CHAPTER XCVIII.
JOE DEERING AT HOME AGAIN--ON THE LOOKOUT--NEWS AT LAST--JOVIAL CAPTAINROBINSON IN DANGER.
We must cross the Channel to England again.
But not for long.
One character in our drama of real life has not appeared upon the scenefor some time.
We allude to the skipper of the "Albatross," Joe Deering.
Captain Deering had finished his course and returned to his nativeland.
He was anxious to get home, for he had a purpose in view.
He wished to rout out two men to whom he owed a very deep grudge, whichhe was fully determined to pay off.
One was Mr. Murray, the treacherous owner of the ill-fated "Albatross,"for Captain Deering, it should be borne in mind, was ignorant of thewretched man's well-merited fate.
The other was that traitor friend of his, the accomplice of the elderMurray--jovial Captain Robinson.
Joe Deering was in earnest, and he pursued his inquiries with theutmost diligence.
The jovial captain was not to be heard of anywhere at first.
But Joe Deering, baffled here, like a skilled mariner as he was, setout on another tack.
He made his inquiries for Mr. Murray alone.
"Where one thief is," said Joe, to himself, "the other murderingscoundrel is sure to be not far off."
For some time his search proved unavailing again; but he was presentlyrewarded for his perseverance by the first gleam of good luck.
He learnt the late address of Murray senior.
"This is a step in the right direction," said Joe Deering, with achuckle.
So with renewed hope he went to the house.
"Mr. Murray ain't been home for many months, sir," said thehousekeeper, in reply to Deering's inquiry, "and I haven't any news ofhim since goodness knows when."
"You don't mean that?" said Deering, aghast.
"Indeed, but I do, and I hope that you're not going to misbelieve melike that Captain Robinson, that calls here every----"
"What?" ejaculated Deering. "Avast there. Captain Robinson, did yousay?"
"Yes."
"Do you know him?"
"I can't very well be off knowing him, seeing as he's here about twicea day, and I know he never wished my poor master no good."
"What makes you think that?" asked Joe Deering.
"Master used always to try to avoid seeing him, poor old gentleman,"replied the housekeeper.
"Why do you call him 'poor old gentleman?'"
"Because I know he suffered dreadfully, and I think he was worried bythat Robinson into doing something dreadful."
"How dreadful?"
Joe Deering's curiosity was excited now by the housekeeper's manner,and he pressed her for further information.
"That Captain Robinson worrited him to a skeleton, sir," she answered;"he was always here nag, nag, nagging night and day. At last my poormaster bolted, sir."
"Bolted!"
"Ran away."
"Where to?"
"I don't know; but he bolted from here, and from Captain Robinson."
"But Mr. Murray was surely not in fear of Captain Robinson?"
"Indeed, he was. Captain Robinson knew something about my poor masterthat oughtn't to be known, so it was said, and he was always trying toforce Mr. Murray to give him money."
"The deuce he was!" said Captain Deering. "This throws a new light onthe scoundrel and his cursed good-natured-looking figure-head."
"A deceitful beast!" said the housekeeper, warmly. "You would havethought that he couldn't hurt a worm to look at him, and yet I dobelieve that he's drove poor Mr. Murray to make away with himself."
"You don't think that?"
"What else can I think? He hasn't been seen or heard or for months andmonths. But if I wasn't so heavy at heart over that, sir, I could laughfor joy to see that beast of a Captain Robinson's disappointment everytime he comes."
"So he comes often?" said Joe Deering, eagerly.
"Every day; sometimes twice a day," was the reply.
Deering thought this information over quietly.
"Would you like to serve him out?" he asked presently.
"Who?"
"Captain Robinson," responded Deering.
"That I should, indeed," said the housekeeper, eagerly; "only show mehow to do it."
"I will."
Joe Deering did.
He made himself known to the woman, and convinced her that he had amplereason for wishing to repay the grudge.
And they plotted together to wreak a well-merited vengeance upon thatfalsely jovial Captain Robinson.
The nature of that vengeance you will learn if you have patience towait till the next chapter.