The Flying Death

  CHAPTER SIX--HELGA

  GALLOPING easily, an early riser may come from Montauk Light overto Third House in time for breakfast. Helga was an early riser and askilled horsewoman. Flushed like the dawn, she came bursting into theliving-room upon Dick Colton who, his mind being absent on anotherengagement, had forgotten to wind his watch when he went to bed theevening previous, and consequently had risen, on suspicion, one hourtoo early.

  "I haven't had a chance to speak to you since the wreck," she said,giving him her firm young hand. "Are you any the worse for the roughusage our ocean gave you? And how can I half thank you for yourcourage?"

  "Don't try," said Dick uncomfortably. "And don't talk to me aboutcourage," he added. "I wish I could tell you how I choked all up withthree cheers when you went in after that fellow."

  "Oh," said the girl quietly, "we Montauk folk are bred to that sort ofthing. Besides, I only paid a debt."

  "A debt? To that Portuguese?"

  "No, indeed! I never set eyes on the poor man before. It's just one ofour local proverbs. Our fisher people here have a saying that those whoare rescued from the sea can never find their heart's happiness untilthey have evened the tally by saving a life."

  "Then you've had your own shipwreck adventure?" asked Dick.

  "Twenty years ago I was washed to shore in just such a storm. FatherJohnston was nearly killed, getting me. The only name I could tell themwas Helga. They adopted me. Ah, they have been good to me, they andPetit Pere."

  "Haynes? He's a full-size man!" declared Colton warmly. "'Save Helga!'he called to me, when he saw me floundering in."

  "Yes, I knew he would come after me," said the girl simply; "but Ididn't know you would come after him. So there's the chain," sheadded gaily. "I went in to clear off my debt and win my heart'shappiness--though I do hope it isn't the Portuguese man. Petit Pere wentin to get me. And you," she paused and looked him between the eyes, "Ithink you came after us because you couldn't help it; because thatis the sort of man you are. Why," she cried with a ring of laughter,"you're actually blushing!"

  "I'm not used to the praises of full-blown heroines," retorted Dick. "Iwondered what you meant when you said that the children of the sea dreamthe sea's dreams?"

  "As for the dreams," began Helga. She did not conclude the sentence, butsaid gravely, "Yes, I'm a true sea-waif."

  "I'd like to adopt you for a sister," said Dick, smiling, but with suchan honesty of admiration that it was the girl's turn to blush.

  "Haven't you any of your own?" she asked.

  "'I am all the sisters of my father's house,'" he misquoted cheerily.

  "And all the brothers too?" she capped the perversion.

  "No; I've a brother a year younger than I. There may be in thisuniverse," he continued reflectively, "people who don't like Everard. Ifthere are, they live in Mars. Everybody on this old earth--and he seemsto know pretty much all of 'em--takes to him like a duck to water. He'sa wonder, that youth!"

  "Everard?" said the girl. There was a quick and subtle change in hertone. "Is Everard Colton your brother? I should never have guessed it.You don't resemble each other in the least."

  "No; he's the ornament of the family. I'm the plodder. And we're thegreatest chums ever. Where did you know him?"

  "Oh, he used to ride over to Bryn Mawr while I was at college," she saidcarelessly, "in an abominable yellow automobile and kill the gardener'schickens on an average of one a trip. The girls called his machine 'TheFeathered Juggernaut.'"

  "Bryn Mawr?" exclaimed Dick. "What an idiot I am! You're the HelgaJohnston that----" He broke off short and regarded his feet with acolour so vividly growing as to suggest that they had suddenlyoccasioned him an agony of shame.

  "Yes, I'm the girl that so alarmed your family lest I should marry yourbrother," she said calmly. "You need not have feared. I have not----"

  "Don't say 'you'!" interrupted Colton. "Please don't! I had no part inthat. I hadn't the faintest idea who the girl was, but when I saw how Evsteadied down and settled to work I knew it was a good influence, and Itold the family so. Now that I've met you----" he broke off suddenly."Poor Ev!" he said in a low tone.

  Had his boots been less demanding of attention, Colton would have seenthe deep blue of her eyes dimmed to grey by a sudden rush of tears.

  "Let us agree to leave your brother out of future conversations, Dr.Colton," she said decisively. "Good-morning, Petit Pere," she greetedHaynes as he came into the room.

  "I salute you, Princess," said Haynes with a low bow. "You beat me in."

  "Have you been out trying to gather more evidence against my poorjuggler?"

  "If I have, it's been with no success."

  "I wish you failure," she returned as she left the room.

  "Here's something that may interest you," said Colton to Haynes, andrelated the episode of the sheep.

  The reporter sat down. Colton thought he looked white and worn. Haynesmeditated, frowning.

  "You say the sheep lay on the hard sand?" he said at length.

  "Yes; halfway between the cliff-line and the ocean."

  "That ought to help a lot," said Haynes decisively. "What marks werearound it?"

  "Marks?" repeated Colton vacantly.

  "Yes; marks, footmarks," impatiently.

  "Why, the fact is, I don't know what I could have been thinking of, butI didn't look."

  "The Lord forgive you!"

  "I'll go back now and find them."

  "An elephant's spoor wouldn't have survived half an hour of the rain wehad last night," Haynes said with evident exasperation.

