port. From the latter place to Tanjong Priok, asthe seaport of Batavia is called, is but a short run, and the _Mother ofPearl_, with everything in her favour, was not long in accomplishing it.

  As if an omen of the disastrous events which were to befall me during mystay in Java, we sighted the breakwater on a wet, miserable, depressingafternoon. Our moorings were on the left hand of the harbour, just abafta Dutch man-o'-war, and almost opposite the Custom House. The view wasabout as cheerless as the day; the soup-coloured sea, slimy wharves,gaunt, wind-tossed trees, made up a picture that was suggestive ofcholera, Yellow Jack, and a multiplicity of unknown horrors. There wasnothing to detain us on board, so as soon as the necessary formalitieshad been complied with, Juanita, the Albino, and I went ashore, intentupon visiting the city before we settled our plans for the future.

  From the railway-station we drove to the Hotel des Indes. It was thefirst time I had been in Java, but the Albino seemed to be familiar withevery part of it. It was in keeping with his strange character that heshould be thoroughly at home in all the out-of-the-way places of theworld. When I said as much to him, he laughed, and gave utterance to oneof his odd remarks, to the effect that "Strange dogs must know strangekennels."

  In the evening, as soon as dinner was over, Juanita and I passed fromthe hotel gardens into the broad street which runs alongside the canal.Though the rain had ceased, and it was a perfect night, hardly a soulwas abroad. At intervals mysterious watchmen emerged from their sheltersto look at us, but finding nothing suspicious in our behaviour, retiredinto them again. With these few exceptions we had the streets toourselves. The great round moon, sailing serenely overhead through acloudless sky, the tropic foliage, lights flashing amid the trees, allcombined to produce a scene that was almost fairy-like in its exquisiteloveliness. And after the cooping up of shipboard we were both in themood to appreciate its beauty. Up one road and down another we passed,conversing quietly, until at length we found ourselves upon the King'sPlain.

  Here I prepared myself to broach the subject of our future. To mysurprise, Juanita received my ideas with a peculiar air of fretfulnessthat on looking back upon now I can easily account for. At the time,however, I remember it caused me a considerable amount of pain.

  Under a small tope of trees she stopped, and placing her hand on my arm,said in answer to a speech of mine--

  "You are quite right. I fear this _is_ the end of everything for us.When we leave Batavia our ways must lie in different directions."

  "You mean," I continued, "because you believe your husband to be stillalive?"

  She hesitated before replying.

  "Yes," she finally answered. But there was something in her voice thatmade me believe that though she gave it that reason, it was not exactlywhat was in her mind.

  "And what will you do now, Juanita?"

  "Endeavour to find that man, and repay him for his treachery. That'swhat I shall do."

  Simple as were her words, I cannot express on paper anything like theferocity of the tone in which they were uttered. But this mood onlylasted a few seconds. Then came the old wail.

  "Oh, Jack, Jack! if you only knew; if we could but be our true selvesfor one little moment!"

  "What do you mean?"

  "Never mind, you will know soon enough, and, oh, how you will hate mefor it! But now,--oh, I cannot, Jack,--I cannot!"

  Here she fell to crying, just as she had done on the schooner. It was anexact repetition of her strange behaviour on that eventful night. I didmy best to comfort her, and after a long while succeeded. She dried hertears, and we set off upon our homeward walk. Not satisfied with whatshe had told me, I determined to renew the subject on the morrow.

  But the morrow had something of its own in store for me, of which Icould not have even the vaguest idea.

  When we returned to the hotel, the Albino was smoking in the verandah.After a few commonplaces about the beauty of the night, I went into myroom to procure a cigar, leaving Juanita alone with him. As soon as Ihad obtained a weed and lit it I rejoined them. Through no fault of minethey did not perceive me until I was close upon them. Macklin held apaper in his hand, from which I presumed he had just been reading.Juanita was evidently much put out about something.

  "No, no, it's too cruel," she said, "I cannot do it."

  To which he replied--

  "I tell you, you must. It's all arranged, so don't let me hear any morenonsense about it."

