The Ragged Edge

  CHAPTER XIX

  Meanwhile the doctor, upon returning to his office, found Ah Cum inthe waiting room. "Why, hello, Ah Cum! What's the trouble?"

  Ah Cum took his hands from his sleeves. "I should like to knowwhere Mr. Spurlock has gone."

  "Did he owe you money?"

  "Oh, no!"

  "Then why do you wish to know?"

  Ah Cum pondered. "I have a client who is very much interested inMr. Spurlock. He was here shortly after the young man was takenill."

  "Ah. What was this man?"

  "A detective from the States."

  "Why didn't he arrest Mr. Spurlock then?"

  "I imagine that Mr. O'Higgins is rather a kindly man. He couldn'thave taken Mr. Spurlock back to Hong-Kong with him, so heconsidered it would be needless to give an additional shock. Heasked me to watch Mr. Spurlock's movements and report progress. Headmitted that it would bore him to dally here in Canton, with thepleasures of Hong-Kong so close."

  The doctor caught the irony, and he warmed a little. "I'm afraid Imust decline to tell you. Do you know what Spurlock has done?"

  "Mr. O'Higgins did not confide in me. But he told me this much,that no matter how far Mr. Spurlock went, it would not be farenough."

  A detective. The doctor paced the room half a dozen times. Howeasily an evil thought could penetrate a normally decent mind! Allhe had to do was to disclose Spurlock's destination, and in a fewmonths Ruth would be free. For it was but logical that she wouldseek a divorce on the ground that she had unknowingly married afugitive from justice. McClintock would be on hand to tell her howand where to obtain this freedom. He stopped abruptly before theapparently incurious Chinaman.

  "Your detective has been remiss in his duty; let him suffer forit."

  "Personally, I am neutral," said Ah Cum. "I wish merely to come outof this bargain honourably. It would make the young wife unhappy."

  "Very."

  "There was a yacht in the river?"

  "I have nothing to say."

  "By the name of _The Tigress_?"

  The doctor smiled, but shook his head. He sent a speculative glanceat the immobile yellow face. Was Ah Cum offering him an opportunityto warn Spurlock? But should he warn the boy? Why not let himimagine himself secure? The thunderbolt would be launched soonenough.

  "I haven't a word to say, Ah Cum, not a word."

  "Then I wish you good night."

  Ah Cum went directly to the telegraph office, and his message wasdevoted particularly to a description of _The Tigress_. Spurlockhad been taken aboard that yacht with the Kanaka crew, because _TheTigress_ was the only ship marked for departure that night. Ah Cumwas not a sailor, but he knew his water-front. One of his chaircoolies had witnessed the transportation of Spurlock by stretcherto the sampan in the canal. There were three other ships at anchor;but as two would be making Shanghai and one rounding to Singaporetwo days hence, it was logically certain that no fugitive wouldseek haven in one of these.

  But whither _The Tigress_ was bound or who the owner was lay beyondthe reach of Ah Cum's deductions. He did not particularly care. Itwas enough that Spurlock had been taken aboard _The Tigress_.

  He wisely refrained from questioning the manager of the Victoria.He feared to antagonize that distinguished person. The Victoria wasAh Cum's bread and butter.

  The telegram dispatched, his obligation cancelled, Ah Cum proceededhomeward, chuckling occasionally. The Yale spirit!

  James Boyle O'Higgins was, as the saying goes, somewhat out ofluck. Ah Cum's wire reached the Hong-Kong Hotel promptly enough;but O'Higgins was on board a United States cruiser, witnessing about between a British sailor and a sergeant in the U.S. Marines.It was a capital diversion; and as usual the Leatherneck bested theBritisher, in seven rounds. O'Higgins returned to town and made anight of it, nothing very wild, nothing very desperate. A modestdrinking bout which had its windup in a fan-tan house over inKowloon, where O'Higgins tussled with varying fortune until five inthe morning.

  When he was given the telegram he flew to the Praya, engaged thefast motor-boat he had previously bespoken against the need, andstarted for the Macao Passage, with the vague hope of speaking _TheTigress_. He hung round those broad waters from noon until threeand realized that he had embarked upon a wild-goose chase. Still,his conscience was partly satisfied. He made Hong-Kong at dusk:wet, hungry, and a bit groggy for the want of sleep; but he was inno wise discouraged. The girl was in the game now, and thatnarrowed the circle.

  The following morning found him in the doctor's waiting room, ablack cigar turning unlighted in his teeth. When the doctor camein--he had just finished his breakfast--O'Higgins rose andpresented his card. Upon reading the name, the doctor's eyebrowswent up.

  "I rather fancy, as you Britishers say, that you know the nature ofmy visit?"

  "I'm an American."

