Brack

“ Chanler is the owner.”
“Yes, and Captain Brack is—Brack.”
I recalled what I had heard Brack called back in Billy Taylor’s in Seattle.
“Pierce,” I said, “how much do you know about Brack?”
He cast a look of disapproval at me.
“You don’t need to ask me that, Brains,” he said. “I got eyes—I can see you got him sized up, too.”
“You joined the Wanderer in San Francisco two weeks before I did,” I reminded him. “Surely you know more about the man than I do.”
“Well,” he said, “I know that he’s a devil with men.”
“A masterful personality,” I agreed. “Any one can see that.” ”

“ My senses had cleared now and I was sure that what I fancied I heard was simply the echo of Brack’s shot in my disordered mind.
I sank gratefully back toward the slumber that invited me, and then— Crack! Crack-crack! Crack-crack-crack! Up on the after deck a perfect splatter of shots which seemed echoed from a distance, drove the sleepiness from my head. ”

“ The others were fascinated by the gold, and I was fascinated by the expression on their faces. Each face bore the same expression; to a man they had dropped such masks of civilization as they possessed, and greed, pure, primitive greed, shone frankly from their strangely lighted eyes.
Life—raw and crawling! Brack’s words flashed through my mind. He was right, then. Raw and crawling! It was the first time I had viewed the souls of men, naked and unashamed of their nudity, and the vision was appalling.
“Schwartz—Dillon,” Captain Brack spoke over his shoulder. “To the doctor. Jump!” ”

“ Why did he run so swiftly across the open space of the beach? Why hide himself behind the boulder? It was not like Brack to run or hide. Then, considering the speech I had just heard, I understood. It was Slade and Harris that Brack and his men had come hunting, summoned by my pistol-shot, and the captain, knowing their deadly skill with the rifle, was not wishful to expose himself any more than was necessary.
“Betty,” I said swiftly, as the men came out upon the beach and tumbled into the boat, “they’re going away. It wasn’t us they were after. They’ve no idea we’re here. ”

“ Pitt,” Brack said, turning to me. “What do you say now—is not life raw and crawling?”
“As an exhibition of the primal instinct of greed the spectacle was quite worth seeing,” I replied. “Now tell me what it was all about?”
“This!” said he, striking the bag of gold in his pocket. “All about this. For this the man whom we picked up in an open boat a short time ago risked and all but lost his life. For this the men of the crew are ready to cut the throats of any one who opposes them. And why? Because it is gold. ”

“ I told him why Brack was after Slade and Harris. He was skeptical at first; men didn’t dare do such things nowadays; Brack’s wild talk had been only the raving of too much whisky. In the end, however, he was convinced.
“Then this scientific expedition was only the captain’s way of getting an outfit for robbery on a big, piratical scale! By George! The man’s big, isn’t he? ”

“ Brack would keep up the pretense. He would be the smooth-talking captain this morning as if nothing untoward had happened, or was going to happen. He would maintain this pose until he had accomplished the robbery, until it pleased him to drop it. And after this morning I knew that he would go to any lengths to fulfil his will.
“Cold?” sneered Barry as I shivered. “Well, don’t worry, sissy, Cap’ll make it warm enough for you when he gets ready to ’tend to you.” ”

“ Wouldn’t you? Who cares for old bones? And think of the thrill and adventures in exploring a hidden country and of hunting gold!”
Chanler turned and nodded curtly to Brack.
“We go to Kalmut Fiord then, cappy.”
“All right, men,” snapped Brack. They broke at his orders; he was the captain again. “Full speed ahead, Mr. Riordan, please; I’ll take the bridge myself.”
He stood for a moment looking at Miss Baldwin. When George introduced them she first looked at Brack’s brutal features and wonderful eyes as casually as if he had been an ordinary member of the crew. Then her look became interested. ”

“ Dope: the boss made cappy cut her down, and it made cappy so sore he burnt Garvin’s face half off to blow off his grouch.”
“But why in the world should Captain Brack grow so angry over that!” I exclaimed. “Chanler is owner. Certainly it is to be expected that he can sail where, when and how he pleases.”
“Sure. It got cap’s goat, though.”
“By Captain Brack’s own statement we may have to wait for the Spring drift-ice to clear when we get up north. Surely there can be no sensible objection to slow running under the circumstances, especially as that is the owner’s wish.” ”