  When I coughed to warn them of my presence, both seemed considerablydisturbed, though the Albino passed it off with his customary ease.

  After they retired to their rooms, I remained in the verandah smoking.Suddenly my eye caught sight of something white upon the ground. Pickingit up, I discovered it to be a cablegram from London. It was addressedto Macklin, and ran as follows:--

  "Still unclaimed. Come at once. Don't delay."

  The signature was a name I had never heard before.

  On my way to my room I called in upon him to restore the document,explaining where I had found it. He thanked me civilly enough, and thatwas the last of the matter for the time.

  Breakfast over next morning, I settled myself in an easy-chair besideJuanita in the verandah, and lit a cigar. The Albino was not to be seen,nor had I set eyes on him up to that time. Juanita's behaviour,generally rather strange, was now altogether peculiar. She seemed afraidto look me in the face, and I was in the act of asking her to tell mewhat was the matter, when she suddenly turned pale, and rising, retiredhurriedly into her own apartment. As she disappeared I chanced to lookround. A party of Malay police under a Dutch officer were approachingme. The officer held a sheet of paper in his hand. This when he reachedmy chair he presented, at the same time saying in broken English--

  "Ess it you are Jan Ram-say? De captain _Mother Pearl_ sheep?"

  Replying to the effect that I was the man he sought, I asked hisbusiness, whereupon he said--

  "You are arrest, Mynheer, for murder!"

  I give you my word I was so astonished you could have knocked me downwith a feather. That the warrant, for so I conjectured the paper he heldin his hand to be, was for my arrest on a charge of causing the death ofthe Kanaka Rhotoma Jimmy, I had no doubt; but who could have suppliedthe information that produced it? How bitterly I blamed myself fordelaying to report the matter to the consul! Now it would probably be amatter of some hours before I could free myself.

  Seeing that the officer desired me to accompany him, I called Juanita tome, and I shall never forget the look upon her face when she came intothe verandah. The officer bowed politely to her.

  "Juanita," I said, "I am arrested for the murder of that Kanaka boy.It's only a matter of form, but it will necessitate my leaving yo
u foran hour or so. Tell Macklin what has happened, and ask him to come atonce to our consul, that's a good girl."

  Thereupon I surrendered myself to the officer, who, to my supremeannoyance, insisted on handcuffing me like a common malefactor. Then theMalay policemen, wretched little fellows but little bigger than monkeys,ranking themselves on either side, and the officer taking the lead, offwe set for the lock-up. Here I was detained for nearly an hour, incompany with a collection of the vagabond riff-raff of the town, at theend of which time I was handcuffed again, and marched off to the officeof the English consul.

  On arrival there I was thrust into a small room and allowed to cool myheels for ten minutes or so. After that I was led into a spaciouschamber, partaking more of the nature of an office than a court ofjustice, and placed in what was equivalent to the dock.

  An elderly gentleman of dignified appearance, whom I rightly judged tobe the consul, sat at a large desk at the further end of the room,busily writing in a book before him. A couple of clerks were ranged atdesks hard by, and two or three native policemen lounged near the door.Presently the consul looked up, and intimated that the case shouldcommence.

  I was thereupon charged with having wilfully and maliciously caused thedeath of a native known as Rhotoma Jimmy, aboard the schooner _Mother ofPearl_ while on a voyage from Vanua Lava to Batavia. Witnesses werecalled, and, to my delight, the first person to appear was none otherthan John Macklin. His face when he looked towards me was filled withthe deepest concern, and he gave his evidence with well-simulatedreluctance.

  He deposed to being the owner of the schooner, and therefore myemployer; also to having been witness to the _whole_ affray on the nightin question. I had, he was extremely sorry to say, always betrayed anintense and unreasoning dislike to the dead man, and for this, on morethan one occasion, he had been compelled to remonstrate with me. On thenight of the murder I had pulled the man away from the wheel aftermaking some complaint about his steering, and without warning struck hima heavy blow with a belaying-pin on the side of his head, thusundoubtedly causing his death.

