CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 

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 Cornell University Library 
 
 arV1424 
 
 A bid for fortune : 
 
 3 1924 031 241 270 
 oHn.anx 
 
Pi Cornell University 
 B Library 
 
 The original of tliis book is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31 924031 241 270 
 
appletons' 
 
 tEown an& Country 
 
 OLlbrar? 
 
 No. 179 
 
 A BID FOR FORTUNE 
 
A BID FOR FORTUNE 
 
 A NOVEL 
 
 BY 
 
 GUY BOOTHBY 
 
 AUTHOR OF ON THE WALLABY, THE MARRIAGE OF ESTHER, ETC. 
 
 NEW YORK 
 D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 
 
 1895 
 
 ;.v^'" 
 
 es 
 
Copyright, 1895, 
 By D. APPLETON AND COMPANY. 
 
 //f/^5-^7 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Pboloque. — Dr. Nikola 
 
 PAOE. 
 
 . 1 
 
 PART I. 
 
 CHAPTEB. 
 
 I. — I DBTKRMINE TO TAKE A HOLIDAY. — SYDNEY, AXD 
 WHAT BEFELL ME THERE . 
 II. — My first EXPERIENCE IN IjONDON 
 
 III. — The HOME OF my ancestors 
 
 IV. — I SAVE AN IMPORTANT LIFE . 
 
 V. — Mystery 
 
 VI. — I MEET Dr. Nikola again . 
 VII. — Port Said and what befell us there 
 VIII. — Our imprisonment and attempt at escape 
 
 IX. — Dr. Nikola permits us a free passage . 
 
 14 
 37 
 53 
 
 73 
 83 
 
 lor 
 
 123 
 140 
 156 
 
 PART II. 
 
 I, — We reach Australia, and the result . . . 174 
 
 11.— On the trail 193 
 
 III. — Lord Beokenham's story 213 
 
 IV. — Following up a clue 236 
 
 V, — The islands and what we found there . , . 268 
 VI.— Conclusion 288 
 
A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 PROLOGUE. 
 
 DR. KIKOLA. 
 
 The manager of the new Imperial Restaurant on 
 the Thames Embankment went into his luxurious pri- 
 vate office and shut the door. Having done so, he first 
 scratched his chin reflectively and then took a letter 
 from the drawer in which it had lain for the past two 
 months and perused it carefully. Though he was not 
 aware of it, this made the thirtieth time he had read it 
 since breakfast that morning. And yet he was not a 
 whit nearer understanding it than he had been at the 
 beginning. He turned it over and scrutinized the back, 
 where not a sign of writing was to be seen ; he held it 
 up to the window as if he might hope to discover some- 
 thing from the watermark ; but there was evidently 
 nothing in either of these places of a nature calculated 
 to set his troubled mind at rest. Though he had a clock 
 upon his mantelpiece in good going order, he took a 
 magnificent repeater watch from his waistcoat pocket 
 and glanced at the dial ; the hands stood at half-past 
 seven. He threw the letter on the table, and as he did 
 so his anxiety found relief in words. 
 
 " It's really the most extraordinary affair I ever had 
 to do with," he remarked to the placid face of the clock 
 above mentioned. "And I've been in the business just 
 
 1 
 
2 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 three-and-thirty years at eleven a. m. next Monday 
 morning. I only hope I've done right, that's all." 
 
 As he spoke the chief bookkeeper, who had the treble 
 advantage of being tall, pretty, and just eight-and-twenty 
 years of age, entered the room. She noticed the open 
 letter and the look upon her chief's face, and her curi- 
 osity was proportionately excited. 
 
 " You seem worried, Mr. McPherson," she said softly, 
 putting down the papers she had brought in for his sig- 
 nature. 
 
 "You have just hit it. Miss O'Sullivan," he answered, 
 pushing them further on to the table. " I am worried 
 about many things, but particularly about this letter." 
 
 He handed the epistle to her, and being desirous of 
 impressing him with her business capabilities, she read 
 it with ostentatious care. But it was noticeable that 
 when she reached the signature she too turned back to 
 the beginning, and then deliberately read it over again. 
 The manager rose, crossed to the mantelpiece, and rang 
 for the head waiter. Having relieved his feelings in 
 this way, he seated himself again at his writing table, 
 put on his glasses, and stared at his companion, waiting 
 for her to speak. 
 
 " It's very funny," she said at length, seeing that 
 she was expected to say something. " Very funny, in- 
 deed ! " 
 
 " It's the most extraordinary communication I ever 
 received," he replied with conviction. " You see it is 
 written from Cuyaba, Brazil. The date is three months 
 ago to a day. Now I have taken the trouble to find out 
 where and what Cuyaba is." 
 
 He made this confession with an air of conscious 
 pride, and having done it laid himself back in his chair, 
 stuck his thumbs into the arm-holes of his waistcoat. 
 
DR. NIKOLA. 3 
 
 and looked at his fair subordinate for approval. Nor 
 was he destined to be disappointed. He was a bachelor 
 in possession of a snug income, and she, besides being a 
 pretty woman, was a lady with a decided eye to the 
 main chance. 
 
 " And where is Cuyaba?" she asked humbly. 
 
 " Cuyaba," he replied, rolling his tongue with con- 
 siderable relish round his unconscious mispronuncia- 
 tion of the name, " is a town almost on the western or 
 Bolivian border of Brazil. It is of moderate size, is 
 situated on the banks of the river Cuyaba, and is con- 
 siderably connected with the famous Brazilian Diamond 
 Fields." 
 
 " And does the writer of this letter live there ? " 
 
 " I cannot say. He writes from there, that is enough 
 for us." 
 
 " And he orders dinner for four — here, in a private 
 room overlooking the river, three months ahead — punc- 
 tually at eight o'clock, gives you a list of the things he 
 wants, and even arranges the decoration of the table. 
 Says he has never seen either of his three friends be- 
 fore, that one of them hails from (here she consulted 
 the letter again) Hang-chow, another from Bloemfontein, 
 while the third is, at present, in England. Each one is 
 to present a plain visiting card with a red dot ou it to 
 the porter in the hall, and to be shown to the room at 
 once. I don't understand it at all." 
 
 The manager paused for a moment and then said 
 deliberately : 
 
 " Hang-chow is in China, Bloemfontein is in South 
 Africa." 
 
 " What a wonderful man you are to be sure, Mr. 
 McPherson ! I never can think how you manage to 
 carry so much in your head." 
 
4 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 There spoke the true woman. And it was a move 
 in the right direction, for the manager was susceptible 
 to her gentle influence, as she had occasion to know. 
 
 At this juncture the head waiter appeared upon the 
 scene, and took up a position just inside the doorway as 
 if he were afraid of injuring the carpet by coming any 
 further. 
 
 " Is No. 23 ready, Williams ? " 
 
 " Quite ready, sir. The wine is on the ice, and 
 cook tells me he'll be ready to dish punctual to the 
 moment." 
 
 " The letter says ' no electric light, candles with red 
 shades.' Have you put on those shades I got this morn- 
 ing?" 
 
 " Just seen it done this very minute, sir." 
 
 " And let me see, there was one other thing." He 
 took the letter from the chief bookkeeper's hand and 
 glanced at it. " Ah, yes, a porcelain saucer, and a small 
 jug of new milk upon the mantelpiece. An extraordi- 
 nary request, but has it been attended to?" 
 
 " I put it there myself, sir." 
 
 "Who wait?" 
 
 "Jones, Edmunds, Brooks, and Tomkins." 
 
 "Very good! Then I think that will do. Stay. 
 You had better tell the hall porter to look out for three 
 gentlemen with plain visiting cards having a little red 
 spot on each. Let Brooks stand in the hall, and when 
 they arrive tell him to show them straight up to the 
 room." 
 
 " It shall be done, sir." 
 
 The head waiter left the room, and the manager 
 stretched himself in his chair, yawned by way of show- 
 ing his importance, and then said solemnly : 
 
 " I don't believe they'll any of them turn up ; but if 
 
DR. NIKOLA. 5 
 
 they do, this Dr. Nikola, whoever he may be, won't be 
 able to find fault with my arrangements." 
 
 Leaving the dusty high road of Business, they wan- 
 dered in the shady bridle-paths of Love^to the end 
 that when the chief bookkeeper returned to her own 
 department, she had forgotten the strange dinner party 
 about to take place upstairs, and was busily engaged 
 upon a calculation as to how she would look in white 
 satin and orange blossoms, and whether it was true, as 
 Miss Joyce, a subordinate, had been heard to declare, 
 that the manager had once shown himself partial to a 
 certain widow with reputed savings and a share in an 
 extensive egg and dairy business. 
 
 At ten minutes to eight precisely a hansom drew up 
 at the steps of the hotel. An undersized gentleman, 
 with a clean shaven countenance, a canonical corpora- 
 tion, and bow legs, dressed in a decided clerical garb, 
 alighted. He paid and discharged his cabman, and 
 then took from his ticket pocket an ordinary white 
 visiting card, which he presented to the gold-laced in- 
 dividual who had opened the apron. The latter, hav- 
 ing noted the red spot, called a waiter, and the reverend 
 gentleman was escorted upstairs. 
 
 Hardly had the attendant time to return to his sta- 
 tion in the hall, before a second cab made its appear- 
 ance, closely followed by a third. Ont of the second 
 Jumped a tall, active, well-built man of about thirty 
 years of age. He was dressed in evening dress of the 
 latest fashion, and to conceal it from the vulgar gaze 
 wore a large Inverness cape of heavy texture. He also 
 in his turn handed a white card to the porter, and hav- 
 ing done so proceeded into the hall, followed by the 
 occupant of the other cab, who had closely copied his 
 example. This individual was also in evening dress, 
 
6 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 but it was of a diiferent stamp. It was old-fashioned 
 and had seen much wear. The wearer, too, was taller 
 than the ordinary run of men, but it was noticeable 
 that his hair was snow-white, and that his face was 
 deeply pitted with smallpox. After disposing of their 
 hats and coats in an ante-room, they reached room No. 
 23, where they found the gentleman in clerical costume 
 pacing impatiently up and down. 
 
 Left alone, the tallest of the trio, who for want of a 
 better title we may call the Best Dressed Man, took out 
 his watch and having looked at it, glanced at his com- 
 panions. 
 
 " Gentlemen," he said with a slight American accent, 
 " it is three minutes to eight o'clock. My name is 
 Eastover ! " 
 
 " I'm glad to hear it, for I'm most uncommonly 
 hungry," said the next tallest, whom I have already de- 
 scribed as being so marked by disease. " My name is 
 Prendergast ! " 
 
 " We only wait for our friend and host," remarked 
 the clerical gentleman, as if he felt he ought to take a 
 share in the conversation, and then, as if an after- 
 thought had struck him, he continued, " My name is 
 Baxter ! " 
 
 They shook hands all round with marked cordiality, 
 seated themselves again, and took it in turns to examine 
 the clock. 
 
 " Have you ever had the pleasure of meeting our 
 host before ? " asked Mr. Baxter of Mr. Prendergast. 
 
 " Never," replied that gentleman with a shake of his 
 head. " Perhaps Mr. Eastover has been more fortunate ? " 
 
 " Not I," was the brief rejoinder. " I've had to do 
 with him off and on for longer than I care to reckon, 
 but I've never set eyes on him up to date." 
 
DR. NIKOLA. 7 
 
 " And where may he have been the first time you 
 heard from him ? " 
 
 " In Nashville, Tennessee," said Eastover. " After 
 that Tahupapa, New Zealand ; after that Papeete, in 
 the Society Islands; then Pekin, China. And you?" 
 
 " First time Brussels, second Monte Video, third 
 Mandalay, and then the Grold Coast, Africa. It's your 
 turn, Mr. Baxter." 
 
 The clergyman glanced at the timepiece. It was 
 exactly eight o'clock. 
 
 " First time Cabul, Afghanistan ; second, Nijni 
 Novgorod, Russia; third Wilcannia, Darling River, 
 Australia ; fourth Valparaiso, Chili ; fifth Nagasaki, 
 Japan." 
 
 " lie is evidently a great traveller and a most mys- 
 terious person." 
 
 " He is more than that, he is late for dinner ! " said 
 Eastover. 
 
 Prendergast looked at his watch. 
 
 " That clock is two minutes fast. Hark, there goes 
 Big Ben ! Eight exactly." 
 
 As he spoke the door was thrown open and a voice 
 announced : 
 
 " Dr. Nikola." 
 
 The three men sprang to their feet simultaneously 
 with exclamations of astonishment as the man they had 
 been discussing made his appearance. 
 
 It would take more time than I can spare the sub- 
 ject to give you an adequate and inclusive description 
 of the man who entered the room at that moment. In 
 stature he was slightly above the middle height, his 
 shoulders were broad, his limbs perfectly shaped and 
 plainly muscular, but very slim. His head, which was 
 magnificently set upon his shoulders, was adorned with 
 
8 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 a profusion of glossy black hair ; his face was destitute 
 of beard or moustache, and was of oval shape and hand- 
 some moulding ; while his skin was of a dark olive hue, 
 a colour which harmonized well with his piercing black 
 eyes and hair. His hands and feet were small, and the 
 greatest dandy must have admitted that he was irre- 
 proachably dressed, with a neatness that almost bordered 
 on the puritanical. In age he might have been anything 
 from eight-and-twenty to forty ; in reality he was thirty- 
 three. He advanced into the room and walked with 
 outstretched hand directly across to where Eastover was 
 standing by the fireplace. 
 
 " Mr. Eastover, I feel certain," he said, fixing his 
 glittering eyes upon the man he addressed, and allowing 
 a curious smile to play upon his face. 
 
 " That is my name. Dr. Nikola," the other answered 
 with evident surprise. " But how on earth can you dis- 
 tinguish me from your other guests?" 
 
 " Ah ! it would surprise you if you knew. And Mr. 
 Prendergast, and Sir. Baxter. This is delightful ; I 
 hope I am not late. We had a collision in the Channel 
 this morning and I was almost afraid I might not be 
 up to time. Dinner seems ready ; shall we sit down 
 to it?" 
 
 They seated themselves and the meal commenced. 
 The Imperial Restaurant has earned a reputation for 
 doing things well, and the dinner that night did not in 
 any way detract from its lustre. But delightful as it all 
 was, it was noticeable that the three guests paid more 
 attention to their host than to his excellent menu. As 
 they had said before his arrival, they had all had deal- 
 ings with him for several years, but what those dealings 
 were they were careful not to describe. Perhaps they 
 hardly liked to remember them themselves. 
 
DR. NIKOLA. 9 
 
 When coffee had been served and the servants had 
 withdrawn, Dr. Nikola rose from the table and went 
 over to the massive sideboard. On it stood a basket of 
 very curious shape and workmanship. This he opened, 
 and as he did so, to the surprise of his guests, an enor- 
 mous cat, as black as his master's coat, leaped out on 
 to the floor. The reason for the saucer and jug of milk 
 became evident. 
 
 Seating himself at the table again, the host followed 
 the example of his guests and lit a cigar, blowing a 
 cloud of smoke luxuriously through his delicately chis- 
 elled nostrils. His eyes wandered round the cornice of 
 the room, took in the pictures and decorations, and then 
 came down to meet the faces of his companions. As 
 th'ey did so, the black cat, having finished its meal, 
 sprang on to his shoulder to crouch there, watching 
 the three men thi-ough the curling smoke drift with its 
 green, blinking, fiendish eyes. 
 
 Dr. Nikola smiled as he noticed the effect upon his 
 guests. 
 
 " Now shall we get to business ? " he said briskly. 
 
 The others almost simultaneously knocked the ashes 
 off their cigars and brought themselves to attention. 
 His dainty, languid manner seemed to drop from him 
 like a cloak, his eyes brightened, and his voice when he 
 spoke was clean cut as chiselled silver. 
 
 " You are doubtless anxious to be informed why I 
 summoned you from all parts of the globe to meet me 
 here to-night ? And it is very natural you should be. 
 But then from what you know of me you should not be 
 surprised at anything I do." 
 
 His voice dropped back into its old tone of gentle 
 languor. He drew in a great breath of smoke and 
 then sent it slowly out from his lips again. His eyes 
 
10 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 were half closed and he drummed with one finger on 
 the table edge. The cat looked through the smoke at 
 the three men, and it seemed to them that every mo- 
 ment he grew larger and more ferocious. Presently his 
 owner took the animal from his perch and seating him 
 on his knee fell to stroking his fur, from head to tail, 
 with his long slim fingers. It was as if he were drawing 
 inspiration for some deadly mischief from the uncanny 
 beast. 
 
 " To preface what I have to say to you, let me tell 
 you that this is by far the most important business for 
 which I have ever required your help. (Three slow 
 strokes down the centre of the back and one round 
 each ear.) When it first came into my mind I was at 
 a loss who to trust in the matter. I thought of Ven- 
 dou, but I found Vendon was dead. I thought of 
 Brownlow, but Brownlow was no longer faithful. (Two 
 strokes down the back and two on the throat.) Then 
 bit by bit I remembered you. I was in Brazil at the 
 time. So I sent for you. You came, and we meet 
 here. So far so good." 
 
 He rose and crossed over to the fireplace. As he 
 did so the cat crawled back to its original position on 
 his shoulder. His voice changed once more to its former 
 business-like tone. 
 
 " I am not going to tell you very much about it. 
 But from what I do tell you, you will be able to gather 
 a great deal and imagine the rest. To begin with, there 
 is a man living in this world to-day who has done me 
 a great and lasting injury. What that injury is is no 
 concern of yours. You would not understand if I told 
 you. So we'll leave that out of the question. He is 
 immensely rich. His cheque for £300,000 would be 
 honoured by his bank at any minute. Obviously he is a 
 
DR. NIKOLA. 11 
 
 power. He has had reason to know that I am pitting 
 my wits against his, and he flatters himself that so far 
 he has got the better of me. That is because I am 
 drawing him on. I am maturing a plan which will 
 make him a poor and a very miserable man at one and 
 the same time. If that scheme succeeds and I am satis- 
 fied with the way you three men have performed the 
 parts I shall call on you to play in it, I shall pay to each 
 of you the sum of £10,000. If it doesn't succeed then 
 you will each receive a thousand and your expenses. Do 
 you follow me ? " 
 
 It was evident from their faces that they hung upon 
 every word. 
 
 "But, remember, I demand from you your whole 
 and entire labour. While you are serving me you are 
 mine body and soul. I know you are trustworthy. I 
 have had good proof that you are — pardon the expres- 
 sion — unscrupulous, and I flatter myself you are silent. 
 What is more, I shall tell you nothing, so that you could 
 not betray me if you would. Now, for my plans ! " 
 
 He sat down again and took a paper from his 
 pocket. Having perused it, he turned to Eastover. 
 
 " You will leave at once — that is to say by the boat 
 on Wednesday — for Sydney. You will book your pas- 
 sage to-morrow morning, first thing, and join her in 
 Plymouth. You will meet me to-morrow evening at an 
 address I will give you and receive your final instruc- 
 tions. Good-night." 
 
 Seeing that he was expected to go, Eastover rose, 
 shook hands, and left the room without a word. He 
 was too astonished to hesitate or to say anything. 
 
 Nikola took another letter from his pocket and 
 turned to Prendergast. 
 
 " You will go down to Dover to-night, cross to Paris 
 2 
 
12 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 to-morrow morning, and leave this letter personally at 
 tlie address you will find written on it. On Thursday, 
 at half-past two precisely, you will deliver me an answer 
 in the porch at Charing Cross. You will find suflBcient 
 money in that envelope to pay all your expenses. 'Now 
 go!" 
 
 " At half -past two you shall have your answer. 
 Good-night." 
 
 " Good-night." 
 
 When Prendergast had left the room, Dr. Nikola 
 lit another cigar and turned his attentions to Mr. 
 Baxter. 
 
 " Six months ago, I found for you a situation as tu- 
 tor to the young Marquis of Beckenham. You still hold 
 it, I suppose?" 
 
 " I do." 
 
 " Is the Duke, the lad's father, well disposed towards 
 you?" 
 
 " In every way. I have done my best to ingratiate 
 myself with him. That was one of your instructions if 
 you will remember." 
 
 " Yes, yes ! But I was not certain that you would 
 succeed. If the old man is anything like what he was 
 when I last met him he must still be a diflQcult person 
 to deal with. Does the boy like you ? " 
 
 " I hope so." 
 
 "Have you brought me his photograph as I di- 
 rected ? " 
 
 " I have. Here it is." 
 
 Baxter took a photograph from his pocket and 
 handed it across the table. 
 
 " Good. You have done very well, Mr. Baxter. I 
 am pleased with you. To-morrow morning you will go 
 back to Yorkshire " 
 
DR. NIKOLA. 13 
 
 " I beg your pardon, Bournemouth. His Grace has 
 taken a house near Bournemouth for the summer." 
 
 " Very well — then to-morrow morning you will go 
 back to Bournemouth and continue to ingratiate your- 
 self with father and son. You will also begin to im- 
 plant in the boy's mind a desire for travel. Don't let 
 him become aware that his desire has its source in you 
 — but do not fail to foster it all you can. I will com- 
 municate with you further in a day or two. Now go." 
 
 Baxter in his turn left the room. The door closed. 
 Dr. Nikola picked up the photograph and studied it 
 carefully. 
 
 " The likeness is unmistakable — or it ought to be. 
 My friend, my very dear friend, Wetherell, my toils are 
 closing on you. My arrangements are perfecting them- 
 selves admirably. Presently when all is complete I shall 
 press the lever, the machinery will be set in motion, and 
 you will find yourself being slowly but surely ground 
 into powder. Then you may be sorry you thought fit to 
 baulk Dr. Nikola ! " 
 
 He rang the bell and ordered his bill. This duty 
 discharged he placed the cat back in its prison, shut 
 the lid, descended with the baSiiet to the hall, and called 
 a hansom. When he had closed the apron, the porter 
 enquired to what address he should order the cabman 
 to drive. Dr. Nikola did not reply for a moment, then 
 he said, as if he had been thinking something out : 
 
 " The Green Sailor public house. East India Dock 
 Road." 
 
PART I. 
 
 CHAPTEE I. 
 
 I DETEEMINE TO TAKE A HOLIDAY. — SYDNEY, AND 
 WHAT BEFELL ME THEKE. 
 
 First and foremost, my name, age, description, and 
 occupation, as they say in the Police Gazette. Richard 
 Hatteras, at your service, commonly called Dick, of 
 Thursday Island, North Queensland, pearler, copra 
 merchant, Mche-de-mer and tortoise-shell dealer, and 
 South Sea trader generally. Eight-and-twenty years of 
 age, neither particularly good-looking, nor, if some peo- 
 ple are to be believed, particularly amiable, six feet two 
 in my stockings, and forty-six inches round the chest ; 
 strong as a Hakodate wrestler, and perfectly willing at 
 any moment to pay ten pounds sterling to the man who 
 can put me on my back. And big shame to me if I were 
 not strong, considering the free, open-air, devil-may-care 
 life I've led. 
 
 Why, I was doing man's work at an age when most 
 boys are wondering when they're going to be taken out 
 of knickerbockers. I'd been half round the world before 
 I was fifteen, and had been wrecked twice and marooned 
 once before my beard showed signs of sprouting. My 
 father was an Englishman, not very much profit to him- 
 self, so he used to say, but of a kindly disposition, and 
 the best husband to my mother during their short mar- 
 
I DETERMIXB TO TAKE A HOLIDAY. 15 
 
 ried life that any woman could possibly have desired. 
 She, poor soul, died of fever in the Philippines, and he 
 went to the bottom in the schooner " Helen of Troy," a 
 degree west of the Line Islands, that same year ; struck 
 the tail end of a cyclone, it was thought, and went down, 
 lock, stock, and ban-el, leaving only one man to tell the 
 tale. So I lost father and mother in the same twelve 
 months, aad that being so, when I put my cabbage-tree 
 on my head it covered, as far as I knew, all my family 
 in the world. 
 
 Any way you look at it it's calculated to give you a 
 turn, at fifteen years of age, to know that there's not a 
 living soul on the face of God's globe that you can take 
 by the hand and call relation. That old saying about 
 " blood being thicker than water," is a pretty true one, I 
 reckon : friends may be kind — they were so to me — but 
 after all they're not the same thing, nor can they be as 
 your own kith and kin. 
 
 However, I had to look my trouble in the face and 
 stand up to it as a man should, and I suppose this kept 
 me from brooding as much over my loss as I should 
 otherwise have done. Anyway, ten days after the news 
 reached me, I had shipped aboard the " Little Emily," 
 trading schooner, for Papeete, booked for five years 
 among the islands, where I was to learn to water copra 
 and lay the foundation of the strange career that I am 
 going to tell you about in this book. 
 
 After my time expired and I had served ray Trading 
 Company on half the mudbanks of the Pacific, I returned 
 to Australia and went up inside the Great Barrier Keef 
 to Somerset — the pearling station that had just come 
 into existence on Cape York. They were good days 
 there then, before all the new-fangled laws that now 
 regulate the pearling trade had come into force, and 
 
16 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 days when a man could do almost as he liked among the 
 islands in those seas. I don't know how other folk liked 
 it, but it just suited me— so much so that when Somer- 
 set proved inconvenient and the settlement shifted 
 across to Thursday, I went with it, and, what was more 
 to the point, with money enough at my back to fit my- 
 self out with a brand new lugger and full crew, and go 
 pearling on my own account. 
 
 For many years I went at it head down, and this 
 brings me up to four years ago, to 1888, we'll say, when 
 I was a grown man, the owner of a house, two luggers, 
 and as good a diving plant as any man could wish to 
 possess. What was more. Just before this, I had put 
 some money into a mining concern which had, contrary 
 to most ventures of the sort, turned up trumps, giving 
 me as my share the nice round sum of £5,000. With all 
 this wealth at my back, and having been in harness for 
 a good number of years on end, I made up my mind to 
 take a holiday and go home to England to see the place 
 where my father was born, and had lived his early life 
 (I found the name of it written in the fly leaf of an old 
 Latin book he left me), and to have a look at a country 
 I'd heard so much about but never thought to have the 
 good fortune to set my foot upon. 
 
 Accordingly I packed my traps, let my house, sold 
 my luggers and gear, intending to buy new ones when I 
 returned ; said good-bye to my friends and shipmates, 
 and set off to join an Orient liner in Sydney. You will 
 see from this that I intended to do the thing in style ! 
 And why not? I'd got more money to my hand than 
 most of the swells who patronise the first saloon, had 
 earned it honestly, and was resolved to enjoy myself with 
 it to the top of my bent and hang the consequences. 
 
 I reached Sydney a week before the boat was adver- 
 
SYDNEY, AND WHAT BEFELL ME THERE. 17 
 
 tised to sail, but I didn't fret mucli about that. There's 
 plenty to see and do in such a big place, and when a 
 man's been shut away from theatres and amusements 
 for years at a stretch, he can put in his time pretty 
 well looking about him. All the same, not knowing a 
 soul in the place, I must confess there were moments 
 when I did think regretfully of the tight little island 
 hidden away up north under the wing of New Guinea, 
 of the luggers dancing to the breeze in the harbour, and 
 the warm welcome that always awaited me among my 
 friends in the saloons. Take my word for it there's 
 even something in being a leader on a small island. 
 Anyway it's better than being a deadbeat in a big city 
 like Sydney, where nobody knows you, and your next- 
 door neighbour wouldn't miss you if he never saw or 
 heard of you again. 
 
 I used to think of these things as I marched about 
 the streets looking in at shop windows, or took excur- 
 sions up and down the Harbour. There's no place like 
 Sydney Harbour in the wide, wide world for prettiness, 
 and before I'd been there a week I was familiar with 
 every part of it. Still, it would have been more enjoy- 
 able, as I hinted just now, if I had had a friend to tour 
 about with me ; and by the same token I'm doing one 
 man an injustice. 
 
 There was one fellow, I remember, who did offer to 
 show me round : I think I fell across him in a saloon in 
 George Street. He was tall and handsome, and as spic 
 and span as a new pin till you came to look under the 
 surface. He winked at the girl who was serving us, and 
 when I'd finished my drink asked me to take another 
 with him. Seeing what his little game was, and want- 
 ing to teach him a lesson, I lured him on by consenting. 
 I drank with him, and then he drank with me. Oh, a 
 
18 A BID POK POETUNE. 
 
 perfect gentleman he was, as far as manners went, I can 
 assure you ! 
 
 " Been long in Sydney ? " he enquired casually, look- 
 ing at me, and, at the same time, stroking his fair 
 moustache. 
 
 " Just come in," was my reply. 
 
 " Don't you find it dull work ? " he continued. " I 
 shall never forget my first week in it." 
 
 " You're about right. It is dull ! 1 don't know a 
 soul bar my banker and lawyer in the town." 
 
 " Dear me ! " (more curling of the moustache). " If 
 I can be of any service to you while you're here, I hope 
 you'll command me. For the sake of ' Auld Lang 
 Syne,' don't you know. I believe we're both English- 
 men, eh ? " 
 
 " It's very good of you," I replied modestly, affecting 
 to be overcome by his condescension. " I'm just off to 
 lunch. I am staying at the ' Quebec' Is it far enough 
 for a hansom ? " As he was about to answer, a lawyer, 
 with whom I had done a little business the day before, 
 walked into the room. I turned to my patronising 
 friend and said, " Will you excuse me for just one 
 moment, I want to speak to this gentleman on business ; 
 I'll join you outside." 
 
 He was still all graciousness. 
 
 " I'll call a hansom and wait for you in it." 
 
 When he had left the saloon I spoke to the new ar- 
 rival. He had noticed the man I was talking to and 
 was kind enough to warn me against him. 
 
 " That man," he said, " bears a very bad reputation. 
 He makes it his trade to meet new arrivals from Eng- 
 land — weak-brained young pigeons with money. He 
 shows them round Sydney and plucks them so clean that 
 when they leave his hands, in nine cases out of ten, they 
 
SYDNEY, AND WHAT BEFELL ME THERE. 19 
 
 haven't a feather left to fly with. You ought not, with 
 your experience of rough customers, to be taken in by 
 him." 
 
 " Nor am I," I replied. " I am going to teach him 
 a lesson. "Would you like to see it ? Then come with 
 me." 
 
 Arm in arm we walked into the street, watched by 
 Mr. Hawk from his seat in the cab. When we got there 
 we stood for a moment chatting, and then strolled to- 
 gether down the pavement. Next moment I heard the 
 cab coming along after us — my friend hailed me in his 
 silkiest tones — but though I looked him full in the face 
 I pretended not to know him. Seeing this he drove 
 past us — pulled up a little further down and sprang out 
 to wait for me. 
 
 " I was almost afraid I had missed you," he began, 
 as we came up with him. " Perhaps as it is such a fine 
 day you would rather walk than ride ? " 
 
 " I beg your pardon," I answered, " I'm really afraid 
 you have the advantage of me." 
 
 " But you have asked me to lunch with you. You 
 asked me to call a hansom." 
 
 " Pardon me again ! there you are really mistaken. 
 I said I was going to lunch at the ' Quebec ' and asked 
 you if it was far enough to be worth taking a hansom. 
 That is your hansom, not mine. If you don't require it 
 any longer I should advise you to pay the man and let 
 him go." 
 
 " You are a swindler, sir. I refuse to pay the cab- 
 man. It is your hansom." 
 
 I took a step closer to my fine gentleman and looking 
 him full in • the face said as quietly as possible, for I 
 didn't want all the street to hear : 
 
 " Mr. Dorunda Dodson, let this be a lesson to you. 
 
20 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 Perhaps you'll think twice next time before you try your 
 little games on me ! " 
 
 He stepped back as if he had been shot, hesitated a 
 moment, and then jumped into his cab and drove ofE in 
 the opposite direction. When he had gone I looked at 
 my astonished companion. 
 
 " Well, now," he ejaculated at last, " how on earth 
 did you manage that ? " 
 
 " Very easily," I replied. " I happen to remember 
 having met that gentleman up in our part of the world 
 when he was in a very awkward position — very awkward. 
 By his action just now I should say he has not forgotten 
 the circumstances any more than I have." 
 
 " I should rather think not. Good day ! " 
 
 We shook hands and parted, he going on down the 
 street, while I branched off to my hotel. 
 
 That was the first of the only two adventures of any 
 importance that I met with during my stay in New South. 
 Wales. And there's not much in that, I fancy I can 
 hear you saying. Well, that may be so, I don't deny it, 
 but it was nevertheless through that that I became 
 mixed up with the folk who figure in this book, and 
 indeed it was to that very circumstance, and that 
 alone, I owe my connection with the queer story I 
 have set myself to tell. And this is how it came 
 about. 
 
 Three days before the steamer sailed and about four 
 o'clock in the afternoon, I chanced to be walking down 
 Castlereagh Street, wondering what on earth I should 
 do with myself until dinner-time, when I saw approach- 
 ing me the very man whose discomfiture I have just de- 
 scribed. Being probably occupied planning the pluck- 
 ing of some unfortunate new chum, he did not see me 
 coming towards him. And as I had no desire to meet 
 
SYDNEY, AND WHAT BEFELL MB THERE. 21 
 
 him again after what had passed between us, I crossed 
 the road and meandered off in a different direction, 
 eventually finding myself located on a seat in the Do- 
 main, lighting a cigarette and looking down over a broad 
 expanse of harbour. 
 
 One thought led to another, and so I sat on and on, 
 long after dusk had fallen, never stirring until a circum- 
 stance occurred on a neighbouring path that attracted my 
 attention. A young and well-dressed lady was pursuing 
 her way in my direction, evidently intending to leave the 
 park by the entrance I had used to come into it. But 
 unfortunately for her, at the junction of two paths to 
 my right, three of Sydney's typical larrikins were en- 
 gaged in earnest conversation. They had observed the 
 girl coming towards them and were evidently preparing 
 some plan for accosting her. When she was only about 
 fifty yards away, two of them walked to a distance, leav- 
 ing the third and biggest ruffian to waylay her. He did 
 so, but without success ; she passed him and continued 
 her walk at increased speed. 
 
 The man thereupon quickened his pace and, secure 
 in the fact that he was unobserved, again accosted her. 
 Again she tried to escape him, but this time he would 
 not leave her. What was worse, his two friends were 
 now blocking the path in froiit. She looked to right 
 and left and was evidently uncertain what to do. Then 
 seeing escape was hopeless, she stopped, took out her 
 purse, and gave it to the man who had first spoken to 
 her. Thinking this was going too far, I jumped up and 
 went quickly across the turf towards them. My foot- 
 steps made no sound on the soft grass, and they were 
 too much occupied in examining what she had given 
 them to notice my approach. 
 
 " You scoundrels !>^' I said, when I had come up with 
 
22 A BID FOR FORTDNE. 
 
 them. " What do you mean by stopping this lady ? Let 
 her go instantly, and you my friend, just hand over that 
 purse." 
 
 The man addressed looked at me as if he were tak- 
 ing my measure, and were wondering what. sort of 
 chance he'd have against me in a fight. But I suppose 
 my height must have rather scared him, for he changed 
 his tone and began to whine. 
 
 " I haven't got the lady's purse, s'help me, I ain't ! 
 I was only asking of 'er the time, I'll take me davy I 
 was ! " 
 
 " Hand over that purse," I said sternly, approaching 
 a step nearer to him. 
 
 One of the others here intervened. — 
 
 " Let's stowch 'im, Dog ! There ain't a copper in 
 sight ! " 
 
 With that they began to close upon me. But, as the 
 saying goes, "I'd been there before." I'd not been 
 knocking about the rough side of the world for nearly 
 fifteen years without learning how to take care t)f my- 
 self. When they had had about enough of it, which 
 was most likely more than they had bargained for, I 
 took the purse and went down the path to where the in- 
 nocent cause of it all was standing. She was looking very 
 white and scared, but she plucked up courage enough to 
 thank me prettily. 
 
 Bless you ! I can see her now, standing there looking 
 into my face with big tears in her pretty blue eyes. She 
 was a girl of about twenty-one or two, I should think — 
 tall but slenderly built, with a pretty oval face, bright 
 brown hair, and the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen 
 in my life. She was dressed in some dark green ma- 
 terial, wore a fawn jacket, and because the afternoon 
 was cold, had a boa of marten fur round her neck. I 
 
SYDNEY, AND WHAT BEFELL ME THERE. 23 
 
 can remember perfectly that her hat was of some flimsy 
 make, with lace and glittering spear points in it ; the 
 whole surmounted with two bows, one of black ribbon 
 the other of salmon pink. 
 
 " Oh, how can I thank you ? " she began when I 
 came up to her. " But for your appearance I don't 
 know what those men might not have done to me." 
 
 " I am very glad that I was there to help you," I re- 
 plied, looking into her face with more admiration for its 
 warm young beauty than perhaps I ought to have shown. 
 " Here is your purse. I hope you will find its contents 
 safe. At the same time will you let me give you a little 
 piece of advice. From what I have seen this afternoon 
 this is evidently not the sort of place for a young lady to 
 be walking in alone and after dark. I don't think I 
 would risk it again if I were you." 
 
 She looked at me for a moment and then said : 
 
 " You are quite right. I have only myself to thank 
 for it. I met a friend and walked across the green with 
 her — I was on my way back to my carriage — which is 
 waiting for me outside, when I met those men. How- 
 ever I think I can promise you that it will not happen 
 again, as we are leaving Sydney in a day or two." 
 
 Somehow I began to feel glad I was booked to leave 
 the place too when I heard that. But of course I didn't 
 tell her so. 
 
 " May I see you safely to your carriage ? Those fel- 
 lows may still be hanging about on the chance of over- 
 taking you." 
 
 Her courage must have come back to her, for she 
 looked up into my face with a smile. 
 
 " I don't think they will be rude to me again after 
 the lesson you have given them. But if you will walk 
 with me I shall be very grateful." 
 
24 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 Side by side we proceeded down the path, through 
 the gates and out into the street. A neat brougham 
 was drawn up alongside the kerb and towards this she 
 made her way. I opened the door and held it for her 
 to get in. But before she did so she turned to me and 
 stretched out her little hand. 
 
 " Will you tell me your name that I may know to 
 whom I am indebted ? " 
 
 " My name is Hatteras. Eichard Hatteras, of 
 Thursday Island, Torres Straits. I am staying at the 
 ' Quebec' " 
 
 " Thank you, Mr. Hatteras, again and again. I 
 shall always be grateful to you for your gallantry !" 
 
 This was attaching too much importance to such a 
 simple action, and I was about to tell her so, when she 
 spoke again. 
 
 " I think I ought to let you know who I am. My 
 name is Wetherell, and my father is the Colonial Secre- 
 tary. I'm sure he will be quite as grateful to you as I 
 am. Good-bye ! " 
 
 She seemed to forget that we had already shaken 
 hands, for she extended her own a second time. I took 
 it and tried to say something polite, but she stepped into 
 her carriage and shut the door before I could think of 
 anything, and next moment she was being whirled away 
 up the street. 
 
 Now old fogies and disappointed spinsters can say 
 what they please about love at first sight. I'm not a ro- 
 mantic sort of person — far from it — the sort of life I had 
 hitherto led was not of a nature calculated to foster that 
 sort of thing. But if I wasn't over head and ears in love 
 when I resumed my walk that evening, well, I've never 
 known what the sensation is. 
 
 A daintier, prettier, sweeter little angel surely never 
 
SYDNEY, AND WHAT BEFELL ME THERE. 25 
 
 walked the earth than the girl I had just been permitted 
 the opportunity of rescuing; and from that moment 
 forward my time slipped by in a rosy mist of enchant- 
 ment. I seemed to retain the soft pressure of her fingers 
 in mine for hours afterwards, and as a proof of the per- 
 turbed state of my feelings I may add that I congratu- 
 lated myself warmly on having worn that day my new 
 and fashionable Sydney suit instead of the garments in 
 which I had travelled down from Torres Straits, and 
 which I had considered quite good enough for even high 
 days and holidays. That she herself would remember 
 me for more than an hour never struck me as being 
 likely. So it was purely a one-sided matter, as you will 
 conjecture. 
 
 Next morning I donned my best suit again, gave 
 myself an extra brush up, and sauntered down town to 
 see if I could run across her in the streets. What reason 
 I had for thinking I should, is more than I can tell you, 
 but at any rate I was not destined to be disappointed. 
 Crossing George Street a carriage passed me and in it 
 sat the girl whose fair image had exercised such an effect 
 upon my mind. That she saw and recognised me was 
 evident by the gracious bow and smile with which she 
 favoured me. Then she passed out of sight and it was 
 a wonder that that minute didn't see the end of my ca- 
 reer, for I stood like one in a dream looking in the di- 
 rection in which she had gone, and it was not until two 
 hansoms and a brewer's wagon had nearly run me down 
 that I realised that it would be safer for me to pursue 
 my meditations on the side walk. 
 
 I got back to my hotel at lunchtime, and during the 
 progress of that meal a brilliant idea struck me. Sup- 
 posing I plucked np courage and went to call ! Why 
 not ? It would be only a polite action to enquire if she 
 
26 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 were any the worse for her fright. The thought was no 
 sooner born in my brain than I was eager to be off. But 
 it was too early for such a formal business, so I had to 
 cool my heels in the hall for an hour or so. Then, hail- 
 ing a hansom and enquiring the direction of their house, 
 1 drove off to Potts Point. The house was the last in 
 the street — an imposing mansion standing in well-laid- 
 out grounds. The butler answered my ring, and in re- 
 sponse to my enquiry dashed my hopes to the ground by 
 informing me that Miss Wetherell was out. 
 
 " She's very busy, you see, at present, sir. She and 
 the master leave for England on Friday in the ' Ori- 
 zaba.'" 
 
 " What ! " I cried, almost forgetting myself in my 
 astonishment. " You don't mean to say Miss Wetherell 
 goes to England in the ' Orizaba ' ? " 
 
 " I do, sir. And I do hear she's goin' 'ome to be 
 presented at Court, sir ! " 
 
 " Ah ! Thank you. Will you give her my card, and 
 say I hope she is none the worse for her fright last 
 evening?" 
 
 He took the card and a substantial tip with it, and 
 I went back to my cab in the seventh heaven of delight. 
 I was to be shipmates with this lovely creature ! For 
 six weeks or more I should be able to see her every day ! 
 It seemed almost too good to be true. Instinctively I 
 began to make all sorts of plans and arrangements. 
 Who knew but what— but stay, we must bring ourselves 
 up here with a round turn or we shall be anticipating 
 what's to come. 
 
 To make a long story short— for it must be remem- 
 bered that what I am telling you is only to lead up to 
 all the extraordinary things that will have to be told 
 later on— the day of sailing came. I went down to the 
 
SYDNEY, AND WHAT BEFELL ME THERE. 27 
 
 boat on the morning of her departure, and got my bag- 
 gage safely stowed away in my cabin before the rush 
 set in. My cabin mate was to join me in Adelaide, 
 so for the first few days' of the voyage I should be 
 alone. 
 
 About three o'clock we hove our anchor and steamed 
 slowly down the Bay. It was a perfect afternoon, and 
 the Harbour, with its myriad craft of all nationalities 
 and sizes, the blue water backed by stately hills, pre- 
 sented a scene the beauty of which would have appealed 
 to the mind of the most prosaic. I had been below 
 when the Wetherells arrived on board, so the young 
 lady had not yet become aware of my presence. Whether 
 she would betray any astonishment when she did find 
 out was beyond my power to tell ; at any rate I know 
 that I was by a long way the happiest man aboard the 
 boat that day. However, I was not to be kept long in 
 suspense. Before we had reached the Heads it was all 
 settled, and satisfactorily so. I was standing on the 
 promenade deck, just abaft the main saloon entrance, 
 watching the moving panorama stretched before me, 
 when I heard a voice I recognised only too well saying 
 behind me : 
 
 "And so good-bye to you, dear old Sydney. Great 
 things will have happened when I set eyes on you 
 again." 
 
 Little did she know how prophetic her words were. 
 As she spoke I confronted her. For a moment she 
 turned, overwhelmed with surprise, then, stretching out 
 her hand, said : 
 
 " Eeally, Mr. Hatteras, this is most wonderful. You 
 are the last person I expected to meet on board the 
 ' Orizaba.' " 
 
 " And perhaps," I replied, " I might with justice say 
 3 
 
28 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 the same of you. It looks as if we are going to be 
 fellow travellers." 
 
 She turned to a tall white-bearded man beside her. 
 
 " Papa, I must introduce you to Mr. Hatteras. You 
 will remember that I told you how kind Mr. Hatteras 
 was to me when those larrikins were rude to me in the 
 Domain." 
 
 " I am sincerely obliged to you, Mr. Hatteras," he 
 said, holding out his hand and shaking mine heartily. 
 " My daughter did tell me, and I called yesterday at 
 your hotel to thank you personally, but you were un- 
 fortunately not at home. Are you visiting Europe ? " 
 
 " Yes, I'm going home to sell some pearls and to see 
 the place where my father was born." 
 
 " Are you then, like myself, an Australian native ? I 
 mean, of course, as you know, Colonial born?" asked 
 Miss Wetherell with a little laugh. The idea of her 
 calling herself an Australian native. The very notion 
 seemed preposterous. 
 
 " I was born at sea, a degree and a half south of 
 Mauritius, so I don't exactly know what you would call 
 me. I hope you have comfortable cabins ? " 
 
 " Very. We have made two or three voyages in this 
 boat before, and we always take the same places. And 
 now, papa, we must really go and see where poor Miss 
 Thompson is. We are beginning to feel the swell and 
 she'll be wanting to go below. Good-bye for the pres- 
 ent, Mr. Hatteras." 
 
 I raised my cap and watched her walk away down 
 the deck, balancing herself as if she had been accustomed 
 to a heaving plank all her life. Then I turned to watch 
 the fast receding shore, and to my own thoughts, which 
 were none of the saddest, I can confidently assure you. 
 For it must be confessed, and why should I deny it? 
 
SYDNEY, AND WHAT BEFELL ME THERE. 29 
 
 that I was in love from the soles of my deck shoes to 
 the cap upon my head. But as to the chance that I, a 
 humble pearler, would stand with one of Sydney's wealth- 
 iest and most beautiful daughters — why that's another 
 matter, and one that, for the present, I was anxious to 
 keep behind me. 
 
 Within the week we had left Adelaide behind us, 
 and four days later Albany was also a thing of the past. 
 By the time we had cleared the Lewin we had all settled 
 down to our life aboard ship, the bad sailors were begin- 
 ning to appear on deck again, and the medium voyagers 
 to make various excuses for their absences from meals. 
 It was plainly evident that Miss Wetherell was the belle 
 of the ship. Everybody paid her attention from the 
 skipper downwards. And this being so, I prudently 
 kept out of the way myself, for I had no desire to be 
 thought to presume on our previous acquaintance. 
 Whether she noticed this I cannot say, but at any rate her 
 manner to me when we did speak was more cordial than 
 I had any right or reason to expect. Seeing this, there 
 were not wanting people on board who scoffed and 
 sneered at the idea of the Colonial Secretary's daughter 
 noticing so humble a person as myself, and when it 
 became known what my exact social position was, I 
 promise you these malicious whisperings did not 
 cease. 
 
 One evening, two or three days after we had left 
 Colombo behind us, I was standing at the rails on the 
 promenade deck a little abaft the smoking-room en- 
 trance, when Miss Wetherell came up and took her 
 place beside me. She looked very dainty and sweet in 
 her evening dress, and I felt, if I had known her better, 
 I should have liked to have told her so. 
 
 "Mr. Hatteras," said she, when we had discussed 
 
30 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 the weather and the sunset, " I have been thinking 
 lately that you desire to avoid me." 
 
 " Heaven forbid ! Miss Wetherell," I hastened to 
 reply. " I don't know what can have put such a notion 
 into your head?" 
 
 " All the same, I believe it to be true. Now, why do 
 you do it ? " 
 
 " I have not admitted that I do do it. But, perhaps, 
 if I seem to deny myself the pleasure of being with you 
 as much as some other people I could mention, it is 
 only because I fail to see what pleasure you can derive 
 from my society." 
 
 " That is a very pretty speech," she answered smil- 
 ing, "but it does not tell me what I want to know." 
 
 " And what is it you want to know, my dear young 
 lady ? " 
 
 " I want to know why it is you are so much changed 
 towards me. At first we got on splendidly — you used 
 to tell me of your life in Torres Straits, of your trading 
 ventures in the Southern Seas, and even of your hopes 
 for the future — now all that is changed. It is ' Good 
 morning, Miss Wetherell,' ' Good evening, Miss Weth- 
 erell,' and that is all. I must own I don't like such 
 treatment." 
 
 " I must crave your pardon — but " 
 
 " No, we won't have any ' buts.' If you want to be 
 forgiven, you must come and talk to me more. You 
 will like the rest of the people I'm sure when you get to 
 know them. They are very kind to me." 
 
 "And you think I shall like them for that reason?" 
 
 " No, no. How silly you are. But I do want you 
 to be friendly." 
 
 After that there was nothing for it but for me to 
 push myself into a circle where I had the best reasons 
 
SYDNEY, AND WHAT BEFELL ME THERE. 31 
 
 for knowing that half its members did not want me. 
 However, it had its good side. I saw more of Miss 
 Wetherell ; so much more that I began to see her father 
 did not quite approve of it. But, whatever he may 
 have thought, he said nothing to me on the subject. 
 
 A fortnight or so later we were at Aden, leaving that 
 barren rock about four o'clock, and entering the lied 
 Sea the same evening. The Suez Canal passed through, 
 and Port Said behind us, we were in the Mediterra- 
 nean, and for the first time in my life I stood in Eu- 
 rope. 
 
 At Naples the Wetherells were to say good-bye to 
 the boat, and continue the rest of their journey across 
 the Continent. As the hour of separation came closer 
 I must own I began to dread it more and more. And 
 somehow, I fancy, she was not quite as happy as she 
 used to be. You will ask what grounds I had for believ- 
 ing that a girl like Miss Wetherell would feel any interest 
 in me — and it is a question I can no more answer than 
 I can fly. And yet, when I came to think it all out, 
 I was not without my hopes. 
 
 We were to reach port the following morning. The 
 night was very still, the water almost unruffled. Some- 
 how it came about, that Miss Wetherell and I found 
 ourselves together in the same sheltered spot where she 
 had spoken to me before. The stars in the east were 
 just paling preparatory to the rising of the moon. I 
 glanced at my companion as she leant against the rails 
 scanning the quiet sea, and noticed the sweet wistful- 
 ness of her expression. Then, suddenly, a great desire 
 came over me to tell her of my love. Surely, even if 
 she could not return it, there would be no harm in let- 
 ting her know how I felt towards her. For this reason 
 I drew a little closer to her side. 
 
32 A BID FOE POETUNB. 
 
 " And so, Miss Wetherell, to-morrow we are to bid 
 each otber good-bye, never, perhaps, to meet again." 
 
 " Oh, no, Mr. Hatteras, we won't say that. Surely 
 we shall see something of each other somewhere. The 
 world is very tiny after all." 
 
 " To those who desire to avoid each other, perhaps, 
 but for those who wish to find it is still too large." 
 
 "Well, then, we must hope for the best. Who 
 knows but that we may run across each other in London. 
 I think it is very probable." 
 
 " And will that meeting be distasteful to you ? " I 
 asked, quite expecting that she would answer with her 
 usual frankness. But to my surprise she did not 
 speak, only turned half away from me. Had I offended 
 her? 
 
 " Miss Wetherell, pray forgive my rudeness. I 
 ought to have known I had no right to ask you such a 
 question." 
 
 " And why shouldn't you ? " she replied, this time 
 turning her sweet face towards me. " No, Mr. Hatteras, 
 I will tell you frankly, I should very much like to see 
 you again." 
 
 With that all the blood in my body seemed to rush 
 to my head. Could I be dreaming ? Or had she really 
 said she would like to see me again ? I would try my 
 luck now whatever came of it. 
 
 " You cannot think how pleasant our intercourse has 
 been to me," I said. " And now I have to go back to 
 my loneliness again." 
 
 " But you should not say that, you have your work 
 in life ! " 
 
 " Yes, but what is that to me when I have no one to 
 work for? Can you conceive anything more awful than 
 my loneliness? Eemember I am absolutely without 
 
SYDNEY, AND WHAT BEFELL ME THERE. 33 
 
 kith and kin as far as I know. There is not a single 
 soul to care for me in the whole world — not one to 
 whom my death would be a matter of the least con- 
 cern." 
 
 " Oh, don't— don't say that ! " 
 
 Her voice faltered so that I turned from the sea and 
 contemplated her. 
 
 " It is true, Miss Wetherell, bitterly true." 
 
 " It is not true. It cannot be true ! " 
 
 " If only I could think it would be some little matter 
 of concern to you I should go back to my work with a 
 happier heart." 
 
 Again she turned her face from me. My arm lay 
 beside hers upon the bulwarks, and I could feel that she 
 was trembling. Brutal though it may seem to say so, 
 this gave me fresh courage. I said slowly, bending my 
 face a little towards her : 
 
 " Would it affect you, Phyllis ? " 
 
 One little hand fell from the bulwarks to her side, 
 and as I spoke I took possession of it. She did not ap- 
 pear to have heard my question, so I repeated it. Then 
 her head went down upon the bulwarks, but not before 
 I had caught the whispered " yes " that escaped her lips. 
 
 Before she could guess what was going to happen, 
 I had taken her in my arms and smothered her face 
 with kisses. Nor did she offer me any resistance. I 
 knew the whole truth now. She was mine, she loved me 
 — me — me — me ! The whole world seemed to re-echo the 
 news, the very sea appeared to ring with it, and just as 
 I learned from her own dear lips the story of her love, 
 the great moon rose as if to listen. Can you imagine 
 my happiness, my delight? She was mine, my very 
 own! Bound to me by all the bonds of love. Oh, 
 happy hour ! Oh, sweet delight ! 
 
34 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 I pressed her to my heart again and again. She 
 looked into my face and then away from me, her sweet 
 eyes sufEused with tears, then suddenly her expression 
 changed. I turned to see what ailed her, and to my 
 discomfiture discovered her father stalking along the 
 silent deck towards us. 
 
 Whispering to her to leave us, she sped away, and I 
 was left alone with her angry parent. That he was 
 angry I judged from his face ; nor was I wrong. 
 
 " Mr. Hatteras," he said severely, " pray what does 
 this mean ? How is it I find you in this undignified 
 position with my daughter ? " 
 
 " Mr. Wetherell, I can see that an explanation is due 
 to you. Just before you came up I was courageous 
 enough to tell your daughter that I loved her. She has 
 been generous enough to inform me that she returns 
 my affection. And now the best course for me to 
 pursue is to ask your permission to make her my 
 wife." 
 
 " You presume, sir, upon the service you rendered 
 my daughter in Sydney. I did not think you would 
 follow it up in this fashion." 
 
 " Your daughter is free to love whom she pleases, I 
 take it," I said, my temper, fanned by the tone he 
 adopted, getting a little the better of my judgment. 
 " She has been good enough to promise to marry me — 
 if I can obtain your permission. Have you any objec- 
 tion to raise ? " 
 
 "Only one, and that is insuperable! Understand ' 
 me, I forbid it once and for all ! In every particular— 
 without hope of change — I forbid it ! " 
 
 " As you must see it is a matter which afEects the 
 happiness of my whole life, I feel sure you will be good 
 enough to tell me why ? " 
 
SYDNEY, AND WHAT BEFELL ME THERE. 35 
 
 " I must decline any discussion on the matter at all. 
 You have my answer, I forbid it ! " 
 
 " This is to be final, then. I am to understand that 
 you are not to he brought to change your mind by any 
 actions of mine ? " 
 
 " No, sir, I am not ! What I have said is irrevocable. 
 The idea is not to be thought of for a moment. Your 
 conduct towards my daughter on board this ship has 
 been very distasteful to me. I have the honour to wish 
 you a very good evening." 
 
 " Stay, Mr. Wetherell," I said as he turned to go. 
 " You have been kind enough to favour me with your 
 views. Now I will give you mine. Your daughter 
 loves me. I am an honest and an industrious man, and 
 I love her with my whole heart and soul. I tell you 
 now, and though you decline to treat me with proper 
 fairness, I give you warning, I intend to marry her if 
 she will still have me — with your consent or without 
 it!" 
 
 " You are insolent, sir." 
 
 " I assure you I have no desire to be. I endeavour 
 to remember that you are her father, though I must 
 own you lack her sense of what is fair and right." 
 
 "I will not discuss the quePtion any further with 
 you. You know my absolute decision. Good-night ! " 
 
 " Good-night ! " ^ 
 
 With anger and happiness struggling in my breast 
 for the mastery, I paced that deck for hours. My heart 
 swelled with joy at the knowledge that my darling loved 
 me, but it sank like lead when I considered the difficul- 
 ties that threatened us if her father persisted in his pres- 
 ent determination. At last, just as eight bells was strik- 
 ing (twelve o'clock), I went below to my cabin. My 
 fellow-passenger was fast asleep — a fact that I was grate- 
 
36 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 fill for when I discovered propped against my bottle- 
 rack a tiny envelope with my name inscribed upon it. 
 Tearing it open I read the following ; — 
 
 " My own- Deaeest, 
 
 " My father has just informed me of his interview 
 with you. I cannot understand it or ascribe a reason 
 for it. But whatever happens, remember that I will be 
 your wife, and the wife of no other. 
 
 " May God bless and keep you always. 
 " Your own, 
 
 " Phyllis. 
 
 " P. S. — You must let me know your address in 
 London." 
 
 With such a letter under my pillow, can it be 
 doubted that my dreams were good? How little I 
 guessed the troubles to which this introduction was des- 
 tined to be the prelude ! 
 
CHAPTEE II. 
 
 MT FIRST EXPERIENCE IK LONDOK. 
 
 Now I come to think the matter out, I don't know 
 that I could give you any definite idea of what my first 
 impressions of London were. One thing at least is cer- 
 tain, I'd never had experience of anything approaching 
 such a city before, and, between ourselves, I can't say 
 that I ever want to again. The constant rush and roar 
 of traffic, the crowds of people jostling each other on 
 the pavements, the happiness and the misery, the riches 
 and the poverty, all mixed up together in one jumble, 
 like good and bad fruit in a basket, fairly took my 
 breath away ; and when I went down, that first after- 
 noon, and saw the Park in all its summer glory, my 
 amazement can be better imagined than described. 
 
 I could have watched the carriages, horsemen, and 
 promenaders for hours on end without any sense of 
 weariness. And when a bystander, seeing that I was a 
 stranger, took compassion upon my ignorance and con- 
 descended to point out to me the various celebrities, my 
 pleasure was complete. There certainly is no place like 
 London for show and glitter, I'll grant you that ; but 
 all the same I'd no more think of taking up my perma- 
 nent abode in it than I'd try to cross the Atlantic in a 
 Malay sampan. 
 
