DESPERATE MEASURES.

Ben’s surprise at seeing old Chloe busying herself about what he fancied were household duties at a time when Gertie was in such peril, caused him to ask impatiently:

“What’s the use of cooking now? We’d better be trying to help her instead of thinking about eating.”

“I’se gwine ter keep dat man away frum here ef dere’s any vartue in hot water,” the old woman replied with a menacing gesture. “Jas’ don’ trubble ’bout yer old mammy; she kin dribe white trash out ob her kitchen, I reckon.”

“But you mustn’t do anything like that, aunty!” Ben cried in alarm. “They would surely arrest you for scalding a man.”

“Nebber you min’, honey. I’se gwine ter keep ’em away frum dat lubley chile ef dey does ’rest, an’ den we’ll see ef dey kin lug de whole ob Mammy Chloe to de caboose. I tells you, honey, I’d be a powerful big load for ’em to tote ef I didn’t wanter go.”

The old woman was so firmly convinced of the efficacy of her plan that she continued the preparations despite Ben’s protests, and if Dr. Harlan had presented himself just then it is more than probable he would have met with a very warm reception.

Fortunately, however, Captain Irwin came first, and one look at his face was sufficient to convince Gertie that the danger which threatened her was quite as great as Ben had represented.

“He was sure you were with me when he saw Ben, and demanded that I give you up,” the captain said, understanding from the appearance of those in the kitchen that they knew whom he had met.

“And must I go?” Gertie asked, the tears filling her eyes despite the brave efforts to keep them back.

“Not if I can prevent it. I’m on shore now, where the loss of two or three weeks’ time don’t matter much, and he must appeal to the law, for I shall resist any and every attempt to take you away.”

“Do you think he will come here?” Ben asked.

“There is no doubt but that he followed me, for I refused to say where we were living, and it would not surprise me to see him at any moment--that is,” the captain added with a grim smile, “if he succeeds in getting past Jake.”

“Has he got the right to make her go with him?” Ben asked in a tremulous tone.

“I’m afraid so, my boy. At least, the law will undoubtedly give him the right unless we can show that he is an unfit person to have the care of a child. I will wait here until we find out whether he intends to attempt any force, and if nothing has been done by noon I’ll hunt up a good lawyer to take charge of the case.”

There was no necessity of waiting so long, for the captain had hardly ceased speaking when the sound of angry conversation from the front yard told that Jake had a visitor.

“Don’t be frightened; he sha’n’t do you any harm,” the captain said reassuringly as Gertie turned her pale face toward him imploringly. “I’ll go out, and you lock the door behind me, Ben, for it won’t do to take many chances.”

Then he left the room, Ben following his instructions to the letter, and during the next half-hour not a word was spoken by the three occupants of the kitchen, save when old Chloe crooned some negro melody as she smoothed Gertie’s hair while the child clung to her in an agony of apprehension.

When Captain Irwin reached the front yard, after passing entirely around the house in order that he might have time to make up his mind as to what he should do or say, Jake was entrenched behind the gate, threatening Dr. Harlan with his clinched fists whenever the latter made any attempt to enter.

“What do you mean by keeping my girl a prisoner in this house, and preventing me from seeing her?” the now thoroughly angry man cried as Captain Irwin appeared on the scene.

“She is not a prisoner, but has appealed to me for protection, and I am all the more willing to grant it because I know what you would force her to do. I presume I can prevent you from entering my house if I do not choose to entertain such people.”

“I’ll take her out of there if I have to break down the doors,” the quack cried, furious with rage.

“And I shall see to it that you do not have the chance,” Captain Irwin replied, secretly delighted because the doctor had given an opportunity of entering a complaint against him.

“You have got the upper hand now, for there are two against one,” Dr. Harlan said in a snarling tone; “but I have rights as the husband of her mother which the law will force you to respect, and it won’t be many hours before you shall be made to understand that fact.”

