CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
THE WHIP HAND
Spargo, almost irritable from desire to get at close grips with theobjects of his long journey, shook off Breton's hand with a growl ofresentment.
"And how on earth can I waste time guessing?" he exclaimed. "Who ishe?"
Breton laughed softly.
"Steady, Spargo, steady!" he said. "It's Myerst--the Safe Deposit man.Myerst!"
Spargo started as if something had bitten him.
"Myerst!" he almost shouted. "Myerst! Good Lord!--why did I never thinkof him? Myerst! Then----"
"I don't know why you should have thought of him," said Breton."But--he's there."
Spargo took a step towards the cottage: Breton pulled him back.
"Wait!" he said. "We've got to discuss this. I'd better tell you whatthey're doing."
"What are they doing, then?" demanded Spargo impatiently.
"Well," answered Breton. "They're going through a quantity of papers.The two old gentlemen look very ill and very miserable. Myerst isevidently laying down the law to them in some fashion or other. I'veformed a notion, Spargo."
"What notion?"
"Myerst is in possession of whatever secret they have, and he'sfollowed them down here to blackmail them. That's my notion."
Spargo thought awhile, pacing up and down the river bank.
"I daresay you're right," he said. "Now, what's to be done?"
Breton, too, considered matters.
"I wish," he said at last, "I wish we could get in there and overhearwhat's going on. But that's impossible--I know that cottage. The onlything we can do is this--we must catch Myerst unawares. He's here forno good. Look here!"
And reaching round to his hip-pocket Breton drew out a Browningrevolver and wagged it in his hand with a smile.
"That's a useful thing to have, Spargo," he remarked. "I slipped itinto my pocket the other day, wondering why on earth I did it. Nowit'll come in handy. For anything we know Myerst may be armed."
"Well?" said Spargo.
"Come up to the cottage. If things turn out as I think they will,Myerst, when he's got what he wants, will be off. Now, you shall getwhere I did just now, behind that bush, and I'll station myself in thedoorway. You can report to me, and when Myerst comes out I'll coverhim. Come on, Spargo; it's beginning to get light already."
Breton cautiously led the way along the river bank, making use of suchcover as the willows and alders afforded. Together, he and Spargo madetheir way to the front of the cottage. Arrived at the door, Bretonposted himself in the porch, motioning to Spargo to creep in behind thebushes and to look through the window. And Spargo noiselessly followedhis directions and slightly parting the branches which concealed himlooked in through the uncurtained glass.
The interior into which he looked was rough and comfortless in theextreme. There were the bare accessories of a moorland cottage; roughchairs and tables, plastered walls, a fishing rod or two piled in acorner; some food set out on a side table. At the table in the middleof the floor the three men sat. Cardlestone's face was in the shadow;Myerst had his back to the window; old Elphick bending over the tablewas laboriously writing with shaking fingers. And Spargo twisted hishead round to his companion.
"Elphick," he said, "is writing a cheque. Myerst has another cheque inhis hand. Be ready!--when he gets that second cheque I guess he'll beoff."
Breton smiled grimly and nodded. A moment later Spargo whispered again.
"Look out, Breton! He's coming."
Breton drew back into the angle of the porch; Spargo quitted hisprotecting bush and took the other angle. The door opened. And theyheard Myerst's voice, threatening, commanding in tone.
"Now, remember all I've said! And don't you forget--I've the whip handof both of you--the whip hand!"
Then Myerst turned and stepped out into the grey light--to find himselfconfronted by an athletic young man who held the muzzle of an uglyrevolver within two inches of the bridge of his nose and in aremarkably firm and steady grip. Another glance showed him the figureof a second business-like looking young man at his side, whose attitudeshowed a desire to grapple with him.
"Good-morning, Mr. Myerst," said Breton with cold and ironicpoliteness. "We are glad to meet you so unexpectedly. And--I musttrouble you to put up your hands. Quick!"
Myerst made one hurried movement of his right hand towards his hip, buta sudden growl from Breton made him shift it just as quickly above hishead, whither the left followed it. Breton laughed softly.
"That's wise, Mr. Myerst," he said, keeping his revolver steadilypointed at his prisoner's nose. "Discretion will certainly be thebetter part of your valour on this occasion. Spargo--may I trouble youto see what Mr. Myerst carries in his pockets? Go through themcarefully. Not for papers or documents--just now. We can leave thatmatter--we've plenty of time. See if he's got a weapon of any sort onhim, Spargo--that's the important thing."
Considering that Spargo had never gone through the experience ofsearching a man before, he made sharp and creditable work of seeingwhat the prisoner carried. And he forthwith drew out and exhibited arevolver, while Myerst, finding his tongue, cursed them both, heartilyand with profusion.
