The Cryptogram: A Story of Northwest Canada
Page 42
CHAPTER XLII.
TRUNK 409.
At three o'clock the next afternoon Christopher Burley and myself mighthave been found in the factor's private office, waiting expectantly forthe door to open, and gazing meanwhile at the desk littered with papersand maps, the shelves stacked with musty documents and old accountbooks. I had not been up long, having slept till past noon. It had beendaylight when I retired, and Captain Rudstone was then closeted with thefactor. I had seen neither of them since.
"Mr. Macdonald has evidently been detained," said the law clerk as helooked at the huge silver watch he had carried through all hisadventures. "He told me to find you and bring you here, and promised tojoin us almost immediately."
"He must have a great many things on his mind to-day," I replied. "But,tell me, why did he request my presence?"
"It was my suggestion, Mr. Carew. You have always shown a keen interestin the matter, and I thought you would like to see if this last straw towhich I am clinging amounts to anything."
"You are quite right," said I. "It was thoughtful of you to remember me,and I am very anxious to know the result of your search."
This, I must confess, was a polite evasion of truth. I had much ratherhave been with Flora, whom I had seen for only a few moments since theprevious evening.
"I am by no means sanguine of success," the law-clerk resumed. "There isbut a meagre chance. And yet I feel a sort of presentiment that--Ah,here he comes now!"
As he spoke the door opened, and Macdonald entered the room. I saw at aglance, and with some surprise, that he was in good spirits.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting for me," he began. "I had some urgentmatters to attend to. I turned in long after you, Carew, and slept buttwo hours. Have you seen anything of Captain Rudstone?"
"No," Mr. Burley and I answered together.
"He is doubtless in bed yet, he needed rest," said the factor. "I hadhis whole story from him this morning."
"He gave me an outline of it last night," said I. "It was a mostthrilling narrative."
"Yes, and one that I was heartily glad to hear," replied Macdonald."Even if Cuthbert Mackenzie had been killed otherwise than in a strugglehis death would have been a simple act of justice; for it seems that headmitted and boasted of his part in the capture of Fort Royal. As forthe charge of murder, it is ridiculous!"
"Then you think the affair will blow over?" I cried.
"I am sure of it, under the circumstances," declared the factor. "Iunderstand that Lieutenant Boyd spoke plainly last night, intimatingthat our people suspected the Northwest Company of complicity in theattack on Fort Royal, and that they would hear from us shortly. So it isunlikely that Ruthven or his superiors will take any steps to apprehendCaptain Rudstone. Indeed, since they can't tell what evidence wehave--or have not--they may be frightened into adopting a more peaceablepolicy than heretofore."
"I hope so, with all my heart," said I.
"Time will tell," replied Macdonald. "We shall continue to prepare forthe worst at all events. It is possible that the rescue at Lagarde'sstore may drive the half-breeds, or the more hot-headed of the NorthwestCompany men to some desperate act."
With that the factor turned to Christopher Burley, who had been waitingwith visible signs of impatience for our conversation to terminate.
"Now, sir, I am ready to attend to your business," he said. "I can'tspare much time, for I have promised an interview to Captain Rudstonethis afternoon. I believed some personal matter--I have not the leastidea what--is connected with his visit to the fort."
"I trust I shall not detain you long," replied the law clerk. "Isincerely regret that--"
"Oh, it's all right," interrupted Macdonald. "I am glad to be of serviceto you. A few minutes will settle the question in one way or another."
He seated himself at his desk, glanced over a row of account books, thatwere shelved within reach, and finally took down a small leather-boundvolume that looked to be on the point of falling to pieces.
"Ah, this is it!" he exclaimed. "I thought I could lay my hands on itpromptly."
Christopher Burley and I stood behind his chair looking over hisshoulders, as he turned the faded, musty-smelling leaves one by one. Thelaw clerk's cheeks were slightly flushed, and a rapt and expectantexpression was on his face.
"1780," muttered the factor--"'83--'85--'87--was that the year?"
"He left England in the year 1787," Christopher Burley replied eagerly,"in the month of June. Try September to start with."
"It's rather too early," said Macdonald. "There are only five entries inSeptember," he added, as he glanced rapidly down two pages, "and asmaller average for the remaining months of that year. Now we come to1788. I have not found your man yet. Let me see--January, February,March--they are unlikely months, and contain scarcely an entry."
The search was growing doubtful, and I felt sorry for Mr. Burley.
"We are not through yet," I said cheerfully.
"Perhaps, sir," suggested Macdonald, "Osmund Maiden took another namewhen he came to Canada."
"No, no," the law clerk exclaimed sharply. "I hope not. He could havehad no reason for doing such a thing."
"It's not uncommon," the factor answered dryly. "Ah, here we are atApril! Half a page of entries at the least! Massingham, Clarke, Bent,Duvallard--"
He paused with an exultant little cry, and Christopher Burley, bendingfurther over him, noted where his finger rested near the bottom of thepage.
"Osmund Maiden!" the law clerk shouted in a tone of wild excitement. "Itis he! it is he! There, you can read it! plainly! Success at last!"
"You are right, sir!" exclaimed Macdonald. "Here we are; 'April the19th, 1788--Osmund Maiden, one trunk, marked 409.' Doubtless this isyour man."
It was a thrilling moment, and I felt a sudden and keen interest in thediscovery, which I had by no means expected. I stared at the fadedinscription on the brown page, written there nearly twenty-eight yearsbefore. Then I looked at Christopher Burley. I had never seen him sodeeply stirred. He was rubbing his hands together, drawing quick, shortbreaths, and examining the book with an expression of mingled triumphand anxiety.
"But how is this?" he asked hoarsely. "Look: a line is drawn throughevery name on the page except that of Osmund Maiden."
"His name is not erased," replied the factor, "because he never cameback--because the receipt for his trunk was never presented."
"Ah, I see!" muttered the law clerk. "He never came back. Twenty-eightyears in the wilderness! I fear he is dead."
"That is the most reasonable way to look at it, sir."
"And yet he may be still alive, Mr. Macdonald. Surely if he stopped atFort Garry he made some mention of his future plans."
The factor shook his head.
"The entries on this page are not in my handwriting," he replied. Heopened his desk, took out a small book and glanced at it. "At that timeI was absent from the fort," he added. "From the end of March to thebeginning of May, 1788, I was in Quebec."
"But are none of the old employees here now?"
"No; not one. There are a few who have served a long time, but not priorto 1790."
"Failure at every point!" exclaimed Mr. Burley, with a gesture ofdisappointment. "But I will not despair. This clew must lead to others.I cannot return to England without proofs of Osmund Maiden's death."
"I do not know where you will get them," said Macdonald. "The man hasbeen missing for nearly thirty years."
"And you made constant inquiries for him in the north," I added.
"But he may not have remained in the wilderness," cried the law clerk."Perhaps he went south again by another road. It is even possible thathe claimed his trunk and that by mistake this name was not erased."
"We never did business here in that loose way," replied the factor alittle sharply. "Come, Mr. Burley, I will give you a final satisfaction.It would be useless to search the file of receipts, for I am positivethat Osmund Maiden'
s is not there. But I will readily show you histrunk--trunk 409. Will you please to follow me, gentlemen?"