As he ceased speaking he walked away in what was evidently intended to be a dignified manner, and Captain Irwin said hurriedly to Jake:

“Of course he can do as he says, and while the case is being tried--for I will fight him to the last--the court may give him the custody of the child. I am going to consult a lawyer, and perhaps we may render him powerless by having him put under bonds to keep the peace, for he has publicly threatened to break into the house. Stand guard here while I’m gone, and do not let any one enter, except, of course, an officer should come with authority to take her away. Above all, don’t give that man a hold on you by striking him, unless it is absolutely in self-defence.”

“You needn’t worry about that part of it,” Jake replied grimly. “I’ll stay on this side the fence, an’ I reckon the law gives me the right to defend your property.”

Then the captain walked swiftly down the street in the same direction as that taken by the doctor, and the ex-cook, fully impressed with the importance of his position, remained stiff and erect, like a soldier who expects an immediate attack from the enemy.

Not knowing what was taking place outside, for Gertie would not allow Ben to leave the room even an instant in order to peer through the front window, the occupants of the kitchen remained in painful suspense for a long time, hearing nothing save the ordinary noise of the street, until a loud, peremptory knock at the door brought all three to their feet in the highest state of excitement and alarm.

“Don’ unlock it, honey; don’ touch de latch, kase it mus’ be dat drefful man.”

“It’s me! Jake! Open the door quick,” a familiar voice cried, and an instant later the ex-cook entered with a sheet of paper in his hand.

“Here’s a letter I jest got from the captain, an’ I can’t make any sense out of the thing. He told me he was goin’ to see a lawyer, an’ while I was watchin’ for the big-whiskered doctor, a nigger boy brought this. Read it, Gertie, an’ let’s see if all three of us can’t figger up some kind of a meanin’.”

Gertie took the note, which had evidently been written hurriedly with a lead-pencil, and read in a trembling voice the following:

“I am advised by the most reputable lawyer here, that in all probability the child will be placed in the custody of some one appointed by the court until the case is decided, and there can be no question now but that Dr. Harlan intends to bring suit at once. In such an event he would most likely try to steal her away, knowing the law would hardly surrender her to him after we have shown the kind of a life he proposes she shall lead.

“_It is positive he will not be able to so present his case that an order of any kind would be issued until late this afternoon._

“If I should be commanded to give her up, _and knew where she_ was, it would be necessary to obey.

“Ben has plenty of money in the box he found on Content Key, and there are a number of large sail-boats here which can be purchased. Three or four people could live on one of the small islands, ten or fifteen miles north of the harbor, for several weeks without being discovered, provided they did not even tell their best friend. By that time the whole affair would be settled as we want it, with nothing more to fear from the doctor in a legal way. If a party should make an excursion to any of the keys near by, it would not be necessary to stop very long preparing an elaborate outfit, since one of them could visit Key West very often without fear of detection, and if advice was needed my attorney, Joel L. Walker, would give it free of charge. It is not safe for any one to say what Gertie ought to do, because of the questions which might be asked in court.”

There was no signature to the letter; but none was needed, for all knew perfectly well who the writer was, and when Gertie ceased reading, Jake said with a long-drawn sigh:

“Now, if anybody here can make out the meanin’ of that thing, I’d like to have them speak right up, for it sticks me.”

“Why he wants us to run away until the case is settled,” Ben replied promptly. “If Gertie isn’t here she can’t be taken from us, and the doctor won’t have any chance to carry her off.”

“If that’s a fact why don’t he talk right out so’s we’ll know exactly what to do?” and Jake looked provoked as well as mystified.

“Because he’s afraid of being asked on his oath if he knows where she is. Don’t you see that the letter jest the same as says so?”

“Do you believe Ben has got the right of it?” Jake asked, turning to Gertie, who appeared to have been comforted rather than alarmed at the advice.

“I’m sure he has, and the captain wants us to hurry, for he says that nothing can be done by the doctor until late in the afternoon.”