  I could hardly believe my ears. Was it possible that a man, confessedlymy friend, could so unblushingly swear a fellow-creature's life away?When he went on to say, that with the exception of this one singleinstance, I had always borne an excellent character, and that he himselfwas much attached to me, I could have throttled him where he stood, andgone willingly to the gallows for it.

  The next witness was the mate. At least, if he had not seen the affair,he would be able to clear my character of the charge of ill-will againstthe dead man. But, to my continued horror, he corroborated all theAlbino had said, at the same time throwing in some artistic touches ofhis own, which did not mend matters. When he had done me all the harm hecould--God alone knows for what reason--he stepped down, and the nextwitness was called. Then who should enter the room but Juanita! My heartleapt for joy. She at least would be true to me, and by her help I mightbe able to give my enemies the lie. As I looked at her noble figure, andnoted the proud flash of her eyes as she glanced round the court, Icould have laughed them all to scorn. But my feeling of confidence wasof short duration.

  To the first question as to whether she had seen my assault on the man,she falteringly answered "Yes." Then my heart became heavy as lead; Iknew I was ruined and done for. What she told the court further I neverheard. When she had given her evidence, she left the room on theAlbino's arm weeping bitterly, and I knew I was the victim of as vile aconspiracy as ever was hatched to promote a man's ruin.

  Having heard all the witnesses, the consul asked me if I had anything tosay. The only chance I could see of saving myself was to request thatthe crew might be examined, and to this he consented, adjourning thecase for that purpose until next day. Disregarding any thought ofapplying for bail, I allowed myself to be marched away again, not tothe lock-up this time, but to the Dutch prison itself, a great ramblingbarrack of a place on the other side of the town.

  Once there, I was cast into a large yard, where a meal of rice was givenme. But I was too cast down and utterly miserable to eat. The more Ireflected upon my situation, the worse it appeared to become. If myenemies intended thus to swear away my life, goodness only knew what theend would be! The reason for it was what puzzled me. I could makeneither head nor tail of it. But though I could not fathom the Albino'smotive, I began to see the reason of Juanita's strange behaviour theprevious night, and the vague hints she had thrown out that eveningalongside the island. Could it be possible that all the time she was incollusion with the Albino? This notion I discarded at once. What mostaffected me was that they were in league now.

  For hours I sat thus brooding over my unhappy fate. At last, unable tobear it any longer, and to distract my thoughts, I turned to examine mycompanions, and the place in which I was confined. I found myself in alarge quadrangle about fifty yards long by thirty wide, bounded oneither side by rows of cells, and having at either end high walls ofrough masonry, each surmounted with a bristling _cheval de frise_. Asfar as I could gather, the prisoners confined in that portion of thegaol might have numbered a hundred, and were for the most part Malaysand Chinamen, with a sprinkling of Europeans. As soon as they becameaware of my presence they crowded round me, gesticulating, andcriticising my woe-begone appearance. Among them I noticed one whom Iknew at once for an Englishman. In spite of his rags and filth he wasthe handsomest man I had ever seen; but it was a wild reckless sort ofbeauty for all that. He came over to me, and placing his hand on myshoulder, said--

  "You're an Englishman, I can see. Now, how the deuce do you come here?"

  I told him I was accused of murdering a man aboard the ship of which Iwas skipper, and that my life was being sworn away--

  He laughed and went on--

  "My boy, I pity you if you once get into this place. Look at me, I'vebeen in here over six months; put away for resenting an insult from aDutch officer; not allowed to communicate with my consul, and told tohold my jaw directly I ask for justice. I tell you you're in luck's wayif you even get brought to trial. The consul will ship you off toSingapore by the next mail, while I'll have to rot here till I can passthe word to some one outside to make inquiries. That's their notion ofcivilization in this God-forsaken country."

  At that moment a bell clanged, and the crowd began to scurry into theircells for the night. I found that my new friend and I were located withabout fourteen others in the same dormitory. On inspection it proved tobe a large bare room, ill-lighted, ill-kept, and, like all other partsof the prison, villainously dirty. The beds such as they were, werestrewn about on the floor, just wherever their owners cared to placethem, and each one had a new and complicated odour of its own. As soonas we had entered, the door was shut, and we knew that we might considerourselves locked up for the night.

