Captain Joe; or, The Days of the Mint — page 11: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE HALFPA2NNY STANDARD. 59 never done before. volour then his. ‘That I might not have noticed ifhe had not been so partichlar in keeping his on his own side ef the table, and he changed the bottles at the last moment. Now putting these things together, what does it mean ?” He looked at his grog again. By this time the liquor was gradually growing darker at the bottotn of the glass. Then the truth flashed upon him in a moment. “*Drugged,” he-said. ‘‘Iseeitnow. The one dose was to make me slcep. Sherlock, Sherlock, I am sorry for this, for 1 trusted you; but per- haps you are in the Dutchman's power and cannot ! help yourself,” He let the glass stand while he saw to the loading of his pistols—reset the flints, and put in fregh charges of powder and ball. Then he took a draught of cold. water to waken and refresh himself, By this time the liquor in his glass was its natural colour, and there was a dark, oily sediment at the bottom. He-poured the liquor off carefully, and putting the:tip of his finger on the sediment tasted it. The curious taste—at once sweet and bitter—en- lightened him. ‘Some preparation of opium,” he said; ‘‘ if I had taken it I should have slept like a dead man till the morning. As if is I am wide awake—very wile awako,”’ For nearly an hour he sat on the alert, and did not hear a gound, The room he occupied was at the back, and his view was shut in by the cliffs. He would have gone to the front window on the sttircase, but he felt convinced that something would take place. and he wanted them to think he was asleep. He was rewarded presently for his forethought and patience, when he heard a tap at his door. He answered with a snore that must have been distinctly audible outside, “ Captain,” said Sherlock’s voice, ‘‘ Captain Lindrake,” The revenue officer obliged him with another snore, ‘‘Captain,” said the voiceagain, “did you hear that strange noise just now?” “Not if I know it,” Lindrake said to himself, “but I daresay I shall hear something presently, So will you.” ‘«There’s something wrong in the bay,”” Sher- lock said, knocking louder at the door. ‘'A strange cralt, looks like a smuggler,” “No doubt of it,” Lindrake thonght. ‘If craft is another name for cunning, you have more than a little of it. ‘Try again, my friend. You must take me for a very young bird when you want to put that kind of salt on my tail. Do try again.” Sherl -ck did ; hammered on the panel with his fist, and said, ‘Smugglers in the bay” in his most stentorian voice, and tried the lock, but there was no reply. Then he listened intently, and heard nothing but the low and regular breathing of a tiretl man, with an occasional snore so naturally thrown in as to rouse no suspicion. ‘Fast asleep and snoring,” he said, as he de- scended to the room below, where Vandergrift and half a dozen of his crew were by this time assem- bled. ‘*So follow me.” He led the way to the cellars. There was along range of them, extending to the full extent of the foundation on which the house was built ; and, having gone to the furthest one, Sherlock put his hand on a heavy cask, a hogshead, one of six that stood across the corner at the back. *?T want a shoulder here,” he said. Two or three men came to his aid, but could not move the eask an inch. ‘* Stand away,” said Vandergrift. As they obeyed him he seized the huge bulk by the rim, tilted it, and wheeled it round on edge, not sorry to make this exhibition of his terrible strength before his crew; it.showed them the kind of man they would have to deal with should. any dispute arise. * Why not do it so ?” he said, J “Few men have your strength,” Sherlock said,: “and though if is a useful.thing to have, it does not make you invulnerable. way through a Hereules as easily as through the puniest midshipman that ever wore a dirk.” - The skipper scowled at him darkly. He thought the remark ill-timed, the more especially as one Mine was tather a darker: A bullet will find its: or two of the erew smiled in grim approval as they heard it. ‘With strength like mine," he gaid, sternly, ‘“an eye as qnick, and a hand as sure as the lightning's flash, I fear no bullet or steel aimed at me from the front, but, as you say, no man is invulnerable. No man can guard against the assassin or the traitor, But I have always a friend to warn me, and let those who know me best say whether my friends or my foes live longest.” The men who had smiled in approval looked gtave again—one of them shuddered. It was a tradition amongst them that Heidrich Vander- grift bore a charmed life. Some said he was in Icague with Satan, who warned him when he was in danger. For if there was a traitor in the crew the man was sure to be found out, and then his end would be a sndden and a sanguinary one. The rest of the casks were swung aside in silence, and then Sherlock, witha long iron bar wedged at the end, prised ont a small square stone, that looked like a portion of the solid rock, He put his arm through the aperture and a click- ing sound was heard, then a pyramid-shaped mass of the wall rolled outwards on invisible wheels, and the way to the secret cave was open: Thongh the way ,was well known to Vander- grift and Sherlock, they descended with caution, each bearing a lighted torch, the others following still more carefully, A few steps down took them to a tolerably level floor, and the lights revealed a large chamber, with a light and lofty roof, from which numerous stalactities hung in glittering splendour. It was a natural cave, untouched by human architect or builder. ** Welcome, my friends, to thesmuggler’s salon,” said Vandergrift. ‘‘Rude as the furniture may be there is the ransom of a king in those old boxes there,”’ He pointed to some massive oaken chests, which were locked and barred and fastened to the wall with chains. Two or three roughly-made