CHAPTER XXIV
THE TORPEDO-BOAT DESTROYER
Before Vickers and his companions had recovered from the surprise whichthis extraordinary cool message had given them, the men had bundledChatfield across the beach and into the boat and were pulling quicklyback to the _Pike_.
Audrey broke the silence with a ringing laugh.
"Captain Andrius is certainly the perfection of polite pirates," sheexclaimed. "More food--more wraps--and books and papers! Was any maroonedmariner ever one-half so well treated?"
"What's the fellow mean about no vessel passing here for two more days?"growled Copplestone, who was glaring angrily at the yacht. "What's he someticulously correct for?"
"I should say that he's referring to some weekly or bi-weekly steamerwhich runs between Kirkwall and the mainland," replied Vickers."Well--it's good to know that, anyhow. But wait until the _Pike's_vamoosed again, and we'll make up such a column of smoke that it'll beseen for many a mile. In fact, I'll go and gather a lot of dried stuffnow--you two can drag those boxes and things up the beach and see whatour gaolers have been good enough to send us."
He went away up the cliffs, and Audrey and Copplestone, once more leftalone, looked at each other and laughed.
"That's right," said Copplestone. "What I like about you is that youtake things that way."
"Is it any use taking them any other way?" she asked. "Besides I've neverbeen at all frightened nor particularly concerned. I've always felt thatwe were only put here so that we should be out of the way while ourcaptors got safely away with their booty, and as regards my mother, Iknow her well enough to feel sure that she quickly sized things up, andthat she'll have taken measures of her own. Don't be surprised if we'rerescued through her means or if she has set somebody to work to catch thepredatory _Pike_."
"Good!" said Copplestone. "But as regards the _Pike_, I wonder if youobserved something during the few minutes she was here. I'm sure Vickersdidn't--he was too busy, watching Chatfield."
"So was I," replied Audrey. "What was it?"
"I believe I'm unusually observant," answered Copplestone. "I seem to seethings--all at once, don't you know. I saw that since we made heracquaintance--and were unceremoniously bundled off her--the _Pike_ hasgot a new and quite different coat of paint. And I daresay she's changedher name, too. From all of which I argue that when they got rid of ushere, the people who are working all this slipped quietly back to somecove or creek on the Scotch coast, did a stiff turn at repainting, andmeant to be off to the other side of the world under new colours. Andwhile this was going on, Andrius, or his co-villain, found time toexamine those chests that Chatfield told us of, and when they found thatChatfield had done them, they came back here quick. Now they're off tomake him reveal the whereabouts of the real chests."
"Won't they be rather running their necks into a noose?" suggestedAudrey. "I'm dead certain that my mother will have raised a hue and cryafter them."
"They're cute enough," said Copplestone. "Anyway, they'll run a good manyrisks for the sake of fifty thousand pounds. What they may do is to runinto some very quiet inlet--there are hundreds on these northerncoasts--and take Chatfield to his hiding-place. Chatfield's like allscoundrels of his type--a horrible coward if a pistol's held to his head.Now they've got him, they'll force him to disgorge. Hang this compulsoryinactivity!--my nerves are all a-tingle to get going at things!"
"Let's occupy ourselves with the things our generous gaolers have beenkind enough to send us, then," suggested Audrey. "We'd better carry themup to our shelter."
Copplestone went down to the things which the boat's crew had depositedon the beach--a couple of small packing-cases, a bundle of wraps andcushions, and some books, magazines and newspapers. He picked up a paperwith a cry which suggested a discovery of importance.
"Look at that!" he exclaimed. "Do you see? A _Scotsman!_ Today's date!And here--_Aberdeen Free Press_--same date!"
"Well?" asked Audrey. "And what then?"
"What then?" demanded Copplestone. "Where are your powers of deduction?Why, that shows that the _Pike_ was somewhere this morning where shecould get the morning papers from Aberdeen and Edinburgh--therefore,she's been, as I suggested, somewhere on the Scotch coast all night. It'snow noon--she's a fast sailer--I guess she's been within sixty miles ofus ever since she left us."
"Isn't it more pertinent to speculate on where she'll be when we want tofind her?" asked Audrey.
"More pertinent still to wonder when somebody will come to find us,"answered Copplestone as he shouldered one of the cases. "However, there'sa certain joy in uncertainty, so they say--we're tasting it."
The joys of uncertainty, however, were not to endure. They had scarcelycompleted the task of carrying up the newly-arrived stores to the shelterwhich they had made in an angle of the rocks when Vickers hailed themfrom a spur of the cliffs and waved his arms excitedly.
"I say, you two!" he shouted. "There's a craft coming--from thesouth-west. Come up! There!" he added, a few minutes later, when theyarrived, breathless, at his side. "Out yonder--a mere black blot--butunmistakable! Do you know what that is, either of you? You don't? Allright, I do--ought to, because I'm a R.N.V.R. man myself. That's aT.B.D., my friends!--torpedo-boat destroyer. What's more, far off as sheis, my experienced eye and sure knowledge tell me exactly what she is.She's a class H. boat built last year--oil fuel--turbines--runs up tothirty knots--and she's doing 'em, too, just now! Come on,Copplestone--more stuff on this fire!"
