The Cryptogram: A Story of Northwest Canada Read online

  CHAPTER IV.

  MUTUAL EXPLANATIONS.

  From a distance a man had been watching us steadily--I had observed himbefore--and now he came quickly and with an air of bravado to where westood. He was about my own age, but a little shorter and slighter,clean-shaven, with dark eyes and thick, black hair. Though handsome in away, the stamp of an evil and unscrupulous nature was on his bronzedfeatures. His dress was that of a gentleman.

  "Can I be of any service to you, Miss Hatherton?" the fellow began,darting an impertinent glance at the captain and myself.

  The girl shrank from him with aversion in her eyes.

  "I need no assistance," she replied. "And I thought we had spoken thelast word on the ship, Mr. Mackenzie."

  "I was no party to that agreement, you will remember," the man answered,looking at her with fierce admiration. "I have been searching for you,and when I caught sight of you but a moment ago, I judged that thesegentlemen were paying you unwelcome attentions. Certainly they were onthe point of an altercation."

  I looked to Captain Rudstone to take the matter up, but to my amazementhe bowed and walked away, whispering at my ear as he passed me:

  "Be prudent. I will join you at the Silver Lily."

  To put his desertion down to cowardice was the only construction open.

  I held my ground, wondering what strange thing would happen next. Thedark man eyed me insolently for a moment, evidently expecting and hopingthat I would follow my companion. Then he bent closer to Miss Hatherton.

  "Why will you persist in this folly?" he asked. "You are alone in astrange land--in a strange town. I urge you to accept the shelter of mysister's house. It is but a short distance from here."

  "And I refuse!" the girl cried indignantly. "I wish no further speechwith you, Mr. Mackenzie. I am not friendless, as you think. I am goingwith this gentleman."

  "It's a devilish bad choice!" the man exclaimed angrily.

  "What do you mean by that?" I cried, ruffling up.

  "Miss Hatherton, I beg you to listen to me," he went on, ignoring mydemand. "It is for your own good--"

  "Not another word, sir," she interrupted, edging nervously toward me asshe spoke.

  "You shall hear me!" he insisted; and with that he caught her brutallyby one arm.

  The girl struggled in his grasp and gazed at me with such mute andearnest pleading, with such fear and distress in her lovely eyes, that Imust have been more than human to resist taking her part. I was in a hotrage, as it was, and I did not hesitate an instant. I shot out with myright arm--a straight, hard blow from the shoulder that took the ruffianbetween the eyes. He reeled and fell like a log.

  The deed was no sooner done than I regretted--for Miss Hatherton'ssake--that I had gone to such extremities. But I made the best of it byquickly leading the girl away, and she clung tightly to my arm as wehurried through the curious group of people on the quay. To my relief,no one stopped us, and indeed the incident had attracted littleattention. Looking back, I saw that Mr. Mackenzie was on his feet, thecenter of a small crowd who were bent on preventing him from followingus.

  It was not long before we were off the quay, and in the shelter of thequiet streets of the town. By a few words Miss Hatherton gave me tounderstand that she was aware of the arrangements made for her, and thatthe trunk was to be sent to the Silver Lily. Then she looked into myface with a sad and grateful smile that set my heart to fluttering.

  "I am glad to have found such a friend and protector," she said. "Youhave done me a great service, and one that I will not forget, Mr.Carew--I think that is your name. But I fear you have not seen the lastof Mr. Mackenzie."

  "He will be wise to let the affair drop," I replied. "I count it anhonor and a pleasure, Miss Hatherton, that I had the opportunity ofhelping you. If the man seeks satisfaction, he shall have it."

  She glanced at me with some surprise, and with a tinge of amusement, Ifancied.

  "Are you a Canadian?" she asked.

  "A native-born child of My Lady of the Snows," said I.

  "And you have never been in England?"

  "No nearer than Quebec," I answered.

  "I should not have believed it," she replied. Then, after a pause: "Imet Cuthbert Mackenzie on board the Good Hope. He sailed with me fromLondon, and from the first I disliked him. He constantly forced hisattentions upon me, though he saw that they were hateful to me; and whenI refused to have anything to do with him, he even went so far as tothreaten. I hope I have seen the last of him."

  "He shall not annoy you again," said I.

  She was silent for a moment.

  "Shall we find Captain Rudstone at the hotel?" she asked.

  "I believe so," I answered, hiding my annoyance at the question. "Hemade an abrupt departure, Miss Hatherton."

  "Perhaps he had good reasons," she replied; and with that the matterdropped.

  The rest of the distance was all too short for me. It was a novel thingthat I, who had scarce spoken ten words to a woman before in my life,should be playing the gallant to as pretty a girl as could be found inQuebec. But she had put me quite at my ease, and mightily proud I feltwhen I gave her into the care of Madame Ragoul, though the thought thatshe was the promised bride of old Griffith Hawke seemed to bring a lumpto my throat. I bade her good-by for the present in the upper hall ofthe house, and going downstairs, I sauntered into the room behind thebar. There sat Captain Rudstone, a glass of wine before him.

  "You have just come?" said I.

  "But a moment ago," he answered coldly, and with a sour look. "What isthe meaning of this strange affair, Mr. Carew?"