 Having before I left Sydney been recommended to a 
 
 37 
 
38 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 quiet hotel in a neighbourhood of the Strand, conven- 
 ient both for sight-seeing and my business, I had my 
 luggage conveyed thither, and prepared to make myself 
 comfortable for a time. Every day I waited eagerly for 
 a letter from my sweetheart, but its non-arrival con- 
 vinced me that they had not yet arrived in London. As 
 it turned out later, they had delayed their departure 
 from Naples for two days, and had spent another three 
 in Florence, two in Rome, and a day and a half in 
 Paris. 
 
 But one morning my faithful watch over the letter 
 rack, which was already becoming a standing joke in 
 the hotel, was rewarded. An envelope bearing an Eng- 
 lish stamp and postmark, and addressed in a handwrit- 
 ing that was as familiar to me as my own, stared me in 
 the face. To take it out and break the seal was the 
 work of a moment. It was only a matter of a few lines, 
 but it brought me news that raised me to the seventh 
 heaven of delight. 
 
 They had arrived in London the previous afternoon, 
 were staying at the Hotel Metropole, would leave town 
 for the country at the end of the week, but in the mean- 
 time, if I wished to see her, my sweetheart would be in 
 the entrance hall of the British Museum the following 
 morning at eleven o'clock. 
 
 How I conducted myself in the interval between my 
 receipt of the letter and the time of the appointment, I 
 have not the least remembrance ; I only know that half- 
 past ten, on the following morning, found me pacing 
 up and down the sfreet before that venerable pile, scan- 
 ning with eager eyes every conveyance that approached 
 me from the right or left. The minutes seemed to drag 
 by with a slowness I had never before observed in them, 
 but at length the time arrived. 
 
MY FIRST EXPERIENCE IN LONDON. 39 
 
 A kindly church clock in the neighbourhood struck 
 the hour, and others all round it immediately took up 
 the tale. Before the last stroke had died away a han- 
 som turned towards the gates from Bury Street, and in 
 it, looking the picture of health and dainty beauty, sat 
 the girl who, I had good reason to know, was more than 
 all the world to me. To attract her attention and signal 
 to the driver to pull up was the work of a second, and 
 a minute later I had helped her to alight, and we were 
 strolling together across the square towards the building. 
 
 " Ah, Dick," she said, with a roguish smile, in an- 
 swer to a question of mine, "you don't know what 
 trouble I had to get away this morning. Papa had a 
 dozen places he wished me to go to with him. But 
 when I told him I had some very important business of 
 my own to attend to before I could go calling with him, 
 he was kind enough to let me off." 
 
 " I'll be bound he thought you meant business with 
 a dressmaker," I replied laughing, determined to show 
 her that I was not unversed in the ways of women. 
 
 " I'm afraid that he did," she answered blushing, 
 " and for that very reason alone I feel horribly guilty. 
 But my heart told me I must see you at once, whatever 
 happened." 
 
 Could any man desire a prettier speech than that ? 
 If so, I was not that man. We were inside the building 
 by this time, ascending the great staircase. A number 
 of pretty well-dressed girls were to be seen here and 
 there about the rooms and corridors, but not one who 
 could in any way compare with the fair Australian by 
 my side — at least, not to my thinking. As we entered 
 the long room at the top of the stairs, I thought it a 
 good opportunity to ask the question I had been long- 
 ing to put to her. 
 
40 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 "Phyllis, my sweetlieart," I said, with almost a 
 tremor in my voice, " it is a fortnight now since I spoke 
 to you. You have had plenty of time to consider our 
 position. Have you regretted giving me your love ? " 
 
 We came to a standstill, and leant over a case to- 
 gether, but what it contained I'm sure I haven't the very 
 vaguest idea. 
 
 She looked up into my face with a sweet smile. 
 
 " Not for one single instant, Dick ! Having once 
 given you my love, is it likely I should want it back 
 again?" 
 
 " I don't know. Somehow I can't discover suflBcient 
 reason for your giving it to me at all." 
 
 " Well, be sure I'm not going to tell you. You might 
 grow conceited. Isn't it sufficient that I do love you, and 
 that I am not going to give you up, whatever happens." 
 
 " More than sufficient," I answered solemnly. " But, 
 Phyllis, don't you think I can induce your father to re- 
 lent? Surely as a good parent he must be anxious to 
 promote your happiness at any cost of pain to himself." 
 
 " I can't understand it at all. He has been so devoted 
 to me all my life that his conduct now is quite inexpli- 
 cable. Never once has he denied me anything I really 
 set my heart upon, and he always promised me that I 
 should be allowed to marry whomsoever I wished, pro- 
 vided he was a good and honourable man, and one of 
 whom he could in any way approve. And you are that, 
 Dick, or I shouldn't have loved you, I know." 
 
 " I don't think I'm any worse than the ordinary run 
 of men, dearest, if I am no better. At any rate I love 
 you with a true and honourable love. But don't you 
 think he will come round in time ? " 
 
 " I'm almost afraid not. He referred to it only yes- 
 terday, and seemed quite angry that I should have dared 
 
MY FIRST EXPERIENCE IN LONDON. 41 
 
 to entertain any thought of you after what he said to me 
 on board ship. It was the first time in my life he ever 
 spoke to me in such a tone, and I felt it keenly. No, 
 Dick, there is something behind it all that I cannot 
 understand. Some mystery that I would give anything 
 to fathom. Papa has not been himself ever since we 
 started for England. Indeed, his very reason for com- 
 ing at all is to me a mystery. And now that he is here 
 he seems in one continual dread of meeting somebody — 
 but who that somebody is, and why my father, who has 
 the name and reputation of being such a courageous, 
 determined, honourable man, should be afraid, is a 
 thing I cannot understand." 
 
 " It's all very mysterious and unfortunate. But can 
 nothing be done ? Don't you think if I were to see him 
 again, and put the matter plainly before him, something 
 might be arranged ? " 
 
 " It would be worse than useless at present, I fear. 
 No, you must just leave it to me, and I'll do my best to 
 talk him round. Ever since my mother died I have 
 been as his right hand, and it will be strange if he does 
 not listen to me and see reason in the end." 
 
 Seeing who it was that would plead with him I did 
 not doubt it. 
 
 By this time we had wandered through many rooms, 
 and now found ourselves in the Egyptian Department, 
 surrounded by strange dead folk and weird objects of all 
 sorts and descriptions. There was something almost 
 uncanny about our love-making in such a place, among 
 these men and women whose wooings had been con- 
 ducted ia a country so widely different to ours, and in 
 an age that was dead and gone over two thousand years 
 ere we were born. I spoke of this to Phyllis. She 
 laughed and gave a little shiver. 
 
42 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 " I wonder," she said, looking down on the swathed 
 up figure of a princess of the royal house of Egypt, lying 
 stretched out in the case by which we sat, " if this great 
 lady, who lies so still and silent now, had any trouble 
 with her love affair ? " 
 
 " Perhaps she had more than one beau to her string, 
 and not being allowed to have one took the other," I 
 answered, " though from what we can see of her now she 
 doesn't look as if she were ever capable of much fascina- 
 tion, does she ? " 
 
 As I spoke I looked from the case to the girl and 
 compared the swaddled-up figure with the healthy, liv- 
 ing, lovely creature by my side. But I hadn't much 
 time for comparison. My sweetheart had taken her 
 watch from her pocket and was glancing at it. 
 
 " A quarter to twelve," she cried in alarm. " Oh, 
 Dick, I must be going. I promised to meet papa at 
 twelve, and whatever happens I must not keep him 
 waiting." 
 
 She rose and was about to pull on her gloves. But 
 before she had time to do so I had taken a little case 
 from my pocket and opened it. When she saw what it 
 contained she could not help a little womanly cry of 
 delight. 
 
 " Oh, Dick ! you naughty, extravagant boy ! " 
 
 " Why, dearest ? "Why naughty or extravagant to 
 give the woman I love a little token of my affection ? " 
 As I spoke I slipped the ring over her pretty finger and 
 raised the hand to my lips. 
 
 " Will you try, whenever you look at that ring, to 
 remember that the man who gave it to you loves you 
 with all his heart and soul, and will count no trouble 
 too great, or no hardship too hard, to make you 
 happy?" 
 
MY FIRST EXPERIENCE IN LONDON. 43 
 
 " I will remember," she said solemnly, and when I 
 looked I saw that tears stood in her eyes. She brushed 
 them hastily away, and after an interlude which it 
 hardly becomes me to mention here, we went down 
 the stairs again and out into the street, almost in 
 silence. 
 
 Having called a cab, I placed her in it and almost 
 nervously asked the question that had been some time 
 upon my mind : 
 
 " When shall I see you again ? " 
 
 " I cannot tell. Perhaps next week. But I'll let 
 you know. In the meantime don't despair, all will 
 come right yet ! Good-bye." 
 
 " Good-bye and God bless you ! " 
 
 I lifted my hat, she waved her hand, and next mo- 
 ment the hansom disappeared round the corner. 
 
 I wandered slowly down the pavement towards Oxford 
 Street, then, turning to my left hand, made my way city- 
 wards. My mind was full of my interview with the sweet 
 girl who had just left me, and almost unconsciously, 
 wrapped in my own thoughts, I wandered on and on, 
 until I found myself in a quarter of London into which 
 I had never hitherto penetrated. The streets were nar- 
 row, and, as if to be in keeping with the general air of 
 gloom, the shops were small and of a sordid nature; 
 hand-carts, barrows, and stalls lined the grimy pave- 
 ments, and the noise was deafening. 
 
 A clock in a belfry near by struck " One," and as I 
 was beginning to feel hungry, and knew myself to be a 
 long way from my hotel, I cast about me for a lunching- 
 place. But it was some time before I encountered the 
 class of restaurant I wanted. It was situated at the cor- 
 ner of two streets, carried a foreign name over the door, 
 and, though considerably the worse for wear, had a 
 4 
 
44 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 cleaner appearance than any other I had as yet experi- 
 enced. 
 
 Pushing the door open I entered. An unmistakable 
 Frenchman, whose appearance, however, betokened long 
 residence in England, stood behind a narrow counter 
 polishing an absinthe glass. He bowed politely and 
 asked my business. 
 
 " Have you a lunching-room ? " I asked. 
 
 " Oui, Monsieur ! Cer-tain-lee. If Monsieur will 
 walk upstairs I will take his order ! " 
 
 Waving his hand in the direction of a staircase in the 
 corner of the shop he again bowed elaborately, and, fol- 
 lowing the direction he indicated, I proceeded to the 
 room above. It was long and lofty, commanded an 
 excellent view of both thoroughfares, and was furnished 
 with a few inferior pictures, a much worn oilcloth, half- 
 a-dozen small marble-topped tables, and four times as 
 many chairs. 
 
 When I entered three men were in occupation. 
 Two were playing chess at a side table, while a third, 
 who had evidently no connection with them, was watch- 
 ing the game from a distance, pretending at the same 
 time to be absorbed in his paper. Seating myself at a 
 table near the door, I examined the bill of fare, selected 
 my lunch, and then, to amuse myself while it was pre- 
 paring, fell to scrutinising my companions. 
 
 Of the chess-players, one was a big, burly fellow, 
 with enormous arms, protruding rheumy eyes, a florid 
 complexion, and a voluminous red beard. His oppo- 
 nent was of a much smaller build, with pale features, a 
 tiny moustache, and watery blue eyes. He wore a pince- 
 nez, and from the length of his hair and a dab of crim- 
 son lake upon his shirt cuff, I argued him an artist. 
 
 Leaving the chess players, my eyes lighted on the 
 
MY FIRST EXPERIENCE IN LONDON. 45 
 
 stranger on the other side. He was much more inter- 
 esting. Indeed, I was surprised to see a man of his 
 stamp in the house at all. He was tall and slim, but 
 exquisitely formed and plainly the possessor of enor- 
 mous strength. His head, if only from a phrenological 
 point of view, was a magnificent one, crowned with a 
 wealth of jet black hair. His eyes were dark as night 
 and glittered like those of a snake. His complexion was 
 of a decidedly olive hue, though as he sat in the shadow 
 of the corner, it was difficult to tell this at first sight. 
 
 But what most fascinated me about this curious in- 
 dividual was the interest he was taking in the game 
 that the other men were playing. He kept his eyes 
 fixed on the board continually, looking anxiously from 
 one to the other as a move trembled in the balance, 
 smiling sardonically when his desires were realised, and 
 sighing almost aloud when a mistake occurred. 
 
 Every moment I expected his anxiety or disappoint- 
 ment to find vent in words, but he always managed to 
 control himself in time. When he became excited I 
 noticed that his whole body quivered under its influence, 
 and once when the smaller of the players made an in- 
 judicious move a look flew into his face that was full of 
 such malignant intensity that I'll own I was almost 
 frightened by it. What effect it would have had on the 
 innocent cause of it all, had he seen it, I should have 
 been sorry to conjecture. 
 
 Just as my lunch made its appearance the game 
 arrived at a conclusion, and the taller of the two players, 
 having made a remark in German, rose to leave. It was 
 evident that the smaller man had won, and in an excess 
 of pride, to which I gathered his nature was not alto- 
 gether a stranger, looked round the room as if in de- 
 fiance. 
 
46 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 Doing so, his eyes met those of the man in the cor- 
 ner. I glanced from one to the other, but my gaze 
 rested longest on the face of the smaller man. So fas- 
 cinated did he seem to be by the other's stare that his 
 eyes became set and stony. It was just as if he were 
 mesmerised. The man he looked at rose, approached 
 him, sat down at the table and began to arrange the 
 men on the board without a word. Then he looked up 
 again. 
 
 " May I have the pleasure of giving you a game?" 
 he asked in excellent English, bowing slightly as he 
 spoke, and moving a pawn with his long white fin- 
 gers. 
 
 The little man found voice enough to murmur an 
 appropriate reply and they began their game, while I 
 turned to my lunch. But in spite of myself I found 
 my eyes contimially turning to see what was happening 
 at the other table. And, indeed, it was a curious 
 sight. 
 
 The tall man had thrown himself into the business 
 of the game, heart and soul. He half sat, half crouched 
 over the board, reminding me more of a gigantic hawk 
 hovering over a poultry yard than anything else I can 
 liken him to. 
 
 His eyes were riveted first on the men before him 
 and then on his opponent — his long fingers twitched 
 and twined over each move, and seemed as if they would 
 never release their hold. Not once did he speak, but 
 his attitude was more expressive than any words. 
 
 The effect on the little man, his companion, was 
 overwhelming. He was quite unable to do anything, 
 but sat huddled up in his chair as if terrified by his de- 
 moniacal companion. The result even a child might 
 have foreseen. The tall man won, and the little man, 
 
MY FIRST EXPERIENCE IN LONDON. 47 
 
 only too glad to have come out of the ordeal with a 
 whole skin, seized his hat and, with a half-uttered apol- 
 ogy, daited from the room. 
 
 For a moment or two his extraordinary opponent 
 sat playing with the chessmen. Then he looked up at 
 me and without hesitation said, accompanying his re- 
 mark with a curious smile for which I could not at all 
 account : 
 
 " The limitations of the fool are the birth gifts of 
 the wise ! " 
 
 Not knowing what reply to make to this singular 
 assertion, I wisely held my tongue. This brought about 
 a change in his demeanour ; he rose from his seat, and 
 came across to where I sat. Seating himself in a chair 
 directly opposite me, he folded his hands in his lap, 
 after the manner of a demure old spinster, and, having 
 looked at me earnestly, said with an almost incompre- 
 hensible sweetness of tone : 
 
 " I think you will agree with me, Mr. Hatteras, 
 that half the world is born for the other half to prey 
 upon ! " 
 
 Really he was a most extraordinary man. Now, 
 how on earth did he know ray name ? I stumbled out 
 some sort of reply, which evidently did not impress him 
 very much, for he began again : 
 
 " Our friend who has just left us will most certainly 
 be one of those preyed upon. I pity him because he 
 will not find the smallest grain of pleasure in his life. 
 You, on the other hand, will, unwittingly, be on the 
 other side. Circumstances will arrange that for you. 
 Some have, of course, no desire to prey ; but necessity 
 forces it on them. Yourself, for instance. Some only 
 prey when they are quite sure there will be no manner 
 of risk. Our German friend who played the previous 
 
48 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 game, is an example. Others, again, never lose an op- 
 portunity. Candidly speaking, to which class should 
 you imagine I belong ? " 
 
 He smiled as he put the question, and, his thin lips 
 parting, I could just catch the glitter of the short teeth 
 with which his mouth was furnished. For the third 
 time since I had made his acquaintance I did not know 
 which way to answer. However, I made a shot and 
 said something. 
 
 " I really know nothing about you," I answered. 
 " But from your kindness in giving our artist friend a 
 game, and now in allowing me the benefit of your con- 
 versation, I should say you only prey upon your fellow 
 men when dire extremity drives you to it." 
 
 " And would you be wrong. I am of the last class 
 I named. There is only one sport that is of any interest 
 to me in life, and that is the opportunity of making 
 capital out of my fellow humans. You see, I am candid 
 with you, Mr. Hatteras ! " 
 
 " Pray excuse me. But you know my name ! As I 
 have never, to my knowledge, set eyes on you before, 
 would you mind telling me how you became acquainted 
 with it?" 
 
 " With every pleasure. But before I do so I think 
 it only fair to tell you that you will not believe my ex- 
 planation. And yet it should convince you. At any 
 rate, we'll try. In your right hand top waistcoat pocket 
 you have three cards." Here he leant his head on his 
 hands and shut his eyes. " One is crinkled and torn, 
 but it has written on it in pencil, the name Edward 
 Braithwaite, Macquarrie Street, Sydney. I presume 
 the name is Braithwaite, but the t and e are almost il- 
 legible. The second is rather a high sounding one — the 
 Hon. Sylvester Wetherell, Potts Point, Sydney, New 
 
MY FIRST EXPERIENCE IN LONDON. 49 
 
 South Wales, and the third is, I take it, your own, 
 Richard Hatteras. Am I right ? " 
 
 I put my fingers in my pocket, and drew out what it 
 contained — a half sovereign, a shilling, a small piece of 
 pencil, and three cards. The first, a well-worn piece of 
 pasteboard, bore, surely enough, the name of Edward 
 Braithwaite, and was that of the solicitor with whom I 
 transacted my business in Sydney ; the second was given 
 me by my sweetheart's father the day before we left 
 Australia ; and the third was sure enough my own. 
 
 Was this witchcraft or only some clever conjuring 
 trick ? I asked myself the question, but could give it 
 no satisfactory answer. At any rate you may be sure 
 it did not lessen my respect for my singular compan- 
 ion. 
 
 " Ah ! I am right then ! " he cried exultingly. 
 " Isn't it strange how the love of being right remains 
 with us, when we think we have safely combated every 
 other self-conceit? Well, Mr. Hatteras, I am very 
 pleased to have made your acquaintance. Somehow I 
 seem to think we are destined to meet again — where I 
 cannot say. At any rate, let us hope that that meeting 
 will be as pleasant and successful as this has been." 
 
 But I hardly heard what he said. I was still puz- 
 zling my brains over his extraordinary conjuring trick 
 — for trick I am convinced it was. He had risen and 
 was slowly drawing on his gloves when I spoke. 
 
 " I have been thinking over those cards," I said, 
 " and I am considerably puzzled. How on earth did 
 you know they were there ? " 
 
 " If I told you, you would have no more faith in my 
 powers. So with your permission I will assume the vir- 
 tue of modesty. Call it a conjuring trick, if you like. 
 Many curious things are hidden under that compre- 
 
50 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 hensive teiTn. But that is neither here nor there. Be- 
 fore I go would you like to see one more ? " 
 
 " Very much, indeed, if it's as good as the last ! " I 
 replied. 
 
 In the window stood a large glass dish, half full of 
 water and having a dark brown fly paper floating on 
 the surface. He brought it across to the table at which 
 I sat, and drained the water into a jug near by, leaving 
 the paper sticking to the bottom. 
 
 This done, he took a tiny leather case from his 
 pocket and a small bottle out of that again. From this 
 bottle he poured a few drops of some highly pungent 
 liquid on to the paper, with the result that it grew black 
 as ink and threw off a tiny vapour, which licked the 
 edges of the bowl and curled upwards in a faint spiral 
 column. 
 
 "There, Mr. Hatteras, this is a — well, a trick — I 
 learned from an old woman in Benares. It is a better 
 one than the last and will repay your interest. If you 
 will look on that paper for a moment, and try to con- 
 centrate your attention, you will see something that 
 will, I think, astonish you." 
 
 Hardly believing that I should see anything at all 
 I looked. But for some seconds without success. My 
 scepticism, however, soon left me. I saw only the coarse 
 grain of the paper and the thin vapour rising from it. 
 Then the knowledge that I was gazing into a dish van- 
 ished. I forgot my companion and the previous con- 
 juring trick, I saw only a picture opening out before 
 me — that of a handsomely furnished room, and a girl 
 sitting in an easy chair crying as if her heart were 
 breaking. The room I had never seen before, but the 
 girl I should have known among a thousand. It was 
 Phyllis, my sweetheart ! 
 
MY FIRST EXPERIENCE IN LONDON. 51 
 
 I looked and looked, and as I gazed at her, I heard 
 her call my name. " Oh, Dick ! Dick ! come to me ! " 
 Instantly I sprang to my feet, meaning to cross the 
 room to her. Next moment I was aware of a loud 
 crash. The scene vanished, my senses came back to 
 me, and to my astonishment I found myself standing 
 alongside the overturned restaurant table. The glass 
 dish lay on the floor shattered into a thousand frag- 
 ments. My friend, the conjurer, had disappeared. 
 
 Having righted the table again, I went downstairs 
 and explained my misfortune. When I had paid my 
 bill I took my departure, more troubled in mind than I 
 cared to confess. That it was only what he had called 
 it, a conjuring trick, I felt I ought to be certain, but 
 still it was clever and uncanny enough, I must own, to 
 render me very uncomfortable. 
 
 In vain I tried to drive the remembrance of the 
 scene from my brain, but it would not be dispelled. At 
 length, to satisfy myself, I resolved that if the memory 
 of it remained with me so vividly in the morning I 
 would take the bull by the horns and call at the M6tro- 
 pole to make enquiries. 
 
 I returned to my hotel in time for dinner, but still 
 I could not rid myself of the feeling of approaching 
 calamity. Having sent my meal away almost un- 
 touched, I called a hansom and drove to the nearest 
 theatre, but the picture of Phyllis crying and calling 
 for me in vain kept me company throughout the per- 
 formance, and brought me home miserable at the con- 
 clusion. All night long I dreamed of it, seeing the 
 same picture again and again, and hearing the same 
 despairing cry, " Oh, Dick ! Dick ! come to me ! " 
 
 In the morning there was only one thing to be done. 
 Accordingly, after breakfast I set off to make sure that 
 
63 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 nothing was the matter. On the way I tried to reason 
 with myself. I asked how it was that I, Dick Hatteras, 
 a man who thought he knew the world, should have 
 been so impressed with a bit of wizardry as to be willing 
 to risk making a fool of myself before the two last peo- 
 ple in the world I wanted to think me one. Once I 
 was almost tempted to turn back, but while the inten- 
 tion held me the picture rose before my mind's eye 
 again, and on I went more determined to solve the 
 mystery than before. 
 
 Arriving at the hotel, I paid my cabman off, and 
 entered the hall. A gorgeously caparisoned porter stood 
 on the steps, and of him I enquired where I could find 
 Miss Wetherell. Imagine my surprise when he re- 
 plied : 
 
 " Thtiy^ve left, sir. Started yesterday afternoon, 
 guite suddenly, for Paris, on their way back to Aus- 
 tralia ! " 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE HOME OF MY ANCESTORS. 
 
 For the moment I could hardly believe my own 
 ears. Gone ? When had they gone ? Where had they 
 gone? Why had they gone? What could have in- 
 duced them to leave England so suddenly ? I endeav- 
 oured to question the hall porter on the subject, but he 
 could tell me nothing save that they had departed for 
 Paris on the previous day, intending to proceed across 
 the Continent in order to catch the first Australian boat 
 at Naples. 
 
 Feeling that I should only look ridiculous if I stayed 
 cross-questioning the man any longer, I pressed a tip 
 into his hand and went slowly back to my own hotel to 
 try and think it all out. But though I devoted some 
 hours to a consideration of it, I could arrive at no satis- 
 factory conclusion. The one vital point remained and 
 was not to be disputed — they were gone. But that 
 evening brought me enlightenment in the shape of a 
 letter, written in London and posted in Dover. It ran 
 
 as follows : 
 
 " Monday Afternook. 
 
 " My owk Dearest — Something terrible has hap- 
 pened to papa ! I cannot tell you what, because I do 
 not know myself. He went out this morning in the 
 best of health and spirits, and returned half an hour 
 ago trembling like a leaf and white as a sheet. He 
 
54 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 had only strength, enough left to reach a chair in my 
 sitting-room before he fainted dead away. When he 
 came to himself again he said, ' Tell your maid to pack 
 at once. There is not a moment to lose. We start for 
 Paris this evening to catch the next boat leaving Naples 
 for Australia.' I said, ' But, papa ! ' ' Not a word,' he 
 answered. ' I have seen somebody this morning whose 
 presence renders it impossible for us to remain an in- 
 stant longer in England. Go and pack at once unless 
 you wish my death to lie at your door.' After that I 
 could, of course, do nothing. I have packed, and now, 
 in half an hour, we leave England again. If I could 
 only see you to say good-bye, but that, too, is impossi- 
 ble. I cannot tell you what it all means, but that it is 
 very serious business that takes us away so suddenly I 
 feel convinced. My father seems frightened to remain 
 in London a minute longer than he can help. He even 
 stands at the window as I write, earnestly scrutinis- 
 ing everybody who enters the hotel. And now, my 
 own " 
 
 But what follows, the reiterations of her affection, 
 her vows to be true to me, etc., could have no possible 
 interest for anyone save lovers. And even those I have, 
 unfortunately, not the leisure now to gratify. ' 
 
 I sat like one stunned. All enjoyment seemed sud- 
 denly to have gone out of life for me. I could only 
 sit twirling the paper in my hand and picturing the 
 train flying remorselessly across France, bearing away 
 from me the girl I loved better than all the world. I 
 went to the Park, but the scene there had no longer any 
 interest in my eyes. I went later on to a theatre, but I 
 found no enjoyment in the piece performed. London 
 had suddenly become distasteful to me. I must get out 
 
THE HOME OP MY ANCESTORS. 55 
 
 of it, but where could I go ? Evei-y place was alike in 
 my present humour. Then one of the original motives 
 of my journey rose before me. And I determined to act 
 on the suggestion. 
 
 Next morning I set ofE for Hampshire to try, if 
 possible, to find my father's old home. What sort of 
 a place it would turn out to be I had not the very re- 
 motest idea. But I'd got the address by heart, and, 
 with the help of a Bradshaw, for that place I steered. 
 
 Leaving the train at Lyndhurst Eoad — for the village 
 I was in search of was situated in the heart of the New 
 Forest — I hired a ramshackle conveyance from the near- 
 est innkeeper and started off for it. The man who 
 drove me had lived, so he found early occasion to inform 
 me, in the neighbourhood all his seventy odd years, and 
 it struck him as a humorous circumstance that he had 
 never even been as far as Southampton, a matter of 
 only a few miles by road and ten minutes by rail, in his 
 life. 
 
 And that self-same sticking at home is one of the 
 things about England and Englishmen that for the life 
 of me I cannot understand. It seems to me — of course, 
 I don't put it forward that I'm right — that a man might 
 just as well be dead as only know God's world for twenty 
 miles around him. It argues a poverty of interest in 
 the rest of creation, I reckon — a sort of mud turtle ex- 
 istence that's neither encouraging nor particularly orna- 
 mental. And yet if everybody went a-travelling where 
 would the prosperity of England be ? That's a point 
 against my argument, I must confess. 
 
 Well, perhaps we'd travelled a matter of two miles 
 when it struck me to ask my charioteer about the 
 place to which we were proceeding, just to find out 
 what he knew about it. Thinks I, perhaps the old 
 
56 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 party may once have known my father. I'll try him. 
 Waiting till he had passed a load of hay coming along 
 the lane, I put the question to him. 
 
 To my surprise he no sooner heard the name than 
 he became as excited as it was possible for him to be. 
 
 " Hatteras ! Be ye a Hatteras ? Well, well, now, 
 dearie me, who'd ha' thought it ! " 
 
 " Do you know the name so well, then ? " 
 
 " Ay ! ay ! I know the name well enough ; who 
 doesn't in these parts? There was the old Squire and 
 Lady Margaret when first I remember. Then Squire 
 Jasper and his son, the captain, as was killed in a mu- 
 tiny in foreign parts — and Master James " 
 
 " James — that was my father's name. James Dy- 
 moke Hatteras." 
 
 " You Master James' son — you don't say ! Well ! 
 well ! Now to think of that too ! Him that ran away 
 from home after words with the Squire and went to 
 foreign parts. Who'd have thought it ! Lawksee me ! 
 Sir William will be right down glad to see ye, I'll be 
 bound." 
 
 " Sir William, and who's Sir William ? " 
 
 " He's the only one left now, sir. Lives up at the 
 House. Ah, dear ! Ah, dear ! There's been a power 
 o' trouble in the family these years past." 
 
 By this time the aspect of the country was changing. 
 We had left the lane behind us, ascended a short hill, 
 and were now descending it again through what looked 
 to my eyes more like a stately avenue than a public 
 road. Beautiful elms reared themselves on either hand 
 and intermingled their branches overhead ; while before 
 us, through a gap in the foliage, we could Just make out 
 the winding river, the thatched roofs of the village of 
 which we had come in search lining its banks, and the 
 
THE HOME OP MY ANCESTORS. 57 
 
 old grey tower of the church keeping watch and ward 
 over all. 
 
 There was to my mind something indescribably 
 peaceful and even sad about that view, a mute sympathy 
 with the Past that I could hardly account for, seeing 
 that I was Colonial born and bred. For the first time 
 since my arrival in England the real beauty of the place 
 came home upon me. I felt as if I could have looked 
 for ever on that quiet and peaceful spot. 
 
 When we reached the bottom of the hill, and had 
 turned the corner, a broad, well-made stone bridge con- 
 fronted us. On the other side of this was an old- 
 fashioned country inn, with its signboard dangling 
 from the house front, and opposite it again a dilapi- 
 dated cottage lolling beside two iron gates. The gates 
 were eight feet or more in height, made of finely 
 wrought iron, and supported by big stone posts, on the 
 top of which two stone animals, griffins, I believe they 
 are called, holding shields in their claws, looked down 
 in ferocious grandeur. From behind the gates an ave- 
 nue wound and disappeared into the wood. 
 
 Without consulting me, my old charioteer drove into 
 the inn yard, and, having thrown the reins to an ostler, 
 descended from the vehicle. I followed his example, 
 and then enquired the name of the place inside the 
 gates. My guide, philosopher, and friend looked at me 
 rather queerly for a second or two, and then recollect- 
 ing that I was a stranger in the place, said : 
 
 " That be the Hall I was telling 'ee about. That's 
 where Sir William lives ! " 
 
 " Then that's where my father was born ? " 
 
 He nodded his head, and as he did so I noticed that 
 the ostler stopped his work of unharnessing the horse, 
 and looked at me in rather a surprised fashion. 
 
68 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 " Well, that being so," I said, taking my stick from 
 the trap, and preparing to stroll off, " I'm just going 
 to investigate a bit. You bring yourself to an anchor in 
 yonder, my friend, and don't stir till I come for you 
 again." 
 
 He took himself off without more ado, and I crossed 
 the road towards the gates. They were locked, but the 
 little entrance by the tumble-down cottage stood open, 
 and passing through this I started up the drive. It was 
 a perfect afternoon ; the sunshine straggled in through 
 the leafy canopy overhead and danced upon my path. 
 To the right were the thick fastnesses of the preserves ; 
 while on the left, across the meadows I could discern 
 the sparkle of water on the weir. I must have pro- 
 ceeded for nearly a mile through the wood before I 
 caught sight of the house. 
 
 Then, what a strange experience was mine. Leav- 
 ing the shelter of the trees, I opened on to the most 
 superb park the mind of man could imagine. A herd 
 of deer were grazing quietly just before me, a woodman 
 was eating his dinner in the shadow of an oak ; but it 
 was not upon deer or woodman that I looked, but rather 
 at the house that stared at me across the undulating sea 
 of grass. 
 
 It was a noble building, of grey stone, in shape al- 
 most square, with many curious buttresses and angles. 
 The drive ran up to it in a grand sweep, and upon the 
 green that fronted it some big trees reared their stately 
 heads. In my time I'd heard a lot of talk about the 
 stately homes of England, but this was the first time I'd 
 ever set eyes on one. And to think that this was my 
 father's birthplace, the place where my family had lived 
 for centuries. I could only stand and stare at it in 
 sheer amazement. 
 
THE HOME OP MY ANCESTORS. 59 
 
 You see, my father had always been a very silent 
 man, and though he used sometimes to tell us yarns 
 about scrapes he'd got into as a boy ; how his father 
 was a very stern man, and had sent him to a public 
 school, because his tutor found him unmanageable, we 
 never thought that he'd been anything very much in 
 the old days — at any rate, not one of such a family as 
 owned this house. To tell the truth, I felt a bit doubt- 
 ful as to what I'd better do. 
 
 Somehow I was rather nervous about going up to 
 the house and introducing myself as a member of the 
 family without any credentials to back my assertion up ; 
 and yet, on the other hand, I didn't want to go away 
 and have it always rankling in my mind that I'd seen 
 the old place and been afraid to go inside. My mind 
 once made up, however, ofE I went, crossed the park, 
 and made towards the front. On nearer approach, I 
 discovered that everything wore the same air of neglect 
 I had noticed at the lodge. The drive was overgrown 
 with weeds ; no carriage seemed to have passed along it 
 for ages. Shutters enclosed many of the windows, and 
 where they did not, not one but several of the panes 
 were broken. Entering the great stone porch, in which 
 it would have been possible to seat a score of people, I 
 pulled the antique door-bell, and waited, while the peal 
 re-echoed down the corridors, for the curtain to go up 
 on the next scene in my domestic drama. 
 
 Presently I heard footsteps approaching. A lock 
 turned, and the great door swung open. An old man, 
 whose years could hardly have totalled less than seventy, 
 stood before me, dressed in a suit of solemn black, al- 
 most green with age. He inquired my business in a 
 wheezy whisper. In reply I asked if Sir William Hat- 
 teras were at home. Informing me that he would find 
 e 
 
60 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 out, he left me to cool my heels where I stood, and to 
 ruminate on the queerness of my position. In five 
 minutes or so he returned and signed me to follow him. 
 
 The hall was in keeping with the outside of the 
 building, lofty and imposing. The floor was of oak, 
 almost black with age, the walls were beautifully wain- 
 scoted and carved, and here and there tall armoured 
 figures looked down upon me in disdainful silence. 
 But the crowning glory of all was the magnificent stair- 
 case that ran up from the centre. It was wide enough 
 and strong enough to take a coach and four, the pillars 
 that supported it were exquisitely carved, as were the 
 banisters and rails. Half-way up was a sort of land- 
 ing, from which again the stairs branched off to right 
 and left. 
 
 Above this landing-place, and throwing a lovely light 
 down into the hall, was a magnificent stained-glass 
 window, and on a lozenge in the centre of it the arms 
 that had so much puzzled me on the gateway. A nobler 
 hall no one could wish to possess, but brooding over it 
 was the same air of poverty and neglect I had noticed 
 all about the place. By the time I had taken in these 
 things, my guide had reached a door at the farther end. 
 Pushing it open he signed to me to enter, and I did so, 
 to find a tall, elderly man of stern aspect awaiting my 
 coming. 
 
 He, like his servant, was dressed entirely in black, 
 with the exception of a white tie, which gave his figure 
 a semi-clerical appearance. His face was long and 
 somewhat pinched, his chin and upper lip were shaven, 
 and his snow-white, close-cropped whiskers ran in two 
 straight lines from his jaw up to level with his piercing, 
 hawk-like eyes. He would probably have been about 
 seventy-five years of age, but he did not carry it well. 
 
THE HOME OP MY ANCESTORS. 61 
 
 In a low, monotonous voice he bade me welcome, and 
 pointed to a chair, himself remaining standing. 
 
 " My servant tells me you say your name is Hat- 
 teras ? " 
 
 " That is so. My father was James Dymoke Hat- 
 teras." 
 
 He looked at me very sternly for almost a minute, 
 not for a second betraying the slightest sign of surprise. 
 Then putting his hands together, finger tip to finger tip, 
 as I discovered later was his invariable habit while think- 
 ing, he said solemnly : 
 
 " James was my younger brother. He misconducted 
 himself gravely in England and was sent abroad. After 
 a brief career of spendthrift extravagance in Australia, 
 we never heard of him again. You may be his son, but 
 then on the other hand, of course, you may not. I have 
 no means of judging." 
 
 " I give you my word," I answered, a little nettled 
 by his speech and the insinuation contained in it, " but 
 if you want further proof I've got a Latin book in my 
 portmanteau with my father's name upon the fly leaf, 
 and an inscription in his own writing setting forth that 
 it was given by himself to me." 
 
 "A Catullus?" 
 
 " Exactly ! a Catullus." 
 
 " Then I'll have to trouble you to return it to me at 
 your earliest convenience. The book is my property : I 
 paid eighteen -pence for it about eleven o'clock a. m. on 
 the 3rd of July, 1833, in the shop of John Burns, Fleet 
 Street, London. My brother took it from me a week 
 later, and I have not been able to afford myself another 
 copy since." 
 
 " You admit then that the book is evidence of my 
 father's identity ? " 
 
62 A BID FOE FORTUNE. 
 
 " I admit nothing. What do you want with me ? 
 What do you come here for ? You must see for your- 
 self that I am too poor to be of any service to you, and I 
 have long since lost any public interest I may once have 
 possessed." 
 
 " I want neither one nor the other. I am an Aus- 
 tralian, and I have a sufficient competence to render me 
 independent of anyone." 
 
 " Ah ! That puts a different complexion on the mat- 
 ter. You say you hail from Australia ? And what may 
 you have been doing there ? " 
 
 " Gold-mining — pearling— h^che-de-mering ! " 
 
 He came a step closer, and as he did so I noticed that 
 his face had assumed a look of indescribable cunning 
 that was evidently intended to be of an ingratiating na- 
 ture. He spoke in little jerks, pressing his fingers to- 
 gether between each sentence. 
 
 " Gold-mining ! Ah ! And pearling ! Well, well ! 
 And I suppose you have been fortunate in your adven- 
 tures?" 
 
 " Very ! " I replied, having by this time determined 
 on my line of action. " I daresay my cheque for ten 
 thousand pounds would not be dishonoured by the Bank 
 of England." 
 
 " Ten thousand pounds ! Ten thousand pounds ! 
 Dear me, dear me ! " 
 
 He shuffled up and down the dingy room, all the time 
 looking at me out of the corner of his eyes, as if to make 
 sure that I was telling him the truth. 
 
 " Come, come, uncle," I said, resolving to bring him 
 to his bearings without further waste of time. " This is 
 not a very genial welcome to the son of a long lost 
 brother ! " 
 
 " Well, well, you mustn't expect too much, my boy ! 
 
THE HOME OP MY ANCESTORS. 63 
 
 You see for yourself the position I'm in. The old place 
 shut up, going to rack and ruin. Poverty staring me in 
 the face ; cheated by everybody. Robbed right and 
 left, not knowing which way to turn. But I'll not be 
 put upon. They may call me what they please, but they 
 can't get blood out of a stone. Can they ? Answer me 
 that now ! " 
 
 I began to see it all as plain as a pikestaff. I mean, 
 of course, the reason of the deserted and neglected 
 house, and his extraordinary behaviour. I rose to my 
 feet. 
 
 " Well, uncle — for my uncle you certainly are, what- 
 ever you may say to the contrary — I must be going. 
 I'm sorry to find you like this, and from what you tell 
 me I couldn't think of worrying you with my society ! 
 I want to see the old church and have a talk with the 
 parson, and then I shall go ofE never to trouble you 
 again." 
 
 • He immediately became almost fulsome in his effort 
 to detain me. 
 
 " No, no ! You mustn't go like that. It's not hos- 
 pitable. Besides, you mustn't talk with parson. He's 
 a bad lot is parson — a hard man with a cruel tongue. 
 Says terrible things about me does parson. But I'll be 
 even with him yet. Don't speak to him, laddie, for the 
 honour of the family. Now ye'll stay and take lunch 
 with me — potluck, of course — I'm too poor to give ye 
 much of a meal ; and in the meantime I'll show ye the 
 house and estate." 
 
 This was just what I wanted, though I did not look 
 forward with very much pleasure to the prospect of 
 lunch in his company. 
 
 With trembling hands he took down an old-fashioned 
 hat from a peg and turned towards the door. When we 
 
64 A BID FOR POETUNE. 
 
 had passed througli it he carefully locked it and dropped 
 the key into his breeches pocket. Then he led the way 
 upstairs by the beautiful oak stair case I had so much ad- 
 mired on entering the house. 
 
 When we reached the first landing, which was of 
 noble proportions and must have contained upon its 
 walls nearly a hundred family portraits all coated with 
 the dust of years, he approached a door and threw it 
 open. A feeble light straggled in through the closed 
 shutters, and revealed an almost empty room. In the 
 centre stood a large canopied bed, of antique design. 
 The walls were wainscoted, and the massive chimney- 
 piece was carved with heraldic designs. I enquired 
 what room this might be. 
 
 " This is where all our family were born," he an- 
 swered. " 'Twas here your father first saw the light of 
 day." 
 
 I looked at it with a new interest. It seemed hard 
 to believe that this was the birthplace of my own father, 
 the man whom I remembered so well in a place and life 
 so widely different. My companion noticed the look 
 upon my face, and, I suppose, felt constrained to say 
 something. 
 
 " Ah ! James ! " he said sorrowfully. " Ye were 
 always a giddy, roving lad. I remember ye well." (He 
 passed his hand across his eyes, to brush away a tear, I 
 thought, but his next speech disabused me of any such 
 notion.) " I remember that but a day or two before ye 
 went ye blooded my nose in the orchard, and the very 
 morning ye decamped ye borrowed half-a-crown of me, 
 and never paid it back." 
 
 A sudden instinct prompted me to put my hand in 
 my pocket. I took out half-a-crown, and handed it to 
 him without a word. He took it, looked at it longingly, 
 
THE HOME OP MY ANCESTORS. 55 
 
 put it in his pocket, took it out again, ruminated a mo- 
 ment, and then reluctantly handed it back to me. 
 
 " Nay, nay ! my laddie, keep your money, keep your 
 money. Ye can send me the Catullus." Then to him- 
 self, unconscious that he was speaking his thoughts 
 aloud. " It was a good edition, and I have no doubt 
 would bring five shillings any day." 
 
 From one room we passed into another, and yet an- 
 other. They were all alike — shut up, dust-ridden, and 
 forsaken. And yet with it all what a noble place it was 
 — one which any man might be proud to call his own. 
 And to think that it was all going to rack and ruin be- 
 cause of the miserly nature of its owner. In the course 
 of our ramble I discovered that he kept but two servants, 
 the old man who had admitted me to his presence and 
 his wife, who, as that peculiar phrase has it, cooked and 
 did for him. I discovered later that he had not paid 
 either of them wages for some years past, and that they 
 only stayed on with him because they were too poor and 
 proud to seek shelter elsewhere. 
 
 When we had inspected the house we left it by a side 
 door and crossed a courtyard to the stables. There the 
 desolation was, perhaps, even more marked than before. 
 The great clock on the tower above the main building 
 had stopped at a quarter to ten on some long-forgotten 
 day, and a spider now ran his web from hand to hand. 
 
 At our feet, between the stones, grass grew luxuri- 
 antly, thick moss covered the coping of the well, the 
 doors were almost ofE their hinges, and rats scuttled 
 through the empty loose boxes at our approach. So 
 large was the place, that thirty horses might have found 
 a lodging comfortably, and as far as I could gather, there 
 was room for half as many vehicles in the coach-houses 
 that bordered either side. The intense quiet was only 
 
QQ A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 broken by the cawing of the rooks in the giant elms 
 overhead, the squeaking of the rats, and the low grum- 
 bling of my uncle's voice as he pointed out the ruin that 
 was creeping over everything. 
 
 Before we had finished our inspection it was lunch 
 time, and we returned to the house. The meal was 
 served in the same room in which I had made my rela- 
 tive's acquaintance an hour before. It consisted, I dis- 
 covered, of two meagre mutton chops and some home- 
 made bread and cheese, plain and substantial fare enough 
 in its way, but hardly the sort one would expect from 
 the owner of such a house. For a beverage water was 
 placed before us, but I could see that my host was de- 
 liberating as to whether he should stretch his generosity 
 a point or two further. 
 
 Presently he rose, and with a muttered apology left 
 the room, to return five minutes later carrying a small 
 bottle carefully in his hand. This, with much delibera- 
 tion and no small amount of sighing, he opened. It 
 proved to be claret, and he poured out a glassful for me. 
 As I was not prepared for such liberality, I thought 
 something must be behind it, and in this I was not mis- 
 taken. 
 
 " Nephew," said he, " was it ten thousand pounds 
 you mentioned as the amount of your fortune ? " 
 
 I nodded. He looked at me shyly and cleared his 
 throat to gain time for reflection. Then seeing that I 
 had emptied my glass, he refilled it with another scarce 
 concealed sigh, and leant back in his chair. 
 
 " And I understand you to say you are quite alone 
 in the world, my boy ? " 
 
 " Quite ! Until I met you this morning I was un- 
 aware that I had a single relative on earth. Have I any 
 more connections ? " 
 
THE HOME OP MY ANCESTORS. 6Y 
 
 " Not a soul — only Gwendoline." 
 
 " Gwendoline ! " I cried, " and who may Gwendo- 
 line be?" 
 
 " My daughter — your cousin. My only child ! 
 Would you like to see her ? " 
 
 " I had no idea you had a daughter. Of course I 
 should like to see her ! " 
 
 He left the table and rang the bell. The ancient 
 man-servant answered the summons. 
 
 " Tell your wife to bring Miss Gwendoline to us." 
 
 " Miss Gwendoline here, sir ? You do not mean it 
 sure-lie, sir?" 
 
 " Numbskull ! Numbskull ! Numbskull ! " cried the 
 old fellow in an ecstasy of fury that seemed to spring 
 up as suddenly as a squall between the islands, " bring 
 her without another word or I'll be the death of you." 
 
 Without further remonstrance the old man left the 
 room, and I demanded an explanation. 
 
 " Good servant, but an impudent rascal, sir ! Of 
 course you must see my daughter, my beautiful daughter 
 Gwendoline. He's afraid you'll frighten her, I sup- 
 pose ! Ha ! ha ! Frighten my bashful pretty one. 
 Ha! ha!" 
 
 Anything so supremely devilish as the dried-up 
 mirth of this old fellow it would be impossible to im- 
 agine. His very laugh seemed as if it had to crack in 
 his throat before it could pass his lips. What could his 
 daughter be like, living in such a house, with such com- 
 panions ? AVhile I was wondering I heard footsteps in 
 the corridor, and then an old woman entered and curt- 
 seyed respectfully. My host rose and went over to the 
 fireplace, where he stood with his hands behind his back 
 and the same devilish grin upon his face. 
 
 " Well, where is my daughter ? " 
 
68 A BID FOR FORTUNE, 
 
 " Sir, do yon really mean it ? " 
 
 " Of course, I mean it. Where -is she ? " 
 
 In answer the old lady went to the door and called 
 to someone in the hall. 
 
 " Come in, dearie. It's all right. Come in, do'ee 
 now, that's a little dear." 
 
 But the girl made no sign of entering, and at last 
 the old woman had to go out and draw her in. And 
 then — but I hardly know how to write it. How shall I 
 give a proper description of the — thing that entered. 
 
 She — if she it could be called — was about three feet 
 high, dressed in a shapeless print costume. Her hair 
 stood and hung in a tangled mass on her head, her eyes 
 were too large for her face, and a great patch of beard 
 grew on one cheek, descending almost to a level with 
 her chin. Her features were all awry, and now and 
 again she uttered little moans that were more like those 
 of a wild beast than of a human being. In spite of the 
 old woman's endeavours to make her do so, she would 
 not venture from her side, but stood slobbering aad 
 moaning in the half dark of the doorway. 
 
 It was a ghastly sight, and one that nearly turned mc 
 sick with loathing. But the worst part of it all was the 
 inhuman merriment of her father. 
 
 " There, there ! " he cried ; " had ever man such a 
 lovely daughter ? Isn't she a beauty ? Isn't she fit to 
 be a prince's bride ? Isn't she fit to be the heiress of all 
 this place ? Won't the young dukes be asking her hand 
 in marriage ? Oh, you beauty ! You — -but there, take 
 her away — take her away, I say, before I do her a mis- 
 chief." 
 
 The words had no sooner left his mouth than the 
 old woman seized her charge and bundled her out of 
 the room, moaning as before. I can tell you there was 
 
THE HOME OP MY ANCESTORS. gg 
 
 at least one person in that apartment who was heartily 
 glad to be rid of her. 
 
 When the door had closed upon them my host came 
 back to his seat, and with another sigh refilled my 
 glass. I wondered what was coming now. It was not 
 long, however, before I found out. 
 
 " Now you know everything ! You have seen my 
 home, you have seen my poverty, and you have seen my 
 daughter. What -do you think of it all ? " 
 
 " I don't know what to think ! " 
 
 " Well, then I'll tell you. That child wants doctors ; 
 that child wants proper attendance. She can get 
 neither here. I am too poor to help her in any way. 
 You're rich by your own telling. I have to-day taken 
 you into the bosom of my family, recognised you with- 
 out doubting your assertions. Will you help me ? Will 
 you give one thousand pounds towards settling that 
 child in life? With two thousand it could be man- 
 aged?" 
 
 "Will I what?" I cried in utter amazement — dumb- 
 founded by his impudence. 
 
 " Will you settle one thousand pounds upon her, to 
 keep her out of her grave ? " 
 
 " Not one penny !" I cried ; "you miserable, miserly 
 old wretch. And, what's more, I'll give you a bit of my 
 mind." 
 
 And thereupon I did ! Such a talking to as he'd 
 never had in his life before, and one he'd not be likely 
 to forget in a hurry. He sat all the time, white with 
 fury, his eyes blazing, and his fingers quivering with 
 impotent rage. When I had done he ordered me out 
 of his house. I took him at his word, seized my hat 
 and strode across the hall through the front door, and 
 out into the open air. 
 
70 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 But I was not to leave the home of my ancestors 
 without a parting shot. As I closed the front door be- 
 hind me I heard a window go up, and on looking round 
 there was the old fellow shaking his fist at me from the 
 second floor. 
 
 " Leave my house — leave my park, or I'll send for 
 the constable to turn you off. Bah ! You came to 
 steal. You're no nephew of mine ; I disown you. 
 You're a common cheat — a swindler — an impostor ! 
 Go!" 
 
 I went. And, leaving the park, walked straight 
 across to the rectory and enquired if I might see the 
 clergyman. To him I told my tale, and, among other 
 things, asked if anything could be done for the child — 
 my cousin. He only shook his head. 
 
 " I fear it is hopeless, Mr. Hatteras. The old gentle- 
 man is a terrible character, and as he owns half the vil- 
 lage, and every acre of the land hereabouts, we all live in 
 fear and trembling of him. We have no shadow of a 
 claim upon the child, and unless we can prove that he 
 actually illtreats it, I am sorry to say I think there is 
 nothing to be done." 
 
 So ended my first meeting with my father's family. 
 
 Prom the rectory I returned to my inn. What 
 should I do ? London was a desert to me now that my 
 sweetheart was gone, and every other place seemed as 
 bad. Then an advertisement on the wall of the bar par- 
 lour caught my ej'e : 
 
 " Foe, Sale oe Hike, 
 
 THE YACHT, "ENCHANTRESS." 
 
 Ten Tons. 
 
 Apply, Screw & Matchem, Bournemouth." 
 
THE HOME OP MY ANCESTORS. 71 
 
 It was just the very thing. I was pining for a 
 breath of sea air again. It was perfect weather for a 
 cruise. I would go to Bournemouth and inspect the 
 yacht at once, and, if she suited me, take her for a 
 month or so. My mind made up, I routed out my Jehu, 
 and set ofE for the train, never dreaming that by so 
 doing I was taking the second step in that important 
 chain of events that was to affect all the future of my 
 life. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 I SATE AN IMPDETANT LIFE. 
 
 To a man whose life has been spent in the uttermost 
 parts of the earth, amid barbaric surroundings, and in 
 furtherance of work of a kind that the civilised world 
 usually denominates dangerous, the seaside life of Eng- 
 land must aSord scope for wonderment and no small 
 amount of thoughtful consideration. And certainly if 
 there is one place more than another where, winter and 
 summer alike, amid every sort of luxury, the modern 
 Englishman may be seen relaxing his cares and increas- 
 ing his energies, the name of that place is Bournemouth. 
 Built up amid pine-woods — its beauties added to in every 
 fashion known to the fertile brain of man, Bournemouth 
 stands, to my mind, pre-eminent in the list of British 
 watering-places. 
 
 Leaving Lyndhurst Eoad, I travelled to this excellent 
 place by a fast train, and immediately on arrival made 
 my way to the office of Messrs. Screw & Matchem with 
 a view to instituting enquiries regarding the yacht they 
 had advertised for hire. It was with the senior partner 
 I transacted my business, and a shrewd but pleasant 
 gentleman I found him. 
 
 Upon making known my business to him, he brought 
 me a photograph of the craft in question, and certainly 
 a nice handy boat she looked. She had been built, he 
 
I SAVE AN IMPORTANT LIFE. ^3 
 
 went on to inform me, for a young nobleman, who had 
 made two very considerable excursions in her before he 
 had been compelled to fly the country, and was only 
 three years old. I learned also that she was lying in 
 Poole harbour, but he was good enough to say that if I 
 wished to see her she would be brought round to Bourne- 
 mouth the following morning, when I could inspect her 
 at my leisure. As this arrangement was one that exactly 
 suited me, I closed with it there and then, and thanking 
 Mr. Matchem for his courtesy, betook myself to my 
 hotel. Having dined, I spent the evening upon the pier 
 — the first of its kind I had ever seen — listened to the 
 band, and, if the truth must be told, diverted myself 
 with thoughts of her to whom I had plighted my troth 
 and whose unexpected departure from England had 
 been such a sudden and bitter disappointment to me. 
 
 Next morning, faithful to promise, the Enchantress 
 sailed into the bay and came to an anchor within a 
 biscuit throw of the pier. Chartering a dinghy, I pulled 
 myself off to her and stepped aboard. An old man 
 and a boy were engaged washing down decks, and to 
 them I introduced myself and business. Then for half 
 an hour I devoted myself to overhauling her thoroughly. 
 She was a nice enough little craft, well set up, and from 
 her run looked as if she might possess a fair turn of 
 speed ; the gear was in excellent order, and the old man 
 in charge told me she had been repaired and thoroughly 
 overhauled that selfsame year. 
 
 Having satisfied myself on a few other minor points, 
 I pulled ashore and again went through the gardens to 
 the agents' office. Mr. Matchem was delighted to hear 
 that I liked the yacht well enough to think of hiring her 
 at their own price (a rather excessive one, I must admit) 
 for three months, and, I don't doubt, would have sup- 
 
74 A BID FOE FORTUNE. 
 
 plied me with a villa in Bournemouth and a yachting 
 box in the Isle of Wight, also on their own terms, had 
 I felt inclined to furnish them with the command. 
 But fortunately I was able to withstand their tempta- 
 tions, and having given them my cheque for the requi- 
 site amount, went ofi to make arrangements and to en- 
 gage a crew. 
 
 Before nightfall I had secured the services of a. 
 handy lad in place of the old man who had brought 
 her round from Poole, and was in a position to put to 
 sea. Accordingly next morning off I set for a trip 
 round the Isle of Wight. Before we had brought the 
 Needles abeam I had convinced myself that the boat 
 was an excellent sailer, and when the first day's voyage 
 was over I had found no reason to repent my bargain. 
 
 And I would ask you here, is there any other amuse- 
 ment to compare with yachting? Can anything else 
 vie with it ? Suppose a man to be a lover of human 
 craftmanship — then what could be more to his taste 
 than a well-built yacht ? Is a man a lover of speed ? 
 Then what could he wish for better than the rush over 
 the curling seas, the graceful fabric quivering under him 
 like an eager horse, the snowy line of foam driving 
 away from either bow, and the fresh breeze singing mer- 
 rily through the shrouds overhead, bellying out the 
 stretch of canvas till it seems as if the spars must cer- 
 tainly give way beneath the strain they are called upon 
 to endure ! 
 
 Is a man a lover of the beautiful in nature ? Then 
 from what better place can he observe earth's beauties 
 than a yacht's deck ? From there he views the stretch 
 of country ashore, the dancing waves, the blue sky flaked 
 with fleecy clouds above his head, while the warm sun- 
 shine penetrates him through and through till it finds 
 
I SAVE AN IMPORTANT LIFE. 75 
 
 his very heart and stays there, making a better and cer- 
 tainly a healthier man of him. 
 
 Does the world ever look so fair as at daybreak, 
 when Dame Nature is still half asleep, and the water lies 
 like a sheet of shimmering glass around him, and the 
 great sun comes up like a ball of gold out of the un- 
 known east with a solemnity that makes one feel almost 
 afraid? Or at night, anchored in some tiny harbour 
 when the lights are twinkling ashore, and the sound of 
 music comes wafted across the water, with a faintness 
 that only adds to its beauty, to harmonise with the tink- 
 ling of the waves alongside. Eeview these things in 
 your mind and then tell me what recreation can com- 
 pare with yachting ? 
 
 Not having anything to hurry me, and only my own 
 thoughts to keep me company, I took my time; re- 
 mained two days in the Solent, sailed round the island, 
 put in a day at Ventnor, and so back to Bournemouth. 
 Then, after a day ashore, I picked up a nice breeze and 
 ran down to Torquay to spend another week sailing 
 slowly back along the coast, touching at various ports, 
 and returning eventually to the place I had first hailed 
 from. 
 
