unfortunately for ben wilford, he had heard mr. sherwood inform lawry of his intentions in regard to the purchase and transportation of the gold. before the woodville reached burlington, the dissolute young man had resolved to obtain the money if possible, prompted partly by revenge, and partly by the desire to possess so large a sum, with which he could revel in luxury in some distant party of the country. it must be confessed that this resolve to commit a crime was not simply an impulse, for the young man who leads a life of indolence and dissipation is never at any great distance from crime. ben had been schooling himself for years for the very deed he now determined to do.
with more energy and decision, ben was, in other respects, the counterpart of his father. his moral perceptions were weak, and the dissolute life he led had not contributed to strengthen them. he was the antipode of lawry, who had been more willing to listen to the teachings of his mother.
ben had resolved to commit a crime, but he had not the skill or the courage to do it alone. when he went on shore at burlington, he met two of his former boon companions, with whom he had often tippled, gambled, and caroused. one of them had been a fireman, and the other a deck-hand, on board a steamer with ben, and he knew them thoroughly. by gradual approaches he sounded them, to ascertain their willingness to join him in the robbery. the gold converted into currency would give them seven or eight thousand dollars apiece, and the temptation was sufficiently strong to remove all prudential obstacles.
while the woodville was absent on her trip to port kent, the details of the robbery had been settled. the confederates sat on the corner of the wharf and arranged their plans, which were mainly suggested by the one who had been a fireman. the scheme was to be executed while the boat lay at port rock, and the two men whom lawry had seen with his brother were his associates in the intended crime. ben had concealed them in the forehold of the steamer. while the excursion-party were going on shore at the gangway abaft at the wheels, and all hands had gone aft to witness their departure, ben had called them from their hiding-place, and sent them on the wharf, where he soon joined them. from a point near the head of the pier, where they were not observed, they waited till mr. sherwood and lawry had gone, and all was quiet on board of the steamer.
"now is our time," said ben nervously; for he was not familiar enough with crime to be unmoved by the desperate situation in which he had placed himself.
"is the coast clear?" asked the fireman.
"yes," replied ben, whose teeth actually chattered with apprehension.
"who is there on board now?"
"no one but the engineer and the fireman, except two boys," answered
ben. "they were all going to turn in as soon as they got to the wharf."
"the firemen are both men, but i reckon they won't fight; all the rest are boys."
"one fireman and two boys have turned in by this time," added ben.
"then there is no one up but the engineer and one fireman?"
"no."
"where is the gold, ben?"
"in the starboard saloon stateroom."
"all right; have your pistols ready, but don't use them, for it will be bad for us if we have to kill any one."
the party walked down to the woodville. all was still on board of her, except the sound of escaping steam. ethan stood sentry at the door of the stateroom containing the gold, and the man on watch in the fire-room was busy reading a newspaper. it was not sunset yet, but the crew of the woodville had been worked so hard for three days that those off duty could sleep without an opiate.
"put on that hatch," said the fireman, who became the leading spirit of the party, as he pointed to the companion-way of the forehold, where the hands slept.
ben obeyed the order without making any noise, and then the party went aft, where ethan was keeping guard over the treasure.
"good evening, ethan," said ben, with more suavity than he was in the habit of using.
"good evening," replied the engineer.
"haven't turned in yet?" continued ben.
"no."
"going to start at midnight, i hear."
"yes."
"some friends of mine wanted to look over the boat; i suppose i can show them through."
"i don't know; captain lawry can tell you," answered ethan, who did not like ben, and was not favorably impressed by the appearance of the other men.
ben walked aft into the saloon, followed by his companions. ethan was sitting in a chair by the side of the stateroom door. the fireman passed round behind, and suddenly fell upon him, throwing him on the floor and pinioning his arms to his back.
"what are you about?" cried ethan, struggling to release himself.
"help! help!"
"stop his mouth!" said ben fearfully.
vainly poor ethan endeavored to shake off his assailants; his arms were tied together behind him, and a handkerchief stuffed into his mouth. in this condition he was lashed to a stanchion, so that he could move neither hand nor foot.
the commotion of this outrage attracted the attention of mrs. light and the two waiter-girls, who were employed in the lower cabin. the fireman exhibited a pistol to them, drove them below again, and threatened to shoot them if they made any noise. a similar demonstration quieted the fireman, and compelled him to return to the fire-room.
"the job is done," said baker, the leader of the enterprise.
"but we haven't got the money," added flint, the deckhand.
