The Launching of Roger Brook

'But tell me,' went on his father. 'What led to your abandoning your good position in such haste, and this dastardly attack upon you to-night?'

Roger had only just started to recount his Odyssey when his mother returned with the dressings. Having bathed the wounds she made a poultice of Grains of Paradise and bound it round his head. While she was doing so he continued with his story and brought it up to date.

When he had done, the Admiral frowned, and said: 'But who can this villain be, that attacked you? How could any of your enemies have known that they would find you here, and so he in wait for you in the stable?'

' Tis a problem that utterly defeats me,' Roger declared. 'At first, from the efficacy of the knots that tied me, I inclined to think it one of the seamen from the barque. Yet I cannot now see how it could be. Twas certainly not Captain Rapenot, for he had a hook to his left arm and the man who pounced on me grasped my throat with two hands. Besides, I wounded both Rapenot and his second mate too seriously for either of them to venture such an undertaking.'

'They might have sent the first mate or a member of their crew ashore,' hazarded the Admiral.

Roger shook his head. 'I don't believe it possible, Sir. The barque sailed straight on to the west. While General Cleveland was bringing me ashore I watched her for more than an hour, and she neither lowered a boat nor showed any signs of dropping anchor.'

'She might have put into Christchurch.'

'Nay. If she had, there'd not have been time enough for one of them to get back here by half-past seven. Moreover, although they guessed who I was, I had told them only that my home lay near Southampton. How could a foreign seaman have found out so swiftly where I lived. 'Twas not one of the men from the barque, I'm now convinced of that.'

'Think you it might have been a vagrant, or perhaps an Egyptian from the forest come in to rob our hen-roost and, seeing you, thought he might snatch a purse as well?'

' 'Twas no vagrant, Sir. This fellow knew what he was after. I can hear his cry of triumph now as he came upon the letter, and he muttered to himself in French about collecting the reward.'

'Then it must have been someone from France who caught the packet on Thursday afternoon, and sailed some twelve hours ahead of you.'

'You're right, Sir,' Roger agreed. ' 'Tis the only explanation. Yet I am still foxed completely, for how could anyone in France have thought it probable that I might make for Lymington?'

'The de Rochambeaux might have done so, and told M. de Crosne's people.'

Athenais alone knew the situation of my home, and she would never have betrayed me. Her father and brother did not even know that I was an Englishman until a few hours before I left Paris.'

'You told them your name, though; and that you were my son.'

'True; and, knowing that, an agent, having got to London, might have obtained your address through the Admiralty. But that is no explanation in this case. In view of the storm no boat leaving a French port on Thursday afternoon could have entered a British harbour until the weather eased this morning. She would have been bashed to pieces on the piers in the attempt. My attacker cannot possibly have stepped ashore in England earlier than an hour after dawn to-day, and 'tis humanly impossible for him to have reached London, found out where we lived and got here by seven o'clock this evening.'

The Admiral nodded. 'Well reasoned, lad! Wherever he landed such a proceeding could not mean less than a hundred and fifty mile ride. Dick Turpin himself could not have done it in the time.'

' 'Tis an impenetrable mystery,' Roger sighed, 'and I fear we'll never learn the solution to it; though I'd give de Caylus's sapphire to know the fellow's identity, and for a chance to get even with him.'

Suddenly the Admiral slapped his thigh. 'Damme! What in thunder are we thinking of, to be swopping theories like a couple of school-marms, when we should be about hunting the villain down.'

'That will be no easy task, seeing how poor is the description I can give of him.'

' 'Twill be no easy task for him to get back to France, either; once I am gone into action. We know he's a Frenchie, and tall, you say? What else can you recall about him?'

'He had the thin hands of a well-bred man, though they were muscular. I think that he was clean-shaven; but of that I cannot be certain, since I glimpsed his face only as a pale blur. From his shadow I should say that he was wearing a coat or cloak with a heavy cape-collar, and his hat was in the modern style, a hard felt, flat-topped and conical-sided.'

While Roger was giving his description his father had snatched up a piece of paper and was swiftly making notes. When he had done, he said:' 'Tis well! I'll go up to the Mayor and have his constables circulate this description locally. The King of France is not the only man whose purse is long enough to offer five hundred guineas' reward for a capture, and by morning all South Hampshire will be hunting for this dog. Meanwhile, 'tis no time to stand on ceremony. C.-in-C, Ports­mouth, will bear me no grudge if I poach his territory in a case like this, and my signature as Rear-Admiral, Channel Squadron, will be honoured from Dover to Land's End. 'Tis my intention to close the ports.'

'Well done, Sir!' Roger exclaimed, his despair giving place to hope. He had never before seen his big, rubicund father at work in a crisis, and realised now how well fitted he was to hold a high command.

'Give me now the words you heard him mutter,' the Admiral went on. 'Maybe we'll get something from them.'

Roger endeavoured to recall the expressions used, but he could not, and replied: 'He said something to this effect: Thank God my instinct proved right. By to-morrow morning this will have earned me as much as I make in two years.

'To-morrow!' his father repeated. 'Surely you could not have heard aright? He could not reach a port and make the crossing in the time. Perhaps, though, he had a boat awaiting him in some smuggler's cove along the coast. If so, we're sunk.'

'That may be it, Sir; but, even if he had, he'd not be able to reach France before to-morrow night, and I'll take my oath that he said to-morrow morning.'

'The fellow is a positive will-o'-the-wisp!' cried the Admiral in exasperation. 'One thing is clear; he knew this to be your home and came here on a sudden inspiration; thinking that if you landed anywhere between Poole and Southampton you would come here first before proceeding to London, and hoping for a chance to waylay you. The odds are that he is one of M. de Crosne's agents. But as for his returning to France to reap the reward by to- morrow morning, no man born of woman could do it.'

Lady Marie had been sitting listening to her men. For the first time since she had finished bandaging Roger's head, she spoke. 'Think you there is anywhere in this country where he could collect the money?'

Roger jumped to his feet. 'Mother, I believe you have it! The notice said that M. de Crosne or any accredited agent of the French Crown would pay out the reward. The French Ambassador is such a one. Could it possibly be that our man is on his way to London?'

'Nonsense!' laughed his father. ' 'Tis too far-fetched. Having done his business, a French police-agent's first thought Would be to get back to France.'

'Not necessarily! If he is a cunning one, as this fellow seems to be. He would know that you, as a British Admiral, would have special faciHties for swiftly closing the ports against him. 'Twould be a clever move to ride unmolested through the night to London while we remained here organising parties to scour the coast. In any event, 'tis time now that I was off. I'd meant to take the journey easily, but I shall ride hard now, since there is just a chance that I may pick up his trail and overhaul him.'

'Oh, Roger!' exclaimed Lady Marie, 'Are you recovered enough to face such an ordeal. 'Tis over ninety miles.'

He smiled at her. 'I pray you be not concerned on that score. Your Grains of Paradise have already done wonders for my head; and now that I am once again on our own good soil I'd ride to Scotland, had I a mind to it.'

'So be it then,' the Adrniral agreed. 'But 'tis my belief that you misunderstood what the fellow said, and will be on a wild goose chase. For my part I shall cast a wider net by taking the measures I have outlined. But I wish you fortune, and if you catch your man the five hundred guineas I intend to offer shall be yours.'

'Thanks, Sirl' cried Roger. 'If my instinct proves as good as my enemy's I'll hope to claim it. Though, even if I'm right, 111 have but an outside chance of catching him. He has well over two hours' start, and the only way I can hope to make that up is with your assistance.'