Fighting Byng: A Novel of Mystery, Intrigue and Adventure

by A. Stone

  CHAPTER XIX

  Howard and I patched up the bow of the Bulow boat and a Governmentvessel came and took it away to an Atlantic port, with the fiveprisoners also on board. This was safer than the trip by rail and Iwas much relieved thereby.

  I was instructed by wire to remain to note the effect and pick upadditional information. I was glad as I wanted to get Howard's storyand account of his doings during the last fifteen years, since I lefthim in New York, a rich man with enviable surroundings and prospects.

  He insisted that I make my headquarters with him, placing little Jim'sswift _Titian_ entirely at my disposal.

  He was just the same likable fellow he was the last time I stoppedwith him, up in Georgia. He was most attentive, and always anxious formy safety when I went away, even for a short time, but I had to waitseveral days before he was ready to talk.

  An alien enemy custodian took charge of the Bulow affairs and marineswere quickly planted on all their ships and tugs before they could bedamaged. In fact everything was working well, so I was in no hurry,and awaited a convenient time for my heart-to-heart talk with Howard.

  One afternoon little Jim took Don marketing in the _Titian_ for fruitand vegetables up on the mainland of Florida, a small matter, to her,of sixty or seventy miles. Howard busied himself tinkering about hisbig boat, the _Sprite_, getting it ready for sea, myself an interestedonlooker.

  "Howard, are you sure you are doing the wisest thing by going on thisway?" I asked as soon as I saw he was through with the job on hand.

  "You mean going by the name of Canby?"

  "Yes."

  "Well--maybe not. You know I never took Canby as a name. They--thefishermen--just gave it to me, and for a long time it suited mypurposes. I wanted to get away from everybody and everything and if Ihad planned it deliberately it could not have come out better. Butlittle Jim's future bothers me. She can't stay here much longer; shehas got to go to school somewhere, and she, girl-like, wants to go upNorth, about which I have told her so much in order to amuse her whenlittle. What do you think?" he asked, again the simple GeorgiaCracker.

  "It will be pretty hard to advise you without knowing more of thecircumstances," I said, dropping down on a seat in the cabin by aporthole.

  He dropped his tools, came in and sat on the other side, throwing offhis hat. His long black mane was turning slightly gray at the temples,but his body was sturdy and powerful.

  "I never before felt as though I could talk about it, and don'tbelieve I could now to anyone but you. I think it would be a relief totell you because you have known me so long and understand so manythings," he said, filling his pipe carefully and lighting up. Heleaned back, crossed his legs, and looked keenly the friendship hefelt for me.

  "You know," he began, in wonderful self-restraint, "it takes a longtime to get real, cankerous bitterness out of a man--me anyhow. Ithink it was you who told me that hatred, malice, and revenge were thethree arch enemies of peace of mind and development. Wood, I haveremembered that, and am glad I have made some progress, but I supposeI am like everybody else. I think my trouble has been the worst. Ibelieve now that if I had followed your advice and not borrowed fromthe Transatlantic I could have kept my property, but I would have togo through some kind of a melting fire to be made into good steel. Nodoubt, the family trouble would have come in some other way." I archedmy brows, appearing not to understand.

  "You, of course, recall, for I know you don't forget anything, thelast talk we had in the Waldorf in New York," he continued. "Youadvised me to sit tight and let good enough alone. That night, and fora day or two, I thought you had grown over-cautious and conservative,and had entered the class who hold up their hands and cry be careful,be cautious; but never do a damn thing for themselves. But I soonbegan to see that way myself, and decided to let things be as theywere. Mrs. Potter took the lead against me. That name I have neverpronounced since then, till now. It sounds strange to do so. It seemslike recalling things to memory that might have happened when I was onearth at some former time. Mrs. Potter, as you well know, was mysister-in-law, my partner's wife, and while the family stood wellsocially, she had a great ambition to be at the head of the FourHundred. She wanted to be worth millions. She not only filled Potterwith it but won over her father, and with all of them against me Igave in and the deal went through. I am satisfied now theTransatlantic Trust Company plotted to acquire the property. The panicplayed into their hands, enabling them to call our loans, withoutwhich we could not run or pay the interest on the bonds. They tooksnap judgment and foreclosed as cold as a cake of ice, kicked me out,and Byng & Potter, Incorporated, was theirs. I had a card up my sleevethat would have brought them down, but this blackleg Ramund extendedthe robbery to my home and wrecked that, too."

  Howard stopped here, filled his pipe again and looked at meappealingly, apparently waiting for me to arrive at the truesignificance of his quiet statement of fact.

  "Ramund, Ramund, you don't mean to say----" And then, as though shotbetween the eyes, I recalled the same name and the peculiar cultivatedinflection given it by Norma Byng some twelve years before. Now thecause of his extreme interest and agitation when we were examining theprisoners a few days before rushed upon me like Niagara. I could stillhear Byng's cut--"It is a lie, his name is Ramund--a damnedPrussian!" It was strange I did not remember the name then, especiallyas both times it had been connected with a foreign banking house.