"we don't want that yet. it is safe where it is. now both of you to your stations," continued baker; and he went down into the fire-room.
ben's station was in the wheel-house, flint's at the fasts, and baker's at the engine, as it appeared from their subsequent movements; and it was evident, from the operations in progress, that the villains intended to make their escape in the steamer. baker stopped the hissing steam which was going to waste, and compelled the fireman to renew the fires.
"be lively!" shouted ben, from the wheel-house, as he discovered lawry on the shore, hastening back to the steamer with his bundle of clothes.
"all ready!" replied baker, finding there was steam enough to start the boat.
flint had already cast off the fasts, without waiting for orders, and was standing on the forecastle, as impatient to be off as a man can be who is engaged in the commission of a crime.
ben rang the bell to back her; the wheels turned, but as the stern-line had been cast off, her bow was not carried out from the wharf. by this time lawry had discovered that the woodville was in motion. he was astonished and alarmed, though he was far from surmising that his boat had been captured by robbers. running with all his speed, he reached the head of the wharf just as the boat had backed far enough to permit ben to see him, and for him to see that ben was at the wheel. then he realized that his brother was engaged in another conspiracy.
notwithstanding his extensive knowledge of "steam-boating" in general, ben wilford was a very unskillful pilot. if he had understood the management of a boat half as well as lawry, the nefarious scheme might have been successful. he saw his brother; he did not wish to have him come on board, for lawry might be so obstinate as to induce one of his dissolute companions to fire at him. he rang the bell to stop her, and then to go ahead, at the same time putting the helm hard aport.
the woodville went forward, and as she met the helm her bow came round, and she was headed out into the middle of the lake. as she went ahead, her stern swept in a circle within a few feet of the wharf, just as lawry, breathless with haste and alarm, reached the end of the pier. the little captain knew nothing of the state of things on board, except that his brother ben was at the wheel, which, however, was a sufficient explanation to him. the woodville was going, and he could not let her depart without him. dropping his bundle, he leaped to the plankshear, grasping the rail with both hands. jumping over the bulwark, he stood on the guard from which opened the windows of the saloon.
neither of the three conspirators were in a situation to see this movement on the part of lawry. ben was too much occupied in steering—for he was not a little fearful of getting aground in some shoal water between the ferry and the wharf—to notice anything; but as soon as he had obtained his course, he looked for his brother on the pier. he was not there; but ben did not suspect that he was on board the woodville. baker, who knew just enough about an engine to stop and start it, was working the valves with the bar; and he could think of nothing else. doubtless he was conscious by this time that he had "taken a big job," in assuming the control of the engine.
lawry was bewildered by the situation. when his feet struck the deck, his first impulse was to rush up to the wheel-house, and confront the difficulty as the case might require. he started to carry out his purpose, when he happened to look through one of the saloon windows, and discovered ethan, with the handkerchief in his mouth, tied to the stanchion. deeply as he sympathized with his friend in his unpleasant position, he was still cheered by the sight, for it assured him that the engineer had been faithful to his duties, and was not a party to the conspiracy.
the little captain went round and entered the saloon by the door, without being seen by either of the conspirators. he removed the gag from ethan's mouth, and proceeded to unfasten the cords with which he was bound.
"what does all this mean, ethan?" demanded lawry, in excited tones, and almost crying with vexation.
"hush! do they know you are here?" asked the engineer.
"i think not; i don't know."
"keep still, then. they are after the gold."
"who are they?"
"ben and two other fellows. i don't know them."
"we'll stop this thing very quick," said lawry.
"they are armed with pistols, and threatened to shoot all hands. be careful, lawry, or you will get a bullet through your head."
"what shall we do?" demanded the young pilot.
ethan was an accomplished strategist. he led the way to the lower cabin, where the terrified women had been driven by the ruffians.
"if any of those men ask for me, tell them i got loose, jumped overboard, and swam ashore," said ethan.
"law sake!" exclaimed the cook.
"don't tell them i am here, at any rate."
"i won't. massy sake! what are we comin' to?"
"don't be alarmed; we will take care of these villains before we have done with them," added ethan.
"hush! there's some one coming," said one of the girls; and the heavy tread of a man was heard on the deck above them.
ethan and lawry had only time to crawl into one of the berths, where mrs. light covered them with bedclothes, before flint came down into the cabin.
"see here; we haven't been to supper, and we want some," said the ruffian, as he descended the steps.
"what are you goin' to do with us?" demanded mrs. light.
"don't be scart; we won't hurt you," replied flint.
"but where you goin'?"
"up to whitehall. when we get there, you can go where you please. now, get us some supper; the best there is on board—beefsteak and coffee."
