CHAPTER XX
A NIGHT ADVENTURE ON THE RIVER
THE fact that Vasco’s companions—presumably his fellow-officers—were playing at being sailors, increased the need for extreme caution. I dropped back and followed at a distance, contented to keep the three men just in sight.
They made straight for the landing-stage, got aboard a small launch in which another man was waiting, and cast off at once and headed out into the estuary. They were going to the Rampallo, of course; and equally of course I must manage to get on board after them.
I could not follow immediately, however, as the noise of my launch would be heard and a dozen suspicions started. I guessed that a conference was to be held on the yacht about the information which Vasco had brought; but why such a place was chosen for it baffled me. The reason could not be merely the desire for absolute privacy which had induced me to take Dagara to the Stella. These men must have a dozen places in the city where they could meet without a remote chance of being overheard.
Still I had to deal with facts, and the controlling fact now was that the papers were on Vasco and he was going to the yacht. I must therefore follow him or throw up the sponge.
While I was waiting Burroughs arrived. “I lost you in the Rua Sao Benito, Ralph,” he explained, “so I thought it best to come on to the launch. Why are you here?”
I told him briefly what had occurred, and what I meant to do, and in a few minutes we were on our way to the Stella.
“You’re taking risks,” he said, as we sat talking it over.
“I can’t help that, but in fact I’m not so sure there are any. My idea is this. As soon as we reach the yacht, get the Firefly launched.” This was a small electric launch I had on the yacht. “You and I will drop down in her to the Rampallo. She runs with scarcely a sound, and we’ll see whether any look-out is kept on her. I shall be surprised if there is; and if not, I shall climb aboard without any trouble. If there is one, you must manage to keep him watching you at the stern while I swim to the bow and get aboard by the anchor cable. Once on board, I’ll shift for myself. If necessary I’ll silence him.”
“It sounds all right to you, perhaps,” he grumbled.
“It’s got to be all right, Jack. The worst that can happen is that I shall be discovered and have to make a bolt of it. I suppose I can dive well enough to jump from a yacht’s bulwarks. But even if the beggars get hold of me, I suppose you can make enough row to scare them. Have the launch within hail, if you like, with the skipper and four or five of the men. There’s no personal risk at all—the only risk is that I may fail to find out things.”
“But if they caught you they might shoot first and jaw afterwards,” he objected.
“A dozen ‘ifs’ suggest a dozen ‘mights,’ of course. But I’m not likely to give them much of a chance.”
“They’d be justified if they took you for a thief.”
“They won’t be thinking about thieves. They’re much more likely to be fearing the police and be scared out of their skins. Anyway, it’s the best plan I can think of, and it’s got to be done.”
When we reached the Stella I threw off the clothes I had been wearing and dressed for the venture. I had of course to render myself as little conspicuous as possible for the spy work on the Rampallo, and had also to be careful not to wear anything which would hamper me too much if I had to take to the water.
So I chose a set of very dark grey combinations which fastened close up to the neck, and a pair of dark rubber-soled shoes. A dark cloak to wear in the Firefly completed a costume in which I looked like a cross between a Harlequin and a Guy Fawkes conspirator.
By the time these preparations were complete Burroughs had launched the Firefly and we were soon off. The moon was not due for an hour and the night was dark enough to conceal us.
The Firefly glided almost noiselessly through the waters at the slow pace we deemed best, and we switched off the motor every now and again and let the boat drift. The darkness made it a little difficult to pick up the Rampallo, which had no light, but Burroughs glanced now and then at the compass by the flash of an electric torch, and thus kept his course.
“What weapon have you?” he whispered once.
“Why, none, of course. I’m not going throat-slitting. I am only going to use my ears.”
“There she is,” he said suddenly, and pointed ahead. His eyes were keener than mine, but I made her out soon afterwards.
We drifted down close to her, keeping our eyes fixed on her for any sign that a look-out was kept.
“I don’t think there is any one on the deck,” he whispered.
She was lying between us and the twinkling lamps of the city, and as we drifted nearer, her outline showed up against the lights and the reflexion of them in the sky.
All was as still as a vault; and not a single porthole gave out so much as the glimmer of a match.
A sickening feeling of disappointment began to creep over me at the fear that there was no one on board.
“Sheer down alongside, Jack,” I whispered.
No one challenged us as we dropped under the lee of the hull. I fended the Firefly off with my hands and then worked her round under the stern.
Here was confirmation of my fear in the disconcerting discovery that the launch, which I had confidently expected to find either astern or alongside, was not there.
“There’s no one on her, Ralph,” said Burroughs.
“I shall get aboard and see. Drop astern and then circle round at a distance to the bow.”
We drifted far enough for our little propeller to be out of earshot and then made a sweep round to the bow.
“What do you think it means?” he whispered.
“I’m afraid I’ve backed the wrong horse. But I can’t think of anywhere else for that launch to go. When I get aboard stand off up the bay so that you can keep a look-out for me. The reflection of the city light in the sky will be enough for you to see any signal I make to you.”
“You can do better than that. Take the electric torch. You can show a light then even if you have to swim for it.”
“That’s a happy thought,” I exclaimed, and tucked it inside my vest.
“If there’s any trouble I shall be able to make racket enough for you to hear me, and you can come aboard after me.”
