“Say it,” I commanded. “What else did he say?”
“‘And I’ll tie ’em up,’ he said, ‘and let ’em watch me make Miss Baldwin my queen.’ I told him he’d better let me tie up his hand, and he hit me across the face with it and went off into the hills. That’s all.”
“No,” I said, “there’s more to this.”
I told him why Brack was after Slade and Harris. He was skeptical at first; men didn’t dare do such things nowadays; Brack’s wild talk had been only the raving of too much whisky. In the end, however, he was convinced.
“Then this scientific expedition was only the captain’s way of getting an outfit for robbery on a big, piratical scale! By George! The man’s big, isn’t he? A regular pirate’s raid in this year of our Lord! And yet it’s all simple and easy up here when you think of it, isn’t it?”
“Devilishly so. But it became more serious than mere robbery when Miss Baldwin came on board. Now, are you going to help us, doctor, or——”
“Of course. I’m civilized, I hope. But what can we do, Pitt? The captain’s got the men, and he’s too strong——”
“Dinner, gentlemen!” came Betty’s fresh young voice. “Honesty impels me to warn you, Mr. Pitt, that I’m a horrible example as a cook, but such as ’tis, ’tis ready.”
I was in no frame of mind to be a judge of Betty’s cooking. I ate ravenously, because I was hungry, but my thoughts were not upon the food. Dr. Olson’s picture of Brack in his cups was of a piece with the impression I had gathered of him early that morning. He had thrown off the mask and his true nature, raw, rank, savagery, was in full sway.
“When do you expect the captain back, doctor?” I asked casually.