Under the Great Bear

by Kirk Munroe

  CHAPTER IX.

  SENDING IN A FALSE REPORT.

  At sight of Cabot, Thorpe Walling's instinct had been to leave the carand follow him; but the thought of his luggage, which he knew he couldnot get off in time, caused him to hesitate, and then it was too late,for the train was again in motion.

  "The young man did not seem particularly anxious to meet his oldclassmate," remarked Mr. Gregg. "In fact, it rather looked as thoughhe wished to avoid recognition."

  Thorpe pretended to be too busy with his cards to make reply to thissuggestion; but an ugly expression came into his face, and, from thatmoment, he hated Cabot Grant. When, on the following day, he reachedSt. Johns and learned of the loss of the "Lavinia," with all on board,except those saved in the mate's boat, he was more perplexed than ever.Cabot's name was published as one of those who had gone down with theill-fated steamer, and yet he had certainly seen him alive and wellonly the day before. What could it mean?

  "Do you suppose Hepburn knows of his escape?" asked Mr. Gregg, who wasstopping at the same hotel, and to whom Thorpe confided this mystery.

  "I haven't an idea."

  "What do you say to wiring and finding out? It can't do us any harm,and might gain us an insight into the old man's plans up here."

  "I should say it was a good idea."

  As a result of this desire for information the following telegram wassent to the president of the Gotham Trust and Investment Company:

  "St. Johns, N'f'l'd.--Here all right. What shall I do next?----C. G."

  And the answer came promptly:

  "Congratulations. Send B. I. report. If in need of funds, draw.----H."

  "That settles it!" exclaimed Mr. Gregg, exultingly. "Hepburn is afterBell Island, and your friend was sent here to report upon its value.Now, it will be a pity if the old man doesn't get his information,which he isn't likely to do for some time with that young chap over onthe west coast. Some one ought to send him a report."

  "I have a mind to do it myself," said Thorpe, reflectively.

  "It would be an awfully decent thing for you to do. Be a good joke onyour friend, too, and make him fed ashamed of himself for cutting youso dead yesterday, when he finds it out. He is bound to get intotrouble if some sort of a report isn't sent in, now that he is known tohave escaped from the wreck."

  "Confound him!" exclaimed Thorpe. "I don't care how soon he gets intotrouble; nor how much."

  "Oh, come. That isn't a nice way to speak of an old friend andclassmate," remarked Mr. Gregg, reprovingly. "Now, I always feel sorrywhen I see a decent young chap like that throwing away a good chance,and want to help him if I can. So in the present case, I think wereally ought to send in a report that will satisfy old Hepburn, andkeep the boy solid with his employers. I shouldn't know how to word itmyself, but if you, with your expert knowledge of the subject, willmake it out, of course after taking a look at the mine, I'll see thatyou don't lose anything by your kindness."

  "All right," replied Thorpe, who was quite sharp enough to comprehendthe other's meaning. "I'll do it."

  So the two conspirators drove to the picturesque fishing village ofPortugal Cove, where they hired a boat to carry them across to BellIsland. There they paid a hasty visit to the mine, which Mr. Greggplausibly belittled and undervalued, until Thorpe really began toconsider it a greatly overestimated piece of property, and this idea heembodied in a report that he wrote out that very evening.

  "I'm glad to see that you think as I do concerning the realworthlessness of Bell Island," remarked Mr. Gregg, gravely, as heglanced over the paper, "and the man who would have anything to do withit after reading this must be a greater fool than I take old Hepburn tobe."

  On the following day a type-written copy of Thorpe's report was made,signed "C. G.," and forwarded by mail to the president of the GothamTrust and Investment Company. As a result, a telegram was received aweek later at the Bank of Nova Scotia in St. Johns addressed to CabotGrant, and desiring him to return at once to New York. As the bankpeople wired back that they had no knowledge of any such person, Mr.Hepburn in reply requested them to keep a sharp lookout for a young manof that name, who would shortly present a letter of credit to them, andprovide him with a ticket to New York on account of it, but nothingmore. Mr. Hepburn also explained that, as Cabot Grant's guardian, hehad the right to thus limit his ward's expenditures.

  Thus our lad fell into disgrace with his employer, who knew, as well asany man living, the exact status of the Bell Island iron mine, and hadonly requested Cabot to report on it in order to test his fitness forother work.

  While the correspondence with the bank was being carried on, Messrs.Walling and Gregg watched for the arrival of the young engineer, whomthey expected by every train. They also anxiously awaited the newsthat the Hepburn syndicate had withdrawn its offer for the Bell Islandproperty, in which event it would fall, at a greatly reduced price, tothe company represented by Mr. Gregg.