  One thing struck me. I could not help noticing the respect with which mycompanion was regarded by his fellow-prisoners. His word seemed to ruleas law, and no sooner did he express a wish than it was, if it laywithin their power, immediately gratified. Thus when he asked that wemight be left alone, the rest of the prisoners migrated to the other endof the room, and we were free to continue our conversationuninterrupted.

  "Now let's have your story," he said, seating himself on the pile ofblankets by my side. "You can't think what a pleasure it is to me tohave an Englishman to talk to! You say you're the victim of aconspiracy; tell me all about it from the beginning to the end. Whoknows but that I may be able to throw some new light upon the subject."

  Beginning at the very commencement, I told him everything, onlysuppressing Juanita's name. He listened with the utmost attention, andhis interest seemed to increase as the story developed. When I hadfinished, he said--

  "By Jove! I begin to think I do see a glimmering of reason in it afterall. But it's a strange enough affair, if you like. Now first tell mewhat sort of man this dwarf is, who proved himself your friend bylending you the money to buy the schooner, and your enemy, bymisrepresenting your connection with that ni
gger."

  "Well, among other things, he was an Albino."

  He jumped up like a shot.

  "An Albino and a dwarf? Great snakes! What was his name?"

  So taken aback was I by his excitement, that for the instant I couldonly stare at him. He seemed more affected by my story than if he hadundergone it all himself.

  "Quickly," he said, "what is the name of this dwarf, this Albino?"

  "John Macklin," I answered promptly, and when he heard it he began topace the room, like a man labouring under some extraordinary emotion.

  For a few minutes he occupied himself in this fashion. Then, in themiddle of one of his peregrinations, he stopped short, and asked meanother question.

  "And the woman, what was she like? Was she tall and dark, foreign inappearance, with a suspicion of a moustache, and a little mole on thelobe of her left ear?"

  I nodded, wonderstruck. He smiled a pitying sort of smile.

  "Perhaps her name was Juanita?"

  Again I nodded.

  "She hailed from South America?"

  I said I believed so.

  "Well, all things considered, I reckon this bit of business fairly lickscreation."

  This he said more to himself than to me.

  "Anybody would think you knew these people," I remarked, chock-full ofastonishment.

  "Know them? Well, if I haven't cause enough to know them, there's not aman knocking round this old universe who has! But their cheek beatscock-fighting. Mark my words, it'll be diamond cut diamond between themnow."

  "You're getting out of my depth. What the deuce do you mean?"

  "Never you mind just now. Tell me one thing more. When the Albino foundthe money for you to purchase the schooner, did he say that he knewJuanita?"

  "I should think not. On the other hand, he sternly forbade my evenletting her know of his existence."

  "Ah! that throws another light upon affairs. They were playing lonehands after all. He's just 'Old Nick' himself, is John Macklin, andshe's pretty near as bad. Now, when you left Thursday Island, am I rightin surmising that you steered a straight course for the Banks Group?"

  "I don't know how you guessed it, but we did."

  "And you brought up off Vanua Lava, maybe?"

  "That's so. You've hit it again."

  "You went ashore to a grave about a hundred yards inland, under a topeof trees, and alongside a high bank, to look for a locket round a deadman's neck?"

  The excitement was growing intense. Hardly able to trust myself tospeak, I fell back on nodding.

  "Then you opened the grave and discovered a coffin?"

  "Yes."

  "And you found in it?"

  "Nothing more nor less than a sheet of lead."

  "Ho, ho! I can imagine their disappointment. And then the Albino put inan appearance?"

  "He did."

  "At his suggestion you set sail for Batavia?"

  "Yes; but why Batavia? Only tell me that, and I'll say you've got thetow-rope of the whole mystery."