“ Brack.
Well, he may possibly put up for the Professorship against you, and, though you are an uncommonly clever man of letters—for a Norwegian—it's not wholly improbable that he may cut you out!
George.
But, look here, good Lord, Judge Brack!— [gesticulating] —that would show an incredible want of consideration for me! ”

“ You may have heard it before—we receive news sometimes—my brother is a famous rider. You are a bit of a sportsman?"
"I am," said Brack. "I've had a tip for the races here, for the double, and I've got ten bob to put on; the gentleman who's goin' to ride gave it me. [53] He says to me as I left the yacht—I'd rowed him out there—he says, 'Here, Brack, there's half a sov. for you. Back The Rascal for the double.' And I mean to." ”

“ Brack stayed about the harbor until ten o'clock. Just as he thought the opportunity favorable Carl Hackler turned up, and Brack made for home, thinking he had not been seen. He was mistaken.
"Something mysterious about the old fellow [65] lately," thought Carl. "He can't know anything; it's absurd, of course; but I'll swear he put me off the scent about that tramp. Confound him, he's a shrewd 'un, he is. It's my belief No. 832 is in Torquay somewhere. There'll be a shindy if he gets away, because he's got a lot of rich relations I believe; somebody's sure to say it's a put up job. ”

“ Woodridge's, Picton Woodridge's."
"The gentleman who rode four winners here last Easter, and won the double on The Rascal?"
"The same, and he's given me the tip."
"Nonsense!"
"Gospel," said Brack.
"You must have come into a fortune; it'll cost you a pot of money going to Doncaster."
"Mr. Woodridge is paying my expenses. He kind o' took a likin' to me when he was here; I rowed him to his yacht several times. He's one of the right sort, he is," said Brack.
"You're in luck's way," said the porter he had addressed as Tommy.
[190]
"It's men like me deserve to have luck—I'm a hard worker." ”

“ Brack, rowing from the London Belle, saw the Sea-mew moving slowly toward the entrance to the bay.
"He's safe; they'll never part with him. Brack, you're not such a bad sort after all! I wonder where's Hackler got to—perhaps he didn't follow us," thought the old boatman.
[78]
He lay on his oars and watched the Sea-mew's lights until they disappeared.
"There's a boat comin' now—wonder if it's him?" he said with a chuckle. "I'm ready for him, anyway."
[79] CHAPTER IX LENISE ELROY YOU'LL have to hurry," said Hackler impatiently as the seaman slouched round for his boat. ”

“ It was necessary, however, that I stay on the bridge until I was sure that the Wanderer had reached her limit of speed and that we were holding true on our course. I have stolen thirty minutes from that duty this evening to fulfil my social obligation as captain.”
“Then we are in a hurry, Captain Brack?” she asked.
His eyes were upon her—those eyes with their compelling power—and her manner was subdued.
“The crew is in a desperate hurry, Miss Baldwin,” he said with one of his flashing smiles. “Men are always in a hurry when they hear of gold. ”

“ At first he had joined the Brixham fishing fleet, but soon tired of it, and when he saved enough money he bought a couple of boats, and made a decent living in Torquay harbor.
Brack was fond of gossip, and on this particular morning he was eager for a talk; it was his intention to have it out with Dick before he put foot in the boat, so he stood looking at the young man, barring his entrance to the craft he was eager to put his foot in. The old boatman was a sturdy figure in his rough seaman's clothes as he eyed Dick Langford, and, although impatient, Dick could not help smiling at him. ”

“ Next evening Brack was very well pleased with himself when The Rascal won the double. He [66] proceeded to draw his money and enlighten the youthful bookie on the follies of gambling; he also exhibited some liberality in the matter of drinks to several mates.
He saw nothing of Carl Hackler, although he walked about the streets and loitered near the water.
"I'll try it to-night," he thought. "The races are over and maybe the Sea-mew will sail before morning. There's no telling, and it's the best chance there is; it can't be missed; it's too good, even if we run some risk. ”