 In relating these trifling incidents it is not my wish 
 to bore my readers, but to work up gradually to that 
 strange meeting to which they were the prelude. Now 
 that I can look back in cold blood upon the circum- 
 stances that brought it about and reflect how narrowly 
 I escaped missing the one event which was destined to 
 change my whole life, I can hardly realise that I at- 
 tached such small importance to it at the time. Some- 
 how I have always been a firm believer in Fate, and in- 
 deed it would be strange, all the things I am about to 
 tell you considered, if I were not. For when a man has 
 6 
 
Y6 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 passed through so many extraordinary adventures and 
 not only come out of them unharmed, but a happier 
 and a great deal more fortunate man than he has 
 really any right to be, he may claim the privilege, I 
 think, of saying he knows something about his sub- 
 ject. 
 
 And, mind you, I date it all back to that visit to the 
 old home and to my uncle's strange reception of me, 
 for had I not gone down into the country I should never 
 have quarrelled with him, and if I had not quarrelled 
 with him I should not have gone back to the inn in such 
 a dudgeon, and in that case I should probably have left 
 the place without a visit to the bar, never have seen the 
 advertisement, visited Bournemouth, hired the yacht or 
 — but there I must stop. You must work out the rest 
 when you have heard my story. 
 
 The morning after my third return to Bournemouth 
 I was up by daybreak, had had my breakfast, and was 
 ready to set off on a cruise across the bay, before the sun 
 was a hand's breadth above the horizon. It was as per- 
 fect a morning as any man could wish to see. A faint 
 breeze just blurred the surface of the water, tiny waves 
 danced in the sunshine, and my bark nodded to them as 
 if anxious to be off. The town ashore lay very quiet 
 and peaceful, and so still was the air that the cries of a 
 few white gulls could be heard quite plainly, half a 
 mile or so away. Having hove anchor, we tacked 
 slowly across the bay, passed the pier-head, and steered 
 towards Old Harry Rook and Swanage Bay. My crew 
 was for'ard, and I had possession of the tiller. 
 
 As we went about opposite Canford Cliffs, something 
 moving in the water ahead of me attracted my attention. 
 We were too far off to make out exactly what it might 
 be, and it was not until five minutes later, when we were 
 
I SAVE AN IMPORTANT LIFE. 77 
 
 close abreast of it, that I discovered it to be a bather. 
 The foolish fellow had evidently ventured further out 
 than was prudent, had struck a strong current, and vras 
 now being washed swiftly out to sea. But for the splash- 
 ing he made to show his whereabouts, I should in all 
 probability not have seen him, and in that case his fate 
 would have been sealed. As it was, when we came up 
 to him he was quite exhausted. 
 
 Heaving my craft to, I leapt into the dinghy, and 
 pulled towards him, but before I could reach the spot 
 he had sunk. At first I thought he was gone for good 
 and all, but in a few seconds he rose again. Then, 
 grabbing him by the hair, I passed an arm under his, 
 and dragged him unconscious into the boat. In less 
 than three minutes we were alongside the yacht again, 
 and with my man's assistance I had got him aboard. 
 Fortunately a day or two before I had had the fore- 
 thought to purchase some brandy for use in case of 
 need, and my Thursday Island experiences having 
 taught me exactly what was best to be done under such 
 circumstances, it was not long before I had brought 
 him back to consciousness. 
 
 In appearance he was a handsome young fellow, well 
 set up, and possibly nineteen or twenty years of age. 
 When I had given him a stiff nobbier of brandy to stop 
 the chattering of his teeth, I asked him how he came 
 to be so far from shore. 
 
 " I am considered a very good swimmer," he replied, 
 " and often come out as far as this, but to-day I think 
 I must have got into a strong outward current, and 
 certainly but for your providential assistance I should 
 never have reached home alive." 
 
 " You had a very narrow escape," I answered, " but 
 thank goodness you're none the worse for it. Kow, 
 
78 A BID FOR FORTTJKB. 
 
 what's the best thing to be done? Turnback, I sup- 
 pose, and set you ashore." 
 
 " But what a lot of trouble I'm putting you to." 
 
 " Nonsense ! I've nothing to do, and I count my- 
 self very fortunate in having been able to render you 
 this small assistance. The breeze is freshening, and it 
 won't take us any time to get back. Where do you 
 live?" 
 
 " To the left there ! That house standing back 
 upon the cliff. Eeally I don't know how to express my 
 gratitude." 
 
 " Just keep that till I ask you for it. Now, as we've 
 got a twenty minutes' sail before us, the best thing for 
 you to do would be to slip into a spare suit of my things. 
 They'll keep you warm, and you can return them to my 
 hotel when you get ashore." 
 
 I sang out to my crew to come aft and take the til- 
 ler, while I escorted him below into the little box of a 
 cabin, and gave him a rig out. Considering I am six 
 feet two, and he only five feet eight, the things were a 
 trifle large for him ; but when he was dressed I couldn't 
 help thinking what a handsome, well-built, aristocratic- 
 looking young fellow he appeared. The work of fit- 
 ting him out accomplished, we returned to the deck. 
 The breeze was freshening and the little hooker was 
 ploughing her way through it, nose down, as if she 
 knew that under the circumstances her best was ex- 
 pected of her. 
 
 " Are you a stranger in Bournemouth ? " my com- 
 panion asked as I took the tiller again. 
 
 " Almost," I answered. " I've only been in England 
 three weeks. I'm home from Australia." 
 
 " Australia ! Eeally ! Oh, I should so like to go out 
 there." 
 
I SAVE AN IMPORTANT LIFE. 79 
 
 His voice was very soft and low, more like a girl's 
 than a boy's, and I noticed that he had none of the 
 mannerisms of a man — at least, not of one who has seen 
 much of the world. 
 
 " Yes, Australia's as good a place as any other for the 
 man who goes out there to work," I said. " But some- 
 how you don't look to me like a chap that is used to 
 what is called roughing it. Pardon my rudeness." 
 
 " Well, you see, I've never had much chance. My 
 father is considered by many to be a very peculiar 
 man. He has strange ideas about me, and so you see 
 I've never been allowed to mix with other people. But 
 I'm stronger than you'd think, and I shall be twenty in 
 October next." 
 
 Somehow I thought I couldn't be very far out in 
 his age. 
 
 " And now if you don't mind telling me — what is 
 your name ? " 
 
 " I suppose there can be no harm in telling you. I 
 was told if ever I met anyone and they asked me, not to 
 tell them. But since you saved my life it would be 
 ungrateful not to let you know. I am the Marquis of 
 Beckenham." 
 
 " Is that so ! Then your father is the Duke of Glen- 
 barth ? " 
 
 " Yes. Do you know him ? " 
 
 " ]S"ever set eyes on him in my life, but I heard him 
 spoken of the other day." 
 
 I did not add that it was Mr. Matchem who, during 
 my conversation with him, had referred to him, nor did 
 I think it well to say that he had designated him the 
 " Mad Duke." And so the boy I had saved from drown- 
 ing was the young Marquis of Beckenham. Well, I was 
 moving in good society with a vengeance. This boy was 
 
80 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 the first nobleman I had ever clapped eyes on, though I 
 knew the Count de Pannroff well enough in Thursday 
 Island. But then foreign Counts ought not to reckon, 
 perhaps. 
 
 " But you don't mean to tell me," I said at length, 
 " that you've got no friends ? Don't you ever see anyone 
 at all?" 
 
 " No, I am not allowed to. My father thinks it bet- 
 ter not. And as he does not wish it, of course I have 
 nothing left me but to obey. I must own, however, I 
 should like to see the world — to go a long voyage to 
 Australia, for instance." 
 
 " But how do you put in your time ? You must have 
 a very dull life of it." 
 
 " Oh, no ! You see I have never known anything 
 else, and then I have always the future to look forward 
 to. When I am twenty-one, you see, I shall take my 
 seat in the Lords, and be my own master. As it is now 
 I bathe every morning. I have my yacht, I ride about 
 the park, I have my studies, and I have a tutor who tells 
 me wonderful stories of the world." 
 
 " Oh, he's been about, has he ? " 
 
 "Dear, yes! He was a missionary in the South 
 Sea Islands, and has seen some very stirring adven- 
 tures." 
 
 " A missionary in the South Seas, eh ? Perhaps I 
 know him." 
 
 " Were you ever in those seas ? " 
 
 " Just a bit, I reckon. Why, I've spent almost all 
 my life there." 
 
 " Were you a missionary ? " 
 
 " You bet not. The missionaries and my friends 
 don't cotton to one another, and you can put your 
 money on that ! " 
 
I SAVE AN IMPORTANT LIFE, gj 
 
 " But they are such good men ! " 
 
 " That may be. But still, as I say, we don't some- 
 how cotton. All the same I'd like to set my eyes upon 
 your tutor." 
 
 " Well, you will. I think I see him on the beach 
 now. I expect he'll be wondering what has become of 
 me. I've never been out so long before." 
 
 " Well, you're close home now, and as safe as eggs in 
 a basket." 
 
 Another minute brought us into as shallow water as 
 I cared to go. Accordingly, heaving to, I brought the 
 dinghy alongside and we got into her. Then casting off, 
 I pulled my lord ashore. A small, clean-shaven, par- 
 sonish-looking man, with the regulation white choker, 
 stood on the shore waiting for us. As I beached the 
 boat he came forward and said : 
 
 " My lord, we have been very anxious about you. 
 We feared you had met with an accident." 
 
 " I have been very nearly drowned, Mr. Baxter. Had 
 it not been for this' gentleman's prompt assistance I 
 should never have reached home again." 
 
 " You should really be more careful, my lord. I 
 have warned you before. Your father has been nearly 
 beside himself with anxiety." 
 
 "Eh?" said I to myself. "This does not sound 
 quite right. Anyhow, Mr. Baxter, I've seen your figure- 
 head somewhere before — but you were not a missionary 
 then, I'll take my affidavit." 
 
 Turning to me, ray young lord held out his hand. 
 
 " You have never told me your name," he said almost 
 reproachfully. 
 
 " Dick Hatteras," I answered, " and very much at 
 your service." 
 
 "Mr. Hatteras, I shall never forget what you have 
 
82 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 done for me. That I am most grateful I hope you will 
 believe. I know that I owe you my life." 
 
 Here the tutor's voice chipped in again, as I thought, 
 rather impatiently. 
 
 " Come, come, my lord. This delay will not do. 
 Your father will be growing still more nervous about 
 you. We must be getting home ! " 
 
 Then they went ofE up the cliff path, and I returned 
 to my boat. 
 
 " Mr. Baxter," I said to myself again as I pulled off 
 to the yacht, " I want to know where I've seen your face 
 before. I've taken a sudden dislike to you. I don't 
 trust you ; and if your employer's the man they say he 
 is, well, he won't either. That's all." 
 
 Then, having brought the dinghy alongside, I made 
 the painter fast, clambered aboard, and we stood out of 
 the bay once more. 
 
CHAPTEE V. 
 
 MYSTERY. 
 
 The following morning I was sitting in my room at 
 the hotel idly scanning the Standard and wondering in 
 what way I should employ myself until the time arrived 
 for me to board the yacht, when I heard a carriage roll 
 up the drive. 
 
 On looking out I discovered a gorgeous landau drawn 
 by a pair of fine thoroughbreds and resplendent with 
 much gilded and crested harness, standing before the 
 steps. A footman opened the door and I was at the 
 window just in time to see a tall soldierly man alight 
 from it. To my astonishment, two minutes later a 
 waiter entered my room and announced " His Grace the 
 Duke of Glenbarth." It was the owner of the carriage 
 and the father of my young friend, if by such a title I 
 might designate the Marquis of Beckenham. 
 
 " Mr. Hatteras, I presume," said he, advancing 
 towards me and using that dignified tone that only an 
 English gentleman can assume with anything approach- 
 ing success. 
 
 " Yes ! That is my name. I am honoured by your 
 visit. "Won't you sit down ? " 
 
 " Thank you." 
 
 He paused for a moment and then continued : 
 
 " Mr. Hatteras, I have to ofEer you an apology. I 
 
84 A BID BOR FORTUNE. 
 
 should have called upon you yesterday to express the 
 gratitude I feel to you for having saved the life of my 
 son, but I was unavoidably prevented." 
 
 " I beg you will not mention it," I said. " His lord- 
 ship thanked me sufficiently himself. And after all, 
 when you look at it, it was not very much to do. I 
 would, however, venture one little suggestion. Is it 
 not dangerous to let him swim so far unaccompanied 
 by a boat? The same thing might happen again 
 and no one be near enough to render him any assist- 
 ance." 
 
 " He will not do so again. He has learned a lesson 
 from this experience. And now, Mr. Hatteras, I trust 
 you will forgive what I am about to say. My son has 
 told me that you have just arrived in England from 
 Australia. Is there any way I can be of service to you ? 
 If there is, and you will acquaint me of it, you will be 
 conferring a great favour upon me." 
 
 " I thank your Grace," I replied — I hope with some 
 little touch of dignity — " It is indeed kind of you, but I 
 could not think of such a thing. But, stay, there is one 
 service perhaps you could do for me." 
 
 " I am delighted to hear it, sir. And pray what may 
 it be?" 
 
 " Your son's tutor, Mr. Baxter ! His face is strangely 
 familiar to me. I have seen him somewhere before, but 
 I cannot recall where. Could you tell me anything of 
 his history ? " 
 
 " Very little, I fear, save that he seems a worthy and 
 painstaking man, an excellent scholar, and very capable 
 in his management of young men. I received excellent 
 references with him, but of his past history I know very 
 little. I believe, however, that he was a missionary in 
 the South Seas for some time, and that he was after- 
 
MYSTERY. 85 
 
 wards for many years in India. I'm sorry I cannot tell 
 you more since you are interested in him." 
 
 " I've met him somewhere, I'm certain. His face 
 haunts me. But to return to your son — I hope he is 
 none the worse for his adventure ? " 
 
 " Not at all, thank you. Thanks to the system I 
 have adopted in his education, the boy is seldom ail- 
 ing." 
 
 " Pardon my introducing the subject. But do you 
 think it is quite wise to keep a youth so ignorant of the 
 world? I am an Australian and perhaps rather pre- 
 sumptuous, but I cannot help feeling that such a fine 
 young fellow would be all the better for a few com- 
 panions." 
 
 " You hit me on rather a tender spot, Mr. Hatteras. 
 But, as you have been frank with me, I will be frank 
 with you. I am one of those strange beings who govern 
 their lives by theories. I was brought up by my father, 
 I must tell you, in a fashion totally different to that I 
 am employing with my son. I feel now that I was al- 
 lowed a dangerous amount of license in my youth. And 
 what was the result ? I mixed with everyone, was pam- 
 pered and flattered far beyond what was good for me, 
 - derived a false notion of my own importance, and when 
 I came to man's estate was, to all intents and purposes, 
 quite unprepared and unfitted to undertake the duties 
 and responsibilities of my position. 
 
 " Fortunately I had the wit to see where the fault 
 lay, and there and then I resolved that if ever I were 
 blessed with a son, I would conduct his education on far 
 different lines. My boy has not met a dozen strangers 
 in his life. His education has been my tenderest care. 
 His position, his duties towards his fellow men, the re- 
 sponsibilities of his rank, have always been kept rigor- 
 
86 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 ously before him. He has been brought up to under- 
 stand that to be a Duke is not to be a titled nonentity 
 or a pampered roue, but to be one whom Proyidence has 
 blessed with an opportunity of benefiting and watching 
 over the welfare of those less fortunate than himself in 
 the world's good gifts. 
 
 " He has no exaggerated idea of his own importance ; 
 a humbler lad, I feel justified in saying, you would no- 
 where find. He has been educated thoroughly, and he 
 has all the best traditions of his race kept continually 
 before his eyes. But you must not imagine, Mr. Hat- 
 teras, that because he has not mixed with the world he 
 is ignorant of its temptations. He may not have come 
 into personal contact with them, but he will be warned 
 against their insidious influences, and I shall trust to 
 his personal pride and good instincts to help him to 
 withstand them when he has to encounter them him- 
 self. Now, what do you think of my plan for making a 
 nobleman ? " 
 
 " A very good one, with such a youth as your son, I 
 should think, your Grace ; but I would like to make one 
 more suggestion, if you would allow me ? " 
 
 "And that is?" 
 
 " That you should let him travel before he settles 
 down. Choose some fit person to accompany him. Let 
 him have introductions to good people abroad, then he 
 will derive different impressions from different countries, 
 view men and women from different standpoints, and 
 enter gradually into the great world and station which 
 he is some day to adorn." 
 
 " I had thought of that myself, and his tutor has 
 lately spoken to me a good deal on the subject. I must 
 own it is an idea that commends itself strongly to me. 
 I will think it over. And now, sir, I must wish you 
 
MYSTERY. 87 
 
 good-day. You will not let me thank you, as I should 
 have wished, for the service you have rendered my 
 house, but believe me, I am none the less grateful. By 
 the way, your name is not a common one. May I ask if 
 you have any relatives in this county ? " 
 
 " Only one at present, I fancy — my father's brother, 
 Sir William Hatteras, of Murdlestone, in the New 
 Forest." 
 
 " Ah ! I never met him. I knew his brother James 
 very well in my younger days. But he got into sad 
 trouble, poor fellow, and was obliged to fly the coun- 
 try." 
 
 " You are speaking of my father. And you knew 
 him?" 
 
 " Knew him ? indeed, I did. And a better fellow 
 never stepped ; but, like most of us in those days, too 
 wild — much too wild ! And so you are James's son ? 
 Well, well ! This is indeed a strange coincidence. But, 
 if that is so, I must beg your pardon for speaking so 
 candidly of your father." 
 
 " No offence, I'm sure." 
 
 " And pray tell me where my old friend is now?" 
 
 " Dead, your Grace ! He was drowned at sea." 
 
 The worthy old gentleman seemed really distressed 
 at this news. He shook his head, and I heard him 
 murmur : 
 
 " Poor Jim ! Poor Jim ! " 
 
 Then, turning to me again, he took my hand. 
 
 " This makes our bond a doubly strong one. You 
 must let me see more of you ! How long do you pro- 
 pose remaining in England ? " 
 
 " Not very much longer, I fear. I am already be- 
 ginning to hunger for the South again." 
 
 " Well, you must not go before you have paid us a 
 
88 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 visit. Eemember we shall always be pleased to see you. 
 You know our house, I think. Good-day, sir, good- 
 day." 
 
 So, shaking me warmly by the hand, the old gentle- 
 man accompanied me downstairs to his carriage and 
 departed. 
 
 Again I had cause to ponder on the strangeness of 
 the fate that had led me to Hampshire — first to the village 
 where my father was born, and then to Bournemouth, 
 where by saving this young man's life I had made a 
 firm friend of a man who again had known my father. 
 By such small coincidences are the currents of our lives 
 diverted. 
 
 That same afternoon, while tacking slowly down the 
 bay, I met the Marquis again. He was pulling himself 
 in a small skiff, and when he saw me he made haste to 
 come alongside and hitch on. At first I wondered 
 whether it would not be against his father's wishes that 
 he should enter into conversation with such a worldling 
 as myself. But he evidently saw what was passing in 
 my mind, and banished all doubts about it by saying : 
 
 " I have been on the look out for you, Mr. Hatteras. 
 My father. has given me permission to cultivate your 
 acquaintance, if you will allow me ? " 
 
 " That is very kind of you," I answered. " Won't 
 you come aboard and have a chat ? I'm not going out 
 of the bay this afternoon." 
 
 He clambered over the side and seated himself in the 
 well, clear of the boom, as nice-looking and pleasant a 
 young fellow as any man could wish to set eyes on. 
 " Well," I thought to myself, " if all Peers were like 
 this boy there'd be less talk of abolishing the House of 
 Lords." 
 
 " You can't imagine how I've been thinking over all 
 
MYSTERY. 89 
 
 you told me the other day," he began very earnestly 
 when we were fairly on our way. " I want you to tell 
 me more about Australia and the life you lead there, if 
 you will ? " 
 
 " I'll tell you all I can with pleasure. But you ought 
 to go and see the places and things for yourself. That's 
 better than any telling. I wish I could take you up and 
 carry you off with me now ; away down to where you 
 can make out the green islands peeping up out of the 
 water, to port and starboard, like bits of the Garden of 
 Eden gone astray and floated out to sea. I'd like you 
 to smell the breezes that come off from them towards 
 evening, to hear the " trades " whistling overhead, and 
 the thunder of the surf breaking on the reef. Or at 
 another time to get inside that selfsame reef and look 
 down through the still, transparent water, at the rain- 
 bow-coloured fish dashing among the coral boulders, 
 and into the most beautiful fairy grottoeS' the brain of 
 man can conceive." 
 
 " Oh, it must be lovely ! And to think I may live 
 my life and never see these wonders. Please go on ; 
 what else can you tell me ? " 
 
 " What more do you want to hear ? There is the 
 pick of every sort of life for you out there. Would you 
 know what real excitement is ? Then I shall take you 
 to a new gold rush. You must imagine yourself setting 
 off for the field, with your trusty mate marching step 
 by step beside you, pick and shovel on your shoulders, 
 and both resolved to make your fortunes in the twink- 
 ling of an eye. When you get there, there's the digger 
 crowd, composed of every nationality. There's the 
 warden and his staff, the police officers, the shanty 
 keepers, the blacks, and dogs. 
 
 " There's the tented valley stretching away to right 
 
90 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 and left of you, with the constant roar of sluice boxes 
 and cradles, the creak of windlasses, the perpetual noise 
 of human voices. There's the excitement of pegging 
 out your claim and sinking your first shaft, wondering 
 all the time if it will turn up trumps or nothing. There's 
 the honest, manly labour from dawn to dusk. And 
 then, when daylight fails, and the lamps begin to sparkle 
 over the field, songs drift up the hillside from the drink- 
 ing shanties in the valley, and you and your mate weigh 
 up your day's returns, and, having done so, turn into 
 your blankets to dream of the monster nugget you in- 
 tend to find upon the morrow. Isn't that real life for 
 you ? " 
 
 He did not answer, but there was a sparkle in his 
 eyes that told me I was understood. 
 
 " Then if you want other sorts of enterprise, there is 
 Thursday Island, where I hail from, with its extraordi- 
 nary people. Suppose we wander down the Front at 
 nightfall, past the Kanaka billiard saloons and the 
 Chinese stores, into, say, the Hotel of All Nations. 
 Who is that handsome, dark, mysterious fellow, smok- 
 ing a cigarette and idly flirting with the pretty bar girl ? 
 You don't know him, but I do ! There's indeed a his- 
 tory for you. You didn't notice, perhaps, that rakish 
 schooner that came to anchor in the bay early in the 
 forenoon. What lines she had ! Well, that's his craft. 
 To-morrow she'll be gone, it is whispered, to try for 
 pearl in prohibited Dutch waters. Can't you imagine 
 her slinking round the islands, watching for the patrol- 
 ling gunboat, and ready, directly she has passed, to slip 
 into the bay, skim its shell, and put to sea again. Some- 
 times they're chased — and then ? " 
 
 " What then ? " 
 
 " Well, a clean pair of heels or trouble with the au- 
 
MYSTERY. 9X 
 
 thorities, and possibly a year in a Dutch prison before 
 you're brought to trial ! Or would you do a pearling 
 trip in less exciting but more honest fashion ? Would 
 you sTiip aboard a lugger with five good companions, 
 and go a-cruising down the New Guinea coast, working 
 hard all day long, and lying out on deck at night, smok- 
 ing and listening to the lip-lap of the water against the 
 counter, and spinning yarns of all the world ? " 
 
 « What else ? " 
 
 " Why, what more do you want ? Do you hanker 
 after a cruise aboard a stinking Mche-de-mer boat inside 
 the Barrier Reef, or a run with the sandal- wood cutters 
 or tortoiseshell gatherers to New Guinea ; or do you 
 want to go ashore again and try an overlanding trip half 
 across the continent, riding behind your cattle all day 
 long, and standing your watch at night under dripping 
 boughs, your teeth chattering in your head, waiting for 
 the bulls to break, while every moment you expect to 
 hear the Bunyip calling in that lonely water-hole beyond 
 the fringe of Mulga scrub ? " 
 
 " You make me almost mad with longing." 
 
 " And yet, somehow, it doesn't seem so fine when 
 you're at it. It's when you come to look back upon it 
 all from a distance of twelve thousand miles that you 
 feel its real charm. Then it calls you to return in every 
 rustle of the leaves ashore, in the blue of the sky, in the 
 ripple of the waves at sea. And it eats into your heart, 
 so that you begin to think you'll never be happy till 
 you're back in the old tumultuous devil-may-care exist- 
 ence again." 
 
 " What a life you've led. And how much better it 
 seems than the dull monotony of our existence here in 
 sleepy old England." 
 
 " Don't you believe it. If you wanted to change I 
 7 
 
92 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 could tell you of dozens of men, liring exactly the sort of 
 life I've described, who would only too willingly oblige 
 you. No, no ! You've got chances of doing things we 
 could never dream of. Do them, then, and let the other 
 go. But all the same, I think you ought to see more of 
 the world I've told you of before you settle down. In 
 fact, I hinted as much to your father yesterday." 
 
 " He said that you had spoken of it to him. Oh, 
 how I wish he would let me go ! " 
 
 " Somehow, d'you know, I think perhaps he will." 
 
 I put the cutter over on another tack, and we went 
 crashing back through the blue water towards the pier. 
 The strains of the band came faintly off to us. I had 
 enjoyed my sail, for I had taken a great fancy to this 
 bright young fellow sitting by my side. I felt I should 
 like to have finished the education his father had so gal- 
 lantly begun. There was something irrisistibly attrac- 
 tive about him, so modest, so unassuming, and yet so 
 straightforward and gentlemanly. 
 
 Dropping him opposite the bathing machines, I went 
 on to my own anchorage on the other side of the pier. 
 Then I pulled myself ashore and went up to the town. 
 I had forgotten to write an important letter that morn- 
 ing, and as it was essential that the business should be 
 attended to at once, to repair my carelessness, I crossed 
 the public gardens and went up the hill to the post 
 ofiB.ce. 
 
 I must tell you here that since my meeting with Mr. 
 Baxter, the young Marquis's tutor, I had been thinking 
 a great deal about him, and the more I thought of him 
 the more certain I became that we had met somewhere 
 before. To tell the truth, a great distrust of the man 
 was upon me. It was one of tliose peculiar antipa- 
 thies that no one can explain. I did not like his face, 
 
MYSTERY. 93 
 
 and I felt sure that he did not possess any too much love 
 for me. 
 
 As my thoughts were still centred on him, my aston- 
 ishment may be imagined, on arriving at the building, 
 at meeting him face to face upon the steps. He seemed 
 dumbfounded at seeing me, and hummed and hawed 
 over his " good afternoon " for all the world as if I had 
 caught him in the middle of some guilty action. 
 
 Returning his salutation, I entered the building and 
 looked about me for a desk at which to write my wire. 
 There was only one vacant, and I noticed that the pencil 
 suspended on the string was still swinging to and fro as 
 it had been dropped. Now Baxter had only just left the 
 building, so I settled it in my own mind that it must 
 have been he who had last used the stand. I pulled the 
 form towards me and prepared to write. But as I did 
 so I noticed that the previous writer had pressed so 
 hard upon his pencil as to leave the exact impression 
 of his message plainly visible upon the pad. It ran as 
 follows : 
 
 "Letter received. You omitted reverend. 
 The TEAiJsr is laid, but a new element of danger 
 
 It was addressed to "Nikola, Green Sailor Hotel, 
 East India Dock Road, London," and was signed " Nin- 
 eveh." 
 
 The message was so curious that I looked at it again, 
 and the longer I looked the more certain I became that 
 Baxter was the sender. Partly because its wording in- 
 terested me and partly for another reason which will be- 
 come apparent later on, I inked the message over, tore 
 it from the pad, and placed it carefully in my pocket- 
 
94 A BID FOR POBTUNB. 
 
 book. One thing at least was certain, and that was if 
 Baxter were the sender there was something underhand 
 going on. If he were not, well, then there could be no 
 possible harm in my keeping the form as a little souvenir 
 of a very curious experience. 
 
 I wrote my own message, and having paid for it, left 
 the office. But I was not destined to enjoy the society 
 of my own thoughts for long. Hardly had I reached the 
 Invalids' Walk before I felt my arm touched. To my 
 supreme astonishment I found myself again confronted 
 by Mr. Baxter. He was now perfectly calm and greeted 
 me with extraordinary civility. 
 
 " Mr. Hatteras, I believe," he said. " I think I had 
 the pleasure of meeting you on the sands a few days ago. 
 What a beautiful day it is, isn't it? Are you proceeding 
 this way ? Yes ? Then perhaps I may be permitted the 
 honour of walking a little way with you." 
 
 " With pleasure," I replied. " I am going up the 
 clifE to my hotel, I shall be glad of your company. I 
 think we met in the telegraph office just now." 
 
 " In the post office, I think. I had occasion to go in 
 there to register a letter." 
 
 His speech struck me as remarkable. My observa- 
 tion was so trivial that it hardly needed an answer, and 
 yet not only did he vouchsafe me one, but he corrected 
 my statement and volunteered a further one on his 
 own account. What reason could he have for want- 
 ing to make me understand that he had gone in there 
 to post a letter? What would it have mattered to 
 me if he had been there, as I suggested, to send a tele- 
 gram? 
 
 " Mr. Baxter," I thought to myself, " I've got a sort 
 of conviction that you're not, the man you pretend to be, 
 and what's more I'd like to bet a shilling to a halfpenny 
 
MYSTERY. 95 
 
 that, if the truth were only known, you're this mysteri- 
 ous Nineveh." 
 
 We walked for some distance in silence. Presently 
 my friend began to talk again — this time, however, in a 
 new strain and perhaps with a little more caution. 
 
 " You have been a great traveller, I understand, Mr. 
 Hatteras." 
 
 " A fairly great one, Mr. Baxter. You also, I am 
 told, have seen something of the world." 
 
 " A little— very little." 
 
 " The South Seas, I believe. D'you know Pa- 
 peete?" 
 
 " I have been there." 
 
 " D'you know New Guinea at all ? " 
 
 " No. I was never near it. I am better acquainted 
 with the Far East — India, China, Japan, etc." 
 
 Suddenly something, I shall never be able to tell 
 what, prompted me to say : 
 
 " And the Andamans ? " 
 
 The effect on my companion was as sudden as it was 
 extraordinary. For a moment he staggered on the path 
 like a drunken man ; his face grew ashen white, and he 
 had to give utterance to a hoarse choking sound before 
 he could get out a word. Then he said : 
 
 " No — no — you are quite mistaken, I assure you, I 
 never knew the Andamans." 
 
 Now, on the Andamans, as all the world knows, are 
 located the Indian penal establishments, and noting his 
 behaviour, I became more and more convinced in my 
 own mind that there was some mystery about Mr. Bax- 
 ter that had yet to be explained. I had still a trump 
 card to play. 
 
 " I'm afraid you are not very well, Mr. Baxter. Per- 
 haps the heat is too much for you, or we . are walking 
 
96 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 too fast? This is my hotel. Won't you come inside 
 and take a glass of wine or something to revive you ? " 
 
 He nodded his head eagerly. Large drops of per- 
 spiration stood on his forehead, and I saw that he was 
 quite unstrung. 
 
 " I am not well — not at all well." 
 
 As soon as we reached the smoking-room I rang for 
 two brandies and sodas. When they arrived he drank 
 his off almost at a gulp, and in a few seconds was pretty 
 well himself again. 
 
 " Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Hatteras. I 
 think we must have walked up the hill a little too fast 
 for my strength. Now, I must be going back to the 
 town. I find I have forgotten something." 
 
 Almost by instinct I guessed his errand. He was 
 going to despatch another telegram. Eesolved to try 
 the effect of one parting shot, I said : 
 
 " Perhaps you do not happen to be going near the 
 telegraph oflSce again ? If you are, should I be taxing 
 your kindness too much if I asked you to leave a mes- 
 sage there for me. I find / have forgotten one." 
 
 He bowed, and simply said : 
 
 " With much pleasure." 
 
 He pronounced it " pleesure," and as he said it he 
 licked his lips in his usual self-satisfied fashion. I won- 
 dered how he would conduct himself when he saw the 
 message I was going to write. 
 
 Taking a form from a table near where I sat, I wrote 
 the following : 
 
 " John Nicholson, 
 
 " Langham Hotel, London. 
 " The train is laid. You are detected. A new dan- 
 ger has arisen. Hatteeas." 
 
MYSTERY. 97 
 
 Blotting it carefully, I gave it into his hands, at the 
 same time asking him to read it, lest my writing should 
 not be decipherable and any question might be asked 
 concerning it. As he read I watched his face intently. 
 Never shall I forget the expression that swept over it. 
 I had scored a complete victory. The shaft went home. 
 But only for an instant. With wonderful alacrity he 
 recovered himself and, shaking me feebly by the hand, 
 bade me good-bye, promising to see that my message 
 was properly delivered. 
 
 When he had gone I laid myself back in my chair 
 for a good think. The situation was a peculiar one in 
 every way. If he were up to some devilry I had prob- 
 ably warned him. If not, why had he betrayed himself 
 so openly. 
 
 Half an hour later an answer to my first telegram 
 arrived and, such is the working of Fate, it necessitated 
 my immediate return to London. I had been thinking 
 of going for some days past, but had put it off. Now 
 it was arranged for me. 
 
 As I did not know whether I should return to 
 Bournemouth again, I determined to call upon the 
 Marquis to bid him good-bye. Accordingly, donning 
 my hat, I set off for the house. 
 
 If Burke may be believed, the Duke of Glenbarth 
 possesses houses in half the counties of the kingdom ; 
 but I am told his seaside residence takes precedence of 
 them all in his affections. Standing well out on the 
 cliffs, it commands a lovely view of the bay — looks 
 towards the Purbeck Hills on the right, and the Isle of 
 Wight and Hengestbury Head on the left. The house 
 itself, as far as I could tell, left nothing to be desired, 
 and the grounds had been beautified and cultivated in 
 the highest form of landscape gardening. 
 
98 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 I found my friend and his father in a summer house 
 upon the lawn. Both appeared unaffectedly glad to 
 see me, and equally sorry to hear that I had come to 
 wish them good-bye. Mr. Baxter w[as not visible, and 
 it -was with no little surprise I learned that he, too, was 
 contemplating a trip to the Metropolis. 
 
 " I hope, if ever you visit Bournemouth again, you 
 will come and see us," said the Duke as I rose to 
 leave. 
 
 " Thank you," said I, " and I hope if ever your son 
 visits Australia you will permit me to be of some service 
 to him." 
 
 " You are very kind. I will bear your offer in 
 mind." 
 
 Shaking hands with them both, I wished them good- 
 bye and went out through the gate. 
 
 But I was not to escape without an interview with 
 my clerical friend after all. As I left the grounds and 
 turned into the public road I saw a man emerge from a 
 little wicket gate some fifty yards or so further down 
 the hedge. From the way he made his exit, it was ob- 
 vious he had been waiting for me to leave the house. 
 
 It was, certainly enough, my old friend Baxter. As 
 I came up with him he said, with the same sanctimoni- 
 ous grin that usually encircled his mouth playing round 
 it now : 
 
 " A nice evening for a stroll, Mr. Hatteras." 
 
 " A very nice evening, as you say, Mr. Baxter." 
 
 " May I intrude myself upon your privacy for five 
 minutes ? " 
 
 " With pleasure. What is your business ? " 
 
 " Of small concern to you, sir, but of immense im- 
 portance to me. Mr. Hatteras, I have it in my mind 
 that you do not like me." 
 
MYSTERY. 99 
 
 "I hope I have not given you cause to think so. 
 Praywhat can have put such a notion into your head?" 
 
 I half hoped that he would make some allusion to 
 the telegram he had despatched for me that morning, 
 but he was far too cunning for that. He looked me 
 over and over out of his small ferrety eyes before he re- 
 plied : 
 
 " I can not tell you why I think so, Mr. Hatteras, 
 but instinct generally makes us aware when we are not 
 quite all we might be to other people. Forgive me for 
 speaking in this way to you, but you must surely see 
 how much it means to me to be on good terms with 
 friends of my employer's family." 
 
 " You are surely not afraid lest I should prejudice 
 the Duke against you ? " 
 
 " Not afraid, Mr. Hatteras ! I have too much faith 
 in your sense of justice to believe that you would will- 
 ingly deprive me of my means of livelihood — for of 
 course that is what it would mean in plair\ English." 
 
 " Then you need have no fear. I have just said 
 good-bye to them. I am going away to-morrow, and it 
 is very improbable that I shall ever see either of them 
 again." 
 
 " You are leaving for Australia ? " 
 
 " Very shortly, I think." 
 
 " I am much obliged to you for the generous way 
 you have spoken to me. I shall never forget your kind- 
 ness." 
 
 " Pray don't mention it. Is that all you have to say 
 to me ? Then good-evening ! " 
 
 " Good evening, Mr. Hatteras." 
 
 He turned back by another gate into the garden, 
 and I continued my way along the cliff, reflecting on the 
 curious interview I had just passed through. If the 
 
100 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 truth must be known, I was quite at a loss to understand 
 what he meant by it ! Why had he asked that question 
 about Australia ? Was it only chance that had led him to 
 put it, or was it done designedly, and for some reason 
 connected with that mysterious " train " mentioned in 
 his telegram? 
 
 I was to find out later, and only too thoroughly ! 
 
CHAPTEE VI. 
 
 I MEET DR. NIKOLA AGAIN. 
 
 It is strange with what ease, rapidity, and apparent 
 unconsciousness the average man jumps from crisis to 
 crisis in this strange medley he is accustomed so flip- 
 pantly to call Life. It was so in my case. For two 
 days after my return from Bournemouth I was com- 
 pletely immersed in the toils of Hatton Garden, had no 
 thought above the sale of pearls and the fluctuations in 
 the price of shell ; yet, notwithstanding all this, the 
 afternoon of the third day found me kicking my heels 
 on the pavement of Trafalgar Square, my mind quite 
 made up, my passage booked, and my ticket for Aus- 
 tralia stowed away in my pocket. 
 
 The grim, stone faces of the lions above me were 
 somehow seen obscurely. Nelson's monument was equally 
 unregarded, for my thoughts were far away with my 
 mind's eye, and both were completely occupied follow- 
 ing a steamer as she threaded her tortuous way between 
 the Heads and along the placid waters of Sydney Har- 
 bour. 
 
 So wrapped up was I in the folds of this agreeable 
 reverie that when I felt a heavy hand upon my shoulder 
 and heard a masculine voice say joyfully in my ear, 
 " Dick Hatteras, or I'm a Dutchman," I started as if I 
 had been shot. 
 
 101 
 
102 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 Brief as was the time given me for reflection, it was 
 long enough for that voice to conjure up a wealth of 
 reminiscence in my mind. The last time I had heard 
 it was on the bridge of the steamer Yarraman, lying 
 in the land-locked harbour of Oaii'ns, on the Eastern 
 Queensland coast ; a canoef ul of darkies were jabbering 
 alongside, and a cargo of bananas was being shipped 
 aboard. 
 
 I turned and held out my hand. 
 
 " Jim Percival ! " I cried, with as much pleasure as 
 astonishment. " How on earth does it come about that 
 you are here?" 
 
 " Arrived three days ago," the good-looking young 
 fellow replied. " We're lying off the West India Docks. 
 The old man kept us at it like galley slaves till I began 
 to think we should never get the cargo out. Been up 
 to the ofBce this morning, coming back saw you stand- 
 ing here looking as if you were thinking of something 
 ten thousand miles away, nearly jumped out of my skin 
 with astonishment, thought there couldn't be two men 
 with the same face and build, so smacked you on the 
 back, discovered I was right, and here we are. Now 
 spin your yarn. But stay, let's first find a more con- 
 venient place than this." 
 
 We strolled down the Strand together, and at last 
 had the good fortune to discover a " house of call " that 
 met with even his critical approval. Here I narrated as 
 much of my doings since we had last met as I thought 
 would satisfy his curiosity. My meeting with that mys- 
 terious individual at the French restaurant and my sus- 
 picions of Baxter particularly amused him. 
 
 " What a rum beggar you are, to be sure," was his 
 disconcerting criticism when I had finished. " What 
 earthly reason have you for thinking that this chap. 
 
I MEET DR. NIKOLA AGAIN. 103 
 
 Baxter, has any designs upon your young swell, Becken- 
 ham, or whatever his name may be ? " 
 
 " What makes you stand by to shorten sail when 
 you see a suspicious look about the sky? Instinct, 
 isn't it?" 
 
 " That's a poor way out of the argument, to my 
 thinking." 
 
 " Well, at any rate, time will show how far I'm right 
 or wrong ; though I don't suppose I shall hear any more 
 of the affair, as I return to Australia in the Saratoga on 
 Friday next." 
 
 " And what are you going to do now ? " 
 
 " I haven't the remotest idea. My business is com- 
 pleted and I'm just kicking my heels in idleness till 
 Friday comes and it is time for me to set ofE for Plym- 
 outh." 
 
 " Then I have it. You'll Just come along down to 
 the docks with me ; I'm due back at the old hooker at 
 five sharp. You'll dine with us — pot luck, of course. 
 Your old friend Riley is still chief officer ; I'm second ; 
 young Cleary, whom you remember as apprentice, is now 
 third, and, if I'm not very much mistaken, we'll find old 
 Donald Maclean aboard too, tinkering away at his be- 
 loved engines. I don't believe that fellow could take a 
 holiday away from his thrust blocks and piston rods if 
 he were paid to. We'll have a palaver about old times, 
 and I'll put you ashore myself when you want to go. 
 There, what do you say ? " 
 
 " I'm your man," said I, jumping at his ofEer, with 
 an alacrity that must have been flattering to him. 
 
 The truth was, I was delighted to have secured some 
 sort of companionship, for London, despite its multi- 
 tudinous places of amusement, and its five millions of 
 inhabitants, is but a dismal caravanserai to be left alone 
 
104 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 in. Moreover, the Yarraman's officers and myself were 
 old friends, and, if the truth must be told, my heart 
 yearned for the sight of a ship and a talk about days 
 gone by. 
 
 Accordingly, we made our way down to the Em- 
 bankment, took the underground train at Charing Cross 
 for Penchurch Street, thence by "The London and 
 Blackwall " to the West India Docks. 
 
 The Yarraman, travel-stained and bearing on her 
 weather-beaten plates the evidences of the continuous 
 tramp-like life she had led, lay well out in the stream. 
 Chartering a waterman, we were put on board, and I had 
 the satisfaction of renewing my acquaintance with her 
 chief officer, Eiley, at the yawning mouth of the for'ard 
 hatch. The whilom apprentice, Cleary, now raised to 
 the dignity of third officer, grinned a welcome to me 
 from among the disordered raffle of the fo'c's'le head, 
 while that excellent artificer, Maclean, oil-can and span- 
 ner in hand, greeted me afEectionately in Gaelic from 
 the entrance to the engine-room. The skipper was 
 ashore, so I seated myself on the steps leading to the 
 hurricane deck, and felt at home immediately. 
 
 Upon the circumstances attending that reunion 
 there is no necessity for me to dwell. Suffice it that 
 we dined in the deserted wastes of the saloon, and ad- 
 journed later to my friend Percival's cabin in the alley 
 way just for'ard of the engine-room, where a bottle of 
 Scotch whisky, a strange collection of glass ware, and 
 an assortment of excellent cigars, were produced. Per- 
 cival and Cleary, being juniors, ensconced themselves 
 on the top bunk; Maclean (who had been induced to 
 abandon his machinery in honour of our meeting) was 
 given the washhandstand. Eiley took the cushioned 
 locker in the corner, while I, as guest, was permitted the 
 
I MEET DR. NIKOLA AGAIN. 105 
 
 luxury of a canvas-backed deck chair, the initials on the 
 back of which were not those of its present owner. At 
 first the conversation was circumscribed, and embraced 
 Plimsoll, the attractions of London, and the decline in 
 the price of freight ; but, as the contents of the second 
 bottle waned, speech became more unfettered, and the 
 talk drifted into channels and latitudes widely dif- 
 ferent. Circumstances connected with bygone days were 
 recalled ; the faces of friends long hidden in the mists 
 of time were brought again to mind ; anecdotes illustra- 
 tive of native character succeeded each other in brisk 
 succession, till Maclean, without warning, finding his 
 voice, burst into incongruous melody. One song sug- 
 gested another ; a banjo was produced, and tuned to the 
 noise of clinking glasses ; and every moment the atmos- 
 phere grew thicker, and the din waxed greater. 
 
 How long this concert would have lasted I cannot 
 say, but I remember, after the third repetition of the 
 chorus of a sea-chanty that might have been heard a 
 mile away, glancing at my watch and discovering to my 
 astonishment that it was after ten o'clock. Then ris- 
 ing to my feet I resisted all temptations to stay the 
 night and reminded my friend Percival of his promise 
 to put me ashore again. He was true to his word, and 
 five minutes later we were shoving off from the ship's 
 side amid the valedictions of my hosts. I have a recol- 
 lection to this day of the face of the chief engineer gaz- 
 ing down upon me from above the bulwarks, and of his 
 quavering voice asserting the fact, in dolorous tones, 
 that 
 
 " Aft hae I rov'd by bonny Doon, 
 To see the rose and woodbine twine ; 
 And ilka bird sang o' its luve, 
 And fondly sae did I o' mine." 
 
106 A BID FOR PORTtJNE. 
 
 With this amorous farewell still ringing in my ears 
 I landed at Limehouse Pier, and bidding my friend good- 
 bye betook myself by the circuitous route of Emmett 
 and Eopemaker Streets and Church Eow to that aristo- 
 cratic thoroughfare known as the East India Dock Eoad. 
 
 The night was dark and a thick rain was falling, 
 presenting the mean-looking houses, muddy road, and 
 foot-stained pavements in an aspect that was even 
 more depressing than was usual to them. Despite the 
 inclemency of the weather and the lateness of the 
 hour, however, the street was crowded ; blackguard 
 men and foul-mouthed women, such a class as I had 
 never in all my experience of rough folk encountered 
 before, jostled each other on the pavements with scant 
 ceremony ; costermongers cried their wares, small boys 
 dashed in and out of the crowd at top speed, and flar- 
 ing gin palaces took in and threw out continuous 
 streams of victims. 
 
 For some minutes I stood watching this melancholy 
 picture, contrasting it with others in my mind. Then 
 turning to my left hand I pursued my way in the direc- 
 tion I imagined the Stepney railway station to lie. It 
 was not pleasant walking, but I was interested in the 
 life about me — the people, the shops, the costermon- 
 gers' barrows, and I might even say the public-houses. 
 To an Australian there was something very depressing 
 yet very novel about it all. 
 
 I had not made my way more than a hundred yards 
 along the street when an incident occurred that brought 
 with it a train of highly important circumstances. As 
 I crossed the entrance to a small side street, the door of 
 an ill-looking tavern was suddenly thrust open and the 
 body of a man was propelled from it, with a considerable 
 amount of violence, directly into my arms. Having no 
 
I MEET DR. NIKOLA AGAIK. 107 
 
 desire to act as his support I pushed him from me, and 
 as I did so glanced at the door through which he had 
 been ejected. Upon the glass was a picture, presumably 
 nautical, and under it this legend " The Green Sailor." 
 In a flash Bournemouth post ofBce rose before my mind's 
 eye, the startled face of Baxter on the doorstep, the 
 swinging pencil on the telegraph stand, and the imprint 
 of the mysterious message addressed to " Nikola, Green 
 Sailor Hotel, East India Dock Eoad." So complete 
 was my astonishment that at first I could do nothing but 
 stand stupidly staring at it, then my curiosity asserted 
 itself and, seeking the private entrance, I stepped inside. 
 A short passage conducted me to a small and evil-smell- 
 ing room abutting on the bar. On the popular side of 
 the counter the room was crowded ; in the place where 
 I found myself I was the sole customer. A small table 
 stood in the centre, round this two or three chairs were 
 ranged, whilst several pugnacious prints lent an air of 
 decoration to the walls. 
 
 On the other side, to the left of that through which 
 I had entered, a curtained doorway hinted at a similar 
 room beyond. A small but heavily built man, whom I 
 rightly judged to be the landlord, was busily engaged 
 with an assistant in dispensing liquor at the counter, but 
 when I rapped upon the table he forsook his customers, 
 and came to learn my wishes. I called for a glass of 
 whisky, and seated myself at the table preparatory to 
 commencing my enquiries as to the existence of Baxter's 
 mysterious friend. But at the moment that I was put- 
 ting my first question the door behind the half -drawn 
 curtain, which must have been insecurely fastened, 
 opened about an inch, and a voice greeted my ears that 
 brought me up all standing with surprise. It was the 
 voice of Baxter himself. 
 8 
 
108 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 "I assure you," he was saying, "it was desperate 
 work from beginning to end, and I was never so relieved 
 in my life as when I discovered that he had really come 
 to say good-bye." 
 
 At this juncture one of them must have realised that 
 the door was open, for I heard someone rise from his 
 chair and come towards it. Acting under the influence 
 of a curiosity, which was as baneful to him as it was for- 
 tunate to me, before closing it he opened the door wider 
 and looked into the room where I sat. It was Baxter, 
 and if I live to be a hundred I shall not forget the ex- 
 pression on his face as his eyes fell on me. 
 
 " Mr. Hatteras," he gasped, clutching at the wall for 
 support. 
 
 Eesolved to take him at a disadvantage, I rushed 
 towards him and shook him warmly by the hand, at 
 the same time noticing that he had discarded his 
 clerical costume. It was too late now for him to pre- 
 tend that he did not know me, and as I had taken the 
 precaution to place my foot against it, it was equally 
 impossible for him to shut the door. Seeing this he 
 felt compelled to surrender, and I will do him the jus- 
 tice to admit that he did it with as good a- grace as pos- 
 sible. 
 
 " Mr. Baxter," I said, " this is the last place I should 
 have expected to meet you in. May I come in and sit 
 down ? " 
 
 Without giving him time to reply I entered the 
 room, resolved to see who his companion might be. Of 
 course, in my own mind I had quite settled that it was 
 the person to whom he had telegraphed from Bourne- 
 mouth—in other words, Nikola. But who was Nikola? 
 And had I ever seen him before ? 
 
 My curiosity was destined to be satisfied, and in a 
 
I MEET DR. NIKOLA ASilX. 109 
 
 most unexpected fashion. For there, sitting at the 
 table, a half -smoked cigarette between his fingers, and 
 his face turned towards me, was the man whom I had 
 seen playing chess in the restaurant, the man who had 
 told me my name by the cards in my pocket, and the 
 man who had warned me in such a mysterious way about 
 my sweetheart's departure. He was Baxter's correspon- 
 dent ! He was Nikola ! 
 
 Whatever my surprise may have been, he was not in 
 the least disconcerted, but rose calmly from his seat and 
 proffered me his hand, saying as he did so : 
 
 " Good evening, Mr. Hatteras. I am delighted to see 
 you, and still more pleased io learn that you and my 
 worthy old friend, Baxter, have met before. Won't you 
 sit down ? " 
 
 I seated myself on a chair at the further end of the 
 table ; Baxter meanwhile looked from one to the other 
 of us as if uncertain whether to go or stay. Presently, 
 however, he seemed to make up his mind, and advanc- 
 ing towards Nikola, said, with an earnestness that I 
 could see was assumed for the purpose of putting me off 
 the scent : 
 
 " And so I cannot induce you. Dr. Nikola, to fit out 
 an expedition for the work I have named?" 
 
 " If I had five thousand pounds to throw away," re- 
 plied Nikola, " I might think of it, Mr. Baxter, but as I 
 haven't you must understand that it is impossible." 
 Then seeing that the other was anxious to be going, he 
 continued, " Must you be off ? then good-night." 
 
 Baxter shook hands with us both with laboured 
 cordiality and then slunk from the room. When the 
 door closed upon him Nikola turned to me. 
 
 " There must be some fascination about a mission- 
 ary's life after all," he said. " My old tutor, Baxter, as 
 
110 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 you are aware, has a comfortable position with the 
 young Marquis of Beckenham, which if he conducts 
 himself properly may lead to something really worth 
 having in the future, and yet here he is anxious to sur- 
 render it in order to go back to his missionary work in 
 New Guinea, to his hard life, insufficient food, and 
 almost certain death." 
 
 " He was in New Guinea then ? " 
 
 " Fire years — so he tells me." 
 
 " Are you certain of that ? " 
 
 " Absolutely ! " 
 
 " Then all I can say is that in spite of his cloth, Mr. 
 Baxter does not always tell the truth." 
 
 " I am sorry you should think that. Pray what rea- 
 son have you for saying so ? " 
 
 " Simply because in a conversation I had with him 
 at Bournemouth he deliberately informed me that he 
 had never been near New Guinea in his life." 
 
 " You must have misunderstood him. However that 
 has nothing to do with us. Let us turn to a pleasanter 
 subject." 
 
 He rang the bell, and when the landlord appeared 
 ordered more refreshment. When it arrived he lit 
 another cigarette, and leaning back in his chair glanced 
 at me through half-closed eyes. 
 
 Then occurred one of the most curious and weird 
 circumstances connected with this meeting. Hardly 
 had he laid himself back in his chair before I heard a 
 faint scratching against the table leg, and next moment 
 an enormous cat, black as the Pit of Tophet, sprang 
 with a bound upon the table and stood there steadfastly 
 regarding me, its eyes flashing and its back arched. I 
 have seen cats without number, Chinese, Persian, Manx, 
 the Australian wild cat, and the English tabby, but 
 
I MEET DR. NIKOLA AGAIN. m 
 
 never in the whole course of my existence have I met 
 with such another as the cat owned by Dr. Nikola. 
 When it had regarded me with evil eyes for more than 
 a minute, it stepped daintily across to its master, and 
 rubbed itself backwards and forwards against his arm, 
 then to my astonishment it clambered up on to his shoul- 
 der and again gave me the benefit of its fixed attention. 
 Dr. Nikola must have observed the amazement depicted 
 in my face, for he smiled in a curious fashion, and coax- 
 ing the beast down into his lap fell to stroking its fur 
 with his long, white fingers. It was as uncanny a per- 
 formance as ever I had the privilege of witnessing. 
 
 " And so, Mr. Hatteras," he said slowly, " you are 
 thinking of leaving us." 
 
 " I am," I replied, with a little start of natural as- 
 tonishment. " But how did you know it ? " 
 
 " After the conjuring tricks — we agreed to call them 
 conjuring tricks, I think — I showed you a week or two 
 ago, I wonder that you should ask such a question. 
 You have the ticket in your pocket even now." 
 
 All the time he had been speaking his extraordinary 
 eyes had never left my face ; they seemed to be reading 
 my very soul, and his cat ably seconded his efforts. 
 
 " I should like to ask you a few questions about 
 those self -same conjuring tricks," I said. " Do you 
 know you gave me a most peculiar warning?" 
 
 " I am glad to hear it ; I hope you profited by it." 
 
 " It cost me a good deal of uneasiness, if that's any 
 consolation to you. I want to know how you did 
 it?" 
 
 " My fame as a wizard would soon evaporate if I re- 
 vealed my methods," he answered, still looking stead- 
 fastly at me. " However, I will give you another ■ ex- 
 hibition of my powers, if you like. In fact, another 
 
112 -A- BID FOR FORTDNE. 
 
 warning. Have you confidence enough in me to ac- 
 cept it ? " 
 
 " I'll wait and see what it is first," I replied cau- 
 tiously, trying to remove my eyes from his. 
 
 " iVell, my warning to you is this — you intend to 
 sail in the Saratoga for Australia on Friday next, don't 
 you? Well, then, don't go; as you love your life, don't 
 go." 
 
 " Good gracious ! and why on earth not ? " I cried. 
 
 He stared fixedly at me for more than half a minute 
 before he answered. There was no escaping those 
 dreadful eyes, and the regular sweep of those long white 
 fingers on the cat's black fur seemed to send a cold 
 shiver right down my spine. Bit by bit I began to feel 
 a curious sensation of dizziness creeping over me. 
 
 " Because you will not go. You cannot go. I for- 
 bid you to go." 
 
 I roused myself with an effort, and sprang to my 
 feet, crying as I did so : 
 
 " And what the devil right have you to forbid me to 
 do anything ? I'll go on Friday, come what may. And 
 I'd like to see the man who will prevent me." 
 
 He must have realised that his attempt to hypnotise 
 me (for attempt it certainly was) had proved a failure. 
 But he was not in the least disconcerted. 
 
 " My dear fellow," he murmured gently, knocking 
 off the ash of his cigarette against the table edge as he 
 did so, " no one is seeking to prevent you. I gave you, 
 at your own request — you will do me the justice to admit 
 that — a little piece of advice. If you do not care to 
 follow it, that is your concern, not mine ; but pray do 
 not blame me. Must you really go now ? Then good- 
 night, and good-bye, for I don't suppose I shall see yon 
 this side of the line again." 
 
I MEET DR. NIKOLA AGAIX. II3 
 
 I took his proffered hand, and wished him good- 
 night. Having done so, I left the house, heartily glad 
 to have said good-bye to the only man in my life whom 
 I have really feared. 
 
 When in the train, on my way back to town, I came 
 to review the meeting in the " Green Sailor," I found 
 myself face to face with a series of problems very diffi- 
 cult to work out. How had Nikola first learnt my 
 name ? How had he heard of the Wetherells ? Was he 
 the mysterious person his meeting with whom had 
 driven Wetherell out of England? Why had Baxter 
 telegraphed to him that " the train was laid " ? Was I 
 the new danger that had arisen ? How had Baxter ■ 
 come to be at the " Green Sailor " in non-clerical cos- 
 tume? Why had he been so disturbed at my entry? 
 Why had Nikola invented such a lame excuse to ac- 
 count for his presence there ? Why had he warned me 
 not to sail in the Saratoga ? and, above all, why had he 
 resorted to hypnotism to secure his ends ? 
 
 I asked myself these questions one by one, and one 
 by one I failed to answer them to my satisfaction. But 
 whatever other conclusion I might have come to, one 
 thing at least was certain : that was, that my original 
 supposition was a correct one. There was a tremendous 
 mystery somewhere. Whether or not I was to lose my 
 interest in it after Friday remained to be seen. 
 