  "Why, to me it's the simplest part of it. Look here, can't you see this?The woman, for some reason, had staked all she'd got on finding thatlocket buried with the dead man. That's it, isn't it? Well, the Albinowas a stranger on Thursday, and was not known to do any work. That beingso, why was he there? People don't live on Thursday for pleasure, or thegood of their healths, I reckon?"

  I made a negative sign, and he continued--

  "Why, you chuckle-head, can't you see he was there because he waswatching some one? I leave it to you to figure out who that some onewas."

  "Juanita, I suppose."

  "You suppose! Of course it was. Well, she tells you she wants money toreach a certain island for a certain purpose. You carry the news on tohim. That's his dart exactly. That's just what he wanted to know. Hewants that locket too. But he can only get it through her. So, under acloak of friendship he lends you the amount to get the boat, and thenclears for his natural life to the island to be ready for you."

  "Yes, your theory's very pretty, but here's the corker. How did he findout the island's name? He didn't get it from me, because I didn't knowit till we sailed. Somehow, that don't seem to tally."

  "Why, you galoot, don't you think, long before that, he had found outwhere the schooner that brought the woman and her husband from Tahititouched before reaching Thursday--where, in fact, they buried the man hewanted to catch. You bet he did."

  "I never thought of that."

  "Perhaps not; but I did. He sets off, as I say, reaches the island,watches to see where the grave is, and what success she meets with whenshe opens it; and then, when he finds out how he's been tricked, saddleshimself upon you in order to watch the woman further. She faintsdirectly she sees him, proving as clear as daylight that not only hasshe met him before, but that she has good cause to be frightened of him.By Jove! I can imagine the shock to their systems when they discoveredthat the man whom they both believed to be dead was in realityalive--that he'd hoodwinked them after all."

  He threw back his head and laughed.

  "And what then?" I asked.

  "Why, don't you see, the treasure they're after is slipping throughtheir fingers. The man has six months start of them. Directly theyarrive in Batavia, the Albino sends a cablegram to England. He receivesa reply. What was it?"

  "'Still unclaimed. Come at once. Don't delay,'" I answered, reciting thewords on the form I had picked up in the verandah of the Hotel desIndes.

  "And what significance has that for you?"

  "I can't say, unless it affects the treasure."

  "You've drawn your bead on the bull's-eye this time, sure enough. That'sexactly what it does affect. It affects it like grim death. Don't yousee--the other man hasn't got home yet. So they've still a chance forthe money. Now they know they've just got to get up and clear for allthey're worth to London. What then?"

  "It's no use; I'm done for, clean stumped! After that, I can't make heador tail of it."

  "Why, they argue in this way. They can't take the woman's lover withthem, can they? He'd not only be in the way, but he'd probably want togo shares in the boodle. The woman is too suspicious to let the Albinogo alone, so, as the man has served his purpose, he must be got rid of.But how? 'Ah!' says the Albino, 'I've got it! The murder of the Kanaka;that'll fit him like a glove!' Therefore this charge was trumped up todetain you here. D'you know. I should be more than a little surprised ifthey are not already gone."

  "In that case, what will become of me?"

  "That remains to be seen. I fancy to-morrow will set it right. But Isuppose you understand now how you've been bilked?"

  "Worse luck! But there's one thing puzzles me more than all the rest,and that is, how the deuce you come to know all this so accurately."

  "My boy, if I gave you a hundred guesses you'd never hit it."

  "Well then, I give it up, first time."

  "And yet, I reckon, it's as clear as daylight. Who should you call themost important person in the whole affair?"

  "Why, the chap who caused it all--the man who led them such a dance--theman who died."

  "You mean the man who, by rights, ought to have been where the sheet oflead was, in that coffin?"

  "I do."

  "Well, that's how I came to know about it."

  I jumped to my feet, and all the other occupants of the room, hearing myexclamation of surprise, turned round to look at me.

  "What the devil do you mean?"

  "Why, can't you guess? Because, sonny, I'm that man. I'm the man who ledthem such a dance. I'm the man who ought to have been dead and buried inthat coffin. In fact, _I'm Marcos Veneda_!"

  PART III.