IN CARE OF THE CAPTAIN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1354, 10 February 1898, Page 8

IN CARE OF THE CAPTAIN.

[By John Arthur Barry.] Author of “Steve Br.own’s Bun-ylp"; “ In the Great Deep," &c. (Chambers’ Journal) Amongst the saloon passengers of the Illimani, ere she was a fortnight out, little Miss Agnew had become quite a pet. ‘ She was such a dear—so natural, so really chic ! * said the ladies ; whilst the men enjoyed to the full her utter, or assumed, lack of " Conventionality. She was a fresh-coloured girl of about eighteen, handsome enough after a robust, dairymaid fashion, with full red lips, white teeth, and black eyes, under a shock of curly hair, that shrank from no man's gaze.

Miss Agnew had come on board at the very last moment,, with, an uncle and an aunt to see her off ; also a note from the owners commending her. to the captain’s care. Popularly it was known that she was a rich squatter’s daughter returning home after a long visit to England. Her Bole occupation of one of the best berths in the ship, as well as the possession of plenty of spare cash, gave some reason to the rumour of wealth. It was also whispered that she had been expelled from more than one fashionable school. But nobody seemed to think much the worse of her for that. This trip the Illimani happened to have a rather aristocratic passenger-list for Australia. Besides poor young Badegge, who was nobody’s enemy but his own, there was an incoming governor and his countess; another couple of stray peers and peeresses; a rich baronet and his wife; and several gentlemen, middle-aged and elderly, making the round voyage for their health’s sake—that is, the sake of a long and uninterrupted steady drinking. And with these,' at times, nothing loth, ‘Dolly/ as she was called tout court, would smoke a cigarette and toss off a glass of champagne ; looked upon with a lenient eye by her female friends, not

only on the plea of her being an ‘Aus- / tralian tomboy/ but for the sake of the little scandalous tit-bits she was able to retail to them afterwards in the privacy of their cabins. <

At Naples, amongst others, there came on board for the second saloon a young Frenchman, apparently pretty ill with asthma ; so much so, indeed, that he seemed able to do nothing else but lie in his deck-chair all day long covered up with rugs. Quite a curiosity, too, was this deck-chair, massive but light, folding

up into a compact compass, curiously carved, and made of neither cane nor canvas, but of stout olive wood, with big ' bulging arms and a thick curved back. And Monsieur Deschamps seemed to set great store by it, for, always when the day was over and he walked feebly to bis berth, the quartermaster carefully folded up the chair and carried it to its owner. At first people laughed. But ‘ cranks ’ and ‘ eccentrics ’ are so plentiful on such ships as the Illimani that far more outre things ceased to. attract attention, and Deschamps and bis chair soon became part and parcel of the daily and weekly monotony. Curiously enough amongst all the passengers there was no one with a sufficient knowledge of French to interpret between the sick passenger and the Illimani’s doctor, or the stewards, or anybody. And this was awkward; for Monsieur Deschamps was unable to speak a word any i language but his own. This matter presently coming to Dolly’s ears, she volunteered to * have a go.’ ‘I was,’ she said, ‘ a couple of years at school at Eouen; and if I can’t patter their lingo, I reckon I’m due for the leatheriest medal on board this canoe.’ So, tripping across the bridge that separated the two classes, Dolly went up to the invalid and began—much to everybody’s admiration —to discourse with eloquent volubility and gesture. Listening a minute r the .Frenchman, appearing

i to recognise the real thing at last> sat tip and waved his hands and shrugged his shoulders, and smiled with a delight and > gratification beautiful to witness. And. i after this, nearly every day, Dolly went * along and cheered the poor fellow up, . interpreting his symptoms to tile doctor and his wants to the stewards. In most ocean liners there is posted up somewhere a notice advicing passengers to deposit their valuables \Vith the ptirser for safety during the voyage, a small percentage being charged for the accommodation. . Many people object to pay this ; others are too lazy to go to any trouble ; others too careless. So that, very often, until something is missing, the caution is i a dead letter. It was so on the Illimani. But one morning Dolly, returning from her usual visit to her French friend, found the saloon a scene of the utmost confusion —ladies running about with empty jewelcases, stewards protesting, purser threatening, and the chief stewardess in hysterics. The Countess of Trebizond had lost a diamond necklace and a set of priceless pearls : Lady Trotter de Globe was minus her family jewels, sapphires, opals, and diamonds valued at .£3000; the Honourable Mrs Monopole’s diamond earrings (they were fashionable then), tiara, and necklet were gone. In fact, it appeared that nearly everythin" worth having was gone. There were a lot of paste and Palais Boyal imitations—beautifully done —but all such had been rejected with the nice appreciation of an expert, or at least an intimate. And, to complicate matters, nothing was forced —every lock intact and the keys in their owners’ pockets* The excitement and commotion Was intense. The captain alone'kept calm; and when the male relatives of the victims talked about suing the company, he suavely drew their attention to the notice afore-mentioned. Dolly was demurely sad, and condoled, even wept, with her aristocratic friends. Her own things, a set of pearls and a few diamond ornaments, she explained, had been in the i purser’s big safe from the commencement i of the voyage. Her uncle had insisted on it. j But who was the thief ? <

