“Will you tell me now what it was that Suarez found out?” she murmured.
The doctor quickly appreciated her need of material for further thought. She wanted to appraise at their true value all things affecting that daring enterprise, bringing the evidence to the bar of her hopes, and nerving herself to hear the crudest testimony as to its dangers. He was glad to be able to beguile the next half hour with his recital. He suppressed no detail except his own willingness to take Courtenay’s place in the boat. Notwithstanding his slight affectations, he was a man of finely-tempered judgment. He saw now that Courtenay could not have accepted his offer, nor was it likely that the men in the boat would follow any other leader than the captain. He even smarted a little at the knowledge. A super-sensitive honor led him to fear that his successful rival might suspect him of vaingloriousness. Herein Christobal did himself an injustice, and Courtenay a greater one, as he was fated soon to learn.
When Elsie heard of the duplicity practised by Suarez it was good to see the hot indignation which reddened her brow. She realized that the man was unscrupulous enough to remain silent concerning the captured sailors, whose unhappy fate had contributed, in no small degree, to the chance which brought him to safety. She instantly fastened on to the theory that the Indians paid their first nocturnal visit to the ship in the belief that the vessel would prove as easy a prey as the castaways, whereas Suarez must have fallen beneath their stones and rude hatchets if he had attempted to board the Kansas in broad daylight. With all a woman’s single-mindedness, she regarded the Argentine miner as being directly responsible for Courtenay’s hazard, nor would she listen to Christobal’s mild protest that nothing could have been done earlier, no matter how outspoken Suarez chose to be.
The Spaniard encouraged her to debate this point—anything was better than the dumb pain of thought—but their talk ceased abruptly when a muttered exclamation from Gray sent Walker flying to the charthouse. Forthwith the trumpet shriek of the siren sent its wild boom across the silent waters. Elsie needed no explanation of this tumult. Otter Creek was not so far distant that canoes quitting its shelter could not be seen with the naked eye. She counted sixteen putting forth in a cluster, and they all made for the adventurous life-boat.
“That is exactly what our captain expected,” Christobal was ready to assure her. “He was certain he would reach the head of the bay before the Indians awoke to the meaning of his scheme. By this time, unless his plan fails, the men on shore should have joined him, no matter what number of savages may seek to oppose their passage to the boat. The only doubtful question is— Will he be able to beat off the rascals who are now cutting his line of retreat?”
“Huh!” growled Boyle, “the skipper’s out of sight now. Gone into a small creek or something of the sort. Hope he heard the horn. Let her rip!” he added in a loud shout over his shoulder, and again the siren flung a warning to the foot of the mountain range.
It was evident that the wonderful eyesight of the Indians practically equalled the range of the telescope. The men in the canoes were aware of the lifeboat’s disappearance, and their wet paddles flashed in the sun as they tore across the three miles of open water which separated the southern promontory from the inner shore of the island. After a phenomenal spell of fine weather in that storm-swept latitude, the atmosphere was transparent and bright as that of Stornoway on a clear day in December. The rays of the sun were reflected from many a blue glacier and ice-covered slope. Even the green of the higher belt of firs was dazzling in its emerald luster, and the copper-hued beeches beneath shone in patches of burnished gold. Elsie was sick at heart with the knowledge that red-eyed murder was stalking its prey under the resplendent mantle spread by nature over a scene of rare beauty. In an agony of apprehension she followed the progress of the canoes. Creeping nearer Boyle, she whispered:
“For Heaven’s sake, say the life-boat is visible again!”
He held up a hand to enforce silence. A deep hush fell on the ship.
“Listen!” he muttered, so low that Elsie alone caught the words. “Can you hear firing?”