  "Miss Ravenden might have noticed something," suggested Coltonhopefully.

  On the word Haynes was out in the hallway, up the stairs, and knockingat the girl's door.

  "Oh, Miss Dolly!" he called. "I want your help."

  "What can I do for the great Dupin, Jr.?" asked the girl, coming outinto the hall.

  "Show that you've profited by his learned instructions. Did you see anymarks on the sand around the dead sheep?"

  "I'm an idiot!" said the girl contritely. "I never thought to look."

  "It's well that your eyes are ornamental; they're not alwaysuseful," said Haynes in accents of raillery which did not conceal hisdisappointment.

  "What have the great Dupin, Jr.'s eyes discovered to-day?" she asked.

  "Nothing, You and Colton have provided an unsatisfactory ending to anunsatisfactory day. I've been talking with the survivors of thewreck and couldn't get any light at all. They've all left except 'theWonderful Whalley.' He's pretty badly bruised, and anyway he won't gobefore paying his respects to Helga."

  "I should think not, indeed!" said Miss Ravenden. "And to you."

  "It's a curious thing, but he doesn't seem to be inspired by thatdevotion to me which my highly attractive character would seem towarrant. In fact he looks at me as if he would like to stick me withone of those particularly long, lean and unprepossessing knives which hecherishes so fondly."

  "You don't really think," said Miss Ravenden in concern, "that there isany----"

  "Figure of speech," interrupted Haynes. "But the man certainly isn'tnormal. I'll have to trace his movements of yesterday evening. First,however, I'll have a look at that sheep."

  "Surely the Portuguese had nothing to do with that? Why should he kill aharmless animal?"

  "There is such a thing as murderous mania," said Haynes after somehesitation.

  Here Professor Ravenden entered. "I had rather a strange experienceyesterday evening," he said.

  "Did you hear the sheep too?" asked Colton eagerly.

  "Not unless sheep fly, sir. What it was I heard I should be glad to haveexplained. To liken it to a rasping hinge of great size would hardlygive a proper idea of its animate quality; yet I can find nobetter simile. Were any of the local inhabitants given to nocturnalaeronautics, however, I should unhesitatingly aver that they had passedclose over me not half an hour since, and that their machinery neededoiling."

  "I have heard such
a noise," said Haynes quietly. "Did it affect youunpleasantly?"

  "No, sir. I cannot say it did. But it roused my interest. I shall make apoint of pursuing it further."

  "Miss Johnston is calling us to breakfast," said Colton.

  "I'm just going to take a quick jump to the beach and a glimpse at thesheep," said Haynes, and a moment later they saw him passing on hishorse.

  From her place at the head of the breakfast-table Helga Johnston calledDr. Colton to sit next to her, and while talking to him kept one eye onthe door. Presently in came Miss Ravenden.

  "Come up to this end, Dolly," called Helga. "I want to introduce to youour new guest. Dr. Colton, Miss Ravenden."

  "Dr. Colton and I already have----" began Dorothy.

  "I was fortunate enough to find Miss Ravenden---" said the confused Dickin the same breath.

  "Dr. Colton," continued Helga, cutting them both off, "is here makinga collection of government paper currency. I mention this because MissRavenden has a well-known reputation for discerning contributions----"

  "Helga," said Miss Ravenden calmly, "I have a few withering remarkswaiting for you. Dr. Colton, you probably didn't know that you weresaving a practical joker when you----"

  "Earned that twenty-dollar bill," put in Helga. "But how did you twoadjust your financial relations?"

  To Dick's relief the outer door opened, admitting Haynes. They turned tohim instantly, with questioning faces.

  With the change of voice which he kept for Helga alone, he said:"Princess, another of your courtiers is coming over this evening todisplay his talents."

  "Who, Petit Pere?"

  "Your juggler, 'The Wonderful Whalley.'"

  "Did you find out anything about him, Monsieur Dupin?" asked MissRavenden.

  "Nothing worth while. If he was out last night, no one knows it."

  "And the dead sheep?"

  But Haynes only shook his head and attacked his breakfast.

  After breakfast the party separated, Haynes riding over to see someof the fishermen, Helga busying herself with household affairs, MissRavenden joining her father in a butterfly expedition to the HitherWood, and Colton going off alone in ill-humour after a signaldiscomfiture.

  He had endeavoured to convince Miss Ravenden that he cherished apassionate fondness for entomology, hoping thereby to gain an invitationto join the party. Unfortunately he undertook the role of a semi-expert,and being by nature the most honest and open of men had fallen into thepit she dug. Upon his profession of faith she at once, so he flatteredhimself, accepted him as a fellow enthusiast, and began to describe tohim a procession of _Arachnidae_ across a swamp.

  "In the lead was one great, tiger-striped fellow," she said. "Are youfamiliar with the beautiful, big _arachnid_ with the yellow-and-blackwings?"

  "Yes, indeed!" said Colton eagerly. "I used to see'em flitting aroundthe roses at our summer place."

  "Then," she said mischievously, "you ought to alter your habits. The_arachnids_ are spiders. Anyone who sees winged spiders is safer fishingthan on a butterfly hunt. Good-bye, Dr. Colton."