Public opinion pointed to some one amongst the stewards. And the first thing done was to ransack the ‘ gloryhol4,’ as their quarters were called. Nothing was found. Then ‘ search law ’ was proclaimed throughout the ship, much to the indignation of the second and third classes. It took some considerable time to overhaul the effects of nearly four hundred people. Nor was it a pleasant matter, as the purser, the chief steward, and their assistants discovered. Not a trace of the lost jewellery was to be found But the captain grew anxious. He had been quite certain that the things would be found. Although he was not liable, the ship’s reputation would be ruined so far as carrying passengers was concerned. And this was a serious consideration. Stfll, what more could he do ? Then suddenly he remembered that Watson was waiting at Colombo to go on with him to Melbourne. If anybody could help it was Watson ! Wherefore those who troubled about the daily runs noticed that the Illimani was being driven at almost top-speed across the Arabian Saa. In these days she was a decidedly uncomfortable ship within —suspicion writ large on every face of all her great company, eajch one doubtful of his neighbour, and all secretly watching, and, so it seemed, thinking about the reward offered by the victims and the executive of the Illimani —r£soo—contributed to by captain and ship’s boy alike, and very willingly. Dolly Agnew gave *£lo to the fund ; and her friend, Monsieur Deschamps, when made aware of what was going on, insisted on putting down his name for £5. But nothing came of it.

At Colombo —reached after a record run—there was indignation when it was found that the captain had stopped all shore-going, and also barred the usual crowd of dealers, jugglers, &c., from coming near the ship. Only one passenger came on board at Colombo —an old, gray-haired, graybearded man who walked with a stoop, and peered dimly at people through tinted spectacles. He was accepted as a teaplanter, an old friend of the captain’s, going to Australia on business. Speaking little himself, Mr Johnson was, nevertheless, a perfect godsend to the ship at large; and into his ears was dinned by the passengers again and again the story of their losses and wrongs.

‘ Well,’ asked the skipper a few days later as Mr Johnson strolled into the former’s state-room, ‘ any news yet ? ’ ‘ Not much,’ was the reply ; ‘ only that you’ve got at least one artist on board—one of the most skilful cracksmen in London—which is saying a good deal.’

< Which is he l ? * asked the c&ptaiil# * Some felloW iff the steerag&j t suppose.’ 1 Not much/ replied the other, laugh

Jng. ‘ The only wonder is that he is not in the saloon here. It’s the fellow in the second who gammons sick, and sits in the bjg chair all day/ ‘ Ha, ha! ’ laughed the captain j ‘you’re out of it this time, old man. That poor chap’s a Frenchman—can’t speak a word of anything else 1 ’ ‘ Is that so ? ’ replied the other calmly. ‘ Well, in any case, he’s the man who can tell you where the stolen stuff is.’ ‘ Nonsense.’ said the captain. ‘ He’s never been for’ard the whole passage. Why, if it hadn’t been for Miss Agnew talking to him he’d have had to stay dumb altogether! ’ ‘ Fine - looking, fresh - complexioned, rather Jewessy, curly-haired girl—lots of side and sauce—No 37, port side T I 8 Right/ replied the skipper. 8 Australian native. She’s in my charge. Knows her way about, though, too well to want any looking after.’ 8 H’m !* grunted his companion, lighting a fresh cigar. ‘You told me, I think, that you had searched the ship ?’ ‘ Every corner and every soul on board/ replied the captain proudly. ‘ Tchk, tchk!’ said the other between tong and teeth. 8 What a pity ! Tony Jenkins is a genius, though I A commoner would have ChtiCked the things overboard. Not Tony ; he’s too much of ail artist to stand any waste of that scit. Yes, I should say there was a chance. When you first broached the matter I thought it was only a bit of amateur aristocratic kleptomania. I see now that it’s thorough business business sweet and.hot; a,well-considered, long thought out, cleverly put-up job. Thank your stars, my boy, that I happened to be where I was, or you’d have lost your billet to a certainty !’ 8 Well, Watson —yes, of course, Johnson/ said the captain, changing colour as he thought of the fix that he was in and saw no way out of, there's the reward, you know. And ’ 8 Don’t want a penny/ replied the detective. ‘ This is purely a little private affair between ourselves. I’m on official business, and shouldn’t have meddled but for old acquaintance sake. You did me a good turn once. I’ll return it now—if I can.’

