THE BLACK YACHT

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 423, 2 June 1904, Page 2

THE BLACK YACHT

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

By Fergus Hume, Autkor of "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," " The jThixd,;Volume," " The Vanishing of Tera," « The Lone Inn," «For thej)efence," &c., &c,

COPYRIGHT.

CHAPTER V.—A MODEBN BUCCANBEB. Aiding steered for Brest with the intention of running thence straight for Bilbao. But as events turned out we had no need to make the Spanish coast at all. To our great surprise we sighted the black yacht in the Bay of Biscay. There was something ironic in the way Fate dealt with Fen wick j bat I am bound to say that he triumphed in the face of everything. The laugh was certainly on his side. South of Brest a thick sea fog wrapped us in its spectral veil, and, much to his disgust, Aiding was forced to slow down. As the yacht rolled at half-speed through the choppy sea I felt so squeamish that prudence suggested a retreat. But with a great effort I managed to stick to it and remain on deck, for I was in the midst of a most interesting conversation with Nat Twine, in which he was explaining to ms how he came to bear i'lwill towards Fen wick. * She was the prettiest lass in all Portsmonth,' he said, sadly. ' Nancy Dick was her name, and round and rosy and bnxpm she was. We were to be married as sson as I got a decent ship, and I swear Bhe would have been true to me but for that infernal scamp.' ' He's scarcely the kind of man to take • woman's fancy,' I Ea:d, a trifle doubtfully.

glittering in the sun rays every time she heeled, for the breeze had freshened strongly.

' Caise her; she can go/ cried Aiding, with unwilling admiration. ' Tell them to fire up. Twine. We can't have this sort of thing.' Shortly volumes of smoke pound from the funnel, and the ssrewa increased their revolutions. The yacht cut the waters like a knife, flinging diamond spray to right and left, while her whole frame vibrated with the power of her engines. She soon warmed into top speed, and we began steadily to overhaul the smaller craft Aiding shut up his glass with a snap.

• We'll soon be near enough to dispense with that,' he said, taking my arm; 'in a few hours or ran alongside and board her.'

• But suppose Fenwick won't heave to P' Aiding grinned, and pointed to a small brass carrcnade used for signalling purposes, 'i have ball on board,' he remarked significantly, 'we'll booh bring to reason."

' But isn't that illegal P' 'Of course;' and isn't this abduction of Miss Marchand- illegal P The pot can't call the kettle black in tfeie instance.'

'Don't you make any mistake about that, Mr Walcott. He's an ugly brute, £ure enough, but somehow women go raad over him. Oh, I've heard queer tales, sir, but I did not pay much attention to them, till he stole my Nancy.' 'He married her P'

I He did, worse luck,' was the doleful response. ' She had a good few pounds of her own, she 'ad, and as Fenwick wanted money he bolted with her when I was trading on the Gold Coast. I came back from my last trip to fisd her his missus.' ' Have you seen her since P' "I've Been neither of them,' he Eaid gruffly j 'don't want to see them. She stays at Yarmouth town, and he kicks about in this yacht cf his. A nice time she has of it,* added Twine, with grim satisfaction, ' for I've heard tell as he's Bpent all her money, and never goes sear her.' 'I don't donbt.the truth of your .story,' eaid I meditatively; 'but,all the same, Fenwick is best oh marrying Miss Marchand.*

Fortunately there was n© need to proceed to suoh extremities, for Fenwick proved mote amenable to reason than ere had ventured to hope. After an exciting chase we drew abreast, and Aiding signalled for him to heave to So, recognising the futility of fnrther flight Fenwick, reluctantly, no doubt, put down his helm, and shortly the two yachts were riding at easy distance from each other. •What do you wantP' roared Fenwick through his speaking-trumpet. 'To come aboard!' bellowed Aiding. 'Then come, and be hanged to you!' was the sulky response, whereat my friend rubbed his bands and smiled.

' I brought that gentleman to reason,' he said. ' Lower away there! Tumble in, Paul! And here—take this revolver; it may come in handy.' * Pooh! he's not likely to show fight,' said I, as we scrambled over the side.

• For her money, I suppose, sir. Well, he shan't, or by the Lord PH lay him by the heels for bigamy. I know the church where he married Nancy;" and I'll get even with him yet.' ' The fog's lifting,' remarked Aiding, who came up at this moment.. ' A good thing, too, my lord. It ain't no fun kicking about at half-speed in this exoEssea.' -•- Almost before the words were out of his mouth a vessel loomed suddenly through the mict, For the moment we were paralysed 1 then Twine raced fur the wheel,

'l'm not so sure about that,' replied Aiding, taking the tiller. 'He has a prize worth the keeping. Give way, men I By-the-bye, Paul, I told the steward to prepare my cabin for Mies Marchand, for of course she will return with üb.» 'lf she's on board that schooner she certainly will.'

• Unless,' added Aiding, with hesitation, ' he has landed her at Brest.'

Fenwick greeted ub with sulky couriesy, and surrounded as he was by the brutal faces of his crew, he bad more than ever the .appearance of a Elaver captain. He was by no means pleased when he saw me, and recognised that something more than the accident was in the wiad.