  "Yes--yes," said Howard, taking his pipe down and looking out of thecabin door reflectively, "don't you think I have made some progress tobe able to even talk about it now without becoming insane? I am tryingto tell you of a snake that has crawled across my path twice todestroy me. You know that don't happen often. I should have killed himthe first time. I would have done it had it not been for one thing. Ican think of it now--but I never dared to before. I couldn't tellanyone but you, even now! You seem to support me."

  He stopped, puzzled by the expression on my face as the details of mymeeting with Norma Byng, his wife, years before, rushed through mymind, and the dreadful sadness with which she told me of the sameoccurrence. Her simple story impressed me with added force after thelapse of time. By gesture I asked him to proceed. The fact was Icould see valuable evidence for the Government, too, in thecircumstances.

  "As I said before," he continued slowly, "I had an opportunity andwould have killed him, if he had not been secretly encouraged. I cansee now I was all but insane when they not only took our properties,confiscating even my private account, leaving me without a cent, but Ihad to sell my household effects to live. Then Mrs. Potter started onanother diabolical course. She deliberately undertook to sell mybeautiful wife to the Prussian--and was making headway before Inoticed it. It took me a long time to realize it and I was sure of itbefore I acted. I went down to Georgia to get old Don, the only man Iever entrusted with the full details of how the turpentine and rosincould be taken from a stump, bringing him back to New York with me.

  "Their scheming, now in full swing, was working well. One day I wastold that my wife had gone to Ramund's apartment. Desperate, I wentthere, intending to break in the door, but that was not necessary. Inhis cocksureness and insolent bravado he had not locked it and Ientered. I heard him tell her how much more he could do for her than abankrupt, discredited husband who could be easily removed. No protestscame from my wife. Her silence was consent enough. I was as cool as Iwould be hunting for bob-cats. He took her in his arms, kissing herpassionately. She did not resist and that was all that saved his life.I told her to go home, showed her out and locked the door." Byngburied his face in his hands for a moment, so I waited silently, untilhe began again.

  He took her into his arms, kissing her passionately.]

  "He was a full match for me physically," said he, wearily, "but mysense of injury was so burningly intense that every muscle was asthough laminated with steel wire. I felt a strength that knew nobounds. Fear and prudence had departed in the presence of this homewrecker. Almost my first blow knocked him senseles
s, but such apunishment, even if I had killed him, seemed mean, small, dreadfullyinadequate. Instantly it occurred to me that undesirables should beunable to reproduce their species. Desperately, perhaps insanely, Iused skill acquired in the pine woods. In a sense I was protectinglittle Jim and performing a service toward the world." He looked at meappealingly, but went on with his story.

  "I went home immediately," said he, "but my wife was not there.Deciding she was unfit to further care for little Jim, I gathered afew things for the use of both of us, took my child and left within anhour.

  "Though desperate and irrational, a part of my mind worked withmethod. The first schooner I ever had, the _Canby_, was considered toosmall and worthless to be put in the mortgage. But for old time's sakeI had kept her anchored in a safe place and well looked after. I gotold Don, took the _Canby_ and started somewhere, I did not care a damnwhere, except I wanted to get away."

  "You came south, of course," I ventured for the sake of sayingsomething.

  "Perhaps it was the attachment we all feel for our birthplace thatmade me steer south," he assented. "In a short time we ran into badweather, and for what seemed an interminable time drifted with barepoles. To make sail was impossible. How we ever navigated down thecoast, through the Straits, into the Gulf, I have no rational idea.All I can recall is that I took great care of little Jim and thatanything else did not matter.

  "One morning we fetched up here on this beach, so high that in lowtide the _Canby_ was on dry sand. Her bones are out there now, sacredto me."

  "I would imagine so," said I absently, thinking of the scoundrelRamund.

  "But I did not feel that way the morning I came ashore, carryinglittle Jim in my arms," he continued. "It seemed as though the _Canby_had added the last drop, the dregs of misfortune, and had deserted me.I shook my fist at it, but resolved to fight on for little Jim, oldDon's faithfulness being a ray of hope.

  "We first made a house tent of the sails of the _Canby_, which wegradually built permanent. I took to sponging to provide for littleJim, and I guess you know and can understand the rest," he finished,struggling with the emotion his whole body expressed.

  The sacred solemnity of this powerful, magnificent man, baring hisvery soul to me, impressed me profoundly. We remained silent until Icould control my voice. Finally I asked:

  "Howard, have you heard anything from the North since you came here?"

  "No--not a word. I have not met a soul I ever saw before until youcame. For years I didn't want to. And then a desire to see some oneconsumed me. You may think it strange but I was too big a coward--adownright coward. Somehow I always thought you would find me. I knewyou went to the ends of the earth and sea, and that you wouldeventually come. That's why I didn't seem surprised the other day whenI recognized you. When little Jim told me there was a salesman to sellme goods I never suspected, but I should have known you would notcome with a brass band," he replied, greatly relieved at havingunloaded a burden he had carried for fifteen years.