The World Masters

by George Chetwynd Griffith

  CHAPTER XX

  On the morning of the second day out, when Adelaide came on deck, shewas astonished, and not a little disquieted, to see nearly the wholeof the yacht's crew, under the command of Mr M'Niven, the chiefengineer, engaged in mounting a long, light, slender gun, with a verymassive breech, on the flush deck just forward of the foremast.Happening to look up at the bridge, she also saw that a light Maximhad been mounted at either end of it.

  What did it mean? Guns were not mounted on a gentleman's private yacht,as a rule, unless she was making some dangerous expedition in perilouswaters. As for doing such a thing on the most frequented ocean path inthe world, it was utterly ridiculous, unless there was some very gravereason for it--and what reason could there be, save one? Had Sophie'sscheme been betrayed? Had Felice told about the telegram, under thetemptation of such a bribe as these millionaires could offer? HadWilliams wavered at the last, and confessed? She knew, of course, thatthe _Vlodoya_ carried guns, to compel surrender, if necessary. Was thata reason why these guns were being mounted?--and what would happen ifthe _Nadine_ met force with force, and won? Everything would comeout; the whole conspiracy, and her own share in it; and then, whatwould he think of her? She had entered into the plot mainly for thepurpose of getting rid of this American rival of hers, so that shemight pursue the advantage which she believed she had already gained,without opposition. The discovery would mean utter ruin for herself andall her hopes.

  While these sinister thoughts were passing swiftly through her brainshe heard a light step behind her, and a gay voice, saying:

  "My, that looks good, doesn't it! Seems as if the viscount thought wewere going to have a bit of a scrap before we got across. Yes, that'spoppa's own dynamite gun; the viscount calls it his pocket-pistol. Oh,good-morning, marquise; you seem to be interested in the operations!"

  "Good-morning, Ma'm'selle Chrysie," replied the marquise, sweetly."How delightfully fresh you English and American girls always lookafter you've tubbed. Yes; I assure you I am very interested; indeed, Iam astonished. I was not aware that it was customary to mount guns ona nobleman's yacht in times of peace."

  "Well, no," laughed Miss Chrysie; "but then, you see, marquise, thereis peace and peace. We are at peace with all the world, nearly, but,the fact is, this is a pretty important voyage, and, from what poppatells me, it hasn't got to be interrupted under any circumstances."

  "But surely there can be no fear of that," replied Adelaide, with alaugh which seemed to Chrysie a trifle artificial and uneasy; "thedays of piracy are past."

  "That's no reason why they shouldn't be revived on occasion," saidChrysie, turning round and looking her straight in the eyes; "in fact,it seems to me, from one or two hints that poppa let drop, thatsomeone is going to try and stop us getting across this time, andthat's why these guns are here. That's a pretty-looking weapon, isn'tit?"

  "Really, Miss Vandel," replied the marquise, rather languidly, "I canassure you I know nothing about such things; and I take, if possible,even less interest in them."

  "Well, marquise, I can assure you that that's a most interestingweapon. Poppa invented it. It's loaded with liquid gas instead ofgunpowder, and a shell that holds twelve pounds of an improved sort ofdynamite--Vandelite he calls it. Now, of course, you know that whenliquid gas is allowed to become gasey gas, it makes things mighty coldround it. Well, this freezes the Vandelite so that it shan't explodein the gun. Then when the projectile hits anything, that develops heatand sets it off. Simple, isn't it? And yet that's a thing thatinventors have been puzzling about for years. That gun will put twelvepounds of concentrated earthquake into a ship four miles away, andthat would knock anything but an armour-clad into splinters. So Iguess there'll be trouble for anything that tries to stop us thisjourney."

  "Still, that could hardly be in these times," said the marquise, withexcellently simulated nonchalance. "But, really, your knowledge ofgunnery appears to be wonderful, Miss Vandel. I suppose you take agreat interest in weapons of warfare?"

  "Yes, I do," said Chrysie; "you see, we make all the best of them overour side. For instance," she went on, pulling an exquisitely-finishedlittle Smith & Wesson five-shooter out of her pocket, "there's adainty little bit of bric-a-brac. No, don't touch it, if you're notaccustomed to shooters, because it's loaded. Doesn't look verydangerous, does it? But I can pick all the spots off a card at twentypaces with it."

  "Dear me, how very wonderful! And how very interesting you youngladies of the New World are. Really, the fact of your carrying aloaded revolver in your skirt pocket seems to me quite as singular asmounting guns on a gentleman's yacht. So entirely unnecessary, Ishould have thought."

