Captain Mandeville; a novel

Front matter

Shelf, Y

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, f

Mrs. Mary J. Holmes’ Novels

Part II. — Marooned , . .15 Chapter

II. Asiatic Cholera 30

III. Mr. George Barrett, Banker . . *35

IV. The Anonymous Letter . . , .37

V. Sudden Death 45

VI. A Morgue Substitution . . . .54

VIII. The Sartoris Household . . . .73

IX. Entry in a Diary 81

X. Death of Sergeant Phillips . . *91

XL Dr. Jollier and Leland .... loi

XII. Mallei . . ■ 108

XIII. Liverpool Report 114

XIV. The Atlantic Cable 119

XV. Diphtheria ...... 130

XVI. Hydrophobia 133

XVII. Six Men 139

XVHI, Detective Reaper . . . . . 143

[vj

VI

CONTENTS.

Chapter Page

XIX. Episode of the Second Avenue House 155

XX. What Befell .

XXL A Truthful Cablegram XXII. A Silk Hat .

XXIII. Leland and the Detective

XXIV. Bella’s Report .

XXV. A Terrible Threat

XXVI. I’ve Found Captain Mandeville XXVII. The Detective’s Story .

XXVIII. The Arrest .

XXIX. Asseverations of Innocence

XXX. The Informer

XXXI. Suicide ....

XXXII. Another View .

XXXIII. The Public Side .

XXXIV. Conclusion .

Epilogue

CAPTAIN MANDEVILLE.

Prologue

PART I.

MUTINY.

The chance visit of a sailor into the hold of the Bride of Plymouth'’ was, if not the cause, the antecedent (as a logician would say) of all that followed. In the semi-gloom he stumbled against one of fifty small oaken kegs which were supposed to contain nails consigned to the then only hardware dealer in Melbourne, Australia. It rolled over on its side and the contents emitted such a jingling sound, so unlike that of cold wrought iron, that the sailor's lively curiosity was instantly aroused. Without thinking of the punishment he was in danger of receiving for meddling with the cargo, he set to work with a mar-.

CAPTAIN MANDEVILLE.

linspike and in the space of a half hour had succeeded in prying off the hoops that bound one end of the keg. Eagerly lifting the head of the supposed nail repository, he saw before him rows of gold sovereigns neatly laid in circles, which radiated like the miniature waves occasioned by dropping a stone in a pool ; a single coin in the center representing the stone. So completely astonished was the man that he sat dazed for a moment ; then mechanically removed the top layer of sovereigns ; several thicknesses of flannel were beneath ; more sovereigns and more flannel, and so on to the very bottom. There they were, piled up in a little heap before him, shining and gleaming and reflecting a rich yellowish hue, as bright and clean as if they had been stamped the day before.

The sailor had never seen a tenth of that wealth before and his scanty pay when ashore after a voyage went after the manner of his happy-go-lucky kind. For a long time he remained in the musty hold alternately dancing in delirious joy and gazing stupidly at the precious heap of coins. Then he sobered down somewhat and reflected. He counted the sovereigns — there were five hundred of them — replaced them carefully in the keg just as he had found them, fastened on the head, and shoved the keg into the deepest and darkest corner. When he cautiously made his reappearance on deck the mate swore at him for skulking and had his allowance of grog cut off for a week, with the promise the next offense would give him a taste of the cat.

Eight days the sailor kept his knowledge to him-

MUTINY.

self, but on the ninth, being no longer able to contain himself, he told one of his mates after exacting several terrible oaths of secresy. Within two weeks every sailor in the fo’c’sle was acquainted with the secret and ten days after that whispers of it had reached the cook, the mate, and even the cabin boy. Plainly the Bride of Plymouth was carrying a large amount of Her Majesty's coin to the colonies. If one keg contained gold sovereigns, there must be more of the same order. The consignors probably thought there was less risk in sending it that way in an innocent sailing vessel, under the guise of wrought iron nails which pirates themselves would not trouble to disturb, than in employing a heavily armed and manned ship which would proclaim to all malefactors of the sea the cargo she carried and would but require a large attacking force.

