“In there with you—both of you!” he said. “And I’m sorry, but you’ll have to be quiet, and there’s only one way.”
In a trice their hands and feet were bound, and handkerchiefs were stuffed into their mouths. Then they were pushed into the closet and the panel was slipped back into place. They were helpless. Unable to speak, or to beat hands or feet against the thin wood, there was no way in which they could make their presence known. And in a moment they knew the reason for this precaution. For, through the wood of the panel, wafer thin, they heard Miss Eleanor’s voice.
“You can’t deceive me, sir!” they heard her say. “Those girls must be on this yacht, and I warn you that you had better give them up. Kidnapping is a serious offence in this state.”
“You can see for yourself they’re not here, ma’am,” said Jeff. “And I don’t take this kindly at all, ma’am. Why, when I saw the fire in your camp, I went ashore with my men to try to help you—and now you make this charge against us.”
“I certainly do!” said Eleanor, with spirit. “I am quite sure that this is the only place where my girls can be, and I mean to have them back. As to the fire, you helped us, it is true. But I am as certain as I can be of anything that you had something to do with starting it before you tried to put it out!”
“There’s no use talking to you, ma’am, and I won’t try it,” said Jeff. “If you’re crazy enough to believe anything like that, I could talk all day and you’d still believe it. Here’s the yacht—you’re welcome to go over her and see for yourself. You won’t find the girls, because they’re not aboard. That’s a good reason, I guess.”
“Then let me see Mr. Holmes.”
“There you go again, ma’am! Didn’t I tell you on deck that there’s no such party aboard, and that I never even heard of him? If you’re satisfied now, we’ll be glad to have you go ashore, because I want to sail. I’ve got business down the coast.”
“I shall not go ashore until I have found my girls,” said Eleanor. There were tears of baffled anger in her voice, and Bessie thrilled with indignant sympathy at the idea that she was within a few feet of her best friend without being able to let her know that she was there.
“Then you’ll be put ashore—gently, but firmly, as the books say,” said Jeff. “You’re dead right, ma’am, kidnappin’ is a bad sort of business in this state, and I don’t aim to give you a chance to say we carried you off with us against your will. Sail we will—and you’ll stay behind. This is my boat, and I’ve got a right to put off anyone that is trespassin’.”