tables, with a few stools, were all the furniture it contained ; a number of kegs were piled against the front wall, and a windlass stood in one corner, A few coils of chain were round the solid drum, and the chain disappeared through a hole in the floor. Into this hole Sherlock in- serted the wedge of his iron bar, and with Hei- drich’s help prised up a flap which served as a trap-door ; when this was removed the restless wash of waters could be distinctly heard. “* Where does that lead to?’ asked one of the crew, a fair-haired Hollander, who looked too young and frank and manly for such associates, “Right out to sea, my good Hans,” said Heidrich, grimly, ‘‘and more thau once it has taken a dead body with it from here; aye, from here. The surest way with spies and traitors ; no mark of violence, no bullet hole or knife gash, just a splash, a gurglo, a waiting for the tide to rise, the body found on the beach perhaps; a verdict of drowned, and then an end. Come here, my Hans, and look.” Hans obeyed him. Vandergrift held the torch, and the young Hollander could see the restless water beating to and fro ten or a dozen yards beneath him. * You know the secret of the cavern now,” Heidrich said, patting him kindly onthe shoulder ; ‘‘and you know, my Hans, what your fate would be if you were to turn spy or traitor; but see, David, my friendt.” ‘© Well ?” said Sherlock, ‘This, my Hans, you have never seen before,” ** Never.” ‘* He is the younger brother of my Katterina, my own dear vrow, after whom I named my match- less craft now in the bay ; and, as yon see, he is innoeent and handsome to look at.” “ As fine a fellow as anyone could wish to see,” said Sherlock, “So; and yet he is jealous, hasty, and was poor ; and he had a pretty fraulien, so pretty that the son of a rich burgomaster thought her too ape for Hans, and that burgomaster’s son was found dead, with a knife through his throat, and some people say it was Hans, Was that so, my Hans ?” By the resentful glow in the young Hollander’s face, Sherlock could see that he did not take kindly to his grim banter, ** Well, well,” said Vandergrift, seeing that he was going too far, “it was a fair fight, bat Hans did not feel that he was safe,so I gave him shelter on the lugger, and he is one of us, and with us the heart’s blood of all is ready to defend the life of one, and of one for all, so we are sworn. Now, lads, to the windlass, and, hey, for the kegs of old 1” : One of the secrets of his success, the extra- ordinary command he had over: his‘men, was the rapidity with which he could turn from one mood to another. Nothing could have been more im- pressive than his manner when he said that having civen Hans Steinitz shelter on hisdugger the young Hollander was safe. Nothing could: have been more jovial than the swift transition with which he sent his men to the windlass for the gold. | Sherlock, who liked to call no man his master, felt that for the present he must give way; but he bided his time, and meant one day to stand at least on an equal footing. The men went to work with a will, and the ponderous drum went round till the entire length ot chain was coiled, and the rope began to show itself. Here the weight began to tell, and Vandergrift, in his eagerness, pushed his men aside, and took the iron handle in his mighty grip. Had he let go, he must have been struck dead by the awful velocity of the reversed action, but he kept on, though the veins in his forehead stood out like knotted string, and the muscles on his arms might have been made of flexible steel. Suddenly he stopped. ‘* Here,” he said, ‘* is one.” The first. keg was swinging slowly to and froin the aperture, and a dozen eager hands released it. ** And here another,” said Vandergrift. ‘‘ Lose no time, my lads, but haul away!” ‘*Shall I help you ?” said Sherlock. ‘A tonsand devils! No. I only want your help to keep what I can get.” They were all so awed by his grim determina- tion, that nota word was spoken till the twentieth keg was placed on the cavern floor, and the last inch of rope, with an iron hook at the end of it, was fastened to the drum. Then Heidrich wiped his brow, and said with a langh— ‘* First a drink to our success, and then to see what treasures we have to divide when the time comes. Remember that we are lifty all toid, and we share and share alike.” **Ten shares for you, captain,” said a burly Titan of the Netherlands, ‘*‘ that was onr, agrce- ment.” ** Donner and blitzen ! who cares for an agree- ment when each share is worth ten? Did any of you ever know Heidrich Vandergritt to take more than his own ?” ‘* Never,” said the men in chorus. ‘*Did he ever fail to stand by when one of you was in trouble ?” “* Never,” was repeated in such stentorian tones, that the vaulted roof rang and re-echoed. ‘Then be content. So long as I am yonr leader—and when you want a better one, find him —heavy handed I may be, obedience I will have, but it is for the common good of all; and we share and share alike, always remember that ; and let © our motto be—true to each other while a drop of blood remains in our hearts.” “ Hurrah.” The impulse to cheer him was irresistible, and though the hearty sound gladdened him he felt its imprudence, and put up his hand to enforce attention. He stood in that striking attitude listening intently, and said : **No mercy to a traitor.” ta And a With a leap like that ofa tiger he bounded to the opening of the cave, and said, with deep ferocity : ** Death and fury, a spy!” There was a brief struggle, and then they saw him on one knee with the helpless body of a man whom he was:strangling thrown ‘across the other. The upturned face turning black under his merciless fingers was that ol Captain Lindrake ; he had missed his footing and stumbled into this den of demons like a blind man. In another moment he would. have been dead, bat an interruption, came from an unexpected quarter, comiclooks COM