The Bride of Plymouth " was not an English ship, although the Union Jack floated at her masthead. She had been built at the American port a part of whose name she bore, and all her men, with the exception of the young captain, were Americans. Siie had been the only available vessel for the consignors of the gold, and as her crew expressed a willingness to sign for a ten months' voyage to Melbourne and back, a trusted Englishman was placed in charge and she sailed from the mouth of the Mersey a fortnight after she had entered it. So long as no one knew of the real character of the cargo, the money was as safe, barring the elements, as if it lay in the vaults of the Bank at home.

Honesty had been with the members of the crew a

CAPTAIN MANDKVILLE.

simple matter of course. One sailor would no more think of appropriating another’s tobacco plug or other like possession than of robbing himself; but on the other hand, none of them had ever come in actual contact with such possibilities of dishonesty before. Between a plug of tobacco and thousands of pounds stowed in the hold in oaken kegs was a difference and a gulf which was irreconcilable. The infection of dazzled cupidity seized every man of the crew and the officers and the sailors before the mast felt the comraderie of piratical rovers. To make sure of their footing, a small force of sailors was secretly dispatched one night to broach all the kegs and discover the exact amount of money aboard the Bride of Plymouth.” Twenty-five thousand pounds was the report — enough to make every man of the crew independent, yes, rich !

But the captain ? Would he join his foreign crew in a division of the spoils ? A meeting was held in the fo’c’sle and the first mate, a rather ugly-featured, long-limbed man, spoke :

Mates, we’ve got only the matter of a week to do our work in and the nearer we get to Melbourne the less chance we’ll have. If the cap’n wants to join us, why, I, Tobias Jenkins, say let him. If as he’s not with us, we’ll give him a snug berth somewheres, and I’ll navigate the ‘Bride’ to one of the islands about these seas. Being painted and with a new name we’ll be in shape to sail for Ameriky, where each man gets his share and goes home.”

Jenkins squirted a stream of tobacco juice under a bunk as he concluded, and looked inquiringly into

JkOTTIKY.

the faces of his companions to see the effect of his words. A plain seaman rose awkwardly from the pile of yarn on which he had been sitting and said ;

Slushin’ the mainmast always came easier to me than talkin’, as you all know well, and I ain’t a nawigator like the mate here, but if he ain’t on the right tack I’ll swallow my salt horse ’thout chewing when eight bells is struck !”

What’s to be done to the cap’n if he ain’t agreeable ?” demanded the boatswain, a sallow complexioned man with the shrewd, twinkling eyes of a Yankee.

‘‘ That’ll be decided by vote,” responded the mate, adding, with a grim smile, ^^the same way they settle things in the States.” He continued: Larry

Powers, Jim Hicks, Joe Burns and myselfll see his nobs now and give him our ideas, eh, boys ?”

There was no dissenting voice, and the mate, followed by Powers the bo’s’n, Hicks the carpenter and Burns, a grizzly, black-bearded salt, marched to the captain’s cabin.

The commander of the Bride of Plymouth ” was as totally unlike the skipper of the common run of sea tales as could be imagined. He could not have been more than thirty, his face was vigorous and perhaps a trifle thoughtful, his hair was rather dark, and he wore a sharp pointed beard after the French fashion. Indeed, he resembled the Englishman neither in appearance or in speech. He was not a hard master and the men under him knew it, and it was most likely for this reason the delegation walked to his cabin somewhat shamefacedly.

c : a in mandeville.

The lieavy knock of the mate was recognized by Captain Mandeville, and, without lifting his head from the chart lie was studying on the table, he cried out to him to enter. The four filed in slowly, and the shuffling feet drew the captain’s attention and caused him to glance up.

“Well, well!” he exclaimed, half surprised and annoyed. “ What might this mean ? Isn’t your'beef fresh, or is the biscuit too hard for your teeth ? And what do you mean, Jenkins, by leading these men here ?’*

There was an awkward pause for a moment.

“Come, come!” said the captain, impatiently, “don’t stand there all day. If you’ve got any complaint to make, make it and be done.”