 Arriving at Fenchurch Street, I again took the Un- 
 derground, and bringing up at the Temple, walked to 
 my hotel ofE the Strand. It was nearly twelve o'clock 
 by the time I entered the hall ; but late as it was I 
 found time to examine the letter rack. It contained 
 two envelopes bearing my name, and taking them out I 
 carried them with me to my room. One, to my delight, 
 bore the postmark of Port Said, and was addressed in 
 
114 A BID FOE FORTUNE. 
 
 my sweetheart's handwriting. You may guess how 
 eagerly I tore it open, and with what avidity I devoured 
 its contents. From it I gathered that they had arrived 
 at the entrance of the Suez Canal safely ; that her father 
 seemed to have recovered his spirits more and more 
 with every mile that separated them from Europe. He 
 was now almost himself again, she said, but still refused 
 with characteristic determination to entertain the 
 smallest notion of me as a son-in-law. But Phyllis her- 
 self did not despair of being able to talk him round. 
 Then came a paragraph which struck me as being so 
 peculiar as to warrant my reproducing it here : 
 
 " The passengers, what we have seen of them, appear 
 to be, with one exception, a nice enough set of people. 
 That exception, however, is intolerable ; his name is 
 Prendergast, and his. personal appearance is as objec- 
 tionable as his behaviour is extraordinary ; his hair is 
 snow-white, and his face is deeply pitted with small-pox. 
 This is, of course, not his fault, but it seems somehow to 
 aggravate the distaste I have for him. Unfortunately we 
 were thrown into his company in Naples, and since then 
 the creature has so far presumed upon that introduction, 
 that he scarcely leaves me alone for a moment. Papa 
 does not seem to mind him so much, but I continually 
 thank goodness that, as he leaves the boat in Port Said, 
 the rest of the voyage will be performed without him." 
 
 The remainder of the letter has no concern for any- 
 one but myself. I folded it up and put it in my pocket, 
 feeling that if I had been on board the boat I should in 
 all probability have allowed Mr. Prendergast to under- 
 stand that his company was distasteful and not in the 
 least required. If I could only have foreseen that 
 within a fortnight I was to be enjoying the doubtful 
 
I MEET DR. NIKOLA AGAIN. 115 
 
 pleasure of that very gentleman's society, under circum- 
 stances as important as life and death, I should have 
 thought still more strongly on the subject. 
 
 The handwriting of the second envelope was bold, 
 full of character, but quite unknown to me. I opened 
 it with a little feeling of curiosity, and glanced at the 
 signature, " Beckenham." 
 
 It ran as follows : 
 
 " West Cliff, Bournemouth, Tuesday Evening. 
 
 "My Dear Mb. Hatteras : I have great and won- 
 derful news to tell yon ! This week has proved an ex- 
 traordinarily eventful one for me, for what do you 
 think ? My father has suddenly decided that I shall 
 travel. All the details have been settled in a great 
 hurry. You will understand this when I tell you that 
 Mr. Baxter and I sail for Sydney in the steamship Sara- 
 toga next week. My father telegraphed to Mr. Baxter, 
 who is in London, to book our passages and to choose 
 our cabins this morning. I can only say that my great- 
 est wish is that you were coming with us. Is it so im- 
 possible ? Cannot you make your arrangements and do 
 this ? We shall travel overland to Naples and join the 
 boat there. This is Mr. Baxter's proposition, and you 
 may be sure, considering what I shall see en route, I 
 have no objection to urge against it. Our tour will be 
 an extensive one. "We visit Australia and New Zealand, 
 go thence to Honolulu, thence to San Francisco, return- 
 ing across the United States, vid Canada, to Liverpool. 
 
 " You may imagine how excited, I am at the pros- 
 pect, and as I feel that I owe a great measure of my 
 good fortune to you, I want to be the first to acquaint 
 you of it. Yours ever sincerely, 
 
 " Becke2s"ham." 
 
116 A BID FOE FORTUNE. 
 
 I read the letter through a second time, and then sat 
 down on my bed to think it out. One thing was self- 
 evident. I knew now how Nikola became aware that I 
 was going to sail in the mail boat on Friday ; Baxter 
 had seen my name in the passenger list, and informed 
 him. 
 
 I undressed and went to bed, but not to sleep. I 
 had a problem to work out, and a more than usually 
 difficult one it was. Here was the young Marquis of 
 Beckenham, I told myself, only son of his father, in- 
 duced to travel by my representations. There was a 
 conspiracy afoot in which, I could not help feeling cer- 
 tain, the young man was involved. And yet I had no 
 right to be certain about it after all, for my theories at 
 best were_ only suppositions. Now the question was, 
 ought I to warn the Duke or not? If I did I might be 
 frightening him without cause, and might stop his son's 
 journey ; and if I did not, and things went wrong — well, 
 in that case, I might be the innocent means of bringing 
 a great and lasting sorrow upon his house. Hour after 
 hour I turned this question over and over in my mind, 
 uncertain how to act. The clocks chimed their monoto- 
 nous round, the noises died down and rose again in the 
 streets, and daylight found me just come to a decision. 
 I would not tell him ; but at the same time I would 
 make doubly sure that I sailed aboard that ship myself, 
 and that throughout the voyage I would be by the young 
 man's side to guard him from all ill. 
 
 Breakfast time came and I rose from my bed wearied 
 with thought. Even a bath failed to restore my spirits. 
 I went downstairs and, crossing the hall again, examined 
 the rack. Another letter awaited me. I passed into 
 the dining-room and, seating myself at my table, ordered 
 breakfast. Having done so, I turned to my correspond- 
 
I MEET DE. NIKOLA AGAIN. 117 
 
 ence. Fate seemed to pursue me. On this occasion 
 the letter was from the lad's father, the Duke of Glen- 
 barth himself, and ran as follows : 
 
 " Sandridge Castle, Bournemol'th, August 3rd. 
 
 " Dear Me. Hatteras : My son tells me he has ac- 
 quainted you with the news of his departure for Aus- 
 tralia next week. I don't doubt this will cause you 
 some little surprise ; but it has been brought about by a 
 curious combination of circumstances. Two days ago I 
 received a letter from my old friend, the Earl of Am- 
 berley, who, as you know, has for the past five years 
 been Governor of the colony of New South "Wales, tell- 
 ing me that his term of office will expire in four months. 
 Though he has not seen my boy since the latter was 
 two years old, I am anxious that he should be at the 
 head of affairs when my son visits the colony. Hence 
 the haste. I should have liked nothing better than to 
 have accompanied him myself, but business of the ut- 
 most importance detains me in England. I am sending 
 Mr. Baxter with him, with powerful credentials, and if 
 it should be in your power to do anything to assist them 
 you will be adding materially to the debt of gratitude I 
 already owe you. 
 
 " Believe me, my dear Mr. Hatteras, to be, 
 " Very truly yours, 
 
 " Glenbarth." 
 
 My breakfast finished, I answered both these letters, 
 informed them of my contemplated departure by the 
 same steamer, and promised that I would do all that lay 
 in my power to ensure both the young traveller's pleas- 
 ure and safety. 
 
 The rest of the morning was occupied by me in in- 
 
118 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 diting a letter to my sweetheart, informing her of my 
 return to the Colonies, and telling her of the curious 
 circumstances that had occurred since her departure. 
 
 The afternoon was spent in saying good-bye to the 
 few business friends I had made in London, and in the 
 erening I went for the last time to a theatre. 
 
 Five minutes to eleven next morning found me at 
 Waterloo sitting in a first-class compartment of the 
 West of England express, bound for Plymouth and 
 Australia. Though the platform was crowded to excess, 
 I had the carriage so far to myself and was about to 
 congratulate myself on my good fortune, when a por- 
 ter appeared on the scene, and deposited a bag in the 
 opposite corner. A moment later, and just as the train 
 was in motion, a man jumped in the carriage, tipped 
 the servant, and then placed a basket upon the rack. 
 The train was half-way out of the station before he 
 turned round, and my suspicions were confirmed. It 
 was Dr. Nikola ! 
 
 Though he must have known who his companion 
 was, he affected great surprise. 
 
 " Mr. Hatteras," he cried, " I think this is the most 
 extraordinary coincidence I have ever experienced in my 
 life." 
 
 " Why so ? " I asked. " You knew I was going to 
 Plymouth to-day, and one moment's reflection must 
 have told you, that as my boat sails at eight, I would be 
 certain to take the morning express, which lands me 
 there at five. Should I be indiscreet if I asked where 
 you may be going ? " 
 
 " Like yourself, I am also visiting Plymouth," he 
 answered, taking the basket, before mentioned, down 
 from the rack, and drawing a French novel from his 
 coat pocket. " I expect an old Indian friend home by 
 
I MEET DR. NIKOLA AGAIN. ng 
 
 the mail boat that arrives to-night. I am going down 
 to meet him." 
 
 I felt relieved to hear that he was not thinking of 
 sailing in the Saratoga, and after a few polite common- 
 places, we both lapsed into silence. I was suspicious, 
 and he was too wary, to appear over friendly. Clap- 
 ham, Wimbledon, Surbiton, came and went. Wey- 
 bridge and Woking flashed by at lightning speed, and 
 even Basingstoke was reached before we spoke again. 
 That station behind us, Dr. Nikola took the basket be- 
 fore mentioned on his knee, and opened it. When he 
 had done so, the same enormous black cat, whose ac- 
 quaintance I had made in the East India Dock Eoad, 
 stepped proudly forth. In the daylight the brute looked 
 even larger and certainly fiercer than before. I felt I 
 should have liked nothing better than to have taken it 
 by the tail and hurled it out of the window. Nikola, 
 on the other hand, seemed to entertain for it the most 
 extraordinary affection. 
 
 Now, such was this marvellous man's power of fas- 
 cination that by the time we reached Andover Junc- 
 tion his conversation had roused me quite out of my- 
 self, had made me forget my previous distrust of him, 
 and enabled me to tell myself that this railway journey 
 was one of the most enjoyable I had ever undertaken. 
 
 In Salisbury we took luncheon baskets on board, 
 with two bottles of champagne, for which my compan- 
 ion, in spite of my vigorous protest, would insist upon 
 paying. 
 
 As the train rolled along the charming valley, in 
 which lie the miniature towns of Wilton, Dinton, and 
 Tisbury, we pledged each other in right good fellow- 
 ship, and by the time Exeter was reached would have 
 journeyed round the world together. 
 
120 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 Exeter behind us, I began to feel drowsy, and before 
 the. engine came to a standstill at Okehampton was fast 
 asleep. 
 
 I remember no more of that ill-fated journey ; nor, 
 indeed, have I any recollection of anything at all, until 
 I woke up , in Eoom No. 37 of the Ship and Vulture 
 Hotel in Plymouth. 
 
 The sunshine was streaming in through the slats of 
 the Venetian blinds, and a gentleman with a dignified 
 aspect, a rosy face, and grey hair was standing by my 
 bedside, holding my wrist in his hand, and calmly scru- 
 tinising me. A nurse in hospital dress stood beside 
 him. 
 
 " I think he'll do now," he said to her as he rubbed 
 his plump hands together ; " but I'll look round in the 
 course of the afternoon." 
 
 " One moment," I said feebly, for I foiind I was too 
 weak almost to speak. " Would you mind telling me 
 where I am, and what is the matter with me ? " 
 
 " I should very much like to be able to," was the 
 doctor's reply. " My own opinion is, if you want me to 
 be candid, that you have been drugged and well-nigh 
 poisoned, in a remarkably clever manner. But what 
 the drug and the poison were, and who administered it 
 to you and their motive, is more than I can tell you. 
 From what I can learn from the hotel proprietors you 
 were brought here from the railway station in a cab last 
 night by a gentleman who happened to find you in the 
 carriage in which you travelled down from London. 
 You were in such a curious condition that I was sent 
 for and this nurse procured. . Now you know all about 
 it." 
 
 " What day did you say this is ? " 
 
 " Saturday, to be sure." 
 
I MEET DR. NIKOLA AGAIN. 121 
 
 " Saturday ! " I cried. " You don't mean that ! 
 Then, by Jove, I've missed the Saratoga after all. 
 Here, let me get up ! And tell them downstairs to send 
 for the Inspector of Police. I have got to get to the 
 bottom of this." 
 
 I sat up in bed, but was only too glad to lie down 
 again, for my weakness was extraordinary. I looked at 
 the doctor. 
 
 " How long before you can have me fit for travel- 
 ling?" 
 
 " Give yourself three days' rest and quiet," he replied, 
 " and we'll see what we can do." 
 
 " Three days ? And two days and a half to cross 
 the Continent, that's five and a half — say six days. 
 Good ! I'll catch the boat in Naples, and then, Dr. Ki- 
 kola, if you're aboard, as I suspect, I should advise you 
 to look out." 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 PORT SAID AND WHAT BEFELL US THERE. 
 
 Fortunately for me my arrangements fitted in 
 exactly, so that at one thirty p. M., on the seventh day 
 after my fatal meeting with Dr. Nikola in the West of 
 England express, I had crossed the continent and stood 
 looking out on the blue waters of Naples Bay. To my 
 right rose the hill of San Martino, behind me was that 
 of Capo di Monte, and in the distance, to the south- 
 ward, the cloud-tipped summit of Vesuvius. 
 
 The Journey from London is generally considered, I 
 believe, a long and wearisome one ; it certainly proved 
 so to me, for it must be remembered that my mind was 
 impatient of every delay, while my bodily health was 
 not as yet recovered from the severe strain that had 
 been put upon it. 
 
 The first thing to be done on arrival at the ter- 
 minus was to discover a quiet hotel ; one where I could 
 rest and recoup during the heat of the day, and what 
 was perhaps more important, a place where I should run 
 no risk of meeting with Dr. Nikola or his satellites. I 
 had originally intended calling at the office of the 
 steamship company in order to explain the reason of 
 my not joining the boat in Plymouth, planning after- 
 wards to cast about me, among the various hotels, for 
 the Marquis of Beckeuham and Mr. Baxter. But, on 
 
 133 
 
PORT SAID AND WHAT BEFELL US THERE. 123 
 
 second thoughts, I saw the wisdom of abandoning both 
 these courses. If you have followed the thread of my 
 narrative, you will readily understand why ! 
 
 Nor for the same reason did I feel inclined to board 
 the steamer, which I could see lying out in the harbour, 
 until darkness fell. I ascertained, however, that she 
 was due to sail at midnight, and that the mails were 
 already' being got aboard. 
 
 Almost exactly as eight o'clock was striking, I 
 mounted the gangway, and strolled down the prome- 
 nade deck to the first saloon entrance ; then calling a 
 steward to my assistance, I had my baggage conveyed 
 to my cabin, where I set to work to arrange my little 
 knicknacks, and to make myself comfortable for the 
 five weeks' voyage that was before us. So far I had 
 seen nothing of my friends, and, on making enquiries, 
 I discovered that they had not yet come aboard. In- 
 deed, they did not do so until the last boat had dis- 
 charged its burden at the gangway. Then I met Lord 
 Beckenham on the promenade deck, and unaffected was 
 the young man's delight at seeing me. 
 
 " Mr. Hatteras," he cried, running forward to greet 
 me with outstretched hand, " this was all that was 
 wanting to make my happiness complete. I am glad 
 to see you. I hope your cabin is near ours." 
 
 " I'm on the port side just abaft the pantry," I an- 
 swered, shaking him by the hand. " But tell me about 
 yourself. I expect you had a pleasant journey across 
 the continent." 
 
 " Delightful ! " was his reply. " "We stayed a day in 
 Paris, and another in Eome, and since we have been 
 here we have been rushing about seeing everything, 
 like a regulation pair of British tourists." 
 
 At this moment Mr, Baxter, who had been looking 
 9 
 
12i A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 after the luggage, I suppose, made his appearance, and 
 greeted me with more cordiality than I had expected 
 him to show. To m}' intense surprise, however, he al- 
 lowed no sign of astonishment to escape him at my hav- 
 ing joined the boat after all. But a few minutes later, 
 as we were approaching the companion steps, he said : 
 
 " I understood from his Lordship, Mr. Hatteras, 
 that you were to embark at Plymouth ; was I mistaken, 
 therefore, when I thought I saw you coming off with 
 your luggage this evening ? " 
 
 " No, you were not mistaken," I answered, being able 
 now to account for his lack of surprise. " I came across 
 the continent like yourselves, and only joined her a 
 couple of hours ago." 
 
 Here the Marquis chimed in, and diverted the con- 
 versation into another channel. 
 
 " Where is everybody ? " he asked, when Mr. Baxter 
 had left us and gone below. " There were a lot of 
 names on the passenger list, and yet I see nobody 
 about ! " 
 
 " They are all in bed," I answered. " It is getting 
 late, you see, and if I mistake not, we shall be under 
 way in a few minutes." 
 
 " Then, I think, if you'll excuse me for a few mo- 
 ments, I'll go below to my cabin. I expect Mr. Baxter 
 will be wondering where I am." 
 
 When he had left me I turned to the bulwarks and 
 stood looking across the water at the gleaming lights 
 ashore. One by one the boats alongside pushed off, 
 and from the sounds that reached me from for'ard, I 
 gathered that the anchor was being got aboard. Five 
 minutes later we had swung round to our course and 
 were facing to the open sea. For the first mile or so 
 my thoughts chased each other in rapid succession. 
 
PORT SAID AND WHAT BEFELL US THERE. 125 
 
 You must remember that it was in Naples I had learnt 
 that my darling loved me, and it was in Naples now 
 that I was bidding good-bye to Europe and to all the 
 strange events that had befallen me there. I leant 
 upon the rail, looked at the fast receding country in our 
 wake, at old Vesuvius, fire-capped, away to port, at the 
 Great Bear swinging in the heavens to the nor'ard, and 
 then thought of the Southern Cross which, before' many 
 weeks were passed, would be lifting its head above our 
 bows to welcome me back to the sunny land and to the 
 girl I loved so well. Somehow I felt glad that the trip 
 was over, and that I was really on my way home at last. 
 
 The steamer ploughed her almost silent course, and 
 three quarters of an hour later we were abreast of Capri. 
 As I was looking at it. Lord Beckenham came down the 
 deck and stood beside me. His first speech told me 
 that he was still under the influence of his excitement ; 
 indeed, he spoke in rapturous terms of the enjoyment 
 he expected to derive from his tour. 
 
 " But are you sure you will be a good sailor ? " I 
 asked. 
 
 " Oh, I have no fear of that," he answered confident- 
 ly. " As you know, I have been out in my boat in some 
 pretty rough weather and never felt in the least ill, so I 
 don't think it is likely that I shall begin to be a bad 
 sailor on a vessel the size of the Saratoga. By the way, 
 when are we due to reach Port Said ?. " 
 
 " Next Thursday afternoon, I believe, if all goes 
 well." 
 
 " Will you let me go ashore with you if you go ? I 
 don't want to bother you, but after all you have told me 
 about the place, I should like to see it in your com- 
 pany." 
 
 " I'll take you with pleasure," I answered, " provided 
 
X26 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 Mr. Baxter gives his consent. I suppose we must re- 
 gard him as skipper." 
 
 " Oh, I don't think we need fear his refusing. He 
 is very good-natured, you know, and lets me have my 
 own way a good deal." 
 
 " Where is he now ? " 
 
 " Down below, asleep. He has had a lot of running 
 about to-day and thought he would turn in before we 
 got under way. I think I had better be going now. 
 Good night." 
 
 " Good night," I answered, and he left me again. 
 
 When I was alone I returned again to my thoughts 
 of Phyllis and the future, and as soon as my pipe was 
 finished, went below to my bunk. My berth mate I had 
 discovered earlier in the evening was a portly English 
 merchant of the old school, who was visiting his agents 
 in Australia; and from the violence of his snores, I 
 should judge had not much trouble on his mind. For- 
 tunately mine was the lower bunk, and, when I had un- 
 dressed, I turned into it to sleep like a top until roused 
 by the bath-room steward at half -past seven next morn- 
 ing. After a good bathe I went back to my cabin and 
 set to work to dress. My companion by this time was 
 awake, but evidently not much inclined for conversation. 
 His usual jovial face, it struck me, was not as rosy as 
 when I had made his acquaintance the night before, and 
 from certain signs I judged that his good spirits were 
 more than half assumed. 
 
 All this time a smart sea was running, and, I must 
 own, the Saratoga was rolling abominably. 
 
 '' A very good morning to you, my dear sir," my 
 cabin mate said, with an air of enjoyment his pallied 
 face belied, as I entered the berth. " Pray how do you 
 feel to-day?" 
 
PORT SAID AND WHAT BEFELL DS THERE. 127 
 
 " In first-class form," I replied, '' and as hungry as a 
 hunter." 
 
 He laid himself back on his pillow with a remark 
 that sounded very much like " Oh dear," and thereafter 
 I was suffered to shave and complete my toilet in silence. 
 Having done so I put on my cap and went on deck. 
 
 It was indeed a glorious morning ; bright sunshine 
 streamed upon the decks, the sea was a glorious blue, 
 and so clear was the air that, miles distant though it was 
 from us, the Italian coast-line could be plainly discerned 
 above the port bulwarks. By this time I had cross-ex- 
 amined the chief steward, and satisfied myself that Ni- 
 kola was not aboard. His absence puzzled me consider- 
 ably. Was it possible that I could have been mistaken 
 in the whole affair, and that Baxter's motives were hon- 
 est after all ? But in that case why had Nikola drugged 
 me ? And why had he warned me against sailing in the 
 Saratoga f The. better to think it out I set myself for 
 a vigorous tramp round the hurricane deck, and was 
 still revolving the matter in my mind, when, on turn- 
 ing the corner by the smoking-room entrance, I found 
 myself face to face with Baxter himself. As soon as he 
 saw me, he came smiling towards me, holding out his 
 hand. 
 
 " Good morning, Mr. Hatteras," he said briskly ; 
 " what a delightful morning it is, to be sure. You can- 
 not tell how much I am enjoying it. The sea air seems 
 to have made a new man of me already." 
 
 " I am glad to hear it. And pray how is your 
 charge ? " I asked, more puzzled than ever by this dis- 
 play of affability. 
 
 " Not at all well, I am sorry to say." 
 
 " Not well ? You don't surely mean to say that he 
 is sea-sick ? " 
 
128 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 " I'm sorry to say I do. He was quite well until he 
 got out of Ms bunk half an hour ago. Then a sudden, 
 but violent, fit of nausea seized him, and drove him back 
 to bed again." 
 
 " I am very sorry to hear it, but I hope he will be 
 better soon. He would have been one of the last men I 
 should have expected to be bowled over. Are you com- 
 ing for a turn round ? " 
 
 " I shall feel honoured," he answered, and thereupon 
 we set off, step for step, for a constitutional round the 
 deck. By the time we had finished it was nine o'clock, 
 and the saloon gong had sounded for breakfast. 
 
 The meal over, I repaired to the Marquis' cabin, and 
 having knocked, was bidden enter. I found My Lord 
 in bed, retching violently ; his complexion was the col- 
 our of zinc, his hands were cold and clammy, and after 
 every spasm his face streamed with perspiration. 
 
 " I'm indeed sorry to see you like this," I said, bend- 
 ing over him. " How do you feel now? " 
 
 " Very bad indeed ! " he answered with a groan. " I 
 cannot understand it at all. Before I got out of bed 
 this morning I felt as well as possible. Then Mr. Bax- 
 ter was kind enough to bring me a cup of coffee, and 
 within five minutes of drinking it, I was obliged to go 
 back to bed feeling hopelessly sick and miserable." 
 
 " Well, you must try and get round as soon as you 
 can, and come on deck ; there's a splendid breeze blow- 
 ing, and you'll find that'll clear the sickness out of you 
 before you know where you are." 
 
 But his only reply was another awful fit of sickness, 
 that made as if it would tear his very chest asunder. 
 While he was under the influence of it, his tutor en- 
 tered, and set about ministering to him with a care and 
 fatherly tenderness that even deceived me. I can see 
 
PORT SAID AND WHAT BEFELL US THERE. 129 
 
 things more plainly now, on looking back at them, than 
 I could then, but I must own that Baxter's behaviour 
 towards the boy that morning was of a kind that would 
 have hoodwinked the very Master of All Lies himself. 
 I could easily understand now how this man had come 
 to have such an influence over the kindly natured Duke 
 of Glenbarth, who, when all was said and done, could 
 have had but small experience of men of Baxter's type. 
 
 Seeing that, instead of helping, I was only in the 
 way, I expressed a hope that the patient would soon be 
 himself again, and returned to the deck. 
 
 Lunch time came, and still Lord Beckenham was 
 unable to leave his berth. In the evening he was no 
 better. The following morning he was, if anything, 
 stronger ; but towards midday, just as he was thinking 
 of getting up, his nausea returned upon him, and he 
 was obliged to postpone the attempt. On Wednesday 
 there was no improvement, and, indeed, it was not until 
 Thursday afternoon, when the low-lying coast of Port 
 Said was showing above the sea-line, that he felt in 
 any way fit to leave his bunk. In all my experience of 
 sea-sickness, I had never known a more extraordinary 
 case. 
 
 It was almost dark before we dropped our anchor oil 
 the town, and as soon as we were at a standstill I went 
 below to my friend's cabin. He was sitting on the lock- 
 er fully dressed. 
 
 " Port Said," I announced. " Kow, how do you feel 
 about going ashore? Myself, I (Jon't think you had 
 better try it." 
 
 " Oh ! but I want to go. I have been looking for- 
 ward to it so much. I am much stronger than I was, 
 believe me, and Mr. Baxter doesn't think it could possi- 
 bly hurt me." 
 
130 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 " If you don't tire yourself too much," that gentle- 
 man put in. 
 
 " Very well, then," I said. " In that case I'm your 
 man. There are plenty of boats alongside, so we'll have 
 no difficulty on that score. Won't you come, too, Mr. 
 Baxter?" 
 
 " I think not, thank you," he answered. " Port Said 
 is not a place of which I am very fond, and as we shall 
 not have much time here, I am anxious to utilise our 
 stay in writing His Grace a letter detailing our progress 
 so far." 
 
 " In that case I think we had better be going," I said, 
 turning to his lordship. 
 
 We made our way on deck, and, after a little chaffer- 
 ing, secured a boat, in which we were pulled ashore. 
 Having arrived there, we were immediately beset by the 
 usual crowd of beggars and donkey boys, but withstand- 
 ing their importunities, we turned into the Rue de Com- 
 merce and made our way inland. To my companion the 
 crowded streets, the diversity of nationalities and cos- 
 tume, and the strange variety of shops and wares, were 
 matters of absorbing interest. This will be the better 
 understood when it is remembered that, poor though 
 Port Said is in orientalism, it was nevertheless the first 
 Eastern port he had encountered. We had both a few 
 purchases to make, and this business satisfactorily ac- 
 complished, we hired a guide and started off to see the 
 sights. 
 
 Passing out of the Eue de Commerce, our attention 
 was attracted to a lame young beggar w'ho, leaning on 
 his crutches, blocked our way while he recited his dismal 
 catalogue of woes. Our guide bade him be off, and in- 
 deed I was not sorry to be rid of him, but I could see, by 
 glancing at his face, that my companion had taken his 
 
PORT SAID AND WHAT BEFELL US THERE. 131 
 
 case more seriously. In fact we had not proceeded more 
 than twenty yards before he asked me to wait a moment 
 for him, and taking to his heels ran back to the spot 
 where we had left him. When he rejoined us I said : 
 
 " You don't mean to say you gave that rascal some- 
 thing?" 
 
 " Only half a sovereign," he answered. " Perhaps 
 you didn't hear the pitiful story he told us? His father 
 is dead, and now, if it were not for his begging, his 
 mother and five young sisters would all be starving." 
 
 I asked our guide if he knew the man, and whether 
 this tale were true. 
 
 " No, monsieur," he replied promptly, " it is all one 
 big lie. His father is in the jail, and, if she had her 
 rights, his mother would be there too." 
 
 Not another word was said on the subject, but I 
 could see that the boy's generous heart had been hurt. 
 He little knew how great an effect that little outburst of 
 generosity was to have upon us later on. 
 
 At our guide's suggestion, we passed from the com- 
 mercial, through the European quarter, to a large 
 mosque situated in Arab Town. It was a long walk, 
 but we were promised that we should see something 
 there that would amply compensate us for any trouble 
 we might be put to to reach it. This turned out to be 
 the case, but hardly in the fashion he had predicted. 
 
 The mosque was certainly a fine building, and at the 
 time of our visit was thronged with worshippers. They 
 knelt in two long lines, reaching from end to end, their 
 feet were bare, and their heads turned towards the east. 
 By our guide's instructions we removed our boots at the 
 entrance, but fortunately, seeing what was to transpire 
 later, took the precaution to carry them into the build- 
 ing with us. From the main hall we passed into a 
 
132 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 smaller one, where a number of Egyptian standards, 
 relics of the war of '82, were unrolled for our inspec- 
 tion. While we were examining them, our guide, who 
 had for a moment left us, returned with a scared face to 
 inform us that there were a number of English tourists 
 in the mosque who had refused to take their boots oft", 
 and were evidently bent on making trouble. As he 
 spoke the ominous hum of angry voices drifted in to 
 us, increasing in volume as we listened. Our guide 
 pricked up his ears and looked anxiously at the door. 
 
 " There will be trouble directly," he said solemnly, 
 "if those young men do not behave themselves. If 
 messieurs will be guided by me, they will be going. I 
 can show them the backway out." 
 
 For a moment I felt inclined to follow his advice, 
 but Beckenham's next speech decided me to stay. 
 
 " You will not go away and leave those stupid fellows 
 to be killed ? " he said, moving towards the door into 
 the mosque. " However foolish they may have been, 
 they're still our countrymen, and whatever happens we 
 ought to stand by them." 
 
 " If you think so, of course, we will," I answered, 
 " but remember it may cost us our lives. You still want 
 to stay ? Very good, then, come along, but stick close 
 to me." 
 
 We left the small ante-room, in which we had been 
 examining the flags and passed back into the mosque 
 itself. Here an extraordinary scene presented itself. 
 
 In the furthest corner, completely hemmed in by a 
 crowd of furious Arabs, were three young Englishmen, 
 whose faces plainly showed how well they understood 
 the dangerous position into which their own impudence 
 and folly had drawn them. 
 
 Elbowing our way through the crowd, we reached 
 
PORT SAID AND WHAT BEFELL US THERE. 133 
 
 their side and immediately called upon themi to push 
 their way towards the big doors ; but before this ma- 
 noeuvre could be executed, someone had given an order 
 in Arabic and we were all borne back against the wall. 
 
 " There is no hope for it ! " I cried to the biggest of 
 the strangers. " We must fight our way out. Choose 
 your men and come along." 
 
 So saying, I gave the man nearest me one under the 
 jaw to remember me by, which laid him on his back, 
 and then, having room to use my arms, sent down an- 
 other to Jeep him company. All this time my compan- 
 ions were not idle, and to my surprise I saw the young 
 Marquis laying about him with a science that I had to 
 own afterwards did credit to his education. Oar assail- 
 ants evidently did not expect to meet with this resist- 
 ance, for they gave way and began to back towards the 
 door. One or two of them drew knives, but the space 
 was too cramped for them to do much harm with them. 
 
 "One more rush," I cried, "and we'll turn them 
 out." 
 
 We made the rush, and next moment the doors were 
 closed and barred on the last of them. This done, we 
 paused to consider our position. True, we had driven 
 the enemy from the citadel, but then we ourselves, unless 
 we could find a means of escape, were equally prisoners 
 in it. What was to be done? Why, as you will say, 
 look for a means of escape ! 
 
 Leaving three of our party to guard the doors, the 
 remainder searched the adjoining rooms; but though 
 we were unsuccessful in our attempt to find an exit, we 
 did what was the next best thing to it, discovered our 
 cowardly guide in a corner, skulking in a curious sort of 
 cupboard. 
 
 By the time we had proved to him that the enemy 
 
134 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 were really driven out, and that we had obtained posses- 
 sion of the mosque, he recovered his wits a little, and 
 managed, after hearing our promise to throw him to the 
 mob outside unless he discovered a means of escape for 
 us, to cudgel his brains and announce that he knew of 
 one. 
 
 No sooner did we hear this, than we resolved to profit 
 by it. The mob outside was growing every moment 
 noisier, and from the clang of steel-shod rifle butts on 
 the stone steps we came to the conclusion that the serv- 
 ices of a force of soldiery had been called in. The situ- 
 ation was critical, and twice imperious demands were 
 made upon us to open the door. But, as may be sup- 
 posed, this we did not feel inclined to do. 
 
 " Now, for your way out," I said, taking our trem- 
 bling guide, whose face seemed to blanch whiter and 
 whiter with every knock upon the door, by the shoul- 
 ders, and giving him a preliminary shake. " Mind 
 what you're about, and remember, if you lead us into 
 any trap, I'll wring your miserable neck, as sure as 
 you're alive. Go ahead." 
 
 Collecting our boots and shoes, which, throughout 
 the tumult, had been lying scattered about upon the 
 floor, we passed into the ante-room, and put them on. 
 Then creeping softly out by another door, we reached 
 a small courtyard in the rear, surrounded on all sides by 
 high walls. Our way, so our guide informed us, lay 
 over these. But how we were to surmount them was a 
 puzzle, for the lowest scaling place was at least twelve 
 feet high. However, the business had to be done, and, 
 what was more to the point, done quickly. 
 
 Calling the strongest of the tourists, who were by 
 this time all quite sober, to my side, I bade him stoop 
 down as if he were bent on leap-frog ; then, mounting 
 
PORT SAID AND WHAT BEFELL US THERE. 135 
 
 his back myself, I stood upright, and stretched my arms 
 above my head. To my delight my fingers reached to 
 within a few inches of the top, of the wall. 
 
 " Stand as steady as you can," I whispered, " for I'm 
 going to jump." 
 
 I did so, and clutched the edge. Now, if anybody 
 thinks it an easy thing to pull oneself to the top of the 
 wall in that fashion, let him try it, and I fancy he'll 
 discover his mistake. I only know I found it a harder 
 business than I had anticipated, so much so that when 
 I reached the top I was so completely exhausted as to 
 be unable to do anything for more than a minute. 
 Then I whispered to another man to climb upon the 
 first man's back, and stretch his hands up to mine. He 
 did so, and I pulled him up beside me. The guide 
 came next, then the other tourist, then Lord Becken- 
 ham. After which I took ofE and lowered my coat to 
 the man who had stood for us all, and having done so, 
 took a firm grip of the wall with my legs, and dragged 
 him up as I had done the others. 
 
 It had been a longer business than I liked, and 
 every moment while we were about it I had expected to 
 hear the cries of the mob inside the mosque, and to find 
 them pouring into the yard to prevent our escape. The 
 bolts on the door, however, must have been possessed of 
 greater strength than we gave them credit for. At any 
 rate, they did not give way. 
 
 When we were all safely on the wall, I asked the 
 guide in which direction we were to proceed now ; he 
 pointed to the adjoining roofs, and in Indian file, and 
 with the stealthiness of cats, we accordingly crept across 
 them. 
 
 The third house surmounted, we found ourselves 
 overlooking a narrow alley, into which we first peered 
 
136 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 carefully, and having discovered that no one was about, 
 eventually dropped. 
 
 " Now," said the guide, as soon as we were down, 
 " we must run along here, and turn to the left." 
 
 We did so, to find ourselves in a broader street, 
 which eventually brought us out into the thoroughfare 
 through which we had passed to reach the mosque. 
 
 Having got our bearings now, we headed for the har- 
 bour, or at least for that part of the town with which I 
 was best acquainted, as fast as our legs would carry us. 
 But, startling as they had been, we had not yet done 
 with adventures for the night. 
 
 Once in the security of the gaslit streets, we said 
 good-bye to the men who had got us into all the trouble, 
 and having come to terms with our guide, packed him 
 off and proceeded upon our way alone. 
 
 Five minutes later the streaming lights of an open 
 doorway brought us to a standstill, and one glance told 
 us we were looking into the Casino. The Boise of the 
 roulette tables greeted our ears, and as we had still 
 plenty of time, and my companion was not tired, I 
 thought it a good opportunity for showing liim another 
 phase of the seamy side of life. 
 
 And here I must chronicle a curious circumstance. 
 As we were entering the building, something, I cannot 
 tell what, impelled me to look round. I did so, and to 
 my intense astonishment saw, or believed I saw. Dr. 
 Nikola standing in the street, regarding me. Bidding 
 my companion remain where he was for a moment, I 
 dashed out again and ran towards the place where I had 
 seen the figure. But I was too late. If it was Dr. 
 Nikola, he had vanished as suddenly as he had come. 
 I hunted here, there, and everywhere, in doorways, 
 under verandahs, and down lanes, but it was no use, 
 
PORT SAID AND WHAT BEFELL US THERE. 137 
 
 not a trace of him could I discover. So abandoning my 
 search, I returned to the Casino. Beckenham was wait- 
 ing for me, and together we entered the building. 
 
 The room was packed, and all the tables were 
 crowded, but as we did not intend playing, this was a 
 matter of small concern to us. We were more inter- 
 ested in the players than the game. And, indeed, the 
 expressions on the faces around us were extraordinary. 
 On some hope still showed uppermost, on others a hag- 
 gard despair seemed to have laid its grisly hand ; on all 
 was imprinted the lust and greed of gain. The eflect 
 on the young man by my side was peculiar. He looked 
 from face to face, as if he were observing the peculiari- 
 ties of some strange animals. I watched him, and then 
 I saw his exipression suddenly change. 
 
 Following the direction of his eyes, I observed a 
 young man putting down his stake upon the board. His 
 face was hidden from me, but by taking a step to the 
 right I could command it. It was none other than the 
 young cripple who had represented his parents to be in 
 such poverty-stricken circumstances; the same young 
 man whom Beckenham had assisted so generously only 
 two hours before. As we looked, he staked his last coin, 
 and that being lost, turned to leave the building. To 
 do this, it was necessary that he should pass close by 
 where we stood. Then his eyes met those of his bene- 
 factor, and with a look of what might almost have been 
 shame upon his face, he slunk down the steps and from 
 the building. 
 
 " Come, let us get out of this place," cried my com- 
 panion impatiently, "I believe I should go mad if I 
 stayed here long." 
 
 Thereupon we passed out into the street, and with- 
 out further ado proceeded in the direction in which I 
 
138 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 imagined the Saratoga to lie. A youth of about eight- 
 een summers requested, iu broken English, to be per- 
 mitted the honour of piloting us, but as I felt confident 
 of being able to find my way I declined his services. 
 
 For fully a quarter of an hour we plodded on and on 
 until I began to wonder why the harbour did not heave 
 in sight. It was a queer part of the town we found our- 
 selves in ; the houses were growing perceptibly meaner 
 and the streets narrower. At last I felt bound to con- 
 fess that I was out of my reckoning, and did not know 
 where we were. 
 
 " What are we to do ? " asked My Lord, looking at 
 his watch. " It's twenty minutes to eleven, and I prom- 
 ised Mr. Baxter I would not be later than the hour." 
 
 " What an idiot I was not to take that guide ! " 
 
 The words were hardly out of my mouth before that 
 selfsame person appeared round the corner and came 
 towards us. I hailed his coming with too much delight 
 to notice the expression of malignant satisfaction on his 
 face, and gave him the name of the vessel we desired to 
 find. He appeared to understand exactly, and the next 
 moment we were marching off under his guidance in an 
 exactly contrary direction. 
 
 We must have walked for at least ten minutes with- 
 out speaking a word. The streets were still small and 
 ill-favoured, but I argued that as this was probably a 
 short cut, such minor drawbacks were not worth con- 
 sidering. 
 
 From one small and dirty street we turned into 
 another and broader one. By this time not a soul was 
 to be seen, only a vagrant dog or two lying asleep in the 
 road. In this portion of the town gas lamps seemed to 
 be at a discount, consequently, despite the fact that it 
 was almost full moon, more than half the -streets lay in 
 
PORT SAID AND WHAT BEFELL US THERE. 139 
 
 deep shadow. Our guide walked ahead, we followed 
 half-a-dozen paces or so behind him. I remember no- 
 ticing a Greek cognomen upon a signboard, and recalling 
 a similar name in Thursday Island, when something very 
 much resembling a thin cord touched my nose and fell 
 over my chin. Before I could put my hand up to it it 
 had begun to tighten round my throat. Just at the 
 same moment I heard my companion utter a sharp cry, 
 and after that I remember no more. 
 
 10 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 OUR IMPEISONMEKT AND ATTEMPT AT ESCAPE. 
 
 Foe what length of time I lay unconscious after 
 hearing Beckenham's cry, and feeling the cord tighten 
 round my throat, as narrated in the preceding chapter, I 
 have not the remotest idea ; I only know that when my 
 senses returned to me again I found myself in complete 
 darkness. The cord was gone from my neck, it is true, 
 but something was still encircling it in a highly un- 
 pleasant fashion. On putting my hand up to it, to my 
 intense astonishment, I discovered it to be a collar of 
 iron, padlocked at the side, and communicating with a 
 wall at the back by means of a stout chain fixed in a 
 ring, which again was attached to a swivel. 
 
 This ominous discovery set me hunting about to find 
 out where I was and for a clue as to what these things 
 might mean. That I was in a room was evident from 
 the fact that, by putting my hands behind me, I could 
 touch two walls forming a corner. But in what part of 
 the town such room might be was beyond my telling. 
 One thing was evident, however, the walls were of brick, 
 unplastered and quite innocent of paper. 
 
 As not a ray of light relieved the darkness I put my 
 hand into my ticket pocket, where I was accustomed to 
 carry matches, and finding that my captors had not de- 
 prived me of them, lit one and looked about me. It 
 
 140 
 
OUR IMPRISONMENT AND ATTEMPT AT ESCAPE. 141 
 
 was a dismal scene that little gleam illumined. The 
 room in which I was confined was a small one, being 
 only about ten feet long by eight wide, while, if I had 
 been able to stand upright, I might have raised my hand 
 within two or three inches of the ceiling. In the furthest 
 left-hand corner was a door, while in the wall on the 
 right, but hopelessly beyond my reach, was a low window 
 almost completely boarded up. I had no opportunity 
 of seeing more, for by the time I had realised these facts 
 the match had burnt down to my fingers. I blew it out 
 and hastened to light another. 
 
 Just as I did so a low moan reached my ear. It 
 came from the further end of the room. Again I held 
 the match aloft ; this time to discover a huddled-up fig- 
 ure in the corner opposite the door. One glance at it 
 told me that it was none other than my young friend 
 the Marquis of Beckenham. He was evidently still un- 
 conscious, for though I called him twice by name, he 
 did not answer, but continued in the same position, 
 moaning softly as before. I had only time for a hurried 
 glance at him before my last match burned down to my 
 fingers, and had to be extinguished. With the depart- 
 ure of the light a return of faintness seized me, and I 
 fell back into my corner, if not thoroughly insensible, 
 certainly unconscious of the immediate awkwardness of 
 our position. 
 
 It was daylight when my power of thinking returned 
 to me, and long shafts of sunshine were percolating into 
 ns through the chinks in the boards tJpon the window. 
 To my dismay the room looked even smaller and dingier 
 than when I had examined it by the light of my match 
 some hours before. The young Marquis lay unconscious 
 in his corner just as I had last seen him, but with the 
 widening light I discovered that his curious posture was 
 
142 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 due more to extraneous circumstances than to his own 
 ■weakness, for I could see that he was fastened to the 
 wall by a similar collar to my own. 
 
 I took out my watch, which had not been taken 
 from me as I might have expected, and examined the 
 dial. It wanted five minutes of six o'clock. So putting 
 it back into my pocket, I set myself for the second time 
 to try and discover where we were. By reason of my 
 position and the chain that bound me, this could only 
 be done by listening, so I shut my eyes and put all my 
 being into my ears. For some moments no sound re- 
 warded my attention. Then a cock in a neighbouring 
 yard on my right crowed lustily, a dog on my left 
 barked, and a moment later I heard the faint sound of 
 someone coming along the street. The pedestrian, who- 
 ever he might be, was approaching from the right hand, 
 and, what was still more important, my trained ear in- 
 formed me that he was lame of one leg, and walked 
 with crutches. Closer and closer he came. But to my 
 surprise he did not pass the window ; indeed, I noticed 
 that when he came level with it the sound was com- 
 pletely lost to me. This told me two things : one, 
 that the window, which, as I have already said, was 
 boarded up, did not look into the main thoroughfare ; 
 the other, that the street itself ran along on the 
 far side of the very wall to whiah my chain was at- 
 tached. 
 
 As I arrived at the knowledge of this fact, Becken- 
 ham opened his eyes ; he sat up as well as his chain 
 would permit and gazed about him in a dazed fashion. 
 Then his right hand went up to the iron collar fastened 
 round his neck, and when he had realised what it meant 
 he appeared more mystified even than before. He 
 seemed to doze again for a minute or so, then his eyes 
 
OUR niPRISOXMENT AXD ATTEMPT AT ESCAPE. I43 
 
 opened, and as they did so they fell upon me and his 
 perplexity found relief in words. 
 
 " Mr. Hatteras," he said, in a voice like that of a 
 man talking in his sleep, " where are we and what on 
 earth does this chain mean ? " 
 
 " You ask me something that I want to know my- 
 self," I answered. " I cannot tell you where we are, ex- 
 cept that we are in Port Said. But if you want to know 
 what I think it means ; well, I think it means treachery. 
 How do you feel now ? " 
 
 " Very sick indeed, and my head aches horribly. 
 Bat I can't understand it at all. What do you mean 
 by saying that it's treachery ? " 
 
 This was the one question of all others I had been 
 dreading, for I could not help feeling that when all was 
 said and done I was bitterly to blame. However, un- 
 pleasant or not, the explanation had to be got through, 
 and that without delay. 
 
 " Lord Beckenliam," I began, sitting upright and 
 clasping my hands round my knees, " this is a pretty 
 bad business for me. I haven't the reputation of being 
 a coward, but I'll own I feel pretty rocky and mean 
 when I see you sitting there on the floor with that 
 iron collar round your neck and that chain holding you 
 to the wall, and know that it's, in a measure, all my 
 stupid blundering folly that has brought it about." 
 
 " Oh, don't say that, Mr. Hatteras ! " was the young 
 man's generous reply. " For whatever or whoever may 
 be to blame for it, I'm sure you're not." 
 
 " That's because you don't know everything, my 
 lord. "Wait till you have heard what I have to tell you 
 before you give me such complete absolution." 
 
 " I'm net going to blame you whatever you may tell 
 me ; but please go on ! " 
 
144 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 There and then I set to work and told him all that 
 had happened to me since my arrival in London ; in- 
 formed him of my meeting with Nikola, of Wetherell's 
 hasty departure for Australia, of my distrust for Baxter, 
 described the telegram incident and Baxter's curious be- 
 haviour afterwards, narrated my subsequent meeting 
 with him and Nikola in the Green Sailor Hotel, de- 
 scribed my journey to Plymouth, and finished with the 
 catastrophe that had happened to me there. 
 
 " Now you see," I said ia conclusion, " why I regard 
 myself as being so much to blame." 
 
 " Excuse me," he answered, " but I cannot say that 
 I see it in the same light at all." 
 
 " I'm afraid I must be more explicit then. In the 
 first place you must understand that, without a shadow 
 of a doubt, Baxter was chosen for your tutor by Nikola, 
 whose agent he undoubtedly is, for a specific purpose. 
 Now what do you think that purpose was ? You don't 
 know ? To induce your father to let you travel, to be 
 sure. You ask why they should want you to travel ? 
 We'll come to that directly. Their plan is succeeding 
 admirably, when I come upon the scene and, like the 
 great blundering idiot I am, must needs set to work to 
 assist them in their nefarious designs. Your father 
 eventually consents, and it is arranged that you should 
 set off for Australia at once. Then it is discovered that 
 I am going to leaVe in the same boat. This does not 
 suit Nikola's plans at all, so he determines to prevent 
 my sailing with you. By a happy chance he is unsuc- 
 cessful, and I follow and join the boat in Naples. Good 
 gracious ! I see something else now." 
 
 " What is that ? " 
 
 " Simply this. I could not help thinking at the 
 time that your bout of sea sickness between Naples and 
 
OUR IMPRISONMENT AND ATTEMPT AT ESCAPE. 145 
 
 this infernal place was extraordinary. Well, if I'm not 
 very much mistaken, you were physicked, and it was 
 Baxter^ s doing." 
 
 "But why?" 
 
 " Ah ! That's yet to be discovered. But you may 
 bet your bottom dollar it was some part of their devilish 
 conspiracy. I'm as certain of that as that we are here 
 now. Now here's another point. Do you remember 
 my running out of the Casino last night ? Well, that 
 was because I saw Nikola standing in the roadway 
 watching us." 
 
 '' Are you certain ! How could he have got here ? 
 And what could his reasons be for watching us ? " 
 
 " Why, can't you see? To find out how his plot is 
 succeeding, to be sure." 
 
 " And that brings us back to our original question — 
 what is that plot ? " 
 
 " That's rather more difficult to answer ! But if 
 you ask my candid opinion I should say nothing more 
 nor less than to make you prisoner and blackmail your 
 father for a ransom." 
 
 For some minutes neither of us spoke. The out- 
 look seemed too hopeless for words, and the Marquis 
 was still too weak to keep up an animated conversa- 
 tion for any length of time. He sat leaning his head 
 on his hand. But presently he looked up again. 
 
 " My poor father ! " he said. " What a state he will 
 be in ! " 
 
 " And what frets me more," I returned, " how he 
 will regret ever having listened to my advice. What 
 a dolt I was not to have told him of my suspicions." 
 
 " You must not blame yourself for that. I am 
 sure my father would hold you as innocent as I do. 
 Now let us consider our position. In the first place, 
 
146 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 where are we, do you think ? In the second, is there 
 any possible chance of escape ? " 
 
 " To the first my answer is, ' don't know ; ' to the 
 second, ' can't say.' I have discovered one thing, how- 
 ever, and that is that the street does not lie outside 
 that window, but runs along on the other side of this 
 wall behind me. The window, I suspect, looks out on 
 to some sort of a courtyard. But unfortunately that 
 information is not much good to us, as we can neither 
 of us move away from where we are placed." 
 
 " Is there no other way ? " 
 
 " Not one, as far as I can see. Can you see anything 
 on your side ? " 
 
 " Nothing at all, unless we could get at the door. 
 But what's that sticking out of the wall near your 
 feet?" 
 
 I stooped as much as I was able to get a better 
 view of it. 
 
 " It looks like a pipe." 
 
 The end of a pipe it certainly was, and sticking out 
 into the room, but where it led to and why it had been 
 cut ofE in this peculiar fashion were two questions I 
 could no more answer than I could fly. 
 
 "Does it run out into the street, do you think?" 
 was Beckenham's immediate query. " If so, you might 
 manage to call through it to some passer-by, and ask 
 him to obtain assistance for us ! " 
 
 " A splendid notion if I could get my mouth any- 
 where within a foot of it, but as this chain will not per- 
 mit me to do that, it might as well be a hundred miles 
 ofE. It's as much as I can do to touch it with my fingers." 
 
 " Do you think if you had a stick you could push a 
 piece of paper through? We might write a message 
 on it." 
 
OUR IMPRISONMENT AND AT^MPT AT ESCAPE. 147 
 
 " Possibly, but there's another drawback to that. I 
 haven't the necessary piece of stick." 
 
 " Here is a stiff piece of straw ; try that." 
 
 He harpooned a piece of straw about eight inches 
 long, across the room towards me, and, when I had re- 
 ceived it, I thrust it carefully into the pipe. A disap- 
 pointment, however, was in store for us. 
 
 " It's no use," I reported sorrowfully, as I threw the 
 straw away. " It has an elbow halfway down, and that 
 would prevent any message from being pushed through." 
 
 "Then we must try to discover some other plan. 
 Don't lose heart ! " 
 
 " Hush ! I hear somebody coming." 
 
 True enough a heavy footfall was approaching down 
 the passage. It stopped at the door of the room in 
 which we were confined, and a key was inserted in the 
 lock. Next moment the door swung open and a tall 
 man entered the room. A ray of sunlight, penetrating 
 between the boards that covered the window, fell upon 
 him and showed me that his hair was white and that 
 his face was deeply pitted with small-pox marks. Now 
 where had I met or heard of a man with those pecul- 
 iarities before ! Ah ! I remembered ! 
 
 He stood for a moment in the doorway looking 
 about him, and then strolled into the centre of the 
 room. 
 
 " Good morning, gentlemen," he said, with an airy 
 condescension that stung like an insult, " I trust you 
 have no fault to find with the lodging our poor hospi- 
 tality is able to afford you." 
 
 " Mr. Prendergast," I answered, determining to try 
 him with the name of the man mentioned by my sweet- 
 heart in her letter. " What does this mean ? Why 
 have we been made prisoners like this ? I demand to 
 
148 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 be released at once. You will have to answer severely 
 to our consul for this detention." 
 
 For a brief space he appeared to be dumbfounded 
 by my knowledge of his name. But he soon recovered 
 himself and leaned his back against the wall, looking 
 us both carefully over before he answered. 
 
 " I shall be only too pleased," he said sneeringly, 
 "but if you'll allow me to say so, I don't think we 
 need trouble about explanations yet awhile." 
 
 " Pray, what do you mean by that?" 
 
 " Exactly what I say ; as you are likely to be our 
 guests for some considerable time to come, there will 
 be no need for explanation." 
 
 " You mean to keep us prisoners, then, do you ? 
 Very well, Mr. Prendergast, be assured of this, when I 
 do get loose I'll make you feel the weight of my arm." 
 
 " I think it's very probable there will be a fight if 
 ever we do meet," he answered, coolly taking a cigarette 
 from his pocket and lighting it. " And it's my im- 
 pression you'd be a man worth fighting, Mr. Hat- 
 teras." 
 
 All this time the young Marquis had not said a 
 word. Now he interrogated Prendergast in his turn. 
 
 " If you think my father will let me remain here 
 very long, you're much mistaken," he said. "And as 
 for the ransom you expect him to pay, I don't some- 
 how faucy you'll get a halfpenny." 
 
 At the mention of the word " ransom " I noticed 
 that a new and queer expression came into our captor's 
 face. He did not reply, however, except to utter his 
 usual irritating laugh. Having done so he went to the 
 door and called something in Arabic. In answer a 
 gigantic negro made his appearance, bearing in his 
 hands a tray on which were set two basins of food and 
 
OUR IMPRISONMENT AND ATTEMPT AT ESCAPE. 149 
 
 two large mugs of water. These were placed before us 
 and Prendergast bade us, if we were hungry, fall to. 
 
 "You must not imagine that we wish to starve 
 you," he said. " Food will be served to you twice a day. 
 And if you want it, you can even be supplied with spir- 
 its and tobacco. Now, before I go, one word of advice. 
 Don't indulge in any idea of escape. Communication 
 with the outside world is absolutely impossible, and you 
 will find that those collars and chains will stand a good 
 strain before they give way. If you behave yourselves 
 you willbe well looked after; but if you attempt any 
 larks you will be confined in different rooms, and there 
 will be a radical change in our behaviour towards you." 
 
 So saying he left the room, taking the precaution to 
 lock the door carefully behind him. 
 
 When we were once more alone, a long silence fell 
 upon us. It would be idle for me to say that the gen- 
 erous behaviour of the young Marquis with regard to 
 my share in this wretched business had set my mind at 
 rest. But if it had not done that it had at least served 
 to intensify another resolution. Come what might, I 
 told myself, I would find a way of escape, and he should 
 be returned to his father safe and sound, if it cost me 
 my life to do it. But how ivere we to escape? We 
 could not move from our places on account of the 
 chains that secured us to the walls, and, though I put 
 all my whole strength into it, I found I could not dis- 
 lodge the staple a hundredth part of an inch from its 
 holding-place. 
 
 The morning wore slowly on, midday came and 
 went, the afternoon dragged its dismal length, and still 
 there was no change in our position. Towards sun- 
 down the same gigantic negro entered the room again, 
 bringing us our evening meal. When he left we were 
 
150 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 locked up for the night, with only the contemplation of 
 our woes, and the companionship of the multitudes of 
 mice that scampered about the floor, to enliven us. 
 
 The events of the next seven days are hardly worth 
 chronicling, unless it is to state that every morning at 
 daylight the same cock crew and the same dog barked, 
 while at six o'clock the same cripple invariably made 
 his way down the street behind me. At eight o'clock, 
 almost to the minute, breakfast was served to us, and 
 just as punctually the evening meal made its appearance 
 as the sun was declining behind the opposite housetop. 
 Not again did we see any sign of Mr. Prendergast, and 
 though times out of number I tugged at my chain I 
 was never a whit nearer loosening it than I had been on 
 the first occasion. One after another plans of escape 
 were proposed, discussed, and invariably rejected as im- 
 practicable. So another week passed and another, until 
 we had been imprisoned in that loathsome place not 
 less than twenty days. By the end of that time, as may 
 be supposed, we were as desperate as men could well be. 
 I must, however, admit here that anything like the 
 patience and pluck of my companion under such trying 
 circumstances I have never in my life met with before. 
 Not once did he reproach me in the least degree for my 
 share in the wretched business, but took everything just 
 as it came, without unnecessary comment and certainly 
 without complaint. 
 
 One fact had repeatedly struck me as significant, 
 and that was the circumstance that every morning be- 
 tween six and half-past, as already narrated, the same 
 cripple went down the street ; and in connection with 
 this, within the last few days of the time, a curious co- 
 incidence had revealed itself to me. From the tapping 
 of his crutches on the stones I discovered that while one 
 
OUR IMPRISONMENT AND ATTEMPT AT ESCAPE. 151 
 
 was shod with iron, the other was not. Now where and 
 when had I noticed that peculiarity in a cripple before ? 
 That I had observed it somewhere I was certain. For 
 nearly half the day I turned this over and over in my 
 mind, and then, in the middle of my evening meal, 
 enlightenment came to me. I remembered the man 
 whose piteous tale had so much afEected Beckenham on 
 the day of our arrival, and the sound his crutches made 
 upon the pavement as he left us. If my surmise proved 
 correct, and we could only manage to communicate 
 with him, here was a golden opportunity. But how 
 were we to do this? We discussed it and discussed it 
 times out of number, but in vain. That he must be 
 stopped on his way down the street need not be argued 
 at all. In what way, however, could this be done? 
 The window was out of the question, the door was not 
 to be thought of ; in that case the only communicating 
 place would be the small pipe by my side. But as I 
 have already pointed out, by reason of the elbow it 
 would be clearly impossible to force a message through 
 it. All day we devoted ourselves to attempts to solve 
 what seemed a hopeless difficulty. Then like a flash 
 another brilliant inspiration burst upon me. 
 
 " By Jove, I have it ! " I said, taking care to whisper 
 lest anyone might be listening at the door. " We must 
 manage by hook or crook to catch a mouse and let him 
 carry our appeal for help to the outside world." 
 
 " A magnificent idea. I do believe you've saved 
 us!" 
 