We stopped the propeller then and drifted down till I could reach the yacht’s cable. I swarmed up this and, using the greatest caution, got a grip and hauled myself up until I could see along the deck.
It was quite deserted, so I climbed on to the forecastle and crept along as stealthily as a cat stalking a bird and almost as noiselessly.
I had reached almost amidships when I discovered that some one was on board after all. The glow from a lamp showed through the partly open companion of the saloon. Doubling my caution I lay at full length on the deck and approached the opening.
Whoever he was he was able to afford very good cigars, for the scent of one reached me. I lay listening intently. I heard the crackle of papers as they were turned over; the rustle of some one moving in his chair, a sound of stertorous breathing; the clink of a bottle against a glass, and again the crackle of papers as the man, whoever he was, resumed his writing or reading.
For many minutes there was no other sound. Then the man struck a match as he lit a fresh cigar, and pushed aside the papers with a breath of relief. Then silence for a while, broken at length by a gasp and a snore.
“Wake up, you drunken young pig!”
At this I nearly uttered a cry of astonishment. It was Sampayo’s voice; and in a second I understood what had so baffled me—why the papers had been brought to the Rampallo.
Sampayo was hiding on it from me. That removal of his goods and all the evidences of flight which Bryant had seen were just play-acting to mislead me into the belief that he had bolted, and being afraid to be seen on shore he had arranged for his associates to come to the boat.
That they were coming was soon plain. Sampayo roused the man he had spoken to; and the answer was in Vasco’s voice, thick with drink.
“Go on deck, you young fool, and see if there are any signs of the launch. They ought to be here by now.”
“Leave me alone,” grunted Vasco thickly.
“I must go myself then,” was the reply with an oath.
I slipped away forward and hid myself under the lee of the forecastle hatchway. Sampayo came out on deck and stood smoking and listening and peering through the darkness for the expected launch.
Presently, I heard the quick throb of her propeller, and in a few minutes she reached the yacht and three or four men, I could not distinguish the exact number, came on board, and all went down below at once.
Anxious not to miss a word of what passed I hastened along the deck to my former position, and had just passed the hatchway leading below to the saloon when some one came running up the companion way.
In a second I rolled into the scuppers lying as still as death.
“I fastened her all right,” protested some one.
“For Heaven’s sake, make sure. You’re not much of a hand at sailors’ knots,” was the laughing reply.
Two men came out and hurried across the deck. One of them got down into the launch; and the other stood watching.
“It’s all right. As fast as a steeple.”
“It would be a pretty mess if she got adrift.”
The men came on deck again and they both returned toward the companion way.
“I suppose everything’s all right on the deck,” said one.
“What should be wrong?”
“Nothing. Only I’ve got an infernally uneasy feeling.”
“Not going to back out at the last minute, are you? We shall be in a pretty bad way to-morrow night if we have to go without the only man who knows anything about managing the boat.”
“Who said anything about backing out? We’re all in it now, sink or swim. But—oh, hang presentiments,” he broke off irritably.
“Well, I’ll get a lantern if you like and look round the deck. But it’s all rot.”
“I’ve half a mind you shall.”
As he said this he came a couple of paces toward me, and I began to think any number of unpleasant things.
“I won’t be a minute,” said the other and ran down below.
Move I dare not. The man was too close to me, and the instant the other returned with a light, my discovery was certain. All I could do was to plan how to escape. I decided to lie still until actually discovered, and then trust to their astonishment, giving me time to jump over the side and swim for it.
The few seconds that followed were among the longest of my life. But just as I heard the second man coming with the lantern, some one below called to the man close to me by name.
“Gompez!”
He went a couple of steps down the companion way and replied that he was going to see that all was snug on deck, and before the words were out of his mouth I was half-way to the stern.
Then followed the grimmest game of hide and seek I have ever had to play. But the odds were on my side. The two men went carefully round the deck; but, fool-like, kept together. The light of the lantern showed me exactly where they were all the time, and by skulking from cover to cover I had little difficulty in keeping out of their way.
My movements were absolutely noiseless, and the dark grey costume I had fortunately put on made it almost impossible for them to see me.
I had one other narrow escape. I had worked my way back again to the companion while they were in the bows, when another man came out and called to them sharply to be quick. I was crouched so close to him that he could have touched me if he had stretched out a hand in my direction.
But instead of that he went a few steps toward the others and I turned and slipped away in the opposite direction.
Two or three minutes later the three went below, the newcomer expressing a strong opinion about the folly of having shown a light.
Giving them time to join the rest of the party below, I crawled back to the companion and settled myself to listen once more.
Barosa’s was the first voice I heard distinctly. “We needn’t waste any more time in discussing it. Captain Gompez was quite right to satisfy himself and as we are indebted to him for having the boat at all, it is surely ungracious to charge him with wasting a few minutes for this purpose. And now, please, will you let me explain exactly what are the arrangements for to-morrow? Major Sampayo has carefully examined these papers, and every detail is as I told you it would be.”
There was a murmur of interest, followed by a pause, and then Barosa spoke again.
“I have news of the greatest importance for you, gentlemen, and that you may appreciate it fully, I shall be obliged if you will carefully study this plan of the scene.”
A considerable rustling of papers followed as the plans were handed round, the whispering of many questions, and then another pause of silent, almost breathless expectancy.