"well, i suppose i can get you some supper; but i don't like such carryin's on," replied mrs. light.
flint left the cabin, after he had given his order. on his way forward he looked into the saloon, and discovered that their prisoner was missing. search was immediately instituted; but mrs. light, as instructed by ethan, declared that he had got loose and swam ashore; she had seen him through the stern-lights. the rascals finally accepted this explanation, after searching on deck for him.
mrs. light went to the kitchen to get supper for the rogues, while the girls set the table. the cook presently returned to the cabin, and told ethan where each of the robbers was stationed; but being unarmed, there seemed to be no way of making an attack upon them where the ruffians could not rally to the support of each other.
"we must settle this business down here, lawry," said ethan, when they had come out of their hiding-places.
"they will have to come to supper one at a time," added the little captain.
"exactly so; and this will be the safest place to do the job. we want a rope," added the engineer, with a businesslike air.
"i'll fetch you a rope," said mrs. light.
"do; bring me the small heave-line, on the guard by the saloon doors."
the cook went on deck, and after a visit to the kitchen, returned to the cabin with the line indicated under her apron. in about half an hour supper was ready for the villains, and one of the girls informed baker, who was still on duty in the engine-room, that it was waiting for them. the engineer called flint, and told him, as the boat was out in the middle of the lake, the engine would need nothing done to it, and directed him to stand at the door, so that the fireman below should not attempt to defeat their plans. he then went to the cabin for his supper.
ethan and lawry had concealed themselves behind the curtains of a tier of berths, directly in the rear of the chair where baker was to sit at the table. in his hand ethan held the heave-line, at one end of which lawry had made a hangman's noose. mrs. light and the girls had been instructed to rattle the chairs, make as much noise as they could, and otherwise engage the attention of the robber, as soon as he sat down to the table.
baker came down the stairs, and one of the girls began to rattle the chairs, mrs. light to move a pile of plates, and the other girl to arrange the dishes on the table. "will you have some coffee?" demanded mrs. light, without giving him time to notice anything in the cabin.
"of course i will," growled baker.
"shall i give you some beefsteak?" asked one of the girls.
"i'll help myself."
"if you want some fried eggs i'll get some for you," added the cook, rattling the dishes again.
baker was not permitted to say whether he would have any fried eggs or not, for at that moment ethan crept from his concealment, whatever noise he made being drowned by the clatter of the dishes and the rattling of the chairs. stealing up behind baker, who was intent only on beefsteak and coffee, he slipped the hangman's noose over his head, and hauled it tight. the robber attempted to spring to his feet, but ethan hauled him over backward on the floor. at the same time lawry threw the end of the line over a deck beam, extended across the skylight, and began to "haul in the slack."
the villain attempted to cry out; but the sound only gurgled in his throat. he grasped the rope with both hands; but the choking already received had taken away his strength, and he was unable to make any successful resistance. while lawry kept the rope so taut that baker could not move, ethan tied his hands behind him, though the man's struggles were fierce, and the engineer was obliged to use a rolling-pin, supplied by mrs. light, before the conquest was complete. the ruffian was securely bound and gagged; but the cook and the girls had nearly fainted while the struggle was going on.
baker, thus gagged and bound, was rolled into one of the lower berths. he had been nearly choked to death by the rope, and several hard knocks he had received on the head had rendered him partially insensible, so that he was not in condition to make any further resistance. ethan had taken possession of his pistol, and, as a matter of precaution, threatened to blow out his brains if he made any noise.
"massy sake!" groaned mrs. light. "i never did see! you've taken my breath all away!"
"don't make a noise," said ethan.
"i couldn't have struck that man as you did," added lawry.
"if you had been through what i have, out west, it would come easier to you," replied the engineer. "we must go through the whole of it once more."
one of the girls was then sent to call flint, and directed to assure him that such was the order of baker, who had gone to the wheel-house for a moment, and would immediately return to the engine-room. the deck-hand was too much in a hurry for his supper to question the order, and went directly to the cabin. the noise made by mrs. light and the girls prevented him from hearing the heavy breathings of baker, and he was an easier victim than his companion in crime had been. he was choked, gagged, bound, and his pistol taken from him. by this time these two ruffians, if they could think at all, could not help believing that the way of the transgressor is hard.
from regard to the feelings of lawry, ethan decided that ben should not be subjected to this harsh treatment. he was still in the wheel-house, not suspecting that his nefarious scheme had been wholly defeated.
the work was accomplished, and the pilot and engineer went on deck. ethan repaired to his post and stopped the engine. ben half a dozen times demanded, through the speaking-tube, what the matter was; but receiving no answer, he came down himself to ascertain the cause of the sudden stoppage of the boat.
