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第31章

the return of tarzan-第31章

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him that his friends are much worried by his continued absence。〃



〃You are very fond of Mr。 Caldwell?〃 suggested Monsieur Thuran。



〃I think he is splendid;〃 replied the girl。  〃And mamma is

perfectly infatuated with him。  He is the sort of man with

whom one has a feeling of perfect securityno one could

help but have confidence in Mr。 Caldwell。〃



A moment later the steward returned to say that Mr。 Caldwell

was not in his stateroom。  〃I cannot find him; Miss Strong;

and〃he hesitated〃I have learned that his berth was not

occupied last night。  I think that I had better report the

matter to the captain。〃



〃Most assuredly;〃 exclaimed Miss Strong。  〃I shall go

with you to the captain myself。  It is terrible!  I know that

something awful has happened。  My presentiments were not

false; after all。〃



It was a very frightened young woman and an excited steward

who presented themselves before the captain a few moments later。

He listened to their stories in silencea look of concern

marking his expression as the steward assured him that he

had sought for the missing passenger in every part of the

ship that a passenger might be expected to frequent。



〃And are you sure; Miss Strong; that you saw a body fall

overboard last night?〃 he asked。



〃There is not the slightest doubt about that;〃 she answered。

〃I cannot say that it was a human bodythere was no outcry。

It might have been only what I thought it wasa bundle of refuse。

But if Mr。 Caldwell is not found on board I shall always be

positive that it was he whom I saw fall past my port。〃



The captain ordered an immediate and thorough search

of the entire ship from stem to sternno nook or cranny was

to be overlooked。  Miss Strong remained in his cabin; waiting

the outcome of the quest。  The captain asked her many

questions; but she could tell him nothing about the missing

man other than what she had herself seen during their brief

acquaintance on shipboard。  For the first time she suddenly

realized how very little indeed Mr。 Caldwell had told her about

himself or his past life。  That he had been born in Africa

and educated in Paris was about all she knew; and this

meager information had been the result of her surprise that

an Englishman should speak English with such a marked

French accent。



〃Did he ever speak of any enemies?〃 asked the captain。



〃Never。〃



〃Was he acquainted with any of the other passengers?〃



〃Only as he had been with methrough the circumstance

of casual meeting as fellow shipmates。〃



〃Erwas he; in your opinion; Miss Strong; a man who

drank to excess?〃



〃I do not know that he drank at allhe certainly had not

been drinking up to half an hour before I saw that body

fall overboard;〃 she answered; 〃for I was with him on deck

up to that time。〃



〃It is very strange;〃 said the captain。  〃He did not look

to me like a man who was subject to fainting spells; or

anything of that sort。  And even had he been it is scarcely

credible that he should have fallen completely over the

rail had he been taken with an attack while leaning upon it

he would rather have fallen inside; upon the deck。  If he is

not on board; Miss Strong; he was thrown overboardand

the fact that you heard no outcry would lead to the assumption

that he was dead before he left the ship's deckmurdered。〃



The girl shuddered。



It was a full hour later that the first officer returned to

report the outcome of the search。



〃Mr。 Caldwell is not on board; sir;〃 he said。



〃I fear that there is something more serious than accident

here; Mr。 Brently;〃 said the captain。  〃I wish that you would

make a personal and very careful examination of Mr。 Caldwell's

effects; to ascertain if there is any clew to a motive either

for suicide or murdersift the thing to the bottom。〃



〃Aye; aye; sir!〃 responded Mr。 Brently; and left to commence

his investigation。



Hazel Strong was prostrated。  For two days she did not

leave her cabin; and when she finally ventured on deck she was

very wan and white; with great; dark circles beneath her eyes。

Waking or sleeping; it seemed that she constantly saw that

dark body dropping; swift and silent; into the cold; grim sea。



Shortly after her first appearance on deck following the

tragedy; Monsieur Thuran joined her with many expressions

of kindly solicitude。



〃Oh; but it is terrible; Miss Strong;〃 he said。  〃I cannot rid

my mind of it。〃



〃Nor I;〃 said the girl wearily。  〃I feel that he might have

been saved had I but given the alarm。〃



〃You must not reproach yourself; my dear Miss Strong;〃

urged Monsieur Thuran。  〃It was in no way your fault。

Another would have done as you did。  Who would think that

because something fell into the sea from a ship that it must

necessarily be a man?  Nor would the outcome have been

different had you given an alarm。  For a while they would

have doubted your story; thinking it but the nervous

hallucination of a womanhad you insisted it would have been

too late to have rescued him by the time the ship could have

been brought to a stop; and the boats lowered and rowed

back miles in search of the unknown spot where the tragedy

had occurred。  No; you must not censure yourself。  You have

done more than any other of us for poor Mr。 Caldwellyou

were the only one to miss him。  It was you who instituted

the search。〃



The girl could not help but feel grateful to him for his

kind and encouraging words。  He was with her oftenalmost

constantly for the remainder of the voyageand she

grew to like him very much indeed。  Monsieur Thuran had

learned that the beautiful Miss Strong; of Baltimore; was an

American heiressa very wealthy girl in her own right; and

with future prospects that quite took his breath away when he

contemplated them; and since he spent most of his time in that

delectable pastime it is a wonder that he breathed at all。



It had been Monsieur Thuran's intention to leave the ship at

the first port they touched after the disappearance of Tarzan。

Did he not have in his coat pocket the thing he had

taken passage upon this very boat to obtain?  There was

nothing more to detain him here。  He could not return to

the Continent fast enough; that he might board the first

express for St。 Petersburg。



But now another idea had obtruded itself; and was rapidly

crowding his original intentions into the background。

That American fortune was not to be sneezed at; nor was

its possessor a whit less attractive。



〃SAPRISTI! but she would cause a sensation in St。 Petersburg。〃

And he would; too; with the assistance of her inheritance。



After Monsieur Thuran had squandered a few million dollars;

he discovered that the vocation was so entirely to his

liking that he would continue on down to Cape Town; where

he suddenly decided that he had pressing engagements

that might detain him there for some time。



Miss Strong had told him that she and her mother were to

visit the latter's brother therethey had not decided upon the

duration of their stay; and it would probably run into months。



She was delighted when she found that Monsieur Thuran

was to be there also。



〃I hope that we shall be able to continue our acquaintance;〃

she said。  〃You must call upon mamma and me as

soon as we are settled。〃



Monsieur Thuran was delighted at the prospect; and lost

no time in saying so。  Mrs。 Strong was not quite so favorably

impressed by him as her daughter。



〃I do not know why I should distrust him;〃 she said to

Hazel one day as they were discussing him。  〃He seems a

perfect gentleman in every respect; but sometimes there

is something about his eyesa fleeting expression which

I cannot describe; but which when I see it gives me a

very uncanny feeling。〃



The girl laughed。  〃You are a silly dear; mamma;〃 she said。



〃I suppose so; but I am sorry that we have not poor Mr。

Caldwell for company instead。〃



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