nsiderably larger than
the ordinary victoria used in the town. It was quite dark, and though
the streets were flanked with many houses, hardly a person appeared to
be stirring at this hour. But a vehicle loaded down with the rough
visitors of the place could not be an unusual sight, for they were the
kind of people who were disposed to make the night hideous, as well as
the day.

Christy had struggled with all his might to shake off the ruffians who
beset him, and two more had come out from their concealment when he
thought he was making some progress in freeing himself from their grasp.
As soon as his wrists were ironed he realized that resistance was
useless, and that it could only increase his discomfort. It was a
terrible calamity to have fallen into the power of a man so brutal and
unscrupulous as Captain Flanger, bent upon revenging himself for the
mutilation of his most prominent facial member. He was certainly
disfigured for life, though the wound made by the ball from the revolver
had healed; but it was an ill-looking member, and he appeared to be
conscious of his facial deformity all the time.

The men in the carriage said nothing, and Christy way unable to speak.
They seemed to be afraid of attracting the attention of the few
passers-by in the streets, and of betraying the nature of the outrage in
which they were engaged. The streets in the more frequented parts of the
town were crowded with men, as the victim had been able to see, and he
hoped that they would come across some large collection of people. In
that case he decided to make a demonstration that would attract the
attention of the police, if nothing more.

He had no idea of the location of Fort Montague, to which the man on the
box had been ordered to drive them. The direction was to a beach near
the fort; and he had no doubt there would be a boat there in readiness
to convey him to the Snapper. But the farther the carriage proceeded,
the less frequented the streets became. He found no opportunity to make
his intended demonstration. His only hope now was that Mr. Gilfleur, who
must have been in the vicinity of the hotel, had witnessed the outrage,
and would interfere, as he had done on Bay Street, and save him from the
fate that was in store for him.

In a rather lonely place Christy discovered the outline in the darkness
of what looked like a fort. At the same moment he heard the distant
stroke of some public clock, striking nine o'clock. This