Next morning Mr Johnson monaged, casually, to have a talk with Dolly, who came up to where he sat in the sun, looking very old and feeble, to ask his opinion on the quality of the saloon tea, which, she averred, ‘ wasn’t fit for pigs to drink.’ Later, she confided to her friends that he wasn’t a bad old josser, and that she rather thought he’d been a gay sort of a chappie in his day ; whilst, on bis part, Mr Johnson, removing the powerful magnifying glasses he had worn throughout the interview, smiled in his beard and muttered, * The scar’s there all right, but fainter than when I saw it last. Clever 1 Clever’s no name for it! No use looking through their berths I suppose. However, I may as well have a try. I’ll bet the stuff’s neither there nor on their persons ! If not, where then ? A sum in induction a la Sherlock Holmes!’ And * Mr Johnson,’ generally supposed to be the cleverest and keenest of all Scotland Yard, puckered his brows over the problem. During dinner he managed to slip into, and with practiced hands ransack, Dolly’s berth. But he found nothing at all incriminating in the single cabin trunk, unless a bottle of hair depilatory and another of dye could be deemed so. The clothing was all of good make and quality, and as the intruder noted the carefully worked initials ‘ D.A.’ on everything, he shook his had doubtfully. Under the circumstances a mistake was a very serious matter. And the Illimani was rapidly nearing the Australian coast. If he was to make a coup he had no time to lose. Monsieur Deschamps occupied a deck-chair aft; and whilst its occupant was at lunch in the second saloon on the following day, Mr Johnson made as free with his belongings as he had done with Dolly’s. And with a little more success. In the pockets of a pair of old trousers he found a tiny key with only one ward, at sight of which his eyes glistened. ‘ M-m,’ he muttered as he stepped out on to the empty deck; ‘ the rest of the bunch are overboard, I suppose. Overlooked this one evidently. Didn’t think Tony was so careless. But what’s he done with the stuff?- No, I can’t believe that, after going to so much trouble.’ One morning, listlessly observing the little procession emerging from the invalid Frenchman’s cabin as usual —first, MonIsieur Deschamps, walking very slowly and holding on tight to things in his path; then the quartermaster, laden

with chair and rugs, mounting up to the second promenade deck —an idea flashed across the watching detective’s brain, and ere night he managed to have a chat with the quartermaster. ‘ Yessir,’ said She latter, in answer to a question. ‘ Poor chap, ’e thinks a lot o’ that cheer. I’ve got to put it in ’is berth every night so keerful as if it were med o’ glass. You see, it ain’t no common cheer, that one.’

‘ Well, I’m ready,’ said Johnson to the captain shortly after this. ‘ You’ve been very good, and haven’t bothered me much. Now I want your help. You must get the doctor send for the French man to the dispensary on some pretence or other. Then Miss Agnew must be called to interpret. Prerently we two will drop in ; and then, well, if I’m right, you‘ll see some fun. If I’m not, there’ll be wigs on the green. But I can’t put it off any longer, although not as sure as I’d like to be. Once we get to Albany, the fat’s in the fire; for I cannot wait to shadow people; nor can you very well prevent the Westralian passengers from landing.’ As the captain and Mr Johnston strolled into the dispensary that evening Monsieur Deschamps was speaking. * Mais oui, Monsieur le docteur ,’ said he, ‘je crois bien que, depuis que j'ai pris vntre derniere mixture, je me faisplus de sante.' ‘He says,’ translated Dolly, ‘ that since he took that last medicine he feels much better.’

‘ Hello, Tony, old man!’ suddenly exclaimed the detective, who had been standing in one corner of the rather dim room. ‘ I’m sorry to hear of your—your your being so ill. How do you like the sea?’

‘Jim Watson!’ shouted the sham Frenchman, as he stared from the cleanshaved, hawk-eyed, massive jawed man before him to the gray wig, beard, and spectacles on the deck.