 But to catch a mouse was easier said than done. 
 Though the room was alive with them they were so 
 nimble and so cunning that, try how we would, we could 
 not lay hold of one. But at length my efforts were re- 
 warded, and after a little struggle I held my precious 
 
152 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 captive in my hand. By this time another idea had 
 come to me. If we wanted to bring Nikola and his 
 gang to justice and to discover their reason for hatching 
 this plot against us, it would not do to ask the public at 
 large for help — and I must own, in spite of our long 
 imprisonment, I was weak enough to feel a curiosity as 
 to their motive. No ! It must be to the beggar who 
 passed the house every morning that we must appeal. 
 
 " This letter concerns you more than me," I said to 
 my companion. "Have you a lead pencil in your 
 pocket?" 
 
 He had, and immediately threw it across to me. 
 Then taking a small piece of paper from my pocket I 
 set myself to compose the following in French and 
 English : 
 
 "If this should meet the eye of the individual to 
 whom a young Englishman gave half-a-sovereign in 
 charity three weeks ago, he is implored to assist one 
 who assisted him, and who has been imprisoned ever 
 since that day in the room with the blank wall facing 
 the street and the boarded-up window on the right hand 
 side. To do this he must obtain a small file and dis- 
 cover a way to convey it into the room by means of 
 the small pipe leading through the blank wall into the 
 street ; if this could be dislodged it might be pushed in 
 through the aperture thus made. On receipt of the file 
 an English five-pound note will be conveyed to him in 
 the same way as this letter, and another if secrecy is 
 observed and those imprisoned in the house escape." 
 
 This important epistle had hardly been concocted 
 before the door was unlocked and our dusky servitor 
 entered with the- evening meal. He had long since 
 
ODR IMPRISONMENT AND ATTEMPT AT ESCAPE. I53 
 
 abandoned his first habit of bringing us our food in 
 separate basins, but conveyed it to us now in the sauce- 
 pan in which it was cooked, dividing it thence into our 
 basins. These latter, it may be interesting to state, had 
 not been washed since our arrival. 
 
 All the time that our jailer was in the room I held 
 my trembling prisoner in my hand, clinging' to him as 
 to the one thing which connected us with liberty. But 
 the door had no sooner closed upon him than I had 
 tilted out my food upon the floor and converted my 
 basin into a trap. 
 
 It may be guessed how long that night seemed to us, 
 and with what trembling eagerness we awaited the first 
 signs of breaking day. Directly it was light I took off 
 and unravelled one of my socks. The thread thus ob- 
 tained I doubled, and this done, secured one end of it 
 to the note, which I had rolled into a small compass, 
 attaching the other to my captive mouse's hind leg. 
 Then we set ourselves to wait for six o'clock. The hour 
 came; and minute after minute went by before we 
 heard in the distance the tapping of the crutches on the 
 stones. Little by little the sound grew louder, and then 
 fainter, and when I judged he was nearly at my back I 
 stooped and thrust our curious messenger into the pipe. 
 Then we sat down to await the result. 
 
 As the mouse, only too glad to escape, ran into the 
 aperture, the thread, on which our very lives depended, 
 swiftly followed, dragging its message after it. Minutes 
 went by ; half-an-hour ; an hour ; and then the remain- 
 der of the day ; and still nothing came to tell us that 
 our appeal had been successful. 
 
 That night I caught another mouse, wrote the letter 
 again, and at six o'clock next morning once more de- 
 spatched it on its journey. Another day went by with- 
 
154 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 out reply. That night we caught another, and at six 
 o'clock next morning sent it off ; a third, and even a 
 fourth, followed, but still without success. By this 
 time the mice were almost impossible to catch, but our 
 wits were sharpened by despair, and we managed to hit 
 upon a method that eventually secured for us a plenti- 
 ful supply. For the sixth time the letter was written 
 and dispatched at the moment the footsteps were com- 
 ing down the street. Once more the tiny animal 
 crawled into the pipe, and once more the message dis- 
 appeared upon its journey. 
 
 Another day was spent in anxious waiting, but this 
 time we were not destined to be disappointed. About 
 eight o'clock that night, just as we were giving up hope, 
 I detected a faint noise near my feet ; for all the world 
 as if someone were forcing a stick through a hole in a 
 brick wall. I informed Beckenham of the fact in a 
 whisper, and then put my head down to listen. Yes, 
 there was the sound again. Oh, if only I had a match ! 
 But it was no use wishing for what was impossible, 
 so I put my hand down to the pipe. It was moving ! 
 It turned in my hand, moved to and fro for a brief 
 space and then disappeared from my grasp entirely ; 
 next moment it had left the room. A few seconds later 
 something cold was thrust into my hand, and from its 
 rough edge Ikneiv it to he a file. I drew it out as if it 
 were made of gold and thrust it into my pocket. A 
 • piece of string was attached to it, and the reason of 
 this I was at first at some loss to account for. But a 
 moment's reflection told me that it was to, assist in the 
 fulfilment of our share of the bargain. So, taking a five 
 pound note from the secret pocket in which I carried 
 my paper money, I tied the string to it and it was in- 
 stantly withdrawn. 
 
OUR IMPRISONMENT AND ATTEMPT AT ESCAPE. I55 
 
 A minute could not have elapsed before I was at 
 work upon the staple of my collar, and in less than half 
 an hour it was filed through and the iron was off my 
 neck. 
 
 If I tried for a year I could not make you under- 
 stand what a relief it was to me to stand upright. I 
 stretched myself again and again, and then crossed the 
 room on tiptoe in the dark to where the Marquis lay. 
 
 " You are free ! " he whispered, clutching and shak- 
 ing my hand. " Oh, thank God ! " 
 
 " Hush ! Put down your head and let me get to 
 work upon your collar before you say anything more." 
 
 As I was able this time to get at my work standing 
 up, it was not very long before Beckenham was as free as 
 myself. He rose to his feet with a great sigh of relief 
 and we shook hands warmly in the dark. 
 
 " Now," I said, leading him towards the door, " we 
 will attempt our escape, and I pity the man who at- 
 tempts to stop us." 
 
 11 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 DE. KIKOLA PERMITS US A FREE PASSAGE. 
 
 The old saying, " Don't count your chickens before 
 they're hatched," is as good a warning as any I know. 
 Certainly it proved so in our case. For had we not 
 been so completely occupied filing through the staples 
 of our collars we should not have omitted to take into 
 consideration the fact that, even when we should have 
 removed the chains that bound us, we would still be 
 prisoners in the room. I'm very much afraid, however, 
 even had we remembered this point, we should only 
 have considered it of minor importance, and one to be 
 easily overcome. As it was, the unwelcome fact re- 
 mained that the door was locked, and, what was worse, 
 that the lock itself had, for security's sake, been placed 
 on the outside, so that there was no chance of our being 
 able to pick it, even had our accomplishments lain in 
 that direction. 
 
 " Try the window," whispered Beckenham, in an- 
 swer to the heavy sigh which followed my last discovery. 
 
 Accordingly we crossed the room, and I put my 
 hands upon one of the boards and pulled. But I might 
 as well have tried to tow a troopship with a piece of 
 cotton, for all the satisfactory result I got ; the planks 
 were trebly screwed to the window frame, and each in 
 turn defied me. When I was tired Beckenham put his 
 
 156 
 
DR. NIKOLA PERMITS US A FREE PASSAGE. 15Y 
 
 strength to it, but even our united efforts were of no 
 avail, and, panting and exhausted, we were at length 
 obliged to give it up as hopeless. 
 
 " This is a pretty fix we've got ourselves into," I said 
 as soon as I had recovered sufficient breath to speak. 
 " We can't remain here, and what on earth are we to do 
 to escape ? " 
 
 " 1 can't say, unless we manage to burst that door 
 open and fight our way out. I wonder if that would be 
 possible ? " 
 
 " First, let's see if it's possible to burst the door ! " 
 
 We crossed the room again and I examined the door 
 carefully with my fingers. It was not an over-strong 
 one ; but I was sufficient of a carpenter to tell that it 
 would withstand a good deal of pressure before it would 
 give way. 
 
 " I've a good mind to try it," I said ; " but in that 
 case, remember, it will probably mean a hand-to-hand 
 fight on the other side, and, unarmed and weak as we 
 are, we shall be pretty sure to get the worst of it." 
 
 " Never mind that," my intrepid companion replied, 
 with a confidence in his voice that I was very far from 
 feeling. " In for a penny, in for a pound, even if we're 
 killed it couldn't be worse than being buried alive in 
 here." 
 
 " That's so, and if fighting's your idea, I'm your 
 man," I answered. " Let me first take my bearings, 
 and then I'll see what I can do against it. You get out 
 of the way, but be sure to stand by to rush the passage 
 directly the door goes." 
 
 Again I felt the door and wall in order that I might 
 be sure where it lay, and having done so crossed the 
 room. My heart was beating like a Nasmyth hammer, 
 and it was nearly a minute before I could pull myself 
 
158 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 together sufficiently for my rush. Then summoning 
 every muscle in my body to my assistance, I dashed 
 across and at it with every ounce of strength my frame 
 was capable of. Considering the darkness of the room, 
 my steering was not so bad, for my shoulder caught the 
 door just above its centre ; there was a great crash — a 
 noise of breaking timbers — and amid a shower of 
 splinters and general detris I fell headlong through 
 into the passage. By the time it would have taken me 
 to count five, Beckenham was beside me helping me to 
 rise. 
 
 " Kow stand by for big trouble ! " I said, rubbing my 
 shoulder, and every moment expecting to see a door 
 open and a crowd of Prendergast's ruffians come rush- 
 ing out. " We shall have them on us in a minute." 
 
 But to our intense astonishment it was all dead 
 silence in the house. Not a sound of any single kind, 
 save our excited breathing, greeted our ears. "We might 
 have broken into an empty house for all we knew the 
 difference. 
 
 For nearly five minutes we stood, side by side, wait- 
 ing for the battle which did not come. 
 
 " What on earth does it all mean ? " I asked my 
 companion. " That crash of mine was loud enough to 
 wake the dead. Can they have deserted the place, 
 think you, and left us to starve ? " 
 
 " I can't make it out any more than you can," he 
 answered. " But don't you think we'd better take ad- 
 vantage of their not coming to find a way out ? " 
 
 " Of course. One of us had better creep down the 
 passage and discover how the land lies. As I'm the 
 stronger, I'll go. You wait here." 
 
 Stealthily as a cat I crept along the passage, tread- 
 ing cautiously, for I knew that both our lives depended 
 
DR. NIKOLA PERMITS US A FREE PASSAGE. I59 
 
 on it. Though it could not have been more than sixty 
 feet, it seemed of interminable length, and was as black 
 as night. Not a glimmer of light, however faint, met 
 my eyes. 
 
 On and on I stole, expecting every moment to be 
 pounced upon and seized ; but no such fate awaited me. 
 If, however, our jailers did not appear, another danger 
 was in store for me. 
 
 In the middle of my walk my feet suddenly went 
 from under me, and I found myself falling I knew not 
 where. In reality it was only a drop of about three feet 
 down a short flight of steps. Such a noise as my fall 
 made was surely never heard, still, however, no sound 
 came. Then Beckenham fumbled his way cautiously 
 down the steps to my side, and whispered an enquiry as 
 to what had happened. I told him in as few words as 
 possible, and then struggled to my feet again. 
 
 Just as I did so my eyes detected a faint glimmer of 
 light low down on the floor ahead of us. From its po- 
 sition it evidently emanated from the doorway of a 
 room. 
 
 " Oh ! if only we had a match," I whispered. 
 
 " It's no good wishing," said Beckenham. " What 
 do you advise ? " 
 
 " It's difficult to say ; but I should think we'd better 
 listen at that door and try to discover if there is anyone 
 inside. If there is, and he is alone, we must stsal in 
 upon him, let him see that we are desperate, and, willy 
 nilly, force him to show us a way out. It's ten chances 
 to one, if we go on prowling about here, we shall 
 stumble upon the whole nest of them — then we'll be 
 caught like rats in a trap. What do you think ? " 
 
 " I agree with you. Go on." 
 
 Without further ado we crept towards the light, 
 
160 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 which, as I expected, came from under a door, and lis- 
 tened. Someone was plainly moving about inside ; but 
 though we listened for what seemed a quarter of an 
 hour, but must in reality have been less than a minute 
 and a half, we could hear no voices. 
 
 " Whoever he is, he's alone — that's certain," whis- 
 pered my companion. " Open the door softly, and we'll 
 creep in upon him." 
 
 In answer, and little by little, a cold shiver running 
 down my back lest it should creak and so give warning 
 to the person within, I turned the handle, pushed open 
 the door, and we looked inside. Then — but, my gra- 
 cious ! if I live to be a thousand I shall never forget 
 even the smallest particular connected with the sight 
 that met my eyes. 
 
 The room itself was a long and low one ; its measure- 
 ments possibly sixty feet by fifteen. The roof — for there 
 was no ceiling — was of wood, crossed by heavy rafters, 
 and much begrimed with dirt and smoke. The floor 
 was of some highly polished wood closely resembling 
 oak and was completely bare. But the shape and con- 
 struction of the room itself were as nothing compared 
 with the strangeness of its furniture and occupants. 
 Words would fail me if I tried to give you a true and 
 accurate description of it. I only know that, strong 
 man, used to the horrors of life and death, as I was, 
 what 4 saw before me made my blood run cold and my 
 flesh creep as it had never been made to do before. 
 
 To begin with, round the walls were arranged, at 
 regular intervals, more than a dozen enormous bottles, 
 each of which contained what looked, to me, only too 
 much like human specimens pickled in some light- 
 coloured fluid resembling spirits of wine. Between 
 these gigantic but more than horrible receptacles were 
 
DR. NIKOLA PERMITS US A FREE PASSAGE. 161 
 
 numberless smaller ones holding other and even more 
 dreadful remains ; while on pedestals and stands, bolt 
 upright and reclining, were skeletons of men, monkeys, 
 and quite a hundred sorts of animals. The intervening 
 spaces were filled with skulls, bones, and the apparatus 
 for every kind of murder known to the fertile brain of 
 man. There were European rifles, revolvers, bayonets, 
 and swords ; Italian stilettos, Turkish scimitars, Greek 
 knives. Central African spears and poisoned arrows, Zulu 
 knob-kerries, Afghan yataghans, Malay krises, Sumatra 
 blow-pipes, Chinese dirks, New Guinea head-catching 
 implements, Australian spears and boomerangs, Poly- 
 nesian stone hatchets, and numerous other weapons the 
 names of which I cannot now remember. Mixed up 
 with them were implements for every sort of wizardry 
 known to the superstitious ; from English love charms 
 to African Obi sticks, from spiritualistic planchettes to 
 the most horrible of Fijian death potions. 
 
 In the centre of the wall, opposite to where we stood, 
 was a large fireplace of the fashion usually met with in 
 old English manor-houses, and on either side of it a 
 figure that nearly turned me sick with horror. That on 
 the right side was apparently a native of Northern India, 
 if one might judge by his dress and complexion. He sat 
 on the floor in a constrained attitude, accounted for by 
 the fact that his head, which was at least three times too 
 big for his body, was so heavy as to require an iron tripod 
 with a ring or collar in the top of it to keep it from over- 
 balancing him and bringing him to the floor. To add to 
 the horror of this awful head, it was quite bald ; the skin 
 was drawn tensely over the bones, and upon this great 
 veins stood out as large as macaroni stems. 
 
 On the other side of the hearth was a creature half 
 ape and half man — the like of which I remember once 
 
162 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 to have seen in a museum of monstrosities in Sydney, 
 where, if my memory serves me, he was described upon 
 the catalogue as a Burmese monkey-boy. He was 
 chained to the wall in somewhat the same fashion as 
 we had been, and was chattering and scratching for all 
 the world like a monkey in a Zoo. 
 
 But, horrible as these things were, the greatest sur- 
 prise of all was yet to come. For, standing at the heavy 
 oaken table in the centre of the room, was a man I should 
 have known anywhere if I had been permitted half a 
 glance at him. It was Dr. JVikola. 
 
 When we entered he was busily occupied with a 
 scalpel, dissecting an animal strangely resembling a 
 monkey. On the table, and watching the work upon 
 which his master was engaged, sat his constant com- 
 panion, the same fiendish black cat I have mentioned 
 on a previous occasion. While at the end nearest us, on 
 tip-toe, in order to see what was going on, stood an 
 albino dwarf, scarcely more than two feet eight inches 
 high. 
 
 Now, though it has necessarily taken me some time 
 to describe the scene which greeted our eyes, it must not 
 be supposed that anything like the same length of time 
 had really elapsed. Three seconds at the very most 
 would have sufficed to cover the whole period. 
 
 So stealthily, however, had our approach been made, 
 and so carefully had I opened the door, that we were 
 well into the room before our appearance was discovered, 
 and also before I had realised into whose presence we had 
 stumbled. Then my foot touched upon a board that 
 creaked, and Dr. Nikola looked up from the work upon 
 which he was engaged. 
 
 His pale, thin face did not show the slightest sign of 
 surprise as he said, in his usual placid tone : 
 
DR. NIKOLA PERMITS US A FREE PASSAGE. 163 
 
 " So you have managed to escape from your room, 
 gentlemen. Well, and pray what do you want with 
 me?" 
 
 For a moment I was so much overcome with surprise 
 that my tongue refused to perform its office. Then I 
 said, advancing towards him as I spoke, closely followed 
 by the Marquis : 
 
 " So, Dr. Nikola, we have met at last ! " 
 
 "At last, Mr. Hatteras, as you say," this singular 
 being replied, still without a sign of either interest or 
 embarrassment. " All things considered, I suppose you 
 would deem me ironical if I ventured to say that I am 
 pleased to see you about again. However, don't let me 
 keep you standing, won't you sit down? My Lord 
 Marquis, let me ofEer you a chair." 
 
 All this time we were edging up alongside the table, 
 and I was making ready for a rush at him. But he was 
 not to be taken off his guard. His extraordinary eyes 
 had been watching me intently, taking in my every 
 movement ; and a curious effect they had upon me. 
 
 " Dr. Nikola," I said, pulling myself together, " the 
 game is up. You beat me last time ; but now you must 
 own I come out on top. Don't utter a word or call for 
 assistance — if you do you're a dead man. Now drop 
 that knife you hold in your hand, and show us the way 
 out ! " 
 
 The Marquis was on his right, I was on his left, and 
 we were closing in upon him as I spoke. Still he showed 
 no sign of fear, though he must have well known the 
 danger of his position. But his eyes glowed in his head 
 like living coals. 
 
 You will ask why we did not rush at him ? "Well, if 
 I am obliged to own it, I must — the truth was, such was 
 the power that emanated from this extraordinary man, 
 
164 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 that though we both knew the crucial moment of our 
 enterprise had arrived, while his eyes were fixed upon 
 us, neither of us could stir an inch. When he spoke his 
 voice seemed to cut like a knife. 
 
 " So you think my game is up, Mr. Hatteras, do you ? 
 I'm afraid once more I must difEer from you. Look 
 behind you, my friend." 
 
 I did so, and that glance showed me how cleverly 
 we'd been trapped. Leaning against the door, watching 
 us with cruel, yet smiling eyes, was our old enemy, Pren- 
 dergast, revolver in hand. Just behind me were two 
 powerful Soudanese, while near the Marquis was a man 
 looking like a Greek — and a very stalwart Greek at that. 
 Observing our discomfiture, Nikola seated himself in a 
 big chair near the fireplace and folded his hands in the 
 curious fashion I have before described ; as he did so his 
 black cat sprang to his shoulder and sat there watching 
 us all. Dr. Nikola was the first to speak. 
 
 " Mr. Hatteras," he said, with devilish clearness and 
 deliberation, " you should really know me better by this 
 time than to think you could outwit me so easily. Is 
 my reputation after all so small as that ? And, while I 
 think of it, pray let me have the pleasure of returning 
 to you your five-pound note and your letters. Your 
 mice were perfect messengers, were they not ? " 
 
 As he spoke he handed me the selfsame Bank of 
 England note I had despatched through the pipe that 
 very evening in payment for the file; then he shook 
 from a box he had taken from the chimneypiece all the 
 communications I had written imploring assistance from 
 the outside world. To properly estimate my chagrin 
 and astonishment would be very diSicult. I could only 
 sit and stare, first at the money and then at the letters, 
 in blankest amazement. So we had not been rescued 
 
DR. NIKOLA PERMITS US A FREE PASSAGE. 165 
 
 by the cripple after all. Was it possible that while we 
 had been so busy arranging our escape we had in reality 
 been all the time under the closest surveillance? If 
 that were so, then this knowledge of our doings would 
 account for the silence with which my attack upon the 
 door had been received. Now we were in an even worse 
 position than before. I looked at Beckenham, but his 
 head was down and his right hand was picking idly at 
 the table edge. He was evidently waiting for what was 
 coming next. In sheer despair I turned to Nikola. 
 
 " Since you have outwitted us again, Dr. Nikola, do 
 not play with us — tell us straight out what our fate is 
 to toe." 
 
 " If it means going back to that room again," said 
 Beckenham in a voice I hardly recognised, " I would far 
 rather die and be done with it." 
 
 " Do not fear, my lord, you shall not die," Nikola 
 said, turning to him with a bow. " Believe me, you will 
 live to enjoy many happier hours than those you have 
 been compelled to spend under my roof ! " 
 
 " What do you mean ? " 
 
 The doctor did not answer for nearly a moment; 
 then he took what looked to me suspiciously like a ca- 
 blegram form from his pocket and carefully examined 
 it. Having done so, he said quietly : 
 
 " G-entlemen, you ask what I mean ? Well, I mean 
 this — if you wish to leave this house this very minute, 
 you are free to do so on one condition ! " 
 
 " And that condition is ? " 
 
 " That you allow yourselves to be blindfolded in this 
 room and conducted by my servants to the harbour side. 
 I furthermore ask your words of honour that you will 
 not seek to remove your bandages until you are given 
 permission to do so. Do you agree to this?" 
 
166 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 Needless to say we both signified our assent. 
 
 This free permission to leave the house was a second 
 surprise, and one for which we were totally unprepared. 
 
 " Then let it be so. My Lord Marquis, and you, Mr. 
 Hatteras, it is with sincere pleasure I restore to you 
 your liberty again ! " 
 
 He made a sign to Prendergast, who instantly stepped 
 forward. But I had something to say before we were 
 removed. 
 
 " One word first, Dr. Nikola. You have " 
 
 " Mr. Hatteras, if you will be guided by me, you will 
 keep a silent tongue in your head. Let well alone. In 
 the words of the proverb, Beware how you disturb a 
 sleeping dog. Why I have acted as I have done towards 
 you you may some day learn ; in the meanwhile rest as- 
 sured it was from no idle motive. Now take me at my 
 word, and go while you have the chance. I may change 
 my mind in a moment, and then " 
 
 He stopped and did not say any more. At a sign, 
 Prendergast clapped a thick bandage over my eyes, an- 
 other man did the same for Beckenham; a man on 
 either side of me took my arms, and next moment we 
 had passed out of the room, and before I could have 
 counted fifty were in the cool air of the open street. 
 
 How long we were walking after leaving the house I 
 could not say, but at last our escort called a halt. Pren- 
 dergast was evidently in command, for he said : 
 
 " Gentlemen, before we leave you you will renew 
 your words of honour not to remove your bandages for 
 five full minutes ? " 
 
 We complied with his request ; instantly our arms 
 were released, and a moment later we heard our captors 
 leaving us. The minutes went slowly by. Presently 
 Beckenham said : 
 
DR. NIKOLA PERMITS US A FREE PASSAGE. 167 
 
 " How long do you think we've been standing here ?" 
 
 "Nearly the stipulated time, I should say," I an- 
 swered. " However, we'd better give them a little 
 longer, on chance of mistake." 
 
 Again a silence fell on us. Then I tore off my 
 bandage, to find Beckenham doing the same. 
 
 "They're gone, and we're free again," he cried. 
 " Hurrah ! " 
 
 We shook hands warmly on our escape and then 
 looked about us. A ship's bell out in the stream chimed 
 half an hour after midnight, and a precious dark night 
 it was. A number of vessels were to be seen, and from 
 the noise that came from them it was evident they were 
 busy coaling. 
 
 " What's to be done now ? " asked Beckenham. 
 
 " Find an hotel, I think," I answered ; " get a good 
 night's rest, and first thing in the morning hunt up our 
 consul and the steamship authorities." 
 
 " Come along, then. Let's look for a place. I no- 
 ticed one that should suit us close to where we came 
 ashore that day." 
 
 Five minutes' walking brought us to the house we 
 sought. The proprietor was not very fastidious, and 
 whatever he may have thought of our appearances he 
 took us in without demur. A bath and a good meal 
 followed, and then after a thorough overhauling of all 
 the details connected with our imprisonment we turned 
 into bed resolved to thrash it out upon the morrow. 
 
 Next morning, true to our arrangement, as soon as 
 breakfast was over, I set off for the steamship compa- 
 ny's office, leaving the Marquis by himself at the hotel 
 for reasons which had begun to commend themselves to 
 me, and which will soon be apparent to you. 
 
 I found the Saratoga's agent busily at work in his 
 
168 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 private office. He was a tall, thin man, slightly bald, 
 wearing a pair of heavy gold pince-nez, and very slow 
 and deliberate in his speech. 
 
 " I beg your pardon," he began, when I had taken 
 possession of his proffered chair, " but did I understand 
 my clerk to say that your name was Hatteras ? " 
 
 " That's my name," I answered. " I was a passenger 
 in your boat the Saratoga for Australia three weeks ago, 
 but had the misfortune to be left behind when she 
 sailed." 
 
 " Ah ! I remember the circumstances well," he said. 
 " The young Marquis of Beckenham went ashore with 
 you, I think, and came within an ace of being also left 
 behind." 
 
 " Within an ace ! " I cried ; " but he was left be- 
 hind." 
 
 " No, no ! there you are mistaken," was the astound- 
 ing reply ; " he would have been left behind had not his 
 tutor and I gone ashore at the last moment to look for 
 him and found him wandering about on the outskirts 
 of Arab Town. I don't remember ever to have seen a 
 man so angry as the tutor was, and no wonder, for they 
 only just got out to the boat again as the gangway was 
 being hauled aboard." 
 
 " Then you mean to tell me that the Marquis went 
 on to Australia after all ! " I cried. " And pray how 
 did this interesting young gentleman explain the fact of 
 his losing sight of me ? " 
 
 " He lost you in a crowd, he said," the agent contin- 
 ued. " It was a most extraordinary business altogether." 
 
 It certainly was, and even more extraordinary than 
 he imagined. I could hardly believe my ears. The 
 world seemed to be turned upside down. I only know 
 that I stumbled out a few lame enquiries about the next 
 
DR. NIKOLA PERMITS US A FREE PASSAGE. Igg 
 
 boat sailing for Australia, and what would be done with 
 my baggage on its arrival at the other end, and then 
 made my way as best I could out of the oflSce. 
 
 Hastening back to the hotel, I told my story from 
 beginning to end to my astonished companion, who sat 
 on his bed listening open-mouthed. When I had fin- 
 ished he said feebly : 
 
 " But what does it all mean ? Tell me that ! What 
 does it mean ? " 
 
 " It means," I answered, " that our notion about 
 Nikola's abducting us in order to blackmail your father 
 was altogether wrong, and, if you ask me, I should say 
 not half picturesque enough. No, no ! this mystery is a 
 bigger one by a hundred times than even we expected, 
 and there are more men in it than ourselves. It remains 
 with you to say whether you will assist in the attempt to 
 unravel it or not. Oh ! my beauty Baxter, if ever I get 
 hold of you ! What a meeting that will be ! " 
 
 " What do you mean by saying it remains with me to 
 say whether we shall unravel it or not ? Do I under- 
 stand you to mean that you intend following it up ? " 
 
 " Of course I do. Nikola and Baxter between them 
 have completely done me — now I'm going to do my best 
 to do them. By Jove ! " 
 
 " What is it now ? " 
 
 " I see it all as plain as a pikestaff. I understand 
 exactly now why Baxter came for you, why he tele- 
 graphed that the train was laid, why I was drugged in 
 Plymouth, why you were seasick between Naples and 
 this place, and why we were both kidnapped so mys- 
 teriously ! " 
 
 " Then explain, for mercy's sake ! " 
 
 "I will. See here. In the first place, remember 
 your father's peculiar education of yourself. If you 
 
lYO A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 consider that you will see that you are the only young 
 nobleman of high rank whose face is not well known to 
 his brother Peers. That being so, Nikola wants to pro- 
 cure you for some purpose of his own in Australia. 
 Your father advertises for a tutor ; he sends one of his 
 agents — Baxter — to secure the position. Baxter, at 
 Nikola's instruction, puts into your head a desire for 
 travel. You pester your father for the necessary per- 
 mission. Just as this is granted I come upon the scene. 
 Baxter suspects me. He telegraphs to Nikola 'The 
 train is laid,' which means that he has begun to lay the 
 seeds of a desire for travel, when a third party steps in — ■ 
 in other words, I am the new danger that has arisen. 
 He arranges your sailing, and all promises to go well. 
 Then Dr. Nikola finds out I intend going in the same 
 boat. He tries to prevent me ; and I — by Jove ! I see 
 another thing. Why did Baxter suggest that you should 
 cross the Continent and join the boat at Naples ? Why, 
 simply because if you had started from Plymouth you 
 would soon have got over your sickness, if you had ever 
 been ill at all, and in that case the passengers would 
 have become thoroughly familiar with your face by the 
 time you reached Port Said. That would never have 
 done, so he takes you to Naples, drugs you next morn- 
 ing — for you must remember you were ill after the coffee 
 he gave you — and by that means keeps you ill and con- 
 fined to your cabin throughout the entire passage to 
 Port Said. Then he persuades you to go ashore with 
 me. You do so, with what result you know. Presently 
 he begins to bewail your non-return, invites the agent to 
 help in the search. They set off, and eventually find 
 you near the Arab quarter. You must remember that 
 neither the agent, the captain, nor the passengers have 
 seen you, save at night, so the substitute, who is certain 
 
DR. NIKOLA PERMITS US A FREE PASSAGE. 171 
 
 to have been well chosea and schooled for the part he is 
 to play, is not found out. Then the boat goes on her 
 way, while we are left behind languishing in durance 
 vile." 
 
 "Do you really think those are the facts of the 
 case?" 
 
 " Upon my word, I do ! " 
 
 "Then what do you advise me to do? Eemember, 
 Baxter has letters to the different Governors from my 
 father." 
 
 " I know what I should do myself ! " 
 
 " Go to the consul and get him to warn the authori- 
 ties in Australia, I suppose ? " 
 
 " No. That would do little or no good — remember, 
 they've three weeks' start of us." 
 
 "Then what shall we do? I'm in your hands 
 entirely, and whatever you advise I promise you I'll 
 do." 
 
 " If I were you I should dofE my title, take another 
 name, and set sail with me for Australia. Once there, 
 we'll put up in some quiet place and set ourselves to un- 
 mask these rascals and to defeat their little game what- 
 ever it may be. Are you prepared for so much excite- 
 ment as that ? " 
 
 " Of course I am. Come what may, I'll go with you, 
 and there's my hand on it." 
 
 " Then we'll catch the next boat — not a mail-steamer 
 — that sails for an Australian port, and once ashore there 
 we'll set the ball a-rolling with a vengeance." 
 
 " That scoundrel Baxter ! I'm not vindictive as a 
 rule, but I feel I should like to punish him." 
 
 " Well, if they've not flown by the time we reach 
 Australia, you'll probably be able to gratify your wish. 
 It's Nikola, however, I want." 
 12 
 
172 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 Beckenham shuddered as I mentioned the Doctor's 
 name. So to change the subject I said : 
 
 " I'm going for another walk now. Would you care 
 to accompany me ? " 
 
 " Where are you going ? " he asked. 
 
 " I'm off to try and find the house where we were 
 shut up," I answered. " I want to be able to locate it 
 for future reference, if necessary." 
 
 " Is it safe to go near it, do you think ? " 
 
 "In broad daylight, yes! But just to make sure 
 we'll buy a couple of revolvers on the way. And if it 
 becomes necessary we'll use them." 
 
 " Come along, then." 
 
 With that we left our hotel and set off in the direc- 
 tion of the Casino, stopping, however, on the way to 
 make the purchases above referred to. 
 
 On arrival at the place we sought, we stopped and 
 looked about us. I pointed to a street on our right. 
 
 " That was the way we came from the mosque," I 
 said. Then, pointing to a narrow alley way almost 
 opposite where we were, I continued, "And that was 
 where I saw Nikola standing watching us. Now when 
 we came out of this building we turned to our left hand, 
 and, if I mistake not, went off in that direction. I 
 think, if you've no objection, we'll go that way now." 
 
 We accordingly set off at a good pace, and after 
 awhile arrived at the spot where the guide had caught 
 us up. It looked a miserably dirty neighbourhood in 
 the bright sunlight. Beckenham looked round him 
 thoughtfully, and finally said : 
 
 " Now we turn to our right, I think." 
 
 " Quite so. Come along ! " 
 
 We passed down one thoroughfare and up another, 
 and at last reached the spot where I had commented on 
 
DR. NIKOLA PERMITS US A FREE PASSAGE. 173 
 
 the sign-boards, and where we had been garotted. Surely 
 the house must be near at hand now. But though we 
 hunted high and low, up one street and down another, 
 not a single trace of any building answering the descrip- 
 tion of the one we wanted could we discover. At last, 
 after nearly aa hour's search, we were obliged to give it 
 up, and return to our hotel, unsuccessful. 
 
 As we finished lunch a large steamer made her ap- 
 pearance in the harbour, and brought up opposite the 
 town. We questioned our landlord, who was an author- 
 ity on the subject, and he informed us that she was the 
 s. s. Pescadore, of Hull, bound to Melbourne. 
 
 Hearing this we immediately chartered a boat, pulled 
 ofE to her, and interviewed the captain. As good luck 
 would have it, he had room for a couple of passengers. 
 We therefore paid the passage money there and then, 
 provided ourselves with a few necessaries, articles of 
 attire, toilet, etc., and shortly before nightfall steamed 
 into the Canal. Port Said was a thing of the past. 
 Our eventful journey was resumed — what was the end 
 of it all to be? 
 
PAET II. 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 WE EEACH AUSTRALIA, AND THE KESTJLT. 
 
 The Pescadore, if she was slow, was certainly sure, 
 and so the thirty-sixth day after our departure from 
 Port Said, as recorded in the previous chapter, she 
 landed us safe and sound at Williamstown, which, as all 
 the Australian world knows, is one of the principal rail- 
 way termini, and within an hour's journey, of Mel- 
 bourne. Throughout the voyage nothing occurred 
 worth chronicling, if I except the curious behaviour of 
 Lord Beckenham, who, for the first week or so, seemed 
 sunk in a deep stupor from which neither chaff nor 
 sympathy could rouse him. Prom morning till night he 
 mooned aimlessly about the decks, had visibly to pull 
 himself together to answer such questions as might be 
 addressed to him, and never by any chance sustained a 
 conversation further than a few odd sentences. To such 
 a pitch did this depression at last bring him that, the 
 day after we left Aden, I felt it my duty to take him to 
 task and try to bully or coax him out of it. We were 
 standing at the time under the bridge and a little for- 
 rard of the chart-room. 
 
 " Come," I said, " I want to know what's the matter 
 with you ? You've been giving us all the miserables 
 lately, and from the look of your face at the present 
 
 174 
 
WE REACH AUSTRALIA, AND THE RESULT. 175 
 
 moment I'm inclined to believe it's going to continue. 
 Out with it ! Are you home-sick, or has the monotony 
 of this voyage been too much for you?" 
 
 He looked into my face rather curiously I thought, 
 and then said : 
 
 " Mr. Ilatteras, I'm afraid you'll think me an awful 
 idiot when I do tell you, but the truth is I've got Dr. 
 Nikola's face on my brain, and do what I will I cannot 
 rid myself of it. Those great, dark, searching eyes, as 
 we saw them look up at us in that terrible room, have 
 got on my nerves and I can think of nothing else. 
 They haunt me night and day ! " 
 
 " Oh, that's all fancy ! " I cried. " Why should you 
 be frightened of him ? Nikola, in spite of his demoni- 
 acal cleverness, is only a man, and even then you may 
 consider we've seen the last of him. So cheer up, take 
 as much exercise as you possibly can, and believe me, 
 you'll soon forget all about him." 
 
 But it was no use arguing with him. Nikola had 
 had an effect on him that was little short of marvellous, 
 and it was not until we had well turned the Leuwin and 
 were safely in Australian waters that he in any way re- 
 covered his former spirits. And here, lest you should 
 give me credit for a bravery I did not possess, I must 
 own that I, myself, was more than a little afraid of an- 
 other meeting with Nikola. I had now had four op- 
 portunities of judging that gentleman's cleverness — once 
 in the restaurant off Oxford Street, once in the " Green 
 Sailor" public-house in the East India Dock Eoad, once 
 in the "West of England express, and lastly, in the house 
 in Port Said. I had no desire to come to close quarters 
 with him again I can assure you. 
 
 Arriving in Melbourne we caught the afternoon ex- 
 press for Sydney and reached that city the following 
 
176 A BID FOE FORTUNE. 
 
 morning. By the time we arrived at our destination we 
 had held many consultations over our future, and the 
 net result was a decision to look for a quiet hotel on the 
 outskirts of the city, and then to attempt to discover 
 what the mystery, in which we had been so deeply in- 
 volved, might mean. The merits of all the various 
 suburbs were severally discussed, though I knew but lit- 
 tle about them, and the Marquis less. Paramatta, Pen- 
 rith, Woolahra, Balmain, and even many of the bays and 
 harbours received attention, until we decided on Bal- 
 main as the most likely place to answer our purpose. 
 
 Having come to a decision we crossed Darling har- 
 bour, and after a little hunting about discovered a small 
 but comfortable hotel situated in a side street and called 
 the " General Officer." Here we booked rooms, de- 
 posited our meagre baggage, and having installed our- 
 selves, sat down and discussed the situation. 
 
 " So this is Sydney," said Beckenham, as he spoke 
 stretching himself out comfortably upon the sofa by the 
 window. "And now that we've got here, what's to be 
 done first?" 
 
 " Have lunch," I answered promptly. 
 
 " And then ? " he continued. 
 
 " Hunt up a public library and take a glimpse of the 
 Morning Herald's back numbers. They will tell us a 
 good deal, though not all we want to know. Then we'll 
 make a few inquiries. To-morrow morning I shall ask 
 you to excuse me for a couple of hours. But in the 
 afternoon we ought to have acquired sufficient informa- 
 tion to enable us to make a definite start on what we've 
 got to do." 
 
 " You mean enough to enable us to expose these ras- 
 cals." 
 
 " Quite so. "What else are we here for ? " 
 
WE REACH AUSTRALIA, AND THE RESULT. 177 
 
 " Then let's have luach at once and be off. I'm all 
 eagerness to commence." 
 
 We accordingly ordered lunch, and when it was fin- 
 ished set off in search of a public library. Having found 
 it — and it was not a very difficult matter — we sought the 
 reading room and made for a stand of Sydney Morning 
 Heralds in the corner. Somehow I felt as certain of find- 
 ing what I wanted there as any man could possibly be, 
 and as it happened I was not destined to be disappointed. 
 On the second page, surmounted by heading in bold 
 type, was a long report of a horse show, held the previ- 
 ous afternoon, at which it appeared a large viceregal and 
 fashionable party was present. It included his Excel- 
 lency the Governor and the Countess of Amberley, the 
 Ladies Maud and Ermyntrude, their daughters, the Mar- 
 quis of Beckenham, Captain Barrenden, an aide-de- 
 camp, and Mr. Baxter. In a voice that I hardly recog- 
 nised as my own, so shaken was it with excitement, I 
 called Beckenham to my side and pointed out to him 
 his name. He stared and stared hardly able to believe 
 his eyes. 
 
 " What does it mean ? " he whispered, just as he had 
 done in Port Said. " What does it mean ? " 
 
 I led him out of the building before I answered and 
 then clapped him on the shoulder. 
 
 " It means, my boy," I said, " that there's been a 
 hitch somewhere in their arrangements, and that we're 
 not too late to circumvent them after all." 
 
 " But where do you think they are staying — these 
 two scoundrels ? " 
 
 " At Government House to be sure. Didn't you see 
 that the report said, ' The Earl and Countess of Amber- 
 ley and a distinguished party from Government House, 
 including the Marquis of Beckenham,' etc. ? " 
 
178 A BID FOE FORTUNE. 
 
 " Then let us go to Government House at once and 
 unmask them. That is our bounden duty to society." 
 
 " Then all I can say is that if it is our duty to so- 
 ciety, society will have to wait. No, no ! We must find 
 out first what their little game is. That once decided, 
 the unmasking will fall in as a natural sequence. Don't 
 you understand ? " 
 
 " I am afraid I don't quite. However I expect you're 
 right." 
 
 By this time we were back again at the ferry. It 
 was not time for the boat to start, so while we were wait- 
 ing we amused ourselves staring at the placards. Then a 
 large theatrical poster caught my eye and drew me to- 
 wards it. It announced a grand viceregal " command " 
 night at one of the principal theatres for that very even- 
 ing, and still further set forth the fact that the most 
 noble the Marquis of Beckenham would be amongst the 
 distinguished company present. 
 
 " Here we are," I called to my companion, who was 
 at a little distance. " We'll certainly go to this. The 
 Marquis of Beckenham shall honour it with his patronage 
 and presence after all." 
 
 Noting the name and address of the theatre, we went 
 back to our hotel for dinner, and as soon as it was fin- 
 ished returned to the city to seek the theatre. 
 
 When we entered it the house was crowded, and the 
 arrival of the Government House party was every mo- 
 ment expected. Presently there was a hush, then the 
 orchestra and audience rose while God save the Queen 
 was played, and the Governor and a brilliant party en- 
 tered the viceregal box. You may be sure of all that 
 vast concourse of people there were none who stared 
 harder than Beckenham and myself. And it was cer- 
 tainly enough to make any man stare, for there, sitting 
 
WE BEACH AUSTRALIA, AND THE RESULT. 179 
 
 on her ladyship's right hand, faultlessly dressed, was 
 the exact image of the young man by my side. The 
 likeness was so extraordinary that for a moment I could 
 hardly believe that Beckenham had not left me to go 
 up and take his seat there. And if I was struck by 
 the resemblance you may be sure that he was a dozen 
 times more so. Indeed his bewilderment was most 
 comical, and must have struck those people round us, 
 who were watching, as something altogether extraor- 
 dinary. I looked again and could just discern behind 
 the front row the smug, self-satisfied face of the tutor 
 Baxter. Then the play commenced, and we were com- 
 pelled to turn and give it our attention. 
 
 Here I must stop to chronicle one circumstance that 
 throughout the day had struck me as peculiar. When 
 our vessel arrived at Williamstown it so happened that 
 we had travelled up in the train to Melbourne with a 
 tall, handsome, well-dressed man of about thirty years 
 of age. Whether he, like ourselves, was a new arrival, 
 and only passing through Melbourne, I cannot say ; at 
 any rate he went on to Sydney in the mail train with us. 
 Then we lost sight of him, only to find him standing 
 near the public library when we had emerged from it 
 that afternoon, and now here he was sitting in the stalls 
 of the theatre not half a dozen chairs from us. Whether 
 this continual companionship was designed or only acci- 
 dental, I could not of course say, but I must own that I 
 did not like the look of it. Could it be possible that 
 "Nikola, learning our departure for Australia in the 
 Pescadore, had cabled from Port Said to this man to 
 watch us? It seemed hardly likely, and yet we had 
 had sufficient experience of Nikola to teach us not to 
 consider anything he might do impossible. 
 
 The performance over, we left the theatre and set ofE 
 
180 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 for the ferry, only reaching it just as the boat was in 
 the act of casting off. As it was I had to jump for it, 
 and on reaching the deck should have fallen in a heap 
 but for a helping hand stretched out to me. I looked 
 up to tender my thanks when to my intense surprise I 
 discovered my benefactor was none other than the man 
 to whom I have just been referring. His surprise 
 seemed even greater than mine, and muttering some- 
 thing about " a narrow shave " he turned and walked 
 quickly aft. My mind was now made up, and I re- 
 ported my discovery to Beckenham, pointing out the 
 man and warning him to watch for him when he was 
 abroad without me. This he promised to do. 
 
 Next morning I donned my best attire (my luggage 
 having safely arrived), and shortly before eleven bade 
 Beckenham good-bye and betook myself to Potts Point 
 to call upon the Wetherells. It would be impossible for 
 me to say with what variety of emotions I trod that 
 well-remembered street, crossed the garden, and ap- 
 proached the ponderous front door, which had always 
 seemed to me so typical of Mr. Wetherell himself. 
 The same butler who had opened the door to me on 
 the previous occasion opened it now, and when I asked 
 if Miss Wetherell were at home gravely answered, " Yes, 
 sir," and invited me to enter. Though I had called 
 there before it must be remembered that this was the 
 first time I had been inside the house, and I must own 
 the display of wealth in the hall amazed me. 
 
 I was shown into the drawing room — a large double 
 chamber beautifully furnished and with an elegantly 
 painted ceiling — while the butler went in search of his 
 mistress. A few minutes later I heard a light footstep 
 outside, a hand was placed upon the handle of the door, 
 and before I could have counted ten Phyllis — my Phyl- 
 
WE REACH AUSTRALIA, AND THE RESULT. 181 
 
 lis! was in the room and in my arms! Over the next 
 five minutes, gentle reader, we will draw a curtain with 
 your kind permission. If you have ever met your sweet- 
 heart after an absence of several months you will readily 
 understand why ! 
 
 When we became rational again I led Phyllis to a 
 sofa, and, seating myself beside her, asked if her father 
 had in any way relented towards me. At this she 
 looked very unhappy, and for a moment I thought was 
 going to burst into tears. 
 
 " Why ! What is the matter, Phyllis, my dar- 
 ling ! " I cried in sincere alarm. " What is troubling 
 you ? " 
 
 " Oh, I am so unhappy," she replied. " Dick, there 
 is a gentleman in Sydney now to whom papa has taken 
 an enormous fancy, and he is exerting all his influence 
 over me to induce me to marry him." 
 
 " The deuce he is, and pray who may " but I got 
 
 no farther in my inquiries, for at that moment I caught 
 the sound of a footstep in the hall, and next moment 
 Mr. Wetherell opened the door. He remained for a 
 brief period in the doorway, looking from one to the 
 other of us without speaking, then he advanced, saying, 
 " Mr. Hatteras, be so good as to tell me when this per- 
 secution will cease ? Am I not even to be free from 
 you in my own house ? Flesh and blood won't stand 
 it, I tell you, sir, won't stand it! You pursued my 
 daughter to England in a most ungentlemanly fashion, 
 and now you have followed her out here again." 
 
 " Just as I shall continue to follow her all my life, 
 Mr. Wetherell," I replied, warmly, " wherever you may 
 take her. I told you on board the Orizaba, months ago, 
 that I loved her; well I love her ten thousand times 
 more now. She loves me — won't you hear her tell you 
 
182 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 so? Why then should you endeavour to keep us 
 apart?" 
 
 " Because an alliance with you, sir, is distasteful to 
 me in every possible way. I have other and more am- 
 bitious views for my daughter you must learn." Here 
 Phyllis could keep silence no longer, and broke in 
 with — 
 
 " If you mean by that that you will force me into 
 this hateful marriage with a man I despise, papa, you 
 are mistaken. I will marry no one but Mr. Hatteras, 
 and so I warn you." 
 
 " Silence, Miss ! How dare you adopt that tone 
 with me ! You will do as I wish in this and all other 
 matters, and so we'll have no more talk about it. Now 
 Mr. Hatteras, you have heard what I have to say, and I 
 warn you that, if you persist in this conduct, I'll see if 
 something can't be found in the law to put a stop to it. 
 Meanwhile, if you as much as show your nose in my 
 grounds again I'll have my servants throw you out into 
 the street ! Good-day." 
 
 Unjust as his conduct was to me there was nothing 
 for it but to submit, so picking up my hat I bade poor 
 little frightened Phyllis farewell and went towards the 
 door. But before taking my departure I was deter- 
 mined to have one final shot at her irascible parent, so 
 I said, " Mr. Wetherell, I have warned you before, and 
 I do so again : your daughter loves me, and come what 
 may I will make her my wife. She is her own mistress, 
 and you cannot force her into marrying anyone against 
 her will. Neither can you prevent her marrying me if 
 she wishes it. You will be sorry some day that you 
 have behaved like this to me." 
 
 But the only answer he vouchsafed was a stormy 
 one. 
 
WE REACH AUSTRALIA, AND THE RESULT. 183 
 
 " Leave my house this instant. Not another word, 
 sir, or I'll call my servants to my assistance ! " 
 
 The stately old butler opened the front door for me, 
 and assuming as dignified an air as was possible, con- 
 sidering that I was feeling the very reverse of calm, I 
 went down the drive and passed out into the street. 
 
 When I reached home again Beckenham was out, 
 for which I was not sorry as I wanted to have a good 
 quiet think by myself. So lighting a cigar I pulled a 
 chair into the verandah and fell to work. But I could 
 make nothing of the situation, save that, by my inter- 
 view this morning, my position with the father was, 
 if possible, rendered even more hopeless than before. 
 Who and what was this more fortunate suitor ? Would 
 it be any use my going to him and — but no, that was 
 clearly impossible. Could I induce Phyllis to run 
 away? That was possible, of course, but I rather 
 doubted if she would care to take such an extreme step 
 until every other means had proved unsucpessful. Then 
 what was to be done ? I began to wish that Beckenham 
 would return in order that we might consult together. 
 
 Half-an-hour later our lunch was ready, but still no 
 sign came of the youth. Where could he have got to ? 
 I waited an hour and then fell to work. Three o'clock 
 arrived and still no sign — four, five, and even six. By 
 this time I was in a fever of perplexity. I remembered 
 the existence of the man who had followed us from Mel- 
 bourne, and Beckenham's trusting good nature. Then 
 and there I resolved, if he did not return before half- 
 past seven, to set off for the nearest police station and 
 have a search made for him. Slowly the large hand of 
 the clock went round, and when, at the time stated, he 
 had not appeared, I donned my hat, and, inquiring the 
 way, set ofE for the home of the law. 
 
184 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 On stating my business I was immediately conducted 
 to the inspector in charge, who questioned me very 
 closely as to Beckenham's appearance, age, profession, 
 etc. Haying done this, he said : 
 
 " But what reason have you, sir, for supposing that 
 the young man has been done away with ? He has only 
 been absent from his abode, according to your statement, 
 about eight or nine hours." 
 
 " Simply because," I answered, " I have the best of 
 reasons for knowing that ever since his arrival in Aus- 
 tralia he has been shadowed. This morning he said he 
 would only go for a short stroll before lunch, and I am 
 positively certain, knowing my anxiety about him, he 
 would not have remained away so long of his own ac- 
 cord without communicating with me." 
 
 " Is there any motive you can assign for the shadow- 
 ing you speak of ? " 
 
 " My friend is heir to an enormous property in Eng- 
 land. Perhaps that may assist you in discovering one ? " 
 
 " Very possibly. But still I am inclined to think 
 you are a little hasty in coming to so terrible a conclu- 
 sion, Mr. ? " 
 
 " Hatteras is my name, and I am staying at the 
 ' General Officer ' Hotel in Palgrave Street." 
 
 " Well, Mr. Hatteras, if I were you I would go back 
 to your hotel. You will probably find your friend there 
 eating his dinner and thinking about instituting a search 
 for you. If, however, he has not turned up, and doesn't 
 do so by to-morrow morning, call here again and report 
 the matter, and I will give you every assistance in my 
 power." 
 
 Thanking him. for his courtesy I left the station and 
 walked quickly back to the hotel, hoping to find Beck- 
 enham safely returned and at his dinner. But when 
 
WE REACH AUSTRALIA, AND THE RESULT. 185 
 
 the landlady met me on the verandah and asked if I 
 had any news of my friend, I realised that a disappoint- 
 ment was in store for me. The excitement and worry 
 were getting too much for me. What with Nikola, the 
 spy, Beckenham, Phyllis, the unknown lover, and old 
 Mr. Wetherell, I had more than enough to keep my 
 brain occupied. I sat down on a chair on the verandah 
 with a sigh and reviewed the whole case. Nine o'clock 
 struck by the time my reverie was finished. Just as I 
 did so a newspaper boy came down the street lustily cry- 
 ing his wares. To divert my mind from its unpleasant 
 thoughts I called him up and bought an Evening Mer- 
 cury. Having done so, I passed into my sitting-room 
 to read it. The first, second, and third pages held noth- 
 ing of much interest for me, but on the fourth was an 
 item that was astonishing enough to make my hair 
 stand on end. It was written in horrible journalese, 
 and ran as follows : 
 
 RUMOURED IMPORTANT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGH 
 LIFE. 
 We have it on the very best authority that an engagement will 
 shortly be announced between a certain illustrious young noble- 
 man, now a visitor in our city, and the beautiful daughter of one 
 of Sydney's most prominent politicians, who has lately vetunied 
 .from a visit to England. The Evening Mercury tenders the 
 young couple their sinoerest congratulations. 
 
 Could this he the solution of the ivhole mystery? 
 Could it be that the engagement of Baxter, the tele- 
 gram, the idea of travel, the drugging, the imprison- 
 ment in Port Said, the substitution of the false mar- 
 quis, were all means to this end ? Was it possible that 
 this man who was masquerading as a man of title was 
 to marry Phyllis (for there could be no possible doubt 
 as to the persons to whom that paragraph referred) ? 
 
186 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 The very thought of such a thing brought the perspira- 
 tion streaming out on my face. 
 
 There must be no delay now in telling all we knew. 
 The villains must be unmasked, this very night. Weth- 
 erell must know all now ; this very instant ! 
 
 As I came to this conclusion I crushed my paper into 
 my pocket and set off, without a moment's delay, for 
 Potts Point. The night was dark, and now a thick 
 drizzle was falling. Though it really did not take me 
 very long it seemed an eternity before I reached the 
 house and rang the bell. The butler opened the door 
 and looked surprised to see me. 
 
 " Is Mr. Wetherell at home ? " I asked. 
 
 For a moment he looked doubtful as to what he 
 should say, then compromising matters, said he'd see. 
 
 " I know what that means," I said in reply. " Mr. 
 Wetherell is in, but yoii don't think he'll see me. But 
 he must ! I have news for him of the very utmost im- 
 portance. "Will you tell him that ? " 
 
 He left me and went along the hall and upstairs. 
 Presently he returned shaking his head. 
 
 " I'm very sorry, sir, but Mr. Wetherell's answer is, 
 if you have anything to say you must put it in writing ; 
 he cannot see you." 
 
 " But he must ! In this case I can accept no re- 
 fusal. Tell him, will you, that the matter upon which 
 I wish to speak to him has nothing whatsoever to do 
 with myself. I pledge him my word on that." 
 
 Again the butler departed, and once more I was left 
 to cool my heels in the portico. When he returned it 
 was with a smile upon his face. 
 
 " Mr. Wetherell will be glad if you will step this way, 
 sir." I followed him along the hall and up the massive 
 stone staircase. Arriving at the top he opened a door 
 
WE REACH AUSTRALIA, AND THE RESULT. 187 
 
 on the left-hand side of the corridor and announced 
 " Mr. Hatteras." 
 
 Mr. Wetlierell was seated in a low chair opposite the 
 fire, and from the fact that his right foot, was resting on 
 a sort of small trestle I argued that he was suffering 
 from an attack of his old enemy the gout. 
 
 " Be good enough to take a chair, Mr. Hatteras," he 
 said, when the door had been closed. " I must own I 
 am quite at a loss to understand what you can have to 
 tell me of so much importance as to bring you to my 
 house at this time of night." 
 
 " I think I shall be able to satisfy you on that score, 
 Mr. Wetherell," I replied, taking the Evening Mercury 
 from my pocket and smoothing it out. " In the first 
 place will you be good enough to tell me if there is 
 any truth in the inference contained in that para- 
 graph ? " 
 
 I handed the paper to him and pointed to the lines 
 in question. Having put up his glasses he examined it 
 carefully. 
 
 " I am sorry they should have made it public so soon, 
 I must admit," he said. " But I don't deny that there 
 is a considerable amount of truth in what that para- 
 graph reports." 
 
 " You mean to say by that that you intend to try and 
 marry Phyllis — Miss Wetherell — to the Marquis of Beck- 
 enham ? " 
 
 " The young man has paid her a very considerable 
 amount of attention ever since he arrived in the colony, 
 and only last week he did me the honour of confiding 
 his views to me. You see I am candid with you." 
 
 •' I thank you for it. I too will be candid with you. 
 Mr. Wetherell you may set your mind at rest at once, 
 this marriage will never take place ! " 
 13 
 
188 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 " And pray be so good as to tell me your reason for 
 such a statement ? " 
 
 " If you want it bluntly, because the young man now 
 staying at Government House is no more the Marquis of 
 Beckenham than I am. He is a fraud, an imposter, a 
 cheat of the first water, put up to play his part by one 
 of the cleverest scoundrels unhung." 
 
 " Mr. Hatteras, this is really going too far. I can 
 quite understand your being jealous of his lordship, but 
 I cannot understand your having the audacity to bring 
 such a foolish charge against him. I for one must de- 
 cline to listen to it. If he had been the fraud you make 
 him out to be, how would his tutor have got those letters 
 from his Grace the Duke of Glenbarth ? Do you imag- 
 ine his Excellency the Governor, who has known the 
 family all his life, would not have found him out ere 
 this ? No, no, sir ! It won't do ! If you think so, who 
 has schooled him so cleverly? Who has pulled the 
 strings so wonderfully ? " 
 
 " Why, Nikola to be sure ! " , 
 
 Had I clapped a revolver to the old gentleman's 
 head, or had the walls opened and Nikola himself 
 stepped into the room, a greater effect of terror and con- 
 sternation could not have been produced in the old gen- 
 tleman's face than did those five simple words. He fell 
 back in his chair gasping for breath, his complexion be- 
 came ashen in its pallor, and for a moment his whole 
 nervous system seemed unstrung. I sprang to his assist- 
 ance, thinking he was going to have a fit, but he waived 
 me off, and when he had recovered himself sufficiently 
 to speak, said hoarsely : 
 
 "What do you know of Dr. Nikola? Tell me for 
 God's sake ! — what do you know of him ? Quick, 
 quick ! " 
 
WE REACH AUSTRALIA, AND THE RESULT. 189 
 
 Then I set to work and told him my story, from the 
 day of my arrival in Sydney from Thursday Island up 
 to the present moment, described my meeting and ac- 
 quaintance with the real Beckenham, and all the events 
 consequent upon it. He listened, with an awful terror 
 growing on his face, and when I finished my narrative 
 with the disappearance of my friend he nearly choked. 
 