  Totally unconscious of all this, Cabot Grant was at that very time in aremote corner of the west coast, happily engaged in aiding certain ofits inhabitants to discomfit the combined naval forces of two of themost powerful governments of the world. Moreover, he had become sointerested in this exciting occupation, as well as in certaindiscoveries that he was making, as to have very nearly lost sight ofhis intention to visit the capital of the island.

  When he reembarked on the "Sea Bee" at St. George's Bay, he fullyintended to catch the train of two days later at the station to whichWhite had promised to convey him. He was glad of a chance to view somemore of that magnificent west coast scenery, and when the littleschooner finally rounded South Head, and was pointed towards themassive front of Blomidon, which David Gidge called "Blow-me-down," hefelt well repaid for his delay by the enchanting beauty of the Bay ofIslands that lay outspread before them.

  Soon after passing South Head, the "Sea Bee," with flags flying fromboth masts, slipped through a narrow passage into the land-locked basinof Pretty Harbour. On its further shore stood a handful of whitehouses, and a larger building that fronted the water.

  "That's our factory!" cried White, "and there is our house, on thehillside, just beyond. See, the one with the dormer windows. There'sCola waving from one of them now. Bless her! She must have beenwatching, to sight us so quickly. Oh, I can't wait. Dave, you takethe 'Bee' up to the wharf. Mr. Grant will help you, I know, as well asexcuse me if I go ashore first."

  "Of course, I will," replied Cabot; and in another minute the youngskipper was sculling ashore in the dinghy, while the schooner driftedmore slowly in the same direction.

  When they finally reached the factory wharf White was on hand to meetthem, and beside him stood the slender, merry-eyed girl for whom theschooner had been named. She unaffectedly held out a hand to Cabotwhen they were introduced, and at once invited him to the house to meether mother.

  "Yes," said White, "you two go along, and don't wait for me. You see,"he added, apologetically, to Cabot, "there's been a great catch oflobsters, and if I can only get them packed before we are interferedwith, we'll make a pretty good season of it, after all."

  So the new-comer walked with Cola up the straggling village street,past a score of fisher cottages, each with a tiny porch, pots offlowers in the front windows, and a bit of a garden fenced withwattles, to keep out the children, goats, dogs, and pigs, that swarmedon all sides. At length they came to the neatly kept andcomfortable-looking house, overlooking the whole, that White Baldwincalled home. Here Cabot was presented to the sweet-faced invalidmother, who sat beside a window of the living-room, from which shecould look out on the little harbour, and who was eager to learn thedetails of his recent experiences that White had only found time tooutline to her.

  Both mother and daughter listened with deepest interest while Cabottold of the loss of the "Lavinia," and when he had finished Mrs.Baldwin said:

  "You certainly made a wonderful escape, and I am grateful that my boywas granted the privilege of rescuing you from t
hat dreadful raft. Iam confident, also, that you have been brought to this place for somewise purpose, and trust that you are planning to remain with us as longas your engagements will permit."

  "Thank you, madam," replied Cabot. "I wish I might accept yourhospitality for a week, at least. For I am certain I should find muchto enjoy in this delightful region. I feel, however, that I ought tocatch to-morrow's train, as it is rather necessary for me to reach St.Johns without further delay."

  "It seems queer," remarked Cola, "that this stupid place can strikeeven a stranger as being delightful, since there is no one to see butfisherfolk, who can talk of nothing but fish, and there isn't a thingto do but watch the boats go and come. For my part, I am so tired ofit all that I wish something would happen to send us away from hereforever."

  "My dear!" said Mrs. Baldwin to Cola, reprovingly.

  "Some one seems to have found an occupation here in collecting acabinet of specimens," suggested Cabot, indicating, as he spoke, someshelves covered with bits of rock, that had attracted his attention.

  "Yes," admitted Cola, "I have found some amusement in gathering thosethings; but I don't know what half of them are, and there is no onehere to tell me."

  "Possibly I might help you to name some of them," said Cabot, "as Ihave a bowing acquaintance with geology."

  "Oh! can you?" cried the girl. "Then I wish you would, right away, forI am almost certain that several of them contain minerals, and I wantawfully to know if they are gold."

  The next moment the two young people were standing before the cabinet,deep in the mysteries of periods, ages, formations, series, and otherprofound geologic terms. All at once Cabot paused, and, holding a bitof serpentine in his hand, asked:

  "Did this come from about here?"

  "Did this come from about here?"]

  "Yes; ail of them did."

  "Could you show me the place, or somewhere near where you found it?"

  "I think I could, if we had time; but not if you are going away in themorning, for it would take at least half a day."

  "Well," said Cabot, "I believe I might wait over long enough for that,and guess I won't start for St. Johns to-morrow, after all."