Chapter IX: A Plot

It was true that the Marjorie was following in the wake of the other ships, and some word respecting her mission will be of interest to the reader.

Our scene is once more the office of that legal adviser of unsavory reputation, to whom earlier reference has been made.

"I have some work for you to do, Captain Beauchamp."

The lawyer leaned back in his revolving chair and watched the other man with coldly critical eyes.

"Ah'm glad teh hear it, suh," replied the other in a soft southern drawl.

The two men were sitting in the inner sanctum of Attorney Reynolds' office. Unobserved, there was lying in a half opened drawer of the desk, and within easy reach of his hand a fully loaded revolver. There were but few of his clients that the lawyer received with the drawer closed.

"Ah, what is it like?" the captain went on, after a short pause, shifting his position to a more easy one.

The captain was tall and slender, with a habitual slowness of movement that could be changed on occasion to a tiger-like celerity. His face was thin, with sharply cut features, and dusky brown in color. His eyes were black and deeply set beneath heavy black eyebrows, and a long, sweeping, black moustache hid a thin straight-lipped mouth.

"Do you know the Marjorie?" went on the lawyer.

"Ah regret ah have not the pleasure of the lady's acquaintance," drawled the captain.

"Formerly the Mercury, of nowhere in particular," added the lawyer.

The other man started up with a sudden interest.

"What about her?" he asked.

"I asked if you knew her," the lawyer went on.

"Ah reckon ah do," replied the captain with a sigh. "Ah never sailed a better boat, suh!"

"How would you like to sail her again?"

The captain started up eagerly, and then sank back again. "Ah reckon there's no such luck for me."

"There may be," returned the lawyer, with emphasis on the may.

"What is it?" demanded the other quickly.

"I have a bit of work I want done," said the lawyer slowly. "If you do it and do it right, the command of the Marjorie is yours."

"Ah'm yoh man," answered the captain. "What is it?"

"Nothing very difficult. Do you know the Senor de Cordova?"

"No. Never heard of him. Who is he?"

"A very wealthy Mexican, the owner of a big sugar plantation in Cuba."

"Ah see. Yoh want me to capture him and hold him foh ransom?"

"You are half right," replied the lawyer. "Listen. Five days ago, his daughter, the Senorita Marie, was captured by Bill Broome. Within the next two or three days she will be surrendered upon the payment of five thousand dollars."

"And Ah'm to crap the five thousand?"

"No, wait. The money is to be paid over at Mendola."

"Ah know the place, on San Matteo Bay."

"That's it. Now, I want you to pick up the Senor and his daughter and take them on board the Marjorie--"

"What is yoh plan?"

"With a few men of your own choosing you will take the San Matteo trail and meet them as they come back. It should be no great thing to take them."

"Ah reckon not. And what am ah to do with them?"

"Take them on the Marjorie."

"And then?"

"That is for you to decide," replied the lawyer. "Whatever you like. All that is desired is that they do not come back. You understand?"

"Perfectly. Yoh can be shuah they won't trouble anyone any mo'."

"Oh, they don't trouble me any," responded the lawyer. "This is a government matter. He is shipping guns and ammunition into Cuba. We represent the Cuban revolutionists."

"Ah see," the captain laughed. "Yoh represent the government." He was about to say more but thought better of it, but his thought was--the government is looking for that sugar plantation.

"If you do this and make no blunder, the Marjorie may be yours."

"So," mused the captain. "The plantation is bigger than I thought."

"She is fully provisioned," went on the lawyer, "and the old armament is all aboard, stowed away in the hold. You can pick up a crew I suppose?"

"Ah reckon ah can, if any of the old boys are around. Ah'll take a look down around the Barbary coast."

"Then you understand the first thing you have to do?"

"Ah reckon ah do."

"Now, do you know Professor Featheringstone--?"

"Never mind the rest," the captain broke in. "Yoh mean a mining sharp that was down in the South Seas?"

"That's the man. Broome says that he has a chart of a treasure island which lies down that way, and he is going down to locate it."

"Broome is?"

"No, the professor. Broome has been trying to get hold of the chart, but hasn't been able. Now, the professor is going out to search for the treasure in the Storm King. He has a lot of boys, the Frontier Boys, they call them."

"Ah have heard of them," said the captain, thoughtfully.

"Perhaps," suggested the lawyer, "after you have captured the senor, you might follow the Storm King and get the chart."

"Ah see," returned the captain, "but," shaking his head, "that will be difficult."

"Not so difficult when you know the arrangements made. There will be on board the Storm King a friend of yours. He is to secure, if he can, the chart. All the particulars of the arrangement you will find in this letter. Read it carefully and follow out every detail."

"Anything more?"

"Yes. Here is the contract. You will read carefully and sign."

The captain laughed, grasping without hesitation a pen. He read not a word, but laboriously penned his name at the point indicated.

"And now?" he said.

"That is all. Here is an order to Samson & Co., to turn the ship over to you. A prosperous future to you, captain."

"And to yoh, suh."

The two men looked each other in the face for a moment, then the captain silently took his departure.

On leaving the lawyer's office, Captain Beauchamp went at once to the office of Samson & Co., where, on presentation of the order, the Marjorie was turned over to him. Thence to the Barbary coast, where he had little difficulty in picking up the crew he needed, including a man of his own type as mate. These he sent on board at once. The engineer was ordered to get everything in readiness for immediate departure. To the mate he gave directions that on the following afternoon he should set out for Playys, a small harbor near San Matteo Bay, and there await his coming.

Selecting two of the crew upon whom he could rely, the captain hired a team of horses and a driver and set out upon the road to San Matteo. They traveled without incident, stopping over night at a hotel on the way, until they came within about a mile of San Matteo. Here the driver with his horses was sent back, they proceeding the rest of the way on foot.

San Matteo Bay is a point at which it will be seen many interests are centering.