CHAPTER XXIX
UNDER ORDERS
"You have seen nothing of the speed-boat from Legonia?"
Mascola shook his head in answer to the question and reached for thebottle which stood on the table in Bandrist's ranch-house.
Bandrist jerked it away. "Cut that out," he said sternly. "You've hadenough. To-night you have work to do. You must keep sober."
Mascola scowled, glaring angrily at the islander as he went on:
"Mr. Gregory left Legonia at ten-thirty with his speed-boat. There werefive in the launch. Four men and Miss Lang."
Mascola drew in his breath sharply.
"That damned Lang girl," he began. "She is a----"
Bandrist slid from his chair with a quick movement which carried himwriggling about the table.
"Keep your tongue still," he gritted as he towered over the Italian."You talk too much."
Mascola started from his chair, but there was a look in Bandrist's eyeswhich made him drop back. A sneering smile played about the Italian'slips but he said nothing. If Bandrist was a fool about a woman, whatwas that to him? He could not afford to quarrel with the islander. Notyet.
"How did Peters know they were coming here?" he asked after a moment.
"He didn't," Bandrist answered shortly. "But it is only natural thatthey should come here. Their boats have been fishing along the northshore of the island. Your men failed to drive them off."
Mascola flushed.
"My men did drive them off," he contradicted hotly. "Only a few minutesago they returned with other boats. I will drive those off too."
Bandrist smiled insultingly.
"Why don't you do it?" he challenged. "To-night is a time I must havesomething more than talk. I want you to go down and join your fleet atonce, keep a close watch and if the speed-boat does not arrive within ahalf-hour, let me know immediately."
Mascola made no move to obey.
"Gonzolez is laying in at the goose-neck," he said. "I sent Rossi roundto join him. The _Fuor d'Italia_ lies in the little cove beyond."
Bandrist's blue eyes flashed. "I can tend to that," he exclaimed. "Youdo what you're told and quit meddling with my business."
"It's my business too," Mascola retorted doggedly. "Gonzolez is becomingangry at the delay. He will wait no longer."
Bandrist walked slowly to the window and stared out into the fog. Whenhe faced about an automatic shone dully in his hand.
"Do as I tell you," he ordered quietly. "And do it quick."
Mascola's face purpled. Still he made no move to do Bandrist's bidding."Don't forget," he said thickly, "that there are others who know besidesyou and me. If anything happens to me at Diablo there is one who willtell what he knows. I have seen to that."
Bandrist's fingers tightened on the revolver. Then he slowly replaced itin his pocket. The Italian might only be bluffing, but it was best totake no unnecessary chances. Mastering his anger at Mascola'sinsubordination, Bandrist walked again to the table.
"Perhaps you are right," he said pleasantly. "Let us go on to thegoose-neck."
* * * * *
When Gregory returned to the _Richard_ with Slade and Hawkins he foundDickie Lang huddled close beside the crumpled figure of his captive. Thegirl was sobbing softly as she listened to the whispered words of thelittle Mexican.
Feeling his way to her side, he placed an arm about her, and drawing heraway from the other man, waited for her to speak. Then she explained ina voice shaken by tears.
"It's Mexican Joe. He was with our fathers on the _Gull_. No one knew itat Legonia. He went out with them at midnight and reached Diablo alittle before daybreak. They left him on the launch while they wentashore. He saw them murdered on the beach. The launch was run down a fewminutes later. Joe was thrown overboard. He struck his head on therocks. When he came to, he heard them searching for him but he hid inthe sea-grass and escaped to the other side of the island. He's beenliving there ever since in a cave in the hills. It was he who stole thegun and provisions from the _Petrel_."
Gregory held the girl close as she told the Mexican's story. For aninstant tears dimmed his eyes, then melted away before the white-hotheat of the blood-lust which surged into his heart. His father had beenmurdered at El Diablo. By whom? He put the question.
The girl's fingers tightened on his arm and she placed her lips close tohis ear.
"A number of men overpowered them on the beach and drowned them. Mascolawas with them."
Gregory's jaws locked and the muscles of his body grew tense. Mascolahad murdered his father and Bill Lang. Releasing the girl, he hurriedover to the three men who were talking to the Mexican and graspedHawkins by the arm.
"What are we waiting for?" he cried. "While you're talking the man mayget away."
"Just a minute, Cap," Hawkins remonstrated. "Things are coming alongfine. Billings and Slade are learning a lot from the Mex. As soon asthey get him filled up with those sandwiches he's going to show us thewireless tower and the cove where the _Gray Ghost_ put in to-night. Hesays there's a cave close by where he saw----"
Gregory shook off his restraining arm.
"What is all that to me?" he flashed. "Don't you know that Mascolamurdered my father? Let the men go where they will. I'm going afterMascola."
Hawkins started at Gregory's words.
"I didn't know, Cap," he muttered blankly. For a brief instant he stroveto express his sympathy for his friend. Then he gave it up. "Brace up,old man," he said at last. "Take a grip on yourself. You can't doanything over here alone. Before morning we'll have the whole gangrounded up and Mascola with them. I guess the boys are ready to go now."
Gregory shivered in his wet clothes and Hawkins pressed his slicker uponhim. While the men took their places in the skiff Gregory found DickieLang. The girl came into his outstretched arms and clung close to him inthe darkness.
"Take me with you," she pleaded. "Don't leave me here. I can't standit."
He released her gently and shook his head.
"No, dearest," he said softly. "If you were with us I might be afraid.And I can't afford to be afraid to-night. Stay close and keep undercover. If the fog lifts, pull the anchor and drift in to the shadow ofthe rocks."
