"Why haven"t you claimed the fortune before?"
"Because I had to prove that my wife had been drowned, and had also to prove that you were either alive or dead. Had you been dead, I could have taken the fortune for my own. But you are not dead, and so I am willing you shall have your share."
"Where is this fortune?"
"Never mind about that now. I will give you my word that, if all goes well, you shall have your full share."
"And how much will that be?"
"Not less than fifty or sixty thousand dollars. The whole fortune is worth over a hundred thousand dollars."
It must be confessed that our hero was staggered for a moment. The sum was certainly a large one--a good deal more than the Ruthven plantation was worth.
"It"s a lot of money," he said, at last.
"Indeed it is, my boy. We can be happy on that amount for the rest of our lives."
"But you haven"t proved to me that you are my father," went on Jack abruptly.
The crafty face of the surgeon fell, and he bit his lip.
"What more proof do you require?" he said coldly. "Do you suppose I would wish to divide that fortune with a stranger?"
"I presume not, nor would I wish to divide any fortune that was coming to me with a stranger."
"Ha! what do you mean?" gasped the medical man.
"I mean just this: That fortune may be coming to me, and you may be trying to gain possession of it by palming yourself off as my father."
The shot told, and Dr. Mackey staggered back and turned pale.
"Jack, you think you are smart, but you don"t know what you are saying,"
he stormed.
"Perhaps I do, Dr. Mackey. One thing I do know--you are not to be trusted."
"What? This to my face?"
"You took the part of Gendron, when you knew he was nothing but a guerrilla and a horse-thief."
"I know nothing of the kind. Gendron has a good record behind him. He was shot, and that may have hurt his brain."
"I don"t believe that fairy tale. To my mind, you sided with him because you were afraid he would expose you."
"Boy, you are growing more bold. Don"t you realize that you are in my power?"
"Am I?"
"Yes, you are--absolutely in my power. And you have got to do as I wish, or you"ll take the consequences."
As Dr. Mackey spoke, he began to walk up and down the cabin nervously.
"What do you mean by my taking the consequences?"
"You"ll find that out later."
"Would you kill me?"
"I would make you mind me--as a son should."
"I would rather do without the fortune than have you for a father, Dr.
Mackey."
"Well, there is no love lost between us, when it comes to that, boy."
"Then you are willing to admit that you care more for the fortune than you do for me?"
"Why shouldn"t I--after the way you have acted toward me? No father wishes a son who hates him."
"I will agree with you there," answered Jack slowly.
"If you don"t wish to live with me, well and good--after we have our money. You can take your share and I"ll take mine--and that will be the end of it."
"And you will let me return to the Ruthven plantation, if I wish?"
"Yes. But not until everything is settled."
"And what must I do to help settle it?"
"You must sign a paper acknowledging me as your father, and must bear witness to the fact of your being wrecked on this sh.o.r.e, and that your mother is dead. We will have to get Old Ben for another witness."
"And after that?"
"After that I will take the next step."
"You will not tell me more now?"
"No. I don"t know whether I can trust you or not."
"But why this secrecy, if everything is aboveboard?"
"As I explained to Mrs. Ruthven, some distant relatives hold the fortune now, and if they learn of what I am doing they will at once take steps to head my claim off. I wish to spring a surprise on them."
"But if the claim is a just one, and half the property is coming to me, you do not suppose I am going to tell them in advance of what you intend to do."
"Boy, you do not understand such matters--you are not old enough,"
growled the surgeon. "Once more, and for the last time, will you do as I wish you to?"
"I will not promise yet."