 " Mr. Hatteras," he gasped, " will you swear this is 
 the truth you are telling me ? " 
 
 " I solemnly swear it," I answered. " And will do so 
 in public when and where you please." 
 
 " Then I beg your pardon for my conduct to you. 
 You have taken a noble revenge. I cannot thank you 
 sufficiently. But there is not a moment to lose. My 
 daughter is at a ball at Government House at the pres- 
 ent moment. I should have accompanied her, but my 
 gout would not permit me. Will you oblige me by ring- 
 ing that bell ? " 
 
 I rang the bell as requested and then asked what he 
 intended doing. 
 
 "Going off to his Excellency at once, gout or no 
 gout, and telling him what you have told me. If it is 
 as you have said, we must catch these scoundrels and 
 rescue your friend without an instant's delay ! " 
 
 The butler here appeared at the door. 
 
 " Tell Jenkins to put the gray mare in my brougham 
 and bring her round at once." 
 
 Half an hour later we were at Government House 
 waiting in his Excellency's study for an interview. The 
 music of the orchestra in the ball-room came softly in 
 to us, and when Loi'd Amberley entered the room he 
 seemed surprised, as well he might be, to see us. But 
 as soon as he had heard what we had to tell him his ex- 
 pression changed. 
 
190 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 " Mr. Wetherell, this is a very terrible charge you 
 bring against my guest. Do you think it can possibly 
 be true?" 
 
 " I sadly fear so," said Mr. "Wetherell. " But per- 
 haps Mr. Hatteras will tell you the story exactly as he 
 told it to me." 
 
 I did so, and, when I had finished, the Governor 
 went to the door and called a servant. 
 
 " Find Lord Beckenham, Johnson, at once, and ask 
 him to be so good as to come to me here. Stay — on 
 second thoughts I'll go and look for him myself." 
 
 He went off, leaving us alone to listen to the ticking 
 of the clock upon the mantlepiece, and to wonder what 
 was going to happen next. Five minutes went by and 
 then ten, but still he did not return. When he did do 
 so it was with a still more serious countenance. 
 
 " You are evidently right, gentlemen. Neither the 
 spurious marquis nor his tutor, Mr. Baxter, can be found 
 anywhere. I have discovered, however, that all their 
 valuables and light luggage have been smuggled out of 
 the house to-night without the knowledge of my serv- 
 ants. This is a very terrible business. But I have 
 given instructions and the police will be communicated 
 with at once. And we must do our best to find the real 
 Beckenham." 
 
 " Lord Amberley," said Wetherell, in a choking 
 voice, " do you think one of your servants could tell my 
 daughter to come to me at once, I am not feeling very 
 well." 
 
 The Governor hesitated a moment, and then said : 
 
 " I am sorry to say, Mr. Wetherell, your daughter 
 left the House an hour ago. A message was brought to 
 her that you had been suddenly taken ill and needed 
 her. She left at once." 
 
WE REACH AUSTRALIA, AND THE RESULT. 191 
 
 Wctherell's face was piteous to see. 
 
 " My God ! " he cried in despair. " If that is so then 
 I am ruined. This is Niiiola's revenge." 
 
 Then he uttered a curious little sigh, moved a step 
 forward and fell in a dead faint upon the floor. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 ON THE TRAIL. 
 
 As soon as Wetherell was able to speak again he said 
 as feebly as an old man of ninety, " Take me home, Mr. 
 Hatteras, take me home, and let us think out together 
 there what is best to be done to rescue my poor child." 
 
 The Governor rose to his feet and gave'him his arm. 
 
 " I think you're right, Mr. "Wetherell," he said. " It 
 is of course Just probable that you will find your daugh- 
 ter at her home when you arrive. God grant she may 
 be ! But in case she is not I will communicate all I 
 know to the Police Commissioner on his arrival, and 
 send him and his officers on to you. We must lose no 
 time if we wish to stop these scoundrels." Then turn- 
 ing to me, he continued : " Mr. Hatteras, it is by your 
 promptness that we are able to take such early steps. I 
 shall depend upon your further assistance in this mat- 
 ter." 
 
 " You may do so with perfect confidence, my lord," 
 I answered. " If you knew all you would understand 
 that I am more anxious perhaps than even you are to 
 discover the whereabouts of the young lady and my 
 unfortunate friend." 
 
 If his Excellency thought anything he did not give 
 utterance to it, and Mr. AVetherell's carriage being at 
 the door we went out to it without another word. As 
 
 192 
 
ON THE TRAIL. ' I93 
 
 we stepped into it Mr. Wetherell cried to the coach- 
 man : 
 
 " Home, and as fast as you can go." 
 
 Next moment we were being whirled down the drive 
 at a pace which at any other time I should have thought 
 dangerous. Throughout the journey we sat almost 
 silent wrapped up in our anxieties and forebodings; 
 hoping almost against hope that when we arrived at 
 Potts Point we should find Phyllis awaiting us there. 
 At last we turned into the grounds, and on reaching the 
 house I sprang out and rang the bell, then went down 
 to help my companion to alight. The butler opened 
 the door and descended the steps to take the rugs. 
 Wetherell stopped him almost angrily, crying : 
 
 " Where is your mistress ? Has she come home ? " 
 
 The expression of surprise on the man's face told me, 
 before he had time to utter a word, that our hopes were 
 not destined to be realised. 
 
 " Miss Phyllis, sir?" the man said. " Why, she's at 
 the ball at Government 'Ouse." 
 
 Wetherell turned from him with a great sigh, and 
 taking my arm went heavily up the steps into the hall. 
 
 " Come to my study, Mr. Hatteras," he said, " and let 
 me confer with you. For God's sake don't desert me in 
 my hour of need ! " 
 
 " You need have no fear of that," I answered. " If 
 it is bad for you, think what it is for me." And then 
 we went upstairs together. 
 
 Reaching his study, ^Ir. AVetherell led the way in 
 and sat down. On a side table I noticed a decanter of 
 whisky and some glasses. Without asking permission I 
 went across to them and poured out a stiff nobbier for 
 him. 
 
 " Drink this," I said ; " it will pull you together a 
 
194 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 little ; and you will want all your strength for the work. 
 that is before us." 
 
 Like a child he did as he was told, and then sank 
 back into his chair. I helped myself to a glass and then 
 went across to the hearthrug and stood before him. 
 
 " Now," I said, " we must think this out from the 
 very beginning, and to do that we must consider every 
 detail. Have you any objection to answering my ques- 
 tions?" 
 
 " Ask any questions you like, Mr. Hatteras," he re- 
 plied, " and I will answer them." 
 
 " In the iirst place, then, how soon after his arrival 
 in the colony did your daughter get to know this sham 
 Beckenham ? " 
 
 " Three days," he answered. 
 
 " At a dance, dinner party, picnic, or what ? " 
 
 " At none of these things. The young man, it appears, 
 had seen my daughter in the street, and being struck with 
 her beauty asked one of the aides-de-camp at Govern- 
 ment House, with whom we were on intimate terms, to 
 bring him to call. At the time, I remember, I thought 
 it a particularly friendly action on his part." 
 
 " I don't doubt it," I answered. " Well that I think 
 should tell us one thing." 
 
 "And that is?" 
 
 " That his instructions were to get to know your 
 daughter without delay." 
 
 " But what could his reason have been do you 
 think ? " 
 
 " Ah, that I cannot tell you just yet. Now you must 
 pardon what I am going to say, but do you think he was 
 serious in his intentions regarding Phyllis — I mean your 
 daughter?" 
 
 "Perfectly, as far as I could tell. His desire, he 
 
ON TEE TRAIL. 195 
 
 said, was to be allowed to marry her on his twenty-first 
 birthday, which would be next week, and in proof of 
 permission he showed me a cablegram from his father." 
 
 " A forgery, I don't doubt. Well then the only con- 
 struction I can put upon it all is that the arrival of the 
 real Beckenham in Sydney must have frightened him, 
 thus compelling the gang to resort to other means of 
 obtaining possession of her at once. Now our next 
 business must be to find out how that dastardly act was 
 accomplished. May I ring the bell and have up the 
 coachman who drove your daughter to the ball ? " 
 
 " By all means. Please act in every way in this mat- 
 ter as if this house were your own." 
 
 I rang the bell, and when the butler appeared in an- 
 swer to it Mr. Wetherell instructed him to find the man 
 I wanted and send him up. The servant left the room 
 again, and for five minutes we awaited his re-appearance 
 in silence. When he did come back he said, " Thomp- 
 son has not come home yet, sir." 
 
 "Not come home yet! And it's nearly eleven 
 o'clock ! Send him in directly he arrives. Hark ! 
 AYhat bell is that?" 
 
 " Front door, sir." 
 
 " Go down and answer it then, and if it should be 
 the Commissioner of Police show him up here at once." 
 
 As it turned out it was not the Commissioner of 
 Police, but an inspector, accompanied by a detective. 
 
 " Good evening," said Mr. Wetherell. " You have 
 come from Government House, I presume ? " 
 
 " Exactly so, sir," replied the Inspector. " His Ex- 
 cellency gave us some particulars and then sent us on 
 to you." 
 
 " You know the nature of the case then ? " 
 
 " His Excellency informed us himself." 
 
196 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 " And what steps have you taken ? " 
 
 " Well, sir, to begin with, we have given orders for a 
 thorough search throughout the city and suburbs for the 
 tutor and the sham nobleman, at the same time more 
 men are out looking for the real Lord Beckenham. We 
 are also having a thorough search made for your coach- 
 man, who was supposed to have driven Miss Wetherell 
 away from Government House, and also for the carriage, 
 which is certain to be found before very long." 
 
 He had haixlly finished speaking before there was 
 another loud ring at the bell, and presently the butler 
 again entered the room. Crossing to Mr. Wetherell, he 
 said — 
 
 " Two policemen are at the front door, and they have 
 brought Thompson home, sir." 
 
 " Ah ! We are likely to have a -little light thrown 
 upon the matter now. Let them bring him up here 
 instantly." 
 
 " He's not in a very nice state, sir." 
 
 " Xever mind that. Let them bring him up here, I 
 say, and that instantly ! " 
 
 Again the butler departed, and a few moments later 
 heavy footsteps ascended the stairs and approached the 
 study door. Then two stalwart policemen entered the 
 room supporting between them a miserable figure in 
 coachman's livery. His hat and coat were gone and his 
 breeches were stained with mud, while a large bruise 
 totally obscured his left eye. His master surveyed him 
 with unmitigated disgust. 
 
 " Stand him over there opposite me," said Mr. 
 Wetherell, pointing to the side of the room furthest 
 from the door. 
 
 The policemen did as they were ordered, while the 
 man groaned. 
 
ON THE TRAIL. 197 
 
 " Now, Thompson," Scaid Wetherell, looking sternly 
 at him, " what have you got to say for yourself ? " 
 
 Again the man only groaned. Seeing that in his 
 present state he could say nothing, I went across to the 
 table and mixed him a glass of grog. When I gave it 
 to him he drank it eagerly. It seemed to sharpen his 
 wits, for he answered instantly : 
 
 "It wasn't my fault, sir. If I'd only ha' known 
 what their game was I'd have been killed afore I'd have 
 let them do anything to hurt the young lady. But they 
 was too cunnin' for me, sir." 
 
 "Be more explicit, sir!" said Wetherell, sternly. 
 " Don't stand there whining, but tell your story at 
 once." 
 
 The poor wretch pulled himself together and did his 
 best. 
 
 " It was in this way, sir," he began. " Last week I 
 was introduced by a friend of mine to as nice a spoken 
 man as ever I saw. He was from England, he said, and 
 having a bit o' money thought he'd like to try his 'and 
 at a bit o' racing in Australia, like. He was on the 
 look-out for a smart man who'd be able to put him up 
 to a wrinkle or two, and maybe train for him later on. 
 He went on to say that he'd 'eard a lot about me, and 
 thought I was just the man for his money. Well, we 
 got more and more friendly till the other night, Mon- 
 day, when he said as how he'd settled on a little farm a 
 bit out in the country, and was going to sign the agree- 
 ment, as he called it, for to rent it next day. He was 
 goin' to start a stud farm and trainin' establishment 
 combined, he said, and would I take the billet of man- 
 ager at three 'undred a year ? Anyway, as he said, 
 ' Don't be in a 'urry to decide ; take your time and 
 think it over. Meet me at the Canary Bird 'Otel on 
 
198 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 Thursday night (that's to-night, sir) and give me your 
 decision.' Well, sir, I drove Miss Wetherell to Govern- 
 ment 'Ouse, sir, according to orders, and then, comin' 
 'ome, went round by the Canary Bird to give 'ini my 
 answer, thinkin' no 'arm could ever come of it. When 
 I drove up he was standin' at the door smoking his 
 cigar, an' bein' an affable sort of fellow, invited me in- 
 side to take a drink. ' I don't like to leave the box,' I 
 said. ' Oh, never mind your horse,' says he. ' 'Ere's a 
 man as will stand by it for five minutes.' He gave a 
 respectable lookin' chap, standin' by the lamp-post, a 
 sixpence, and he 'eld the 'orse, so in I went. When we 
 got inside I was for goin' to the bar, but 'e says, ' No. 
 This is an important business matter, and we don't 
 want to be over'eard.' With that he leads the way into 
 a private room at the end of the passage and shuts the 
 door. 'What's yours?' says he. 'A nobbier o' rum,' 
 says I. Then he orders a nobbier of rum for me and a 
 nobbier of whisky for 'imself. And when it was 
 brought we sat talkin' of the place he'd thought o' 
 takin' an' the 'orses he was goin' to buy, an' then 'e 
 says, ' 'Ullo' ! Somebody listenin' at the door. I 'eard 
 a step. Jump up and look.' I got up and ran to the 
 door, but there was nobody there, so I sat down again 
 and we went on talking. Then he says, takin' up his 
 glass : ' 'Ere's to your 'ealth, Mr. Thompson, and suc- 
 cess to the farm.' We both drank it an' went on talk- 
 in' till I felt so sleepy I didn't know what to do. Then 
 I dropped off, an' after that I don't remember nothin' 
 of what 'appened till I woke up in the Domain without 
 my hat and coat and found a policeman shakin' me by 
 the shoulder." 
 
 " The whole thing is as plain as daylight," cried 
 Wetherell, bitterly. " It is a thoroughly-organised con- 
 
ON THE TRAIL. I99 
 
 spiracy, having me for its victim. Oh, my girlie ! my 
 poor little girlie ! what have I brought you to through 
 my obstinacy ! " 
 
 Seeing the old man in this state very nearly broke 
 me dovirn, but I mastered myself with an effort and ad- 
 dressed a question to the unfortunate coachman : 
 
 " Pull yourself together, Thompson, and try and 
 tell me straightforwardly, and as correctly as you can, 
 what this friend of yours was like ? " 
 
 I fully expected to hear him give an exact descrip- 
 tion of the man who had followed us from Melbourne, 
 but I was mistaken. 
 
 " I don't know, sir," said Thompson, " as I could 
 rightly tell you, my mind being still a bit dizzy-like. 
 He was tall, but not by any manner of means big made ; 
 he had very small 'ands an' feet, a sort o' what they call 
 death's-'ead complexion ; 'is 'air was black as soot, an' 
 so was 'is eyes, an' they sparkled like two diamonds in 
 'is 'ead." 
 
 " Do you remember noticing if he had a curious 
 gold ring on his little finger, like a snake ? " 
 
 " He had, sir, with two ej'es made of some black 
 stone. That's just as true as you're born." 
 
 " Then it was Nikola," I cried in an outburst of as- 
 tonishment, " and he followed us to Australia after 
 all!" 
 
 Wetherell gave a deep sigh that was more like a 
 groan than anything else ; then he became suddenly a 
 new man. 
 
 " Mr. Inspector," he cried to the police officer, 
 " that man or traces of him must be found before day- 
 light. I know him, and he is as slippery as an eel ; if 
 you lose a minute he'll slip through your fingers." 
 
 " One moment first," I cried. " Tell me this. 
 
200 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 Thompson : when you drove up to the Canary Bird 
 Hotel where did you say this man was standing ? " 
 
 " In the verandah, sir." 
 
 " Had he his hat on ? " 
 
 " Yes, sir." 
 
 " And then you went into the bar, but it was 
 crowded, so he took you to a private room ? " 
 
 " Yes, sir." 
 
 " And once there he began giving you the details of 
 this farm he proposed starting. Did he work out any 
 figures on paper ? " 
 
 " Yes, sir." 
 
 "On what?" 
 
 " On a letter or envelope ; I'm not certain which." 
 
 " AVhich of course he took from his pocket ? " 
 
 " Yes, sir." 
 
 " Very good," I said. Then turning to the police 
 officer, " Now, Mr. Inspector, shall we be off to the 
 Canary Bird ? " 
 
 " If you wish it, sir. In the meantime I'll send in- 
 structions back by these men to the different stations. 
 Before breakfast time we must have the man who held 
 the horse in our hands." 
 
 " You don't know him, I suppose," I asked Thomp- 
 son. 
 
 " No, sir ; but I've seen him before," he answered. 
 
 " He's a Sydney fellow then ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes, sir." 
 
 " Then there should be no difficulty in catching him. 
 Now let us be going." 
 
 Mr. Wetherell rose to accompany us, but hard 
 though it was to stop him I eventually succeeded in 
 dissuading him from such a course. 
 
 " But you will let me know directly you discover 
 
ON THE TRAIL. 201 
 
 anything, won't you, Mr. Hatteras ? " he cried as we 
 were about to leave the room. " Think what my 
 anxiety will be." 
 
 I gave my promise and then, accompanied by the 
 inspector, left the house. Hailing a passing cab we 
 jumped into it and told the driver to proceed as fast as 
 he could to the hotel in question. Just as we started a 
 clock in the neighbourhood struck twelve. Phyllis had 
 been in Nikola's hands three hours. 
 
 Pulling up opposite the Canary Bird (the place 
 where the footman had been drugged), I, Richard Hat- 
 teras, and the inspector jumped out and bade the cab- 
 man wait. The hotel was in complete darkness, and it 
 was not until we had pealed the bell twice that we 
 succeeded in producing any sign of life. Then the 
 landlord, half dressed, and with a candle in his hand, 
 came downstairs and called out to know who was there 
 and what we wanted. My companion immediately said 
 " police," and in answer to that magic word the door was 
 unbarred. 
 
 " Good evening, Mr. Bartrell," said the inspector 
 politely. " May we come in for a moment on busi- 
 ness?" 
 
 " Certainly, Mr. Inspector," said the landlord, who 
 evidently knew my companion. " But isn't this rather 
 a late hour for a call? I hope there is nothing the 
 matter." 
 
 " Nothing much," returned the inspector ; " only we 
 want to make a few inquiries about a man who was here 
 to-night and for whom we are looking." 
 
 " If that is so I'm afraid I must roust out my bar- 
 man. I was not in the bar this evening. If you'll 
 excuse me I'll go and bring him down. In the mean- 
 time make yourselves comfortable." 
 
202 A BID POK FORTUNE. 
 
 He left us to kick our heels in the hall while he 
 went upstairs again. In about ten minutes, and just as 
 my all-consuming impatience was well-nigh exhausted 
 he returned, bringing with him the sleepy barman. 
 
 " These gentlemen want some information about a 
 man who was here to-night," the landlord said by way 
 of introduction. " Perhaps you can give it? " 
 
 " What was he like, sir ? " asked the barman of the 
 inspector. 
 
 The latter, however, turned to me. 
 
 " Tall, slim, with a sallow complexion," I said, " black 
 hair and very dark restless eyes. lie came in here with 
 the Hon. Mr. Wetherell's coachman." 
 
 The man seemed to recollect him at once. 
 
 " I remember him," he said. " They sat in No. 5 
 down the passage there, and the man you mention 
 ordered a nobbier of rum for his friend and a whisky 
 for himself." 
 
 "That's the fellow we want," said the inspector. 
 "Now tell me this, have you ever seen him in here 
 before?" 
 
 " Never once," said the barman, " and that's a solemn 
 fact, because if I had I couldn't have forgotten it. His 
 figurehead wouldn't let you do that. No, sir, to-night 
 was the first night he's ever been in here." 
 
 " Did anyone else visit them while they were in the 
 room together ? " 
 
 " Not as I know of. But stay, I'm not so certain. 
 Yes ; I remember seeing a tall good-looking chap come 
 down the passage and go in there. But it was some 
 time, half-an-hour maybe, after I took in the drinks." 
 
 " Did you see him come out again ?" 
 
 " No. But I know the coachman got very drunk 
 and had to be carried out to the carriage." 
 
ON THE TRAIL. 203 
 
 " How do you know that ? " 
 
 " Because I saw the other two doing it." 
 
 The inspector turned to me. 
 
 " Not very satisfactory, is it ? " 
 
 " No," I answered. " But do you mind letting us 
 look into No. 5 — the room they occupied ? " 
 
 " Not at all," said the landlord, " Will you come 
 with me?" 
 
 So saying he led the way down the passage to a little 
 room on the right-hand side, the door of which he threw 
 open with a theatrical flourish. It was all in pitch dark- 
 ness, but a few seconds later the gas was lit and we could 
 see all that it contained. A small table stood in the cen- 
 tre of the room and round the walls were ranged two or 
 three wooden chairs. A small window was at the end 
 and a fireplace opposite the door. On the table was a 
 half-smoked cigar and a torn copy of the Evening Mer- 
 cury. But that was not what I wanted, so I went down 
 on my hands and knees and looked about on the floor. 
 Presently I descried a small ball of paper near the grate. 
 Picking it up I seated myself at the table and turned to 
 the barman, who was watching my movements atten- 
 tively. 
 
 " Was this room used by any other people after the 
 party we are looking for left ? " 
 
 " No, sir. There was nobody in either of these two 
 bottom rooms." 
 
 " You are quite certain of that ? " 
 
 " Perfectly certain." 
 
 I took up the ball of paper, unrolled it and spread it 
 out on the table. To my disgust it was only the back 
 half of an envelope, and though it had a few figures 
 dotted about on it, was of no possible use to me. 
 
 " Nothing there ? " asked the inspector. 
 14 
 
204 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 " Nothing at all," I answered bitterly, " save a few 
 incomprehensible figures." 
 
 " Well, in that case, we'd better be getting up to the 
 station and see if they've discovered anything yet." 
 
 " Come along, theu," I answered. " We must be 
 quick though, for we've lost a lot of precious time, and 
 every minute counts." 
 
 I took up the Eve^iing Mercury and followed him 
 out to the cab, having sincerely thanked the hotel pro- 
 prietor and the barman for their courtesy. The in- 
 spector gave the driver his orders and we set off. As 
 we went we discussed our next movements, and while 
 we were doing so I idly glanced at the paper I held in 
 my hand. There was a lamp in the cab and the light 
 showed me on the bottom right-hand corner of the 
 paper a round blue india-rubber stamp mark, " W. E. 
 Maxwell, stationer and newsagent, 33 Ipswell Street, 
 Woolahra." 
 
 " Stop the cab ! " I almost shouted. " Tell the man 
 to drive us back to the Canary Bird as fast as he can go." 
 
 The order was given, the cab faced round, and in 
 less than a minute we were on our way back. 
 
 " What's up now ? " asked the astonished inspector, 
 
 " Only that I believe I've got a clue," I cried. 
 
 I did not explain any further, and in five minutes 
 we had brought the landlord downstairs again. 
 
 " I'm sorry to trouble you in this fashion," I cried, 
 " but life and death depend on it. I want you to let 
 me see No. 5 again." 
 
 He conducted us to the room, and once more lit the 
 gas. The small strip of envelope lay upon the table just 
 as I had thrown it down. I seated myself and again 
 looked closely at it. Then I sprang to my feet. 
 
 " I thought so ! " I cried excitedly, pointing to the 
 
ON THE TRAIL. 205 
 
 paper ; " I told you I had a clue. Now, Mr. Inspector, 
 who wrote those figures ? " 
 
 " The man you call Nikola, I suppose." 
 
 " That's right. Now who would have brought this 
 newspaper ? You must remember Thompson only left 
 his box to come in here ? " 
 
 " Nikola, I suppose." 
 
 " Very good. Then according to your own showing 
 Nikola owned this piece of envelope and this Evening 
 Mercury. If that is certain, look here ! " 
 
 He came round and looked over my shoulder. I 
 pointed to what was evidently part of the gummed edge 
 of the top of the envelope. On it were these three im- 
 portant words, " swell Street, Woolahra." 
 
 " Well," he said, " what about it ? " 
 
 " Why, look here ! " I opened the Evening Mercury 
 as I spoke and pointed to the stamp-mark at the bot- 
 tom. " The man who bought this newspaper at Mr. 
 Maxwell's shop also bought this envelope there. The 
 letters ' swell ' before street constitute the last half of 
 Ipswell, the name of the street. If that man be Nikola, 
 as we suspect, the person who served him is certain to 
 remember him, and it is just within the bounds of pos- 
 sibility he may know his address." 
 
 "That's so," said the inspector, who was struck with 
 the force of my argument. "I know Mr. Maxwell's 
 shop, and our best plan will be to go on there as fast as 
 we can." 
 
 Again thanking the landlord for his civility, we re- 
 turned to our cab and once more set off, this time for 
 Mr. Maxwell's shop in Ipswell Street. By the time we 
 reached it it was nearly three o'clock, and was gradually 
 growing light. 
 
 As the cab drew up alongside the curb the inspector 
 
206 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 jumped ont and rang the bell of the side door of the 
 shop. It was opened after awhile by a shock-headed 
 youth, about eighteen years of age, who stared at us in 
 sleepy astonishment. 
 
 "Does Mr. Maxwell live at the shop?" asked the 
 inspector. 
 
 " Fo, sir." 
 
 " Where then ? " 
 
 " Ponson Street — third house on the left - hand 
 side." 
 
 " Thank you." 
 
 Once more we jumped into the cab and rattled ofE. 
 It seemed to me, so anxious and terrified was I for my 
 darling's safety, as if we were fated never to get the in- 
 formation we wanted ; the whole thing was like some 
 dreadful nightmare, in which, try how I would to move, 
 every step was clogged. 
 
 A few minutes' drive brought us to Ponson Street, 
 and we drew up at the third house on the left-hand side. 
 It was a pretty little villa, with a nice front garden and 
 a creeper-covered verandah. We rang the bell and 
 waited. Presently we heard someone coming down the 
 passage, and the door was unlocked. 
 
 " Who is there ? " cried a voice from within. 
 
 " Police," said my companion once more. 
 
 The door was immediately opened, and a very small 
 sandy-complexioned man, dressed in a flaring suit of 
 striped pyjamas, stood before us. 
 
 "Is anything wrong, gentlemen?" he asked nerv- 
 ously. 
 
 " Nothing to affect you, Mr. Maxwell," my compan- 
 ion replied. " We only want a little important informa- 
 tion, if you can give it us. We are anxious to discover 
 a man's whereabouts before daylight, and we have been 
 
ON THE TRAIL. 207 
 
 led to believe that you are the only person who can give 
 us the necessary clue." 
 
 " Good gracious ! I never heard of such a thing. 
 But I shall be happy to serve you if I can," the little 
 man answered, leading the way into his dining-room 
 and opening the shutters with an air of importance his 
 appearance rather belied. " What is it ? " 
 
 " Well, it's this," I replied, producing the piece of 
 envelope and the Evening Mercury. " You see these 
 letters on the top of this paper, don't you ? " He nodded, 
 his attention at once secured by seeing his own name. 
 " Well, that envelope was evidently purchased in your 
 shop. So was this newspaper." 
 
 "How can you tell that?" 
 
 " In the case of the envelope, by these letters ; in 
 that of the paper, by your rubber stamp on the bottom." 
 
 " Ah ! Well, now, and in what way can I help you ? " 
 
 " We want to know the address of the man who 
 bought them." 
 
 " That will surely be difficult. Can you give me any 
 idea of what he was like ? " 
 
 "Tall, slightly foreign in appearance, distinctly 
 handsome, sallow complexion, very dark eyes, black hair, 
 small hands and feet." 
 
 As my description progressed the little man's face 
 brightened. Then he cried with evident triumph — 
 
 " I know the man ; he came into the shop yesterday 
 afternoon." 
 
 " And his address is? " 
 
 His face fell again. His information was not quite 
 as helpful as he expected it to be. 
 
 " There I can't help you, I'm sorry to say. He 
 bought a packet of paper and envelopes and the Evenbig 
 Mercury and then left the shop. I was so struck by his 
 
208 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 appearance that I went to the door and watched him 
 cross the road." 
 
 " And in which direction did he go ? " 
 
 " Over to Podgers' chemist shop across the way. Tliat 
 was the last I saw of him." 
 
 " I'm obliged to you, Mr. Maxwell," I said, shaking 
 him by the hand. " But I'm sorry you can't tell us some- 
 thing more definite about him." Then turning to the 
 inspector : " I suppose we had better go off and find 
 Podgers. But if we have to spend much more time in 
 rushing about like this we shall be certain to lose them 
 altogether." 
 
 " Let us be off to Podgers', then, as fast as we 
 can go." 
 
 Bidding Mr. Maxwell good-bye, we set off again, and 
 in ten minutes had arrived at the shop and had Mr. 
 Podgers downstairs. We explained our errand as briefly 
 as possible, and gave a minute description of the man 
 we wanted. 
 
 " I remember him perfectly," said the sedate Podgers. 
 " He came into my shop last night and purchased a 
 bottle of chloroform." 
 
 " You made him sign the poison book, of course." 
 
 " Naturally I did, Mr. Inspector. Would you like 
 to see his signature ? " 
 
 " Very much," we both answered at once, and the 
 book was accordingly produced. 
 
 Podgers ran his finger down the list. 
 
 " Brown, Williams, Davis — ah ! here it is. ' Chloro- 
 form : J. Venneage, 23 Calliope Street, Woolahra.' " 
 
 " Venneage ! " I cried. " Why, that's not his name ! " 
 
 " Very likely not," replied Podgers ; " but it's the 
 name he gave me." 
 
 "Never mind, we'll try 22 Calliope Street on the 
 
ON THE TRAIL. 209 
 
 chance," said the inspector. "Come along, Mr. Hat- 
 teras." 
 
 Again we drove off, this time at increased pace. In 
 less than fifteen minutes we had turned into the street 
 we wanted, and pulled up about a hundred yards from 
 the junction. It was a small thoroughfare with a long 
 line of second-class villa residences on either side. A 
 policeman was sauntering along on the other side of the 
 way, and the inspector called him over. He saluted re- 
 spectfully, and waited to be addressed. 
 
 " What do you know of number 33 ? " asked the in- 
 spector briefly. The constable considered for a few 
 moments and then said : 
 
 " Well, to tell you the truth, sir, I didn't know until 
 yesterday that it was occupied." 
 
 " Have you seen anybody about there ? " 
 
 " I saw three men go in just as I came on the beat." 
 
 "What were they like?" 
 
 " Well, I don't know that I looked much at them. 
 They were all pretty big, and they seemed to be laugh- 
 ing and enjoying themselves." 
 
 " Did they ! Well, we must go in there and have a 
 look at them. You had better come with us." 
 
 We walked on down the street till we arrived at No. 
 33. Then opening the gate we went up the steps to the 
 hall door. It was quite light enough by this time to 
 enable us to see everything distinctly. The inspector 
 gave the bell a good pull and the peal re-echoed inside 
 the house. But not a sound of any living being came 
 from within. Again the bell was pulled, and once more 
 we waited patiently with the same result. 
 
 " Either there's nobody at home or they refuse to 
 hear," said the inspector. " Constable, you remain 
 where you are and collar the first man you see. Mr. 
 
210 A BID FOE, FORTUNE. 
 
 Hatteras, we will go round to the back and try to effect 
 an entrance." 
 
 We left the front door, and finding a path reached 
 the yard. The house was only a small one with a little 
 verandah on to which the back door opened. On either 
 side of the door were two fair-sized windows, and by 
 some good fortune it chanced that the catch of one of 
 these was broken. 
 
 Lifting the sash up the inspector jumped into the 
 room, and as soon as he was through I followed him. 
 Then we looked about us. The room, however, was 
 destitute of furniture or occupants. 
 
 " I don't hear anybody about," my companion said, 
 opening the door that led into the hall. Just at that 
 moment I heard a sound, and touching his arm signed 
 to him to listen. We both did so, and surely enough 
 there came again the faint muttering of a human voice. 
 In the half -dark of the hall it was most uncanny. 
 
 " Somebody in one of the front rooms," said the in- 
 spector. " I'll slip along and open the front door, bring 
 in the man from outside, and then we'll burst into the 
 room and take our chance of capturing them." 
 
 He did as he proposed, and when the constable had 
 joined us we moved towards the room on the left. 
 
 Again the mutterings came from the inside, and the 
 inspector turned the handle of the door. It was locked 
 however. 
 
 " Let me burst it in," I whispered. 
 
 He nodded, and I accordingly put my shoulder 
 against it, and bringing my strength to bear sent it 
 flying in. 
 
 Then we rushed into the room to find it, at first 
 glance, empty. 
 
 Just at that moment, however, the muttering began 
 
ON THE TRAIL. 211 
 
 again, and we looked towards the darkest corner ; some- 
 body was there, lying on the ground. I rushed across 
 and kuelt down to look. It was Beckenham ; his mouth 
 gagged and his hands and feet bound. The noise ice 
 had heard was that made by him trying to call us to his 
 assistance. 
 
 In less time than it takes to tell I had cut his bonds 
 and helped him to sit up. Then I explained to the in- 
 spector who he was. 
 
 " Thank God you're found ! " I cried. " But what 
 does it all mean ? How long have you been like this? 
 and where is Nikola ? " 
 
 " I don't know how long I've been here," he an- 
 swered, " and I don't know where Nikola is." 
 
 "But you must know something about him!" I 
 cried. " For heaven's sake tell me all you can ! I'm in 
 awful trouble, and your story may give me the means of 
 saving a life that is dearer to me than my own." 
 
 " Get me something to drink first, then," he replied ; 
 " I'm nearly dying of thirst ; after that I'll tell you all 
 I can." 
 
 Fortunately I had had the foresight to put a flask of 
 whisky into my pocket, and I now took it out and gave 
 him a stiff nobbier. It revived him somewhat, and he 
 prepared to begin his tale. But the inspector inter- 
 rupted : 
 
 " Before you commence, my lord, I must send word 
 to the Commissioner that you have been found." 
 
 He wrote a message on a piece of paper and de- 
 spatched the constable with it. Having done so he 
 turned to Beckenham and said : 
 
 " Now, my lord, pray let us hear your story." 
 
 Beckenham forthwith commenced. 
 
CHAPTEE III. 
 
 LORD BECKENHAM'S STORY. 
 
 "When you left me, Mr. Hatteras, to visit Miss 
 Wetherell at Potts Point I remained in the house for 
 half an hour or so reading. Then, thinking no harm 
 could possibly come of it, I started out for a little excur- 
 sion on my own account. It was about half -past eleven 
 then, and a very hot morning. 
 
 " Leaving the hotel I made for the ferry and crossed 
 Darling Harbour to Millers Point ; then, setting myself 
 for a good ramble, off I went through the city, up one 
 street and down another, to eventually bring up in the 
 botanical gardens. The view was so exquisite that I sat 
 myself down on a seat and gave myself up to rapturous 
 contemplation of it. How long I remained there I 
 could not possibly say. I only know that while I was 
 watching the movements of a man-o'-war in the cove 
 below me I became aware, by intuition — for I did not 
 look at him — that I was the object of a close scrutiny 
 by a man standing some little distance from me. Pres- 
 ently I saw him drawing closer to me, until he came 
 boldly up and seated himself beside me. He was a 
 queer-looking little chap, in some ways not unlike my 
 old tutor Baxter, with a shrewd, clean-shaven face, gray 
 hair, bushy eyebrows, and a long and rather hooked 
 nose. He was well dressed, and when he spoke did so 
 
 S12 
 
LORD BECKENHAM'S STORY. 213 
 
 with some show of education. When we had been sit- 
 ting side by side for some minutes he turned to me and 
 said: 
 
 " ' It is a beautiful picture we have before us, is it 
 not?' 
 
 " ' It is, indeed,' I answered. ' And what a diversity 
 of shipping ! ' 
 
 " ' You may well say that,' he continued. ' It would 
 be an interesting study, would it not, to make a list of 
 all the craft that pass in and out of this harbour in a 
 day — to put down the places where they were built and 
 whence they hail, the characters of their owners and 
 commanders, and their errands about the world. What 
 a book it would make, would it not? Look at that 
 man-o'-war in Farm Cove ; think of the money she cost, 
 think of where that money came from — the rich people 
 who paid without thinking, the poor who dreaded the 
 coming of the tax collector like a visit from the Evil 
 One ; imagine the busy dockyard in which she was built 
 — can't you seem to hear the clang of the riveters and 
 the buzzing of the steam saws ? Then take that Nor- 
 wegian boat passing the fort there; think of her 
 birthplace in far Norway, think of the places she 
 has since seen, imagine her masts growing in the 
 forests on the mountain side of lonely fiords, where the 
 silence is so intense that a stone rolling down and drop- 
 ping into the water echoes like thunder. Then again, 
 look at that emigrant vessel steaming slowly up the har- 
 bour ; think of the folk aboard her, all with their hopes 
 and fears, confident of a successful future in this terra 
 incognita, or despondent of that and everything else. 
 Away to the left there you see a little island schooner 
 making her way down towards the blue Pacific ; imagine 
 her in a few weeks among the islands — tropical heavens 
 
214 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 dropped down into sunlit waters ! Yes, it is a wonder- 
 ful picture we have before us — a very wonderful pic- 
 ture ! ' 
 
 " ' You seem to have studied it very carefully,' I said 
 after a moment's silence. 
 
 " ' Perhaps I have,' he answered. ' I am deeply in- 
 terested in the life of the sea — few more so. Are you a 
 stranger in New South Wales ? ' 
 
 " ' Quite a stranger,' I replied. ' I only reached Aus- 
 tralia a few days since.' 
 
 " ' Indeed ! Then you have to make the acquaint- 
 ance of many entrancing beauties yet. Forgive my im- 
 pertinence, but if you are on a tour, let me recommend 
 you to see the islands before you return to your home.' 
 
 " ' The South-Sea Islands, I presume you mean ? ' I 
 
 " ' Yes ; the bewitching islands of the Southern Seas ! 
 The most entrancingly beautiful spots on God's beauti- 
 ful earth ! See them before you go. They will amply 
 repay any trouble it may cost you to reach them.' 
 
 " ' I should like to see them very much,' I answered, 
 feeling my enthusiasm rising at his words. 
 
 " ' Perhaps you are interested in them already,' he 
 continued. 
 
 " ' Very much indeed,' I replied. 
 
 " ' Then, in that case, I may not be considered pre- 
 suming if I offer to assist you. I am an old South-Sea 
 merchant myself, and I have amassed a large collection 
 of beautiful objects from the islands. If you would 
 allow me the pleasure I should be delighted to show 
 them to you.' 
 
 "'I should like to see them very much indeed,' I 
 answered, thinking it extremely civil of him to make 
 the offer. 
 
LORD BECKENHAM'S STORY. 215 
 
 "'If you have time we might perhaps go and see 
 them now. My house is but a short distance from the 
 Domain, and my carriage is waiting at the gates.' 
 
 " ' I shall be delighted,' I said, thinking there could 
 be no possible harm in my accepting his courteous invi- 
 tation. 
 
 " ' But before we go, may I be allowed to introduce 
 myself,' the old gentleman said, taking a card-case from 
 his pocket and withdrawing a card. This he handed to 
 me and on it I read — 
 
 "'Mr. Mathbw Draper.' 
 
 "'I am afraid I have no card with me to offer you 
 in return,' I said ; ' but I am the Marquis of Becken- 
 ham.' 
 
 " ' Indeed ! Then I am doubly honoured,' the old 
 gentleman said with a low bow. ' Now shall we wend 
 our way up towards my carriage ? ' 
 
 "We did so, chatting as we went. At the gates a 
 neat brougham was waiting for us and in it we took our 
 places. 
 
 " ' Home,' cried my host, and forthwith we set off 
 down the street. Up one thoroughfare and down an- 
 other we passed until I lost all count of our direction. 
 Throughout the drive my companion talked away in his 
 best style ; commented on the architecture of the houses, 
 had many queer little stories to tell of the passers-by, 
 and in many other ways kept my attention employed till 
 the carriage came to a stand-still before a small but 
 pretty villa in a quiet street. 
 
 "Mr. Draper immediately alighted, and when I had 
 done so, dismissed his coachman, who drove away as we 
 passed through the little garden and approached the 
 dwelling. The front door was opened by a dignified 
 
216 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 man-servant and we entered. The hall, which was a 
 spacious one for so small a dwelling, was filled with cu- 
 rios and weapons, but I had small time for observing 
 them as my host led me towards a room at the back. 
 As we entered it he said, ' I make you welcome to my 
 house, my lord. I hope, now that you have taken the 
 trouble to come, I shall be able to show you something 
 that will repay your visit.' Thereupon, bidding me seat 
 myself for a few moments, he excused himself and left 
 the room. When he returned he began to do the hon- 
 ours. First we examined a rack of Australian spears, 
 nulla-nullas, and boomerangs, then another containing 
 some New Zealand hatchets and clubs. After this we 
 crossed to a sort of alcove where reposed in cases a great 
 number of curios collected from the further islands of 
 the Pacific. I was about to take up one of these when 
 the door on the other side of the room opened and some 
 one entered. At first I did not look round, but hearing 
 the new-comer approaching me I turned to find myself, 
 to my horrified surprise, face to face with no less a person 
 than Dr. Nikola. He was dressed entirely in black, his 
 coat was buttoned and displayed all the symmetry of his 
 peculiar figure, while his hair seemed blacker and his 
 complexion even paler than before. He had evidently 
 been prepared for my visit, for he held out his hand 
 and greeted me without a sign of astonishment upon 
 his face. 
 
 " ' This is indeed a pleasure, my lord,' he said, still 
 with his hand outstretched, looking hard at me with his 
 peculiar cat-like eyes. ' I did not expect to see you 
 again so soon. You are evidently a little surprised to 
 see me.' 
 
 " ' I am more than surprised,' I answered bitterly, 
 seeing how easily I had been entrapped. ' I am hor- 
 
LORD BECKENHAM'S STORY. 217 
 
 ribly mortified and angry. Mr. Draper, you had an 
 easy victim.' 
 
 " Mr. Draper said nothing, but Dr. Nikola dropped 
 into a chair and spoke for him. 
 
 " ' You must not blame my old friend Draper,' he 
 said suavely. 'We have been wondering for the last 
 twenty-four hours how we might best get hold of you, 
 and the means we have employed so successfully seemed 
 the only possible way. Have no fear, my lord, you 
 shall not be hurt. In less than twenty-four hours you 
 will enjoy the society of your energetic friend Mr. liat- 
 teras again.' 
 
 " ' What is your reason for abducting me like this? ' 
 I asked. ' You are foolish to do so, for Mr. Hatteras 
 will leave no stone unturned to find me.' 
 
 " ' I do not doubt that at all,' said Dr. Nikola 
 quietly; ' but I think Mr. Hatteras will find he will have 
 all his work cut out for him this time.' 
 
 " ' If you imagine that your plans are not known in 
 Sydney you are mistaken,' I cried. ' The farce you are 
 playing at Government House is detected, and Mr. Hat- 
 teras, directly he finds I am lost, will go to Lord Am- 
 ber] ey and reveal everything.' 
 
 " ' I have not the slightest objection,' returned Dr. 
 Nikola quietly. ' By the time Mr. Hatteras can take 
 those steps — indeed, by the time he discovers your ab- 
 sence at all, we shall be beyond the reach of his ven- 
 geance.' 
 
 " I could not follow his meaning, of course, but while 
 he had been speaking I had been looking stealthily 
 round me for a means of escape. The only way out of 
 the room was of course by the door, but both Nikola and 
 his ally were between me and that. Then a big stone 
 hatchet hanging on the wall near me caught my eye. 
 
218 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 Hardly had I seen it before an idea flashed through my 
 brain. Supposing I seized it and fought my way out. 
 The door of the room stood open, and I noticed with 
 delight that the key was in the lock on the outside. 
 One rush, armed with the big hatchet, would take me 
 into the passage; then before my foes could recover 
 their wits I might be able to turn the key and, having 
 locked them in, make my escape from the house before 
 I could be stopped. 
 
 "Without another thought I made up my mind, 
 sprang to the wall, wrenched down the hatchet, and 
 prepared for my rush. But by the time I had done it 
 both Nikola and Draper were on their feet. 
 
 " ' Out of my way ! ' I cried, raising my awful weapon 
 aloft. ' Stop me at your peril ! ' 
 
 "With my weapon in the air I looked at Nikola. 
 He was standing rigidly erect, with one arm out- 
 stretched, the hand pointing at me. His eyes glared 
 like living coals, and when he spoke his voice came 
 from between his teeth like a serpent's hiss. 
 
 " ' Put down that axe ! ' he said. 
 
 " With that the old horrible fear of him which had 
 seized me on board ship came over me again. His eyes 
 fascinated me so that I could not look away from them. 
 I put down the hatchet without another thought. Still 
 he gazed at me in the same hideous fashion. 
 
 " ' Sit down in that chair again,' he said quietly. 
 ' You cannot disobey me.' And indeed I could not. 
 My heart was throbbing painfully, and an awful dizzi- 
 ness was creeping over me. Still I could not get away 
 from those terrible eyes. They seemed to be growing 
 larger and fiercer every moment. Oh ! I can feel the 
 horror of them upon me even now. As I gazed his 
 white right hand was moving to and fro before me with 
 
LORD BECKBNHAM'S STORY. 219 
 
 regular sweeps, and with each I felt my own will grow- 
 ing weaker and weaker. That I was being mesmerised, 
 I had no doubt, but if I had been going to be murdered 
 I could not have moved a finger to save myself. 
 
 " Then there came a sudden but imperative knock 
 at the door, and both -Nikola and Draper rose. Next 
 moment the man whom we had noticed in the train as 
 we came up from Melbourne, and against whom you, 
 Mr. Hatteras, had warned me in Sydney, entered the 
 room. He crossed and stood respectfully before Nikola. 
 
 " ' Well, Mr. Bastover, what news ? ' asked the latter. 
 ' Have you done what I told you ? ' 
 
 "'Everything,' the man answered, taking a letter 
 from his pocket. ' Here is the letter you wanted.' 
 
 " Nikola took the letter from his subordinate's hand, 
 broke the seal, and having withdrawn the contents, read 
 it carefully. All this time, seeing resistance was quite 
 useless, I did not move. I felt too sick and giddy for 
 anything. When he had finished his correspondence 
 Nikola said something in an undertone to Draper, who 
 immediately left the room. During the time he was 
 absent none of us spoke. Presently he returned bring- 
 ing with him a wine glass filled with water, which he 
 presented to Nikola. 
 
 " ' Thank you,' said that gentleman, feeling in his 
 waistcoat pocket. After a while he found what he 
 wanted and produced what looked like a small silver 
 scent bottle. Unscrewing the top he poured from it 
 into the wine glass a few drops of some dark-coloured 
 liquid. Having done this he smelt it carefully and then 
 banded it to me. 
 
 " ' I must ask you to drink this, my lord,' he said. 
 ' You need have no fear of the result ; it is perfectly 
 harmless.' 
 15 
 
220 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 " Did ever mau hear such a cool proposition? Nat- 
 urally I declined to do as he wished. 
 
 " ' You must drink it ! ' he reiterated. ' Pray do so 
 at once. I have no time to waste bandying words with 
 you.' 
 
 " ' I will not drink it ! ' I cried, rising to my feet, 
 and prepared to make a fight for it if need should be. 
 
 " Once more those eyes grew terrible, and once more 
 that hand began to make the passes before my face. 
 Again I felt the dizziness stealing over me. His will 
 was getting too strong for me again. I could not resist 
 him. So when he once more said ' Drink ! ' I took the 
 glass and did as I was ordered. After that I remember 
 seeing Nikola, Draper, and the man they called East- 
 over, engaged in earnest conversation on the other side 
 of the room. I remember Nikola crossing the room to 
 where I sat and gazing steadfastly into my face, and 
 after that I recollect no more until I came to my senses 
 in this room, to find myself bound and gagged. For 
 what seemed like hours I lay in agony, then I heard 
 footsteps in the verandah and the sound of voices. I 
 tried to call for help but could utter no words. I 
 thought you would go away without discovering me, 
 but fortunately for me you did not. Now, Mr. Hat- 
 teras, I have told you everything ; you know my story 
 from the moment you left me up to the present." 
 
 For some time after the Marquis had concluded his 
 strange story both the inspector and I sat in deep 
 thought. That Beckenham had been kidnapped in 
 order that he should be out of the way while the vil- 
 lainous plot for abducting Phyllis was being enactedi^ 
 there could be no doubt. But why had he been chosen?' 
 and what clues were we to gather from what his lord- 
 ship had told us ? I turned to the inspector and said : 
 
LORD BECKENHAM'S STORY. 221 
 
 " What do you think will be the best course for us 
 to pursue now ? " 
 
 " I have been wondering myself. I think, as there 
 is nothing to be learned from this house, the better plan 
 would be for you two gentlemen to go back to Mr. 
 Wetherell, while I return to the detective office and 
 see if anything has been discovered by the men there. 
 As soon as I have found out I will join you at Potts 
 Point. What do you think ? " 
 
 I agreed that it would be the best course ; so, taking 
 the Marquis by the arms (for he was still too weak to 
 walk alone), we left the house and were about to step 
 into the street when I stopped, and asking them to wait 
 for me ran back into the room again. In the corner, 
 just as it had been thrown down, lay the rope with 
 which Beckenham had been bound and the pad which 
 had been fitted over his mouth. I picked both up and 
 carried them into the verandah. 
 
 " Come here, Mr. Inspector," I cried. " I thought I 
 should learn something from this. Take a look at this 
 rope and this pad and tell me what you make of 
 them." 
 
 He took each up in turn and looked them over and 
 over. But he only shook his head. 
 
 " I don't see anything to guide us here," he said as 
 he laid them down again. 
 
 " Don't you ? " I cried. " Why, they tell me more 
 than I have learnt from anything else I've seen. Look 
 at the two ends of this." (Here I took up the rope and 
 showed it to him.) " They're seized ! " 
 
 I looked triumphantly at him, but he only stared 
 at me in surprise, and said, " What do you mean by 
 ' seized ' ? " 
 
 " Why, I mean that the ends are bound up in this 
 
222 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 way — look for yourself. Now not one landsman in a 
 hundred seizes a rope's end. This line was taken from 
 
 some ship in the harbour, and By Jove ! here's 
 
 another discovery ! " 
 
 " What now ? " he cried, almost as excited by this 
 time as I was myself. 
 
 " Why, look here," I said, holding the middle of the 
 rope up so that we could get a better view of it. " Not 
 very many hours ago this rope was running through a 
 block, and that block was rather an uncommon one." 
 
 " How do you know it was an uncommon one ? " 
 
 " Because it has been newly painted, and what's fun- 
 nier still, painted green, of all other colours. Look at 
 this streak of paint along the line ; see how it's smudged. 
 Now let's review the case as we walk along." 
 
 So saying, with the Marquis between ns, we set off 
 down the street, hoping soon to pick np an early cab. 
 
 " First and foremost," I said, " remember old Dra- 
 per's talk of the South Seas — remember the collection of 
 curios he possessed. Probably he owns a schooner, and 
 it's more than probable that this line and this bit of 
 canvas came from it." 
 
 " I see what you're driving at," said the inspector. 
 " It's worth considering. Directly I get to the office I 
 will set men to work to try and find this mysterious 
 gentleman. You would know him again, my lord ? " 
 
 " I should know him anywhere," was Beckenham's 
 immediate reply. 
 
 " And have you any idea at all where this house to 
 which he conducted you is located ? " 
 
 " None at all. I only know that it was about half 
 way down a street of which all the houses, save the one 
 at the corner — which was a grocer's shop — were one- 
 storied villas." 
 
LORD BBCKENHAM'S STORY. 223 
 
 " Nothing a little more definite, I suppose ? " 
 
 " Stay ! I remember that there was an empty house 
 with broken windows almost opposite, and that on 
 either side of the steps leading up to the front door 
 were two stone eagles with outstretched wings. The 
 head of one of the eagles — the left, I think — was miss- 
 ing." 
 
 The inspector noted these things in his pocket-book, 
 and just as he had finished we picked up a cab and 
 called it to the side walk. When we had got in and 
 given the driver Mr. Wetherell's address, I said to the 
 inspector : 
 
 " What are you going to do first?" 
 
 " Put some men on to find Mr. Draper, and some 
 more to find an island schooner with her blocks newly 
 painted green." 
 
 " You won't be long in letting us know what you 
 discover, will you? " I said. " Eemember how anxious 
 we all are." 
 
 " You may count on my coming to you at once with 
 any news I may have," he said. 
 
 A few moments later we drew up at Mr. Wetherell's 
 door. Bidding the Inspector good-bye we went up the 
 steps and rang the bell. By the time the cab was out in 
 the street again we were in the house making our way, 
 behind the butler, to Mr. Wetherell's study. 
 
 The old gentleman had not gone to bed, but sat Just 
 as I had left him so many hours before. As soon as we 
 were announced he rose to receive us. 
 
 " Thank God, Mr. Hatteras, you have come back ! " 
 he said. " I have been in a perfect fever waiting for 
 you. What have you to report ? " 
 
 "Not very much, I'm afraid," I answered. "But 
 first let me have the pleasure of introducing the real 
 
224: A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 Marquis of Beclsenham to you, whom we have had the 
 good fortune to find and rescue." 
 
 Mr. Wetherell bowed gravely and held out his hand. 
 
 " My lord," he said, " I am thankful that you have 
 been discovered. I look upon it as one step towards the 
 recovery of my poor girl. I hope now that both you and 
 Mr. Hatteras will take up your abode with me during 
 the remainder of your stay in the colony. You have 
 had a scurvy welcome to New South Wales. But we 
 must see if we can't make up to you for it. You look 
 thoroughly worn out, my lord ; I expect you would like 
 to go to bed." 
 
 He rang the bell, and when his butler appeared gave 
 him some instructiofts about preparing rooms for us. 
 
 Ten minutes later the man returned and stated that 
 our rooms were ready, whereupon Mr. Wetherell him- 
 self conducted Beckenham to his. When he returned 
 to me, he asked if I would not like to retire too, but I 
 would not hear of it. I could not have slept a wink, so 
 great was my anxiety. Seeing this, he seated himself 
 and listened attentively while I gave him an outline of 
 Beckenham's story. I had hardly finished before I heard 
 a carriage roll up to the door. There was a ring at the 
 bell, and presently the butler, who, like ourselves, would 
 not dream of going to bed, though his master had re- 
 peatedly urged him to, entered and announced the 
 inspector. 
 
 Wetherell hobbled across to receive him with an 
 anxious face. " Have you any better news for me ? " he 
 asked. 
 
 " Not very much, I'm afraid, sir," the inspector said, 
 shaking his head. " The best I have is that your car- 
 riage and horse have been found in the yard of an empty 
 house off Pitt Street." 
 
LORD BECKENHAM'S STORY. 225 
 
 " Have you been able to discover any clue as to who 
 put them there ? " 
 
 " Not one ! The horse was found out of the shafts 
 tied to the wall. There was not a soul about the 
 place." 
 
 Wetherell sat down again and covered his face with 
 his hands. At that instant the telephone bell in the 
 corner of the room rang sharply. I jumped up and 
 went across to it. Placing the receivers to my ears, I 
 heard a small voice say, " Is that Mr. AVetherell's house, 
 Potts Point?" 
 
 " Yes," I answered. 
 
 " Who is speaking? " 
 
 " Mr. Hatteras. Mr. Wetherell, however, is in the 
 room. Who are you ?" 
 
 " Detective officer. Will you tell Mr. Wetherell that 
 Mr. Draper's house has been discovered ? " 
 
 I communicated the message to Mr. Wetherell, and 
 then the inspector joined me at the instrument and 
 spoke. 
 
 " Where is the house ? " he inquired. 
 
 " 83 Charlemagne Street — north side." 
 
 " Very good. Inspector Murdkin speaking. Let 
 plain clothes men be stationed at either end of the 
 street, and tell them to be on the look out for Draper, 
 and to wait for me. I'll start for the house at once." 
 
 " Very good, sir." 
 
 He rang ofE and then turned to me. 
 
 " Are you too tired to come with me, Mr. Hatteras?" 
 he inquired. 
 
 " Of course not," I answered. " Let us go at once." 
 
 " God bless you," said Wetherell. " I hope you may 
 catch the fellow." 
 
 Bidding him good-bye, we went downstairs again, 
 
226 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 and jumped into the cab, which was directed to the 
 street in question. 
 
 Though it was a good distance from our starting 
 point, in less than half an hour we were there and had 
 pulled up at the corner. As the cab stopped, a tall man, 
 dressed in blue serge, who had been standing near the 
 lamp-post, came forward and touched his hat. 
 
 "Good morning, Williams," said the inspector. 
 " Any sign of our man ? " 
 
 "Not one, sir. He hasn't come down the street 
 since I've been here." 
 
 " Very good. Then come along and we'll pay the 
 house a visit." 
 
 So saying he told the cabman to follow us slowly, 
 and we proceeded down the street. About half-way 
 along he stopped and pointed to a house on the opposite 
 side. 
 
 " That is the house his lordship mentioned, with the 
 broken windows; and this one is where Mr. Draper 
 dwells, if I am not much mistaken — see the eagles on 
 either side of the step just as described." 
 
 It was exactly as Beckenham had told us, even to the 
 extent of the headless eagle on the left of the steps. It 
 was a pretty little place, and evidently still occupied, as 
 a housemaid was busily engaged cleaning the steps. 
 
 Pushing open the gate, the inspector entered the 
 little garden and accosted the girl. 
 
 " Good morning," he said politely. " Pray, is your 
 master at home ? " 
 
 " Yes, sir ; he's at breakfast just now." 
 
 " Well, would you mind telling him that some gen- 
 tlemen would like to see him?" 
 
 " Yes, sir." 
 
 The girl rose to her feet, and, wiping her hands on 
 
LORD BECKENHAM'S STOEY. 227 
 
 her apron, led the way into the house. We followed 
 close behind her. Asking us to wait a moment where 
 we were, she knocked at a door on the right and disap- 
 peared within. 
 
