USA > California > A picture of pioneer times in California, illustrated with anecdotes and stores taken from real life > Part 59
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"MY BELOVED SON WALTER: I give you this prayer-book as you are going so far away from me, for it is far more precious than any I could buy with money. It once belonged to my poor, darling brother, who was driven by persecution out of poor Ireland, and I suppose lost his life among strangers. Always pray for him, darling son, as well as for your devotedly attached mother.
ANN WAGNER."
The Captain could not restrain his emotion on reading this evidence of his sister's unchanged love. He arose, went out on the porch, and walked up and down, lost in thoughts of long, long ago. Soon McGlynn and the policemen came, and reported no arrival by the boat.
Now the Chief took a careful survey of everything in the house. It was evident that the occupants had suddenly and un- expectedly left, as the girl had all the time stated. All Walter's and Minnie's clothes were there, as if in every day use; a hun- dred dollars in gold was found in Walter's trunk. The Chief took down the girl's statement in writing, which included the scene of Ward's proposal to Minnie, and her rejection of him. Jane cried bitterly all the time, exclaiming:
" Poor Miss Minnie; oh! that villain has murdered her for not marrying him, as he said he would."
It was a dark and disagreeable night, and the most intense and fearful mystery seemed to pervade the whole cottage. The
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Chief put out the lights, locked the door and sent an officer to see Jane safe home. The next day they continued hard at work on the case. They found that the carriage which took Minnie away was got at Orrick Johnson's, but that the party hiring it took no driver; so Johnson's men could give no information of any value. Two of the city police had unaccountably disap- peared the same day that Walter and Minnie had; and now, on the third day, was the first time it occurred to the Chief to con- nect this circumstance with the mystery. This explained and threw light on some points of the case, and he worked on with more hope.
On the morning of the fourth day, the papers reported the British bark Blue Bell lost. She had, it would seem, left with- out a pilot sometime during the night of the day after she cleared at the Custom House, and had gone ashore outside the heads, was a total loss, and it was supposed all on board had perished. It was believed there was no insurance.
When, late that day, John McGlynn and Captain Fitzgerald called at the office of the Chief of Police, to ascertain what pro- gress had been made in unraveling the mystery, the Chief said:
"Well, yes; some progress. I have discovered enough to convince me that the brother and sister were both kidnapped by this Captain Ward and taken on board the Blue Bell; and I fear there is little doubt but that they were both lost with the ill- fated bark. I see no other solution of the mystery. So far, I have kept the matter from the public, but there is no use in secrecy any longer; and, if nothing turns up to-day, I will report it all to the press, and see if outsiders can give us any informa- tion."
McGlynn and his friend turned away disheartened and down- cast, with hardly a hope left for the safety of the young people in whom they had become so intensely interested. As they walked slowly along Kearny street, too sad in thoughts to speak, they saw a police officer they knew to be at work on the case, hurrying toward them. As he passed, them he said: "Come, come to the office of the Chief of Police; I have news, news!" And on he darted, and they in hot pursuit after him.
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE PRISONERS-CAPTAIN WARD'S HORRID FATE.
Now, my dear readers, let us return to Walter and poor Min- nie, as we left them seated together in a boat rowed by six cut- throat looking villains, under the command of Brown. Minnie's brave words of courage are not lost on Walter.
" Oh, darling Minnie," he says, " if you were but safe out of their hands, what a Heaven it would be to me, even if my fate was to be thrown, with these manacles on my limbs, into the bay; but when I think of you in the power of that black-hearted vil- lain, I confess I quail to the very inmost recesses of my heart! And yet when I see you near me, Minnie, and looking and speak- ing so courageously, I too feel a confidence that God will, in some way, aid us."
" Oh, Walter, we have no power of our own to escape; I do not see, or try to see any." Now Minnie sat up erect, and, rais- ing one hand up, as if to emphasize her words, she continued: "No; I do not pretend to see a way, but I do not dare to doubt but that God will open some way and save us. So, Wal- ter, let us be what we pretend to be-Christians and Califor- nians. If it is God's holy will that we should this day go to Him, do not fear, my brother, that He will allow our honor to be sullied. The reason I speak so much to you, Walter, of confi- dence and courage, is because I know that it is for me you fear." Walter's eyes were on Minnie while she spoke, and her noble, courageous words and whole bearing filled him with admiration, and with confidence in the result of the contest before them, whatever it might be.