"Excellent!" said Breton, laughing again. "Sure he's got nothing elseon him that's dangerous, Spargo? All right. Now, Mr. Myerst, rightabout face! Walk into the cottage, hands up, and remember there are tworevolvers behind your back. March!"
Myerst obeyed this peremptory order with more curses. The three walkedinto the cottage. Breton kept his eye on his captive; Spargo gave aglance at the two old men. Cardlestone, white and shaking, was lyingback in his chair; Elphick, scarcely less alarmed, had risen, and wascoming forward with trembling limbs.
"Wait a moment," said Breton, soothingly. "Don't alarm yourself. We'lldeal with Mr. Myerst here first. Now, Myerst, my man, sit down in thatchair--it's the heaviest the place affords. Into it, now! Spargo, yousee that coil of rope there. Tie Myerst up--hand and foot--to thatchair. And tie him well. All the knots to be double, Spargo, and behindhim."
Myerst suddenly laughed. "You damned young bully!" he exclaimed. "Ifyou put a rope round me, you're only putting ropes round the necks ofthese two old villains. Mark that, my fine fellows!"
"We'll see about that later," answered Breton. He kept Myerst coveredwhile Spargo made play with the rope. "Don't be afraid of hurting him,Spargo," he said. "Tie him well and strong. He won't shift that chairin a hurry."
Spargo spliced his man to the chair in a fashion that would have donecredit to a sailor. He left Myerst literally unable to move either handor foot, and Myerst cursed him from crown to heel for his pains."That'll do," said Breton at last. He dropped his revolver into hispocket and turned to the two old men. Elphick averted his eyes and sankinto a chair in the darkest corner of the room: old Cardlestone shookas with palsy and muttered words which the two young men could notcatch. "Guardian," continued Breton, "don't be frightened! And don'tyou be frightened, either, Mr. Cardlestone. There's nothing to beafraid of, just yet, whatever there may be later on. It seems to methat Mr. Spargo and I came just in time. Now, guardian, what was thisfellow after?"
Old Elphick lifted his head and shook it; he was plainly on the vergeof tears; as for Cardlestone, it was evident that his nerve wascompletely gone. And Breton pointed Spargo to an old corner cupboard.
"Spargo," he said, "I'm pretty sure you'll find whisky in there. Givethem both a stiff dose: they've broken up. Now, guardian," hecontinued, when Spargo had carried out this order, "what was he after?Shall I suggest it? Was it--blackmail?"
Cardlestone began to whimper; Elphick nodded his head. "Yes, yes!" hemuttered. "Blackmail! That was it--blackmail. He--he gotmoney--papers--from us. They're on him."
Breton turned on the captive with a look of contempt.
"I thought as much, Mr. Myerst," he said. "Spargo, let's see what hehas on him."
Spargo began to search the prisoner's pockets. He laid out everythingon the table as he found it. It was plain that Mye
rst had contemplatedsome sort of flight or a long, long journey. There was a quantity ofloose gold; a number of bank-notes of the more easily negotiateddenominations; various foreign securities, realizable in Paris. Andthere was an open cheque, signed by Cardlestone for ten thousandpounds, and another, with Elphick's name at the foot, also open, forhalf that amount. Breton examined all these matters as Spargo handedthem out. He turned to old Elphick.
"Guardian," he said, "why have you or Mr. Cardlestone given this manthese cheques and securities? What hold has he on you?"
Old Cardlestone began to whimper afresh; Elphick turned a troubled faceon his ward.
"He--he threatened to accuse us of the murder of Marbury!" he faltered."We--we didn't see that we had a chance."
"What does he know of the murder of Marbury and of you in connectionwith it?" demanded Breton. "Come--tell me the truth now."
"He's been investigating--so he says," answered Elphick. "He lives inthat house in Middle Temple Lane, you know, in the top-floor roomsabove Cardlestone's. And--and he says he's the fullest evidence againstCardlestone--and against me as an accessory after the fact."
"And--it's a lie?" asked Breton.
"A lie!" answered Elphick. "Of course, it's a lie. But--he's so cleverthat--that----"
"That you don't know how you could prove it otherwise," said Breton."Ah! And so this fellow lives over Mr. Cardlestone there, does he? Thatmay account for a good many things. Now we must have the police here."He sat down at the table and drew the writing materials to him. "Lookhere, Spargo," he continued. "I'm going to write a note to thesuperintendent of police at Hawes--there's a farm half a mile from herewhere I can get a man to ride down to Hawes with the note. Now, if youwant to send a wire to the _Watchman_, draft it out, and he'll take itwith him."
Elphick began to move in his corner.
"Must the police come?" he said. "Must----"
"The police must come," answered Breton firmly. "Go ahead with yourwire, Spargo, while I write this note."
Three quarters of an hour later, when Breton came back from the farm,he sat down at Elphick's side and laid his hand on the old man's.
"Now, guardian," he said, quietly, "you've got to tell us the truth."