'Hard a port!' he bellowed. 'God A'mighty, hard a port 1' The 'Mother Carey' swung round as the prow of the other vessel %lid past her within a few feet. As Aiding said, the fog was clearing, and even while Twine wan swearisg at the look-out man, and I with my friend was thanking Providence for our escape, we saw the black bulk of the stranger receding into the fog. Twine seized his speaking trumpet. ' Ship ahoy! What ship's that f Gruffly came the answer,' The' Negr eEB, Captain Fenwick? Who are you?' ' Twine gave a kind of gasp at .the unpectedncss of this reply, and the premeditated volley of strong language died on his lips. We looked at one another, amazed. Then the question again rang through the haze. Twine answered: •The 'Mother Carey,' Lord Aiding. Stand by till the fog lifts.' There was no further parley between the two vessels, and I was in dread lest we should lose the opportunity. Should Fenwick imagine I was on board the ' Mother Carey * he could escape without the slighest difficulty.

'Mr Walcott! Lord Aiding!* he exclaimed, with ill-concealed anger. 'To what am I indebted for the honour of this visit ?'

'Well, for my part,' replied Aiding, coolly, ' you nearly ran down my yacht, and for that you should apologise at least. Mr Walcott can explain his own business.' * That can be dose in a few wordß,' I said, coming forward. 'I demand Lilian Marchand, whom you have abducted.' ' Lilian! Abduction !' he cried, leaping back a pace with what appeared genuine astonishment. «What folly iB this P' • You know well enough,' I persisted. 'On the night you left Holport Lilian disappeared. A veiled woman waa taien on board your yacht. You know well enough that you have abducted her, and that she is here.'

In the meantime the sunlight slanted through the fog, and & quarter of a mile away we saw the black yacht rolling in the trough of the sea. The surface of the Bay was frothed with creamy waves, and the glint of the sunlight struck diamonds from their crests The sea-mist thinned under the breath of the fresh breczj, and taking advantage of her opportunity ihe • Negress' shook out her £&il*. "With an ejaculation Aiding placed .tie epeakicgtrumpet to his lips. '' Negres3' ahoy ! I wish to come aboard !'

'lnfernal nonsense! I did not even know that she waß missing. Why should I kidnap the girl P' • Ah, why indeed!' said Aiding, quietly, ' seeing that you have a wife already in the Isle of Wight.' J Fenwick cast an angry gl aß ce at Aiding. «111 thank yoa not to interfere with what does nob concern you, my lord ' he said. ■As to the girl, I gi T6 you my word of honour, Mr Walcott, that I do not know where ehe is. Why should you suspect me P'

' You forget our conversation of a few sights ago.'

Fenwick ran up an insulting signal to signify good-bye, and as the wind bellied the sals of his little craft, headed for the south. lam afraid that we all swore at him pretty lustily. 'fie must guess I'm on board,' said I, putting up ray glass. • 'Not he,' replied Aiding; 'he only wants to''escape being pitcbed into over his clumsy tailing. But he is not goinsr to get away like that. Go ahead, Twine.' The lailing-maater ran to the speakingtube.

'Oh, that!* he said, carelessly; 'it was but a forecast of the future. It is true thfet the girl Btands between me and five thousand a year, so it is provable that I Bhould have abducted her on some future occasion; but it appeaja that someone baa saved me the trouble For my own 6ake I am glad naturally that she has left the Tower. The probability is that thereby I stall be the richer by seme thousands a year." ■ Then take the money, in Heaven's came, and give me Lilian!' ■ I assure you that it i? not possible to cemply with your request,' he said, with genuine chagrin. ' She is not here. I swear it!'

'Fenwick has been fooling aronnd Brest, I fancy,' continued Aiding; 'he would have been further south than this if he had kept straight on. We're bound to catch him now.'

' I don't believe your oaths,' Baid Aiding, contemptuously. «Prove them by letting them Bearch the yacht.' 'By all means. Search from etem to stern; I shall put no hindrance in your way. Bat I would aek job, my loid, to keep a civil tctfgue in yoor head. lam not the mest patient of men.' *

By this time the screws wera churning the water into foam, and I leaned over the taffrail to watch the streaks slucing. past the sides. The sky was flecked with wooUy-lcoking clouds where W8 could see the horxm, for the icg was in banks, and ire kept our eyes fixed on the ' Negress' skimming ahead, under a crowd of Bail, with the wind well abeam. Our boat was increasing her speed, but even thon the black yacht held her own, and she flow on enveloped in a smother of foam. She stood up splendidly as she swung through the green sat*, with hex copper sheathing

Vouchsafing no answer to this Bpeecb, we fumed away and our search, I must admit that Fenwick gave us every opportunity to explore the vessel. We did not leava a corner unviaited: but all to no purpose. Wherever Lilian might be ehe was C6itamly not on board the 'Negiees.' Crestfallen at onr failure, we returned on deck and were met by Feswick, grimly smiling. ■ Weil, gentlemen,' he Baid, insolently, ' do you still believe me guilty ?' ' Oa my soul I. believe you are,' I retorted, 'although for the present you have managed to conceal your villainy.' : Oh, if that is not so, why is Lilian not oa board P*

There are in London 200,000 human beings who have to subsist on food that falls far short of the dietary required for prison inmates, and 30,000 who are homeless. In Buenos Ayres, when a citizen with r plethoric purse goes to market, he buyß his zeget&bles in piles without regard to quantity or quality. Nothing is bought by weight It costs too much trouble. If a man wants a joint of beef he simply tells the butcher he *ants soma meat, and he gets a cut, pays the price, and he goes home satisfied.

The London of tho Eomans lies buried about 18 feet below the level of Cheapside, and etill deeper than that is buried the earlier London of the Britons. In nearly all parts of the City there have been discovered tesselated pavements, Eiman baths, tombs, lamps, vases, sandals, keys, ornaments, weapons, coins, and statues of the Soman gods.