" Well, Minnie, darling," he said, " while your courage lasts, you will, I trust in God, not see mine give way; and I will pray to God for faith, like you, Minnie, and that I may be able to realize that He is near us all the time, dear sister, as you say."
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Now they began to come in plain sight of Saucelito, and see the Blue Bell anchored in Richardson's bay, not far from where the railroad depot is now located. The afternoon's chilly wind was beginning to blow, a heavy, dark fog was, as usual, setting in from the sea, the rough-looking mountains and hills of Marin County around Saucelito looked terribly dark and lonesome. The point of land on which now stand two beautiful and charm- ingly located hotels, with many private residences near by, and the busy railroad depot was at that time without a house of any description, or mark of man's presence. A half mile to west- ward was the famous water depot, where nearly all the pioneer ships of California get their supply of fresh water, when about to put to sea. But even at this water depot there was no regu- lar settlement. There was erected there a huge tank, for the re- ception of the water, and whatever men were necessary to do the work of supplying the ships lived near by, and no more. The low hills and points of land around Saucelito were at that time, as they are partly now, covered with oaks and a scrubby growth of timber. As Minnie and Walter were entering all these dark and lonesome surroundings, the prisoners of cut-throats, Walter felt Minnie's arm draw close around his waist, and a shudder or chill seemed to shake her frame. He dropped his head until it rested lightly on hers, as he whispered :
" Courage, darling Minnie, courage!" She turned her look on his face, and with a calm smile, said:
" Oh, don't fear, dear Walter; it was only a chill from the cold fog."
On, on, the boat dashes, through the dark, rough water. They are now alongside, and, in a few minutes more, on the deck of the vessel they so feared. Every one on board seems to obey Brown. He orders Walter and Minnie to be conducted to the cabin, and they soon found themselves alone. In a few minutes more, Brown makes his appearance, and says:
"Mr. Wagner, Captain Ward may not be on board for two hours yet. The cook has some dinner all prepared, and I would advise you and your sister to eat of it; for, after all, you and the Captain may come to some compromise; and, it may be, part friends. Who knows ?" He paused, and Walter said, with his eyes on Minnie's face :
" Are we to be permitted to eat alone ?"
" Certainly; that is what I meant."
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" Then we will be obliged," said Walter, without looking toward Brown.
Now a disagreeable-looking young man, whom Walter at once recognized as the boy who brought the note from Macondray & Co. the morning of the forgery, entered with some broiled fowl, vegetables, and a bottle of claret wine. They ate but sparingly, though each urged the other to eat; but they were under too in- tense an excitement to have much appetite.
About four o'clock, they heard a bustle on deck, and Minnie's heart sank, for she knew their hour of trial had come; but she almost at once recovered herself, and as Ward entered the cabin she had nothing but proud scorn on her lips as she sat near Wal- ter, with her arms folded across her breast.
" Good afternoon, Walter; good afternoon, Miss Minnie," said Ward, throwing himself on the sofa; and, without waiting for any recognition of his salutation, he continued: " Walter, my friend, I was sorry to have had to order those little incon- veniences put on your limbs; but if we come to terms they shall be removed at once, and I shall make any and every reparation for the indignity in my power."
" Please to state your intentions with regard to my sister and myself," said Walter in a firm voice.
" Ah; that is coming right to business. Well, that is our California way, and the best way of proceeding. I hate a round- about way of doing business. Well, Walter; that was a close shave you made yesterday; if I had been six inches further be- hind, that knife you broke in the door would have ended my career."
" My only regret is that it did not. But go on and tell us your intentions, sir. The less I talk with you the better I feel."
"All you say is natural, but friend Walter," and here Ward arose from his seat and walked close to the brother and sister, while a bitter, sardonic smile spread over his face, " be cautious; take my advice, and do not be too short in your speech; for you know you are now in my power out here in this ship; and what is far better, this little beauty here is just as much in my power as you are." And, as Ward spoke, he put his hand under Minnie's chin before she saw his intention. She instantly knocked his hand away with the hardest blow she could give, and jumped to her feet. Walter, too, started to his feet, saying:
" Coward! you dare not, if I had not these irons on!"