Jenkins, who had been appointed to the position of spokesman, recovered his lost wits and boldly said :

“ No, Captain Mandeville, it ain’t the beef nor the biscuit, and as for my cornin’ with the men it’s a matter consarns me as much as them. To put the thing in a nutsliell, as we say down Boston way, the crew knows there’s a heap of money aboard and the trick is to sail the ‘ Bride of Plymouth ’ to Ameriky an’ divide it, you coming in for your regular share. That’s all, sir.”

In an instant this blunt announcement revealed everything to the captain — here was the explanation for the furitive whisperings and strange actions of his crew for the last few days. He was stunned and speechless. So the sailors had discovered the character of the “Bride’s ” cargo, and were deliberately

MUTIKY.

proposing to steal the gold and make way with the ship ! His own chief officer was in the conspiracy, too ! Then the color came back to his cheeks and in a voice of iron harshness he said :

‘‘What you have just spoken is mutiny, d'ye hear, mutiny, and every man jack here will swing from a rope's end before the month is up unless he goes back to his post. D’ye understand that ?”

The men seemed almost cowed by the words and bearing of the captain and he was quick to take advantage of his temporary success. Snatching a pistol from an open drawer before him, he sprang to his feet and shouted with energy :

“ Back to your places, every one of you I The first man that makes a wrong step, I’ll shoot like a dog ! And as for you, Tobias Jenkins, may God lielp you when we get into port !”

With the others the threats of the bold captain operated as a douche of cold water and they forgot the treasure and saw themselves only in the light of unjustifiable mutineers. But upon Jenkins the effect was different. A sudden fierce rage came over him. With a quick blow he knocked the pistol from the hand of Captain Mandeville, who was totally unprepared for this decisive assault. The next instant he leaped upon the captain and twined his long arms about his waist. The bo’s’ii was the first of the amazed delegation to come to tlie mate’s aid. There was something of a struggle, for the captain was athletic ; but the odds of four to one proved too much and he was soon lying on the cabin floor with his. arms and legs pinioned by ropes.

CAPTAIN MANDEYILLE.

“ That’s a pretty job, lads," gasped Jenkins, breathing hard from his exertions and pointing to the prostrate figure.

“That’s so!" ejaculated the carpenter, with the returned courage of an unexpected victor. “And while the cap'n is a-resting we might be taking some of his grog."

The frightened cabin boy, who had witnessed the overcoming of his master from a crack outside, was summoned by the mate and still trembling with excitement took a key from its hiding-place and unlocked the chest in which Captain Mandeville kept his supply of spirits and cigars. A large bottle of cognac and a box of manillas were laid on the table. Each man took a small tumblerful of liquor, smacked his lips and drank it off. Then with a cigar in each mouth the question of how to dispose of the captain was taken up.

Burns, the tangle bearded salt, spoke up :

“ It ain’t much in my way to make suggestions, but I say, give the cap’n his choice atween jinin’ us and walkin’ the plank.’’

“As fer me," said Hicks, “ I favor the plank fust and the ch’ice after."

Jenkins turned inquiringly to the bo’s’n.

“The carp’nter’s c’rrect, accordin’ to my notion,’’ said he. “An’ what’s more, dead men don’t bother the livin’."

“You’re all wrong, mates," said Jenkins. “It ain’t safe after what’s happened to have the cap’n with us and if dead men don’t talk, the livin' do for ’em sometimes. What — "

Marootted.

The cry of “ Land ho V* from the sailor at the wheel brought an end to the discussion for a time and the four men left the cabin hurriedly and went on deck.

PART II.

MAROONED.

The land that had been descried appeared hardly two points of the compass to the port side of the ship, perhaps fifteen miles away, and at the rate the Bride of Plymouth ** was traveling under the influence of a, steady breeze it was a safe wager that she would be abreast in an hour and a quarter. The mate, Jenkins, who had already taken virtual command, sent one of the sailors to fetch the captain's telescope, and, mounting the bridge, gazed long and earnestly at the fast approaching shore. Finally he withdrew the telescope from his eyes with a satisfied air and turned to the crew, which had assembled about him.