« And bow’s ray little friend the K : d ?’ continued Watson, stepping to the door, and noting, with a breath of relit f, tincolour fade out of Dolly’s cheeks, and the familiar, hunted look he knew so well steal over both their faces. ‘ No, you don’t!’ he continued, suddenly whipping out a revolver and presenting it at Tony, whose hand wa3 quietly stealing round to his hip-pocket. The other laughed carelessly, and taking a cigar out of his case, lit it; whilst Watson, turning to the astonished skipper and doctor, said: ‘ Allow me. gentlemen, to present to you Mr Anthony Green, alias Jenkins, alias Deschamps, and a dozen others; and Master William Dawson, better known as The Kid, The Donah, Young Dutch, &c. — the former gentlemen the leading artist of his profession; the latter the best impersonator of the day. Now, Tony, where’s the swag ?’

‘ Curse you, Watson !’ replied the elder of the pair, calmly, but with an ugly look in his shifty grey eyes. ‘ Find it, if you can J I won’t help you!’

‘ Same here I’ exclaimed the ci devant Dolly, with a laugh. ‘And if any of those old cats in the saloon make a row, Tony, I’ll tell some funny little stories I’ve picked up amongst ’em that will make ’em glad to leave Australia by the next boat.’

‘ Good boy,’ said Tony approvingly. ‘ Kept eyes and ears open, eh ?’ - * You bet!’ replied the l6d, defiantly sitting back,” crossing his legs, and puffing away at a cigarette; regarded by the poor captain with a fascinated stare of amazement.’

‘Find it,’ replied the other laconically. ‘ All right,’ said Watson, playing his doubtful trump. ‘ Captain, will you kindly have Monsieur Deschamps’ chair brought in here.’

‘ The devil!’ shouted Jenkins. ‘ Never mind troubling. How did you find it out ? All right; I pass. Watson, you’ve spoiled one of tbe best things of the century 1 Well, I suppose we can go now. I don’t fancy anybody will bother either of us, from what the Kid’s told me off and on.’ And he chuckled. ‘ I suppose,’ he went on, ‘that we may as well keep up the fiction till we get to Albany, eb, "Watson ? But think of all my time and trouble and ingenuity wasted. Think of that lovely chair and its secret hiding places. Hang it I I could almost cry over the thing, Watson.’ ‘Or shoot me,’ replied the latter, laugliiug grimly as he replaced his disguise.

‘ Well, yes, at the moment,’ admitted the other. ‘ But it’s all over now. I never bother about spilt milk. You know that, Watson. All tbe sparklers shall be back before eight bells tonight, parole d'honneur. Doctor, I feel so much better that I don’t think I’ll require any more medicine. Miss Agnew, I know I can trust you to smooth matters over with our aristocratic friends la, bas. Have you finished with us, Watson?’ ‘ Provisionally,’ replied tli9 detective. * I don’t suppose the captain here wants more fuss made n <.•<•> r the matter than can be helped. And the doctor will keep silent for the ship’s sake. I’m of Mis 3 Agnew’s opinion, that the ladies for’ard will be only too pleased to get their jewellery again. Of course, if we had long to wait it would be different. But we shall be at Albany to-morrow; and that young scamp’s presence amongst them won’t matter much for one night

more.’

«Look here, Watson,’ put in ‘ the Kid,’ ‘if you’re not civil I’ll tell tales before I go yet.’ ‘ But,’ stammered the captain, speaking for the first time, ‘ I say, Watson, where’s our guarantee? Of course you may trust Mr—um —Jenkins —er —Green, there, and —this —er —young man, or girl, or whatever it is, and take their words. But I’d like something- ‘ That’s all right,’ interrupted Watson cheerfully. ‘ I know my mark. I’d trust Tony up to any sum, once he’a given Ilia

wo!rd. Believe me, it tvill be all serene. And neither of them Will fclftbi Th'try’ve feleh fairly beftlbn for once at least.’ 1 'JDhank you, Mr Watson, for your good.opinion of me,’ said Tony, pausing at the door and bowing politely. * You will see* I hope* that it is deserved; Au

And, stire enough, some time and somehow, before next hiorning, each of fihe despoiled ones found her property rktii.rfied intact. Explanations, of course, se : re dlenianded ) but ail at once the thirst for them dropped; and ‘ Dolly ’ laughed mockingly at the glances of fear and abhorrence darted at her by whilom friends and confidantes. On all sides it was agreed ‘ that for the sake of the ship and the captain ’ the affair should be hushed up. It was difficult; but Watson, with the aid of a stowaway, who was working his passage as depuiy-assisfcant fourteenth steward} and for a Uonsideratlon acted as scapegrace, managed it. * Keep the cfiairj Watson;’ said MonSietlr Deschaiiips as He wehis over the lide at Albany; ‘lt will remind you of iiiie prettiest bit of work you ever did.’