  All Adelaide's powers of self-control did not suffice to keep a noteof petulance and insincerity out of her voice. Miss Chrysie's quickears caught it instantly. She slipped her arm through Adelaide's, anddrew her away out of hearing of the men who were mounting the guns,and said in a low voice, which thrilled with something very likepassion:

  "I'm carrying this shooter, marquise, for the same reason that they'reputting those guns up. I don't know what it is, but there's troubleahead, and we're outside the law just now, the same as others may besoon; but the man I love is on board this ship, and if there's anyharm waiting for him, and quick and straight shooting will save him,I'm going to do my little level best."

  It was impossible for Adelaide not to recognise the frank, directchallenge of her words. For the moment a passing impulse impelled herto snatch the weapon out of Chrysie's hand and shoot her; but anothermoment's thought showed her that such an act would have meant worsethan ruin to all her hopes. After what Chrysie had said, she woulddearly have loved to have done it. It was the first distinct avowal ofher love for the man for whom she herself had deliberately engaged tosacrifice the honour of her stainless name, and there was a ring ofdeadly earnestness in Chrysie's tone as she handled the deadly toy,which meant even more than her words did; and so she exclaimed, withan innocent seeming archness which astonished Chrysie quite as much asher own words had astonished the marquise:

  "Ah, so, Ma'm'selle, then my suspicions were correct. Well, well,accept my best wishes for the most delightful ending possible for yourromance. Nothing could be better, or what the English call moresuitable--yes, in every way. And as for me, though I do not know whatI have done to deserve so great a confidence----"

  "I don't know that I ought to let you thank me for it," said Chrysie,flushing a little; "I guess I told you more for your good than mine,and I thought it was only right that you should know just how mattersstood, in case any mistakes were made later on that couldn't berectified--and I think that's about all that need be said just here.There is the bell: and there is Lady Olive come to tell us that tea isready. Suppose we go below, and change the subject."

  Adelaide followed her down the companion way, her face radiant andsmiling, and her heart hot and bitter with many thoughts which atpresent she dared not translate either into words or actions. If onlythe _Vlodoya_ succeeded in her mission--if only the plot to whichshe had lent herself succeeded--ah, then there would be a difference!If not, well, the sea was deep and clear and cool, and life would havenothing left in it for her.

  A little before midnight another council of war was being held in thesmoking-room, guarded as usual by a quartermaster on either side ofthe deck, and Captain Burgess came out of his own cabin under thebridge and went to the starboard door. The quartermaster stopped andtouched his cap.

  "Robertson," he said, "tell his lordship that I want to speak to himat once."

  "Ay, ay, sir," said the man, knocking at the door. There was a "clickclick" of the key turning in the lock, the door opened, and Hardresslooked out.

  "Oh, captain," he said, "that you? Any--do you wish to speak to me?Come in."

  The captain went in, and the door was at once locked behind him.

  "Sit down, captain," said Hardress, pointing to a seat. "What's thematter? You can speak quite freely. You know that there are somerather funny things going on; but
you, of course, we trustabsolutely."

  "I hope so, my lord," said the skipper, with a touch of dignity in histone. "I am sorry to say that just before seven bells, when we changedwatch unexpectedly, as we are doing in the engine-room, one of theextra men we've put on watch detected Mr Williams in the act ofsanding the driving rod of the low-pressure cylinder of the portengine."

  "And what would have been the effect of that?" said Hardress, quitecoolly, as though he expected the news.

  The words had hardly left his lips before a slight jarring shudder ranalong the port side of the ship, and they felt a distinct swerve asthough she had swung suddenly out of her course.

  "The scoundrel, he has gritted the shaft as well!" exclaimed thecaptain, jumping to his feet and running to the door. "Pardon, mylord," he cried, as he opened it. Then he said to the quartermaster:

  "Robertson, skip up to the bridge and stop her. Mr M'Niven's there."

  Then as the quartermaster vanished in the direction of the bridge helocked the door, and came back and said:

  "My lord, I'm afraid it's worse than I thought. You know what gritmeans in the bearings of a screw shaft. It means stopping one enginefor twenty-four hours, unbolting the bearings and the thrust-blocks,and cleaning the grit out."

  "And I guess that's just about what was calculated upon by our friendsthe enemy," said President Vandel. "A delay like that would just sendus waddling across the water like a duck with a lame foot; and that'show a sixteen-knotter's expected to overtake a twenty-knotter. What'shappening to Mr Williams just now captain?"