It's all right, mates," he said. What you see yonder is neither Melbourne nor London. It looks to me like one of these islands that're so thick around this part of creation and most like there’s nary soul on it. Howsoever, we can show Yankee heels if it happened as there was cannibals or such about and that's all to be afeared of."

In a short time the land had been raised on the horizon sufficiently so that its form could be plainly

CAPTAIN MANDEVILLE.

distinguislied by the unaided eye. It was something like a horseshoe in sliape, not mountainous, and cov^ ered with trees whose foliage had the rich tropical greenness. Soon through a break in the trees a thin line of sparkling, silvery water could be seen, undoubtedly water of the same sea the “ Bride of Plymouth was traversing. It was, then, nothing more than a terrestrial oasis in the great aqueous desert ; a mere strip of land thrown up in the midst of the watery solitudes, a coral island a few acres in extent.

The ship was put about and when within three or four miles of the island soundings were begun to be taken, not a needless precaution, for the depths about the coral regions are most uncertain. One hundred fathoms, seventy-five fathoms, fifty fathoms, thirty fathoms — the anchor was quickly dropped, the sails were furled, and the ‘‘ Bride of Plymouth ’’ gracefully and incessantly bowed and curtesied with the gentle ground swell.

As this seemed a favorable opportunity, Jenkins summoned the entire crew aft and delivered himself thus :

Now, mates, the carp’nter and the gentlemen as assisted me have told you weh*e without a cap'n, the old one bein' confined to his cabin and not bein' usable. We made our plans before and I offered to navigate the Bride.” But we’re all equals and if you want another to walk the bridge until the stuff in the hold is divided, why go ahead and name the man.”

^‘Jenkins fer me,” declared the bo’s’n and another shouted, Hooray fer Cap’n Jenkins !” No more

MAROONED.

expressions of opinion being forthcoming the matter of the captaincy was settled.

^‘The next thing to be done,” said the new commander, is to part with our friend, Mister Mandeville. Accordin’ to my notion tliis island we’re off now’d be a tight little place to leave him. There ain’t another craft due along here for the matter of six months and Mister Mandeville wouldn’t be in our way if he did get away by then. What’s your sentiments, lads ?”

’Tis too good fer him,” declared the carpenter, and as in the previous consultation the bo’s’n coincided with the opinion.

There were so many diverse views expressed that Captain Jenkins told those who favored the death penalty to stand at his right and those who favored marooning at his left. The smaller number marched over to the side which meant death and the majority grouped themselves to the left of the erstwhile mate. In a grave voice Jenkins announced the decision.

Meanwhile Captain Mandeville, his limbs bound so tightly he could scarcely move a muscle without causing him pain, had been stretched on the hard floor of his cabin consumed with a multitude of disquieting emotions. What terrible lust of money was this that transformed these ordinarily honest and sturdy men into mutineers and thieves ! How had they learned the “ Bride’s ” secret and how long had their evil designs been fermenting ? What was to become of the trust imposed upon him by the consignors of the gold } His prospects were ruined for life. And then the captain thought of the chances

CAPTAIN MANDETILLE.

of his being murdered by the crew. Death did net seem one half so fearful and even partly desirable now that the ship and the cargo intrusted to him were to be stolen ; nevertheless, the ever present instinct of life led him to cogitate on the possible means of escape. Even were his arms and legs unfettered it would do him little good. He might indeed barricade the door and make his cabin a citadel, but the mutineers would soon starve him out. A passing vessel whose captain would board the “ Bride of Plymouth,** a most unlikely thing, was the only chance.

The captain*s reflections were interrupted by the noises which told him soundings were being taken^ and the final clanking of the anchor chain as the mass of iron shot downwards into the sea. His heart throbbed with a wild, vague hope, which he instantly dismissed. Soundings weren*t taken at the entrance to any of the Australian ports ; the pilots knew the channels, and, moreover, no occupied harbor was within five hundred miles of the vessel. Then it must be —

These cogitations were cut short by the entrance of the mate and the others who had made him a helpless prisoner. Captain Mandeville suspected, with calm mind, that their mission was to put an end to him, perhaps to slaughter him in cold blood as he lay ; but he made no motion, even the slightest, nor uttered a word.