"Why don't you tell me what you are going to do?" the girl asked. "Youknow that----"
Gregory drew her closer.
"I'm going to get Mascola," he answered in a whisper. Then his voicechanged suddenly. "And if I don't come back," he went on. "You'll knownow that I love you."
For an instant his lips met hers. Then he climbed over the coaming andjoined the men in the dory. Dickie listened to the soft creak of theoar-locks until the sound was no longer audible.
Mascola had killed her father and Richard Gregory. His son had gone tobring the Italian to justice. But what could five men do on the islandagainst the hordes of Bandrist and Mascola? Who were the mysteriousstrangers who had accompanied them from Legonia? The questions crowdedclose upon one another as they raced through her brain. Then her mindsurrendered to a single thought,--a thought which warmed her heart andtook possession of her being.
"You'll know now that I love you."
She whispered the words softly through lips which were still warm withthe memory of Gregory's kiss. Hope surged into her heart. God was good.Breathing a prayer for the safety of the man she loved, she caught upher rifle and sat down to wait.
* * * * *
The men from the launch landed silently on the beach and hid the skiffamong the rocks. Then they followed the Mexican up the trail. Crawlingthrough the brush, they halted at length at their guide's direction.
"From the top of the hill," he whispered, "the devil speaks."
Billings caught the Mexican by the arm.
"Come," he said. "Lead the way and the devil will speak no longer."
When the sheep-herder's shack loomed across their path, Slade commandeda halt. Then he gave orders to surround the building. As the men drewnear t
he cabin the door opened suddenly and a man stepped out. Before hecould close the door, Slade and Hawkins were upon him. Gregory andBillings darted for the open doorway as the light disappeared fromwithin. From the fog-shrouded cabin came the sound of muffled blows, thequick breathing of men, the rasp of feet upon the creaking floor. Achoking cry died away into silence. Silence broken after a moment by asharp click. Then another. Slade relighted the lamp and turned toexamine the two white-faced men who lay handcuffed on the floor.
"Look like 'snowbirds,'" he said. "The two of them haven't the strengthof one healthy cat."
Passing the men over to Billings with instructions to search them, hewalked to the radio switch-board and examined it carefully.
"They've got a regular set just the same," he said half-admiringly."They could reach Encinitas with this one all right."
Seating himself on a stool by the board he placed his hand on the key.
"I'm going to try to get the _Bennington_," he said.
Billings nodded. "She ought to be close along shore by now," heanswered. "If they left when they said they would."
While the search went on the radio spluttered spasmodically. Findingnothing of value on the persons of his captives, Billings bared the armsof the two men and scrutinized the flesh intently in the yellowlamplight.
"Snowbirds," he announced. "One of them's punctured up one side and downthe other. Other's not so bad. Good business I'd say for them to gethold of a couple of fellows like these. They're about the only ones theycould get to stick in a God-forsaken hole like this and keep theirmouths shut."
He rose as he spoke and began to move slowly about the room.
"Tell the Mexican to keep a good lookout outside," he instructedHawkins. "Then you and your friend can help me go through the shack."
Gregory assisted mechanically in the search but with little interest.The sooner they were through the sooner they would go down to the covewhere the _Gray Ghost_ lay at anchor. Then he would find Mascola. Amuttered exclamation from Hawkins caused him to look up quickly.
The newspaperman was handing Billings a cigar-shaped capsule half filledwith a coarse white powder.
"What's this, Jack?" he asked. "Looks like sugar. Found it in thegrub-locker."
Billings poured the contents of the capsule into the palm of his hand.For a moment he scrutinized it intently. "That's the stuff we're lookingfor," he said quietly. "Though I never saw it in a package like thatbefore."
Slade held up a hand for silence and pulled his head-set closer abouthis ears. For a moment his attention was held by the instrument. Thenhis hand again sought the key. When the sputtering of the radio had diedaway he announced:
"Got the _Bennington_. She's about a mile off the goose-neck. They'regoing to land in the next cove. The _Gray Ghost's_ at anchor now off theisthmus cove. Mascola's speed-boat passed them in the fog about an hourago. He's lying in somewhere farther down."
He rose as he spoke and began to wreck the radio set.
"Tie those fellows up good, Jack," he instructed Billings. "We don'twant to be bothered with them down below. We've got to be on our way.The boys will be there by the time we get down the hill. What's thatyou've got there?"
Billings extended the capsule and Slade examined it curiously.
"Queer package," he said. "But it's the straight dope."
Hawkins' eyes shone with excitement as he crowded closer to Slade. "Whatis it, Tom?" he asked.
"Heroin," answered Slade quickly. "A refined product of opium. Never sawit put up like this before though. When we hit the beach maybe we'lllearn the idea."
Beckoning Gregory to his side, Slade took from his pocket a deputyshield of the United States Customs and pinned it on the young man'svest.
"For your own protection," he explained. Then he added: "You must actentirely under my orders from now on, Mr. Gregory. Do only what I tellyou. Nothing more. You have been in the service of the governmentbefore. You know what it means."
A few moments later the four men followed the Mexican down the trailleading to the goose-neck.
Under orders. Do only what I tell you. Nothing more. The words echoed inGregory's mind. Slade did not understand. Mascola was to the revenue manonly one of many. A man to be arrested and tried. Perhaps acquitted on amere technicality of law or a perjured alibi. Slade did not know theItalian. Had Dickie Lang not said that Mascola laughed at the courts?Gregory's jaw set tighter as he descended the trail. To-night, orders orno orders, he would bring Mascola to justice by the law of the sea.