by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXV.
WIND SOUTH-SOUTH-WEST, BLOWING FRESH.
"I think we have him now where we want him," said Peppers, after Moody,under his direction, had tied the prisoner, with the rope that had boundDory, to the side of the boat.
Pearl Hawlinshed was panting from his effort to escape. He made no replyto the remark of the detective. He felt that he had lost the battle, andany further resistance would be useless.
"I am ready to hear any thing you have to say, officer," said CaptainGildrock, as he stepped into the standing-room from his boat. "If youhaven't any case, I shall simply put things where I found them, with theexception of taking my nephew on board of the Sylph."
Dory had his doubts about this; for he was as determined as ever not toput himself into his uncle's hands. He had a sore grudge against him,and he did not want to have any thing to do with him. He had no doubtthat the captain would decide against Pearl, for he knew enough of thecase to understand that it was a good one. He was already considering inwhat manner he should get away from his uncle after the robbery questionhad been settled. He was likely to have a chance yet to use his skilland ingenuity in getting away from the Sylph.
"I am entirely willing to have you do what you think is right after youhave heard the facts in the case," replied Peppers.
"Have you arrested my nephew for robbery, stealing, or any other crime?"asked the captain, glancing at Dory, who had retreated to the forwarddeck; for he wished to be in a situation for action when he felt that itwas required of him.
"No, sir: I have not, and he has not been arrested. But I will tell youthe whole story, and you will see in what manner Dory is connected withthe robbery," answered the detective.
Peppers narrated all that had occurred at the hotel in Plattsburgh,giving all the details that were known in regard to the robbery ofMoody's room. He added to it the particulars of the two days' chase ofthe Missisquoi after the Goldwing, with the landlord's statement inregard to Dory's supposed connection with the robbery.
"Then Theodore was charged with the robbery?" asked Captain Gildrock.
"By Hawlinshed, he was; but that was to cover up his own tracks. As soonas the landlord told me that Pearl accused your nephew of the crime,declaring that he had bought this boat with the money he stole from theroom, I got an idea," continued the detective. "I found Moody, and hefrankly told the facts. He will excuse me; but he makes temperance wine,though he drinks whiskey himself."
"I don't believe I shall ever drink any more," interposed Moody. "I havebeen in the habit of drinking considerable whiskey when I went toPlattsburgh: and, after I had done my business, I felt pretty good; forI had sold two hundred dollars' worth of my goods, and I felt likecelebrating the event with a little tear. But I was afraid that I mightlose my money; and I put one hundred and fifty dollars of it in my bag,keeping the rest in my pocket. I guess that scoundrel saw me put itthere."
"It was not till after the Missisquoi had gone off on her cruise thatMoody told me he had marked his money with the rubber stamp," continuedPeppers. "Then the landlord told me that Dory had taken the money, andhad been seen about the hall, near the room. He had bought and paid forthe boat that morning, and I went to the auctioneer. I wanted to see themoney the boy had paid. It was five ten-dollar bills; and that settledit that Dory had not paid for the boat with the money taken from Moody'sroom."
"I am glad to hear that," added Captain Gildrock.
Dory had thought he would be sorry to hear it; but there was a badmisunderstanding between him and his uncle.
"When Dory came back, he showed me the money he had, about sixtydollars," continued Peppers.
"Sixty dollars, besides what he had paid for the boat?" queried thecaptain.
"That is what he had; but he got eight dollars back from theauctioneer," replied the officer.
"That makes over a hundred dollars," said Captain Gildrock, knitting hisbrow as though he did not like the looks of this fact. "Where did heget so much money, if he did not steal it?"
"That's the question, Captain Gildrock," interposed Pearl, who spoke forthe first time since the narrative was begun. "When you have looked intothe matter, you will find that he stole it."
"I don't know where he got it," Peppers proceeded. "That is none of mybusiness. All I know is, that none of the money found upon Dory, andnone that he had paid out, was the bills Moody lost."
"But have you no idea where my nephew got so much money?" asked thecaptain.
"I have not the remotest idea, Captain Gildrock. It don't concern me toknow, and I make it a rule to mind my own business. But I did find someof Moody's money in Plattsburgh. One five with the stamp on it was paidfor a pistol, and the other for the provisions taken on board of theMissisquoi. Both of them came from Hawlinshed."
"It is a lie!" exclaimed Pearl with an oath.
"Both of the shopkeepers are ready to swear to the identity of theirman. Now, I shall take the liberty to do what I have not had anopportunity to do before. I shall search the prisoner. Before I do it Ishould like to have you look at these two bills, Captain Gildrock. Theyare the fives paid for the pistol and the provisions by Hawlinshed." AndPeppers handed him the bank-notes.