Well, Mister Mandeville,’* sneered Jenkins, perhaps you’re sorry now you didn*t treat us more civilly ?**

MAROONED.

No reply.

PVhaps he’s still too surprised to talk,” said the bo’s’n, leering.

At length Captain Mandeville spoke, in a strained voice :

The only thing I have to say is that every man of this crew will sooner or later curse the doings of this day. If he escapes the punishment of the law he will still be punished by his own remembrance. As for myself, let happen what will ; but I swear before God, if my life is not taken, and if ever I have the opportunity, to put you four men through just such torments and more than you may design me to suffer !”

The manner in which these words were spoken did not detract from their forceful quality and in truth they produced an uneasy feeling in the breasts of all except the chief conspirator. He laughed loudly, slapping his thigh in excessive merriment.

Don’t mind his lingo, mates,” said he. It’ll be a long enough time before he gets off the Island of Nowhere. He’ll herd by himself till his hair grows white, I reckon. Now we can’t waste any more time, for it’s getting towards night and unles<L the barometer says wrong there is one of these East India hurricanes due in the next twelve hours.”

With little ceremony the captain was seized and led upon deck, the cords that bound his legs being loosened. One of the ship’s boats had been launched and stocked with a small keg of water, a box of hard biscuit and half a ham. Captain Mandeville was deposited in the boat with the aid of a rope under

CAPTAIN MANDEVILLE.

his arms. Four sailors jumped in and the boat was swiftly propelled to^the shore.

A smooth strip of immaculately white sandy beach, sloping upward at a gentle angle, afforded an easy landing. The Captain’s bonds were cut and he was at liberty, if the solitude of a tiny coral isle in the waste of the Southern Ocean can be called such. The provisions contributed by the humane mutineers were left on a little hillock of sand, and the sailors rowed back to the vessel.

The day was almost spent. Far out in the western horizon the red ball of the sun was shooting its bright rays almost parallel with the surface of the dancing waves. Dark masses of opaque cloud hung threatening in the sky and the breeze had freshened. All indications pointed to an approachingstorm. Standing on a rock half covered with seaweed and slimy marine plants. Captain Mandeville looked out to where the Bride of Plymouth ” lay. Her anchor was being drawn up, and the sailors were nimbly unclewing the sails, betokening an immediate departure. The great sheets of the vessel distended like the pinions of the gigantic fabled creatures of the air as she darted through the water in obedience to their powerful impulse. In a half hour the Bride of Plymouth ” had almost sunk her hull and the swift descent of night blotted her from the view of the solitary spectator on the beach.

What were the adventures of the stolen ship and her piratical crew thereafter is not essential to this narrative.

The storm which broke a few hours after the ‘‘Bride

MAROONED.

of Plymouth's " departure found the deserted Captain shelterless. A wind of hurricane strength whistled through the trees of the little isle, from out the inky darkness of the heavens poured great sheets of water and the ocean, lashed into fury, sent enormous waves crashing far up the beach. The thunderous artillery of the sky at intervals drowned the dull roar of the sea. Captain Mandeville crept under the shelter, such as it was, of a lofty palm ; it was more an anchor, for he was compelled to clutch at times the sturdy trunk to prevent himself from being blown away. At last the elements, as if wearied of their Titanic sport, subsided to a certain degree. By daybreak there was no indication that a storm had ever occurred, save for the heavy surf and the bedraggled appearance of the island vegetation.

The Robinson Crusoe of this bit of land, after breakfasting on the provisions which he had taken care to preserve during the night, set out on a tour of exploration. The island was barely three-quarters of a mile long and perhaps half a mile wide. It was nearly level except in the central portion, which was elevated not more than two dozen feet. The soil covering the coral formation was of small depth, yet sufficient to nourish a profuse and luxuriant growth of tropical plants and trees. Of the latter the bread palm was the most abundant, and there were also a number of cocoanut and plantain trees. These natural larders were a source of satisfaction to Mandeville, for without their aid he would surely starve, and the common instinct of self-preservation was strong within him. He also noted that under

CAPTAIN MANDETILLE.

the rocks of the beach were great mussels, perhaps not inviting to an epicurean, but serviceable enough to a man with the sauce of starvation. No fire, of course, was to be had, unless Mandeville resorted to the primitive method of creating it by the friction of two dry sticks against each other. Neither was there fresh water, but the milk contained in the cocoanuts would be a fair substitute.