“ The movements of the men of the watch, the sullen, slovenly manner in which they attended to their duties, reeked with menace. It seemed to me that the decks of the Wanderer merely hid a cauldron of seething elements, ready to explode and destroy.
Then Wilson came on deck to take the watch in Captain Brack’s absence, and at the sight of his trig seaman’s figure I felt assured. There was one man at least who had not lost his sense of duty toward ship and owner. The yacht might be a mad-house, surcharged with dangerous greed, but Wilson would do his duty as if nothing were out of the way. ”

“ Brack said thoughtfully: "Esther, if you're really determined to get away from here, maybe I can help you. I'm taking a cargo to Hesdin. Your old man couldn't reach you there, or prove anything against me, either."
The girl's moonstone eyes flared up in hope, but she hesitated. "I don't have very much money. I couldn't make it worth your while, financially."
"That part is unimportant. The thing for you to consider is the situation on Hesdin-2. It's a new colony; life there is pretty primitive."
Esther waved at the room. "Any more so than here?"
Brack grinned. "Not much more. ”

“ A man was waiting for me as I stepped from the alder-brush into the clearing about the mine. My clumsy traveling had warned of my approach and he lay behind a pile of dirt before a shaft, a large blue pistol pointing straight down the trail where I emerged.
“Don’t shoot!” I cried running toward him, with my hands in the air. “I’m a friend. I’ve come to warn you that a man named Brack with a crew of cutthroats is on his way to raid your camp.” ”

“ But Brack’s men are guarding the only pass by which they can get out of this valley, so they can’t get away. The captain says he’ll get them if he has to hunt all Summer. He’s managed to get roaring drunk.”
“And he said something about Miss Baldwin, too, didn’t he? What was it?”
“Well, he was drunk, you know. It makes him look and act and talk like a devil.”
“Go on.”
“He said, ‘I expect we’ll have company here tonight, doctor.’ Said you and Chanler had come and taken Miss Baldwin back to the yacht. ‘But I’ve a feeling they’ll come back here,’ he says. ‘She can’t resist me. ”

“ Pitt.”
There lay the trouble. I had nothing to suggest, nor had the doctor. Flight suggested itself first of all, but in that wilderness, with only a light Peterboro canoe and a rough sea as means of escape, the success of such a move seemed improbable. To bring our fate to a crisis by remaining there openly, defying Brack and appealing to the men for help, would have been suicidal. Had we been on the yacht strengthened by Pierce and Wilson, such action might have had a basis of reason. ”

“ Bracken was the detective into whose hands he had confided the Scotland Yard branch of the inquiry. Bracken was a tall, lank, solemn-looking man, dressed in black. Only that there was no appearance of relaxation or festivity about him, he would have looked like a clergyman on his holiday tour.
"Well, Mr. Bracken," said Cheyne, after he had motioned the detective to a chair, "any news?"
"Yes, sir. We have news of the first importance."
"No clue, I hope, Mr. Bracken."
"No, sir; not a clue this time. Clues are very good things when you have nothing to go on. ”

“ Brackett and George White sat in a conclave together one evening soon after his arrival. They were discussing the obstinacy of Simon Dodge in deferring to make a will in favor of his disinterested son-in-law.
“Can’t you persuade him to do it, Mr. Brackett?” asked White.
“I’ve tried my best, and failed,” said Brackett. “You see the old man’s dreadfully obstinate when he sets about it. It’s my opinion he’s afraid to make a will for fear it will hasten his death.” ”

“ Fig. 13.—Outside Braces. In the village of Naruge, in Yamato, I noticed in an old inn a diagonal brace which made a pleasing ornamental feature to a solid frame-work, upon which rested a ponderous supplementary roof, heavily tiled. As the horizontal beams were supported by uprights beyond the ends of the brackets, no additional strength was gained by these braces in question, except as they might prevent fore and aft displacement. ”

“ Brackenbury's visit, and of his satisfying that gentleman with the cheque of Bracknell, Street, and Oswald Cray, which cheque was no doubt cashed by that time.
"Mean old idiot!" apostrophised Mr. Barker. "That's always the way with those petty people. They'll make more fuss over their paltry hundred pounds or two than others do over thousands. I'd not have paid him, Mark." ”