 " Now," said the inspector, " our man will probably 
 appear, and we shall have him nicely." 
 
 He had scarcely spoken before the door through 
 which the servant had passed opened again, and a man 
 came out. To our surprise he was very tall and stout, 
 with a round jovial face, and an air of being well sat- 
 isfied with himself and the world in general. 
 
 " To what do I owe the honour of this visit ? " he 
 said, looking at the inspector. 
 
 " I am an Inspector of Police, as you see," answered 
 my companion, " and we are looking for a man named 
 Draper, who yesterday was in possession of this house." 
 
 " I am afraid you have made some little mistake," 
 returned the other. " I am the occupier of this house, 
 and have been for some months past. No Mr. Draper 
 has anything to do with it." 
 
 The inspector's face was a study for perfect bewil- 
 derment. Nor could mine have been much else. The 
 Marquis had given such a minute description of the 
 dwelling opposite and the two stone birds on the steps, 
 that there could be no room for doubt that this was the 
 house. And yet it was physically impossible that this 
 man could be Draper ; and if it were the place where 
 Beckenham had been drugged where were the weapons, 
 etc., he had described as being in the hall ? 
 
 " I cannot understand it at all," said the inspector, 
 turning to me. " This is the house, and yet where are 
 the things with which it ought to be furnished ? " 
 
 " You have a description of the furniture, then ? " 
 said the owner. " Ah ! that is good, for it will enable 
 
228 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 me to prove to you even more clearly that you are mis- 
 taken. Pray come and see my sitting-rooms for your- 
 selves." 
 
 He led the way into the room from which he had 
 been summoned, and we followed him. It was small 
 and nicely furnished, but not a South Sea curio or na- 
 tive weapon was there in it. Then we followed him to 
 the corresponding room at the back of the house. This 
 was upholstered in the latest fashion ; but again there 
 was no sign of what Beckenham had led us to expect 
 we should see. We were completely mystified. 
 
 " I am afraid we have troubled you without cause," 
 said the inspector, as we passed into the hall again. 
 
 " Don't mention it," he answered ; " I find my com- 
 pensation in the knowledge that I am not involved in 
 any police unpleasantness." 
 
 "By the way," said • the inspector, suddenly, " have 
 you any idea who your neighbours may be ? " 
 
 " Oh, dear, yes ! " the man replied. " On my right I 
 have a frigidly respectable widow of Low Church tend- 
 encies. On my left, the Chief Teller of the Bank of 
 New Holland. Both very worthy members of society, 
 and not at all the sort of people to be criminally in- 
 clined." 
 
 " In that case we can only apologise for our intru- 
 sion, and wish you good morning." 
 
 " Pray, don't apologise. I should have been glad to 
 have assisted yon. Good morning." 
 
 We went down the steps again and out into the 
 street. As we passed out of the gate, the inspector 
 stopped and examined a mark on the right hand post. 
 Then he stooped and picked up what looked like a peb- 
 ble. Having done so, we resumed our walk. 
 
 " What on earth can be the meaning of it all ? " 
 
LORD BBCKBNHAM'S STORY. 229 
 
 I asked. " Could his lordship have made a mis- 
 take ? " 
 
 " No ! I think not. We have been cleverly duped, 
 that's all." 
 
 " What do you mean ? How have we been duped ? 
 What makes you think so ? " 
 
 " I didn't think so until we passed through the gate 
 on our way out. Now I'm certain of it. Come across 
 the street." 
 
 I followed him across the road to a small plain-look- 
 ing house, with a neatly-curtained bow window, and a 
 brass plate on the front door. Prom the latter I discov- 
 ered that the proprietor of the place was a dressmaker, 
 but I was completely at a loss to understand why we 
 were visiting her. 
 
 When the door was opened, the inspector asked if 
 Miss Tiffins were at home, and being told that she 
 was, enquired if we might see her. The maid went 
 away to find out, and presently returned and begged 
 us to follow her. We did so down a small passage 
 towards the door of the room where was the bow win- 
 dow. 
 
 Miss Tiffins was a lady of uncertain age, with a prim, 
 precise manner, wearing a cap and corkscrew curls. She 
 seemed at a loss to understand our errand, but bade us 
 be seated, and then asked in what way she could be of 
 service to us. 
 
 " In the first place, madam," said the inspector, 
 " let me tell you that I am an Officer of Police. A seri- 
 ous crime has been perpetrated, and I have reason to 
 believe that it may be in your power to give us a clue 
 to the persons who committed it." 
 
 " You frighten me, sir," replied the lady. " I can- 
 not at all see how I can help you. I lead a life of the 
 
230 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 greatest quietness. How, therefore, can I know any- 
 thing of such people ? " 
 
 "I do not wish to imply that you know anything 
 at all of them. I only want you to carry your memory 
 back as far as yesterday, and to answer me a few ques- 
 tions I may ask you." 
 
 " I will answer them to the best of my ability." 
 
 " Well, in the first place, do you remember seeing a 
 brougham drive up to that house opposite, about mid- 
 day yesterday ? " 
 
 " No, I cannot say that I do," the old lady replied 
 after a moment's consideration. 
 
 " Do you remember seeing a number of men leave 
 the house during the afternoon ? " 
 
 " No ! If they came out, I did not notice them." 
 
 " Now, think for one moment, if you please, and 
 tell me what vehicles, if any, you remember seeing 
 drive up and stop there." 
 
 " Let me try to remember. There was Judge's 
 baker's cart about three, the milk about five, and a 
 furniture van about half -past six." 
 
 " That's what I want to know. And have you any 
 recollection whose furniture van it was ? " 
 
 " Yes. I remember reading the name as it turned 
 round. Goddard and James, George Street. I wondered 
 if the tenant was going to move." 
 
 The inspector rose, and I followed his example. 
 
 " I am exceedingly obliged to you, Miss Tiffins. You 
 have helped me materially." 
 
 " I am glad of that," she answered ; " but I trust I 
 shall not be wanted to give evidence in court. I really 
 could not do it." 
 
 " You need have no fear on that score," the inspector 
 answered. " Good-day." 
 
LORD BECKENHAM'S STORY. 231 
 
 « Good-day." 
 
 When we had left the house, the inspector turned to 
 me and said — 
 
 " It was a piece of luck finding a dressmaker oppo- 
 site. Commend me to ladies of that profession for know- 
 ing what goes on in the street. Now we will visit Messrs. 
 Goddard and James and see who hired the things. 
 Meantime, Williams " (here he called the plain-clothes 
 constable to him), "you had better remain here and 
 watch that house. If the man we saw comes out^ follow 
 him, and let me know where he goes." 
 
 " Very good, sir," the constable replied, and we left 
 him to his vigil. 
 
 Then hailing a passing cab, we jumped into it and 
 directed the driver to convey us to George Street. By 
 this time it was getting on for midday, and we were both 
 worn out. But I was in such a state of nervousness that 
 I could not remain inactive. Phyllis had been in Niko- 
 la's hands nearly thirteen hours, and so far we had not 
 obtained one single definite piece of information as to her 
 whereabouts. 
 
 Arriving at the shop of Messrs. Goddard and James, 
 we went inside and asked to see the chief partner. An 
 assistant immediately conveyed us to an office at the 
 rear of the building, where we found an elderly gentle- 
 man writing at a desk. He looked up as we entered, 
 aijd then, seeing the inspector's uniform, rose and asked 
 our business. 
 
 " The day before yesterday," began my companion, 
 " you supplied a gentleman with a number of South Sea 
 weapons and curios on hire, did you not ? " 
 
 " I remember doing so — yes ! " was the old gentle- 
 man's answer. " What about it ? " 
 " Only I should be glad if you would favour me with 
 
232 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 a description of the person who called tpon you about 
 them — or a view of the letter if he wrote." 
 
 " He called and saw me personally." 
 
 " Ah ! That is good. Now would you be so kind as 
 to describe him ? " 
 
 " Well, in the first place, he was very tall and rather 
 handsome, he had, if I remember rightly, a long brown 
 moustache, and was well dressed." 
 
 " That doesn't tell us very much, does it? Was he 
 alone?" 
 
 " No. He had with him, when he came into the of- 
 fice, an individual whose face singularly enough remains 
 fixed in my memory. Indeed I cannot get it out of my 
 head." 
 
 Instantly I became all excitement. 
 
 " What was this second person like ? " asked the 
 inspector. 
 
 " Well, I can hardly tell you — that is to say, I can 
 hardly give you a good enough description of him to 
 make you see him as I saw him. He was tall and yet 
 very slim, had black hair, a sallow complexion, and the 
 blackest eyes I ever saw in a man. He was clean-shaven 
 and exquisitely dressed, and when he spoke, his teeth 
 glittered like so many pearls. I never saw another man 
 like him in my life." 
 
 " Nikola for a thousand," I cried, bringing my hand 
 down with a thump upon the table. 
 
 " It looks as if we're on the track at last," said the 
 inspector. Then, turning to Mr. Goddard again : " And 
 may I ask now what excuse they made to you for want- 
 ing these things?" 
 
 " They did not say — they simply paid a certain sum 
 down for the hire of them, gave me their address, and 
 then left." 
 
LORD BECKENHAM'S STORY. 233 
 
 " And the address was ? " 
 
 " 83, Charlemagne Street. Our van took the things 
 there, and fetched them away last night." 
 
 " Thank you. And now one or two other questions. 
 What name did the hirer give ? " 
 
 " Eastover." 
 
 " And when they left your shop, how did they go 
 away?" 
 
 " A cab was waiting at the door for them, and I 
 walked out to it with them." 
 
 " There were only two of them, you think ? " 
 
 " No. There was a third person waiting for them 
 in the cab, and it was that very circumstance which 
 made me anxious to have my things brought back as 
 soon as possible. If I had been able to, I should have 
 even declined to let them go." 
 
 "Why so?" 
 
 " Well, to tell you that would involve a story. But 
 perhaps I had better tell you. It was in this way. About 
 three years ago through a distant relative I got to know 
 a man named Draper." 
 
 " Draper," I cried. " You don't mean — but there, I 
 beg your pardon — pray go on." 
 
 " As I say, I got to know this man Draper, who was 
 a South Sea trader. We met once or twice, and then 
 grew more intimate. So friendly did we at last become 
 that I even went so far as to put some money into a 
 scheme he proposed to me. It was a total failure. 
 Draper proved a perfect fraud and a most unbusiness- 
 like person, and all I got out of the transaction were 
 the cases of curios and weapons which this man East- 
 over hired from me. It was because, when I went out 
 with my customers to their cab, I saw this man Draper 
 waiting for them that I became uneasy about my things. 
 
234 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 However, all's well that ends well, and as they returned 
 my goods and paid the hire, I mnst not grumble." 
 
 " And now tell me what you know of Draper's pres- 
 ent life ? " the inspector said. 
 
 " Ah ! I'm afraid I can tell you little. He has been 
 twice declared bankrupt, and the last time there was 
 some fuss made over his schooner, the Merry Duchess." 
 
 " He possesses a schooner, then ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes ! A nice boat. She's in harbour now, I 
 fancy." 
 
 " Thank you very much, Mr. Goddard. I am 
 obliged to you for your assistance in this matter." 
 
 " Don't mention it. I hope that what I have told you 
 will prove of service to you." 
 
 " I'm sure it will. Good-day." 
 
 " Good-day, gentlemen." 
 
 He accompanied us to the door, and then bade us 
 farewell. 
 
 " Now what are we to do ? " I asked. 
 
 " Well, first, I'm going back to the office to put a 
 man on to find this schooner, and then I'm going to 
 take an hour or two's rest. By that time we shall know 
 enough to be able to lay our hands on Dr. Nikola and 
 his victim, I hope." 
 
 " God grant we may." 
 
 " Where are you going now ? " 
 
 " Back to Potts Point," I answered. 
 
 We thereupon bade each other farewell, and set ofE 
 in different directions. 
 
 When I reached Mr. Wetherell's house, I learned 
 from the butler that his master had fallen asleep in the 
 library. So, not wishing to disturb him, I enquired for 
 my own bedroom, and, on being conducted to it, laid 
 myself down dressed upon the bed. So utterly worn 
 
LORD BECKENHAM'S STORY. 235 
 
 out was I, that my head had no sooner touched the pil- 
 low than I was fast asleep. How long I lay there I do 
 not know, but when I woke, it was to find Mr. Wetherell 
 standing beside me, holding a letter in his hand. He 
 was white as a sheet, and trembling in every limb. 
 
 " Read this, Mr. Hatteras," he cried. " For Heaven's 
 sake tell me what we are to do ! " 
 
 I sat up on the side of the bed and read the letter he 
 handed to me. It was written in what was evidently a 
 disguised hand on common note-paper, and ran as fol- 
 lows: 
 
 "To Mb. Wetherell, Potts Point, Sydney.' 
 
 " Dear Sir : This is to inform you that your 
 daughter is in very safe keeping. If you wish to find 
 her, you had better be quick about it. What's more, 
 you had better give up consulting the police, and such 
 like, in the hope of getting hold of her. The only way 
 you can get her will be to act as follows. At eight 
 o'clock to-night charter a boat and pull down the har- 
 bour as far as Shark Point. When you get there light 
 your pipe three times, and someone in a boat near by 
 will do the same. Be sure to bring with you the sum 
 of one hundred thousand pounds in gold, and this is most 
 important — bring with you the little stick you got from 
 China Pete, or do not come at all. Above all, do not 
 bring more than one man. If you do not put in an ap- 
 pearance, you will not hear of your daughter again. 
 
 " Yours obediently, 
 " The Man who Knows." 
 
 16 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 FOLLOWING UP A CLUE. 
 
 For some moments after I had perused the curious 
 epistle Mr. Wetherell had brought into my room I re- 
 mained wrapped in thought. 
 
 " What do you make of it? " my companion asked. 
 
 " I don't know what to say," I answered, looking at 
 it again. " One thing, however, is quite certain, and 
 that is, despite its curious wording, it is intended that 
 you should take it seriously." 
 
 "You think that?" 
 
 " I do indeed. But I think when the inspector 
 arrives it would be just as well to show it to him. What 
 do you say ? " 
 
 " I agree with you. Let us defer consideration of it 
 until we see him." 
 
 When, an hour later, the inspector put in an appear- 
 ance, the letter was accordingly placed before him, and 
 his opinion asked concerning it. He read it through 
 without comment, carefully examined the writing and 
 signature, and finally held it up to the light. When he 
 had done this he turned to me and said : 
 
 " Have you that envelope we found at the Canary 
 Bird, Mr. Hatteras?" 
 
 I took it out of my pocket and handed it to him. 
 He then placed it on the table side by side with the 
 
FOLLOWING UP A CLUE. 237 
 
 letter and through a magnifying glass scrutinised both 
 carefully. Having done so, he asked for the envelope in 
 which it had arrived. Mr. Wetherell had thrown it into 
 the waste-paper basket, but a moment's search brought 
 it to light. Again he scrutinised both the first envelope 
 and the letter, and then compared them with the second 
 cover. 
 
 " Yes ; I thought so," he said. " This letter was writ- 
 ten either by Nikola or at his desire. The paper is the 
 same as he purchased at the stationer's shop we visited." 
 
 " And what had we better do now ? " queried Weth- 
 erell, who had been eagerly waiting for him to give his 
 opinion. 
 
 " We must think," said the inspector. " In the first 
 place, I suppose you don't feel inclined to pay the large 
 sum mentioned here ? " 
 
 " Not if I can help it, of course," answered Wether- 
 ell. " But if the worst comes to the worst, and I cannot 
 rescue my poor girl in any other way, I would sacrifice 
 even more than that." 
 
 " Well, we'll see if we can find her without paying 
 anything," the inspector cried. " I've got an idea in 
 my head." 
 
 " And what is that ? " I cried, for I, too, had been 
 thinking out a plan. 
 
 " Well, first and foremost," he answered, " I want 
 you, Mr. Wetherell, to tell me all you can about your 
 servants. Let us begin with the butler. How long has 
 he been with you ? " 
 
 " Nearly twenty years." 
 
 "A good servant, I presume, and a trustworthy 
 man?" 
 
 " To the last degree. I have implicit confidence in 
 him." 
 
238 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 " Then we may dismiss him from our minds. . I 
 think I saw a footman in the hall. How long has he 
 been with you ? " 
 
 " Just about three months." 
 
 " And what sort of fellow is he ? " 
 
 " I really could not tell you very much about him. 
 He seems intelligent, quick, and willing, and up to his 
 work." 
 
 " Is your cook a man or a woman ? " 
 
 " A woman. She has been with me since before my 
 wife's death — that is to say, nearly ten years. You need 
 have no suspicion of her." 
 
 " Housemaids ? " 
 
 " Two. Both have been with me some time, and 
 seem steady, respectable girls. There is also a kitchen- 
 maid ; but she has been with me nearly as long as my 
 cook, and I would stake my reputation on her integrity." 
 
 " Well, in that case the only person who seems at all 
 suspicious is the footman. May we have him up ? " 
 
 " With pleasure. I'll ring for him." 
 
 Mr. Wetherell rang the bell, and a moment later it 
 was answered by the man himself. 
 
 " Come in, James, and shut the door behind you," 
 said his master. 
 
 The man did as he was ordered, but not without 
 looking, as I thought, a little uncomfortable. The in- 
 spector, I could see, had noticed this, for he had been 
 watching him intently ever since he had appeared in 
 the room. 
 
 " James," said Mr. Wetherell, the inspector of Police 
 wishes to ask you a few questions. Answer him to the 
 best of your ability." 
 
 " To begin with," said the Inspector, " I want you to 
 look at this envelope. Have you seen it before ? " 
 
FOLLOWING UP A CLUE. 239 
 
 He handed him the envelope of the anonymous letter 
 addressed to Mr. Wetherell. The man took it and 
 turned it over in his hands. 
 
 " Yes, sir," he said, " I have seen it before ; I took 
 it in at the front door." 
 
 " From whom ? " 
 
 " From a little old woman, sir," the man answered. 
 
 " A little old woman ! " cried the inspector, evi- 
 dently surprised. " What sort of woman ? " 
 
 " Well, sir, I don't know that I can give you much 
 of a description of her. She was very small, had a sort 
 of nut-cracker face, a little black poke bonnet, and 
 walked with a stick." 
 
 " Should you know her again if you saw her ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes, sir." 
 
 " Did she say anything when she gave you the 
 letter ? " 
 
 " Only, ' For Mr. Wetherell, young man.' That was 
 all, sir." 
 
 " And you didn't ask if there was an answer ? That 
 was rather a singular omission on your part, was it 
 not ? " 
 
 " She didn't give me time, sir. She just put it into 
 my hand and went down the steps again." 
 
 " That will do. Now, Mr. Wetherell, I think we'd 
 better see about getting that money from the bank. 
 You need not wait, my man." 
 
 The footman thereupon left the room, while both 
 Mr. Wetherell and I stared at the inspector in complete 
 surprise. He laughed. 
 
 " You are wondering why I said that," he said at 
 length. 
 
 " It did strike me as curious," answered Wetherell. 
 
 " Well, let me tell you I did it with a purpose. Did 
 
240 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 you notice that young man's face when he entered the 
 room and when I gave him the letter ? There can be 
 no doubt about it he is in the secret." 
 
 " You mean that he is in Nikola's employ ? Then 
 why don't you arrest him ? " 
 
 " Because I want to be quite certain first. I said 
 that about the money because, if he is Nikola's agent, 
 he will carry the information to him, and by doing so 
 keep your daughter in Sydney for at least a day longer. 
 Do you see ? " 
 
 " I do ! and I admire your diplomacy. Now what 
 is your plan ? " 
 
 " May I first tell mine ? " I said. 
 
 " Do ! " said the inspector. " For mine is not quite 
 matured yet." » 
 
 " Well," I said ; " my idea is this. I propose that 
 Mr. Wetherell shall obtain from his bank a number of 
 gold bags, fill them with lead discs to represent coin, 
 and let it leak out before this man that he has got the 
 money in the house. Then to-night Mr. "Wetherell will 
 set off for the water-side. I will row him down the 
 harbour disguised as a waterman. We pick up the 
 other boat as arranged in that letter. In the meantime 
 you start from the other side in a police boat, pull up to 
 meet us and arrest the man. Then we force him to 
 disclose Miss Wetherell's whereabouts, and act upon his 
 information. What do you say ? " 
 
 "It sounds feasible," said the inspector, and Mr. 
 Wetherell nodded his head approvingly. At that mo- 
 ment the Marquis entered the room, looking in much 
 better spirits than on the preceding night, and the con- 
 versation branched off into a different channel. 
 
 My plot seemed to commend itself so much to Mr. 
 Wetherell's judgment that he ordered his carriage and 
 
FOLLOWING UP A CLUE. 241 
 
 drove o£E there and then to his bank, while I went down 
 to the harbour, arranged about a boat, and having done 
 so went up to the town, where I purchased a false beard, 
 an old dugnaree suit, such as a man loafing about the 
 harbour might wear, and an old slouch hat of villainous 
 appearance. By the time I got back to the house Mr. 
 Wetherell had returned. With great delight he con- 
 ducted me to his study, and, opening his safe, showed 
 me a number of canvas bags, on each of which was 
 printed £1000. 
 
 " But surely there are not £100,000 there ? " 
 "No," said the old gentleman with a chuckle. 
 " There is only the counterfeit of £50,000 there ; for 
 the rest I propose to show them these." 
 
 So saying he dived his hand into a drawer and pro- 
 duced a sheaf of crisp bank-notes. 
 
 " There — these are the notes for the balance of the 
 amount." 
 
 " But you surely are not going to pay ? I thought 
 we were going to try to catch them without letting any 
 money pass." 
 
 " So we are ; do not be afraid. If you glance at 
 these notes you will see that they are only dummies, 
 every one of them. They are for me to exhibit to the 
 man in the boat ; in the dark they'll pass muster, never 
 fear." 
 
 " Very good indeed," I said with a laugh. " By the 
 time they are examined properly we shall have the po- 
 lice at hand ready to capture him." 
 
 " I believe we shall," the old gentleman cried, rub- 
 bing his hands with delight—" I believe we shall. And 
 a nice example we'll make of the rascals. Nikola 
 thinks he can beat me; I'll show him how mistaken 
 he is 1 " 
 
242 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 And for some time the old gentleman continued in 
 this strain, confidently belieying that he would have his 
 daughter with him again before morning came. Nor 
 was I far behind him in confidence. Since Nikola had 
 not spirited her out of the country my plot seemed the 
 one of all others that would enable us to get possession 
 of her again ; and not only that, but would give us the 
 opportunity of punishing those who had, so schemed 
 against her. Suddenly an idea was born in my brain, 
 and I acted on it instantly. 
 
 "Mr. Wetherell," I said, "supposing, when your 
 daughter is safe with you again, I presume so far as again 
 to offer myself for your son-in-law — what will you say ? " 
 
 " What will I say ? " he cried. " Why I will say that 
 you shall have her, my boy. I know you now, and since 
 I've treated you so badly, and you've taken such a noble 
 revenge — why I'll make it up to you for it all, or my 
 name's not Wetherell. But we won't talk any more of 
 that till we have possession of her ; we have other and 
 more important things to think of. What time ought 
 we to start to-night?" 
 
 " The letter fixes the meeting for ten o'clock ; we 
 had better be in the boat by half-past nine. In the 
 meantime I should advise you to take a little rest. By 
 the way, do you think your footman realises that you 
 have the money ? " 
 
 " He ought to, for he carried it up to this room for 
 me ; and, what's more, he has applied for a holiday this 
 afternoon." 
 
 " That's to carry the information. Very good ; 
 everything is working excellently. Now I'm off to rest 
 for awhile." 
 
 " I'll follow your example ; in the meantime I'll give 
 orders for an early dinner." 
 
FOLLOWING UP A CLUE. 243 
 
 We dined at seven o'clock sharp, and a little after 
 eight I went off to my room to don my disguise ; then, 
 bidding the Marquis good-bye — much to his disgust, for 
 he was most anxious to accompany us — I slipped quietly 
 out of my window, crossed the garden — I hoped un- 
 observed — and then went down to the harbour side, 
 where the boat I had chartered was waiting for me. A 
 quarter of an hour later Wetherell's carriage drove up, 
 and seeing it I went across and opened the door. My 
 disguise was so perfect that for a moment the old gen- 
 tleman seemed undecided whether to trust me or not. 
 But my voice, when I spoke, soon reassured him, and 
 then we set to work carrying the bags of spurious money 
 down to the boat. As soon as this was done we stepped 
 in — I seated myself amidships and got out the oars, Mr. 
 Wetherell taking the yolk-lines in the stern. Then, 
 shoving off, we made our way out in the dark harbour. 
 
 It was a dull cloudy night, with not a sign of a star, 
 and a cold, chill wind swept across the water. So cold 
 was it that before we had gone far I began to wish I had 
 added an overcoat to my other disguises. We hardly 
 spoke, but pulled slowly down towards the island men- 
 tioned in the letter. The excitement was intense, and I 
 grew quite nervous as I wondered whether the police 
 boat was pulling up to meet us as we had that morning 
 arranged. 
 
 A quarter to ten chimed from some church ashore as 
 we approached within a hundred yards of our destina- 
 tion. Then I rested on my oars and waited. All round 
 us were the lights of bigger boats, but no rowing-boat 
 could I see. About five minutes before the hour I whis- 
 pered to Wetherell to make ready, and in answer the 
 old gentleman took a matchbox from his pocket. Ex- 
 actly as the town clocks struck the hour he lit a match ; 
 
244 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 it flared a little and then blew out. As he did so a boat 
 shot out of the darkness to port. He struck a second, 
 and then a third. As the last one burned up and then 
 died out, the man rowing the boat I have just referred 
 to struck a light, then another, then another, in rapid 
 succession. Having done so, he took up his oars and 
 propelled his boat towards us. When he was within 
 talking distance he said in a grufE voice : 
 
 " Is Mr. Wetherell aboard ? " 
 
 To which my companion answered immediately, not 
 however without a tremble in his voice, " Yes, here I 
 am ! " 
 
 "Money all right?" 
 
 " Can you see if I hold it up?" asked Mr. Wetherell. 
 As he did so a long black boat came into sight on the 
 other side of our questioner and pulled slowly towards 
 him. I had no doubt at all that it was the police boat. 
 
 " Ko, I don't want to see," said the voice again. 
 " But this is the message I was to give you. Pull in 
 towards Circular Quay and find the Maid of the Mist 
 barque. Go aboard her and take your money down into 
 the cuddy. There you'U get your answer." 
 
 " Nothing more to say? " Mr. Wetherell cried. 
 
 " That's all I was told," answered the man, and then 
 cried, " Good-night." 
 
 At the same moment the police boat pulled up along- 
 side him and made fast. I saw a dark figure enter his 
 boat, and next moment the glare of a lantern fell upon 
 the man's face. I picked up my oars and pulled over 
 to them, getting there just in time to hear the inspector 
 ask the man his name. 
 
 " James Burbidge," was the man's reply. " I don't 
 know as how you've got anything against me. I'm a 
 licensed waterman, I am." 
 
FOLLOWING UP A CLUB. 245 
 
 " Very likely," said the inspector ; " but I want a 
 little explanation from you. How do you come to know 
 anything about this business ? " 
 
 " What — about this 'ere message, d'you mean ? " 
 
 " Yes, about this message. Where is it from? Who 
 gave it to you ? " 
 
 " Well, I'll tell you all about it," growled the man. 
 " I was up at the Hen and Chickens just afore dark 
 takin' a nobbier along with a friend. Presently in comes 
 a cove in a cloak. He beckons me outside and says, 
 ' Do you want to earn a sufring ? ' A sufring is twenty 
 bob ; 80 I says, ' My word I do ! ' Then he says, ' Will 
 you go out in the harbour to-night, and be down agin 
 Shark Point at ten?' I said I would and so I was. 
 ' You'll see a boat there with an old gent in it. He'll 
 strike three matches and you do the same. Then ask 
 him if he's Mr. Wetherell. If he says " Yes," ask him if 
 the money's all right ? And, if he says " Yes " to that, 
 tell him to pull in towards- Circular Quay and find the 
 Maid of the Mist barque. He's to take his money down 
 to the cuddy, and he'll get his answer there.' There, 
 that's the truth so 'elp me bob. I don't know what you 
 wants to go arrestin' of an honest man for." 
 
 The inspector turned to the water police. 
 
 " Does any man here know James Burbidge ? " 
 
 Two or three voices answered in the affirmative, and 
 this seemed to decide the officer, for he turned to the 
 waterman again and said, " As some of my men seem to 
 know you I'll let you go. But for your own sake keep a 
 silent tongue in your head." 
 
 He thereupon got back into his own boat and bade 
 the man be off. In less time than it takes to tell he was 
 out of sight. We then drew up alongside the police 
 boat. 
 
24:6 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 " What had we better do, Mr. Inspector? " asked Mr. 
 Wetherell. 
 
 " Find the Maid of the Mist at once. She's an un- 
 tenanted ship, being for sale. You will go aboard, sir, 
 with your companion to the cuddy. Don't take your 
 money, however. We'll draw up alongside as soon as 
 you're below, and when one of their gang, whom you'll 
 despatch for it, comes up to get the coin, we'll collar 
 him and then come down to your assistance. Do you 
 understand ? " 
 
 " Perfectly. But how are we to know the vessel ? " 
 
 " Well, the better plan would be for you to follow us. 
 We'll pull within a hundred yards of her. I learn from 
 one of my men that she's painted white, so you'll have 
 no difficulty at all in recognising her." 
 
 " Very well, then ; we'll follow you." 
 
 The police boat accordingly set off and we followed 
 about fifty yards behind her. A thick drizzle was be- 
 ginning to fall, and it was by no means an easy task to 
 keep her in sight. For some time we pulled on. Then 
 we began to get closer to her. Presently we were along- 
 side. 
 
 " There's your craft," said the inspector, pointing as 
 he spoke to a big vessel showing dimly away to starboard 
 of us. " Pull over to her." 
 
 I followed his instructions, and arriving at the ves- 
 sel's side, hitched on, made the painter fast to her after- 
 rigging, and then, having clambered aboard, assisted Mr. 
 Wetherell to do the same. As soon as we had both 
 gained the deck we stood and looked about us, at the 
 same time listening for any sound which might proclaim 
 the presence of the men we had come to meet. But 
 save the sighing of the wind in the shrouds overhead, 
 the dismal creaking of blocks, and the drip of moisture 
 
FOLLOWING UP A CLUE. 247 
 
 on the deck, nothing was to be heard. There was noth- 
 ing for it, therefore, but to make our way below as best 
 we could. Fortunately I had had the forethought to 
 bring with me a small piece of candle, which came in 
 very handily at the present juncture, seeing that the 
 cuddy, when we reached the companion ladder, appeared 
 to be wrapt in total darkness. Very carefully I stepped 
 inside, lit the candle, and then with Mr. Wetherell at 
 my heels betook myself down the steps. 
 
 Arriving at the bottom we found ourselves in a fair- 
 sized saloon of the old-fashioned type. Three cabins 
 stood on either side, while from the companion ladder, 
 by which we had descended, to a long cushioned locker 
 right aft, under the wheel, ran a table covered with 
 American cloth. But not a sign of a man of any kind 
 was to be seen. I opened cabin after cabin, and searched 
 each with a like result. We were evidently quite alone 
 in the ship. 
 
 "What do you make of it all?" I asked of Mr. 
 Wetherell. 
 
 " It looks extremely suspicious," he answered. " But 
 perhaps we're here too early for them. But see, Mr. 
 Hatteras ; there's something on the table at the farther 
 end." 
 
 So there was — something that looked very much like 
 a letter. Together we went round to the end of the 
 table, and there, surely enough, was a letter pinned to 
 the American cloth, and addressed to Mr. Wetherell in 
 a bold and rather quaint handwriting. 
 
 " It's for you, Mr. Wetherell," I said, removing the 
 pins and presenting it to him. Thereupon we sat down 
 beside the table, and my companion broke the seal with 
 trembling fingers. It was not a very long letter, and 
 ran as follows : 
 
248 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 " My deab Mb. Wetherell : Bags of imitation 
 money and spurious bank notes will not help you, nor 
 is it politic to arrange that the water police should meet 
 you at the harbour for the purpose of arresting me. 
 You have lost your opportunity, and your daughter ac- 
 cordingly leaves Australia to-night. I will, however, 
 give you one more chance^take care that you avail 
 yourself of it. The sum I now ask is £150,000, with the 
 stick given you hy China Pete, and must be paid with- 
 out enquiry of any sort. If you are agreeable to do this, 
 advertise as follows, ' I-Will-Pay-W.,' in the agony col- 
 umn Sydney Morning Herald on the 18th, 19th, and 
 30th of this present month. Further arrangements will 
 then be made with you. The Man who Kn^ows." 
 
 " Oh, my God, I've ruined it all ! " cried Mr. Weth- 
 erell, as he put the letter down on the table. "And 
 perhaps killed my poor child." 
 
 Seeing his misery, I did my best to comfort him, 
 but it was no use. He seemed utterly broken down by 
 the failure of our scheme, and I must own that my own 
 heart was quite as heavy. One thing was very evident, 
 there was a traitor in our camp. Someone had over- 
 heard our plans and carried them elsewhere. Could it 
 be the footman ? If so, he should have it made hot for 
 him, I could promise him that most certainly. "While I 
 was thinking over this, I had heard a footstep on the 
 stairs, and a moment later the inspector made his ap- 
 pearance. His astonishment at seeing ns alone, reading 
 a letter by the light of one solitary candle, evidently 
 surprised him, for he said, as he came towards us and 
 sat down, " Why, what does this mean ? Where are the 
 men ? " 
 
 " There are none. We've been nicely sold," I an- 
 
FOLLOWING UP A CLUE. 249 
 
 swered, handing him the letter to read. He perused it 
 without further remark, and when he had done so, sat 
 drumming with his fingers upon the table in thought. 
 
 " We'll have to look in your own house for the per- 
 son who has given us away, Mr. Wetherell ! " he said at 
 last. The folk who are running this affair are as cute 
 as men are made nowadays ; it's a pleasure to measure 
 swords with them." 
 
 " What do you think our next move had better be ? " 
 
 " Get home as fast as we can. I'll return with you 
 and we'll talk it over there. It's no use our remaining 
 here." 
 
 We accordingly went on deck, and descended to our 
 boat again. This time the inspector accompanied us, 
 while the police boat set ofE down the harbour on other 
 business. When we had seen them push off and pull 
 out into the darkness, we threw the imitation money 
 overboard, set off for the shore, landed where we had 
 first embarked, and then walked up to Mr. Wetherell's 
 house. It was considerably after twelve o'clock by the 
 time we reached it, but the butler was still sitting up 
 for us. His disappointment seemed very keen when he 
 saw that we had returned without his young mistress. 
 He followed us up to the study with spirits and glasses, 
 and then at his master's instruction went off to bed. 
 
 " Now, gentlemen," began Mr. Wetherell, when the 
 door had closed upon the servant, " let us discuss this 
 matter thorouglily. But before we begin let me offer 
 you cigars." 
 
 The inspector took one, but I declined, stating that 
 I preferred a pipe. But my pipe was in my bedroom, 
 which was on the other side of the passage, so I asked 
 them to wait for me while I went to fetch it. They 
 promised to do so, and I left the room, shutting the 
 
250 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 door after me. But it so happened that I could not 
 find it for a minute or two. When I did I blew 
 out my candle, and was about to leave the room, which 
 was exactly opposite the study, when I heard the green 
 baize door at the end of the passage open, and a light 
 footstep come along the corridor. Instantly I stood 
 perfectly still, and waited to see who it might be. 
 Closer and closer it came, till I saw in the half dark 
 the pretty figure of one of the parlour maids. On tip- 
 toe she crept up to the door, and then stooping down 
 listened at the keyhole. Instantly I was on the alert, 
 every nerve strained to watch her. For nearly five 
 minutes she listened, and then with a glance round 
 tiptoed quietly along the passage again, closing the 
 baize door after her. 
 
 When she was safely out of hearing I crossed to the 
 study. Both the inspector and Mr. Wetherell saw 
 something had happened, and were going to question me. 
 
 " Don't say anything, but tell me as quickly and as 
 nearly as you can what you have been talking about 
 during the last five minutes," I said. 
 
 " Why ? " 
 
 " Don't stop to ask me questions. Believe in the 
 importance of my haste. What was it ? " 
 
 " I have only been giving Mr. Wetherell my idea of 
 the steps I propose to take," said the inspector. 
 
 " Thank you. Now I'm off. Don't sit up for me, 
 Mr. Wetherell ; I'm going to follow up a clue that may 
 put us on the scent at last. I don't think you had 
 better come, Mr. Inspector, but I'll meet you here again 
 at six o'clock." 
 
 " You can't explain, I suppose," said the latter. 
 
 " I'm afraid not," I answered ; " but I'll tell you 
 this much — I saw one of the female servants listening 
 
FOLLOWING UP A CLUE. 251 
 
 at this door just now. She'll be off, if I mistake not, 
 with the news, and I want to watch her. Good-night." 
 
 " Good-night, and good luck to you." 
 
 Without another word I slipped off my boots, left 
 the room, and went downstairs to the morning-room. 
 This room looked out over the garden and possessed a 
 window shaded by a big tree. Opening the window, I 
 jumped out and carefully closed it after me. Then, 
 pausing for a moment to resume my boots, I crept 
 quietly down the path, jumped a low wall, and so passed 
 into the back street. About fifty yards from the trades- 
 men's entrance, but on the opposite side of the road, a 
 big Moreton Bay fig tree grew on the sidewalk. Under 
 this I took my stand, at the same time keeping a watch- 
 ful eye on the house. Fortunately it was a dark night, 
 so that it would have been extremely difficult to detect 
 my presence. For some minutes I waited, and was 
 beginning to wonder if I could have been deceived, 
 ■when I heard the soft click of a gate, and next moment 
 a small dark figure passed out into the street and closed 
 the gate after it. Then pausing a moment as if to 
 make up her mind, for the mysterious person was a 
 woman, she set off quickly in the direction of the city. 
 I followed about a hundred yards behind her. With 
 the exception of one policeman, who stared very hard at 
 me, we did not meet a soul. Once or twice I nearly lost 
 her, and. when we reached the city itself I began to see 
 that it would be well for me to decrease the difference 
 that separated us. I accordingly did so, and in this 
 fashion we passed up one street and down another until 
 we reached what I cannot help thinking must have been 
 the lowest quarter of Sydney. On all hands were 
 Chinese names and signboards, marine stores, slop shops, 
 and pawnbrokers, and in this locality few of the inhabit- 
 17 
 
252 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 ants seemed to know anything of bed. Groups of 
 sullen-looking men and women were to be observed at 
 the corners, and on one occasion the woman I was pur- 
 suing was stopped by them. But she evidently knew 
 how to take care of herself, for she was soon marching 
 on her way again. 
 
 At the end of one long and filthily dirty street she 
 paused and looked about her. I had crossed the road 
 just before this, and was scarcely ten yards behind her. 
 I had pulled my hat well down to shade my face, and 
 sticking my hands in my pockets, I staggered and reeled 
 along, doing my level best to imitate the action of a 
 very intoxicated man. Seeing only me about, she went 
 to the window of the corner house and tapped with her 
 knuckles thrice upon the glass. Before one could have 
 counted twenty the door of the dwelling was opened, 
 and she passed in. Now I was in a nasty fix — either I 
 must be content to abandon my search, or I must get 
 inside the building, and trust to luck to get the infor- 
 mation I wanted. Fortunately, in my present disguise 
 the girl would be hardly likely to recognise her master's 
 guest. So giving them time to get into a room, I also 
 went up to the door, and turned the handle. To my 
 delight it was unlocked. I opened it, and entered the 
 house. 
 
 The passage was in total darkness ; but I could make 
 out where the door was by a thin streak of bright light 
 low down. As softly as I possibly could, I crept up to 
 it, and bent down to look through the keyhole. The 
 view was necessarily limited, but I could just make out 
 the girl I had followed sitting upon a bed ; and leaning 
 against the wall, a dirty clay pipe in her mouth, was the 
 vilest old woman I ever in my life set eyes on. She was 
 very small, with a pinched-up nut-cracker face, dressed 
 
FOLLOWING UP A CLUE. 253 
 
 in an old bit of tawdry finery that was, at the lowest 
 calculation, three sizes too large for her. Her hair fell 
 upon her shoulders in a tangled mass, and from under 
 it her eyes gleamed out like those of a wicked little 
 Scotch terrier getting ready to bite. As I bent down to 
 listen I heard her say, 
 
 " Well, my dear, and what information have you got 
 for the gentleman, that brings you down at this time of 
 night?" 
 
 " Only that the coppers are going to start at daylight 
 looking for the Merry Duchess. I heard the inspector 
 say so himself." 
 
 " At daylight, are they ? " croaked the elder woman. 
 " Well I wish 'em joy of their search, I do — them — them ! 
 Any more news, my dear ? " 
 
 " The master and that long-legged slab of a Hatteras 
 went out to-night down the harbour. The old man 
 brought home a lot of money bags, but what was in 
 'em was only dummies." 
 
 " I know that, too, my dear. Nicely they was sold; 
 Ha! ha!" 
 
 She chuckled like an old fiend, and then began to 
 cut up another pipe of tobacco in the palm of her hand 
 like a man. She smoked negro head, and the reek of it 
 came out through the keyhole to me. But the younger 
 girl was evidently impatient, for she rose and said : 
 
 " When do they sail with the girl, Sally ? " 
 
 " They're gone, my dear. They went at ten to- 
 night." 
 
 At this piece of news my heart began to throb pain- 
 fully, so much so that I could hardly listen for its 
 beating. 
 
 " They weren't long about it," said the younger girl, 
 critically. 
 
254 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 " That Nikola's not long about anything," remarked 
 the old woman. 
 
 " I hope Pipa Lannu will agree with her health — the 
 stuck-up minx — I do ! " the younger remarked spitefully. 
 " Now where's the money he said I was to have. Let 
 me have it and be off. I shall get the sack if this is 
 found out." 
 
 " It was five pound I was to give yer, wasn't it ? " the 
 elder one said, pushing her hand deep down into her 
 pocket. 
 
 " Ten," said the younger, sharply. " No larks, Sally. 
 I know too much for you ! " 
 
 " Oh, you know a lot, honey, don't you? Of course 
 you'd be expected to know a sight more than old Aunt 
 Sally whose never seen anything at all, wouldn't you ? 
 Go along with you ! " 
 
 " Hand me over the money I say, and let me be- 
 gone." 
 
 " Of course you do know a lot more, don't you ? 
 There's a pound ! " 
 
 While they were wrangling over the money I crept 
 down the passage again to the front door. Once there I 
 opened it softly and went out, closing it carefully behind 
 me. Then I took to my heels and ran down the street 
 the way I had come as fast as I could go. Enquiring 
 my way here and there from policemen, I eventually 
 reached home, scaled the wall, aud went across the gar- 
 den to the morning-room window. This I opened, and 
 by means of it made my way into the house and up 
 stairs. As I had expected he would have gone to bed, I 
 was considerably surprised at meeting Mr. Wetherell on 
 the landing. 
 
 " Well, what have you discovered ? " he asked anx- 
 iously as I came up to him. 
 
FOLLOWING UP A CLUB. 255 
 
 " Information of the greatest importance," I an- 
 swered ; " but one other thing first. Call up your house- 
 keeper, tell her you have reason to believe that one of 
 the housemaids is not in the house. Tell her not to 
 mention you in the matter, but to discharge her before 
 breakfast. By the time you've done that I'll have 
 changed my things and be ready to tell you every- 
 thing." 
 
 " I'll go and rouse her at once ; I'm all impatience 
 to know what you have discovered." 
 
 He left me and passed through the green baize' door 
 to the servants' portion of the house ; I myself went to 
 my bedroom and changed my things. This done I 
 passed into the study, where I found a meal laid for me. 
 To this I did ample justice, for my long walk and the 
 excitement of the evening had given me an unusual 
 appetite. 
 
 Just as I was helping myself to a second glass of 
 grog Mr. Wetherell returned, and informed me that the 
 housekeeper was on the alert, and would receive the girl 
 on her reappearance. 
 
 " Now tell me of your doings," said the old gentle- 
 man. 
 
 I thereupon narrated all that had occurred since I 
 left the study in search of my pipe — how I had seen the 
 girl listening at the door, how I had followed her into 
 the town ; gave him a description of old Sally, their in- 
 terview, and my subsequent return home. He listened 
 eagerly, and, when I had finished, said : 
 
 " Do you believe then that my poor girl has been 
 carried off by Nikola to this island called Pipa Lannu ? " 
 
 " I do ; there seems to be no doubt at all about it." 
 
 " "Well, then, what are we to do to rescue her ? 
 Shall I ask the Government to send a gunboat down ? " 
 
256 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 " If you like ; but, for my own part, I tliink I should 
 act independently of them. You don't want to make a 
 big scandal, I presume ; and remember, to arrest Nikola 
 would be to open the whole affair." 
 
 " Then what do you propose ? " 
 
 " I propose," I answered, " that we should charter a 
 small schooner, fit her out, select three trustworthy and 
 silent men, and then take our departure to Pipa Lannu. 
 I am well acquainted with the island, and, what's more, 
 I hold a master's certificate. We would sail in after 
 dark, arm all our party thoroughly, and go ashore. I 
 expect they will he keeping your daughter a prisoner in 
 a hut. If that is so we will surround it and rescue her 
 without any trouble or fuss, and, what is better still, 
 without any public scandal. What do you say ? " 
 
 " I quite agree with what you say. I think it's an 
 excellent idea ; and, while you've been speaking, I too 
 have been thinking of something. There's my old 
 friend McMurtough, who has a nice schooner yacht. 
 I'm sure he'd be willing to let us have the use of her for 
 a few weeks." 
 
 " Where does he live ? — far from here ? " 
 
 " Just across the water ; we'll go over and see him 
 directly after breakfast if you like." 
 
 " By all means. Now I think I'll go and take a lit- 
 tle nap ; I feel quite worn out. When the inspector 
 arrives you will be able to explain all that has happened ; 
 but I think I should ask him to keep a quiet tongue in 
 his head about the island. If it leaks out at all it may 
 warn them, and they'll be off elsewhere — to a place per- 
 haps where we may not be able to find them." 
 
 " I'll remember," said Mr. Wetherell, and thereupon 
 I retired to my room, and, having partially undressed, 
 threw myself upon my bed. In less than two minutes I 
 
FOLLOWING TIP A CLUE. 257 
 
 was fast asleep, not to wake until the first gong sounded 
 for breakfast ; then, after a good bath, which refreshed 
 me wonderfully, I dressed in my usual habiliments and 
 went downstairs. Mr. Wetherell and the Marquis were 
 in the dining-room, and when I entered both he and 
 the Marquis, who held a copy of the Sydney Morning 
 Herald in his hand, seemed prodigiously excited. 
 
 " I say, Mr. Hatteras," said the latter (after I had 
 said ' Good-morning '), " here's an advertisement in- 
 tended for you ! " 
 
 " What about ? " I asked. " Who wants to advertise 
 for me?" 
 
 " Kead for yourself," said the Marquis, giving me 
 the paper. 
 
 I took it, and glanced down the column to which he 
 referred me until I came to the following : 
 
 " Kichard Hatteras. — If this should meet the eye of 
 Mr. Eichard Hatteras, of Thursday Island, Torres Straits, 
 lately returned from England and believed to be now in 
 Sydney, he is earnestly requested to call at the office of 
 Messrs. Dawson and Gladman, solicitors, Castlereagh 
 Street, where he will hear of something to his advan- 
 tage." 
 
 There could be no doubt at all that I was the person 
 referred to; but what could it all mean? What was 
 there that I could possibly hear to my advantage, save 
 news of Phyllis, and it would be most unlikely that I 
 would learn anything about the movements of the ras- 
 cally gang who had abducted her, from a firm of first- 
 class solicitors such as, I understood from Mr. Wetherell, 
 Messrs. Dawson and Gladman might be considered. 
 However, it was no use wondering about it, so I dis- 
 missed the matter from my mind for the present and 
 took my place at the table. In the middle of the meal 
 
258 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 the butler left the room for a moment in response to a 
 ring at the front door. When he returned, it was to in- 
 form me that a man was in the hall, and wished to have 
 a few moments' conversation with me. Asking Mr. 
 Wetherell to excuse me, I left the room. 
 
 In the hall I found a seedy-looking individual of 
 middle age. He bowed, and on learning that I was Mr. 
 Hatteras, asked if he might have five minutes' private 
 conversation with me. In response, I led him to the 
 morning-room and, having closed the door carefully, 
 pointed to a seat. 
 
 " What is your business with me? " I enquired, when 
 he had sat down. 
 
 " It is rather a curious business to approach, Mr. 
 Hatteras," the man began. " But to commence, may I 
 be permitted to suggest that you are uneasy in your 
 mind about a person who has disappeared ? " 
 
 " You may certainly suggest that, if you like," I 
 answered. 
 
 " If it were in a person's power to furnish a clue re- 
 garding that person's whereabouts, it might be useful to 
 you I expect,'' he continued, craftily watching me out 
 of the corners of his eyes. 
 
 " Very useful to us," I replied. " Are you in a posi- 
 tion to do so ? " 
 
 " I might possibly be able to afford you some slight 
 assistance," he went on. " That is, of course, provided 
 it were made worth my while." 
 
 " What do you call ' worth your while ' ? " 
 
 " Well, shall we say five hundred pounds. That's not 
 a large sum for really trustworthy information. I ought 
 to ask a thousand, considering the danger I'm running 
 in mixing myself up with the affair. Only I'm a father 
 myself, and that's why I do it." 
 
FOLLOWING UP A CLUE. 259 
 
 " I see. Well, let me tell you, I consider five hundred 
 too much." 
 
 " Well, then I'm afraid we can't trade. I'm sorry." 
 
 " So am I. But I'm not going to buy a pig in a 
 poke." 
 
 " Shall tve say four hundred, then?" 
 
 " No. Nor three — two, or one. If your information 
 is worth anything, I don't mind giving you fifty pounds 
 for it. But I won't give a halfpenny more." 
 
 As I spoke, I rose as if to terminate the interview. 
 Instantly my visitor assumed a different tone. 
 
 " My fault is my generosity," he said. " It's the ruin 
 of me. Well, you shall have it for fifty. Give me the 
 money, and I'll tell you." 
 
 " Not at all," I answered. " I must hear the infor- 
 mation first. Trust to my honour. If what you tell 
 me is worth anything, I'll give you fifty pounds for it. 
 Now what is it?" 
 
 " Well, sir, to begin with, you must understand that 
 I 'was standing at the corner of Pitt Street an evening 
 or two back, when two men passed me talking earnestly 
 together. One of 'em was a tall strapping fellow, the 
 other a little chap. I never saw two eviller looking ras- 
 cals in my life. Just as they came alongside me, one 
 says to the other, ' Don't be afraid, I'll have the girl at 
 the station all right at eight o'clock sharp.' The other 
 said something that I could not hear, and then I lost 
 sight of them. But what I had heard stuck in my head, 
 and so I accordingly went off to the station, arriving 
 there a little before the hour. I hadn't been there long 
 before the smallest of the two chaps I'd seen came on to 
 the platform, and began looking about him. By the 
 face of him he didn't seem at all pleased at not finding 
 the other man waiting for him. A train drew up at the 
 
260 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 platform, and presently, just afore it started, I saw the 
 other cove and a young lady ■wearing a heavy veil come 
 quickly along. The first man saw them, and gave a lit- 
 tle cry of delight. ' I thought you'd be too late,' says 
 he. ' No fear of that,' says the other, and jumps into a 
 first-class carriage, telling the girl to get in- after him, 
 which she does, crying the while as I could see. Then 
 the chap on the platform says to the other who was 
 leaning out of the window, ' Write to me from Bourke, 
 and tell me how she gets on.' 'You bet,' says his 
 friend. ' And don't you forget to keep your eye on 
 Hatteras.' ' Don't you be afraid,' answered the man on 
 the platform. Then the guard whistled, and the train 
 went out of the station. Directly I was able to I got 
 away, and first thing this morning came on here. 
 Now you know my information, I'll trouble you for that 
 fifty pound." 
 
 "Not so fast, my friend. Your story seems very 
 good, but I want to ask a few questions first. Had the 
 bigger man — the man who went up to Bourke, a big cut 
 over his left eye ? " 
 
 " Now I come to think of it, he had. I'd forgotten 
 to tell you that." 
 
 "So it was him, then? But are you certain it was 
 Miss Wetherell? Remember she wore a veil. Could 
 you see whether her hair was black or brown ? " 
 
 " Very dark it was ; but I couldn't see rightly which 
 colour it was." 
 
 " You're sure it was a dark colour ? " 
 
 " Quite sure. I could swear to it in a court of law if 
 you wanted me to." 
 
 " That's all right then. Because it shows me your 
 story is a fabrication. Come, get out of this house or 
 I'll throw yon out. You scoundrel, for two pins I'd 
 
FOLLOWING UP A CLUE. 261 
 
 give you such a thrashing as you'd remember all your 
 life." 
 
 "None o' that, governor. Don't you try it on. 
 Hand us over that fifty quid." 
 
 With that the scoundrel whipped out a revolver and 
 pointed it at me. But before he could threaten again 
 I'd got hold of his wrist with one hand, snatched the 
 pistol with the other, and sent him sprawling on his 
 back upon the carpet. 
 
 " Now, you brute," I cried, " what am I going to do 
 with you do you think ? Get up and clear out of the 
 house before I take my boot to you." 
 
 He got up and began to brush his clothes. 
 
 " I want my fifty pound," he cried. 
 
 " You'll get more than you want if you come here 
 again," I said. " Out you go." 
 
 With that I got him by the collar and dragged him 
 out of the room across the hall, much to the butler's 
 astonishment, through the front door, and then kicked 
 him down the steps. He fell in a heap on the gravel. 
 
 " All right, my fine bloke," he said as he lay there ; 
 " you wait till I get you outside. I'll fix you up, and 
 don't you make no mistake." 
 
 But I went back to the dining-room without paying 
 any attention to his threats. Both Mr. Wetherell and 
 Beckenham had been witnesses of what had happened, 
 and now they questioned me about it. I gave them an 
 outline of the story the man had told me and convinced 
 them of its absurdity. Mr. Wetherell then rose to his feet. 
 
 " Now shall we go and see McMurtough? " 
 
 " Certainly," I said ; " I'll be ready as soon as you 
 are." 
 
 " You will come with us, I hope. Lord Becken- 
 ham?" said Wetherell. 
 
262 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 " With every pleasure," answered his lordship, and 
 thereupon we went oS to get ready. 
 
 Three-quarters of an hour later we were sitting in 
 Mr. McMurtough's waiting-room, waiting for an inter- 
 view. At the end of ten minutes a commissionaire 
 came in to inform us that Mr. McMurtough was disen- 
 gaged, and forthwith conducted us to his room. We 
 found him a small, gray-haired, pleasant-looking gentle- 
 man, full of life and fun. He received Mr. Wetherell 
 as an old friend, and then waited to be introduced to us. 
 
 " Let me make you acquainted with my friends, 
 McMurtough," said Wetherell — " The Marquis of Beck- 
 enham and Mr. Hatteras." 
 
 He bowed and then shook hands with us, after 
 which we sat down and Wetherell proceeded to busi- 
 ness. The upshot of it all was that he immediately 
 fell in with our plans and expressed himself as de- 
 lighted to lend his yacht in such a good cause. 
 
 " I wish I were able to come with you," he said ; 
 " but unfortunately that is quite impossible. However, 
 you are more than welcome to my boat. I will send 
 down to the harbour at once and give orders that she is 
 to be prepared for sea to-day. Will you see about pro- 
 visioning her, or shall I ? " 
 
 " We will see to all that," said Wetherell. " All the 
 expenses must of course be mine." 
 
 " As you please about that, my old friend," re- 
 turned McMurtough. 
 
 " Where is the craft lying ? " asked Wetherell. 
 
 The owner gave us the direction, and having sin- 
 cerely thanked him, we set off to find her. She was 
 a nice craft of about a hundred tons burthen, and 
 looked as if she ought to be a good sea boat. Charter- 
 ing a wherry we were pulled off to her. The captain 
 
FOLLOWING UP A CLUE. 263 
 
 was below when we arrived, but a hail brought him on 
 deck. Mr. Wetherell then explained our errand, and 
 gave him his owner's letter. He read it through, and 
 then said : 
 
 " I am at your service, gentlemen. From what Mr. 
 McMurtough says I gather there is no time to lose, so 
 with your permission I'll get to work at once." 
 
 " Order all the coal you want, and tell the steward 
 to do the same for anything he may want in his de- 
 partment. The bills must be sent in to me." 
 
 " Very good, Mr. Wetherell. And what time will 
 you be ready ? " 
 
 " As soon as you are. Can you get away by three 
 o'clock this afternoon, think you ? " 
 
 " Well, it will be a bit of a scramble, but I think we 
 can manage it. Anyhow I'll do my best, you may be 
 sure of that, sir." 
 
 " I'm sure you will. There is grave need for it. 
 Now we'll go and arrange a few matters ashore. My 
 man shall bring our baggage down later on." 
 
 " Very good, sir. I'll have your berths prepared." 
 
 With that we descended to the boat again, and we 
 pulled ashore. Arriving there, Mr. Wetherell asked 
 what we should do next. 
 
 " Hadn't we better go up to the town and purchase 
 a fevY rifles and ammunition ? We can have them sent 
 down direct to the boat, and so save time." 
 
 " A very good suggestion. Let us go at once." 
 
 So saying, we set off for George Street — to a shop I 
 had remembered seeing. There we purchased half a 
 dozen Wincliester repeaters, with a good supply of am- 
 munition. These we ordered to be sent down to the 
 yacht without fail that morning. That done, we stood 
 on the pavement debating what we should do next. 
 
264 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 Finally it was decided that Mr. Wetherell and Becken- 
 liam should go home to pack, while I made one or two 
 other small purchases, and then joined them. Accord- 
 ingly bidding them good-bye, I went on down the street, 
 did my business, and was about to hail a cab and follow 
 them, when a thought struck me : Why should I not 
 visit Messrs. Dawson & Gladman, and find out why 
 they were advertising for me ? This I determined to 
 do, and accordingly set off for Castlereagh Street. Be- 
 fore very long I had discovered their office, and went 
 inside. 
 
 In a small room leading ofE the main passage, three 
 clerks were seated. To them I addressed myself, ask- 
 ing if I might see the partners. 
 