After a week or two Captain Mandeville had accustomed himself to his new conditions. He had built himself a rude hut from dead branches in a sort of natural hollow circled by a dozen overshadowing trees. He used the keg which the mutineers had left him to keep a supply of mussels in, and a heap of cocoanuts and other fruits which the island afforded were piled in his hut, so that on stormy days he need not venture out for his provender. On the top of the tallest tree he tied a piece of his shirt as a signal of distress, and for hours at a time he would be perched in the branches eagerly gazing over the broad surface of the sea for the slightest speck of a sail. But for eight years he never saw one.

It was the time when the genius of De Lesseps had opened a new route to the Orient by the construction of the Suez Canal, and the voyage taken by the “ Bride of Plymouth ’’ was one of the latest performed by vessels of the English service around the Cape of Good Hope. Captain Mandeville’s little island was now wholly out of the line of travel. When two years had passed he half divined the cause and gave up hope of everything except life. Fie felt there was

THE SUSPECT.

a vague chance of some tramp ship visiting those latitudes, but with the monotonous procession of the uneventful months even this slight comfort was dissipated.

To recount his manner of life, his substitutes for the things which he lacked, his sicknesses, his sufferings for those eight years that he spent on the coral isle, would be to repeat the many like experiences of similarly banished men. His strong mind alone sustained him. When at last he was rescued he was changed from a vigorous sailor in the prime of life to a sober, gray-haired man.

Chapter I

In the metropolis of the New World there are, as in other cities, three great conservers of public welfare — the police, the firemen, and the health officials. And of this trinity, the last is, if not the greatest, the one most worthy of admiration. Without the uniformed and ununiformed guardians of law, life and property would not be safe, and the criminal element would render the earth a hateful place. Without the firemen, our modern Romes and Athenses would be devoured in a night, and the world would be bankrupt. Without the official preservers of health, terrible pestilences would svtcep

CAPTAIN MANDEVILLE.

over the land and decimate the population. But the police have a tangible enemy in the forces of evil to deal with. The firemen know also what they are combating. The health doctors alone oppose a mysterious and deadly foe which is recognized chiefly by his effects. It is as an arrow shot out of the darkness, piercing the vitals of its victim ; now, where look for the archer? Moreover, when found he is invisible, and the subtlest inventions are required for his destruction.

Dr, Samuel Jollier, Chief of the Division of Contagious Diseases, was sitting in his office one morning in early fall, reflectively engaged in considering the merits of a very fat and very black cigar which he was smoking. Occasionally he would withdraw the weed from his lips, gaze at it fixedly for a moment, and then, taking a fresh puff, would repeat the operation. He was a stout, and as is generally the accompanying circumstance, a good-natured sort of man, sagacious, full of energy when there was anything to be done ; but not given to needless physical or mental exertion. His predilection for abstraction made those with whom he came in contact think he was absent minded at times. In this his associates were often deceived, for when he appeared the most abstracted he was in reality engaged in attentive thought and observation. He had a comprehensive intellect. His enthusiasm for his work was an unfathomed quantity.

Ting-a-ling-ling-ling whirred the telephone bell in the outer office.

THE SUSPECT.

** Are you sure you aren’t mistaken ?” said a voice. ** All the symptoms present, eh ? All right.”

A moment later a sober faced attache appeared before Dr. Jollier.

‘^Cowen of East Broadway reports a case of suspected Asiatic cholera at 25 Hamilton Street/’ said he. ' ^

“Strange for Dr. Cowen ; he’s a most careful man,” commented the chief. “ Well, I suppose we’ll have to send some one around. Williams will be here in a short time. Send him. If any one calls for me, tell ’em I’ve gone out for a couple of hours.”

As he said this Dr. Jollier tossed his half consumed cigar out of the window, locked his desk and putting on the brown derby he always wore, left the building.