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Ward shrank back, and laughed a mocking laugh, saying: " Oh, well; I will not bother you until you decline my propo- sition. Only, you must take my proposition in a business way, and accept or reject it. I will now tell you what I will do if you accept it; and then, if you wish, I will tell you what to expect if you reject it. I want Miss Minnie Wagner to marry me; and, if she consents, we will go from here to the Bay of Monterey, and I will send on shore for the priest of that place to perform the ceremony; and until the ceremony is performed she shall be treated like a queen under your own eyes. I will then, or now, if you both consent here to-night, give yon twenty thousand dol- lars in gold to start business with in San Francisco, while I will trade on the coast with the ship, and neither of you shall ever have any cause to complain of me as a man or a husband."
Walter answered: " Set us both free on shore in San Fran- cisco, and we will take that proposition under consideration, and give you a respectful answer; and we will pledge ourselves never to reveal your vile act of kidnapping us to-day."
" Wagner, do not put me up for a fool. I have you now where I have a fair show of making good terms, and I will not relin- quish my advantage, you may be perfectly sure. Perhaps you might now like to hear what I will do if you reject my offer. But, before I tell that, I want a ' Yes ' or a 'No' to the proposition I made you. You know, Miss Minnie, that when I saw you last I told you I would pursue you in the future with deadly hate; but if you and friend Walter accept my proposition, I take all that back, and I will swear to love you forever more. Yes; to love you as I do now, while I look on you; for I never loved a woman before as I love you; I cannot shake it off. Yes, I can- not live without you, and have you I will, one way or the other; so say the word, ' Yes' or ' No.'
" Only I am in your power, I will tell you that, no matter what the consequences may be, if we are to die, roasted alive, we would not accept your proposition."
" Is that your answer, too ?" said Ward, in a bitter tone, turn- ing to Minnie.
"There are no torments ever yet invented I would not go through before I would accept such a degrading proposition."
" Well, well, we shall see, dear Minnie, how you will like the choice you have made; for now I will tell you what I will do if you do not change your mind before night. I will have the mar-
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riage ceremony performed here, in a rough way, perhaps, by old Jack, my first mate, this very night, and your good brother here shall look on and enjoy the scene; for, as sure as you are a living woman, you shall be my bride this very night."
" I do not fear you, monster as you are! God is here near us!" said Minnie.
" Oh, I will show you all about that, this very night, Miss Min- nie; and if you give me too much trouble, you know, I will ornament the yard-arm with this brother of yours. So you will have to be moderate, you know, if you want to save him."
While Ward spoke, he let his dark, wolfish eyes glare on Min- nie with the most fiendish look Minnie now sat close up to Wal- ter, with her arm around his waist, and her head leaning against his shoulder.
" Villain, thief and robber that you are!" said Walter, " talk no more. Your words are as bad as your actions can be."
" Oh, no; Mr. Walter Wagner, you are not a good judge of that yet. To-morrow you will be a good judge." And here Ward chuckled his frightful laugh. "Yes, Walter; as I told you yesterday, your sister will beg for marriage yet, and I may then be in the humor to refuse it."
The sister and brother made no answer, but their lips moved, as if in prayer to God, while their eyes were turned on each other.
" Consider this matter, friend Walter. Consider it well ! I am in a humor to be friendly; for the fact is, I am desperately in love, and I hate to get into bad temper. You never saw me in a bad temper, Walter, my boy." And Ward gave out a mocking laugh, as he continued: " And if you ever do see me in a bad temper, the chances are you will never see that manner of mine a second time. Oh, yes ; that once will be enough for you. And I would advise Miss Minnie, if she loves you, never to let that humor come on. Oh, no; she had better never let it come on! But excuse me for a moment; I have to give some orders on deck."
And now the brother and sister found themselves alone. The first impulse was to embrace each other. Walter raised his shackled arms over Minnie's head, and, dropping them to her waist, drew her to his bosom in a wild excitement, while he kissed her over and over, as he murmured:
" Darling ! darling !"
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Minnie returned his embrace, and whispered back, in a firm voice, while her breath came fast and hot against Walter's cheek: " Oh, darling brother, do not give way! All may depend, you know, on our courage and presence of mind."