 " Mr. Dawson is the only one in, sir," said the boy 
 to whom I spoke. " If you'll give me your name I'll 
 take it in to him." 
 
 " My name is Hatteras," I said, " Mr. Eichard Hat- 
 teras." 
 
 " Indeed, sir," answered the boy. " If you'll wait 
 Mr. Dawson will see you in a minute I'm sure." 
 
 On hearing my name the other clerks had begun 
 whispering together, at the same time throwing furtive 
 glances in my direction. 
 
 In considerably less than two minutes the clerk re- 
 turned, and begged me to follow him, which I did. At 
 the end of a long passage we passed through a curtained 
 doorway, and I stood in the presence of the chief part- 
 ner, Mr. Dawson. He was a short, podgy man, with 
 white whiskers and a bald head, and painfully pre- 
 cise. 
 
 " I have great pleasure in making your acquaintance, 
 Mr. Hatteras," he said. " You have noticed our adver- 
 tisement, I presume ? " 
 
FOLLOWINa UP A CLUE. 265 
 
 " I saw it this morning," I answered. " And it is 
 on that account that I am here." 
 
 " One moment before we go any further. Forgive 
 what I am going to say — but you will see yourself that 
 it is a point I am compelled not to neglect. Can you 
 convince me as to your identity ? " 
 
 " Very easily," I replied, diving my hand into my 
 breast-pocket and taking out some papers. " First and 
 foremost, here is my cheque-book. Here is my card- 
 case. And here are two or three letters addressed to 
 me by London and Sydney firms. The Hon. Mr. 
 Wetherell, Colonial Secretary, will be glad I'm sure to 
 give you any information. Is that sufficient evidence 
 to convince you ? " 
 
 " More than sufficient," he answered, smiling. 
 " Now, let me tell you for what purpose we desired you 
 to call upon us." He opened a drawer and took out a 
 letter. 
 
 " First and foremost, let me tell you that we are the 
 Sydney agents of Messrs. Atwin, Dobbs and Forsyth of 
 Furnival's Inn, London. From them, by the last Eng- 
 lish mail, wo received this letter. From it I gather 
 that you are the son of James Dymoke Hatteras who 
 was drowned at sea — is that so?" 
 
 " I am." 
 
 " Your father then was the third son of Sir Edward 
 Hatteras of Murdlestone, in the county of Hampshire ? " 
 
 " He was." 
 
 "And the brother of Sir William, who had one 
 daughter, Gwendoline Mary ? " 
 
 " That is so ! " 
 
 " Well, Mr. Hatteras, it is my sad duty to inform 
 you that your cousin, the lady just referred to, was 
 drowned by accident in a pond near her home, and that 
 
266 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 her father died of heart disease on hearing the sad ti- 
 dings. In that case, my correspondents inform me that 
 you succeed to the title and estates — which I am also 
 told are of considerable value, including the house and 
 park, ten farms, and a large amount of town property, 
 a rent roll of fifteen thousand a year, and accumulated 
 capital of nearly a hundred thousand pounds." 
 
 " Good gracious ! Is this really true ? " 
 
 " Quite true. You can examine the letter for your- 
 self." 
 
 I took it up and read it through, hardly able to 
 believe my eyes. 
 
 " You are indeed a man to be envied, Mr. Hatteras," 
 said the lawyer. " The title is an old one, and I believe 
 the property is considered one of the best in that part 
 of England." 
 
 " It is ! But I can hardly believe that it is mine." 
 
 " There is no doubt about that however. You are a 
 baronet as sure as I am a lawyer. I presume you would 
 like us to take all necessary action in the matter." 
 
 " By all means. I am leaving Sydney for a week or 
 two this afternoon, for the Islands. I will sign any 
 necessary papers when I come back." 
 
 " I will bear that in mind. And your address in 
 Sydney is " 
 
 "Care of The Honourable Mr. Wetherell, Potts 
 Point." 
 
 " Thank you. And, by the way, my correspondents 
 desire me to pay in to your account at the bank on their 
 behalf the sum of five thousand pounds. This I will do 
 to-day." 
 
 " I am obliged to you. Now I think I must be 
 going. To tell the truth, I hardly know whether I am 
 standing on my head or my heels." 
 
FOLLOWING UP A CLUE. 267 
 
 " Oh, you will soon get over thai" 
 
 " Good-morning." , 
 
 " Good-morning, Sir Richard." 
 
 With that, I bade him farewell, and went out of the 
 office, half stunned by my good fortune. I thought of 
 the poor girl whose end had been so tragic, and of the 
 old man as I had last seen him, shaking his fist at me 
 out of the window. And to think that that lovely old 
 home was mine, and that I was a baronet, the represen- 
 tative of a race as old as any in the country side ! It 
 seemed too wonderful to be true ! 
 
 Hearty were the congratulations showered upon me 
 at Potts Point, you may be sure, when I told my tale, 
 and my health was drunk at lunch with much acclaim. 
 But our minds were too much taken up with the ar- 
 rangements for our departure that afternoon to allow us 
 to think very much of anything else. By two o'clock 
 we were ready to leave the house, by half -past we were 
 on board the yacht, at three-fifteen the anchor was up, 
 and we were ploughing our way down the harbour. 
 
 Our search for Phyllis had reached another stage. 
 
 18 
 
CHAPTEE V. 
 
 THE ISLAITDS AND WHAT WE FOUND THERE. 
 
 To those who have had no experience of the South 
 Pacific the constantly recurring beauties of our voyage 
 would have seemed like a foretaste of Heaven itself. 
 Prom Sydney, until the Loyalty Group lay behind us, we 
 had one long spell of exquisite weather. By night, 
 under the winking stars, and by day, in the sweet sun- 
 light, our smart little craft ploughed her way across 
 smooth seas, and our only occupation was to promenade 
 or loaf about the decks and to speculate as to the result 
 of the expedition upon which we had embarked. 
 
 Having sighted the Isle of Pines, we turned our 
 bows almost due north, and headed for the New 
 Hebrides. Every hour now our impatience was grow- 
 ing greater. In less than two days we ought to be at 
 our destination, and twenty-four hours later to have 
 Phyllis in our possession again. And what happiness 
 this would mean to me I can only leave you to guess. 
 
 One morning, just as the faint outline of the coast 
 of Aneityum was peering up over the horizon ahead, 
 Wetherell and I chanced to be sitting in the bows. The 
 sea was as smooth as glass, and the tinkling of the water 
 round the little vessel's nose, as she turned it off in 
 snowy lines, was the only sound to be heard. As usual, 
 the conversation, after wandering off into other topics. 
 
THE ISLANDS AND WHAT WE FOUND THERE. 269 
 
 came back to the subject nearest our hearts. This led 
 us to make a few remarks anent Nikola and his charac- 
 ter. One thing I had always noticed, when the man 
 came under discussion, and that was the dread Wether- 
 ell had of him. My curiosity had been excited as to its 
 meaning, and I could not help asking him for an 
 explanation. 
 
 " You want to know how it is that I am so fright- 
 ened of Nikola ? " he asked, knocking the ash off his 
 cigar on the upturned fluke of the anchor alongside 
 him. " Well, to give you my reason will necessitate my 
 telling you a story. I don't mind doing that at all, but 
 what I am afraid of is that you may be inclined to doubt 
 its probability. It is certainly more like the plot of a 
 Wilkie Collins novel than a bit of sober reality. How- 
 ever, if you want to hear it you shall." 
 
 " I should like to, above all things," I replied, mak- 
 ing myself comfortable and taking another cigar from 
 my pocket. " I have been longing to ask you about it 
 for some time past, but could not quite screw up my 
 courage." 
 
 " Well, in the first place," Mr. Wetherell said, " you 
 must understand that before I became a minister of the 
 Crown, or indeed a member of Parliament at all, I was 
 a barrister with a fairly remunerative practice. That 
 was before my wife's death, and when Phyllis was only 
 a little girl. Up to the time I am going to tell you 
 about I had taken part in no very sensational case, nor 
 had I ever had a chance of making a good haul by one. 
 But my opportunity of earning notoriety was, though I 
 did not know it, near at hand. One day I was briefed 
 to defend a man accused of the murder of a Chinaman 
 aboard a Sydney vessel. At first there seemed to be no 
 doubt at all as to his guilt, but by a singular chance. 
 
270 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 with the details of which I will not bore you, I hit upon 
 a scheme which not only got him off, but which was 
 destined to be my real stepping-stone to Fortune. I 
 remember the man perfectly, and a queer fellow he was, 
 half-witted I thought, and at the time of the trial 
 within an ace of dying of consumption. His gratitude 
 to me was the more pathetic because he had not the 
 wherewithal to pay me. However, he made it up to me 
 in another way, and that's where my real story com- 
 mences. 
 
 " One wet night a couple of months or so after the 
 trial I was sitting in my drawing-room, listening to my 
 wife's music, when a servant entered to tell me that a 
 woman wanted to see me. I went out into the passage 
 to find waiting there a tall buxom lass of about five-and- 
 twenty years of age. She was poorly dressed, but in a 
 great state of excitement. 
 
 " ' Are you Mr. Wetherell ? ' said she. ' The gentle- 
 man as defended China Pete in the trial the other 
 day?' 
 
 " ' I am,' I answered ; ' what can I do for you ? I 
 hope China Pete is not in trouble again.' 
 
 " ' He's in a worse trouble this time, sir,' said the 
 woman. ' He's dyin', and he sent me to fetch you to 
 'im at once before he goes.' 
 
 " ' But what does he want me for ? ' I asked rather 
 suspiciously. 
 
 " ' I'm sure I dunno,' was the girl's reply. ' But he's 
 been callin' for you all this blessed day — " Send for Mr. 
 Wetherell — send for Mr. Wetherell." So off I came 
 when I got back from work to fetch you. If you're 
 coming, sir, you'd best be quick, as he won't last till 
 morning.' 
 
 " ' Very well, I'll come with you at once,' I said, tak- 
 
THE ISLANDS AND WHAT WB FOUND THERE. 271 
 
 ing a mackintosh down from a peg. Then, having told 
 my wife not to sit up for me, I followed my strange 
 messenger out of the house and down into the city. 
 
 " For nearly an hour we walked on and on, plunging 
 deeper into the lower quarter of the city. All through 
 the march my guide maintained a rigid silence, walking 
 a few paces ahead, and only recognising the fact that I 
 was following her by nodding in a certain direction 
 whenever we arrived at cross streets or interlacing 
 lanes. 
 
 " At last we arrived at the street she wanted. At 
 the corner she came suddenly to a standstill, and putting 
 her two fingers into her mouth blew a shrill whistle 
 after the fashion of street boys. A moment later a 
 shock-haired urchin about ten years old made his ap- 
 pearance from a dark alley and came towards us. The 
 woman said something to him, which I did not catch, 
 and then turning sharply to her left hand beckoned to 
 me to follow her. This I did, but not without a feeling 
 of wonder as to what the upshot of it all would be. 
 
 "Prom the street itself we passed, by way of a 
 villainous alley, to a large courtyard where brooded a 
 silence like that of death. Indeed, a more weird and 
 desolate place I don't remember ever to have encoun- 
 tered. Not a soul was to be seen in it, and though it 
 was surrounded by houses, only two feeble lights showed 
 themselves. Towards one of these my guide made her 
 way, stopping on the threshold of a door. Upon one of 
 the panels she rapped with her fingei's, and immediately 
 she did so a window on the first floor opened and the 
 same boy we had met in the street looked out. 
 
 " ' How many ? ' inquired the woman who had brought 
 me, in a loud whisper. 
 
 " ' None now,' replied the boy, ' but there's been a 
 
272 A BID FOE FORTUNE. 
 
 power of Chinkies hereabouts all the evenin'. And 'arf 
 an hour ago there was a gent in a cloak.' 
 
 " Without waiting to hear any more, the woman en- 
 tered the house, and I followed close at her heels. The 
 adventure was clearly coming to a head now. 
 
 " When the door had been closed behind us the boy 
 appeared at the top of a flight of stairs that confronted 
 us, with a lighted candle. We accordingly ascended to 
 him, and having done so made our way towards a door 
 at the end of the villainously dirty landing. At inter- 
 vals I could hear a sound of coughing coming from 
 within. My companion, however, bade me stop while 
 she went herself into the room ahead, shutting the door 
 after her. I was left alon.e with the boy, who immedi- 
 ately took me under his protection, and for my un- 
 divided benefit performed a series of highly meritorious 
 acrobatic performances upon the feeble banisters, to his 
 own danger but apparent satisfaction. Suddenly, Just 
 as he was about to commence what promised to be the 
 most successful item of his repertoire, he paused, lay flat 
 on his stomach upon the floor, and craned his head over 
 the side, where once banisters had been, and gazed into 
 the half dark well below. All was quiet as the grave. 
 Then, without warning, an almond-eyed, pigtailed head 
 appeared on the stairs and looked upwards. Before I 
 could ejaculate the youth had divested himself of his one 
 slipper, taken it in his right hand, leaned over a bit 
 further, and struck the ascending Celestial a severe blow 
 on the mouth with the heel of it. There was the noise 
 of a hasty descent and the banging of the street door, 
 then all was still again and the youngster turned to me. 
 
 " ' That was Ah Cliong,' he said confidentially. ' He's 
 the sixth Chinkie I've landed like that since dark,' etc. 
 
 " This important piece of information he closed with 
 
THE ISLANDS AND WHAT WE POUND THERE. 273 
 
 a nine-jointed oath of remarkable atrocity, and, having 
 done so, would have recommenced the performance of 
 acrobatic feats had I not asked the reason of it all. He 
 looked at me with a grin and said : 
 
 " ' I dunno, but all I cares is that China Pete in there 
 gives me a sprat (sixpence) for every Chinkie what I 
 keeps out of the 'ouse. He's a rum one is China Pete, 
 an' can't he cough, my word ! ' 
 
 " I was about to put another question when the door 
 opened, and the girl who had brought me to the house 
 beckoned me into the room. I entered, and she left us 
 alone together. 
 
 " Of all the filthy places I have ever seen, and I have 
 had the ill-luck to discover a good many, that one 
 eclipsed them all. The room was at most ten feet long 
 by seven wide, had a window at the far end, and the 
 door through which I had entered, opposite it. The 
 bed place was stretched between the door and the win- 
 dow, and was a filthy exhibition. On the bed, propped 
 up by pillows, and looking in the last stage of collapse, 
 was the man called China Pete, whom I had seen walk- 
 ing out of the dock at the Supreme Court a couple of 
 months before. When we were alone together he 
 pointed to a box near the bed and signified that I should 
 seat myself. I did so, at the same time taking occasion 
 to express my sorrow at finding him in this lamentable 
 state. He made no reply to my civilities, but after a 
 little pause found strength enough to whisper : ' See if 
 there's anybody at the door.' I went across, opened the 
 door and looked into the passage, but, save the boy, who 
 was now sitting on the top step of the stairs at the other 
 end, there was not a soul there. I told him this, and 
 having again closed the door, sat down on the box and 
 waited for him to speak. 
 
274 A BID FOE FORTUNE. 
 
 " ' You did me a good turn, Mr. "Wetherell, over that 
 trial,' tiie invalid said at last. ' And I couldn't make it 
 worth your while.' 
 
 " ' Oh, you mustn't let that worry you,' I said sooth- 
 ingly. ' You would haTe paid me if you had been able.' 
 
 " ' Perhaps I should, perhaps I shouldn't ; anyhow I 
 didn't, and I want to make it up to you now. Feel 
 under my pillow and bring out what you find there ! ' 
 
 " I did as he directed me, and brought to light a 
 queer little wooden stick about three and a half inches 
 long, made of some heavy wood and covered all over 
 with Chinese inscriptions ; at one end was a little bit of 
 heavy gold cord, much tarnished. I gave it to him, and 
 he looked at it fondly. 
 
 " ' Do you know the value of this little stick ? ' he 
 asked after a while. 
 
 " ' I have no possible notion,' I replied. 
 
 " ' Make a guess,' he said. 
 
 " To humour him I guessed five pounds. He laughed 
 with scorn. 
 
 " ' Five pounds ! Oh, ye gods ! Why, as a bit of 
 stick it's not worth fivepence, but for what it really is, 
 there is not money enough in the world to purchase it. 
 If I could get about again I would make myself the 
 richest man in the world with it. If you could only 
 guess one particle of the dangers I've been through to 
 get it you would die of astonishment. And the sarcasm 
 of it all is that now I've got it I can't make use of it. 
 On six different occasions the priests of the Llamaserai, 
 in Peking, have tried to murder me to get hold of it. 
 I brought it down from the centre of China disguised 
 as a wandering beggar. That business connected with 
 the murder of the Chinaman on board the ship, against 
 which you defended me, was on account of it. And 
 
THE ISLANDS AND WHAT WE POUND THERE. 275 
 
 now I lie here, dying like a dog, ■with the key to over 
 ten millions in my hand. Nikola has tried for five 
 years to obtain it, without success, however. He little 
 dreams I've got it after all. If he did I'd be a dead 
 man by this time.' 
 
 " ' Who is this Nikola, then?' I asked. 
 
 " ' Dr. Nikola ! Well, he's Nikola, and that's all I can 
 tell you. If you're a wise man you'll want to know no 
 more. Ask the Chinese mothers nursing their almond- 
 eyed spawn in Peking who he is. Ask the Japanese, 
 ask the Malays, the Hindoos, the Burmese, the coal por- 
 ters in Port Said, the Buddhist priests of Ceylon ; ask 
 the King of Corea, the men up in Thibet, the Spanish 
 priests in Manila or the Sultans of Borneo, the Minis- 
 ters of Siam, or the French in Saigon. They'll all know 
 Dr. Nikola and his cat, and, take my word for it, they 
 fear him.' 
 
 " I looked at the little stick in my hand and won- 
 dered if the man had gone mad. 
 
 " ' What do you wish me to do with this ? ' I asked. 
 
 " ' Take it away with you,' he answered. ' Guard it 
 like your life, and when you have occasion, use it. Ee- 
 member you have in your hand what will raise a million 
 men and the equivalent of over ten mil ' 
 
 " At this point a violent fit of coughing seized him 
 and nearly tore him to pieces. I lifted him up a little 
 in the bed, but before I could take my hands away a 
 stream of blood gushed from his lips. Like a flash of 
 thought I ran to the door to call the girl. The boy on 
 the stairs re-echoed my shout, and in less time than it 
 takes to tell, the woman was in the room. But we were 
 too late. China Pete teas dead ! 
 
 " After giving her all the money I had in my pocket 
 to pay for the funeral, I bade her good-bye, and, with 
 
276 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 the little stick in my pocket, returned to my home. Once 
 there I sat myself down in my study, took my legacy out 
 of my pocket, and carefully examined it. As to its pe- 
 culiar power and value, as described to me by the dead 
 man, I hardly knew what to think. My own private 
 opinion was that China Pete was hardly sane at the 
 time. And yet how was I to account for the afEray with 
 the Chinaman on the boat and the evident desire of the 
 Celestials in Sydney to obtain information concerning 
 it? After half an hour's consideration of it, I locked it 
 up in a drawer of my safe and went upstairs to bed. 
 
 " Next day China Pete was buried, and by the end of 
 the month I had almost forgotten that he had ever ex- 
 isted, and had hardly thought of his queer little gift, 
 which reposed in the upper drawer of my safe. But I 
 was to hear more of it later on. 
 
 " One night, about a month after my coming into pos- 
 session of the stick, my wife and I were entertaining a 
 few friends at dinner. The ladies had retired to the 
 drawing-room and I was sitting with the gentlemen at 
 the table over our wine. Curiously enough, we had just 
 been discussing the main aspects of the politics of the 
 East, when a maidservant entered to say that a gentle- 
 man had called and would be glad to know if he might 
 have an interview with me on important business. I 
 replied to the effect that I was engaged, and told her to 
 ask him if he would call again in the morning. The 
 servant left the room only to return with the informa- 
 tion that the man would be leaving Sydney shortly after 
 daylight, but that if I would see him later on in the 
 evening he would call again. I therefore told the girl 
 to say I would see him about eleven o'clock, and then 
 dismissed the matter from my mind. 
 
 " As the clock struck eleven I said good-night to the 
 
THE ISLANDS AND WHAT WE FOUND THERE. 277 
 
 last of my guests upon the doorstep. The carriage had 
 not gone fifty yards down the street before a hansom 
 drew up before my door and a man dressed in a heavy 
 cloak jumped out. Bidding the driver wait for him, he 
 ran up my steps. 
 
 " ' Mr. Wetherell, I believe ? ' he said. I nodded and 
 wished him " good evening," at the same time asking 
 his business. 
 
 " ' I will tell you with pleasure,' he answered, ' if you 
 will permit me five minutes alone with you. It is most 
 important, and as I leave Sydney early to-morrow morn- 
 ing, you will see that there is not much time to spare.' 
 
 " I led the way into the house and to my study, which 
 was in the rear, overlooking the garden. Once there I 
 bade him be seated, taking up my position at my desk. 
 Then, in the light of the lamp, I became aware of the 
 extraordinary personality of my visitor. He was of mid- 
 dle height, but beautifully made. His face was oval in 
 shape, with a deadly white complexion. In contrast to 
 this, however, his eyes and hair were dark as night. 
 He looked at me very searchingly for a moment and 
 then said : 
 
 " ' My business will surprise you a little I expect, Mr. 
 Wetherell. First and foremost let me tell you some- 
 thing about myself, and then ask you a question. You 
 must understand that I am pretty well known as an 
 Eastern traveller; from Port Said to the Kuriles there 
 is hardly a place that I do not know. I have a hobby. I 
 am a collector of Eastern curios. But there is one thing 
 I have never been able to obtain ! ' 
 
 " ' And that is ? ' 
 
 " ' A Chinese executioner's symbol of office.' 
 
 " ' But how can I help you ? ' I asked, completely 
 mystified. 
 
278 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 " ' By selling me one that has lately come into your 
 possession. It is a little black stick, about three inches 
 in length, and covered with Chinese characters. I hap- 
 pened to hear quite by chance that you had one in your 
 possession, and I have taken a journey of some thousands 
 of miles to endeavour to purchase it from you.' 
 
 " I went across to the safe, unlocked it, and took out 
 the little stick China Pete had given me. When I 
 turned round I almost dropped it with surprise as I saw 
 the look of eagerness that rose in my visitor's face. 
 But he pulled himself together, and said as calmly as he 
 had yet addressed me : 
 
 " ' That is the very thing. If you will allow me to 
 purchase it, it will complete my collection. What value 
 do you place upon it.' 
 
 " ' I hp,ve no sort of notion of its worth,' I answered, 
 putting it down on the table and looking at it. Then 
 in a flash a thought came into my brain, and I was about 
 to speak when he addressed me again. 
 
 " ' Of course my reason for wishing to purchase it is 
 rather a hare-brained one, but if you care to let me have 
 it I will give you fifty pounds for it with pleasure.' 
 
 " ' Not enough. Dr. Nikola ! ' I said with a smile. 
 
 " He jumped as if he were shot, and then clasped his 
 hands tight on the arm of his chair. My random bolt 
 had gone straight to the heart of the bull's-eye. This 
 man, then, was Dr. Nikola — the extraordinary individual 
 against whom China Pete had warned me. I was de- 
 termined now that, come what might, he should not 
 have the stick. 
 
 " ' Do you not consider the offer I make you a good 
 one then, Mr. Wetherell ? ' he said. 
 
 " ' I'm sorry to say I don't think the stick is for sale,' 
 I answered. ' It was left to me by a man in return for 
 
THE ISLANDS AND WHAT WE FOUND THERE. 279 
 
 a queer sort of service I rendered him, and I think I 
 should like to keep it as a souvenir.' 
 
 " ' I will raise my offer to a hundred pounds in that 
 case,' said Nikola. 
 
 " ' I vrould rather not part with it,' I said, and as I 
 spoke, as if to clinch the matter, I took it up and re- 
 turned it to the safe, taking care to lock the door 
 upon it. 
 
 " ' I will give you five hundred pounds for it,' cried 
 Nikola, now thoroughly excited. ' Surely that will 
 tempt you ? ' 
 
 " ' I'm afraid an offer of ten times that amount would 
 make no difference,' I replied, feeling more convinced 
 than ever that I would not part with it. 
 
 " He laid himself back in his chair and for nearly a 
 minute and a half stared me full in the face. You have 
 seen Nikola's eyes, so I needn't tell you what a queer effect 
 they are able to produce. I could not withdraw mine from 
 them, and I felt that if I did not make an effort I should 
 be mesmerised. So, pulling myself together, I sprang 
 from my chair, and, by doing so, let him see that our in- 
 terview was at an end. However, he was not going with- 
 out a farewell attempt to come to a bargain. When he 
 saw that I was not to be moved, his temper gave way, 
 and he bluntly told me that I would have to sell it to 
 him. 
 
 " ' There is no compulsion in the matter,' I said 
 warmly. ' The curio is my own property and I will do 
 just as I please with it.' 
 
 " He thereupon begged my pardon, asking me to at- 
 tribute his impatience to the collector's eagerness ; and 
 after a few last words bade me ' good-night,' and left 
 the house. 
 
 " When his cab had rolled away I went back to my 
 
280 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 study and sat thinking for a while. Then something 
 prompted me to take out the stick from the safe. I did 
 so, and sat at my table gazing at it and wondering what 
 the mystery might be to which it was the key. That it 
 was not what Dr. Nikola had described it I felt certain. 
 
 " At the end of half an hour I put it in my pocket, 
 intending to take it upstairs to show my wife, locked 
 the safe again, and went up to my dressing-room. 
 When I had narrated the interview and shown the stick, 
 I placed it in the drawer of the looking-glass and went 
 to bed. 
 
 " Next morning about three o'clock I was awakened 
 by the sound of some one knocking violently at my 
 door. I jumped out of bed and inquired who it might 
 be. To my intense surprise, the answer was ' Police.' 
 I therefore donned some attire and went out, to find a 
 sergeant of police on the landing waiting for me. 
 
 " ' What is the matter ? ' I cried. 
 
 " ' Burglar ! ' was his answer. ' We've got him down- 
 stairs. Caught him in the act.' 
 
 " I followed the ofiicer down to the study. What a 
 scene was there ! The safe had been forced and its con- 
 tents lay scattered in every direction. One drawer of 
 my writing-table was also open, and in a corner, hand- 
 cuffed and guarded by a stalwart constable, stood a 
 Chinaman. 
 
 "Well, to make a long story short, the man was 
 tried, and, after denying all knowledge of Nikola — who 
 by the way could not be found, or any stick — was con- 
 victed and sentenced to five years' hard labour. For a 
 month I heard no more about the curio. Then a letter 
 arrived from an English solicitor in Shanghai demand- 
 ing from me, on behalf of a Chinaman residing in that 
 place, a little wooden stick covered with Chinese char- 
 
THE ISLANDS AND WHAT WE POUND THERE. 281 
 
 acters, which was said to have been stolen by an Eng- 
 lishman known in Shanghai as China Pete. This was 
 very clearly another attempt on Nikola's part to obtain 
 possession of it, so I replied to the effect that I could 
 not entertain the request. 
 
 " A month or so later, I cannot, however, be particular 
 as to the exact date, I found myself again in communi- 
 cation with Nikola, this time from South America. 
 But there was this difference : on this occasion he used 
 undisguised threats, not only against myself, in the 
 event of my still refusing to give him what he wanted, 
 but also against my wife and daughter. I took no no- 
 tice, with the result that my residence was again broken 
 into, but still without success. I no longer locked the 
 talisman up in the safe, but hid it in a place where I 
 knew no one could possibly find it. My mind, you will 
 see, was perfectly made up, I was not going to be driven 
 into surrendering it. 
 
 " One night, returning to my house, I was garroted 
 and searched within a hundred yards of my own front 
 door. But they could not find it on me. Then pecul- 
 iar pressure from other quarters was brought to bear, 
 my servants were bribed, and my life became almost a 
 burden to me. What was more, I began to develop that 
 extraordinary fear of Nikola which seems to seize upon 
 every one who has any dealing at all with him. When 
 I went home to England some months back I did it 
 because my spirits had got into such a depressed state 
 that I could not remain in Australia. But I took care 
 to deposit the stick with my plate in the bank before I 
 left. There it remained till I returned, when I put it 
 in its old hiding-place again. 
 
 " The day after I reached London I happened to be 
 crossing Trafalgar Square, when I saw Dr. Nikola 
 
282 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 watching me from the other side of the road. There 
 and then I returned to my hotel, bade Phyllis pack with 
 all possible despatch, and that same afternoon we started 
 to return to Australia. The rest you know. Now what 
 do you think of it all ? " 
 
 " It's an extraordinary story. Where is the stick at 
 the present moment ? " 
 
 " In my pocket. Would you like to see it ? " 
 " Very much, if you would permit me to do so." 
 He unbuttoned his coat, and from a carefully con- 
 trived pocket under the arm drew out a little piece of 
 wood, exactly of the length and shape he had described. 
 I took it from him and gazed at it carefully. It was 
 covered all over with Chinese writing, and had a piece 
 of gold silk attached to the handle. There was noth- 
 ing very remarkable about it, but I must own I was 
 strangely fascinated by it when I remembered the mis- 
 ery it liad caused, the changes and chances it had 
 brought about, the weird story told by China Pete, and 
 the efforts that had been made by Nikola to obtain pos- 
 session of it. I gav« it back to its owner, and then stood 
 looking out over the smooth sea, wondering where Phyllis 
 was and what she was doing. Nikola, when I met him, 
 would have a heavy account to settle with me, and if my 
 darling reported any cruelty on his part I would show 
 no mercy. But why had Mr. Wetherell brought the curio 
 with him now ? I turned and put the question to him. 
 " For one very good reason," he answered. " If it is 
 the stick Nikola is after, he may demand it as a ransom 
 for my girl, and I am quite willing to let him have it. 
 The wretched thing has caused enough misery to make 
 me only too glad to be rid of it." 
 
 " I hope we shall be able to get her without that," I 
 said. " Now let us go aft to lunch." 
 
THE ISLANDS AND WHAT WE POUND THERE. 283 
 
 The day following we were within a hundred miles 
 of our destination, and by midday of the day following 
 that again were near enough to render it advisable to 
 hold a council over our intended movements. Accord- 
 ingly, a little before lunch time the Marquis, Wetherell, 
 the skipper, and myself met under the after awning to 
 consider our plan of war. The vessel herself was hove 
 to, as we had no desire to put in an appearance during 
 daylight. 
 
 " The first matter to be taken into consideration, I 
 think, Mr. Wetherell," said the skipper, " is the point 
 as to which side of the island we shall bring up on." 
 
 " You will be able to settle that," answered Weth- 
 erell, looking at me. " You are acquainted with the 
 island and can best advise us." 
 
 " I will do so to the best of my ability," I said, sitting 
 down on the deck and drawing an outline with a piece 
 of chalk. " The island is shaped like this : There is no 
 reef. Here is the best anchorage without doubt, but 
 here is the point where we shall be most likely to ap- 
 proach without being observed. The trend of the land 
 is all upwards from the shore, and, as far as I remember, 
 the most likely spot for a hut — if they have Miss Weth- 
 erell there, as we suppose — will be on a little plateau 
 looking south, and hard by the only fresh water on the 
 island." 
 
 " And what sort of anchorage shall we get there, do 
 you think ? " asked the skipper, who very properly 
 wished to run no risk with his owner's boat. 
 
 " Sand and coral. None too good, perhaps, but, as 
 we shall have steam up, quite safe enough." 
 
 " And how do you propose that we shall approach 
 the hut when we land ? Is there any undergrowth, or 
 must we climb the hill under the enemies' fire ? " 
 19 
 
284 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 " I have been thinking that out," I said, « and I 
 have come to the conclusion that the best plan would 
 be for us to approach the island after dark, to heave 
 her to about three miles out and pull ashore in the 
 boat ; we will then ascend the hill by the eastern slope 
 and descend upon them. They will probably not ex- 
 pect us from that quarter, and it will at least be easier 
 than climbing the hill in the face of a heavy fire. 
 What do you say ? " 
 
 "It seems very practicable," they all answered im- 
 mediately. 
 
 "Very good, then," said the skipper; "we'll have 
 lunch and afterwards begin our preparations." Then, 
 turning to me : " I'll get you to come into my cabin by- 
 and-bye and take a look at the admiralty chart. You 
 will be able, probably, to tell me if you think it's all 
 right." 
 
 "With pleasure," I answered, and then we went 
 down below. 
 
 Directly our meal was over I accompanied the skip- 
 per to look at the chart, and upon it we marked our 
 probable anchorage. Then an adjournment was made 
 aft, and our equipment of rifles and revolvers thor- 
 oughly overhauled. We had decided before this that 
 our landing party should consist of eight men — Weth- 
 erell, Beckenham, the mate of the yacht, myself, and 
 four of the crew — all of whom would be supplied with a 
 Winchester repeating rifle, a revolver, and a dozen cart- 
 ridges for each weapon. Not a shot was to be fired 
 unless absolutely necessary, and the greatest care was to 
 be taken in order to approach the hut, if possible, with- 
 out disturbing its inmates. 
 
 When the arms had been distributed and carefully 
 examined the sixteen-foot surf boat was uncovered and 
 
THE ISLANDS AND WHAT WE POUND THERE. 285 
 
 preparations made for hoisting her overboard. By the 
 time this was done it was late in the afternoon, and 
 almost time for us to be thinking about overcoming 
 the distance which separated us from our destination. 
 Exactly at four o'clock the telegraph on the bridge 
 signalled " Go ahead ! " and we were on our way once 
 more. To tell the truth, I think we were so nervous 
 that we were only too thankful to be moving again. 
 
 About dusk I was standing aft, leaning against 
 the taffrail, when Beckenham came up and stood be- 
 side me. It was wonderful the difference these few 
 months had made in him ; he was as brown as a berry 
 and as fine-looking a young fellow as any man could 
 wish to see. 
 
 "We shall be picking up the island directly," I 
 said as he came to an anchor alongside me. " Do you 
 think you ought to run the risk of being shot to- 
 night?" 
 
 " I have not thought of that," he said. " But I 
 think it's my duty to do my best to help you and Mr. 
 Wetherell." 
 
 " But what would your father say if he knew ? " 
 
 "He would say that I only did what was right. 
 I have just been writing to him, telling him every- 
 thing. If anything should happen to me you will find 
 the letter on your chest of drawers in your cabin. I 
 , know you will send it on to him. But if we both come 
 out of it safely and rescue Miss Wetherell, I'm going to 
 ask a favour of you." 
 
 " Granted before I know what it is? " 
 
 " It isn't a very great one. I want you to let me be 
 your best man at your wedding." 
 
 " So you shall. And a better I could not possibly 
 have." 
 
286 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 " I like to hear you say that. We've been through 
 a good deal together, hayen't we, since we left Eu- 
 rope ? " 
 
 " We have ; and to-night will bring it to a climax, 
 or I'm much mistaken." 
 
 " Do you think Nikola will show fight ? " 
 
 " Not a doubt about it, I should think. If he finds 
 himself cornered he'll probably fight like a demon." 
 
 " It's Baxter I want to meet." 
 
 " It's Nikola I want. I've a big grudge against him 
 and I want to pay it." 
 
 " How little we thought when we were cruising 
 about Bournemouth Bay together that within such a 
 short space of time we should be sailing the South 
 Pacific on such an errand ! It seems almost too strange 
 to be possible." 
 
 " Never mind. All's well that ends well. So let's 
 hope we're going to be successful to-night. Now I'm 
 going on the bridge to see if I can pick the land up 
 ahead." 
 
 I left him and went forward to the captain's side. 
 Dusk had now quite fallen and it was impossible to 
 see very far ahead. A hand had been posted in the 
 fore rigging as a lookout, and every moment we ex- 
 pected to hear his warning, but nearly an hour went by 
 and still it did not come. 
 
 Then suddenly the cry rang out, " Land ahead ! " and 
 we knew that our destination was in sight. Long 
 before this all our lights had been obscured, and so in 
 the darkness, for a thick pall of cloud covered the sky, 
 we crept up towards the coast. Within a couple of 
 minutes of hearing the hail every man on board was 
 on deck gazing ahead in the direction in which we 
 were proceeding. If all hearts throbbed as mine did 
 
THE ISLANDS AND WHAT WE POUND THERE. 287 
 
 we should have been a nervous community ; but I do 
 believe every man was excited above the ordinary. 
 
 By tea time we had brought the land considerably 
 nearer, and by eight o'clock were within three miles of 
 it. Not a sign, however, of any ship could we discern, 
 and the greatest vigilance had to be exercised on our 
 part to allow no sign to escape to show our where- 
 abouts. Exactly at nine o'clock the shore party, fully 
 armed, assembled on deck, and the surf boat was 
 swung overboard. Then in the darkness we crept down 
 the gangway and took our places. The mate was in 
 possession of the tiller, and when all was ready we set 
 out for the shore. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 CONCLUSION-. 
 
 Okcb we had left her side and turned our boat's 
 nose shoreward, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass 
 half absorbed in the general shadow. Not a light 
 showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave ; 
 the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the 
 oars in the smooth water and the chirp of the rowlocks. 
 For nearly an hour we pulled on, pausing at intervals to 
 listen. But nothing of an alarming nature met our 
 ears. Every moment the island was growing larger, the 
 beach more plain to the eye, and the hill more clearly 
 outlined. 
 
 As soon as the boat grounded we all sprang out and, 
 leaving one hand to look after her, made our way ashore. 
 It was a strange experience, that landing on a strange 
 island on such an errand and at such an hour, but we 
 were all too much taken up with what lay before us to 
 think of that. Having left the water, we came to a 
 standstill beneath a group of palms and discussed the 
 situation. As the command of the expedition had been 
 given to me, I decided upon the following plan : First 
 and f oremosti I would leave the party behind me and set 
 out by myself to ascertain the whereabouts of the hut. 
 Having discovered this, I would return, and we would 
 thereupon make our way inland and endeavour to cap- 
 
 288 
 
CONCLUSION. 289 
 
 ture it. I explained this in as few words as possible to 
 my followers, and then, bidding them wait for me where 
 they were, at the same time warning them against let- 
 ting their presence be discovered, I set off up the hill 
 in the direction I knew the plateau to lie. The under- 
 growth was very thick and the ground rocky, so for this 
 reason it was nearly twenty minutes before I reached 
 the top of the hill. Then down on the other side I 
 crept, picking my way carefully, and taking infinite pre- 
 cautions not to allow any noise to give evidence of my 
 coming. 
 
 At last I reached the high ground above the plateau 
 and looked about me. A small perpendicular clifE 
 some sixty feet or so in height was before me, so throw- 
 ing myself down flat I wriggled my way to its edge. 
 When I got there I looked over and discovered three 
 well-built huts upon a little plateau at the cliff's base. 
 At the same moment a roar of laughter greeted my ears 
 from the building on the left. It was followed by the 
 voice of a man singing to the accompaniment of a banjo. 
 Under cover of his music I rose to my feet and crept 
 back through the bushes on the track by which I had 
 come. I knew enough now to locate my forces. 
 
 Having reached my friends again, I informed them 
 of what I had seen, and we then arranged the mode of 
 attack as follows : The mate of the yacht with two of 
 the hands would pass round the hill to the left side of 
 the plateau, Wetherell and another couple of the hands 
 would take the right side, while Beckenham and myself 
 crept down at the back. Not a sound was to be made or 
 a shot fired until I blew my whistle as a signal. Then, 
 with one last word of caution, we started on our climb. 
 
 By this time the clouds had cleared off the sky and 
 the stars shone brightly. Now and again a bird would 
 
290 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 give a drowsy caw as we disturbed it, or a wild pig 
 would jump up with a grunt and go trotting ofE into 
 the undergrowth; but beyond these things we hardly 
 made a sound. Once more we arrived at the small 
 precipice behind the huts and, having done so, sat down 
 for a few moments to give the other parties time to 
 take up their positions. Then signing to Beckenham 
 to follow me, I followed the trend of the precipice 
 along till I found a place where we might in safety de- 
 scend. In less than a minute we were on the plateau 
 below creeping towards the centre hut. Still our ap- 
 proach was undetected. Bidding Beckenham, in a 
 whisper, wait for me, I made my way cautiously round 
 to the front, keeping as much as possible in the shadow. 
 As soon as I had discovered the door I made my way to- 
 wards it and prepared to force my way inside. But I 
 had an adventure in store for me which I did not ex- 
 pect. Seated in the doorway almost hidden in the 
 shadow was the figure of a man. He must have been 
 asleep, for he did not become aware of my presence un- 
 til I was within a foot of him. Then he sprang to his 
 feet and was about to give the alarm, but before he could 
 do so I was upon him. Then commenced a desperate 
 hand-to-hand struggle, in which I was fighting solely 
 for his throat. This once obtained, I tightened my fin- 
 gers round it and squeezed until he fell back uncon- 
 scious. It was like a horrible nightmare, that combat 
 without noise in the dark entry of the hut, but I was 
 thankful that it had ended so satisfactorily for me. As 
 soon as I could I rose to my feet and proceeded past his 
 body into the hut itself. A swing door led from the 
 porch, and this I pushed open. " Who is it, and what do 
 you want ? " said a voice which I should have recognised 
 everywhere. 
 
CONCLUSION. 291 
 
 In answer I took her in my arms and, whispering my 
 name, kissed her over and over again. Then, bidding 
 her step quietly, I passed out into the starlight and led 
 her after me. As we were about to make for the path 
 by which I had descended, Beckenham stepped forward, 
 and at the same instant the man with whom I had been 
 wrestling gave a shou t of alarm. In an instant there 
 was the noise of scurrying feet and the shouting of 
 orders. 
 
 " Make for the boats ! " I cried at the top of my voice, 
 and then, taking Phyllis by the hand, set off as quick as 
 I could up the path, Beckenham assisting her on the 
 other side. If I live to be a hundred I shall never for- 
 get that rush up the hill. Like rabbits we dashed in 
 and out of trees and bushes, scratching ourselves and 
 tearing our clothes, but conscious only of the necessity 
 for speed. Before we were half way down the other 
 side Phyllis's strength was quite exhausted, so I took her 
 in my arms and carried her for the remainder of the 
 distance. At last we reached the boats and jumped on 
 board. The rest of the party were already there, and, 
 the word being given, we prepared to row out to the 
 yacht. But before we could push ofE a painful surprise 
 was in store for us. Suddenly the Marquis cried, 
 " Where is Mr. Wetherell?" 
 
 We looked round upon each other, and surely enough 
 the old gentleman was not with us. At this Phyllis 
 nearly gave way, and implored us to go back at once and 
 find him. But having rescued her with so much diffi- 
 culty, I did not wish to run any risk of her falling into 
 her enemies' hands again, so selecting four volunteers 
 from the party, I bade the rest pull the boat out to the 
 yacht and give Miss Wetherell into the captain's charge, 
 while we went ashore again in search of her father. 
 
292 A BID FOE FORTUNE. 
 
 Having done this, the boat was to return and wait 
 for us. 
 
 Quickly we splashed our way back to the beach, and 
 then, plunging into the undergrowth, began our search 
 for the missing man. It was like looking for a needle 
 in a bundle of hay, and as one of the hands remem- 
 bered seeing him descending the hill we devoted our 
 attentions to that side. For nearly two hours we 
 searched, but without success. Not a sign of the gen- 
 tleman was to be seen. Could he have mistaken his 
 way and be even now searching for us on another beach ? 
 To make sure of this we set off and thoroughly searched 
 the two bays in the direction he would most likely have 
 taken. But still without success. Perhaps he had been 
 captured and carried back to the huts. In that case we 
 had better proceed thither and try to rescue him. This, 
 however, was a much more serious undertaking, and you 
 may imagine it was with considerable care that we ap- 
 proached the plateau. 
 
 When we got there the huts were as quiet as when I 
 had first made their acquaintance. Not a sound came 
 up to the top of the little precipice save the wind in the 
 palms at its foot. It seemed difficult to believe that 
 there had been such a tumult on the spot so short a 
 time before. 
 
 Again, with infinite care, we crept down to the huts, 
 this time, however, without encountering a soul. The 
 first building was empty, so was the second, and so was 
 the third. This was quite unexpected, and rendered the 
 situation even more mysterious. 
 
 By the time we had thoroughly explored the plateau 
 and its surroundings it was nearly daylight, and still we 
 had discovered no trace of the missing man. Just as 
 the sun rose above the sea line we descended the hill 
 
CONCLUSION. 293 
 
 again and commenced a second search, with no more 
 luck, however, than on the preceding occasion. Weth- 
 erell and our assailants seemed to have completely disap- 
 peared. 
 
 About six o'clock, thoroughly worn out, we re- 
 turned to the beach, where the boat was in waiting 
 for us. What was to be done ? We could not, for ob- 
 vious reasons, leave the island and abandon the old 
 gentleman to his fate, and yet it seemed useless to re- 
 main there when he might have been spirited away else- 
 where. 
 
 Suddenly one of the hands, who had been loitering 
 behind, came into view waving something in his hand. 
 As he came closer we could see that it was a sheet of 
 paper, and when he gave it into my hands I read as 
 follows : 
 
 " If you cross the island to the North beach you will 
 find a small cliff with a large cave, a little above high- 
 water marh. There you will discover the man for whom 
 you are searching." There was no signature to this 
 epistle and the writing was quite unfamiliar to me. 
 But I had no reason to doubt its authenticity. 
 
 " Where did you discover this ? " I inquired of the 
 man who had brought it. 
 
 " Fastened to one of them prickly bushes up on the 
 beach there," he answered. 
 
 " Well, the only thing for us to do now is to set off 
 for the North beach and hunt for the cave. Two of 
 you had better take the boat back to the yacht and ask 
 the captain to follow us round." 
 
 As soon as the boat was under weigh we picked up 
 our rifles and set ofE for the North beach. It was swel- 
 teringly hot by this time, and, as may be imagined, we were 
 all dead tired. However, we should be amply repaid if 
 
29i A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 we could effect the rescue of the man for whom we had 
 been searching. 
 
 At last we turned the cape and entered the bay 
 which constituted the north end of the island. It was 
 not a large beach, but had, at its western end, a curious 
 line of small cliffs, in the centre of which we could make 
 out a small black spot looking remarkably like the 
 entrance to a cave. Towards this we pressed, forgetting 
 our weariness in the excitement of the search. 
 
 It was a cave, and a large one. So far the letter was 
 correct. 
 
 Preparing ourselves, in case of surprise, we ap- 
 proached the entrance, calling Mr. Wetherell's name. 
 As our shouts died away a voice came out in reply, and 
 thereupon we rushed in. A remarkable sight met our 
 eyes. In the centre of the cave was a stout upright 
 post, some six or eight feet in height, and to this, 
 securely tied, was the Colonial Secretary of New South 
 Wales. 
 
 In less time almost than it takes to tell we had cast 
 loose the ropes which bound him, and then led him — for 
 he was too weak to stand alone — out into the open air. 
 While he was resting he inquired after his daughter, and, 
 having learned of her safety, gave us the following expla- 
 nation. Addressing himself to me, he said : 
 
 " When you called ' Make for the boats ! ' I ran up the 
 hill with the others as fast as I could go. But I'm an 
 old man, and could not get along as fast as I wanted to, 
 and was soon left far behind. I was half way down the 
 hill, perhaps, when a tall man, dressed in white, stepped 
 from behind a bush and, raising a rifle, bade me come 
 to a standstill. Having no time to lift my own weapon, 
 I was obliged to do as he ordered me, and he thereupon 
 told me to lay down my rifle and right about face. In 
 
CONCLUSION. 295 
 
 this fashion I was marched back to the huts, and then, 
 another man having joined my captor, across the island 
 to this beach, where a boat was in waiting. In this I 
 was pulled out to a small schooner lying at anchor in 
 the bay, and ordered to board her. Five minutes later 
 I was conducted to the saloon, where two or three per- 
 sons were collected. 
 
 " ' Good evening, Mr. Wetherell, this is indeed a 
 pleasure ! ' said a man sitting at the end of the table 
 playing with a big black cat. Directly I heard his voice 
 I knew that I was in the presence of Dr. Nikola. 
 
 "'And what do you think I am going to do with you, 
 my friend?' he said, when I made no reply to his 
 remark. 
 
 " ' You dare not do anything,' I replied ; ' I demand 
 that you shall let me go this instant.' 
 
 " ' If you will be warned by me you will cease to de- 
 mand,' he answered, his eyes the while burning like 
 live coals. ' Though you have put me to much trouble 
 and expense I will forgive that and come to terms with 
 you. Give me ' 
 
 " At that moment the little vessel gave a heavy roll, 
 and in trying to keep my footing on the sloping deck I 
 fell over upon the table. As I did so, the little Chinese 
 stick slipped out of my pocket and went rolling along 
 the table almost into Nikola's hands. He sprang for- 
 ward and seized it, and you may imagine his delight. 
 With a cry of triumph that made the cat leap from his 
 shoulder, he turned to a tall man by his side and said : 
 
 " ' Let a boat's crew take this man ashore and tie him 
 to the stake in the cave. Then devise some means of 
 letting his friends know his whereabouts. Be quick, 
 for we sail in an hour.' Then turning to me again he 
 said : 
 
296 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 " ' Mr. Wetherell, this is the last transaction we shall 
 probably ever have together. All things considered, 
 you are lucky in escaping so easily. I congratulate you 
 upon your charming daughter. Now, good-bye ; in an 
 hour I am off to effect a coup with this stick, the mag- 
 nitude of which you would never dream. One last 
 word of advice — Pause a second time, I entreat you, 
 before you think of trying to balk Dr. Nikola.' 
 
 " I was then led upon deck, where that scoundrel 
 Baxter had the impudence to make me a low bow, and 
 in less than half an hour I was fastened to the post 
 in that cave. The rest you know. Now let us get on 
 board. I see the boat is approaching." 
 
 As soon, therefore, as the surf boat had drawn up 
 on the beach we embarked upon her and were pulled 
 out to the yacht. In a quarter of an hour we were on 
 deck, and Phyllis was in her father's arms again. Over 
 that meeting, with its rapturous embraces and general 
 congratulations, I must draw a curtain. Suffice it that 
 by midday the island had disappeared under the sea 
 line and we were well on our way back to Sydney. 
 
 That evening, after dinner, Phyllis and I patrolled 
 the deck and finally came to a standstill aft. It was as 
 beautiful an evening as any man or woman could wish 
 for. All round us was the glassy sea, while overhead 
 the Tropic stars shone down with radiant brilliance. 
 
 " Phyllis," I said, taking my darling's hand and 
 looking into her face, " what a series of adventures we 
 have both passed through since that afternoon I first 
 saw you in the Domain ! Do you know your father has 
 now consented to our marriage ? " 
 
 " It is to you, Dick, I owe my rescue," said she, 
 coming a little closer to me. " You have a perfect right 
 to me, for you have won me nobly." 
 
CONCLUSION. 297 
 
 " Hush ! " I answered, " you must not say that. If 
 anything had happened to you I should never have been 
 happy again." 
 
 " But, Dick, there is one thing I don't understand. 
 At dinner this evening the captain addressed you as 
 Sir Eichard — what does that mean ? " 
 
 " Well, it means this : that though I cannot make 
 you a duchess, I can make you a baronet's wife. It 
 remains with you to say whether you will be Lady Hat- 
 teras or not." 
 
 " But are you a baronet, Dick ? How did that come 
 about?" 
 
 " I'll tell you. Do you remember my writing to you 
 of the strange call I paid when in England on my only 
 two relatives in the world ? " 
 
 " The old man and his daughter in the New Forest ? 
 Yes, I remember." 
 
 " Well they are dead, and, as the next of kin, I 
 have inherited the title and the estates. What do you 
 think of that?" 
 
 Her only reply was to kiss me softly on the cheek. 
 
 She had scarcely done so before her father and 
 Beckenham came along the deck towards us. 
 
 "Now, Phyllis," said the former, leading her to a 
 seat, " suppose you give us the history of your adven- 
 tures. Eemember we have heard nothing yet." 
 
 " Very well. Where shall I begin ? At the moment 
 I left the house for the ball? Very good. Well, you 
 must know that when I arrived at Government House 
 I met Mrs. Mayford, the lady who had promised to 
 chaperon me, in the cloak-room, and we passed into the 
 ball-room together. I danced the first dance with Cap- 
 tain Hackworth, one of the aides, and engaged myself 
 for the fourth to the Marquis of Beckenham." 
 
298 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 " The sham marquis, I'm sorry to say," put in the 
 real one. 
 
 " Unfortunately for me also," continued Phyllis. 
 " As it was a square, we sat it out in the ante-room ofE 
 the drawing-room. While we were there the young 
 gentleman, I must tell you, did me the honour of pro- 
 posing to me. It was terribly embarrassing, but I al- 
 lowed him to see as unmistakably as possible that I 
 could give him no encouragement, and, as the intro- 
 duction to the next waltz started, we parted the best of 
 friends. About half an hour later, just as I was going 
 to dance the lancers, Mrs. Mayford came towards me 
 and drew me into the drawing-room. Mr. Baxter, his 
 Lordship's tutor, was with her and both looked super- 
 naturally grave. 
 
 " ' What is the matter ? ' I asked, being alarmed by 
 her face. 
 
 " ' My dear,' said she, ' you must be brave. I have 
 come to tell you that your father has been taken seri- 
 ously ill and has sent for you.' 
 
 " ' Papa ill ? ' I cried. ' Oh, I must go home to him 
 at once ! ' 
 
 " ' I have facilitated^ that,' said Mr. Baxter, ' by or- 
 dering the servants to call up your carriage, which is 
 now waiting for you at the door. If you will allow me 
 I will conduct you to it.' 
 
 " I apologised to my partner for leaving him and 
 then went to the cloak-room. As soon as I was ready I 
 accompanied Mr. Baxter to the door, where the brougham 
 was waiting. Without looking at the coachman, I got 
 in, at the same time thanking Mr. Baxter for his kind- 
 ness. He shut the door and cried ' Home ! ' to the 
 coachman. Next moment we were spinning down the 
 drive. 
 
CONCLUSIOX. 299 
 
 " As I was too much occupied thinking of you, papa, 
 I did not notice the direction we were taking, an.d it was 
 not until the carriage stopped before a house in a back 
 street that I realised that something was wrong. Then 
 the door was opened and a gentleman in evening dress 
 begged me to alight. I did so, almost without think- 
 ing. 
 
 " ' I am sorry to say your father is not at all well. 
 Miss Wetherell,' he continued. ' If you will be good 
 enough to step into ray house I will let the nurse take 
 you to him.' 
 
 " Like a person in a dream I followed him into the 
 house and the door was then shut upon me. 
 
 " ' Where is my father, and how is it that he is 
 here?' I cried, beginning to get frightened. 
 
 " ' You will know all when you see him,' said my 
 companion, throwing open the door of a room. I went 
 in, and that door was also shut upon me. Then I 
 turned and faced the man." 
 
 " What was he like ? " 
 
 " He was the man you were telling us about at din- 
 ner — Dr. Nikola." 
 
 " Ah ! And then ? " 
 
 " He politely but firmly informed me that I was his 
 prisoner, and that until you did certain things he would 
 be compelled to detain me. I threatened, entreated, 
 and finally wept. But he was not to be moved. He 
 promised that no effort should be spared to make me 
 comfortable, but he could not let me go free. And so I 
 was kept there until late one night, when I was in- 
 formed that I must be ready to leave the house. A 
 brougham was at the door, and in this, securely guarded, 
 I was conducted to the harbour where' a boat was in 
 waiting. In this we were rowed out to a schooner and 
 20 
 
300 A BID FOR FORTUNE. 
 
 I was placed aboard her. A neatly arranged cabin was 
 allotted. to me and everything I could possibly want was 
 given me. But I could gather nothing of where we were 
 going or what my fate was to be. About midnight we 
 got under weigh and commenced our voyage. Our des- 
 tination was the island where you found me." 
 
 " And how did Nikola treat you during the voyage 
 and your stay on Pipa Lannu ? " I asked. 
 
 " With invariable courtesy," she replied. " A more 
 admirable host no one could desire. I had but to ex- 
 press a wish for anything and it was instantly forth- 
 coming. When we were clear of land I was allowed on 
 deck, my meals were served to me in a cabin adjoining 
 my own, and a stewardess was there to wait upon me. 
 As far as my own personal treatment went I have 
 nothing to " complain of. But I was so thankful to get 
 away. I had begun to imagine all sorts of horrors." 
 
 " Well, thank goodness, it's all done with now ! " 
 
 And so it was, for a week later we were back in 
 Sydney again, and the eventful voyage Avas over. 
 
 Then came our marriage. But with your permis- 
 sion I will only give you a bare outline of it. It took 
 place at the Cathedral, the Primate officiating. The 
 Marquis was kind enough to act as my best man, while 
 the Colonial Secretary of course gave his daughter 
 away. But now I think of it, there is one point I 
 must touch upon in connection with this happy occa- 
 sion, and that was the arrival of a present on the even- 
 ing prior to the event. 
 
 We were sitting in the drawing-room when the but- 
 ler brought in a square parcel on a salver and handed it 
 to Phyllis. 
 
 " Another present, I expect," she said, and began to 
 untie the string that bound it. 
 
CONCLUSION. 301 
 
 AVhen the first cover was removed a layer of tissue 
 paper revealed itself, and after that a large Kussia leather 
 case came into view. On pressing the spring the cover 
 lifted and revealed a superb collet, as I believe it is 
 called, of diamonds, and resting against the lid a small 
 card bearing this inscription : 
 
 " With heartiest congratulations and best tvishes to 
 
 Lady ffatteras, 
 
 " Fi'om her sincere admirer, 
 
 " Dr. Nikola." 
 
 Now what do you think of that ? 
 
 Well, to bring my story to a close, the event passed 
 off with considerable eclat. We spent our honeymoon 
 on the Blue Mountains, and a fortnight later sailed 
 once more for England in the " Orizaba." Both Mr. 
 Wetherell, who has now resigned office, and the Mar- 
 quis of Beckenham, accompanied us, and it was to the 
 latter's seaside residence that we went immediately on 
 our arrival in the mother country. My own New For- 
 est home is being thoroughly renovated, and will be 
 ready for occupation in the spring. 
 
 Of Nikola, Baxter, Eastover, or Prendergast I have 
 never heard since. What gigantic coup the first-named 
 intends to accomplish with the little Chinese stick is 
 beyond my power to tell. I am thankful, however, to 
 feel that I am not in any way concerned in it. And so 
 I ring the curtain down upon the narrative of my ex- 
 traordinary Bid for Fortune. 
 
 THE ElfD.