  "Fine!" said O'Higgins, jovially. "We won't have any troubleunderstanding each other; same language. There's nothing on thecard to indicate it, but I'm a detective."

  O'Higgins threw out his chest, gave it a pat, and smiled. Thissmile warned the doctor not to underestimate the man. O'Higgins wasall that the doctor had imagined a detective to be: a bulkypoliceman in civilian clothes. The blue jowl, the fat-liddedeyes--now merry, now alert, now tungsten hard--the bullet head, thepudgy fingers and the square-toed shoes were all in conformationwith the doctor's olden mental picture.

  "Yes; I know I look it," said O'Higgins, amiably.

  The doctor laughed. But he sobered instantly as he recollected thatO'Higgins had found Spurlock once. Journeying blindly half wayacross the world, this man had found his quarry.

  "I never wear false whiskers," went on O'Higgins. "The onlydisguise I ever put on is a dress-suit, and I look as natural as apig at a Mahomedan dinner." O'Higgins was disarming the doctor."Won't you sit down?"

  "I beg your pardon! Come into the consultation office"; and thedoctor led the way. "What is it you want of me?"

  "All you know about this young fellow Spurlock."

  "What has he done?"

  "He has just naturally peeved his Uncle Sam. Now, you know where heis bound."

  "Did Ah Cum advise you?"

  "He did pretty well for a Chinaman. But that's his Americaneducation. Now, it won't do a bit of good to warn Spurlock. Hecarries with him something that will mark him anywhere--the girl.Say, that girl fooled me at first glance. You see, we guys bump upagainst so much of the seamy side that we look upon everybody asguilty until proved innocent, which is hind-side-to. The secondlook told me I was wrong."

  "I'm going to put one question," interrupted the doctor. "Was thereany other woman back there in the States?"

  "Nary a female. Oh, they are married fast. What are you going totell me?"

  "Nothing." But the doctor softened the refusal by smiling.

  "For the sake of the girl. Well, I don't blame you on that ground.If the boy was legging it alone...."

  "I'm a doctor. I took him out of the hands of death. Unless he haskilled someone. I sha'n't utter a word."

  "Killed someone?" O'Higgins laughed. "He wouldn't hurt a rabbit."

  "You won't tell me what he has done?"

  "If you'll tell me where he's heading."

  "You can give me a little of his history, can't you? Somethingabout his people?"

  "Oh, his folks were all right. His father and mother are gone now.Rich folks, once. The boy had all kinds of opportunity; but it'sthe old story of father making it too easy. It's always hard workfor a rich man's son to stand alone. Then you won't tell me wherehe's going?"

  "I will tell you six months from now."

  "Prolonging the misery. Unless he deserts the girl, he won't be sohard to find as formerly. You see, it's like this. The boss says tome: 'Higg, here's a guy we want back. He's down in Patagoniasomewhere.' So I go to Patagonia. I know South America and Canadalike the lines in my hand. This is my first venture over here. Thepoint is, I know all the tricks in finding a man. Sure, I lose oneoccasionally--if he stays in New
York. But if he starts a long jog,his name is Dennis. You may not know it, but it's easier to find aguy that's gone far than it is when he lays dogo in little old NewYork."

  "You had Spurlock once."

  O'Higgins grinned. "Women are always balling up and muddling cleancases. If this girl hadn't busted into the game, Spurlock wouldstill be at the hotel."

  The doctor was forced to admit the truth of this. Ruth out of thepicture, he wouldn't have concerned himself so eagerly in regard toSpurlock's departure.

  "I'm sorry, Mr. O'Higgins, but I decline to give you the leastinformation."

  The detective ruefully inspected the scarlet band on his perfecto."And I'll bet a doughnut that boy in his soul is crazy to have itover with. Well-born, well-educated; those are the lads that pay infull."

  "You're a philosopher, too. I'll tell you something. One of thereasons why I decline to talk is this: that boy's punishment willbe enough."

  "That's not my game. They order me to get my man, and I get him.There ends my duty. What they do with him afterward is off myticket, no concern of James Boyle; they can lock him up or let himgo. Say, how about this Ah Cum: is he honest?"

  "As the day is long."

  "Didn't know but what I'd been out-bid. I offered him a hundred towatch Spurlock. Fifty in advance. This morning I met him at thedock, and he wouldn't take the other fifty. A queer nut. Imagineany one on this side refusing fifty bucks! Well, I'll be toddlingalong. Don't feel fussed upon my account. I get your side allright. H'm!"

  Over the desk, on the wall, was a map of the South Pacificarchipelagoes, embossed by a number of little circles drawn in redink. O'Higgins eyed it thoughtfully.

  "That's your hunting ground," said the doctor.

