"Nearly as fast as this craft," replied Mark Dane, who was at his elbow. "She was built for speed."
"H'm," said the captain; "it's stormy weather, and her speed will depend a good deal on the way she is handled. I don't expect she'll do much in the Bay."
Evidently Calthorpe was not going to let his boat be beaten by an outsider.
He had never heard of The Red Cross, and believed The Firefly to be one of the smartest crafts afloat.
The weather was dirty, and when the gallant little boat lifted the Atlantic waves they were running mountains high.
But Calthorpe drove his vessel sheer through them, and never slackened his speed for all their fury.
And now it must be explained how Dane came to be on board.
The explanation may be given in his own words to Giles.
"When I left you in London, sir," he said, "I wondered where Morley had taken Miss Anne.
From what I knew I guessed that he would not carry her to the Priory at Rickwell.
It then struck me that he might use the yacht.
Since Steel took up the case she has changed her name and her appearance, for Morley and Denham were both afraid lest she might be found out.
The gang of course know nothing of my intention to smash up the organization, and I knew that I could get all information from one of them.
I sent a wire to this man—he's called Arden—and received information that the boat was at Gravesend by Morley's orders, under the name of The Dark Horse."
"Rather a good name," said Ware, smiling. "Morley is something of a humorist."
"He's a devil!" said Dane fiercely. "I'll tell you my reason for saying so later, sir.
I went to Gravesend and found her lying in mid-stream.
I went on board and learned that Morley was away, but that the boat was to sail shortly for some unknown destination."
"Where was Morley?"
"Up in town, sir, getting his money together to make tracks.
I found Miss Anne on board.
She told me that Morley had suggested they should get to Rickwell by the Gravesend line, and she, not thinking any harm of him and anxious to see Denham and learn the truth about her dead father, agreed.
He took her down and drugged her in the train.
As an invalid she was taken on board The Dark Horse and confined to her cabin.
A hag called Mrs. Johns attended to her.
I know the old wretch.
A regular bad one; but devoted to Morley, who got her out of some trouble."
"Why did you not rescue Miss Anne," said Giles, "and save us this journey, Dane?"
"I couldn't.
Mrs. Johns allowed me to see Miss Anne, as she had no reason to suspect me; but she kept guard at the door, and would not let me out of her sight almost.
If I had tried to take Miss Anne ashore, she'd have brought the crew on me.
They are all Morley's creatures.
I should simply have been poleaxed and dropped overboard, while the yacht sailed away. No, sir.
I told Miss Anne my difficulty, and asked her to send a line to you at the Priory—where I knew you were—that you might follow.
She wrote three or four words——"
"I know," interrupted Giles, "and enclosed the coin."
"She did that, sir, so that you could be sure the message came from her.
I posted the letter. Then I went on shore and waited till Morley came back.
I learned from Miss Anne that the boat was going to Bilbao, and when she started I came on to the Priory to ask if I could join in the hunt for Miss Anne.
Yes," cried Dane, shaking his fist, "and the hunt after that devil Morley."
"Why do you hate him so?" asked Giles, wondering at the man's fierceness and ill-suppressed emotion.
Dane thought for a moment, then answered, with his eyes on the deck,
"Morley killed my mother," he said in a low voice. "No, sir, not in the way you think.
He killed her by telling her what I was.
She was a good woman.
She brought me up well, and did her best to make me a decent man.
I was well behaved till I went to Italy to study singing, and fell in with Denham.
He made me bad.
Afterwards Morley made me worse.
I have thieved, I have—but what does the catalogue of my crimes matter to you, sir?