The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-01-26
CHAPTER VI.

We caught the first train to London.
When / got to hotel wrote two letters.
One was to the Admiralty, the other to
the office of the Black Anchor Line Of
American Steamships l told Roderick
what 1 had done, but he laughed at the
Idea. The next day found myself stand
Ing in a meagerly furnished ante-room at
the Admiralty, and there waiting the
pleasure of one of the clerks, who had
ben deputed to talk with me.
"If there is any responsible person
here" said, 81 should be glad to impart
to him some very curious, and, as it seems
to me, very remarkable information con-
cerning a warship which has just left
Spezia, and is supposed to be the property
Of the Brazilian government"
tits very good Of you, don't you know"
be replied, as he bent down to arrange
his ample trousers "but fancy we heard
something about her last week, so we
won't trouble you, don't you know" and
he felt to see if his bow were straight.
Within half an hour 1 sat in the pri-
vate room Of the secretary to the Black
Anchor Steamship Company. He was a
sharp man of business, keen-visaged as a
ferret. l told him shortly that I had
reason to doubt the truth of the statement
that a warship recently built at Speza
was intended for the purposes set down
to her; that believed she was the prop
erty of an American adventurer whose
motives l scarce dared to realize, and that
If his company would agree to bear the
expense, and to give me suitable recon-
pense l would undertake to bring him the
whole history of the nameless ship within
twelve months. When l had done, he
rang the bell for his clerk, and I could see
that he felt himself in the company of a
maniac.
Roderick was not at all surprised-it
seemed to me rather that he was glad.
"Whatdid tell you? Who will believe
such a tale as we are hawking in the
market place-selling, in fact, to the high
est bidder? But I believe the whole Of
your dead friends story, and therefore
have bought steamer"
'You have done what?"
"At 2 O'Clock to-day, in your absence,
bought the steam yacht Rocket. Before
we 60 on board her, the yacht will be re-
christened by Mary-who will stay with
her dear maiden aunt in our absence
and will be named after your vessel Celsis
Her crew will consist of our silent friend
Captain York, of his brother as chief
mate, and of your men now at Ports
mouth, with half a dozen more. We shall
need eight fremen, whom the agents will
engage, and three engineers, already
found. Your cook will serve US very we'll,
and we want now only a second and third
officer. As these men will be mixed up
with us on the quarterback, I have told
the agents to send them up to see you
here-so you'll run your eye over them
and tell me if they'll do"
Frederick, my old friend, would you
mind giving me that yarn from the be-
ginning again?"
II hate palaver," he said, land didn't
think to find you dense. Now, look here !;
until you read me that paper in your cab
Ia, don't know that 1 ever felt anger
against any man, but I'll bring the man
who murdered Martin Hall and many
others to justice or I'll never know an
other hours rest. Is it money you want?
Well, what's mine is yours; and I'm
worth two hundred and fifty thousand
pounds. Is it profit of a dead mans work
you're after? Well then, mark your man,
learn all about him, run him to his hole,
and don't fear to recompense yourself.
What we're going to do must be done at
our cost, which IS my cost. And what
we're going to do isn't to be done at this
hotel; it's going to be done on the high
seas, and after that in America on the
Hudson river. where, if Hall be right, is
the home of Captain Black. 1t is to the
Hudson river that l mean to go now"
In an hour l was closeted in the room
below with Francis Paolo, who had come
from the agents to seek the berth of sec
ond officer to the new yacht Celsis.
found him to be a sprightly, dark faced
Italian, apparently no more than 25 years
old ; and he greeted me with much smooth
ness of speech. He had served three years
on a big steam yacht, and as he was un-
mista kably a gentleman and his discharges
were In perfect order, engaged him there
and then. Had l known him then as
know him now, would have paid a thou
sand pounds never to have seen him!