"There is also the boat! May it not be well that some one should followup that side of the matter? Thus we shall be doubly armed."
His advice commended itself to the chief of the detectives; though Icould see that he took it suspiciously from the Spaniard. It was withmanifest purpose of caution that he answered:
"Quite right! But that we shall see to ourselves; when Mr. Adams comeshe will work that racket!" The Spaniard bowed, and the American returnedthe courtesy with a stiff back. Even in such a time of stress, racialmatters were not to be altogether forgotten.
In the hall at Crom, we found, when we came back through the old chapel,Sam Adams. He had arrived just after we had set out on our search, butwas afraid to follow over-ground lest he should miss us; wisely he didnot attempt the underground way as he had no proper light. His cominghad been a great comfort to Mrs. Jack, who, always glad to see acountryman of her own, now almost clung to him. He had brought with himtwo young men, the very sight of whom made my heart warmer. One of themhe introduced as "Lootenant Jackson of West Point" and the other as"Lootenant Montgomery of Annapolis." "These boys are all right!" headded, laying a hand affectionately on the shoulder of each.
"I am sure they are! Gentlemen, I thank you with all my heart forcoming!" I said as I wrung their hands. They were both fine specimensof the two war Academies of the United States. Clean-built from top totoe; bright-eyed, resolute and alert; the very type of highly bred andtrained gentlemen. The young soldier Jackson answered me:
"I was too delighted to come, when Adams was good enough to get leavefor me."
"Me too!" echoed the sailor "When I heard that Miss Drake was introuble, and I was told I might come, I think I danced. Why, Sir, if youwant them, we've only to pass the word, and we can get you a man ofwar's crew--if every man of them has to desert!"
Whilst we were speaking there was a sound of rapid wheels, and acarriage from Ellon drew up at the door. Out jumped Cathcart, followedby a tall, resolute looking young man who moved with the freedom of anathlete.
"Am I in time?" was Cathcart's greeting as he rushed towards me. I toldhim exactly how we stood. "Thank God!" he said fervently "we may be intime yet." Then he introduced his friend MacRae of Strathspiel. This wasthe host with whom he had been staying; and who had volunteered to come,on hearing of his summons:
"You may trust Donald!" was his simple evidence of the worth of hisfriend.
This addition to our forces gave us great hope. We had now a sufficiencyof intelligent, resolute men to follow up several clues at once; and ina brief council we marked out the various duties of each. Cathcart wasto go to Ellon and get a list of all the manses in the region ofBuchan, and try to find out if any of them had been let to strangers. Wetook it for granted that none of the clergy of the place were themselvesconcerned in the plot. MacRae was to go with Cathcart and to get all thesaddle horses he could without attracting public attention, and bringthem, or have them brought, to Crom as soon as possible. Secrecy ofmovement was insisted on with almost agonised fervour by Adams and theSecret Service men. "You don't know these wretches," said the chief ofthe latter "They are the most remorseless and cruel villains in theworld; and if they are driven to bay will do anything however cruel orbase. They are well plucked too, and don't know what fear means. Theywill take any chances, and do anything to get their way and protectthemselves. If we don't go right in this matter, we may regret it to thelast of our days."
The silence in the room was only broken by the grinding of teeth, and byMrs. Jack's suppressed sobs.
Adams was to go to Aberdeen as a working centre, and was to look afterthe nautical side of the adventure; he was to have Montgomery in thiswork with him. Before he left Crom, he wrote some cipher telegrams tothe Embassy. He explained to me that one of his suggestions was thatan American war-ship which was cruising in the North Sea should, ifpossible, be allowed to lie off the coast of Aberdeen ready for anyemergency. When Montgomery heard it, he asked that if possible a messageshould be sent from him to the first officer of the _Keystone_: "Tellthe men privately that they are helping Marjory Drake!--There willbe a thousand pair of eyes on the watch then!" he added by way ofexplanation.
I was to wait with the detectives till we should get word from any ofour sources as to what could be done.
For there were several possibilities. The trackers might mark down thelocality where the prisoner was hidden. Cathcart might, before this,come with the list of manses and their occupants. Adams or Montgomerymight get wind of the _Seagull_; for Montgomery had already orders to goto Petershead and Fraserburgh, where the smacks for the summer fishingwere gathered.
Don Bernardino remained with me at Crom.
CHAPTER XLV
DANGER
The time of waiting was inconceivably long and dreary. When Marjory andI had been waiting for death in the water-cave, we thought that nothingcould be so protracted; but now I knew better. Then, we had beentogether, and whatever came, even death itself, would be shared by us.But now I was alone; and Marjory away, and in danger. In what danger Iknew not, I could only imagine; and at every new thought of fear andhorror I ground my teeth afresh and longed for action. Fortunately therewas something to do. The detectives wanted to know all I could tellthem. At the first, the chief had asked that Mrs. Jack would get all theservants of the house together so that he might see them. She had soarranged matters that they would be together in the servants' hall, andhe went down to inspect. He did not stay long; but came back to me atonce with an important look on his face. He closed the door and comingclose to me said:
"I knew there was something wrong below stairs! That footman hasskipped!" For a few seconds I did not realise what he meant, and askedhim to explain.
"That footman that went out gallavantin' at nights. He's in it, sure.Why isn't he in the hall where the others are? Just you ask the old ladyabout him. It'll be less suspicious than me doing it." Then it dawned onme what he meant.
"There is no footman in the house!" I said.
"That's so, Mister. That's just what I'm tellin'! Where is he?"
"There is none; they don't have any male servants in the house. The onlymen are in the stables in the village."
"Then that makes it worse still. There is a man who I've seen myselfsteal out of the house after dark, or in the dusk; and sneak back againout of the wood in the grey of the dawn. Why, I've reported it to Mr.Adams. Didn't he warn you about it; he said he would."
"He did that."
"And didn't you take his tip?"
"No!" here from the annoyed expression of his face I took warning.It would never do to chagrin the man and set him against me by anysuspicion of ridicule. So I went on:
"The fact is, my friend, that this was a disguise. It was Mar--MissDrake who used it!" He was veritably surprised; his amazement wasmanifest in his words:
"Miss Drake! And did she put on the John Thomas livery? In the name ofthunder, why?"