  "It's a whale of a place. Ten thousand islands, and each one goodfor a night's rest. Why, that boy could hide for thirtyyears--without the girl. She's my meal-ticket. What are those littlered circles?" O'Higgins asked, rising and inspecting the map. A filmof dust lay upon it; the ink marks were ancient. For a momentO'Higgins had hoped that the ink applications would be recent."Been to those places?"

  "No. Years ago I marked out an intinerary for myself; but the tripnever materialized. Too busy."

  "That's the way it goes. Well, I'll take myself off. But if I wereyou, I shouldn't warn Spurlock. Let him have his honeymoon. Solong."

  For a long time after O'Higgins had gone the doctor rocked in hisswivel chair, his glance directed at the map. In all his life hehad never realized a dream; but the thought had never before hurthim. The Dawn Pearl. It did not seem quite fair. He had pluggedalong, if not happy, at least with sound philosophy. And then thisgirl had to sweep into and out of his life! He recalledMcClintock's comment about Spurlock being the kind that fell soft.Even this man-hunting machine was willing to grant the boy hishoneymoon.

  Meantime, O'Higgins wended his way to the Victoria, mulling overthis and that phase, all matters little and big that bore upon thechase. Mac's. In one of the little red circles the doctor hadtraced that abbreviation. That could signify nothing except thatthe doctor had a friend down there somewhere, on an island in oneof those archipelagoes. But the sheer immensity of the tract! JamesBoyle was certainly up against it, hard. One chance in a thousand,and that would be the girl. She wouldn't be able to pass byanywhere without folks turning their heads.

  Of course he hadn't played the game wisely. But what the deuce! Hewas human; he was a machine only when on the hunt. He had foundSpurlock. In his condition the boy apparently had been as safe asin the lock-up. Why shouldn't James Boyle pinch out a little funwhile waiting? How was he to anticipate the girl and the sea-trampcalled _The Tigress_? Something that wasn't in the play at all buthad walked out of the scenery like the historical black cat?

  "I'll have to punish a lot of tobacco to get the kinks out of this.Sure Mike!"

  At the hotel he wrote a long letter to his chief, explaining everydetail of the fizzle. Later he dispatched a cable announcing theescape and the sending of the letter. When he returned to Hong-Kong,there was a reply to his cable:

  "Hang on. Find that boy."

  Some order. South America was big; but ten thousand islands,scattered all over the biggest ocean on the map! Nearly all of themclear of the ship lanes and beaten tracks! The best thing he coulddo would be to call up the Quai d'Orsay and turn over the job toLecocq. Only a book detective could dope this out.

  What he needed most in this hour was a bottle of American rye-whiskyand a friendly American bar-keep to talk to. He regretted now thatin his idle hours he hadn't hunted up one against the rainy day. Thebarmaids had too strongly appealed to his sense of novelty. So hemarched into the street, primarily bent upon making the favourablediscovery. If there was a Yankee bar-keep in Hong-Kong, James Boylewould soon locate him. No blowzy barmaids for him to-day: anAmerican bar-keep to whom he could tell his troubles and receive theproper meed of sympathy.

  The sunshine was brilliant, the air mild. The hotel on the Peak hadthe aspect of a fairy castle. The streets were full of colour.O'Higgins wandered into this street and that, studying the signsand resenting the Britisher's wariness in using too much tin andpaint. This niggardliness compelled him to cross and recrossstreets.

  Suddenly he came to a stop, his mouth agape.

  "Solid ivory!" he said aloud; "solid from dome to neck! That'sJames Boyle in the family group. And if I hadn't been thirsty, thatpoor boob would have made a sure getaway and left James Boyle highand dry among the moth-balls! Oh, the old dome works once every sooften. Fancy, as they say hereabouts!"

  What had aroused this open-air monologue was a small tin sign in awindow. Marine Insurance. Here was a hole as wide as a church-door.What could be simpler than, with a set of inquiries relative to aSouth Sea tramp registered as _The Tigress_, to make a tour of allthe marine insurance companies in Hong-Kong? O'Higgins proceeded toput the idea into action; and by noon he had in his possession agood working history of the owner of _The Tigress_ and the exactlatitude and longitude of his island.

  He cabled to New York: "Probable destination known."

  "Make it positive," was the brisk reply.

  O'Higgins made it positive; but it required five weeks of brokenvoyages: with dilapidated hotels, poor food, poor tobacco, andevil-smelling tramps. It took a deal of thought to cast acomprehensive cable, for it had to include where Spurlock was, whathe was doing, and the fact that O'Higgins's letter of credit wouldnot now carry him and Spurlock to San Francisco. The reply hereceived this time put him into a state of continuous bewilderment.

  "Good work. Come home alone."