Ben had not waited to discuss the matter. After replying to the ex-cook’s questions, he ran into the room where his father’s box had been left, took from the bag a handful of gold pieces, and returning to the kitchen gave them to Jake as he said:

“We haven’t got a minute to spare unless we’re willin’ to run the risk of losin’ Gertie. Here’s money enough to buy a boat. Don’t fool round tryin’ to get her cheap. We’ll need a little something to eat, an’ stuff for a tent--perhaps you can find one all made. Be jest as quick as you can, an’ when you’re ready to start come back for Gertie an’ me.”

Jake could not have hesitated had he so desired, for Ben in his impatience to leave the key at the earliest possible moment, literally pushed him out of the room, and when the door was fastened once more, old Chloe said, as she commenced to bustle around, gathering up such provisions as had already been brought into the house:

“I don’ s’pect de captin’ll want dese arter we’se gone, an’ dat wuffless Jake dunno noffin’ ’bout gettin’ ’nuff ter eat.”

“Why you are to stay here, aunty. Somebody must take care of the house,” Ben said in surprise.

“’Deed I isn’t gwine ter do any sich ting. D’yer s’pose old Chloe would let dat lubley chile go off all by herself?”

“But we have got to leave in a little boat, an’ you said you wasn’t going out sailin’ any more.”

“It’s gwine ter be hard totin’ my po’ old bones roun’ in dem aig-shells, but I’se got ter do it,” and Chloe continued collecting the articles as if she considered that the matter had been finally settled.

“You are so afraid of a boat, mammy, that it’s too bad to make you go with us,” Gertie said as she stroked the wrinkled black hand. “Jake can cook, and I shall get along by myself very well.”

“Don’ talk foolish, chile, don’ talk foolish. Yer po’ ole mammy hab got ter go wid yer, an’ dat settles de whole ’scussion.”

“But what will Captain Irwin do if there’s nobody here to cook for him?” Ben asked anxiously.

“De captin hab got ter grub roun’ fur vittles like any odder helpless white man, kase I’se gwine ter go wid my chile.”

It was evident that Chloe was growing impatient because of these attempts to dissuade her from what she considered the path of duty, and the children refrained from saying anything more on the subject.

Owing to the fact that Captain Irwin and Ben had been interrupted in their shopping at such an early hour, there was but little in the house which would be of benefit to the party, and that only what Jake had purchased while walking from the dock. It was all collected, however, and tied up into packages which could most readily be carried. When this was done old Chloe said to Ben:

“Now, honey, I wants yer ter gib yer old mammy some of dat money, so she can buy some clo’es fur dat lubley chile. She’s needin’ a few powerful bad, an’ I kin git back afore dat lazy Jake done gone fin’ a boat.”

“But some one will see you, aunty.”

“S’pose dey do? Dat doctor man don’ know me frum any ob dese Key Wes’ niggers, kase I ain’t got on my bestest frock.”

Ben realized the force of this argument at once, and giving the old woman four gold pieces, he opened the door leading into the back yard as he said:

“Be as quick as you can, aunty, for we must leave here the minute Jake is ready.”

“Don’ worry, honey, yer mammy ain’t so foolish as she looks, an’ she won’t let de sailors be waitin’.”

In this old Chloe kept her word. It hardly seemed to Gertie and Ben that she had had time to walk as far as the principal stores before she was knocking at the door for admittance and crying reassuringly:

“It’s me, honey, don’ be feared.”

From the size of her bundle it was evident the old woman had purchased quite an extensive outfit, but before it could be examined Jake entered.

“I’ve got a sloop-rigged craft with a little cuddy that will hold all hands in case of a storm,” he said. “She’s at the dock back of this house, an’ I reckon we can sneak through the small streets without much chance of the doctor’s seein’ us, even if he’s snoopin’ round in front.”

“Did you get the other things?” Ben asked.

“Yes, I found a couple of pretty fair but small tents, an’ I reckon there are provisions enough on board to last two or three days. We haven’t got any time to lose, for it’s past noon, an’ it’ll take five or six hours with this wind to reach such a key as we want to find.”

Everything was ready for the departure, and gathering up the many packages, as well as the famous kitten, the little party left the house in which so much enjoyment had been anticipated, to become castaways once more, this time fearing pursuit as much as they had previously hoped for succor.