  "I had to knock the impertinent rascal down," I replied.

  "I do not refer to that," said he, with a grim smile. "I witnessed thewhole trouble."

  "From a distance?" I ventured.

  His eyes flashed.

  "Have a care," he muttered. "I am not in a trifling mood. Tell me, whattook you to the quay this morning to meet Miss Hatherton?"

  "I might ask you the same question," I replied.

  "Will you answer me, sir?"

  "There is no reason why I should not," said I. "Miss Hatherton was sentover to become the wife of the factor of Fort Royal. I met her inaccordance with my instructions, and we are to take the first ship thatsails for Hudson's Bay."

  Captain Rudstone's hard expression softened; he looked astonished andrelieved.

  "I am glad the matter is cleared up," he said. "It is plainly a case ofkilling two birds with one stone. I will be equally frank, Mr. Carew. Iwas directed by the governor of the company to await the arrival of theGood Hope, and to receive from Miss Hatherton a packet of importantdispatches secretly intrusted to her in London by Lord Selkirk."

  It was my turn to be amazed. I saw that each of us had suspected theother without cause.

  "I also sail on the first ship for the Bay," the captain went on. "I amcharged with the duty of delivering Lord Selkirk's letters ofinstructions to the northern forts. This is a serious matter, Mr. Carew.There is trouble brewing, and it may break out at any time. So the headoffice is zealously preparing for it. By the bye, do you know who thisMr. Mackenzie is?"

  I shook my head.

  "He is an official and a spy of the Northwest Company," said CaptainRudstone, "and he has been in London working for the interests of hispeople. I was aware of this when he approached us on the quay, and Ihurried away so that he might be the less suspicious as to my dealingswith the young lady."

  "I did you an injustice," said I. What I had just heard caused me muchuneasiness, and I foresaw possible unpleasant complications.

  "It was a natural mistake," replied Captain Rudstone. "I overlook it.But speaking of Mackenzie--the letters would be of the utmostvalue to him if he could get hold of them. I don't believe he suspectedthe girl during the voyage, or he would have robbed her; but I am afraidhe saw her withdraw the packet from her bosom. I made her put it back atonce."

  "He was standing near us on t
he quay for some time," said I, "does heknow who you are?"

  "It is quite likely! Hang it all, Mr. Carew, I don't like the look ofthings! I'm going to do a little spying about the town on my ownaccount; but, first it is important that I should see Miss Hatherton."

  I did not relish the idea of disturbing the girl so soon after herarrival, and I was about to say as much. But just then appeared MadameRagoul with a request that my companion would accord an interview toMiss Hatherton. He departed with alacrity, and I took it with an illgrace that I should be left out of the matter. I waited for a long time,seeking consolation in the thought that I alone would be the girl'sprotector in future, and at length Captain Rudstone returned.

  "I have the dispatches," he announced, tapping his breast.

  "You were an hour about it," said I petulantly.

  "Oh, ho!" he laughed; "so the wind blows from that quarter! But I am nolady's man, Mr. Carew. And Miss Hatherton is not for either of us, rarebeauty though she is--ay, and a girl of pluck and spirit. She is boundby a sacred promise--a promise to the dead--to marry that old fossil,Griffith Hawke. I knew him seven years ago. A fine husband indeed forsuch a maid!"

  The captain's foolish insinuation angered me, and I felt myself blushingfuriously, but I said nothing.

  "It is a sad story," he went on. "I persuaded the girl to give me herconfidence. It seems that her father, a gentleman of good family, was afriend of Lord Selkirk. Some months ago he lost every shilling he had inthe world through unwise speculation, and the shock killed him. On hisdeathbed he sent for Selkirk, and begged him to care for his daughter,who would be left quite alone in the world. The old rascal persuaded thefather that the girl could not do better than go out to the Canadas andmarry the factor of Fort Royal--he had received Hawke's application fora wife at about this time. The result was that Flora yielded andconsented--I daresay there was no way out of it--and Selkirk tookadvantage of the opportunity to send these important letters with her;he knew she was the last person that would be suspected of having them.This much may be put in Selkirk's favor: he visited Canada some yearsago, and took a fancy to Hawke."

  "The factor is a gentleman born," said I, "but he is past fifty. Andthink of the life! It is a sad pity for the girl."

  "She knows what is before her," replied the captain, "and she seems tobe resigned. To tell the truth, though, I half-believe there issomething at the back of it all--that some deeper cause drove her outhere. Nothing to her discredit, I mean."

  "What makes you think so?" I asked.

  "A chance remark that she let fall," he answered.

  I would have questioned Captain Rudstone more closely, but just then hedrained his glass and rose with an air of sudden determination.

  "I have work to do," he said gravely, as he put on his hat. "I must keeptrack of Cuthbert Mackenzie. Miss Hatherton knew nothing of his realcharacter, and I am satisfied that he knew as little of her while theywere at sea. But what he may have learned since landing is a differentmatter. I will come back here this evening, and meanwhile I would adviseyou to remain in the hotel. There is a ship sailing for the Bay in aweek as you probably know, and I shall be heartily glad when we are atsea. Cuthbert Mackenzie is a serpent that stings in the dark."

  He bade me good morning and was gone.