The Golden Rock Part 2

"Excuse me," said Frank, "I know nothing except that I helped to row you here, and you wished to detain me."

"Allow me to explain," said Mr Commins, interposing with a wave of his hand. "The tide was against us, and I was unequal to the work. This young man kindly offered his help, and we accepted, but thinking it would be inadvisable to let him return, we felt it best to detain him, and if he had not been in such a hurry to put us down as thieves or cut-throats, and to act with unnecessary violence on that supposition, matters could have been amicably settled."

"At the muzzle of a pistol," said Frank dryly.

"I think you might have managed without help," said the young lady coldly. "It is most vexing, and such a beginning bodes ill for the undertaking."

"You need be under no uneasiness. We can easily detain him."

"I object," said Frank hotly.

Captain Pardoe lifted his weapon.

"Give me that pistol, sir," said the young lady imperiously, and the Captain reluctantly handed it over. "I regret very much that we should place you under restraint, sir; but there are interests at stake more important than considerations of mere personal convenience. I'm afraid you must be our guest for a few days."

"We can put him ash.o.r.e at Madeira, Miss Laura," said the Captain.

"At Madeira," said Frank, earnestly gazing at the splendid eyes and superb figure of this masterful young lady.

"We will do our best to entertain you in the meanwhile," she said, with a sudden dazzling smile, "and, perhaps, you will even forgive us for this unmannerly and ungrateful return for your kindness."

As he caught the dazzle of her smile he determined upon his course, especially as the trip to Madeira would advance him on his voyage.

"I am willing," he replied, "to take an enforced pa.s.sage, provided you allow me to get my baggage."

"That means going ash.o.r.e?"

"Not necessarily; for upon a note from me to the landlady of my rooms the things would be given up."

"We have no time to spare, Miss Laura," said Captain Pardoe.

"It is necessary for me to go ash.o.r.e," she answered, "for a few minutes.

Where are your rooms?"

"Off the Temple--in York street."

"I think I will trust you," she said, giving her hand, which Frank warmly clasped, the spell of her beauty being full upon him.

Within an hour they were all back on the s.h.i.+p, and as Big Ben struck out the hours of midnight the vessel slowly crept down the river.

CHAPTER THREE.

A WILD RUSH.

Hume was immediately shown into a tiny box of a cabin and the door locked upon him, an indignity that roused him to wrath, so that he banged against the frail panels with his fist.

"Look here," said a deep voice from the alley, "if you don't stow that sharp I'll clap you in irons."

"Leave him to me, Captain, and go on the bridge. Now, sir, will you oblige me by keeping silence for a few hours?"

Frank recognised the speaker by the rich tones, and immediately was pacified.

"If you wish it, I will; but please unlock the door."

"Give me your promise that you won't make any disturbance."

"I promise."

"Thank you." She turned the key, and then he heard the rustle of her dress as she quickly moved away.

He stood looking at the handle for some moments, then sat on the bunk, with the feeling strongly rooted that he was in for some dark enterprise; but his mind dwelt less on this than on the stately figure and beautiful face of this strange girl, whose strong character had been so forcibly shown.

Who could she be, and what was she doing there--one woman with several men, and men evidently lawless? Already he longed for the hour when he could see her again, and once more hear her voice, and the remarkable and sudden change in the steady current of his life troubled him not at all.

But presently his natural caution overmastered the swift-born infatuation which had threatened to make a slave of him, and he roused himself to take a survey of the little cabin. This, though small, contained two bunks, was plainly fitted and strongly built. The port-hole, he noticed by the dim light, was protected by an inner sheet of steel. This he unscrewed, and opening, too, the round gla.s.s, he framed his face in the bra.s.s-rimmed circle. The boat was slipping along down the dark river at medium speed, the regular beat of her engines sounding very distinctly in the still night, and her track stretching in a ghostly gleam, unbroken by any other craft. By craning his neck, he noticed that she seemed very low in the water, and of unusual length, and he was puzzled to place her in any category of cargo or pa.s.senger steamers, finally coming to the conclusion that she was one of those long, swift tugs he had sometimes seen ploughing up the river with a string of coal barges in tow; a boat probably built for narrow channels, and to pa.s.s under low bridges.

"She's not built for the ocean," he mused, "and when we get into the Bay she'll play pitch-and-toss, I'll be bound."

Suddenly, quite near, Captain Pardoe spoke:

"Forrard, there!"

"Ay, ay, sir."

"Do you see the Hospital s.h.i.+p?"

"We'll pa.s.s her at the next bend, sir."

"Put the lights out as soon as you see her. Who have you got in the bows?"

"d.i.c.k, the Owl," said the officer, with a slight laugh.

"That will do. Aft there, stand by the wheel."

"Ay, ay, sir," came in m.u.f.fled reply.

"We won't steer her from the bridge, madam," said the Captain, "all the lights must be out, and the orders pa.s.sed by mouth."

"Do you think they'll challenge us?" spoke the young lady, her voice sounding so near that Frank involuntarily drew back his head.

"They'll speak us, but we'll get through right enough. If there's any trouble it'll be off Sheerness."

"Why there?"

"They'll wire to the coastguard, and they'll signal the guards.h.i.+p."

"That's a man-of-war, isn't it?"