Maddon's Rock by Hammond Innes Read Free Book Online Page A

followed by the mate. We cut across by the wash place to the starboard side andstopped outside the Captain’s door. A voice was speaking inside the cabin. Faintly through the door I caught Hamlet’s words, “…. and my two schoolfellows, whom I will trust as I will adders fang’d, they bear the mandate; they must sweep my way, and marshal me to knavery .”
    “Och, it’s Hamlet he is again the nicht,” said Hendrik and knocked on the door.
    The drone of the voice ceased. “Come in.” This sharp and decisive. When I went in, I found myself looking at a pair of black, sharp, little eyes set in sockets that were yellowed and lined with the sun of the tropics. The features were difficult to determine beneath the thick beard which had been black, but was now showing streaks of grey. Wiry hair, thick and inclined to curl, was brushed straight back from the broad, deeply-lined forehead. It matched the beard and so did the thick, beetling eyebrows. Captain Halsey was quite short in stature and very neat in appearance. But I scarcely noticed anything of this at that first meeting. My impression was of a man of violent personality and restless energy and all I noticed about him were his eyes—they were almost unnaturally bright and hard like onyx.
    “Shut the door, Mr. Hendrik.” His voice was soft, almost gentle. He was standing by a desk and his dark, lean fingers drummed on the leather top of it. “Are you the corporal of the guard?” he asked me.
    “Yes, sir,” I replied.
    “I understand your men have opened one of the cases and now know the nature of the cargo they are guarding?” His voice was still soft and gentle, but his little black eyes watched me without blinking.
    “Yes, sir,” I replied. “You see they’d no idea——”
    “I don’t require your views on their action, Corporal.” Still the soft voice, but there was a strange quality about it that made it almost menacing. It had the patient softness of a cat purring after its prey. “I find it most disturbing that you should have allowed this to happen. Those cases contain just over half a million in silver bullion. It represents some payment by the Russian Government for arms we have sent them. The cargo hasto be delivered to Treasury officials when we dock at Leith and they will not be pleased to find some of the seals broken. The nature of my report on the matter will depend on the behaviour of you and your guard during the remainder of the voyage. The only people who know the nature of that cargo are the four of us here in this cabin and your two soldiers.” He leaned suddenly and swiftly forward across the desk. “It is imperative, Corporal, that they do not talk.” His voice was no longer soft. It was hard and crisp. “Is there any likelihood of their having mentioned it to any of the crew?”
    “I’m sure they haven’t,” I said.
    “Good. In wartime you can’t pick and choose your crews. I’ve nearly a dozen men on board who’ve never sailed with me before this trip. I don’t want them to know that we carry bullion. Understand? I’m holding you responsible, Corporal, that it doesn’t get around the after-deck. Upon that one thing will depend what sort of a report I make to the authorities on the matter. Is that clearly understood?”
    “Yes, sir,” I said.
    He grunted and his eyes shifted to Rankin. The interview was over. The others at his invitation stayed. I went aft and communicated the result to Bert and Sills. They both gave me their solemn word that they would not mention it to a soul. But I wondered about Rankin. Ever since he came on board he had been drinking and playing cards with the Chief Engineer.
    It was just after eleven then and I turned in to get some sleep before relieving Bert at one. It is difficult now, after all this time, to remember exactly what I felt about things at that moment. I remember I could not sleep. My mind was a kaleidoscope of impressions—impressions of personalities, I think, more