For the present my veins tingled with the draught. The wind hum-
ming into the mainsail, the ghostly wave-crests riding up out of the void,
whispered a low thrilling chorus in praise of adventure. Potent indeed
must the spell have been, for, in reality, that first night sail teemed with
terrors for me. It is true that it began well, for the haze dispersed, as
Davies had prophesied, and Bulk Point Lighthouse guided us safely to
the mouth of Kiel Fiord. It was during this stage that, crouching together
aft, our pipe-bowls glowing sympathetically, we returned to the problem
before us; for we had shot out on our quest with volcanic precipitation,
leaving much to be discussed. I gleaned a few more facts, though I dis-
pelled no doubts. Davies had only seen the Dollmanns on their yacht,
where father and daughter were living for the time. Their villa at Nor-
derney, and their home life there, were unknown to him, though he had
landed once at the harbour himself. Further, he had heard vaguely of a
stepmother, absent at Hamburg. They were to have joined her on their
arrival at that city, which, be it noted, stands a long way up the Elbe,
forty miles and more above Cuxhaven, the town at the mouth.
The exact arrangement made on the day before the fatal voyage was
that the two yachts should meet in the evening at Cuxhaven and proceed
up the river together. Then, in the ordinary course,Mens Gucci Belt would have
parted company at Brunsbüttel (fifteen miles up), which is the western
terminus of the ship canal to the Baltic. Such at least had been his origin-
al intention; but, putting two and two together, I gathered that latterly,
and perhaps unconfessed to himself, his resolve had weakened, and that
he would have followed the Medusa to Hamburg, or indeed the end of
the world, impelled by the same motive that, contrary to all his tastes
and principles, had induced him to abandon his life in the islands and
undertake the voyage at all. But on that point he was immovably reti-
cent, and all I could conclude was that the strange cross-current connec-
ted with Dollmann's daughter had given him cruel pain and had
clouded his judgement to distraction, but that he now was prepared to
forget or ignore it, and steer a settled course.
The facts I elicited raised several important questions. Was it not
known by this time that he and his yacht had survived? Davies was con-
vinced that it was not.'He may have waited at Cuxhaven, or inquired at
the lock at Brunsbüttel,'he said.'But there was no need, for I tell you the
thing was a certainty. If I had struck andstuck on that outer bank, as it
was a hundred to one I should do, the yacht would have broken up in
three minutes. Bartels would never have seen me, and couldn't have got
to me if he had. No one would have seen me. And nothing whatever has
happened since to show that they know I'm alive.'
'They,'I suggested.'Who are “they”? Who are our adversaries?'If
Dollmann were an accredited agent of the German Admiralty— But, no,
it was incredible that the murder of a young Englishman should be con-
nived at in modern days by a friendly and civilized government! Yet, if
he were not such an agent, the whole theory fell to the ground.
'I believe,'said Davies,'that Dollmann did it off his own bat, and bey-
ond that I can't see. And I don't know that it matters at present. Alive or
dead we're doing nothing wrong, and have nothing to be ashamed of.'
'I think it matters a good deal,'I objected.'Who will be interested in
our resurrection, and how are we to go to work, openly or secretly? I
suppose we shall keep out of the way as much as we can?'
'As for keeping out of the way,'said Davies, jerkily, as he peered to
windward under the foresail,'we must pass the ship canal; that's a public
highway, where anyone can see you. After that there won't be much dif-
ficulty. Wait till you see the place!'He gave a low, contented laugh,
which would have frozen my marrow yesterday.'By the way, that re-
minds me,'he added;'we must stop at Kiel for the inside of a day and
lay in a lot of stores. We want to be independent of the shore.'I said
nothing. Independence of the shore in a seven-tonner in October! What
an end to aim at!
About nine o'clock we weathered the point, entered Kiel Fiord, and
began a dead beat to windward of seven miles to the head of it where
Kiel lies. Hitherto, save for the latent qualms concerning my total help-
lessness if anything happened to Davies, interest and excitement had up-
held me well. My alarms only began when I thought them nearly over.
Davies had frequently urged me to turn in and sleep, and I went so far as
to go below and coil myself up on the lee sofa with my pencil and diary.
Suddenly there was a flapping and rattling on deck, and I began to slide
on to the floor.'What's happened?'I cried, in a panic, for there was
Davies stooping in at the cabin door.
'Nothing,'he said, chafing his hands for warmth;'I'm only going
about. Hand me the glasses, will you? There's a steamer ahead. I say, if
you really don't want to turn in, you might make some soup. Just let's
look at the chart.'He studied it with maddening deliberation, while I
wondered how near the steamer was, and what the yacht was doing
meanwhile.
'I suppose it's not really necessary for anyone to be at the helm?'I
remarked.
'Oh, she's all right for a minute,'he said, without looking up.'Two—
one and a half— one— lights in line sou'-west by west— got a match?'
He expended two, and tumbled upstairs again.
'You don't want me, do you?'I shouted after him.
