CHAPTER XIV.
BEFORE the _Maria_ sailed again, with the men who formed a part ofWylie's crew, he made them sign a declaration before the English Consulat Buenos Ayres. This document set forth the manner in which the_Proserpine_ foundered; it was artfully made up of facts enough todeceive a careless listener; but, when Wylie read it over to them heslurred over certain parts, which he took care, also, to express inlanguage above the comprehension of such men. Of course they assentedeagerly to what they did not understand, and signed the statementconscientiously.
So Wylie and his three men were shipped on board the _Boadicea,_ boundfor Liverpool, in Old England, while the others sailed with CaptainSlocum for Nantucket, in New England.
The _Boadicea_ was a clipper laden with hides and a miscellaneous cargo.For seventeen days she flew before a southerly gale, being on her bestsailing point, and, after one of the shortest passages she had ever made,she lay to, outside the bar, off the Mersey. It wanted but one hour todaylight, the tide was flowing; the pilot sprang aboard.
"What do you draw?" he asked of the master.
"Fifteen feet, barely," was the reply.
"That will do," and the vessel's head was laid for the river.
They passed a large bark, with her topsails backed.
"Ay," remarked the pilot, "she has waited since the half-ebb; there ain'tmore than four hours in the twenty-four that such craft as that can getin."
"What is she? An American liner?" asked Wylie, peering through the gloom.
"No," said the pilot; "she's an Australian ship. She's the _Shannon,_from Sydney."
The mate started, looked at the man, then at the vessel. Twice the_Shannon_ had thus met him, as if to satisfy him that his object had beenattained, and each time she seemed to him not an inanimate thing, but asilent accomplice. A chill of fear struck through the man's frame as helooked at her. Yes, there she lay, and in her hold were safely stowed160,000 pounds in gold, marked lead and copper.
Wylie had no luggage nor effects to detain him on board; he landed, and,having bestowed his three companions in a sailors' boarding-house, he washastening to the shipping agents of Wardlaw & Son to announce his arrivaland the fate of the _Proserpine._ He had reached their offices in WaterStreet before he recollected that it was barely half past five o'clock,and, though broad daylight on that July morning, merchants' offices arenot open at that hour. The sight of the _Shannon_ had so bewildered himthat he had not noticed that the shops were all shut, the streetsdeserted. Then a thought occurred to him--why not be a bearer of his ownnews? He did not require to turn the idea twice over, but resolved, formany reasons, to adopt it. As he hurried to the railway station, he triedto recollect the hour at which the early train started; but his confusedand excited mind refused to perform the function of memory. The _Shannon_dazed him.
At the railway-station he found that a train had started at 4 A.M., andthere was nothing until 7:30. This check sobered him a little, and hewent back to the docks; he walked out to the farther end of that nobleline of berths, and sat down on the verge with his legs dangling over thewater. He waited an hour; it was six o'clock by the great dial at St.George's Dock. His eyes were fixed on the _Shannon,_ which was movingslowly up the river; she came abreast to where he sat. The few sailsrequisite to give her steerage fell. Her anchor-chain rattled, and sheswung round with the tide. The clock struck the half-hour; a boat leftthe side of the vessel and made straight for the steps near where he wasseated. A tall, noble-looking man sat in the stern-sheets beside thecoxswain; he was put ashore, and, after exchanging a few words with theboat's crew, he mounted the steps which led him to Wylie's side, followedby one of the sailors, who carried a portmanteau.
He stood for a single moment on the quay, and stamped his foot on thebroad stones; then, heaving a deep sigh of satisfaction, he murmured,"Thank God!"
He turned toward Wylie.
"Can you tell me, my man, at what hour the first train starts forLondon?"
"There is a slow train at 7:30 and an express at 9."
"The express will serve me, and give me time for breakfast at theAdelphi. Thank you; good morning;" and the gentleman passed on, followedby the sailor.
Wylie looked after him; he noted that erect military carriage and crisp,gray hair and thick white mustache; he had a vague idea that he had seenthat face before, and the memory troubled him.
At 7:30 Wylie started for London; the military man followed him in theexpress at 9, and caught him up at Rugby; together they arrived at thestation at Euston Square; it was a quarter to three. Wylie hailed a cab,but, before he could struggle through the crowd to reach it, a railwayporter threw a portmanteau on its roof, and his military acquaintancetook possession of it.
"All right," said the porter. "What address, sir?"
Wylie did not hear what the gentleman said, but the porter shouted it tothe cabman, and then he did hear it.
"No. -- Russell Square."
It was the house of Arthur Wardlaw!
Wylie took off his hat, rubbed his frowzy hair, and gaped after the cab.
He entered another cab, and told the driver to go to "No. -- FenchurchStreet."
It was the office of Wardlaw & Son.