Minnie's words came just in time, and Walter made a desper- ate effort to recover his self-control, and, disengaging her, he said in a composed voice:
" Yes, yes, Minnie; what you say is true. I will be firm, and presence of mind may save us yet; but these terrible shackles will unman me if I do not keep a constant watch upon myself."
" Now, Walter darling, I will tell you that after I read that forged note asking me to come immediately to you, I never suspected the forgery, for the resemblance to your writing was perfect. "
" Yes; perfect," said Walter.
" No, I never had a doubt in regard to the note; but a sort of apprehension seized me, I knew not why," and here her voice sank to a whisper in his ear, " which caused me to place Uncle John's dagger in my bosom. I know how to use it, you know; he showed me, as I believe I told you before."
Here Minnie looked all around the cabin, and was going to draw the dagger from her bosom; but Walter stopped her, and whispered in her ear:
" Be careful; there may be eyes or ears near us, darling. So be careful not to put your band near where the dagger is."
" You are right, Walter. Well, what I was going to say was this: That the moment they attempt to take me away from you, I will pretend to hesitate and half yield, and in that way get Ward off his guard, and then I will use it, Walter, and trust to God for the result."
Walter, in the same whispering way, said:
"That will be the best way, darling, for you to act. You know the place to strike at?"
" Oh, yes; Uncle John showed me."
As Minnie spoke, her frame shook with a shudder, but she re- mained firm.
" God save you, darling sister, from the necessity; but risk anything, and do anything, before you let them take you away from me; and even with these shackles on, I may help and be of some use to you in the struggle."
" Here he comes! Oh, God! assist us and give us both
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courage and faith," was Minnie's last whisper, as Ward again appeared.
When Ward reached the deck, on leaving Walter and Minnie, he called out:
" Is Mr. Lawson yet on board ?"
"Yes, sir," said the second-mate; " he and his sons have just come on board."
" Here I am, Captain," said Jack, stepping forward.
" Where have you been, Mr. Lawson, all the day ? You should have been here attending to your duties as first officer of this ship, sir. I looked for you on shore, but I could find nothing of you, sir."
" Well, Captain, you must excuse me; for, it being the last day on shore, you see, my boys had to get an outfit for them- selves, and visit their sweethearts for the last time, you know; and I hurried them all I could, and we did not even take time to go and see Lizzie, as we intended to do."
As Jack said this, Ward started, and his frame visibly shook a little. And Jack's eyes fell on him with a peculiar, wild gleam; but, letting them at once drop on the deck, he ran on in a careless tone:
" But I promised the boys, if you put off sailing for one day more, I would go on shore with them and spend a half day or so with Lizzie; for she will be so lonesome, you know, Captain, at our going away."
" Oh, well; that is all right, Jack; and if I do defer sailing, you and the boys shall have half a day on shore to spend with Lizzie. I left her a handsome present of money in the hands of Macondray & Co. just before I came on board; so she will have a good time while we are away."
" Oh, yes, Captain; I have no doubt she will; that is all right. And I hear that you have trapped a handsome piece for the voyage." And Jack gave a meaning, chuckling laugh, intended to make the Captain think he approved of the little maneuver.
" Oh, yes, Jack; I have; and I will have to get you to perform the marriage ceremony this evening, as you have a right by law to do, you know at sea, under certain circumstances; and one of these circumstances is, when the Captain is the man to be mar- ried, as in this case."
" Oh, we will have some fun, then," said Jack, with the same peculiar laugh. " Is it to be to-night, Captain ?"
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" Oh, yes; this very night."
" Is she willing, or are we to have the fun of making her your wife whether she likes it or not?"
" Oh, she is as obstinate as a mule, and as fiery as a wildcat."
" And her brother is on board, they say ?" said Jack.
" Yes, Jack; he is, in irons, sitting with her in the cabin now."
" And will he not advise her to yield to save himself ?"
" No, Jack; the fellow is such a fool that I believe he would tell her to hold out if we were roasting him to death."
" Oh, he is that sort, is he ? Well, well; how strange. Well, we will see this evening; for you must not lose your game, Cap- tain, under any circumstances."
" Thank you, Jack. And now get the boat ready to go on shore to dig up that box, you know; and give me four good men and a small crowbar, a spade, and a rope to rig the box with, so that we can bring it over the hills the same way we took it up, you recollect."