"I don't think we need be uneasy," said Copplestone. "Miss Greyle thinksthat her mother will have raised a hue and cry after the _Pike_. Thistorpedo thing is probably looking round for us. She--what's that?"
The sudden sharp crack of a gun came across the calm surface of the sea,and the watchers turning from their fire towards the black object in thedistance saw a cloud of white smoke drifting away from it.
"Hooray!" shouted Vickers. "She's seen our smoke-pillar! Shove more on,just to let her know we understand. Saved!--this time, anyway."
Half-an-hour later, a spick and span and eminently youthful-looking navallieutenant raised his cap to the three folk who stood eagerly awaitinghis approach at the edge of the surf.
"Miss Greyle? Mr. Vickers? Mr. Copplestone?" he asked as he sprang fromhis boat and came up. "Right!--we're searching for you--had wirelessmessages this morning. Where's the pirate, or whatever he is?"
"Somewhere away to the southward," answered Vickers, pointing into thehaze. "He was here two hours ago--but he's about as fast as they make'em, and he's good reason to show a clean pair of heels. However, we'veample grounds for believing him to have gone due south again. Where areyou from?"
"Got the message off Dunnett Head, and we'll run you to Thurso," repliedthe rescuer, motioning them to enter the boat. "Come on--our commander'sgot some word or other for you. What's all this been?" he went on, gazingat Audrey with youthful assurance as they moved away from the shore. "Youdon't mean to say you've actually been kidnapped?"
"Kidnapped and marooned," replied Vickers. "And I hope you'll catch ourkidnapper--he's got a tremendous amount of property on him which belongsto this lady, and he'll make tracks for the other side of the Atlantic assoon as he gets hold of some more which he's gone to collect."
The lieutenant regarded Audrey with still more interest. "Oh, all right,"he said confidently. "He'll not get away. I guess they've wirelessed allover the place--our message was from the Admiralty!"
"That's Sir Cresswell's doing," said Copplestone, turning to Audrey."Your mother must have wired to him. I wonder what the message is?" heasked, facing the lieutenant. "Do you know?"
"Something about if you're found to tell you to get south as fast aspossible," he answered. "And we've worked that out for you. You can geton by train from Thurso to Inverness, and from Inverness, of course,you'll get the southern express. Well put you off at Thurso by twoo'clock--just time to give you such lunch as our table affords--bitrough, you know. So you've really been all night on that island?" he wenton
with unaffected curiosity. "What a lark!"
"You'd have had an opportunity of studying character if you'd beenwith us," replied Vickers. "We lost a fine specimen of humanity twohours ago."
"Tell about it aboard," said the lieutenant. "We'll be thankful--we'vebeen round this end-of-everywhere coast for a month and we're tired. It'squite a Godsend to have a little adventure."
Copplestone had been right in surmising that Sir Cresswell Oliver hadbestirred himself to find him and his companions. They were presentlyshown his message. They were to get to Norcaster as quickly as possible,and to wire their whereabouts as soon as they were found. If, as seemedlikely, they were picked up on the north coast of Scotland, they were toask at Inverness railway station for telegrams. And to Inverness afterbeing landed at Thurso they betook themselves, while the torpedo-boatdestroyer set off to nose round for the _Pike_, in case she came that wayback from wherever she had gone to.
Copplestone came out of the station-master's office at Inverness with acouple of telegrams and read their contents over to his companions in thedining-room to which they adjourned.
"This is from Mrs. Greyle," he said. "'All right and much relieved bywire from Thurso. Bring Audrey home as quick as possible.' That's good!And this--Great Scott! This is from Gilling! Listen!--'Just heard fromPetherton of your rescue. Come straight and sharp Norcaster. Meet me atthe "Angel." Big things afoot. Spurge most anxious see you. Importantnews. Gilling.' So things have been going on," he concluded, turningthe second telegram over to Vickers. "I suppose we'll have to travelall night?"
"Night express in an hour," replied Vickers. "We shall make Norcasterabout five-thirty tomorrow morning."
"Then let us wire the time of our arrival to Gilling. I'm anxious to knowwhat has brought him up there," said Copplestone. "And we'll wire to Mrs.Greyle, too," he added, turning to Audrey. "She'll know then that you'reabsolutely on the way."
"I wonder what we're on the way to?" remarked Vickers with a grim smile."It strikes me that our recent alarms and excursions will have been asnothing to what awaits us at Norcaster."
What did await them on a cold, dismal morning at Norcaster was Gilling,stamping up and down a windswept platform. And Gilling seized onCopplestone almost before he could alight from the train.
"Come to the 'Angel' straight off!" he said. "Mrs. Greyle's thereawaiting her daughter. I've work for you and Vickers at once--that chapSpurge is somewhere about the 'Angel,' too--been hanging round theresince yesterday, heavy with news that he'll give to nobody but you."