"It will be an easy matter to identify these bills. In addition to thestamp on them, this is the first time they have ever been out of thebank," said the captain, after he had looked at the bills.
Pearl was furious when the officer, assisted by Moody, attempted tosearch him. Moody handled him very roughly, and he was forced to submitto the operation. Peppers took from a pocket inside of his vest awallet, which was found to contain quite a roll of new bills. Thedetective spread a couple of them out on the top of the centre-boardcasing. The red stamp appeared upon them, and they were exactly likethose in the hands of the captain.
"It is a plain case, and I have nothing more to say," said CaptainGildrock. "You have made out your case, and I shall not interfere withyour taking your prisoner to Plattsburgh."
"I knew you would be satisfied when you heard the case," added Peppers,as he put the money he had taken from Pearl into his pocket-book, andreturned it to his pocket.
"I am entirely satisfied, Mr. Peppers," replied Captain Gildrock,glancing at the sky, and giving a general survey to the horizon to thesouthward. "I see the wind is hauling to the southward, and it lookslike bad weather."
"I noticed that it was calm a little while ago," answered Peppers. "Doyou think we shall have a storm, sir?"
"We shall have a good deal of wind, and some rain before many hours, ifnot before dark. I have to go in at Plattsburgh on my way south; and, ifyou choose, you can take your prisoner on board of the Sylph," continuedthe captain.
"Thank you, sir: I should be very glad to return in your beautifulyacht, especially if it is going to blow," answered the detective.
"You may take them on board in your boat, Mr. Jepson. I will take Mr.Moody in mine," said Captain Gildrock. "Theodore, you will go in myboat."
Dory made no reply to this intimation. He was looking over Simms'sPoint out into the lake, where a fresh south-south-west wind was nowrolling up the white-caps. The captain seated himself in thestern-sheets of the port boat. Moody assisted the officer in placing hisprisoner in the starboard boat, and took his place with CaptainGildrock. Pearl, though very sulky and even ugly, offered no seriousresistance to the transfer to the boat. With his arms handcuffed behindhim, he took the seat in which Mr. Jepson placed him.
The starboard boat, having received her complement of passengers, shovedoff; and her crew pulled for the steamer. The port boat was waiting forDory, who was standing at the bow, behind the foresail. He had theboat-hook in his hand, but he did not indicate in what manner heintended to use it. The fresh breeze was beginning to blow in the Gut,though the Goldwing was sheltered from its full force by the land.
"I am waiting for you, Theodore," called Captain Gildrock.
"I am not going, sir," replied Dory in a mild, but very decided, tone.
"Not going? Didn't
you hear me say that I came down here after you?"asked the captain, evidently much surprised at the boy's answer.
"I can't leave the boat here, sir. It is coming on to blow, and she willdrift off," added Dory, struggling to suppress his emotion; for heexpected a very unpleasant scene with his uncle now that the issue hadbeen reached.
Captain Gildrock seemed to have no suspicion of the state of feeling towhich his nephew had wrought himself up. He appeared to think that hisinvitation to go on board of the Sylph was enough, and the presentattitude of the boy was clearly a surprise to him. It was plain that hehad not thought of the schooner, for he was silent when Dory intimatedthat she was not in a safe position for heavy weather.
"You can furl her sails, and throw over her anchor," said he after amoment's consideration.
"I don't think the anchor will hold her, sir: the sand is as hard as arock here."
"Isn't she aground?"
"She was aground, sir."
"I will run the boat ahead, and we will drag her farther up on theshoal, and carry the anchor to the shore. Then she will be all right;and you can come up after her in a few days," continued CaptainGildrock, as he directed his bowman to shove off from the Goldwing.
The sails of the schooner were beginning to thrash and bang about asthey felt the increasing breeze. The boat had been aground at the bow;but, the moment she was relieved of the weight of the three men who hadbeen on board of her when she grounded, she floated again. Dory hadnoticed this fact; and, taking the boat-hook, he had thrust it down intothe sand, and held her. As the wind freshened, driving her off from theshore, his hold was not strong enough upon the bottom to keep her anylonger. But it must be added that Dory did not wish to hold her anylonger.
The moment the boat-hook tore out of the bottom, the schooner began tomake sternway. Then the jib, the sheet of which was still fast, filled,and the Goldwing whirled around like a top. Then a gust of wind struckthe sails, and threw them all over. Dory rushed to the helm, trimmed thesails, and headed the Goldwing across the bay.