" Aye, aye, sir; all will be ready in fifteen minutes," and Jack left, and the Captain returned to the cabin. As Ward entered the cabin, he said:
" Now I have to go on shore here at Saucelito, on some busi- ness. I will be absent for perhaps three hours, and while I am gone I want you both to take what I have said into considera- tion; and I advise you not to be such fools as to hope for a mira- cle to save you. The days of miracles, you know, have passed; and I defy any power, above or below, to come between you and me, Minnie. Itold you our fates were linked together, you know; and now you see I was right. I felt it in my bones ever since I saw you. I have told you what I will do if you hold out, and as sure as we are in this cabin I will do just as I have said. You cannot and will not escape me; but, if you accept my proposition, I will leave nothing undone to make everything agreeable to you. So have your minds made up when I come back."
While thus addressed, Walter and Minnie remained seated as before, with a composed, unchanged look; but made no reply whatever. Just then Brown appeared, saying:
" Did you send for me, Captain ?"
" Yes, Mr. Brown; I want you to stay here on guard." And, as Ward spoke, he unbuckled the belt from around his waist, in which hung a revolver and bowie-knife, and, handing it to Brown, continued: " I see you are unarmed; put this on, I will get one
.
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from Jack; and let there be no communication with our prison- ers here until I come back, under any pretence; and you are to treat them with the utmost respect."
So saying, he left the cabin. As he ascended the hatchway, he said to himself: "Why, old Jack is in great good humor, though he knows that I have the proud Yankee bird caged on board, and he actually agrees to help me to make her yield. What a fool Brown was to think that such as he and his boys had feelings worth regarding. Well, everything succeeds with me to a charm. If she holds out, I will have a chance to outdo the most villainous acts ever committed by my worthy villaincus father, and old Sir John will have the honor I have always prom- ised him, of being the grandfather of the greatest rascal of mod- ern times."
" Please, Captain, the boat is all ready," said the second mate.
Ward now, in great good spirits, threw himself on the side- ladder, and descended into the boat before he saw who manned it. He half started as he now saw Jack himself, his two boys, Ike and Mike, Yellow Dick and the boy Johnny Lucky, as the crew. A suspicion shot through his mind, and his first impulse was to leap back on the ladder and call for another crew; but the boat was instantly shoved out by a quick movement of Ike's, and he, disliking to betray fear or suspicion, and perceiving that none of the crew were armed, he quietly took his seat as helms- man, and said in a careless way :
" Why did you come yourself, Lawson ?"
" Oh, Captain," said Jack, in a half-confidential tone, "the boys here and I have a small matter of money buried under a certain tree that we want to get, so we had to come."
" Oh, that is all right," said Ward, feeling now entirely re- lieved, though he felt a little disagreeable as he recollected that he had forgotten to arm himself, as he intended to do when he left the cabin.
They soon reached their destination, and all jumped on shore. Lawson said to Yellow Dick:
" Stay in charge of the boat, Dick, until we come back to you."
" Aye, aye, sir," answered Dick.
The place where they landed was a little cove, a short distance west of the common landing used at that time for the water depot. Captain Ward took the lead, following a trail that led
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around and over a low hill to the west, then down into a little valley well grown up with small timber, through which a stream of the purest spring water came dashing its way to the bay from the steep hillside. Across this valley Ward led the way, and up the steep ascent on the other side, until he came opposite a little growth of scrub oak timber that stood on a point of land making boldly out into the bay. Here he stopped, and, consulting a memorandum book, he said:
" Yes, this must be the place; let us look for the old oak tree."
Walking through the small timber, they came to an open spot, covered with a mat of half-dried grass, entirely clear of timber, except one old oak tree. This tree grew on the very outer edge of the cliff. It had partly yielded, it would seem, in its strug- gles with the ever-prevailing winds from the west; for it was bent over eastward almost to the ground, and its upper side was without a branch, and those on the lower side were nearly desti- tute of leaves. At this point the cliff was perhaps two hundred feet high above the water of the bay, which rushed foaming against its base all day and all night, as the ocean tide set in and out, in obedience to the laws that govern the great waters of the earth. A huge rock seemed to shelve out over the water, and form a foundation for this little spot of open, grassy land, upon which Ward and his men now stood. The view of the bay and surroundings far out to sea from here was magnificent be- yond description. As the party gained the opening, Ward stopped short, saying:
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