  "Under arrest in his room, sir," replied the captain; "he's a goodsailor and a good officer, but I'm afraid he's guilty. I never saw aman look more miserable than he did when I sent for him to my room. Idon't know who's been working on him, or what the reason of it is atall, but there it is. He didn't confess, but he might just as wellhave done, for his face did it for him."

  "Then we are to understand, Captain Burgess," said Lord Orrel, "that,at the best, we shall be delayed at least twenty-four hours. That willmake a serious difference to us, Shafto, under the circumstances."

  "And it may be more than that, my lord," said the captain, "because wedon't know yet how much harm's done. Mr M'Niven will, of course,examine the cylinder and the shafting at once and report to me, and ifthe worst comes to the worst, why, we may have to go to Halifax withone engine. If we hadn't twin screws we'd be disabled altogether. Yes,you see he's stopped the port engine, and that means we've droppeddown to about eight knots."

  "Yes, of course," said Hardress, "that's about what it comes to,father. Now, Captain Burgess, you will kindly keep Mr Williams in hiscabin. Let him have no communication with anyone. You can letRobertson give him his food, and mount guard over him generally. Wecan trust him, if we can trust anyone. I don't want to see him, oraccuse him of anything. Just keep him quiet, and isolated. Tell MrM'Niven we'll run along as well as we can with the starboard engine,and put all available hands on to repairing the damage to the other.I'll give the engine-room staff another hundred pounds among them ifthey get it fixed up in twenty-four hours."

  "Very well, my lord," said the captain, as he got up and went towardsthe door. "We shall, of course, do everything possible; and I hopethat the damage is not so bad as it seems."

  "It appears to me," said the president, as the captain closed the doorand Hardress locked it, "that our deductions from those few facts arecoming pretty correct. This job's going to keep us back twenty-fourhours at least, if not thirty-six; and so, granted that the Russianyacht started pretty soon after that telegram got to Cherbourg, shewon't be very far behind us to-morrow evening, and she'll probablyoverhaul us about by dawn the next day. Seems to me the question isnow, what we're going to do if she does?"

  "I say fight," said Hardress, between his teeth. "We can smash herinto scrap-iron with that gun of yours before she can touch us, if shehas guns; and if they do really mean foul play, as it seems they do, Ifancy myself it would be better for all of us, women and all, to riskgoing down with the _Nadine_ than to fall into the hands of a pack ofRussian pirates, for that's about all they will be, if they tryanything of that sort on."

  "How would it be, Shafto," said Lord Orrel, "if, granted we could getthe engines repaired, we were to play the lame duck, and turn thetables on them----"

  "Thunder! You've just got it, Lord Orrel!" exclaimed the president,bringing his hand down on the table. "Whether the count and thatpretty daughter of his are on board or not, I reckon they'll be amightily dangerous crew to deal with, and I reckon they'll be safer ascompulsory guests on board this boat than if they were free to knockaround in their own ship. I feel pretty certain that they know a lotmore about this scheme of ours than they would like to say; and ifthat's so, as I think it is, the less they run around loose about theearth the better for us."

  "I quite agree with you, president," said Hardress. "That's the verything to do, if we can do it: if it really is the _Vlodoya_ that's onour track and she means taking or sinking us; well, we'll play'possum. We'll have to let her fire on us first, I'm afraid; but Idaresay she'll miss, for Russians are about the worst gunners in theworld. Then we'll cripple her, take her distinguished passengers outof her, and make them our compulsory guests. After that we'll playpirate to pirate--empty her coal bunkers into ours, strip her ofeverything we want, and put the crew into the boats with plenty ofwater and provisions. They'll be certain to be picked up within acouple of days or so if they go south towards the steamer tracks. Thenwe'll smash his excellency's yacht into scrap-iron, and go straight toBoothia Land without stopping at Halifax at all."

  "But, my dear Shafto," said the earl, "that would be a most flagrantact of piracy on the high seas, wouldn't it?"

  "My dear dad," he replied, "you must remember that once we are inBoothia we are beyond and above the law, and if we like to indulge ina little piracy we can do so. The point really is to catch thesepeople and take them there with us; so that we can be quite certainthey're not going to do any more harm."

  "That, viscount," said the president, "is right on the spot; and youridea of taking the coal out of the _Vlodoya_ isn't any too bad. Ireckon that's just what we've got to do. A little surprise party forour Russian friends right here in mid-ocean, and then straight away tothe works. We'll show them some of the wonders from inside that theywanted to see from outside; and I guess we shall also be able to showthem something pretty interesting if those two expeditions do happento discover the Magnetic Pole instead of the North Pole. I reckonit'll be just about one of the most wonderful discoveries thatFrenchmen or Russians ever did make."