Minton
Carlatina was tempted to slap Colonel Mervyn’s face and she might have if her father hadn’t suddenly struggled to his feet and stalked off to the drawing room whispering nonsense and humming to himself. The other guests gradually wandered away until only Torty the Colonel and the indignant woman remained at the table. The two quarrelled but evidently it occurred to Mervyn that Torty was eavesdropping because he struck the former slave bloodying his nose. They then waxed wroth afresh on an adjacent balcony. Deane saw his chance to liberate his friend. As he cut the rope with a knife he happened to glance through the French doors at the arguing couple. Colonel Mervyn was facing into the sunset but Carlatina was calmly observing the rescue. Her eyes met Deane’s she winked and the dandy tipped his hat. They left the banquet hall without being challenged and the Yankee was astonished when the stubborn girl hastily abandoned the quarrel and retired after administering a hurried kiss. Deane retraced his steps to the hurricane deck and soon Torty was sitting astride of the steam driven horse. It took two or three minutes for the boiler to heat up and Torty used the time to tell his exmaster all of the horrifying details of the conspirators’ scheme that he had overheard while being held captive. Finally the horse was ready and the brave black man was transported into the air just as the loud cry of a bugle signalled that the escape had been discovered. Leaning out of a window Colonel Mervyn viciously fired a repeating rifle burying five bullets in Torty’s back. Torty threw up his hands fell out of the sky and plunged into the briny deep. Deane sprang through Carlatina’s window.
Minton ill tempered at the events described in this chapter closed the book. After reading the first chapter he had been delighted to find that fearless Torty was the central hero of this latest adventure since Dandy Deane was sometimes too cautious to suit the boy. He wanted a hero who was hot tempered and rough even cruel to his unnatural enemies quid pro quo yet still good natured with the peasant women or with beasts. Torty had moped a lot in the previous books of the series but at least he was easily offended. Killing him off wasn’t just wrong it was to Minton unpardonable. However the dandy and his sidekick had both been apparently killed many times only to reappear at the most opportune moment so Minton expected to see admirable Torty again if not in this book then in the next. Tired as he was he began to read the third chapter.
CHAPTER III Colonel Mervyn and the Diving Bell
Carlatina was unplaiting her hair when the masked man dropped into her room accompanied by a chorus of shouts of alarm and barking dogs in the hall outside her door. He took in the situation at a glance and moved swiftly to the armoire but before stepping inside he coolly bowed with an easy gentility as if to say that he trusted her to repeat her double dealing ways and to not disclose his whereabouts to the searchers now pounding on the door. She smiled and broke a bottle of scent to throw off the hounds. Why yes it’s plain that the intruder has been here she told them.
Colonel Mervyn sauntered into her room and sent the guards away to continue the search downstairs. Delighted at having gained admittance to her bed chamber he listened with undisguised contempt as the distressed damsel resumed her account of the alarming encounter with the villain.
And then when I threw the perfume in his eyes he dashed out!
